It's over. The Winter Weather Warrior Contest has officially closed. And I'm dying to talk to Michael Hurley. He's the guy who, as of February 20th, had logged 782--count 'em--782 trips on a Capital Bikeshare Bike. My question to Mr. Hurley: do you have a job? If so, how did you manage to log all those trips?
There's plenty of speculation out there that somehow you gamed the system. I'm not that cynical...really. And I'm not bitter. Honest.
I knew that my only chance of making any mark at all in this contest would be in the 'Perfect Attendance' Category. Even that achievement on my part is debatable. Those who followed me on this adventure will note I missed out on the snowstorm of January 26th. By the time I got back to my neighborhood, the bikes had been taken out of commission. While technically the terms of the contest allow me to claim Perfect Attendance, that little glitch does leave me feeling like I was close, but not really perfect in my attendance.
Still, what I liked best about this contest is how it pushed me to ride no matter what. I found no matter the time pressures, I could always squeeze in one teeny ride, just enough to keep me in the running for perfect attendance.
And I found that although I have bikes of my own, these come in handy. A trip to NYC for example is made easier (and more affordable) when I find I can simply hop a bike to Union Station, and make my out of town train. No need to wait for Metro, no need to pay for a cab. And it allows me to get some fresh air before being in a hermetically sealed rail car for hours.
So will I keep riding each day no matter what? It's become a bit of a habit, but I feel like my own bikes are feeling neglected and unloved. So I'll be mixing it up a bit more, but it has helped me get up and out even on those days when it would have been easy to skip the saddle time.
But seriously, Michael Hurley, get in touch with me, and tell me; how did you pull that off?
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