Bike Commute

One week under my belt, commuting by bike.

I have a route well established, one that is fairly direct, avoids most of the major roadways, crosses only a couple major intersections, and contains as few left turns as possible. Door to door, the commute is about 30 minutes, and while that's about the same time it takes by tram, at least commuting this way makes the timing predictable. Tramming it in or out means I have to hit the tram stop at just the right time to catch the train, or I end up waiting 10 or more minutes for the next one.

After the first couple of days, I began to wonder if this was such a good idea after all. My knees ached while I rode, and my legs ached at night while I slept. By the middle of the week, it was my thighs that were feeling the pain. But by the end of the week, I'd figured out a comfortable posture, cadence, and knew the route well enough that I could better anticipate where I needed to put in additional power to get over the few inclines along my route. I believe it will only get better over time, and maybe I can even cut down my commute by a few minutes as my speed improves.

I've also been trying to take in my surroundings along this new route, and I've noted that I ride by at least three bakeries (that are open) on my way to work. Good to know if I ever crave a chocolate croissant en route.

I pondered the other day why bicycles don't have a cup holder, with bikes as the primary commuting vehicle and several "Coffee to Walk" shops scattered throughout the city. I suppose, however, the operative word there is "Walk". It's very American of me to expect to grab coffee along the way and take it with me on my commute, I guess. I suppose I'll have to settle for the coffee in the machine at work or learn how to ride with a coffee in one hand, umbrella in the other!