Rain, sleet and heat – it’s all in a day’s ride for Jim Clausner. Every morning, the Vicksburg resident puts on reflective clothing and begins his 4-mile journey from his Drummond Street home to his office at the Engineering Research and Development Center on Halls Ferry Road, where he is the associate technical director for navigation at the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory. And, no matter the weather, he usually arrives in 12 to 17 minutes, not much longer than it would take by car.

The temperature is not a factor, but specialized clothing is needed.

&#8220I’ve commuted in 18-degree weather, and I’ve ridden home in 103-degree weather,” he said.

Clausner, 55, began his bike commutes when he was in the first grade. And every year since then, with the exception of his high school years, he’s spent 45 years pedaling to school and work.

&#8220It seemed like the natural thing to do,” he said.

Now, he’s encouraging others to join in the stress-reducing, environmentally friendly ride to work by coordinating Bike-to-Work Day Thursday, where he and about 25 fellow ERDC employees will ride to work, he said. He will also give a 30-minute lecture on commuting to work on a bicycle in Vicksburg. Next year he hopes to make it a communitywide effort to encourage all bike riders to commute.

&#8220The South is not generally bike-friendly and Vicksburg is extremely bike unfriendly – it’s hot, there are hills, there are no wide roads with wide shoulders. I have to be careful when and where I ride,” he said.

Because of traffic and narrow lanes, Clausner takes an alternate route to work than one he would drive. It’s just one of the obstacles a commuter faces, he said. Working around the weather is another.

&#8220I go to work in the morning, when it’s not nearly so hot, and I don’t ride so hard,” he said. When he arrives at work, he waits about five minutes and then goes in his office to wipe himself down with baby wipes, apply deodorant and change into fresh work clothes.

&#8220When you’re riding, there’s also a cooling effect of the wind that makes it feel not nearly as hot,” he said. &#8220But, you’re still going to perspire.”

Getting riders to face riding on Vicksburg streets is one of Clausner’s goals to introducing Bike-to-Work. Spinning those wheels can save on gas, as well as boost fitness, he said.

&#8220Think what we could do against childhood obesity,” he said. &#8220The bottom line is – it’s good for you and it’s good for the planet.”

For Clausner, though, commuting isn’t the only time he sails the roads on one of his two bikes. He said he averages about 100 miles &#8220in a good week.” Much of that includes rides in the Vicksburg National Military Park, where he said he has put in more than 1,000 miles. The 16-mile tour road is the destination of most bikers who ride for exercise.

&#8220People who already do some riding aren’t comfortable with the traffic,” he said.

But, according to Clausner, the risks are no different than riding to work in a car.

&#8220The risk is just like the risk in driving. You do everything you can to manage the risk,” he said. &#8220But, it certainly can be done, and it can be done safely.”