In this month’s installment we meet Dr. Andrea Goering, a Physics Instructor at Lane Community College, and her cool commuting bike.
Could you tell us about this bike and how you use it? It’s a Bianchi (Milano) cruiser with fenders, a rack, a rear basket and internal gearing. I pulled it out of my mom’s garage before moving to Eugene 10 years ago and it’s been my everyday commuter ever since. I use it to ride to the LTD station and then park it in the BikeLink electronic bike lockers so I can catch the bus up to my teaching job at Lane Community College.
When I first moved to Eugene it was a natural decision to ride my bike since my friends and fellow graduate students at the University of Oregon also rode. I loved my ride along the river path onto campus each day. Now my ride is from the Whiteaker to Downtown and I love parking my bike in a secure location while I’m working and then all the options open to me when I get back on the bike to go home; whether it’s stopping off to shop, grabbing a drink with friends, or just choosing a new way home. I never really enjoy driving and though we do have a car for some trips I much prefer riding. What do you like about riding this bike in Eugene? I love how connected I feel to the city. I like being an active participant in my environment. I notice things more, see the changes in my neighborhood, and see people easier. Plus parking is never a concern! I also like to mix it with transit because on the bus I can read, listen to podcasts and the news, and feel connected to the city in a whole different way. I like how the bus shows the real diversity in Eugene. When you ride the bus you’re connected to real people and you see Eugene in a different way than if you’re sheltered in your car. Plus as a teacher it’s fun to run into previous students and catch up on what they are doing. Those interesting conversations wouldn’t happen if I drove. What barriers do you have to riding? Overall riding in Eugene is great. I’m excited about the 13th Avenue protected bikeway that’s coming this year. Though I’m a confident rider and generally feel safe, I think we need to look at ways to make it even more safe and practical for people to ride. I’ve ridden in a lot of other places and Eugene has a lot to be proud of. When I was in the UK I rode in Cambridge, which has the highest bike commuter rate in that country, and the infrastructure was horrible. There people ride despite the infrastructure. Here we have it pretty good but there are still things to improve. I’d like to see some safer crossings, like the crossing of 10th at Jefferson and especially Washington, where one lane of traffic might stop but not the other one. That feels dangerous. Besides that, the other main barrier to riding is mostly maintenance. I’ve had a couple flats and times where my rear wheel came loose, or my brakes weren’t working very well. Most of the work I can take care of without a bike shop but my husband does use the Center for Appropriate Transport for their staff expertise and tools/bench. What other ways do you use to get around (or out of) town? Besides taking transit up to LCC we do have a car that we use for big shopping trips or for trips out of town. I have friends who have ridden the PeaceHealth Rides bikes but I haven’t used them yet. I don’t really walk many places because biking is just so much faster. Having the bike lockers downtown has made biking and taking transit easier and I’d like to see them in more locations. I like that I can leave gear like my helmet or drying rain pants on the bike when I park it. I’ve already refilled my $20 BikeLink card once and paying that once a term is a great deal for safe, dry, and secure parking! Overall I think getting around Eugene by bike is the best! |