Charlottetown, PEI, Canada
Route:: 4 km (2.5 mi) one way.
Road conditions / surfaces: Generally well paved; only a few stretches with potholes. Most of the route has wide paved shoulders.
Traffic: My working hours are highly irregular, so traffic intensity varies a lot, but even rush hour isn't all that bad. Traffic jams do not exist around here.
Environment: Major suburban/semi-rural roads. 7 traffic lights on the way there, 8 on the way back. The environment is typical "rural being swallowed up by suburban sprawl": industrial areas and big-box retail mixed in with farmers' fields and pockets of nature.
Hills: Total climb 59 meters/just shy of 200 feet on the way there. Similarly, 59 m of downhill on the way back. Luckily, I usually have a tailwind on the way there, which balances it out a bit. And this is a windy place. Once that wind was so strong that going up a pretty steep hill felt required considerably less effort than going down.
Frequency: Very close to 100% (number of days per week varies due to schedule irregularity)
Departure time: Varies between 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Bike: Kona Dew City.
Bike name: Still haven't named it!
Cargo: Ortlieb panniers; occasionally backpack.
Helmet / Mirror: Yes helmet (a cheap-o thing from a big box store), no mirror.
Destination:
Parking: Inside, but it's carpeted, so if the roads have snow, I lock the bike up outside to a fence.
Cleanup: There is a shower, but a post-commute clean up is not necessary. It's a short ride. And I can wear my commuting clothes when I work. On cold days, I do blow my nose upon arrival.
Amenities: Well, the shower I never use. Indoor storage when the bike's not messy. A kitchenette with a microwave, a fridge (occasionally stocked by free beer
). A small vending machine with junk food. A room I can use for storage, resting etc.
Departure time: Varies as widely as the departure time from home.
Alternative Transportation: Virtually none. I got a ride in once or twice. And walked once or twice due to en route flats.
Further suggestions welcome.
Time. As in how long the commute takes. Not everyone would like to fill that one out, maybe... but traffic lights are always a good excuse for why it's so high.
My ride is about 13-15 minutes on the way there, and maybe 8-12 on the way back, depending on the wind, road conditions etc. It's so short and quick, I don't really bother timing myself. Usually I leave home with half an hour to spare, just to give myself some time to prep for work on the other end.