By Eric Schrading, Assistant Supervisor, Private Lands Coordinator, USFWS, New Jersey Field Office

I commute to work almost every day by bike to my office at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Jersey Field Office. The commute is nothing spectacular, only 5.4 miles from door to door and in South Jersey we have no hills. Most of the commute is through residential streets, but I am on a few larger commercial-traffic roads as well.

Bike commuting is not something new to me. In high school I started commuting by bike, mostly because I was frequently late to home room when I ran to school. So I started biking and it saved me a few more minutes of valuable sleep time. I went to undergraduate school at University of Maine and one of my first purchases my freshman year was a new mountain bike (when mountain bikes were still a rare bike).

Eric Schrading, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employee, getting ready to ride. (USFWS)

My bike was my transportation … it took me to class, to parties, to the woods, everywhere. I continued the tradition during graduate school, adding a milk crate on the back, because I was too cheap to afford panniers.

After a brief stint in Washington, D.C. where commuting, while staying alive was not an option, I moved to New Jersey for a job with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at New Jersey Field Office. I’ve been commuting by bike to work about 18 years now and I’ve logged probably 50,000 miles of bike commuting in New Jersey. It honestly is my preferred means of travel.

Bike commuting is great because it provides a great source of exercise. Every day I get at least 40 minutes of good aerobic exercise just getting back and forth to work. While bike commuting may not save time (20 minutes to get to work by bike versus 10 minutes by car) it does save sitting in traffic. Obviously bike commuting is a little friendlier environmentally, by not burning fossil fuels … even the Toyota solar-powered Prius can’t hold a candle to bike commuting.

I think bike commuting also gives you a different perspective on travel. Most of the time when I go to the store, I usually first think whether I can do it with my bike … pick up a gallon of milk at the local store … yup I can do that with my bike.

Okay, there are some disadvantages and challenges to bike commuting as well.

Getting hit by a car is an obvious one, especially with more people texting and talking on cell phones. Knock on wood I’ve only been hit twice (minor injuries) in my 18 years of bike commuting … both by distracted drivers. Knowing how to ride with traffic makes a big difference. Always ride with traffic, use lots of bright colors and lights, ride a little bit in the road (not next to the gutter) so that cars actually have to pass you or move over a little. Weather can also be a disadvantage. On hot days you may be a little sweaty when you arrive to work, but a change of clothes and some deodorant usually fixes that. Snow and rain can require more prep time, but they make lots of good clothes and booties to keep to dry and comfy … even in sub-zero temps (remember I commuted in Maine). Ice, however, is a no-go. If there’s ice on the road … it’s a day to drive in. Bringing lots of stuff too and from work can be a limitation as well. My panniers with hold lots of files, lunch, books, etc. but they can limit your ability to get things to and from work.

Some would say night time is a disadvantage, but in the winter I ride home at night all the time. I have lights on my helmet, and front and back of my bike. I actually get better car buffers at night than I do during the day. So don’t let night commutes keep you from trying it, just make sure you have lights.

Bike commuting is not for everyone and based on where you live from work, may not be a reality. But if you live close enough to work, I recommend that everyone at least try it once. Even commuting a couple times a month can improve your health, reduce your carbon footprint, and give you a new perspective on your trip to work. Pick a good route (preferable one with less traffic), wear bright colors and a helmet, and remember to bring stuff to change a flat tire (just in case).

If you need any advice … !