Conference noted::bicycle

    I commute *to* MKO in Merrimack, N.H. from my home in Mont Vernon
    about 2 to three times a week.  The disdtance is 14.9 miles and
    I use this ride as a personal time trial.  My record is 42 minutes,
    but depending on the bike I use, weather, etc., it gets as high
    as 50 minutes (Especiall in Winter Months when I wear an extra
    10 pounds of clothes.)  My pet peve is Mont Vernon hill.  I've
    recorded 54 mph going down it on my Cannondale.  Some would 
    surely think this is fun, but there is an intersection near the
    bottom that scares the heck out of me.  Normally in the early
    morning when its cold I want to get to the bottom fast to get it
    over with, and I can't stand riding my brakes the entire time,
    so I just endure it.  I'm constantly looking for people to hook
    up with on the way in but my timing must be off, because like
    you, I also see a lot of bikes, but seldom see other riders.  Oh,
    one thing I should mention is that I have a support vehicle
    in case I don't feel like climbing the hill on the return trip.
    						Jerry

    I commute to MRO2 in Marlboro MA from Worcester its 14 miles. In
    the spring I knock off 4 miles of Rt9 and take the bike in my truck
    and then ride it cuts out one hill that the knee's don't like in
    the cool mornings. Most of my ride is on Rt20. I also treat the
    ten mile section as a time trial, my best time is just under 26
    min.
    
    	I know there has been alot of talk about not bringing bikes
    into the building, but I do and I put it in the computer room.
    I also hang my riding clothes behind the air-conditioner, nice and
    dry for the ride home. I do the same with my towels. I leave two
    at work and change them when it rains and I take my truck. I'd like
    to leave my whole wardrobe so I don't have to weigh myself down.
    That is my pet peave. 
    
    If any one goes this direction and works 7:30-4:00 or 8:15-5:00
    lets hook up.
    
    Tom 
    
    PS why is it that the day after the street cleaner comes by some
    nomind throws a bottle out the window on to the street? peave #1

    I commute from my home in Worcester to SHR 2-3 times a week.  It
    is approximately 7 miles each way.  My route is primarily Rt9. 
    I prefer Rt9 to Rt20 because it has wider shoulders (though the
    hills are worse!).  I usually leave the house at 7:15 and arrive
    at work around 7:45.  I try to start the return trip at 4:30 (to
    beat the traffic), but sometimes I don't leave until after 5:00.
    The past couple of weeks I've been adding distance by going around the
    South end of Lake Quinsigamond, this adds another 15 minutes.
    
    Rich

    I throw my bike in the back of the pickup truck and drive to
    Leominster, where I park in the Park & Drive parking lot by the
    Searstown Mall.  From there I ride my bike 22 miles to HLO in 
    Hudson.  I take route 12 to route 62.  About 80% of the route is
    pretty nice, with the remaining 20% being with heavy traffic and
    bad roads.  I head back about 5:30 PM.  I do this about three 
    times a week.
    
    While I have to allow a bunch of extra time to get back and forth
    to work, I really enjoy the rides and hope to work off some weight.
    
    Regards,
    Denis

    
    I haven't started commuting yet, but I think I'll try it at the
    end of the week for the first time. It's about 41 miles from my
    house in R.I. to RT2 in West Concord, Ma.. I'll be taking RT126
    all the way to RT117. I'll problaby have to leave my house around
    6AM to get to work for 8:15 (lots of traffic going through the cities
    of Woonsocket and Framingham) and I'ld leave work around 4PM to
    make it home for 6:00. I'ld would love somebody to ride with...
    But I doubt if there's anybody out there....
        
    82 miles round trip.. I haven't done it yet because of the freaky
    weather, it's either 45� or 95�...
    
    Mike

    
    	Hudson to Marlborough DIRECT is 7 miles.  Via Wachusett reservoir
    its about 23, via the other side of the reservoir is about 30, via
    Mt. Wachusett its an even metric century, and so on.......
    
