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| My bike's new day care! Mary photo bombing with her pink Windsor. |
Change is the only constant in the universe. In the corporate world it is even more true. In the bicycle commuter world it is the truest of truths. 10 years ago it was two miles each. A few years later it changed to six miles each way. And then a February 5 years ago it changed in to 12 miles at its absolute minimum. I expanded this to 15 miles each way during good weather (spring and summer). This week brought the latest change. Perhaps a completion of a circle or orbit. 2 miles each way.
When the corporate powers that be announced that this was going to happen I was ready. A bit disappointed that this did not occur back in early December but glad that this was happening. It was a long winter and with Spring not coming on stage for nearly half of its allotted time the move came as a relief. When asked what my thoughts were I said that I was looking forward to sleeping in an extra hour.
Honestly, I have been keeping an eye for such an opportunity. I needed to work closer to home. Nothing left to prove. Checking the spreadsheet for the Icy biking Winter Commuter Challenge, I have been averaging over 3000 miles riding to and fro work from October to the end of March for the past 4 or 5 years. Those were the bad weather months. 3000 miles just commuting, Lately it has been about 2.5 hours per day Monday through Friday. Then add in the April through September, the good weather months, and 6000+ miles per year just commuting back and forth from work. A good run it was. I had back to back 10,000+ mile years and then back to back 9000+ mile years. Only handful of times were truly awful. Nothing left to prove. Who knows, the commute may change in the future.
This winter was the worst. It started out extremely cold. -17*F or -27*C or 245.95 Kelvin. Since we did not drive over NYE weekend the car would not start. My NiteRider light battery would quit very early in the ride. I was forced to take the bus for the first time ever and that cost me a half an hour at work. Other days were too windy. Fighting the 20+ mph northwest headwind to work lost its appeal quickly. And then the snow, If it snowed on the weekend the trails would not get cleared in a timely manner but no one told the trail users and by the time it was time to use them for work the surface would be cratered and rutted from footprints and tire tracks. The day of freezing rain had me take the bus home from work. And all this left me with a January and February that I'd only be able to bicycle to work two days a week. March was a good month.
And then the phone call. My old boss. "Have you heard the rumors of you transferring back downtown? They are true." Out of the blue! Of course, winter had to be almost over since this call was in late March. It took almost a month. I drove everyday my last week. Office needed clearing out. No more desire. So good bye love, you were not real.
2 miles now. The alarm was changed. 1 extra hour of sleep. Coffee can be brewed at home if I want to use my own beans. There was a concern that the dog would try to get me out of bed before the new alarm went off but Fritz adjusted. Mary and I did a recon ride to the new place. Lots of changes since I last worked there. She normally takes 10th up but when passing 8th she made a comment. But I thought it would be busy with all the Southsiders coming down the viaduct. Found the new bike racks underneath a roof. There is even a fixtation for quick adjustments and repairs. Plenty of room for early bastards like me. Other racks were spotted but I like my bike parked in a dry spot and out of street view. Took a different route home. 4 miles or so.
2 miles. Guess what another benefit of a 2 mile bicycle commute is? One can ride to work in the same clothing that they work in. This is a time saver. There are lockers and showers. I put a lock on one locker but have very little desire to take a shower there. Like Mary I just pulled a pair of winter warmth pants over my slacks for the cold rides to work this week. By the end of the week that was no longer necessary.
2 miles. Lights are another benefit. They no longer need to be plugged in for recharge every night. My ride time is now less than 16 minutes to work in the dark. Used to be anywhere from an hour to an hours and a half. One week of the new commute has the morning run time of the morning trip of the old commute.
2 miles. I get home earlier. I gained an hour of sleep and an hour of play. Winning!
Downsides, there are a few. I must stop eating unless I get home and change bikes and go for a long ride. Or join a gym which I have no desire to do. My caloric requirements have lowered quite a bit. Gotta eat myself fitter. Also Happy Hour. I am out of work TOO EARLY for my favorite Happy Hour spots.
Mileage is the biggest loser. My 5 am math is telling me that I will be losing over 5000 miles per year with the new commute, I plan on adding a longer loop once I get settled. Back when I used to work there I would ride with Mary to Urbandale and then to work. Maybe a 10 mile loop. She now works just a few blocks away. We could ride together and probably will but I seem to be out the door first. For now I will just enjoy my new found freedom.
Stablemates. So far I've encountered 5 other bikes at my new "bike day care" err bike rack. Cool to see that there were at least 3 or 4 single speeds there. One fatbike and a fat e-bike. In the uncovered bike racks there were a few touring rigs. One bike had a milk crate attached to the rear rack. Panniers most have. As for me, I rode the single speed from the photo 4 times and the Red Phoenix once when it was going to be a day of snow, sleet, freezing rain ect. Currently, I am rebuilding my Trek Soho as a single speed (I hate its Nexus internal 7 speed hub) and start commuting that so the Gravity, the purple bike from the photo, can be serviced. It needs a new headset and most likely a new BB. IIRC it has over 10K on its clock. A great commuter that taken a lot of abuse.
