Andrew Theen/Staff

One year ago this month, I decided enough was enough.

I just couldn’t handle the bus anymore.

My commute to and from work on the Line 35 from North Portland to The Oregonian/OregonLive newsroom had only grown more miserable during the past five years. It wasn't the bus's fault; it was all the traffic around it. No number of podcasts or books or music could make it palatable.

It wasn’t quite the mind-numbing rage of driving to and from Washington County during my days covering the city of Hillsboro, but the slow slog up gridlocked Greeley Avenue on the bus – surrounded by people in single occupancy vehicles -- was increasingly breaking my spirit and souring my mood after work.

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Andrew Theen/Staff

I couldn’t reliably predict when I’d get home, and with now two young kids, predictability and a positive attitude are important.

So, I started bike commuting full-time last May, and aside from sporadic days during the past 12 months where I drove due to childcare or other family reasons, I’ve stuck to the bike and my roughly 12-mile round-trip commute has never been better or happier.

Given that May is National Bike Month, here are 10 things I learned from a year behind the handlebars. If you're an experienced bike commuter or just learning, share your thoughts or advice in the comments:

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GET A BIKE YOU LIKE

I’ve always loved biking, but there was something in the back of my mind hindering a full-fledged commitment to commuting on two wheels. I only had a road bike, bought on a whim after having multiple bikes stolen while an undergraduate in Eugene. The road bike was pretty, but it wasn’t super comfortable. Before I started commuting, I needed a bike I actually wanted to ride, so I bought a simple commuter flat-bar bike last spring and it’s made a huge difference. Regardless of if it’s a new or used bike, you won’t ride if it you don’t like it and feel comfortable.

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Andrew Theen/Staff

NEIGHBORHOOD GREENWAYS ARE GOOD

I’m lucky enough that part of my commute includes riding on a North Concord Avenue, a neighborhood greenway (that means it’s intended to be a calm neighborhood street with less car traffic). It’s not my fastest route but riding on it makes me feel safer. If you decide to ride, make sure you take the route that makes you feel the most comfortable. Faster isn’t necessarily better.

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When you lose a pair of gloves, wool socks with holes in them can do the trick (Andrew Theen/Staff)

WOOL SOCKS ARE YOUR FRIEND

This seems crazy now with our beautiful weather, but let’s talk about wool socks. In addition to the right bike, dressing comfortably is incredibly important. For me, that meant wearing wool socks and trail running shoes almost all year. They’re both breathable and kept me warm and relatively dry, and I don’t lose traction on my pedals in downpours. I’m a big dude, so I run warm. But wear layers if needed. After a wet and messy year, I did just fine without booties or shoe covers, but that’s just me.

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FIND GOOD GLOVES

I have a high tolerance for miserable weather conditions, but even I realized midway through the winter that while I could continue to cope with my so-so rain jacket and marginal rain pants, but cruddy gloves were a problem. Thanks to a gift card from family, I snagged a pair of Showers Pass gloves and my commute improved vastly because of it.

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I was shot in the neck in October by a man who emerged from a homeless camp (Andrew Theen/Staff)

KEEP YOUR HEAD UP

In a late October deluge, I had the misfortune of being the lone cyclist riding on the east side of the Moda Center at just the right – or wrong time. A man shot me in the neck with either a BB gun or some other replica handgun from mere steps away. He emerged from a homeless camp there and I had my head down as I pumped up the hill in the rain storm. I don’t blame myself for not seeing the guy. He clearly had this whole thing orchestrated, but the incident was a good reminder to keep the head on a swivel whenever you’re riding.

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TRUST NO ONE

When I first started riding a bike in Portland back in 2006, my buddy Casey was my unknowing urban biking teacher. A lot of what he told me then still rings true: Trust no driver on the road, and make sure you are always seen at an intersection in particular. Portland has bike boxes in many downtown and inner-east side neighborhoods that allow cyclists to go to the front of the line and be seen. But in intersections where that’s not the case, if I’m not behind other cyclists, I make sure to pull up to eye level or in front of any vehicle on my side. I make eye contact and will force them to see me. I’ll also slow down if approaching a stoplight if there’s any question in my mind the driver doesn’t see me. There’s no rush to get through a stop light. It’s not that important.

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TAKE IN THE VIEW

I’m trying to remember this one more in recent times, especially with the good weather. Bike commuting is sometimes stressful, but if I’m riding in on a glorious day, it should be a wonderful thing worthy of a smile. At least I’m not sitting in idling traffic on Greeley.

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Andrew Theen/Staff

IT’S NOT A RACE

One of the issues I had with my old road bike was the intrinsic need for speed. I have my commute dialed in, and I know just when I will get home. My bike is fun, but it’s not the speediest. It’s still fun enough to go fast, but I don’t need to race the Lance Armstrongs of the world.

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I’M LUCKY

Living close to one of the region's 14 frequent service bus lines and a neighborhood greenway puts me in rare company at the moment. I have the option to take a reasonably reliable bus or hop on a bike to get to work. I'm even close to one of the city's few protected bike lanes, though it runs east-west and isn't part of my commute. I'll still drive my car to drop-off my daughter at day care and run occasional errands on weekends if needed but having the physical ability to ride to work and an employer with access to secure bike lockers made this a great option for me.

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BE NICE

I’m still trying to temper my instinct to yell at motorists for being on their cell phones while driving, but I won’t hesitate to try and get their attention if their actions are dangerous to myself or others. Shaming people has a marginal to zero percent success rate, even if it feels good in the moment. I say this mostly as a reminder to myself. If you feel truly in danger or witness a dangerous driver, call the cops! I did this once and it turns out the driver was operating a stolen vehicle.

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-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen

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