*TOUR OF DUTY IN QATAR* A trusty companion in uniform

WHEN I began bike commuting in Washington DC, life was a balance of compromises, adjustments, and triumphs.

At that time, I owned one bike: a 2003 steel Gunnar Roadie. When the Air Force transferred me to Tampa, I had the opportunity to remake my lifestyle from a blank slate. One of the primary considerations in selecting a neighborhood was cycling accessibility. The first morning in Tampa, in December 2007, I went on a bike ride and ended up on an island just south of downtown that is frequented by cyclists. It was perfect. From there, my round trip commute to the Air Force base was 17 miles, mostly along Hillsborough Bay. With that, I made my New Year’s resolution. With year round biking weather and a manageable distance, I had no excuse to drive instead of ride. And for 2008, I set out to bike more miles than I drove.

Soon, my 17-mile daily round trip was extended to 20 miles. Then 30 miles. Soon, I was riding over 150 miles per week. Soon, I left my car in my bike’s hypothetical rear view mirror. And soon, I needed a new goal to go along with my New Year’s Resolution. I set my sights on 6,000 miles. I finished July with 3,500 miles completed. Everything was going great.

Then, my August, September, and October schedule started filling up with multiple trips to Qatar, Afghanistan, and Washington DC. I had overcome periodic trips throughout the year, but they never lasted longer than 2 weeks. Now, over the course of 10 weeks, I was going to be away for 7 weeks. The great thing about cycling to work is that work is an excuse to ride, not an excuse to not ride. Except work suddenly wasn’t so compatible with biking.
And that’s where the love of a beautiful woman and the flexibility of a great bike company saved the day.

Less than a week before my first trip in August, my wife Tove surprised me with a new Bike Friday Pocket Rocket. Without me suspecting a thing, Tove stole measurements from my other bike and my body. Tove sat silently listening to me contemplate packing my full size bike and taking it along on my trips. Tove sat smiling to herself when I jealously commented about someone who received a folding bike on a Planet Green television show. The guy didn’t even ride or want to ride; I deserved someone to give me a folding bike. And sure enough, whether I deserved it or not, a couple of weeks later, my bike was ready and delivered two days before my birthday. Five days later, we set off for Qatar. Me in my economy aisle seat and my Bike Friday happily tucked into his suitcase in the spacious luggage hold.

Qatar is a majestic country located on a peninsula jutting out into the Persian Gulf. Qatar is blessed with abundant natural gas wells and has one of the highest per capita GNP’s in the world. The capital in Doha is a popular tourist destination and has hosted international sports tournaments and diplomatic councils. Life in Qatar is far removed from the strife in Iraq and Afghanistan. For information regarding US military activities in Qatar, visit the Army’s website.

While the Qatari people, traditions, souks, and architecture are enchanting, the climate is unfortunately what you would expect in the Middle East. Especially in August, Qatar is not the most hospitable of cycling environments: high humidity due to the proximity of the Gulf, blowing sand, and daily high temperatures near 120 degrees. And, being constrained to ride on Post, I was forced to ride 4-mile loop after 4-mile loop. Still, any day riding is better than a day on an exercise bike or sitting on the couch. And thanks to my new Bike Friday, my cycling goals remained well intact. Despite losing a couple of days traveling, I still logged over 500 miles in three weeks.

After the first couple of days, I decided I wanted to tackle a metric century while in Qatar. I called it my 100 K-tar. On Sunday, August 17th, I set out at 4:45 am, about 30 minutes before sunrise. About 3 and a half hours and five liters of water later, I completed the last of my 15 laps. In the end, I averaged 18.9 mph over 61 miles, finishing as the temperature eased past 100 degrees.

One of the biggest complaints about deploying to the Middle East is the monotony and boredom. Even though my trips are usually only a week or two long, working 10-12 hours a day, 6-7 days a week can get tiresome. But the lack of distractions also provides a lot of space and freedom. Without having to worry about food, television, cars, or a house, you’re left with time to simplify and exercise. In a glass is half full sense, repetitive loops among sand, barbed wire, and warehouses are actually an escape from monotony. And life in a foreign country is always a little less lonely when you’ve got a new friend to explore with.

And that’s when I remembered the story of how Bike Friday was named after Robinson Crusoe’s trusty and loyal sidekick. Robinson Crusoe had his Man Friday. I had my Bike Friday.

RELATED LINKS

Bike Friday in the Armed Forces