One last thing. 8th Street. Do not take this after 530 am. Lots of vehicles heading north. A lot of 20 year old Ford Explorers and other assorted POS. Not good for cyclists. I've taken a different route each day and probably will not settle on one for a few weeks. I do like taking the Principal River Walk, despite endless construction, most of the north and southbound part of the trip. I have to hop the curb, a low curb, on 2nd to take Watson Powell Jr Way straight onto the campus or back onto the river walk area. Less traffic lights.
And then the phone call. My old boss. "Have you heard the rumors of you transferring back downtown? They are true." Out of the blue! Of course, winter had to be almost over since this call was in late March. It took almost a month. I drove everyday my last week. Office needed clearing out. No more desire. So good bye love, you were not real.
2 miles now. The alarm was changed. 1 extra hour of sleep. Coffee can be brewed at home if I want to use my own beans. There was a concern that the dog would try to get me out of bed before the new alarm went off but Fritz adjusted. Mary and I did a recon ride to the new place. Lots of changes since I last worked there. She normally takes 10th up but when passing 8th she made a comment. But I thought it would be busy with all the Southsiders coming down the viaduct. Found the new bike racks underneath a roof. There is even a fixtation for quick adjustments and repairs. Plenty of room for early bastards like me. Other racks were spotted but I like my bike parked in a dry spot and out of street view. Took a different route home. 4 miles or so.
2 miles. Guess what another benefit of a 2 mile bicycle commute is? One can ride to work in the same clothing that they work in. This is a time saver. There are lockers and showers. I put a lock on one locker but have very little desire to take a shower there. Like Mary I just pulled a pair of winter warmth pants over my slacks for the cold rides to work this week. By the end of the week that was no longer necessary.
2 miles. Lights are another benefit. They no longer need to be plugged in for recharge every night. My ride time is now less than 16 minutes to work in the dark. Used to be anywhere from an hour to an hours and a half. One week of the new commute has the morning run time of the morning trip of the old commute.
2 miles. I get home earlier. I gained an hour of sleep and an hour of play. Winning!
Downsides, there are a few. I must stop eating unless I get home and change bikes and go for a long ride. Or join a gym which I have no desire to do. My caloric requirements have lowered quite a bit. Gotta eat myself fitter. Also Happy Hour. I am out of work TOO EARLY for my favorite Happy Hour spots.
Mileage is the biggest loser. My 5 am math is telling me that I will be losing over 5000 miles per year with the new commute, I plan on adding a longer loop once I get settled. Back when I used to work there I would ride with Mary to Urbandale and then to work. Maybe a 10 mile loop. She now works just a few blocks away. We could ride together and probably will but I seem to be out the door first. For now I will just enjoy my new found freedom.
Stablemates. So far I've encountered 5 other bikes at my new "bike day care" err bike rack. Cool to see that there were at least 3 or 4 single speeds there. One fatbike and a fat e-bike. In the uncovered bike racks there were a few touring rigs. One bike had a milk crate attached to the rear rack. Panniers most have. As for me, I rode the single speed from the photo 4 times and the Red Phoenix once when it was going to be a day of snow, sleet, freezing rain ect. Currently, I am rebuilding my Trek Soho as a single speed (I hate its Nexus internal 7 speed hub) and start commuting that so the Gravity, the purple bike from the photo, can be serviced. It needs a new headset and most likely a new BB. IIRC it has over 10K on its clock. A great commuter that taken a lot of abuse.
One last thing. 8th Street. Do not take this after 530 am. Lots of vehicles heading north. A lot of 20 year old Ford Explorers and other assorted POS. Not good for cyclists. I've taken a different route each day and probably will not settle on one for a few weeks. I do like taking the Principal River Walk, despite endless construction, most of the north and southbound part of the trip. I have to hop the curb, a low curb, on 2nd to take Watson Powell Jr Way straight onto the campus or back onto the river walk area. Less traffic lights.
So good to have a change, I imagine. Lots of benefits as you point out, least of all is sleeping in more! When I went from an 11 mile to 5 mile each way commute, it was like a breath of fresh air! I learned to ride in the dark, year-round, and when I want more miles I take a longer route home. It's all good.
ReplyDeleteI went from a three mile commute, which I did on a cruiser, to a 5 mile, still on cruiser, then to 10 mile per day,and switched to Giant commuter.
ReplyDelete