    	Reg
    
    

    I try to ride in once a week (sounds pretty wimpy, I know) from
    Princeton.  It's about 50 miles round trip, and probably the prettiest
    commute anybody could find.  I leave my house about 5:45 and get
    to work (MRO2) about 7:30 if there's a tail wind.  In the afternoon, I
    head out about 4:30 and make it home by 6:30 if I'm lucky.  The
    hills are killers on the way home.  The route I take covers Route
    31, Route 140, Route 70, a little of Route 20, and lots of back
    roads in between (including the hill between the Northboro town
    line and the golf course that somebody mentioned in the Hills Training
    note).
    
    Kathy

I commute between my room on Bay State Road on the B.U. campus
in Back Bay Boston and BXB1 at the intersection of rts. 495 & 111.
The distance is almost exactly 30 miles each way.
In the morning I travel a couple of blocks down Bay State Road
and Beacon Street (which are both one way in the other direction
(this is about as exciting as this ride gets)) in Boston to get
to Mass Ave.
Shooting across the dirty water below the Harvard Bridge, I ride
down Mass Ave through Cambridge, Arlington, and part of Lexington.
In Lexington I pick up rt 2A, which I take over rt 128 and
through Lincoln to Concord center, where I pick up 62.
I take 62 for a while through parts of Concord and Acton, then
some back roads, then Boroughs road (which runs parallel to rt.
111 for a good 3 or 4 miles in Boxboro, until it dead ends onto
111, where 111 crosses over rt. 495).
The ride takes me about an hour and a half in the morning (its
all up hill), less in the evening (its all down hill),
but I HATE riding anywhere near cars, so I leave Boston around
5 or 5:30 am, and get to work real early, and leave Boxboro
around 6:30 or 7 pm, and get home real late.
I only do this in the summer, and I only plan on doing it 3 or
4 times per week (depending on the weather), but if anyone is
up for it, I'd love to have company.

I'm not from Massachusetts (originally, I'm from Pennsylvania).
What annoys me most is that it seems like the automobile
drivers here all seem to be trying to hit you, cut you
off, brush you as they pass, or otherwise harass you.
This just doesn't seem to happen as much anywhere else.

-JT

I commute from Lexington to PKO, although not everyday.

It's 13.2 miles each way.  Take Concord Ave to Trapelo Rd west
into Lincoln, then South on Lincoln Rd (or is it Bedford Rd) past 
Lincoln Guide Service and the Tracks to 117 West into Maynard.

The main problem with this route is that it passes no IceCream 
spots.

It takes about 50 minutes, depending upon all the undependables.


	~Mike

    My commute is from Chelmsford to Marlboro (MR1).  I try to do it
    at least once a week, but find the hardest part is waking up early
    and motivating myself to ride at that hour.  So, sometimes I don't
    give myself a choice and I ride home the night before (leave my
    car at work) and then HAVE to ride in the next morning!

    The ride is approximately 30 miles and takes me a good 2 hours.
    I take a different route in the am and pm.  Both are on some real
    nice quiet roads with plenty of hills.  In the morning, I usually
    stay east of 495 and in the afternoon, west of 495.  
    
    If anyone else goes this way, let me know.  I'd love some company
    once in a while.

re: .8  "The drivers here all try to hit you"  We saved some handlebar
ribbon from our last trip through Pennsylvania.  It has paint on it
from a car that got close.  Another millimeter might have been "too
close" instead of "close enough."

But, yes, Massachusetts drivers are terrible and the plague is spreading
upcountry.

ed

Any comments on a prospective commute? I plan to move to Peterborough NH 
this fall, and give commuting to MK a try. I know there's at least one 
hill on the route :-). About 32 miles ... I do see lots of riders on 
101/101A, and I probably would not ride home (ain't neighbors great!).

Any thoughts on traffic/other general excitement?

                                              ken

< Note 737.12 by SUSHI::KMACDONALD "AntiFenestration Specialist" >
                   -< Long grind/screaming downhill time... >-

If you take 101, once you get to the top of Temple Mt, its all downhill from 
there.  Getting there is another story.  I would be concerned about traffic on 
101.  Its tight and twisting, with no shoulder, and 18-wheelers use that road.
A safer, tho probably longer, route would be 202 north to 31 in Bennington.  
31 south to 101 in Wilton. That's a nice route, avoids the bigger hills, and
probably has much less traffic.

