Jason Van Handel
“Start small, try it once. I have found that many things are made more difficult in our mind than in practice.”
Jason Van Handel, a social worker for the State of Washington-Division of Children and Family Services rides his bicycle from Portland, Oregon to downtown Vancouver. Jason bikes his 7-mile one way commute to work about 2 to 4 times per week. He’s been commuting to work by bike for about five years. Jason always enjoyed bicycling as a form of exercise and recreation, and found his biking commute added only 15 minutes more than his commute by car. It’s also a great way to get in his daily workout which saves him time later in the day.
When asked about the personal benefits he gets from bicycling to work, Jason said it keeps him in good physical condition, not to mention the enjoyment of “watching the sunrise over Mt. Hood and the Columbia Slough in the morning.” According to Jason, it’s a great stress reliever, particularly when he’s “flying across the Interstate Bridge while dozens of car commuters are snarled in traffic.”
Jason had some good advice for new bicycle commuters: “Start small, try it once. I have found that many things are made more difficult in our mind than in practice.” And remember, there is no shame in being a fair weather commuter. “I often take a couple of months off in the coldest and wettest months of the year, but come spring I am out there with the daffodils and the crocuses.”
