Where Do All the Lonely People Go

Listening to Howard Jones right now. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I'm trying to title each entry with a song that somehow fits my mood or the ride of that day. Today, it's just what's on the 'Pod right now.

I wanted to just note that when you're in the habit of commuting by car, and need a car at work, bicycle commuting is more difficult. It's not just a matter of getting ready for that day; I've found that I need to prepare for a week. I need to have a week's worth of clothes, lunches ready for Monday morning. That also requires that I finish up the laundry over the weekend so I have clothes to take.

There's also that issue of temperature: in the car, I can ignore it; on the bike, it dictates my clothing choices and is involved in my route choice. After preparing for the week and the morning's weather, I also need to be aware of what that afternoon and the next morning hold for weather to have the correct gear ready at work or home. Once all of that is worked out, then it's a matter of getting my bike, clothes, lunches, and gear to work on Monday morning to start the week off.

Once I get rolling on the week, it does get simpler as I will only need to worry about what my transportation needs are for that night and whether I can accomplish those on a bike or if I'll need a car. (Ah, the joys of suburban living.) And I do save close to $3 per day in fuel when I don't drive. For a good week, that's $12 of fuel I will never have to buy! I'm lowering the demand on fuel for everyone and saving myself cash! That savings almost offsets the cost of new tires and tubes to replace the ones I wear out.

Now,  the bicycle commute does afford me up to an hour of exercise each day that I wouldn't otherwise get, since it replaces 30 minutes of driving with 60 minutes of riding round trip. And I don't have to get as upset with drivers usually. Most drivers are either relatively courteous toward the biker, or ignore me altogether. Either way, I don't have to think about them much. 

Anyway, I'm now adding the complexity of taking my daughter home with me on the bike today. I've had to determine a modified route that will utilize the bike path and streets with wider shoulders to ensure her safety in the trailer. Tonight I'll see how my idea work out for that.

Maybe I'll even become bold enough to take the Clif Bar 2 Mile Challenge for some period this year. Maybe.