Well, today was my day off, so it wasn't EXACTLY a commute, but...

My mother wanted me to come see a movie with her today, and what with only having about $8 for gas for my guzzling dinosaur for the week, I decided to finally take the big challenge and BIKE TO GREEN BAY!

Started out on the shortest route I could find on the map to get to the Mountain Bay trail....unfortunately forgetting that the Wisconsin Bicycle Maps haven't been updated since '86. Had a bit of unexpected detour, therefore, and rode on the shoulder of Interstate 29 longer than I had expected, before reaching the organic produce stand which conveniently has a driveway that stretches from the highway to the road behind it (which USED to be I-29 when the map was made!) Caught the trail where it crosses Quarry Road.

The MB trail from there to Howard had some lovely scenery, though it did lack the rest areas I've seen in other sections of the trail. I reached Cardinal Avenue in Howard, and was surprised to see the trail was closed ahead, and there was a detour. The detour ran by JB's cycle shop, so I stopped to ask whether it was worth the trouble to get back to the trail....it wasn't--the trail ended shortly anyway--so I continued down Cardinal, took Velp (busy street!), and then a side road to get to Dousman. I was worried about crossing the river, but pleasantly surprised to find that there was an actual bike lane on the bridge! (Green Bay is slowly adding them, but there are usually cars parked over the ones I've seen so far.) My mother's place is on Monroe. All together it took me 2 and a half hours to get there.

I want to thank you all for your descriptions on city driving, by the way! Thanks to you guys, I knew not to get too close to the curb...to stay out of the right turn lane...to assume people pulling out from driveways didn't see me...in fact, I think you all saved me some bad times. There was too much glass broken on the road (surprised I didn't get a puncture) the exhaust fumes stunk, a moron in a truck yelled at me that I was riding on the wrong side of the road (ha!) and, on the lighter side, a motorcycle rider revved his engine and asked if I wanted to race.

Headed home later than I wanted to but I got out of the city before the sun set. About two miles down the trail I seemed to be running low on energy--had a Java Avalanche Clif bar, and it certainly did the job--immediate energy boost that lasted me all the way home. I saw a possum and a skunk on the trails. I decided to take the trail all the way to Pulaski, because then I could take County S out of town, which has a paved shoulder and an underpass under I-29. Didn't want to risk crossing the Interstate in the dark! Got off the trails just in time before it got Ichabod-Crane dark in the woods. By the time I got home, the stars were out.

All in all, pretty good! I think I did around 50 miles, without any serious pain or exhaustion. I am coughing my lungs out now, though, either from the exhaust fumes, the cool night air, or the millions of gnats I inhaled on the way home.