Employees Take to Their Bikes
Staff mark Bike-to-Work Week
Duke IT analysts Dave Lennon and John Straffin usually drive alone to work, but instead of relying totally on horsepower to commute this week, they will use pedal power.
As part of national Bike-to-Work Week, which starts today (Monday), the colleagues plan to ride bikes to their offices at American Tobacco Warehouse at least once this week.
"We're doing this for the health and environmental benefits, but winning something would be a nice bonus," said Straffin, 40, who plans to post comments about his cycling commute on his biking blog at john.straffin.com
Not only will they support the Bike-to-Work campaign, but they will also join hundreds of Duke employees and Triangle commuters using alternative transportation as part of the Smart Commute Challenge.
Lennon and Straffin, who have worked together nine years in Duke's Office of Information Technology, carpooled with other co-workers in previous Smart Commute Challenges, but they decided to kick it up a notch this year after seeing Bike-to-Work posters.
For Straffin, who lives in North Durham, the 18-mile round-trip will take about 45 minutes each way by bike. Lennon, who lives in Morrisville, estimates that his 28-mile round-trip will take more than an hour each way.
"It's definitely not going to be a race or John would win since he lives closer," said Lennon, 36.
Along with adjusting their schedules to wake up earlier for the trek, they've mapped out routes, brushed off helmets and inspected safety lights.
"If you've seen the movie "Men in Black," Dave and I might look like the characters wrapped in Christmas lights while riding a bike," Straffin said.