I am going to do it!

[sbctwin]

Good luck It's good that you practice the route so you know what to look for...

[jayjay]

Hey Lucky ! I am an oldtimer cyclist just getting back into it after never really taking anything seriously before. Now mid forties, last time I really took bike commuting seriously was my mid twenties. I still own a car, but I have this dream of gradually getting into it, ever so incrementally , by park~n~ride. I am also going for rides from home just to get in some 'fitness base miles' , now more than once a week. I live at the top of a mountain and have a collosal climb, so I park near town to commute to errands & such, planning to gradually drive less over the months ahead. It's more the habit of using the bicycle as a car, locking, using panniers, remembering all the gear and stashing it.... all which is a major hill to hurdle, metaphorically speaking, as far as building a steadfast habit.

So yeah, the cycling fitness part is just a part of bicycle commuting, actually, to some people like me, but certainly a luxury and a perk when it starts to gel. I so much encourage you, and you can feel free to PM me and we can both goose each other along. It's so difficult sometimes to choose not to drive, but it feels so incredible when we ride instead of driving, doesn't it?

[Lucky, Fabulous]

Thanks for the encouragement! I definitely know what you mean about it being a habit. And I do have a bike rack now, so that makes park n ride a lot easier. Though, I am not exactly sure where to park...? Tooling around town is easy, and the grocery store is pretty near by, though it is much more expensive than the one in the next town, which I would have to drive to. I guess I will have to weigh the cost benefits as far as that goes.

I didn't make it through the whole route yesterday. I hit one medium sized hill and it about killed me. I was really huffing and puffing. I felt awesome having tackled it, but was really scared that I would not have made it up those big, daunting hills closer to work. I think what I am going to do it bring my bike to work with me, and practice on them over my lunch hours.

I feel weird wondering what motorists think of me when they see me crawling ever so slowly up a hill. What if I have to get off and walk? I would almost die of embarrassment!

[uk elephant]

I feel weird wondering what motorists think of me when they see me crawling ever so slowly up a hill. What if I have to get off and walk? I would almost die of embarrassment!

Nothing embarrasing about walking up a hill! You're only taking time to smell the roses and admire the view!

[Tuckervill]

Yeah, and what's the alternative if you can't pedal up? Just stand there? Go backwards?

Gotta walk!

Karen

[Melalvai]

I feel weird wondering what motorists think of me when they see me crawling ever so slowly up a hill. What if I have to get off and walk? I would almost die of embarrassment!

I wonder what motorists would think if they knew what I think of them.
To motorists, a bike crawling slowly up the hill is no different than a bike "racing" up that same hill, or down it. All bikes are slower than them and that is all they see.
(Glaring generalities aside.)

I see a lot of people walk their bikes up a hill. It's quite common. If you can make it up the hill without walking it, great. If not, you've got a goal. Either way--you are out on your bike, not in a car or couch.

[SouthernBelle]

I feel weird wondering what motorists think of me when they see me crawling ever so slowly up a hill. What if I have to get off and walk? I would almost die of embarrassment!

I wonder what they think of me riding to work in a skirt and heels.

Then I laugh and laugh.

[Lucky, Fabulous]

You guys are awesome! Thanks for the new perspective One day I will definitely ride around in a skirt and heels, just for my own amusement!

[Kano]

Thanks for the encouragement! I definitely know what you mean about it being a habit. And I do have a bike rack now, so that makes park n ride a lot easier. Though, I am not exactly sure where to park...?

Park at a mall and ride around everywhere in that area you need to be, or to work from there.

I didn't make it through the whole route yesterday. I hit one medium sized hill and it about killed me. I was really huffing and puffing. I felt awesome having tackled it, but was really scared that I would not have made it up those big, daunting hills closer to work. I think what I am going to do it bring my bike to work with me, and practice on them over my lunch hours.

I know what you mean about hills. Wicked beasts, they are! Remember your granny gears and use them EARLY! What I've found works for me is if I dive into those gears WELL before I might really need them -- if I once get to the point where my heart is pounding, and my breathing seems almost impossible, and my legs are screaming, it's like I'm never going to catch up. If I hit the granny gear right away on what's going to be a big climb, not only do I get to the top, I can sometimes do parts of the hill with "bigger" gears!

I've decided it's all about getting to the top any way I can.

I feel weird wondering what motorists think of me when they see me crawling ever so slowly up a hill. What if I have to get off and walk? I would almost die of embarrassment!

Thing is, no matter what they're thinking, they probably have a bit of admiration going at the same time, cuz they're probably motoring up the hill for a reason! Getting off to walk -- a WHOLE lot less ebarrassing than tipping over would be!

Karen in Boise

[jayjay]

Thanks for the encouragement! I definitely know what you mean about it being a habit. And I do have a bike rack now, so that makes park n ride a lot easier. Though, I am not exactly sure where to park...?

I think just to establish habit, it doesn't matter if you even park at your closest shopping plaza , in the shade at the far end, and ride to work from there? You'd then be near your favorite shopping area after work, when you can pick up a few things, and practice the bike commuting more ~ getting used to locking the bike, thinking ahead, packing your panniers, unloading at your car.

I think it's a huge deal just to establish these thinking patterns, and can easily sabotage your ride into town when you are ready for more of the distance riding, and hills. When you're ready to tackle that aspect of bicycle commuting, no doubt you will have thought of remedies as far as where you could part way , if needed. The fitness happens fast, in some cases faster than the actual habit and readiness of using your car as a vehichle.

Great that you are able to use your lunch hour at work to run errands by bicycle ! Right on... keep on truckin'.