After I extricate myself from my bed, have a double cappucino & OJ, I grab my bike, and waddle out the door.

After I enter traffic, I have a ride through the town, and then have a 30 meter downhill to speed up the legs with, then a forest section with lots of curves where I get to make nice with cars, trucks and other vehicles. Swiss drivers are actually quite nice to bicyclists, and I only rarely get the opportunity to exchange greetings with them.

After that, it's fairly flat through a small city, with smallish space to ride, and it's good to keep the speed up as not to aggravate said drivers. About 20 minutes into the ride, I get to ride across a large bridge with some nice views of the local mountains, and then I get a little downhill before attacking the bigish (150 meter) hill of the day.

It's great when it's dry, and it's not so bad after you're wet when it's raining. It's rotten when it's snowing, or when there's ice...34.4 km r/t

My commute in Hastings on the south coast of England is a real shortie at about 2 miles. I can walk it in 1/2 hr, but its more fun by bike.
Basically its a big U. I mile down, one mile up. The main arterial routes are narrow and busy, with poor surfaces, so I try to use the narrow windy side roads. I have to cross 2 arterial roads , and get past a few hazardous junctions, but I know where most of the danger lies. I pass a lolipop lady, and have to bunny hop a pavement build-out (to prevent rat runners). The uphill is a steep long drag, but I take it in a low gear. At the end, I sneak onto a pedestrian path through a wood to avoid a fast uphill road with a rounderbout. Its longer, but is less steep, and I can cool off on the last section.

On the way back down, I usually pass some kids who all know me by now. and take a few more small side roads. The highlight is a very steep short stretch of road (now blocked off to cars) where the sidewalk is steps. When Im feeling strong I can jam up it in a 1:1 gear, but usually I get off after 20yards and push.

My employer has a bike lockup and showers, but the hills seem to put most people off. Like Chris-L says, downhills are the price you pay for a decent climb.

Think i will use the bus! . Mine is a beautifull commute which i would love to describe , but until they have slaughtered all the animals it is the UGLIEST PLACE on gods earth!

willic

Don't understand that. Is it not the animals which make commuting fun?

I am refering to the hideous culling happening in my area of the animals owing to foot and mouth disease.
anyone interested , check it out at .
www.hexham-courant.co.uk and you will see what i mean.
god bless.
willi`c

Sorry willic. Know what you mean.

We were in Dumfries early this year and in Friesland in June.

Sad thing in Friesland was almost total absence of animals and loads of black ribbons tied to trees near farms.

i think the govt really messed up here.

I thought, since we have many more new members, I'd resurrect this thread.

Interested to hear about everyone's commute trail.

Mine is just the same as before.

Alright then, let me describe the route to the job that I started in Feb 02 (where I recently got made redundant for the first time in my life). Basically a flat start through Mermaid Waters along side the canals, a boring bit through Miami on the GC highway for a couple of km. Then the first sight of the ocean at North Burleigh.

From here it's a flat run to Burleigh Heads, where there are a couple of optional hills (an option I used to exercise every day). Through Burleigh Head National Park, and into Palm Beach. Into some less than exciting suburbia, but a few km later towards Currumbin, the most scenic bit of the commute. Again, another optional hill over Woodgee Street (locally known as 'the backbreaker').

A short sharp hill with good views to the south, and down into Tugun, which can be full of idiots on the ride home and where one has to be a little careful. The last couple of km are beachside, with excellent views in either direction. Finally rounding Kirra Point (late afternoon or on sunset, this is a very inspiring part of the ride, million $ view north from here), and a cruisy last section through Coolangatta. Total trip distance (one way), around 23.5km (depending on how many options/detours I exercise).

