Deliberately slept in

I caught up with Jacqueline, who had deliberately slept in after seeing the wet weather outside her window and thought she could be a little late for work and miss the rain.

It’s actually quite beautiful now

After her commute to work, Jacqueline commented that it is quite beautiful now, the skies cleared revealing the blue skies behind.

The bike option 

Jacqueline does own a car but says that using a car to commute to the city is the most inefficient form of transport so, she bought a raincoat and now tries to ride all year round; sun, rain or hail.

Have broken the habit

Even if it rained constantly all morning, Jacqueline has now broken the habit and would ride to work. It’s now something she really enjoys doing, it gets her out and about and the weather is not something to fear.

The moment of change

One day, while sitting in her car driving down Nicholson street and waiting, waiting to get through the next set of lights, is the moment when she thought riding in the wet cannot be that hard so now she just pushes through it; it’s only a bit of water.

A full change of clothes at work

So, with a full change of clothes at work, Jacqueline is always prepared for the worst.

From Thornbury to Melbourne Uni

The commute from her house in Thornbury to her work at the University of Melbourne is 40 minutes in total, plus the time to get ready she is generally late by the time she is sitting at her desk after doing the full costume change.

Riding is for fitness s well

When I asked if Jacqueline if she had supplemented her fitness with any other form of exercise she commented that she also rides for fitness as well as pleasure so she pretty much only does the riding to keep healthy.

Using the bike to commute locally as well

When going out locally the bike is the transport of choice whether it’s to the supermarket to get a top up or enjoying what the local area has to offer.

Working on a colleague to ride

Next to Jacqueline's desk is a colleague who lives in Footscray and inspiring her that she can do it. We will see but I think it's a confidence thing with her.

And lastly some tips

1.Find your local route or bike path as there are so many options so you don't necessarily have to ride in heavy traffic anymore;

2.Build your confidence by finding those routes that twist and turn;

3.Invest in a pannier, they fit a lot of stuff in, even when you're a chick - just a pair of sneakers so you can do a swapsie, it's amazing that a full costume change fits in a bag. I may look a bit daggie now but, by the time I sit at my desk it looks like I drove in.

Riding in city traffic can be very daunting and scary but fortunately there are many programs specifically to help build confidence and teach basic skills, specifically for women.

www.cycling.org.au/Participation/She-Rides
www.wheelwomenaustralia.com