Gas is now over $4.00 per gallon and I am noticing more people riding their bikes to work. Tomorrow I will be accompanying a co-worker who wants to try biking to work but is a little intimidated (what route to take, where to park, what about traffic downtown, etc.). I am really looking forward to this and think this is probably the way of the future.

So, that said...

If anyone out there is thinking about trying bike commuting for the first time and wants to team up with an experienced commuter, post here and see if there is a match. I ride from around Minnehaha Parkway and Bloomington Ave. to the heart of downtown Minneapolis. I generally leave about 7:30 but can go earlier. I don't (have to) ride fast, will NOT leave you for dead if you have a flat. I am usually friendly (and as TCBC says, I am a "self-sufficient rider" and can save your bacon if there is problem). If you live in So. MPLS and want to try a commute, JOIN ME. PM me and we'll arrange a meet-up.

I am hoping that other regular commuters from other areas of the City will chime in and volunteer to help a potential commuter get going. Hopefully we can get a few commute buddies from Uptown, Northeast, Seward, the western 'burbs, etc.

That's it - Bike Love to all.

- Snak Shak

[[EDIT] Here is my basic/shortest route:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1831861

the problem is that these commuting newbies are unfamiliar with this site...so I'm unsure how much of a response you'll get.

That said, I think this is a great idea. Perhaps we can advertise somewhere, with downtown businesses, local bike shops, etc.

I feel like we're in such a pivotal moment in history. If we can get more people riding, maybe the roads would be safer for all of us and the laws would be enforced to protect us...not just target us.

But we are on the first page of google results for 'minneapolis bicycle route' with only minneapolis listed in the site keywords... It's also one of the more popular places to see someone join the site - I see a lot of people's first posts in route planning...

Hmm, well - I'm sure there's a fair amount of new folks that do stumble on here. I'm just going off my experiences with folks at work. Either the "I haven't ridden a bike in years and want to use it for errands", or "gas prices are too high and I think it's a good time to start biking to work". Both groups of customers have expressed an idea of how they'd get to point A to point B, and have not seemed in need of formal 'route planning'. Also, those who do want more route planning...tend to buy the bike map and leave it at that.

I guess I'm thinking more in terms of how to reach those folks. I don't know which group is larger...those who google search for routes, or those who ask their LBS folks for ideas and buy a map. I have, by the way, informed multiple customers about this site...don't know if they ever wander onto it, though.

I'll post a commute!

I'm coming from NE Mpls, heading to Bloomington. Any takers? I have some routes, ranging from cutting through DT/Uptown, to taking the train in seriously bad weather (20+ miles in dangerous weather=no good).

So if anyone in the NE, DT, Uptown area is heading south, I work off of 98th in Bloomington.

I won't be at this job for much longer, but I'm currently commuting from near Hiawatha and Lake down into Eagan via Minnehaha Avenue and the Mendota Bridge.

If anyone wants to learn how to bike from Mpls out to Eagan, Mendota Heights, or any other burb in that direction, let me know.

Coon Rapids (Main St & Hwy 10) to Plymouth (Rockford Rd & 494) via West River Road and 63rd (or 57th or 36th) Ave N. I typically roll out at 0400, but could adjust that to meet someone.

Route: Coon Rapids (A-R Community College) to Plymouth (Rockford Rd & 494)

I commute from the east side of lake Nokomis into downtown Minneapolis with a quick stop to drop off the kid at day care at 38th and Minnehaha half time. I could meet up at either of those locations and usually leave the house ~7:17

Hmm, what hours do you commute in & back? I commute from Columbia Heights to 92nd & Lyndale in Bloomington. I usually ride in around 6:30am, lead back about 5:30pm.

-ryan

This workshop is past, but for anyone interested "Do It Green" is matching people interested in commuting with people who already know how.
From Doug Shidell's Bikeverywhere:
Bike Commuting support- Twin Cities
Posted by Doug Shidell, May 27th, 2008
Do It Green, an organization dedicated to educating and motivating Minnesotans to live more sustainably, will host a Commuter Buddy Program on Saturday, June 7. Experienced bicycle commuters will pair up with new commuters to plan a commuter route and set a date to practice and time the route. I?ll be there to help create a custom bike route to work for new participants. Commuter Buddy Program
http://bikeverywhere.com/bike-commuting-support-twin-cities/

Scot

It might not be a bad idea to put a "commuting partner" sticky on the route planning thread.

Metro Transit did a thing for "commuter convoy" leaders to submit routes for bike/walk day, all on one map, showing start and end points. Rolling the cursor over any particular route popped up with further information.

I'd be willing to set one up for BikeLove route planning. Anyone interested in being a commuter buddy could submit their route. People interested in trying out the route could contact by PM or otherwise and get set up.

We tried a "Bike Buddy" commuter matching service a couple years ago, and I think it's still up on our web page somewhere. I received many, many volunteer offers from experienced commuters, but only a handful of requests from novice commuters. I made some matches, but most weren't flexible about time, even once when the discrepancy was just 15 minutes! Of the matches we made, I don't think any actually materialized as intended. Hopefully $4 gas is the psychological incentive that will cause new commuters to take this sort of offer seriously.

Done

I ride from NW MPLS near Theo to Hopkins/Minnetonka and usually can leave anywhere between 6-8 going W. Going back E, I can leave 3-5 depending on when I get in.

I commute either from Kingsfield Neighborhood to U of M via greenway, or Uptown to U of M via downtown mpls, depending on where I hang my hat at night.