I’ve realized two things while doing interviews for the Herald Sun as The Outspokin’ Cyclist: first, that cyclists are always interesting people with stories to tell; second, that I don’t have the space to tell them all in print.
But the web is rarely ever restricted by space… so beginning today, I’m launching an online series of interviews with Durham cyclists. I’ll ask each Bull City Biker the same six questions, and through their answers we might shape a more complete picture of who’s out there riding in Durham.
A stranger when I stopped him on his way to work one morning, 
Robert Weeks (45) is a bike fanatic, so he was game to answer a few questions – no matter how strange.
What’s your flavor of riding?
Commuting, Road, Family Recreation
What’s the length and frequency of your average ride?
12 – 14 miles, 4 – 5 times a week
Why did you start riding and why do you ride still?
When I was a child in NJ and as an adult in NYC I rode or walked pretty much everywhere. I moved to Durham in 1997 and didn’t ride regularly for a long time after that. It seemed like drivers here didn’t know what to do around cyclists, and it looked pretty scary to be the person on the bike.
Last year my wife got a new job at RTI so we started driving into work together instead of taking separate vehicles to work and to drop off and pick up our son. After we’d been carpooling for a while, I started thinking about riding my bike part of the way in the mornings. We live 20 miles from RTP and I wasn’t up to that at first, so I started with Laura dropping me off at the [Durham Bulls] ballpark. I’ve been working my way back towards our house since then. My first ride from the ballpark to work was 7 miles, now I ride 14 miles in roughly the same amount of time. I’ve ridden the full 20 miles from home, but right now it takes too long to do that as a daily commute. I’m hoping to be able to do it regularly by next summer. Laura picks me up at my office on her way home so its a one way commute right now which works out great with the shortened daylight hours. I’m hoping to do the round trip once the weather gets better and the days get longer.
I think I started riding this time around for my health. I have a wonderful wife and a four-year-old son whom I’m crazy about. We also have a baby coming this summer so I want to try to be around for as long as I can. I spend my days sitting in front of a computer, which isn’t what the human body was designed to do, and it has taken its toll on my body as I get older. Riding my bike is such a welcome change from the sedentary computer/car passive lifestyle. I get to feel like a kid again, I get to challenge myself physically, and I get a great endorphin thing going when I ride. If I skip a day now I really miss it, so I’m usually out there riding regardless of the weather. I guess this is the form my mid-life crisis is taking. It could be much worse.
What’s the most unusual thing you’ve seen while out for a ride?
There are these days when I’m riding to work where most of the pedestrians and cyclists are smiling and saying hello to each other. It’s such a great way to start the day. You don’t get that random human interaction when you are in a car.
How would your world be different if you wake up tomorrow and there are no more cars?
Hmm, I guess I’d have to ride all of the way into work and back. My commute would probably be a lot safer, but it might be a bit brutal pulling my son on the trail-a-bike for 40 miles a day. We’d probably need to invest in a good horse and buggy to supplement the bicycles.
What’s one thing Durham could do to become more bike friendly?
It does seem like Durham is moving in the direction of being more bike friendly lately. The ATT and the new bike lanes really enhance the quality of life here. I’d love it if the 501 Corridor trail became a reality in the not too distant future but that isn’t looking very likely these days.
The one thing I think would really help the most is more driver education. I don’t think many drivers realize that bicycles are vehicles with full rights to the road in NC. If the state DMV would put questions about this on the drivers license and license renewal tests, I’d think that would be a great first step in educating drivers. I’ve had people in cars yell at me to get on the sidewalk and much worse. They seem to have no idea that cyclists are actually allowed to be riding in the road or how to drive when there is a cyclist near them.
One last thing idea is to install a public restroom along the ATT, one that is large enough to bring your bike in with you.
Robert’s bikes
1998 Trek 950 (pictured), 2000 Trek 2000, Adams Trail-a-Bike, 2005 Schwinn Pea Picker reissue