As of the start of this week, that is no longer my commute. :(

I have somehow overlooked this thread... anyways, here's mine:

I ride in from suburban area. First 6 kms are mostly flat, along local main street, making full use of the separated bike / biped lane. After that my route follows the local main highway, still on a separated bike / pedestrian lane. At 7,7 kms I get my first glimpse of the sea. After I pass the Nokia HQ at 8,4 kms my route is more or less over the sea - the road goes from one small island to another, with several small bridges. This is probably the most beautiful and refreshing part of my commute.

At 10 km I hit practically the only major uphill during the commute. This is also the point where separated bike lane stops. I could use a slightly different (and probably a bit shorter) route following the main street and having a bike/ped lane, but I prefer riding along the shoreline through quiet residential streets.

At 11 kms or so I move on a separated bike / ped lane again riding along the seaside. I like the sea (you might have noticed that already). After a short detour through some more quiet residential streets I merge to the main street leading downtown.

Up to this point (12 kms) there are usually few cyclists or pedestrians and lots of space, but closer to downtown lanes are narrower and I have to start paying more attention to other users of the bike/ped lane. But I do have the bike/ped lane for all the remaining 3-4 kms.

Once at work (15,8 kms) I ride my bike in the very small company car park, there's a proper bike rack with rain cover and all. I lock my bike and go inside to take a shower and change my clothes.

Hastings? I spent three weeks there back in err... umm... 1984 I think it was, on a EF language course. I liked the city (and the sea and the Pier) a lot, but is it still as full of EF students as it used to be?

--J

Love the thread!

I start out on quiet residential streets and take a detour to get to Clinton St, which is a designated bicycle throughway, then it is downhill for a couple of miles and through some more residential streets until I cross the Hawthorne Bridge, on the other side is downtown Portland and the start of my climb. I play bus dodge-em for about a half mile w/ a slight climb, then turn left on Broadway for the start of a 4 mile climb past Portland State University and up Terwilliger hill. While it is a healthy climb, Terwilliger is really pretty and on good mornings I could see the sun rise behind Mt. Hood and watch the mist rise off the Willamette river. (I work later now, no sunrises for me anymore.) From the top of Terwilliger it is a steep quarter mile climb up to Hillsdale and then a bombing downhill run out of Portland and into the suburbs. Bike lanes most of the way make it safer. There is one busy intersection where I have to choose to cross 3 lanes to turn left w/ traffic, or use the pedestrian cross walk, then its up another short but steep hill (can't quite stand up all the way to the top, but someday I will!) and now its back into residential sidestreets.

There is a short section of bike only path that connects the sidestreets to a main street in downtown Beaverton, and I'm almost there. I lose a lot of momentum and have to stop for countless lights and stop signs at this point of the ride. Only one more tricky bit, I have to cross over two lanes of heavy arterial traffic to make a left into the work parking lot, but I can use a crosswalk a quarter mile up the street if need be.

There is a bike locker waiting for me, and a locker room w/ showers. Often times I think that the covered bike storage and showers are the only thing keeping me here. I suppose the tuition reimbursement I receive helps as well. Only one more year and I'll have my MLS (Master of Library Science) and can trade in the cube farm for the quiet confines of a public library. I hope I'll be able to find a commute route that is as safe, beautiful, and challenging as the one I have now.

Ride in?

Fantastic, Chewa.

Never drive again (unless I have to.) I get to work with that secret feeling that nobody else knows about.

:D

(Don't have time to describe it right now. :) )

Usual route in to work, when I teach:

Turn left before you get to the AP Hill monument/tombstone in the middle of Laburnum.

Avoid numerous potholes, go under I64/I95 (hairy, exit from the highway causes traffic problems) past the ball park, the SPCA, the Salvation Army, and the Sauer's spices plant (often smells like Vanilla).

Go into the Fan, a historic neighborhood, now with potholes to match. Cross Monument (brick surface--yuck) just up from the R.E. Lee Statue and down from the Jeff Davis one.

Turn into Fan thrift parking lot. Stop and visit Mr. Swann, the hot dog vendor. Walk down the Main St. to work. Park bike inside.