Have you ever considered riding your bicycle to work?

Steve Szulc, a Financial Analyst who works for an insurance company in Woodland Hills, rides his bicycle from Glendale, a 30 mile commute which takes him 2 ½ hours. Szulc leaves his house at 5:30 a.m. and usually rides on Tuesday, Thursday, and sometimes Friday. Szulc is a serious cyclist who rides from April through October, the warmer months of the year.

Szulc rides on the orange line bike route, “It’s so cool, I get my own lane,” said Szulc. Most of his trip he rides on a dedicated bike lane and he sometimes listens to books on tape because he does not have to worry about cars. Some of his trip requires riding along with traffic, therefore, he will switch to listening to his iPod and is always aware of his surroundings, “I know exactly where the cars are and what lane they’re in,” said Szulc.

Szulc only rides his bike one way, when returning home he carpools with his boss who mounts the bike on the back of his pick up truck.

The best part of the whole ride, said Szulc, is that he descends 1500 feet for the first part of his ride. “It’s like snow skiing and I just let it ride,” said Szulc. Szulc said it is his own 30 minute ski run on a bicycle.

Szulc said he used to come into work early to do the spin class as his employer provides gym facilities. Szulc said he decided it would be more fun to actually ride his bike into work even if it meant waking up a little earlier. Szulc said he had to wait for the orange line bike route to open before he began riding into work and has been riding into his current job for 4 years.

Szulc said, “At one time it was a race and a time trial to get to work.” Szulc said, “I would do anything to reduce the time to get to work.” Szulc said on his 44th birthday, he made it to work in 1 hour and 51 minutes. Szulc said about 6 months ago, he got pulled over by a police officer in Burbank for running a red light. Szulc said, “This was a wake up call for me and a real eye opener.” Szulc said he told the police officer that he is a safe rider and is always cautious. Szulc said he started thinking of his statement and realized that he must put safety first because he has a family to support.

Szulc said his riding gear consists of a helmet, an orange reflective vest and a reflective ankle bracelet. Szulc said his bike has red blinking lights on the back and clear blinking lights on the front. Szulc said from his perspective cars always have the right of way and he stays 50 feet away from the intersection when a traffic light is red.

Szulc said, “Buses are very accommodating if you run into any emergency, they have bike racks that you can mount your bike on and then you just ride the bus.”

Szulc said he paid about $1,200 for his grey Cannondale R5000, a frame and parts he purchased from eBay that he had a bike shop assemble for him. Szulc said in regard to safety equipment all you really need is a helmet which can be purchased from Costco for $20 and a reflective safety vest from Wal-Mart for $9. Szulc said if you are a beginner you can purchase a baseline bike from Costco for about $200 or K-Mart/Wal-Mart for $150.

Zulma Barrios, a Mailroom Clerk who works for an insurance company in Woodland Hills, will sometimes ride her bike to work depending on the weather. Barrios said her ride into work is a 2 mile commute. Barrios said she takes it slow and easy and it takes her about 20 to 30 minutes to arrive at work. She rides the orange line bike route and only rides in traffic down a small side street for a short while. Barrios is a little hesitant to ride in traffic so she rides on the side walk

Barrios said she does not wear a helmet because she does not feel that she is in much danger. She is always cautious and looks in every direction while riding and is very aware of vehicles. Barrios will try to wear light color shirts so she is visible. She does not wear reflective clothing because she does not ride at night and does not feel the need to wear them. Barrios will take a shower after arriving to work and change into her uniform, which only takes about 15 minutes. She then stores her bike in the bike lockers provided by her employer which store 4 bikes.

Barrios said her sister used to work at the same company and when she got laid off, she started taking the bus into work. Barrios said she used to do the spin class at work and while on the bus she noticed the cyclists on the bike path. Barrios said one day she thought, “Why not do the real thing.” and then decided she would do it on a whim. Barrios said she loves cycling into work and likes it because “It’s good exercise.”

Barrios said she notices men break more rules than women when riding. Barrios said she has witnessed guys running red lights while women will stop, wait and seem to be more patient. “Other cyclists always move faster than me and I always try to catch up,” said Barrios. Barrios said she has been riding her bike to work for 2 years and still considers herself a beginner. Barrios said she feels that other cyclists move at greater speed and she could never move faster but she continues to try.

Barrios said she bought her Schwinn Hybrid bike from Target for under $300. It is a cross between a mountain bike and a professional. Barrios said she rides with regular tennis shoes for now but wants to get cycling shoes because they allow for a better grip and foot placement which then permits a better ride. Barrios said she learned the latter after borrowing a pair of cycling shoes.

Barrios said she was recently side swiped by a lawnmower. Barrios said she did not see the lawnmower coming because the landscaper was standing behind a company sign and she did not hear him because another landscaper was using a blower machine. Barrios said as the man with the mower walked towards the side walk, and as she rode past him the front of the lawnmower hit her bike pedal which caused her to lose balance and she almost fell off her bike. Barrios said she was more worried about her bike because she just bought it 2 months ago.

Jack Sweeney known as “Ghost Rider” is a writer, editor and product reviewer for Bikecommuters.com. Sweeney said he has been writing for Bikecommuters.com for a little over 3 years and has been a commuter since 1989. Sweeney said he started riding his bike because his college did not allow students to have cars on campus. Sweeney said, “A bike made a lot of sense.” Sweeney said he has been living and breathing bicycles since 1979. Sweeney said, “There are a lot of ‘new’ commuters in the U.S. and lots of experienced cyclists who have never considered riding a bike for transportation rather than sport.” Bikecommuters.com offers helpful information to beginners and experienced pros worldwide.

Sweeney said regarding his nickname “Ghost Rider,” “I used to commute through a quiet, vaguely rundown neighborhood on my way to work. One morning, an older gentleman was startled when I rang my bell and waved hello. He commented, “I thought you were a ghost!” I told my friends about my experience and that’s how the name stuck.”