Today was the second day, of going to and from work as well. Today I could go in at any time, no real constraints. Tomorrow's additional challenge is to be there early enough to get a shower before 9am. The single speed makes it hard, but it's far from impossible. I just need to stand and sort of 'walk pedal' the bike up hills. Yesterday and today I faced the primary hardest-hills in terms of commute.

It has been tough going. It's funny how when starting, at some points of your journey you're hatefully cold... muscles not wanting to work. And a few minutes later you're high off the scenery, the path seems flat and easy to traverse with minimal effort... then a few minutes later the same flat feels difficult... then pleasant again. Then a hill. And I question all of this and think of the beautiful Lexus I left at the work car park.. However, then, I'm passing a busy road with traffic, feeling embarrassed to stop and take a rest (someone shouted something out a combination of mock encouragement) amidst the slow moving traffic on my way home actually). Then I see motorcyclists doing what they do, tailgating cars.. taking risks, I see a car in the inside lane flying past and undercutting another. It's that crap on the road I'm still glad to be free from. Despite the struggles.

Still, these worst hills haven't been too impossible as I'd have thought. With a light bike it'd probably be a little bit easier. With electric, woah, I'd be flying. The folding bike thing is turning out to be more of a necessity at my girlfriends as there's simply no room for a full size bike upstairs. That means in terms of a better bike, I'm limited to mostly Bromptons right? And when you consider electric... they're the price of a decent used car here. Although... as I type this, no car of mine on her street. The same mix of people who annoyingly park where I park, the same group of kids who leaned on / kicked balls at and put handprints all over my car about two weeks ago, they're all out there.. but I no longer have a horse in that race so my mind is surprisingly blissful.

I'll cycle in tomorrow morning. And back. Same on Friday but I'll likely take the car with me on Friday. It'd be more cycling in any single week than I've ever done, even when I did it for fun. I keep reminding myself, if I don't do this, commuting by bike, it'd be finding ways to fit riding in outside of work but then I'm doing that instead of spending it with family or friends. Other than that... it's a gym membership and right now, home form work, I just couldn't be bothered to also take time away from everyone, same old traffic and parking frustration, to do that. Last time I went to the gym I was pretty annoyed at all the druggies were around me. Sadly it's where a lot of them hang out. Me as the skinny, short guy I am, got weird looks. I get that on the bike but it's a little easier when you're passing them stuck locked in traffic!

So in summary... I'd be lying if I said there weren't doubts or some negative notions in my head during cycling but overall, I'm still leaning that way. Still going to continue it. I need some bad weather, rainy, colder and duller days now - which I'd absolutely HATE, but need to sort of prove to myself, that it's do-able, on this bike.