Almost Routine

A few degrees is a difference you can feel. When I rolled out of the drive this morning, air temp was 30, humidity 45%, wind was less then 5 mph. That was the coldest I have pedaled yet. I still wore the usual get –up, however I could feel prickly fingers of cold getting into the aaron sweater & renewed my wish to find ear warmers. I left @ 6:52 & was in the office @ 7:28.

Sun-up is starting a bit sooner; I almost don’t need lights when leaving in the mornings. Since it was clear, I expected to see some of the people I normally do, yet I saw no one. Frost on the ground must have kept them in. My chain came off on the second hill, so I walked the rest of the way to the top, and then pulled it back on. This morning I rode like a car thru the one intersection that I have been pushing the walk button to light on! This intersection has scared me because it isn’t a straight across. You have to turn off the road you are into the intersecting road for about 15 truck lengths, and then turn back onto the road you are really on. It is messy with multiple lanes, both directions and curving low barriers. The structural flow and traffic density is actually worse on the way home.. so we shall see If I am brave enough to try it! All in all bike commuting is almost routine.

I will have bike commuted 56 miles this week after I ride home thos afternoon!(got a ride home T, & both ways on R). I have been bike commuting 1 month!

I am trying to come up with an easy 20 mile bike ride for tomorrow… but me being me .. I am trying to find a place I want/need to go that is 10 miles away as I tend do things better when I have a reason…(maybe I will try pedaling to academy/gander mountain to look for ear warmers/sports bras.) One reason I need to do this is I don’t think I am getting any better dealing with my 2 hills, the other is a non-official 10 mile worst day urban bike ride I am doing next week.( I am kinda excited about this.. asI dont know anyone aside from Brett that rides a bike. plus I have never ridden with any other people, so I will get to eyeball their bikes.)

On a large side note. I heard NPR announce that Exxon has posted its largest earning Ever! (Here’s a link from CNN) This is the same company that still owes money for the Valdez spill in Alaska, and for the fires in western Louisiana few years ago. So a hidden benefit to bike commuting is less of my money to the petroleum industry. (Even if I have always avoided fueling at Exxon, you can’t always tell as facilities selling ‘store brand’ fuel can contract their purchases from any where.)