Commuting - Am I the only one who finds this exciting?

So today I scoped out a new commute for my new job, and for some reason, I find the whole idea of a new commute exciting. Why? In truth it's really part of an old commute that I had when I was at university for three years, and it's probably not as nice as my old commute was (and it's still too damn flat!). Does anybody else get the proverbial hair standing up on the back of their neck in this situation?

yeah, totally!

i've moved twice in the last year here in Munich so i've had the pleasure of searching for new commuting routes... plus a route to and from the fitness gym.

sadly, i've pretty much covered most of the routes (and found a really good one) since it's been over 3 months... i guess i should move again so i have to search for a new bike commute route - oh, wait, i guess i could chaneg jobs too...

but yeah, i find it quite fun! looking for the fastest, the most scenic, plus making note of all the possible stops along the way (small stores or whatever), etc.

so congrats on the new job Chris!

Oh yes, I do, think about the whole picture Chris. New potholes, new cracks in the road, new auto driving habits and new sights. It's a genuine adventure. As it should be. Enjoy the new ride, if ya cant't find hills load the panniers with stuff you don't need and ride into the wind.
Enjoy Pete

What a blast.

It's great getting a new commute and tweaking it here and there over the first couple of months. You get to work out the most efficient route, the scenic detours, the trouble spots and the great riding bits. Your mind also starts to build up a catalogue of the faces that you see every day. The car with the unusual bumber sticker or number plate, the girl that walks on the footpath every morning, the guy that rides the opposite direction every afternoon; it's all so new and fresh.

I can completely understand, it's taken quite a while for me to get my route as short as possible so I can sleep in a little more in the AM, but still have the longer routes available for the ride home. While a good map program is a good place to start there's just nothing like hitting the street and checking out the traffic etc.

Send pics when you get a chance.

I agree. There's something really nice about tweaking your commute and learning to know the various route options by heart. You also learn to know distances down to the last digit of your comp's display. Congratulations on the new commute, Chris L. Enjoy the job, too! :D

--J

edit: typos, typos...

Yes, I know what you are talking about. A new commut is a new exploring of the areas you pass by on your way to the job. Exciting. Good luck on your new job!

sounds like we are all commute junkies! i have a nice route that includes very little traffic, but today i just decided to ride without a plan. whatever street looked good in the general direction of my work i took. i got a very euphoric feeling of freedom from this. aslo i found an art store and a record store i never knew existed, that i would never have found out about without riding by. i can't wait for the ride home!

Oh new route, how exciting. I can remember back when I first started commuting and trying to find the right route in. Good for you, have fun.

I have done what gonesh9 does and just ride whichever way on the way into the office. I will sometimes go in the general diretion and ride through only green lights. If the light is red, I make a right turn and head down to another street. Easy for me since I work about 7 miles to the 'right' of my house.

Originally posted by MediaCreations
the girl that walks on the footpath every morning,

Yep, plenty of those to see in Surfers. :D


Originally posted by cwodave

Send pics when you get a chance.


Could be a while. Gotta save up the money for a digital camera first.


Originally posted by mrfix

Enjoy the new ride, if ya cant't find hills load the panniers with stuff you don't need and ride into the wind.

Well, this commute is shorter than my last one was, meaning I'll be able to get up and do a pre-commute ride and find some.

You are not alone. When I moved out to Illinois, finding new routes was the only thing I had to look forward to.

I live right by St Louis. Unless you like crappy pizza, bumper-to-bumper traffic, and crack-head watching, there's not much to do out here. Unfortunately, I barely ride to work anymore due to the inconvenience of narrow lanes and rushing traffic.

I find my self exiting the bus farther and farther away from work to get in the millage. and taking buses home that end up farther and farther away from home. For a while I was carpooling home with a guy for the longest time he thought he was doing me a favor (well he was) until I told him that I rode with him cause it gave me a 14 mile ride instead of 7 he looked at me as though I were mad. He has since moved closer to my home so I am back on the bus again.

RE: catalogue of faces, there is this woman that I run into in the morning and the afternoon I have seen her almost every morning or evening for the last year and she always waves at me has from the first morning I saw her. I keep meaning to stop and talk to her but I am either in a hurry so I won't be late or in a hurry so I won't miss my bus. It really does make my day, and of course I always greet her back!

Have to get a new job to have a new commute.. Since there is only the freeway, which normally, disallows bikes or the existing road north; there is no commute to be found.
Once over in the neighboring city to the north, there are only two roads stretching out to work. Either the busy highway, with mostly reasonably wide shoulders or the wine road. I prefer the road through wine country, but it is longer and hillier and I have to consider getting to work on time..

It is always new and exciting, and a great way to insure I'll have a good day.

yup... the exploration side of a new route always adds an extra bit of excitement