Kevin

    I occasionally commute from Northboro to to the Mill. It's about
    16.5 miles each way. Last week I made it in 58 min. in the morning,
    which is my personal best. I take Whitney St. from near the center
    of Northboro past the DEC facility and then River Rd into Hudson.From
    there I take some back roads, I don't know the names, that get me
    to Rt. 117 just west of the intersection with Rt.62. Then I take
    117 to Maynard. I leave home about 6:45am. The return trip is a
    little less predictable.
    
    I like to shower and change when I get to the Mill. I'm still trying
    to figure out a good way of carrying in a suit, shirt and tie without
    getting them all wrinkled. I'm using a cardboard box from a pair
    of boots. This tends to slip and even open on some of the rougher
    pavement.Any suggestions will be welcomed.
    
    Dick

	I commute from Groton, MA to ZKO3 usually 2-3 times per week. 
	It's 16.5 miles each way and to avoid the heavy traffic on
	119 I take back roads to hook up with 113 then onward to 
	111 to 111A to Ridge Road.  It's a beautiful ride with little
	traffic and coming home I sometimes get to watch the skydivers
	from the Pepperell Airport.  It's the only way to commute...
	except in thunderstorms two of which I have already gotten
	caught in!  I try to leave my house between 6:30-7AM and then
	leave work around 5:30PM.

	So far I've real very lucky in that I rarely have any problems 
	with drivers, in fact I quite often have drivers stopping to let 
	me cross the road or waiting till I pass an intersection.  I have
	encountered afew jerks but they have definitely been a very very
	small percentage.



	
	
	

    
       I will soon be commuting from PKO to Worester. My wife will drop
    me off on her way to work in the morning and I will be riding home.
    The ride is about 40 miles at its shortest and I will be adding
    on to that most days. I ride pretty hard and like to find long hard
    hills to work on. This is race training after all .
    
       John C.
    

    In order to save my car the grief, I just started to ride the L-O-N-G
    R-I-D-E from my house in Westford to LKG. It's 3.3 miles. It takes
    me 14 minutes to get there and 9 minutes to get back. It's fun to
    trim off a minute here or there. 
    
    I really do my exercise riding in after work. I tend to ride Rt. 225 for
    20 milers. Great road?!!  %^}
    
    I felt kind of silly making this entry because it's such  ashort
    ride. I do feel alot better riding than driving such a short distance.
    Less pollution results, too!
                              
    				russ

re. 737.14
>    I like to shower and change when I get to the Mill. I'm still trying
>    to figure out a good way of carrying in a suit, shirt and tie without
>    getting them all wrinkled. I'm using a cardboard box from a pair
>    of boots. This tends to slip and even open on some of the rougher
>    pavement.Any suggestions will be welcomed.
       
       I've been expirimenting with spreading my commute over a two
day period.  This allows me to bring my bike and a change of clothes
to work, park my car, ride the bike home and then ride again on the
following morning.  This seems to take care of the problem of 
transporting clean clothes to work.  If you don't have a very long 
commute, just add some extra time and miles to your ride.  Seems to
be working great for me.
       					Jerry
    Note:	Having your car at work will also add some incentive
    to getting your daily mileage in :-)

I agree with Jerry in bringing two days worth of clothes.  Drive in
    Monday with clothes for the next two days, and then ride in on Tuesday
    and Wednesday.  Carrying clothes, shoes, towels, etc. in a back
    pack works, but it's a pain.  Unless you work in engineering or
    other areas where "professional" dress is not necessary, carrying
    you're clothes is sure to wrinkle them.
    
    I occasionally (more like rarely) commute 15 miles from Needham
    to VRO.  It's mainly uphill all the way to work, and downhill on
    the way home.  Three hills do me in on the way to work.  The first
    passes by Pine Brook CC in Weston, next one travels past the Campion
    observatory in Weston, finally the hill on Bedford road in Lincoln
    between Trapelo rd. and rte. 2. is usually the last straw.  
    
    I have a hard enough time rolling out of bed in the morning, let
    alone being alert enough to ride my bike amongst the cars.  If I
    were riding from Concord to Needham in the morning I would do the
    commute more often.  Basically my rule is not to suffer or go into
    oxygen debt before breakfast.
    
