First commute
06-09-04, 11:01 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
First commute
Over the summer, I want to ride my bike to work at least once a week or more. I work at a high school and summer is our slow time; I am the IT manager so we are here all year and it's fairly casual so I don't have to worry about bringing my best clothes.
Today is a short day with an end of the year party, so I planned to make it my first commute.
I brought a change of clothes with me yesterday to work with the idea of showering in our locker rooms. Have to remember to bring an extra riding shirt.
Temps were in the low 50's when I left the house at 7. There is a small weather front coming through Socal today so we have cool temps, clouds, some sun.
I noticed that I had to be a bit more sharp than usual because the traffic flow at this time of the morning is actually heavier than when I ride on weekends. I had a few places where I could have been squeezed that I have really watch.
What a great ride! We live in a semi-rural area with lots of hills and brush around. Passed some horse properties and picked up a whiff of...well, you know overall I was just loving the morning.
There is one part of the route where the road gets narrow. I followed the advice often posted here about taking the lane and that worked out well; cars generally slowed down and gave me a wide berth.
I knocked off the 14 miles in about an hour and hit the parking lot as our principal was standing out front. "You rode here? Wow! " he said to me.
Although I had a good breakfast, I am definately hungry already!
All in all, I'm happy to join the commuting crowd, at least for the next couple of months, saving a bit of gas, and starting my day in such a positive way.
Sheldon
OCR2
Today is a short day with an end of the year party, so I planned to make it my first commute.
I brought a change of clothes with me yesterday to work with the idea of showering in our locker rooms. Have to remember to bring an extra riding shirt.
Temps were in the low 50's when I left the house at 7. There is a small weather front coming through Socal today so we have cool temps, clouds, some sun.
I noticed that I had to be a bit more sharp than usual because the traffic flow at this time of the morning is actually heavier than when I ride on weekends. I had a few places where I could have been squeezed that I have really watch.
What a great ride! We live in a semi-rural area with lots of hills and brush around. Passed some horse properties and picked up a whiff of...well, you know overall I was just loving the morning.
There is one part of the route where the road gets narrow. I followed the advice often posted here about taking the lane and that worked out well; cars generally slowed down and gave me a wide berth.
I knocked off the 14 miles in about an hour and hit the parking lot as our principal was standing out front. "You rode here? Wow! " he said to me.
Although I had a good breakfast, I am definately hungry already!
All in all, I'm happy to join the commuting crowd, at least for the next couple of months, saving a bit of gas, and starting my day in such a positive way.
Sheldon
OCR2
06-09-04, 11:19 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Alexandria, VA
Posts: 1,096
Bikes: IRO Model 19, Surly Crosscheck, 1989 Arnie Nashbar, Cannondale CAADX, Niner Air 9
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Way to go! I remember how excited I was when I realized how "doable" and beneficial it really is to commute. You're fortunate that you have shower facilities-I am not privilaged enough to use the ones in my building. Take full advantage of the locker rooms and leave: shoes, toiletries, and clothes there, you'll be better off that way. On a good week I'll ride every day (a total of 15, round trip miles), not much, but enough to feel good about at the end of the week. You'll probably find that you'll shoot for more than once a week once you really get your system down. Keep it up.
