Reporter tries bike commuting

For years, I was scared to bike to work. In Portland, of all places.

I was afraid I'd get flattened, out there on my rinky-dink bike amid the beefy Yukons and boxy Westfalia vans that roam the region. These are not unusual fears. Even in the nation's bike-happiest city, fewer than five percent of Portland workers pedal to the office, according to U.S. Census estimates. Some of the rest might consider the option if persuaded they'd get home in one piece.

I wasn't persuaded. But I tried it anyway. Three months later, I'm alive to report: The fear is gone.

Pretty much. ...

Yet the transition from full-time motorist to part-time cyclist isn't quite the seamless shift to fitness, gas savings and Earth-friendliness that some of Portland's bike boosters would have us think. To board a bike at 6:20 a.m., pre-coffee, and point oneself downtown is not comparable to a jog around the neighborhood, or switching from paper coffee cups to a reusable mug.

It's way more fun. ...

[And some interesting comments about before and after bike commuting views.]

<a href="http://blog.oregonlive.com/pdxgreen/2008/09/bike_commute_fear_gone.html">http://blog.oregonlive.com/pdxgreen/2008/09/bike_commute_fear_gone.html</a>;

And the video: <a href="http://videos.oregonlive.com/oregonian/2008/09/bike_commute.html">http://videos.oregonlive.com/oregonian/2008/09/bike_commute.html</a>;