This blog thing is kind of hard. I thought I had a lot to say when I started this gig but it sort of fizzled away. Funny thing that. My thoughts turned back to this blog lately because I've been on the bike more than usual. My office was moved and instead of a casual 1 mile ride downtown I've been "gifted" about double that. On the plus side I get to ride a nice route but on the negative side it takes me to the east edge of town to the world of office parks. I haven't worked in a corporate setting for going on 20 years and let me tell you it's a shock. I've been having to re-dedicate myself to the bike. Even in sub-zero or heavy snow storms I could muddle the mile to my old office. I didn't have to ride any major streets and traffic on the neighborhood streets was always light. Now I have a short half mile jaunt on a major arterial before I can duck off onto a path that runs along what used to be a creek. I'ts actually a nice ride and I have been welcoming the extra time on the bike. The cold and snow is harder to navigate now. We went through a week of below zero weather earlier this month and I ended up driving the whole time. Part of it was because I was remiss to expose my kids to walking to school in those temperatures but part of it was the realization that the extra distance makes it harder to ride the fringe weather conditions. I've some remembering to do before I get back to the every day winter riding.
Quite a few years ago I committed to myself to ride to work every day for a year....rain or shine. Back then I had something like a 6 mile commute one way and I gritted my teeth and did it. I even continued the habit for a while after. I was also in my 20's and in considerably better shape than I am now. Back then I rode my mountain bike and dealt with the bad roads just fine. Today I ride a cross bike and I have to say I miss the wide tires when the snow starts to pack on the roads. I've been considering trading in the old cross check for a karate monkey or some such steel 29'er. A new bike. A new commute. Sounds like a match made in heaven to me. Anyway, here's to renewed commitments and more time on the bike.
