your first commute to work

[DirtDiva]

Aw. That's so kewl.

[moo bean]

Wow, that was a tougher commute home than any 8 km ride has the right to be!

Ferocious headwind almost the entire way -- there was one point where I was in the granny gear along a flat stretch of road, which left me in an interesting position when I got to the uphill at the end of that stretch.

[skibum]

I've never ridden my bike to work because I haven't been able to come up with a route that doesn't include a segment that is high-speed/high-traffic, not very bike friendly at all. Today I had to bring my car to the shop for some routine maintenance. The shop is pretty close to my office so, rather than asking a co-worker to swing by the shop to give me a lift to work, I decided to ride my bike. So, so easy and so much fun! It was only 2.5 miles so it went by way too quickly. I can see why some of you ladies look for longer routes sometimes. I was just getting warmed up when the office appeared in front of me. Hopefully, I can find other ways like this to get some mini bike commutes in.

Thanks for all the inspiration! I never would have thought of trying this without reading about everyone else's experiences

[CorsairMac]

Hey Ski: how about finding a place where you can park your car (say a church or school or bank if they don't mind) and ride your bike the rest of the way to work . That way you can still ride your bike to work but don't have to deal with the icky traffic part. (although methinks once you start riding as a commuter that icky traffic part won't look quite so icky anymore)

[skibum]

I've thought about that Corsair. The problem is that the icky traffic part starts when the road I'd have to be on crosses the interstate. That interchange is a mess -- 6 lanes of traffic, cars turning/merging from all directions and travelling at about 70 mph (speed limit is 55 but they don't enforce it very well). It continues to be a high-speed, heavily travelled road for the next 5 miles. By then, I'm almost at work.

Sadly, the part of the suburbs that I work in got built up when neighborhoods with cul-de-sacs were all the rage. There are very few back roads or alternate routes. You can't really get anywhere without being on the main roads. No wonder traffic is so bad around here!

I've been encouraged by what appears to be a multi-use trail under construction along this road. Once that's complete, it should give me the alternative I need to this very busy road.

[nuthatch]

So, so easy and so much fun!

Bwaahaahaa! Soon we will have converted you to commuter-hood!!!