A Bittersweet Moment

[bikerHen]

Since I started commuting six or so years ago, I've had a busy four lane highway between me and everywhere I ride. Twice a day I've "enjoyed" the rush of traffic and in the evening crossing into the center left turn lane to turn onto my road. All that is now a thing of the past. After riding through a major construction zone for five years, the new lowered highway is open, the construction detours gone and the new bridges(3) for my road are completed.

I really should be happy about all this and I basically am. But all this new road work has seriously cut into my commuting miles. Last August the first section of a new freeway, that's the reason for all this construction, was completed. The good thing, it included a very nice bike trail. The bad news, using the trail cut about a mile off my commute, but added about 600 ft of climbing so I figured that was a fair trade. So now I'm losing another mile with my "new" street dumping me out about 200 ft. from the entrance to the trail.

It's only three miles from home to work. But I had worked out a 14 mile, then 13 mile, now 12 mile commute. Gosh I just hate losing another mile. I'm already wandering around the northside of town like the village idiot and I'm running out of options to make the ride longer.

The new route is nice. And at some point in the near(ish) future there will be a path to the new trail practially at my front door. Then the first five miles of my commute will be all on the trail. In the bigger picture this is a really great trail for the cycling community. When or if the new freeway is ever completed it will include a bike trail it's entire length and will hook into Spokane's Cenntenial Trail. I'll adjust, but I just had to whine a bit. bikerHen

[JennK13]

I can relate. I try finding new routes to extend my commute and end up riding in circles - fortunately, a state park is just north of my office and everyone rides around and around through it. My normal, 7 mile street commute is easily extended to 11.5 miles with a detour through the park, and if I go up and around the lake, i can get 22 out of it.
But, there was construction on the road to the park for a while and i was "stuck" with 7 miles each way.

[bmccasland]

Who said you have to go straight home? Could you plot a more creative route to add some distance?

[artifactos]

If I were you, I'd keep the commute to a minimum and go on more adventurous (and less time-restricted) rides after work during the week! But that's my personal strategy/opinion.

[Melalvai]

My commute has dropped from over 3 miles to barely 2 miles (one-way). I already thought 3 was too short and was worried that 2 miles is hardly worth biking, maybe I should walk. But I've found that since everything here is so close, I actually am biking MORE. I go home for lunch. Biking "all the way" across town is only 3 miles, hardly a ride at all. I can more easily talk my daughter into biking with me too

[bikerHen]

Oh trust me, I already do a different wander around route for the trip home. I do have the option to ride out into the country to add some miles to my evening ride and I may start doing that a few times a week, although it does involve a rather large hill. But that's good for me! Right? Thanks for the idea.
It really is a nice trail, lightly used and fun to ride. It beats the debris fill shoulder I used to ride, and actually because of the trail, I'm able to ride a slightly longer evening route in the dark of winter. So I guess I'll just have to look on the bright side and embrace my new commute. bikerHen

[Melalvai]

I put in 24 miles the other day with my "short" commute and running errands. 11 separate trips, no ride was more than 3 miles. Busy day! The downside was my backside. Since every ride was a short ride it was hardly worth putting on bike shorts. My butt was sore the next day!

[bikerHen]

Ha, Ha! I can relate to those "short" trips without bike shorts. I've done a few shorty rides on my vintage mixte's lately and between the older not so comfortable seats and no bike shorts . . . ouch!

. . . and now that it's road construction season, a big chuck of my going and coming commute route is going to be torn up and repaved. Sigh, I just can't win this summer! bikerHen