    Dave

    I commute from Clinton to LJO about 100 times a year.  The route
    basically cuts a corner of Lancaster, a corner of Bolton, across
    Harvard, and into Littleton.  There are about a half dozen ways to
    do it, all around 12.5 to 14 miles one way.  Since it parallels 495
    just a few miles to the west and the roads are very bumpy, there
    is very little traffic and I usually get passed by less than a
    dozen cars (dogs are my biggest problem, not traffic).  I carry
    each day's work clothes back and forth with the exception of shoes
    and have shower-stuff at work as well as a fan for drying off the
    bike clothes.  The best part: riding in the fall and going by
    all those apple farms that plant those trees oh so close to the
    road.  Saving gas money don't hurt either.
    
    _KB
    

    I am goign to start my bicycle commuting tomorrow.  I live in Pepperell
    and work in Maynard, but I will only be commuting from Littleton.
    Reason being -- Rt. 119.  I refuse to sommute along Rt. 119 during
    rush hour, and I really don't know how to avoid 119 except by going
    up into Westford.  So. . .I will be coming from Littleton Common,
    parking my car at my boyfriends place of employment.  I'll take
    Goldsmith Street from the Common into W. Acton, cut across 111 and
    go up by the train station, cut across Rt. 27 onto High Street,
    and then on to Powdermill Rd.  It's about 10 miles each way, which
    is about all I think I can handle at 7:00 AM!  On the way home,
    I will be able to add miles to my route if I so desire.
    
    Depending on how often I do this -- I'm shooting for 2-3 times a
    week -- I will either carry clothes in my handlebar bag, or keep
    an extra wardrobe on hand in my office.
    
    	-Nancy
    

    I've just started commuting from Acton to Hudson.  My goal is to
    commute every day.  However, I don't ride in thunderstorms (why
    not?) or heavy rain.  I carry clothes and shower stuff in my panniers.
    The commute is 10 miles.  I take Parker St. to Concord St. to Summer
    St. to Pompuscuitt (?) and come out on 117 in Stow.  Then I take
    Rt 62.  I leave at about 6:15 am to avoid heavy traffic and have
    time to shower.  The commute takes about 40 min.  I leave at
    about 5:15-5:30 pm.  Rt 62 is narrow and is heavily traveled tho.
    Does anyone know of an alternative (not too much longer) route?
    Also, I've just moved to Acton.  Is there a good bike shop around?
    Thanks.
                        Doreen

    I highly reccommend Pedal Power in Acton.  It's on Rt. 2A, about
    1 mile east of the intersection with Rt. 27.
    
    The owners, Joyce and John, are very knowledgeable and aren't out
    to sell you anything you don't need.  
    
    They also do a big X-country ski business in the winter.

    I live on the south side of Framingham and commute to DLB on the
    northern edge of Marlboro.  I believe the distance is about 17
    miles.  It takes me about an hour and ten minutes (but I'm not
    in peak form).
    
    I don't like the big roads (Rts. 9,20).  I use a lot of back roads.
    The general outline from Framingham is Rt.135 to Winter St. to
    Salem End Road to Oregon Road (Ashland, Southboro), to road
    becoming Breakneck Hill Road, which crosses Rt.9 at traffic
    light at White's Corner restaurant, just east of Rt.85 (this is
    a great way to avoid traffic, by the way!).  Left on Rt.30
    through Southboro center (pretty), right on Chestnut Hill Road
    (just east of 495), left on Cedar Hill Road under 495,  right
    on Crane Road past MRO, and back roads to DLB.  The route has
    a few hills, enough to keep the ride interesting.
    
    I've gone into some detail here in the hope that these roads
    will encourage more people to ride, or make their ride less
    nerve-racking.
    
    I ride 3-4 times a week in the summer.  Since I have an engineering
    job, I leave a couple changes of clothes in a drawer in the office.
    Fortunately, DLB5 has a nice shower area.
    
    My biggest peeve is the all-too-common rude driver.  These people
    seem to think that we're large insects who can fly out the way of
    their cars.  They seem upset because occasionally they have to
    slow down behind me while traffic passes in the oncoming lane.
    
