Written by Brad, one of our four sponsored riders in the Commuter Challenge. "It was very easy for me to fall into the pattern of driving to and from work" As this is my first blog I would like to start by saying a big public thank you to 99 Bikes for selecting me to be a sponsored commuter. The people at 99 Bikes have gone out of their way to create a create team of the 4 of us and already we are in full swing of encouraging each other to push on and rack up the km’s on the way to and from work.
So why have I decided to commute by bike?
I have always enjoyed driving, and it was very easy for me to fall into the pattern of driving to and from work as I have a secure car park at each end. But I realised that I was spending a lot of time sitting in traffic, especially on the way home.
There were times that the heavy traffic provided entertainment. Namely when the Gabba had cricket finishing on a summer afternoon and I got to watch heavily inebriated people try to make their way home. But for the most part I felt like everyone else in slow traffic. Frustrated. It was certainly not the best way to finish a day.
I have always been an avid cyclist. In the past my bikes have all been mountain bikes. Currently I have an All Mountain bike, with 140mm front and rear suspension it is really too heavy for commuting, but the gearing for hills is great and punctures are not a problem. It also allowed me a 50minute bike commute all the time. My usual drive was 45minutes – 1 ½ hours traffic dependant.
Once I knew that I enjoyed the commute I gave the Commuter Challenge a shot. And to my surprise and luck I was provided this bike from 99 Bikes. The Cube Touring Hybrid 400.
Cube Touring Hybrid Active 400
For me it is the perfect bike. I can fit all my work gear each day, it rides like a mountain bike but it certainly is not as taxing to ride as the big all mountain bike was each day.
So now my morning ride is along some of Brisbane’s brilliant bike way system. And it is a really pleasant way to travel. I do have segments of my rides that are alongside cars, but the majority of my journey is either bike path or suburban roads. The following photos are some of the views taken on my usual morning route into the city.
Taken from the Riverside Expressway looking to Southbank on the ride home.
Taken from Eagle Street Pier on the ride home.
So far I am finding I much prefer the cycle-commute to driving in, despite having no choice to drive some days. I am looking forward to commuting through winter and the crisp mornings, and am really liking that the summer heat has started to drop off. And really enjoying time on the Cube which is turning out to be a brilliant bike to ride.
– Brad
