Route Overview:

2 miles by bike to BART (light rail) station, Oakland, CA
20 miles on BART to Fremont, CA
13.8 miles by bike from BART station to my workplace in Milpitas, CA
Almost completely flat

Round trip distance on bike: ~31 miles

Equipment:

2004 Trek 2300 road bike
Full road kit, spandex, shoes, etc.
Cheesy backpack

Performance:

Total time, each direction: Approximately 120 minutes, with about 75 minutes of pedaling
Average speed: 15.6 mph in the morning, 14.8 mph in the evening (headwind), including stops and slowdowns due to traffic.

Conclusions:

1) I felt like I looked funny while in the BART stations. This was mostly supported by the looks given me by others, which ranged from absent-minded curiosity to accusing disdain. The clickety-clack of my road shoes on the tile floors probably attracted the most attention.

2) I need a real messenger bag. The cheesy backpack I wore couldn't really hold all the crap I attempted to shove into it, and its zippers continually tried to spontaneously open.

3) I should always bring my head and tail lights, even when I'm not expecting to need them. I didn't get home until about 8:15 pm, long after sunset. I scared myself half to death on the BART ride home, just contemplating riding in a few miles of traffic in the dark with no lights. Luckily, all the roads are lighted and have bike lanes, and, overall, it wasn't a big deal.

4) There really is no way to completely eliminate helmet-hair at work without taking a full-blown shower.

5) The total trip always takes longer than you expected it to take.

6) It's almost impossible to get any work done after lugging your bike into your cubicle. Everyone has questions, and everyone wants to talk about bikes for an hour. Luckily, I don't mind.

- Warren