Last month was national bike month and with the enabling powers of my manager, dad, and husband, I started riding a bike to work. The ride is 11 miles and it takes me just over an hour to complete.
In elementary school my sister and I used to ride our bikes to school every morning. Our family lived in Arizona in a home about 20 houses away from the school, and during the school year the weather was pretty good. It was “cold” in the mornings (mid 60s) and “hot” in the afternoons (mid 80s), so I wore shorts year-round, and the big question every morning was always whether or not to wear a sweatshirt over my t-shirt. Riding a bike to school was no big deal.
When I got older my middle school was too far, so I rode the bus like everyone else in my neighborhood. In college I walked, and ever since I started working full time I have either driven or bused. I had no idea that the day would come that would give me the opportunity to ride a bike again for my daily commute.
Biking to work has always seemed to me to be a romanticized idea. I mean, wouldn’t we all love to get in our daily gym workout and skip over the daily commute?? I didn’t feel biking to work could actually be feasible until recently when a bunch of little things turned riding to work into an option.
Thinking about riding to work? Here are my thoughts:
- Have a decent road bike. I lucked out here because my dad was more than willing to lend me one. A friend of mine doing the same thing found his through craigslist.
- Look up the route using Google Maps and try out sections of it. For me it was important to know that I wouldn’t get lost on the route and that I knew how to be safe. I invited my dad and Mr. D to learn the route with me.
- Listen to good music. I found my old clip iPod and discovered music I hadn’t listened to in years!
- Keep the bike ride less than 11 miles. It takes me about an hour to ride to work and I think that’s about the upper boundary for me.
- Towel service at work
What additional thoughts to people have? Is anyone else wanting to ride a bike to work?
-Mr. D and Mrs. M
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