David Dionne, riding up his driveway to his home in Westport, pedaled to Washington, D.C. and back in September — without getting one flat tire.

EAST BAY - Before James LeBelle embarked on a 26-mile trek by bicycle to see his 5-year-old in a ballet recital, his received some words of warning from his dancing daughter. "She said to me, 'Daddy, don't you show up and smell,'" said Mr. LeBelle. Thankfully, the 34-year-old found a biker's towelette especially made for just such an occasion, so Mr LeBelle was clean and smell-free for his daughter's big event. When you decide to forgo the car and start biking nearly everywhere, you need to make some adjustments in your life.

"I've had to make so many changes," said the owner of Village Bicycle in Westport. "I had to change dentists because mine was too far away."

He bikes to work every day. "It's only about seven miles, but I go out and explore to make the ride longer in the morning," Mr. LeBelle said, adding that he's ridden to places like East Providence, New Bedford and Lakeville, Mass. on numerous occasions for appointments or family functions. He's also pedaled to Washington, D.C.

As a bike shop owner, he's noticed that more people are starting to commute by cycling than ever before. "I just two bikes to a couple in Little Compton. They bought th ebikes so they could commute to work instead of driving their car," he said.

But at some point, one must wonder, a comfy car must look awfully tempting. Not to Mr. LeBelle. "The only thing that stops me are high snow banks on the side of the road, which can be dangerous," he said.

It all started three years ago, shortly after Mr. LeBelle opened his Main Road shop. "I woke up one day and thought about what I do for a living," he said. "I decided that I didn't want to sell bikes anymore, I wanted to sell wellness. The bicycles became secondary, just the vehicle to be healthy and live longer. I wanted to live by example, especially for my children."

He sold his 1999 car and started putting the money he saved into a college savings plan. "I saved on a car payment, car insurance and gas," he said.

He even brings his daughter to school, with her riding in a bicycle trailer behind him. "But she's getting too cool for the trailer, so my son (he's 3) will have to take her place," said Mr. LeBelle. "She says to me, "Oh daddy, all the other kids get out of cars.'"

David Dionne, a selectman in Westport, is another biking enthusiast who loves to wheel around town. "I'm not a car-free person, but that's my goal when I'm retired," said Mr. Dionne, who's a house painter by trade. "Sometimes I'll leave my truck (at the job site) and ride my bike home. One of my most fun work/ride experiences was when I painted a friend's home in Rochester (Mass.). It took several days and it's about a two-hour ride."

Like Mr. LeBelle, he's cycled to Washington, D.C. as well. Mr. Dionne pedaled to our nation's capital for the war protest in September — a journey that took him 10 days each way.

"I never got a flat," he said. "The bike performed very well."

He started staying in motels, but soon began feeling guilty. "That seemed too posh for me, so I stopped at a K Mart and bought a tent," said Mr. Dionne, who then pitched tent at campgrounds. "They'll tell me, 'Park you car here and hang this on your mirror.' I'd say, 'Well, I don't have a car.'"

But after roughing it for a while, he started tiring near the end of his trip. A motel sounded pretty good. "When I got to Delaware, I was at the end of my rope," he said. "I staggered into a pretty nice place at 8 o'clock with all my camping gear. You should have seen the eyes on the people at the desk. They must have a checklist of things — kids, luggage — but not for this. They didn't say anything when they saw the bike."

Mr. Dionne just doesn't love cycling, he champions the activity as well. During his trip, he was envious at what he saw along the roads and highways. "There were a lot of bicycle lanes incorporated into the roads, and I'm a big advocate for that," said the selectman, who's pushed for wider lanes for bikers and walkers in his town.

Bikes should be allowed to go wherever motor vehicles go, he said, which would not only promote fitness but help the environment as well.

