Commuting by water bike

Besides working from home, my best commute to work was for the last staff job I had, back in the early nineties. I lived in Hoboken, New Jersey, two blocks from the PATH train into Manhattan. I’d take the train one stop to 33rd Street and then walk a couple blocks to my publishing job. Easy peasy, though not entirely roomy during rush hour.

Today the Seattle Times ran an article about two guys who live on Bainbridge Island (near Seattle) who commute across the Puget Sound by water bike. As in, across the water. By pedaling, not paddling. One guy shaved his 80-mile roundtrip ride to work to just 12 miles, one of which he does on his water bike.

I’ve kayaked in a bunch of lakes and the sound around here, most notably in the San Juan Islands, and all I can say is, good on them! Sounds like a dream commute to me. No traffic snarls, exhaust fumes, or parking fees. Just exercise, fresh air, and seal pups for company.

OK, so now that we’ve established that I’m a tree humper, what about you? What was your best commute? Your worst? Your weirdest?

4 comments January 22nd, 2008