    That said, I do think that drivers are becoming somewhat more used
    to an adult on a bicycle, and courteous people seem better able
    to pass me without fuss than I remember a few years ago.
    
    Regards,
    David Buffo
      
    
    

    Any new commuters in here over the last couple of years.  I started
    commuting from Virginia to Downtown D.C. - 10.3 miles.  This is my
    third week.  I dirve in on Monday with my C-dale and a week's worth of
    clothes.  Ride home Monday night, commute both ways Tue-Thu, ride in
    Fri and drive home.  I need my car during the day so I leave it at
    work.  About half of my ride is on city streets and the remainder on
    paved bike trail.  So far no problems.  I was a little reluctant to
    ride at night, but find that cars tend to see me better at night.  The
    fact that I look like a cross between a construction site and a Christmas 
    tree helps.
    
    -Marty

    I joined the ranks this Fall following knee surgery this past summer.
    My route takes me from Manchester, NH to Amherst St in Nashua. I go
    over the Queen City bridge (A real rim bender) to Boynton St to 101
    then back roads thru Bedford and Merrimack and eventually to Penachuck
    Square to 101A. Although it could be shorter, I avoid Rt 3 and
    Continental Blvd completely. 22 miles each way.
    Litchfield to Hudson to Nashua would probably be shorter, but more
    intense traffic-wise.
    Any other greater Manchester area to MKO/DDD/NQO commuter folks
    out there?
    
    John

re:                       <<< Note 737.26 by GOBACK::FOX >>>
 
Hi John,

	I've been thinking of making the commute from Goffstown to MKO.
Haven't quite figured out how to do it avoiding rte. 3 and Continental Blvd
tho'. There's also a couple ugly hills I'd like to avoid but don't think
it's possible. Any suggestions? 
	
	Still recovering from knee surgery myself and at this point I can't
bend my knee far enough to peddle my bike so I won't be riding in anytime
soon.

Jenna

    Hi Jenna,
    When I was planning the route, I used a street map first, then drove
    the route(s). There's a few different ways to go, but I found this
    route to be pretty nice. 
    
    101 West. Left on Liberty Hill. This turns into Pearson once you get
    into Merrimack. Right on Bedford (left would put you on old Rt 3). Left
    on Joppa, left on McQuestion, right on Meetinghouse, quick left on
    on ?, then a quick right on Naticook (is this the hill you wanted to
    avoid?!) I stay on Naticook to Amherst St, you'd take a left to MKO.
    You'll get some traffic heading to MK at this point, but it's pretty
    hard to avoid it (unless you take Tinker, and cut thru the woods!).
    I might have forgot a street or 2, but you should be able to get
    the jist looking at a map.
    Hang in there with that knee of yours. Maybe we can ride in sometime
    next Spring!
    
    John

Motorists do seem to give you a bit of respect when you are lit up at night,
I've found that they generally give me sufficent space with only a set of
Cateye lights.

A commuter tale - This morning as I was stopped at a traffic light a large car
pulled along side me on the right to make a right turn.  (I purposly leave
enough space so that they can do that.)  After stopping he started to make his
turn without noticing the "NO TURN ON RED" sign.  I pointed the sign out to him,
he didn't notice what I was pointing to at first, but when he did he stopped and
gave me a wave to acknowledge it.

Rich

This morning, while riding along a tree-lined street, I heard a "THWAP" on my
helmet.  It was too early for acorns, too gentle to be much else, and there
seemed to be only one other possibility.  So, I stopped and checked, and yes,
a bird had scored a direct hit, just missing the bulls-eye (vent holes).  I
gave it a squirt from my water bottle to rinse it off, plus another on a spot
on the shoulder of my jersey, then continued on my way.

Rich

    
    	I find it amazing that flying insects can find a way to fly right
    	into my eye when I'm wearing sunglasses.  I wear them so that I
    	keep the insects out of my eyes [since it would be painful for a
    	bug to nail you in the eye at 20+MPH], and luckily it does keep
    	most of them from hitting.  But they can still get pretty close.
    

