I Biked To Work
Well, I did it. I rode my bicycle to work this morning and it felt pretty good. Since I've been trying to lead a healthier lifestyle and the weather has gotten cooler recently I decided to give it a try. It's only 4 miles each way and since it takes me 15 minutes with traffic, figured it probably wouldn't take me much longer than that on a bike.
I don't think I'd been on my bike since I graduated college so it's been awhile. I checked everything, including my gear, over this past weekend and amazingly it didn't need much. I put air in the tires, replaced the battery on my trip computer, reprogrammed it thanks to these directions and that was it. My gloves, my helmet, my lock and the bike itself were all in good working condition. I used my recently purchased backback, which replaced the one from college, to pack my work clothes and I was off.
All in all, it wasn't a bad experience. Having to pedal home in warmer weather after a long day at work may be a different story but we'll see. It was tough at times but I'm in better shape than I gave myself credit for. I have no delusions about being compeitive at anything but it's nice to know I might actully get back to riding like I did in high school. At no time did I feel like I was going to die, even though I forgot my water bottle in the fridge at home. Biking 8 miles isn't a huge endeavor but it burns calories and I feel like I accomplish something. As it is, I think I'm going to try and bike to work at least twice a week as a break from the gym.
I'm going to be keeping my stats in a spreadsheet and, if I continue, will update on distance traveled and whatnot. I'll probably wimp out come the dead of winter but hopefully I'll keep it up for a few months, which should be long enough for some decent data. Included below if my first ride's data so you can see what I'm starting with. Note that my total ride time includes stopping to strike my ID badge, so I probably lost a minute there. Like I said, not groundbreaking but it's a start.
I don't think I'd been on my bike since I graduated college so it's been awhile. I checked everything, including my gear, over this past weekend and amazingly it didn't need much. I put air in the tires, replaced the battery on my trip computer, reprogrammed it thanks to these directions and that was it. My gloves, my helmet, my lock and the bike itself were all in good working condition. I used my recently purchased backback, which replaced the one from college, to pack my work clothes and I was off.
All in all, it wasn't a bad experience. Having to pedal home in warmer weather after a long day at work may be a different story but we'll see. It was tough at times but I'm in better shape than I gave myself credit for. I have no delusions about being compeitive at anything but it's nice to know I might actully get back to riding like I did in high school. At no time did I feel like I was going to die, even though I forgot my water bottle in the fridge at home. Biking 8 miles isn't a huge endeavor but it burns calories and I feel like I accomplish something. As it is, I think I'm going to try and bike to work at least twice a week as a break from the gym.
I'm going to be keeping my stats in a spreadsheet and, if I continue, will update on distance traveled and whatnot. I'll probably wimp out come the dead of winter but hopefully I'll keep it up for a few months, which should be long enough for some decent data. Included below if my first ride's data so you can see what I'm starting with. Note that my total ride time includes stopping to strike my ID badge, so I probably lost a minute there. Like I said, not groundbreaking but it's a start.
- Distance: 3.94 miles
- Total Time: 21:00
- Avg Stated: 11.1 mph
- Avg Calc: 11.3 mph
- Temperature: 63°
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