Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Biking to work: Highlights and lessons learned through a 20-mile round-trip journey

Yesterday I tackled and completed my first bike ride of the year- 10 miles to and from home to work. I can't say that I loved every moment (the two hills within the last mile of coming home were killer in 89 degree heat), but I found the overall experience exhilarating. While my wife is not totally surprised that I loved biking to work (she does so twice a week- 16 mile round-trip), I'm a little taken aback at my immediate love for road-biking. Since purchasing my road bike from a friend last year (note: she used to ride the bike to work regularly to so it's seen a few miles!) I've only cycled on paved bike trails and local neighborhood roads, so yesterday's endeavor was do-or-die in the realm of my experience.

When I came home last night, I quickly jotted down highlights and lessons learned in my diary to commemorate the experience. Here they are- enjoy!

Highlights
1. Making it up all the hills without stopping- including the long slow one up Commonwealth Ave from Newton Center to Hammond Pond Parkway, the medium slow one by Chestnut Hill Mall, and the steep b@st@rd beside the Arboretum in Roslindale!

2. Not being afraid to take on the three rotary challenges in pre- 9am traffic... (I didn't run into any problems until rotary #3 when I was nearly run over... see Lessons Learned # 1)

3. Feeling the breeze as I raced/coasted downhill with legs straightened to stretch out my knees and my head hunkered down- glorious!!! (Though to the cars traveling behind me to whom I was subjecting my derriere for viewing I imagined the word as"Glory-@ss"... it helped get me laughing up the uphills!)

4. Making it to work and home in 50 minutes each way. The Google Maps said it should've taken me 59 minutes...woot!

5. The beauty of the road and woods by Allandale Farms in Roslindale. Lovely. (And the shade was well received in the hot afternoon)

6. Meeting a goal I made to start biking to work once a week during the summer. Now I have to keep it up!

Lessons Learned
1. Drivers only know the rules of the road as it applies to them. They do not realize that pedestrians and cyclists have right of way. Specifically, Brookline drivers don't realize that if a cyclist is going through a rotary they are acting like a car. Aka- if you don't see a cyclist signaling to get off the rotary at an exit, then expect that they're going around it just like everyone else. If you don't learn this rule, you're going to run over a cyclist. Like me. And that's going to make lots of people sad- including me.

2. Most drivers are jealous of cyclists. 1- Cyclists aren't paying $4.85/gallon to get to work and back. 2- Cyclists are burning off fabulous amounts of calories and building amazing muscle. Jealousy must be one reason why drivers try to run cyclists off the road.

3. Cars with JP (Jamaica Plain) bumper stickers are awesome- after making a left turn on a divided highway they'll slow down to let you cross over the road to the right shoulder (they do this in Roslindale too). In contrast, cars in Newton just run you over - whether you're crossing to the shoulder or just toodling merrily on your way.

4. Never bike on the road behind Newton North High School. The city may have paid millions to construct a new building, parking lot, green space and renovate the road in front of the school, but they didn't extend that cash to the back end. It's a maze of potholes, cracks and narrow, trashed lanes.

5. After 20 miles to and from work things hurt. I've tight shoulders from my backpack, achey quads from the hills, calloused hands from tightly gripping those handlebars while avoiding aggressive SUVs. And if anyone has recommendations for padded bike shorts, I'll take those asap. This is a habit I'd like to continue- with minimal discomfort if possible!

4 comments:

moedawg said...

I'm so proud of you!! Biking on the roads is so liberating-like open water swimming after years of swimming laps in a pool. The early morning commute is scary, though. Especially rotaries! I think once you bike to work, you can 100% embrace the title "cyclist". That's pretty cool. You may be my inspiration to pull into the work parking lot on my bike one day soon.
As to bike shorts, they are just not cute but will really help your nethers:) I use tri shorts, which have a bit less padding. I like the Danskin brand, which you can get at REI.

RP said...

You go girl!
I especially like the notion of saving $4.85 a gallon, not collecting parking tickets, not hitting the car insurance policy and being able to "flash" at drivers and get away with it!!!!!!
"Tour de France" in 2016 would also get you a free European Vacation but you gotta be able to do 100 + miles a day!

RP said...

I particularly like the notion of no gas, no parking tickets, limited usa of insurance and being able to "flash" motorists without getting arrested!!

also,now a candidate for the 2016 "Tour de France",but you've got to cycle 100+ miles a day and go up big hills but you do get a free holiday and tour around the French countryside.

Margip said...

Proud of you, trying to follow in your footsteps - not the peddling though..... Keep up the good work, we will keep trying down here in the deep south.... and on that note suck up that 89 degree weather that sounds good to me!!!! We will send you some of our 98 degree with 105 heat index plus whatever in humidity....then you would know what heat was. luv you, can't wait to see you xx