April 30, 2008 - With gas prices at record levels, you might be looking for an alternative way to get to work. WDBO's Bob Hazen decided to try it as well by riding his bike 14 miles from his home in east Orlando to the radio station on the other side of town, on John Young Parkway. Here's what he has to say about the ride.

My ride started Tuesday night: I looked up all the traffic laws regarding bikes to make sure I didn't run the risk of getting pulled over by cops. It turns out if you're riding after sunset and before sunrise, you're required to have a light on the front. I got around that by strapping a flashlight onto my handlebars with a pair of bungee cords.

As soon as I stepped out of the house this morning around 6 a.m. I realized sweating wasn't going to be my first problem: it was pretty cold, and the wind from my break-neck speed made it even colder.

My first challenge was trying to navigate East Colonial. I came up along Goldenrod and had to cross all 6 lanes, at one point standing in the middle of 8 traffic cones in the middle of traffic. I was really glad I had that flashlight. Riding on Colonial was no picnic either, since construction has torn up much of the sidewalk. It was also eye opening to see a bunch of guys sleeping in the weeds along the road. Not sure what was going on there.

Things got much easier when I got to Baldwin Park. I took Bennett to get the residential route, and I have two favors to ask: don't leave trash bags in the middle of the sidewalk, and point sprinklers TOWARD the lawn, not TOWARD the sidewalk. I got a little blast from one house on Corrine.

In the 7 o'clock hour I asked listeners to honk if they saw me, and a big thanks to all of you who did! It gave me the motivation I needed to keep on. I felt kind of like Rocky when all those kids start running next to him, except it was just a handful of cars and I looked like a nerd with a cell-phone headset and mini-disk recorder around my neck. Plus the tire-pump strapped on my back.

I made my way to College Park and Princeton Street. It felt like a scene out of Leave It To Beaver with the treelined streets and the picket fences.   But the view was going to change very soon when I got to Orange Blossom Trail.

We all know what goes down on OBT, and I was just hoping I could pedal fast enough to stay out of trouble. I did pass 2 (apparent) prostitutes, but avoided being harassed. A lot of the road doesn't have sidewalks, so I had to ride through the grass.

Finally, I arrived at the station at 7:45, 1 hour and 45 minutes since I set off. I really wasn't too tired, and I don't think I got too sweaty or smelly. I'll let the newsroom gauge that. I must point out I am definitely not an avid biker: I ride occasionally for fun, but nothing like this. And if you don't live 14 miles away, and don't have to leave the house before the sun comes up, I'd recommend trying the bike.

Hear more about Bob's journey with his interview with Jim Turner. Listen
Would you ride your bike to work?