"Bicycle paths are a great thing, but bicycle lanes are even better," Mr. Dionne said. "I do not just get on the bike for pleasure. I always try and plan it so I'm going somewhere. I think if we can all do that a little bit we could feel better and reduce our carbon loading of the atmosphere, air pollution in general. As a society we have become much less physically mobile and I try to fight that trend. It's a political thing for myself."

Bike path for Tiverton?

If you can't have bike lanes, the next-best thing is a bike path. Over in Tiverton, Peter Moniz is leading efforts to get one built along the Sakonnet River. The plan, which received high grades from a 2002 state study and has also won support from the Tiverton Town Council, calls for building a path along the 1.5-mile railroad right-of-way along the shore. It would run from the Sakonnet River Bridge north to the Fall River line.

A state-commissioned study by the Louis Berger Group concluded that the route is well suited for a bike path, one that might eventually connect to Aquidneck Island via a new Sakonnet River Bridge.

"The (railroad) track there is not being used. It's a beautiful sight. It's already proven that the East Bay Bike Path is cherished by a lot of people. It was really a no-brainer," he said, adding that the plan is in the "design/study phase" at the state Department of Transportation.

Mr. Moniz is trying to get an informal group together to continuing advocating for the bike path. "It's going to be a long time for the bike path and the bridge to get done, but you always have to keep the interest there," he said.

However one pedals from one point to another, avid cyclers say the benefits outweigh the inconveniences. Mr. LeBelle, who has high blood pressure, says he's fit and has even made new friends through his bike. "You get to know more people biking. In a car, you can't say, 'Hi, how are you?'"

Bike riding also is good for the nerves, he said. "By the time I've gotten home from work, I've already unwound. With a car, you walk in the door stressed," he said.

Mr. Dionne agrees that cycling goes a long way in keeping you happy.

"Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, they have a stupid grin on their face," he said. "It's so much more fun than a car."

Bike to Work Week is May 14-19

Assuming you live close enough, consider giving your wallet and the environment a break by biking to work during the week of May 14-19. That's when National Bike to Work Week is celebrated.

On Friday, May 19, from 7-10 a.m., Providence marks Bike to Work Day at the Bank of America Skating Center at Kennedy Plaza. Bicycle commuters can come by for breakfast and learn how to support increased cycling and cycling safety in and around downtown Providence. Speakers will include local politicians and activists working towards a better and safer cycling city. This year's theme is "One Less Car."

There are many benefits of hopping on your bike rather than taking the car, according to Bike Downtown, an initiative of Groundwork Providence, the City of Providence and the Providence Foundation. Here are some of them:

* Traffic and parking: Bicycle commuting can help alleviate traffic and parking problems downtown. When you commute by bicycle you'll be free of traffic and parking woes.

* Financial savings: It costs over $3,000 a year to own, operate and maintain a motor vehicle. Paying for gas, parking and regular oil changes really adds up, while bicycle commuting is practically free (you'll probably need an annual tune-up for about $50).

* Personal health and wellness: It can be tough to squeeze in a workout at the end of a long day when you find yourself exhausted with a to-do list a mile long. Bicycle commuting is one way to work exercise into your daily routine. Instead of sitting in a car, you're pedaling across town on your own power, getting a low-impact cardiovascular workout while your colleagues are stuck in traffic. Bicycle commuting can also eliminate the stress felt while sitting in traffic. In the evenings, bicycling home will provide you with some needed personal time to unwind before facing family or roommates.

* A cleaner environment: Last summer Providence had 10 ozone alert days, when air quality was so poor that people were asked not to drive their cars to work and buses were free. The pollution that cars produce causes ground level ozone or smog. Smog can cause burning eyes, make it difficult to breathe or even trigger asthma attacks.

* Fun: Riding your bike to work can make you feel like a kid again.

For more information or if you would like to volunteer for Bike to Work Day, call 351-6440 ext. 12 or visit www.bikedowntown.org. For a free "Guide to Biking in the Ocean State," visit www.dot.state.ri.us/bikeri/comments.htm.

By Jim McGaw

jmcgaw@eastbaynewspapers.com