Biking to Work

Thank you all for all your comments on my bathroom paint options yesterday! I am still deciding, but I was pumped to see so many of you liked turquoise too!

Happy First Day of Summer!!
 
This week I decided it was time to start biking to and from work. I had bought my bike back in April, but I hadn't been quite ready to bike all the way to work yet (it is 12.2km one way!). Then I started feeling ready, but the weather wasn't cooperating, or I had plans downtown, or I was getting my wisdom teeth out. So many excuses! On Tuesday I decided enough was enough and I was doing it.

The forecast said drizzle, but I knew it was ending soon so I wasn't too worried about it and I just wore my rain coat. Then, not long after I started, I noticed both tires were kind of flat. However, being stupid, I decided to forge on rather than turn back. One reason being that my coworker has a bike pump in his car and I don't even own one yet! haha!

And then it started raining.

Luckily it didn't rain hard or for long, but I was seriously regretting this bike ride about 5km in. I had also conveniently forgotten that a portion of my ride is hilly and going up hills on under-inflated tires is pure torture. I also got a bit lost at at the end. It was a terrible ride but I made it in!

However I had plans Tuesday and Wednesday evening so my bike ended up sitting at the office for a couple of days until I could bike home on Thursday! The bike home was sooo much better. I had nicely inflated tires, thanks to my coworker, and the weather was gorgeous. It thoroughly made up for my disastrous first ride.

In case you were wondering about biking in city traffic....I don't! Most of my ride is on bike paths or on very low traffic roads (I may see one or two cars).

Solid lines are straight up bike paths and dotted are "bike friendly"

And for the record, this isn't the exact start or finish. I don't need you knowing where I live and work! haha!

It is such a nice ride. I am along the lake for most of it and then I go up along the river. It is gorgeous and you quickly forget you are in the city! I go against the traffic, especially in the mornings, so I just pedal along at a leisurely pace. Even when there is "traffic" it is other bikers, people jogging, families out for walks with dogs...it is just a great, happy atmosphere.

I took some photos of my ride home to share!

I don't think my legs (or my butt!) are quite ready to face biking as a daily commuting option but I hope to do it at least once a week! I am trying to get in shape and biking takes almost the same amount of time as transit so it really fits into my schedule.

Do you bike to work?