[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Dawson_Jen.jpg” caption=”ACT Office staff member Jennifer Dawson poses in the safety of her driveway, wearing her helmet the right way around.”]Editor's note: The following article is a first-person account by ACT co-ordinator Jennifer Dawson about her personal cycling journey, and encourages others to participate in this week's Commuter Challenge.

In case you've been on vacation, away at a conference or hiding in a cave, it's Commuter Challenge Week. Over the last year, I've been writing articles for the Daily News that highlight Mac folks who regularly take the bus, walk, carpool and cycle to campus. The tone of the articles has been pseudo-journalistic: third-person voice, referring to interviewees by their last names and all that. In honour of this year's Challenge – and to provide some contrast to the last profile I wrote on Chris 'Ironman' Marriott, who cycles to Mac from Waterdown and visits all three hospital sites by bike – I've decided to let you know about my own personal cycling journey. Ironman I am not.

We've all heard the expression, “it's like riding a bike” used to describe something that none of us should forget how to do. Yeah right. As someone who just dug her bike out of the basement after a 13-year hiatus (spiders and dust bunnies and rust oh my!), I can state with confidence that I didn't feel too safe the first time my feet were back on those pedals.

My first ride to Mac was a little wobbly and worrisome: being out in traffic, looking out for cars, making left-hand turns, recalling my hand signals. I arrived at work and realized I'd worn my helmet backwards. And I couldn't remember exactly how to lock my bike up (yup, even though it was me that did the whole page on helpful bike locking tips for the ACT website. I understand it intellectually, but in practice it's another story).

I've ridden to work about 20 times in the past six weeks, each time feeling more confident and stronger. I've realized that a brisk morning ride is a decent substitute for a mug of coffee, that the Sterling St. bike lanes really do work, and that it's a bad idea to cycle in tight pants. While I do still occasionally ride the HSR to work, I've come to appreciate the freedom of my own two wheels when passing people waiting at bus stops along my route. And I'm sure Mountain Equipment Co-op appreciates the fact that I've finally taken out a membership and plan to stock up on some wet weather riding gear.

Maybe you, too, can cycle to work. Even if you live beyond a reasonable cycling distance, you could drive into town with your bike on board, then park your four wheels and travel two-wheel style for the last leg of your journey. The Commuter Challenge is a great reason to try an alternative to your usual commute – be it by bike, bus, foot or carpool – even if it's only for one day. Think clean air, physical fitness, lunch at the University Club for departments with the highest participation rate and the chance to win a business class round-trip for two anywhere in the Windsor-Quebec City corridor, courtesy of VIA Rail.

If you're keen to try out a cycle commute but your two-wheeled steed is looking more like a broken down nag than a shiny show jumper, don't hesitate to drop by the Commuter Challenge tent outside Gilmour Hall for a free bike repair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day of the Challenge, courtesy of the friendly and talented techs at MACycle Co-op.

It's not too late to participate in this year's Challenge. Simply visit ACT.mcmaster.ca, click on 'Commuter Challenge' under the Commuter Hero pic on our home page, and fill out our electronic participation forms so that we know what you did during the Challenge week. You can also visit us at the Commuter Challenge tent outside Gilmour Hall from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day this week to fill out a hard copy form.

I'll end this little story with some words of encouragement that also come from English's too-large store of colloquial phrases: “Get back in the saddle”! Trust me, if I can do it, so can you.

Jennifer Dawson is a cultural anthropologist, alternative transportation campaigner and has so far survived adulthood without a driver's license. She works part-time as a co-ordinator in McMaster's Alternative Commuting and Transportation Office, with Daryl Bender, also an ACT co-ordinator.