About Me

My name is Robert Guico, and in my spare time I help run the Carol Stream Bikes advocacy group.

I've lived in Carol Stream for six years, and for the first four, my wife and I drove the hour-and-a-half to Chicago every day. We eventually both decided it was better for our personal lives, and our personal sanity, to find work in the suburbs, and I've worked in Bartlett as a software engineer since August 2007.

By the beginning of 2009, I weighed over 235 pounds and realized I was starting to get pretty obese. I started bicycle commuting to work, 9 1/2 miles each way, as early as I could, to try to balance my ravenous appetite.

When my uncle passed away because of complications due to diabetes that summer, I fully understood what the possible consequences of not losing could be.

I put 1,400 miles on my bike that year, mostly riding to and from work, to or from volunteer activities at Trinity Lutheran Church in Roselle, or along some of the bicycle trails throughout the western suburbs. This year, as of the end of October, I've put 2,450 miles into the bike.

My total weight has dropped to 215, and having hated running and most other physical activities in the past, I feel like I've finally found a way to be fit that I enjoy.

My goal is to encourage others to consider using the bicycle for errands, short or long. No special clothing or equipment is needed! A bicycle is reasonably fast, doesn't cause air pollution that is normally produced by the combustion of gasoline, reduces overall traffic congestion, and encourages active lifestyles for a healthier population. Most importantly, it's easy and fun!

I'll see you on the bike paths!

Me at Bike The Drive. (May 30, 2010)