Mundelein man bikes to work

Norm Hansen enjoys commuting to work.

There is no rush-hour traffic. And, every once in awhile, he can enjoy the view.

While the League of American Bicyclists celebrates Bike to Work Week through Friday, Hansen follows that practice year-round. The Lake Zurich resident takes a 15-mile ride each way to M&M Cyclery in Mundelein, where he works, and has bicycled to work for more than 10 years.

“It’s two hours in the day I can be by myself,” he said.

Hansen began riding to work in 1991 between Lake Zurich and Barrington.

“I realized how easy it was and thought maybe I should start doing this on a regular basis,” he said.

Hansen said the first thing he noticed when he came home was how good he felt.

“When you go riding, you open up your endorphins. Your blood is pumping. I was so wide awake and felt so good. I like this feeling,” he said.

Hansen also noticed how much he did not miss driving in traffic.

“On a bike, that was no longer an issue,” he said.

While he has moved job locations several times, Hansen continues to ride to work. And he rides regardless of the weather.

“Since I’ve been here, I’ve only drove to work four times,” he said. “Two days was after the blizzard we had, and we had two days it was single-digit temps. I usually cut it off around 10 degrees.”

Hansen said the key to riding is keeping an eye on weather forecasts and learning to dress. He added a pair of good winter shoes for $200 and “is worth every penny.”

Working in the bicycle industry, Hansen takes equipment seriously. He owns 20 bicycles, many designed for different needs. Some are fitted with fenders or studded tires to handle riding through the snow. But he adds the bikes he uses are a single speed.

“You lube your chain and air your tires, that’s all you have to worry about,” he said. “I do this as a living. I’m a service manager. I don’t want to go home and work on my own bikes.”

But he said there is equipment that is necessary to be safe, such as wearing bright, reflective clothing; putting lights on the bicycle; and, of course, using a helmet.

Hansen knocks on a wooden desk nearby that he has never been injured when riding to work. But he said it also is key to be aware of surroundings.

“When you ride your bike, you pay attention more to what other people are doing instead of talking on your cellphones,” he said.

Hansen not only rides his bike to work but does most errands by bike, too. He said he rarely drives his 2000 Ford Taurus, which has 68,000 miles.

“I only filled up my car once this year. I filled it up about half a tank. I’m really glad I do this now.”

And at 54 years old, he continues to feel great.

“I feel healthier. And with as much as I ride, I can eat just about anything I want,” he said.

Hansen’s commuting practice is catching on at work, said Steve Fluhr, owner at M&M Cyclery.

“He’s getting us out to ride more often,” he said. “I’m commuting more often than I was. He’s gotten employees to ride their bikes more often, and now they are getting their spouses on them, too.”

Fluhr said Bike to Work Week hopefully will show people how easy biking to work can be and improve their health. And he adds Lake County has so many bicycle trails, they don’t need to worry about riding alongside cars.

“Our forest preserves (district) has provided good bike paths. They take care of them, and they are looking to expand them all the time. You shouldn’t have to ride on a road unless you want to ride on a road to get to work,” he said.

Hansen encourages others to hop onto their bikes to ride to work, even if it’s one to two days a week.

“Once you continue to do it, it becomes easier and you will want to do it more,” he said. “And it will help your health.”