    I bicycle commute to work year-round - sun, wind, hail, rain, snow, hot,
    cold.  I refuse to let a little weather interfere.  Living only 2.3 miles 
    from the front door of CXO helps.  This summer I have left the car in the 
    garage almost every day.  That tank of gasoline is lasting a long time.  
    My ride to work takes me on trails through a city park so I do not 
    encounter any cars once I have ridden 2 blocks from my home.

    The ride home takes 60-90 minutes because I treat it as a workout.
    I like to mix trail riding with some steep & long hills to get the heart 
    pumping and feel the adrenalin rush.  I have reached the point that 
    driving a car is boring and brings on a claustrophobic feeling.

    I commute as well, and had three significant events in the last 24
    hours...
    
    	1) Had to use the lights for the first time last night...
    	2) At odometer reading 1999 for the year, a lady pulled out of a 
    	   Hardee's, looked at me and waited till I got close, pulled out
    	   directly in front of me and slammed on her brakes.  I let the 
    	   front wheel push in her drivers door a bit, and glared at her. 
    	   She backed up out of my way, never saying a word!
    	3) A mile later, I turned 2000 miles for the year to date...
    
    I wonder when she'll notice the dent in her door.  Wotta twit.
    
    Hain't falled down yet this year, but I tried real hard a couple of
    times.
    
    Haven't killed any more dogs, but then I haven't been trying, either.
    
    I decided to stay with the 2.2Kg worth of rubber, kevlar, and thorn
    proof tubes, despite the performance hit.  I have pulled out three
    nails and two large staples, and haven't had a flat yet.  A year or so 
    back when I bought all this armor, I was having at least two flats a 
    week.  I figure it costs me about 3 mph.
    
    The most dangerous part of my ride is leaving the Digital parking lot,
    hands down.  I get nervous as a cat, and try very hard to leave either
    before 4pm or after 6 (usually later).  Sometimes I'll ride out the
    back sidewalk, cross the street and ride through the ditch as an
    alternative to sharing the road with these loons.
    
    Later,
    	   Mike

    A nice tail wind this morning proves to be memorable.  Chinook winds
    tend to be dramatically variable speed, in other words, extremely gusty,
    guesstimate of 20-50+ mph.
    
    As a crosswind, I was glad that the bike lane is as wide as a car lane.
    At top speed (on a mtb) going down a long & steep trail with tailwind, I 
    felt NO apparent wind.  For land-lubbers that means no wind in the face !  
    Jumping those bumps felt awesome.
    
    Commuting has its privileges !

    Another benefit of bicycle commuting is stopping to help stranded
    motorists.  A stalled auto in the middle of an intersection is a
    nuisance to fellow motorists.  It is something that needs pushing
    to a bicyclist.  Glad I ate my wheaties this morning !

RE: <<< Note 737.35 by COOKIE::MUNNS "dave" >>>

Good for you!
						-- Tom

Is there a general DEC policy regarding storage of bicycles?  I was met
yesterday morning and told I had to keep my bike outside (instead of in my
cube.)  As I had no lock w/me then, today is my bomber's first day outside.
He cited safety concerns as the reason, even though I didnt ask.

Just curious.
--Roger

RE: <<< Note 737.37 by EDSCLU::NICHOLS >>>

I seem to recal that there are notes in here about various peoples' experiences
bringing their bikes into Digital buildings. Some folks have been able to bring
bikes in, others haven't. I've never tried it (at ZKO or MLO) since there is
acceptable (to me) outside parking facilities. 
						-- Tom

    
    	A guy that works in this group [in MRO1] had his bike on the 3rd
    	floor some time last year.
    
    	If I were to ride my bike here, I'd definitely bring it inside
    	with me ... fully loaded, it's worth over $800, and although that
    	could be considered "peanuts" compared to what others have spent,
    	it's alot for me.
    
    	Of course, I also have access to unmanned card-reader entrances,
    	so Security wouldn't even see me come in.
    

> Of course, I also have access to unmanned card-reader entrances,
> so Security wouldn't even see me come in.

  That's how I always have done it.  I wouldn't even consider dealing
  with guards if there is such an entrance...

  - Jim

    When I bicycled to CXN (Colorado Springs) 5 years ago I used to park my
    road bike in my cube (10'x10' days).  Why ?  Bike racks were on the 
    opposite end of the building, out of sight of anyone inside, even 
    security.  An unmanned but key-carded entrance was my method of entry.  
    
