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Bikes an option for those commuting to Geico in Stafford Date published: 8/23/2010
By RUSTY DENNEN Stephen Hu's morning commute is quite different from those of most of his Geico co-workers. Hu, 46, an Internet analyst and tester at the insurance company site off U.S. 17 in Stafford County, leaves his car in the driveway at his Fredericksburg home. About 6:45 a.m., after donning his riding clothes and packing his work clothes, he climbs on his Raleigh fitness hybrid bike. It takes him about 40 minutes to negotiate mostly back roads to work. Hu has been bike commuting since May--saving gas, helping the environment and getting exercise, he says, all at the same time. Hu is among a small but growing cadre of riders opting for two wheels instead of four in an area that is not exactly bike friendly. "I thought about it for a long time. I noticed other people in the office were biking in," he said. "I started asking questions--how to do it, what route to take." Geico encourages its employees to commute; a small group of workers who ride their bikes have a link on the company website. "We're lucky. We have showers and a locker facility. I get in early enough to cool down, stretch, and take a shower before I have to be at my desk." He's tried other commuting alternatives, such as the FREDericksburg Regional Transit bus. "I don't mind doing that, but riding is more fun, and I feel like I have more control." Sometimes the bus gets hung up in heavy traffic along U.S. 1 and 17. He avoids U.S. 17 whenever possible. "I take the scenic route across Chatham Bridge" to River Road and Route 1. At Falmouth, he takes Truslow Road, cuts behind England Run then crosses U.S. 17 to Geico. Some of the Geico riders, he says, do take U.S. 17, "and there are some advantages to a wider road, but the traffic is so much heavier." One morning, in his haste to cross U.S. 17 at a traffic light, he ran a red light and got pulled over by a Stafford deputy. After a warning to be more careful, he was back on the road. PLANS HIS RIDES
Date published: 8/23/2010
The roads around here are generally not safe for bicycle traffic. Remember that a collision over 35 miles an hour can kill you as easily as a 70 mph collision; your head and neck, even with a helmet, can not withstand that speed impact.
So before you ride on these roads, ask yourself if you've ever been in a fender bender. Then wonder if your body, instead of your car, could have survived that impact, and if the risk is worth it to your family.
I bet if our towns and cities were more bicycle friendly we'd see alot more bike traffic. The benefits are tremendous!
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