Gorgeous Saturday Commute

Finally, it was a nice day with no threatening thunderstorms, and nothing to do after work immediately.  Onwards, Penelope!

My ride to work was glorious.. it started a little chilly, I biked 11.1 miles at an average of 10.7mph. 

I stopped to look at a bunny that hopped in front of me and sat for a moment.  Very sweet.

The morning is just my favorite time.  There is no one else on the bike path, it isn't too hot, and it's just a great way to start the day.

It was nice to get a ride in for Midsommar - tomorrow's weather for actual Midsommar looks to be rainy with thunderstorms.  Not so nice.

Certainly today's ride made up for it.

The afternoon ride was not as nice.  It was a lot warmer, and I foolishly decided to take a different route home, down a much busier street.  It was crowded and a little scary - way too many cars on way too narrow a street.

On top of that, there was a wine festival at the waterfront.  If I had taken my normal route, I would have skipped the whole crowd.  I really dislike bike path traffic jams.  There's construction at the beginning of the bike path off the waterfront, and the path is really narrow and unpleasant.

This is why I prefer the morning for riding.

Still, it was a great ride home.  The route I took was a little shorter - only 10 miles instead of 10.7(ish), and I averaged 10.2 mph.

A morning ride to the lake

Thursday morning, I was tired, so I didn't do my full ride to the causeway, but the sky was beautiful, and I wanted to see the lake.  I took a shorter, 6 mile round trip ride down to the beginning of the bike path, right where it overlooks the lake.

It was a lovely morning.  The afternoon forecast was for scattered thunderstorms, so I couldn't ride to work.  I was happy to get a ride in.

A Few Missed Rides

After the last ride I posted, there was some rainy weather and other circumstances that made it so that I couldn't ride for a few days.  But, I have gotten some good rides in!

First, on June 3, I took a fabulous ride to the bay in the morning.  The sunrise is migrating, so if I want to see it, I have to go to the bay instead of the causeway.. I don't like the ride as much, but the payoff is pretty nice.

 

It was steamy morning, and the sky was incredible.

All the way to the lake, and then back... the morning ride was about 4 miles.  A much shorter ride than to the causeway, if I just go to the boat access,

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On June 5th, I rode out to the causeway in the morning.  Though the sun is no longer rising over the causeway, it is still a beautiful ride.  I like getting in 7 1/2 miles before work.

And, I love being surrounded by the lake.

The Colchester bog that runs along the side of the path is also lovely.  I saw some wood ducks there a few weeks ago, though I was unable to get a picture of them.
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I did ride to work and back on June 6th. 

It took me just about exactly an hour to get to work.  The ride is so pretty, it just always sets me up for a great day at work.

I adore riding in the morning before the path gets busy.  This road in the afternoon is a bustle with cars.

 

I rode through the University Green again, and I think this will be my permanent route.  So much prettier.

For the ride home, I have been having some troubles with my Strava app.. I start it, and it has (more than once) cut out at some point during my ride.  It recorded my ride home as 2 miles less than my ride to work, and I know I took the same route, so that's just not possible.  I can't bend space.  Anyhow, the ride home was quite lovely as well!

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After that ride to work, we had a yard work day at the house on Sunday, and then several days of hard rain and thunderstorms... no rides for a bit.  But, on Wednesday I got a beautiful morning ride out to the causeway, dodging puddles on the way.

The sky was really pretty that morning, and well worth the ride.

I just love a good morning ride.

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Finally, yesterday morning, I rode to the bay again for my morning ride.  Just to the boating access - I was tired, and didn't get out in time to ride more.

I tend to get to the end of the driveway and decide which way to go, depending on how the sky looks in either direction.  Yesterday morning, the sky was pink.  Hard to capture in pictures...

... But simply glorious.

And this morning?  This morning, I decided to have a cup of coffee and update my blog, instead of going out for a ride.. I had thought about riding to work, but the afternoon forecast calls for thunderstorms, and I don't want to get caught in that.  Riding to work more will come, though!  The kids are out of school now, so my schedule is a little less rigid.  I look forward to more rides to come...