The best and worst part of your commute

[mimitabby]

The worst part of my commute is when i have to get into the left lane to turn left. Traffic is moving 35-40 mph and they want to get around me, and there I am trying to get into the left lane!

The best part of my commute is the hill home. There are NO right turns at all, for a mile. So I can merrily pedal uphill at my own speed pretty much not too scared that someone is going to try to take me out because the lane is very wide.
another best part of my commute is when I go through the old factory building where they used to make the old b-52 bomber airplanes. It's totally vacant, but there are still roads that go THROUGH the silent building. So as I silently pedal through, I imagine all the hustle and bustle that Rosie the Riveter and all those other gals were making during WWII.

[velogirl]

The best part of my commute is Washington Park. I work at a bike shop two miles from my house. Half way there is Washington Park. Since I bring my dog with me to work (she rides on the back of the bike), we always stop at Washington Park to play for a while. I think that's how I trained her to love riding on the bike -- we always go to the park!!!

The worst part of the commute is coming home. I live on a somewhat-busy street and even though it's the designated north-south bike route, it's terrible for bikes! There's usually broken glass in the non-existent bike lane and always busy. I'm only on this street for half a block, but it's just a couple of blocks from the freeway and right next to my condo complex is a shopping center with a grocery, starbucks, etc., so lots of folks are bustling in their cars. I have to make a left turn into my complex and it's always a challenge. Probably doesn't help that I was hit on this street in 2002 -- it's always creeped me out.

But did I mention the best part is going to the park?

[DebW]

My 13 mile commute from Wayland to Lexington, MA.

Worst: Rt. 2A in Lincoln/Lexington between Bedford Rd. and Old Mass Ave. Fast traffic and narrow. It used to be fast traffic, narrow, and bumpy, but it got repaved 2 years ago. Generally OK but occassionally I get passed too fast and too close by a bus or large truck. And I have to make a left turn getting off of it, which occassionally has me sitting on the double yellow line with cars whizzing by in both directions. The only reason I have to ride on this road is because Hanscom Air Force Base is between me and my destination.

Most annoying: All the road patches, which are only on the right 1/3 of the road of course. With my stiff 80s steel frame, this stuff is really unpleasant (like having your brain rattled sometimes). I take the center of the road if at all possible to avoid it.

Best: The road next to the Drumlin Farm Audubon Sanctuary. I get to look at the drumlin every day, and sometimes the sheep are in the field.

Most fun: The big hill on Bedford Rd. in Lincoln Center going north. It's a tough uphill, but a very fun downhill. I hit 36-38 mph going down, and it's fairly straight and then has a flat half mile until the Rt. 2 stop light. Going the other way there is a stop sign just at the bottom of the steep section, so I can't take much speed.

[Kimmyt]

Best Part: Being on the Trail in the morning, passing all the other commuters and cyclists and people walking their dog before work. I can get pretty fast on that nice flat trail, so I like to get into the drops and feel the road just hummmmm underneath my tires.

Worst Part: Norristown. Coming out of the trainstation onto a busy 2-lane road with potholes and broken glass and gravel. I have to continue on these roads for some time, and let me tell you that asphalt can get hot! Also, I hate sitting behind cars at traffic lights.... exhaust blows!

K.

[xeney]

The best part of my commute is that it's only about five minutes long, all through residential city streets, and some days if I go in late I see more bikes than cars. People wave, almost everyone is friendly. The last block I take through an alley to avoid a one-way street, and the guys at the body shop always wave and say hello.

The worst part of my commute is a block and a half stretch right by my office that is officially designated a "bike route," but has diagonal parking all along one side. It wasn't so bad in past years -- the people who park there are mostly residents and they all seem to be really careful about backing out, so that is less of a concern than it might otherwise be, although obviously I have to be really alert. But also obviously, I have to take the lane in that stretch, because of the diagonal parking, and in the last few months that has been a little scary. It's a 25 mph zone and it used to be fine, but my neighborhood's demographics are changing, and these days we have more SUVs and cellphones and aggressive drivers. A lot of people seem to feel that they must pass me on that stretch, even though there isn't any room to pass safely. (I take the lane in most of my route, because our bike lanes are not wide enough to keep me from getting doored, but this is the narrowest stretch so it's pretty scary when I get passed.)

Actually, I change my answer. Cellphones are the worst part of my commute. People on cellphones don't see bicycles.

[Haudlady]

Let's see... the best part is coming down the Big Hill in the morning.

The worst part is trying to ride past Dunkin Donuts in the morning - I had three near-misses in July!

(Or is the worst part going UP the Big Hill, after having slaved in the office all day? Ah well, my climbing is getting better! )

[Tater]

Best part - my commute is better for me than any cup of coffee. I am wound up and ready to go when I get to work. While everyone else is groping for their morning stimulant, I just rode mine in.

Worst part - (1) executing a three lane sweep to make a left hand turn to get downtown. If I can time the traffic lights correctly, this isn't a problem. The bike lane ends about a quarter mile back, so I have to take the lane and hope some redneck in a pickup understands that I belong there too. (2) another left hand turn on the way home. I don't even bother attempting to get into the left turn lane, the traffic is just too much. I cross the intersection and punch the ped crossing button. I have found that to be much easier.