Commuting - First commute took a bit longer than expected

I decided that commuting by bike would be a good thing, so I purchased a bike and have been riding in the evenings for the past week to get acclimated. Today, being a lazy Saturday morning so no pressure, I decided to take the bike to work. The ride was uneventful and very enjoyable given the coolness of the morning. However, once I rode the 6 miles, and went up the 11 stories to my lab, I realized I didn't have my keys because I left my car keys (and lab keys) at home.

And that is how my 6 mile commute turned into 18 this morning. :thumb:

Friends with Murphy? :roflmao2:

I have to remind myself to remember my keys Thankfully I have a dead bolt on the front door so no Key no lock house (but I can lock myself out with the regular latch :lol:)

Yea it was pretty silly of me. I actually went out to my car to get my sunglasses, then purposefully left the keys at home so my roomates could move my car if needed. :D doh.

you are seeing real results right away... cycling will help to improve your memory...

i bet you will never forget keys again..youll always ck from now on b4 leaving LOL

Been there done that now I have a copy of important keys in my seat bag.

I forgot my shirt the other day so my wife had to bring one in. That's not happening again......nothing like sitting in an office with a wicking tshirt on and slacks. It was black, like my slacks though, so that wasn't so bad.

congrats on a successful test run
how did you feel when you got there?
got plans for changing clothes, etc?
do you have a plan for flat tires? I got two this week

about the car keys, etc, I now migrate a handful of things back and forth from car to bike such as
keys
cell phone
mp3 player
gym lock and ID card
wallet, or at very least debt card and cash

I forgot my bike lock once...

The worst thing I have forgotten so far is my sunglasses the other day. I am pretty OCD about stuff like that so I usually check and doublecheck the important stuff.

Dry run before you try it for real is a good idea, though!

Been there done that now I have a copy of important keys in my seat bag.

That is an excellent idea. I may steal it. Thanks! :)

I forgot my socks the other day (wore sandals on the bike), and had to go to a nearby drugstore to buy a pair. Once the other stores had opened later that morning I bought a batch of socks to leave in the office.

By the way, my approach for shirts & slacks is to have them laundered & pressed at a cleaning establishment near my work, so I always have some on hand.

you are seeing real results right away... cycling will help to improve your memory...

Um... not necessarily... says she who forgot certain critical items of apparel after bike commuting for over a year... :roflmao:

Buglady (http://www.bikeforums.net/member.php?u=85077) - Embarrassing story? Do tell.

I couldn't tell you the number times I have left my keys behind. I'm ususally the first one to my office and when I forget my keys it cuts into my shower time. The way I've prevented that from happening lately is to make sure I dont lock the front door from the inside, I lock it from the outside with my keys. This also helps prevent you from locking yourself out of your house, as I have done. Hopefully, you will never end up locking a family memeber, such as your spouse, out of your house... which I have done..... not your spouse but mine.

Oh the memories. I remember my first test run, last weekend of April 2004. Rode in to work, had lunch in the cafeteria, chatted with some of the operators. I was so psych'd about making the change.

Only thing I've forgotten is underwear. Spent a day with bib shorts beneath the slacks & shirt. After that I got in the habit of keeping some extras in my locker.

I forgot pants once.

I forgot my belt once, and the pants were a bit big on me (they would not stay up...). I had to work in my bike shorts until lunch so that I could go to a nearby clothing outlet to get a belt... luckily, my meeting was set for 2 pm that day so no harm, no foul...

The solution to this problem is fairly simple. Use a checklist.

There's a reason that pilot in the cockpit of that airliner you're on is using a checklist. He's doing it to ensure that everything that needs to be done, gets done.

I created a simple checklist I use before heading out the door. It includes - in the #1 spot - bringing my security badge. I biked 9.5 miles one-way to work and left that at home and could not get through the gate to my office.

After that experience, I decided to take the aviation checklist concept and apply it to my bicycle commuting. Problem solved!

My first commute was faster than expected.

For my practice runs I did my 10.5 mile commute in 1hr 20 min and I was sweaty and exhausted by the time I got to work. So I decided against commuting for the time being.

Then, when my car broke down one Sunday night, I had no choice.
The next day I biked it to work in 1 hour flat and felt great when I got there. :wtf:

Either it was the adrenaline of knowing it was for real, or I got in much better shape in 2 weeks. Either way, I was hooked and made it a habit.