    I did this for months, always carrying my bike across my shoulder to
    prevent carpet soiling, while a certain member of my group complained to 
    me about bringing my bike inside (and he rode his bicycle for exercise 
    too - but not to work).  I asked him why he was bothered by this and 
    he replied, 'company policy'.  
    
    I simply ignored his behavior.  But then he convinced management to
    take his side.  The bicycle gods immediately wreaked havoc on this group, 
    which was axed.  Only myself and 1 other person stayed with Digital.
    The rest were unemployed for months.  Never mess with the bicycle 
    gods!

    
    	Ahhh, the old "Company Policy" argument.
    
    	Nope, doesn't bother anyone, and no one can give you a reason
    	for the rule's existence, but IT'S THE RULE.
    

    i have brought mine into work and would not even think of leaving it
    outside. if i were to be challenged by security i would immediately
    seek the support of my management.
    
    this particular issue is left up to site policy. obviously, some sites
    are more reasonable than others.
    
     Chip

    I went thru hell this last year bring my new $3k road bike into AKO1.
    Security maintained it was against "corporate policy", which is a
    lie.  Worse, "human resources" (which is neither in our facility)
    tried to get me fired for ignoring security.  Turns out, however,
    that there is a policy in the Littleton cluster against bikes in the
    building.  Some facilities encourage it (Palo Alto,...) to relieve
    limited parking space, but good old New England lives in the past.
    If there is a local policy against bikes in your facility, you need
    to find out who the site manager and write up a nice petition, copy
    security on it, your manager, etc. and hope that at the next site
    management meeting that it gets ok'd.  if there is no written local
    policy, you should be ok... just ask the security officer to point out
    the "corporate policy".  When they can't, remind them that lying
    is against coporate policy, and making up "corporate policy" on the
    fly is a lie.  Hence they should report themselves.
    .02 Kratz
    
    P.S. somewhere in this file is a nice letter to ZKO property
    management... dunno if it worked or not. 

     
    The argument I heard supporting "the policy" was that in the event of a
    fire emergency, security wanted to avoid the risk of a cyclist trying
    to "save" his/her bike and possible putting others in danger by
    blocking exit routes.  Granted it's a stretch but if they throw in the old
    Insurance Company angle it's going to be tough lobbying to get it
    overturned.
    
    Jim

I am not particluarly bothered by my bike being outside.  At least the rack
is in view of security, and is next to the "main" employee entrance.  It is
somewhat aggravating to have to go to the other side of hte building from
what I used to use, but not so bad.    I was coming through an unmanned
entrance, and going through LKG2 into 1.  Plenty of windows etc for someone
to see me (likely a security person, I get in about 630.)

--roger

    The other note on this topic is 1480.
    
    Chris

ZKO security stopped me about mid-way through last summer.  They said that
someone had rolled their bike into someone while coming around a corner and that
person had been injured.  

The ZK2 building has a bike rack under the airwalk between ZK2 and ZK1, which is
where I and most others leave it during the day.  It seems pretty safe.  What
bugs me the most however is the access door (key card) is only active during
lunch.  Therefore, I need to walk 1/2 way round the building and back to get to
the locker room on the other side of the door.  What a pain in the butt.  Now I
just change in my office.  So far I have not been caught.  

It would be so convenient to come in the locker room door and put my stuff in a
locker and go out the same door on the way home.  

Oh well, if you're not conventional, don't expect conventional treatment.

Tim

Several years ago I fought with the security types about bringing my
bike into ZKO.  I didn't like the airwalk solution since it wasn't
really secure and wasn't shielded from the elements.

After a long, bitter fight, security agreed to provide a locked,
covered room for bike storage.  It's near the loading dock sorta
under the cafeteria.  Security will give you a key if you ask.

Of course, that suffers the same problem you've highlighted.  There's
a nice, keycard door right next to the room -- totally inaccessible
when you'd want to use it.  Oh well...

\John

I asked for that key last year.  I was told "We have 12 keys out and nobody uses
them and we don't have any more keys."

Hrumph,
Tim