First Day Riding to Work! 5.14.16

I was pretty sure it was going to rain... the forecast all week was calling for it.

I woke up this morning, and the sun was beginning to come up.  I decided to check the weather, and it looked like the rain was forecasted to hold off until way later in the day... so, it was a bike day!

My new padded bicycle shorts came in yesterday, and man, are they great.  Made a huge difference!

The morning ride was simply glorious.  Just beautiful out.  I saw a big bunny on the bike path at one point.  I love seeing the wildlife!

The ride from my house into the city is pretty easy and simply beautiful.  It's when I leave the bike path that the challenging part comes.  This hill... this hill is my nemesis.  Little 3-speed bikes don't like steep hills.  I walked up half of this hill today.

I made it to work in just about an hour, which is pretty normal for me.

Bonus, trillium!

After work, it was starting to get windy and the clouds started to roll in, but I still made it home without rain.  It took about an hour coming home, as well.  A lot of that is actually from waiting for traffic - obviously, before 7-8 AM, the traffic is light, and at 3-4 PM, that's not the case.  I get off the main road as quickly as I can so that I can get back to what I like best - just me, Penelope, and a couple of cars that seem to know how to handle a bicyclist - and then the bike path ASAP.

I hope this is the first of many many commutes this summer!

A new season, some new rides

So... It's been a long time since I've posted.  Last summer, I injured my knee doing something entirely separate from biking, and was not able to bike after the last post here.  It was so sad.  The summer was glorious and practically begging for biking.  I felt hobbled.  I know that biking can be good for your knees, but I really needed to rest it.  It was hard, but I'm glad I did... Now I am back on Penelope, with no pain at all, and raring to go!

The first bike ride of the season was last Tuesday.  It was a beautiful afternoon, and I decided to go out for a jaunt after work.  It was a quick 6.5 mile ride, down to the bike path and back.  Penelope wanted to go further, but I knew it was probably a good idea to not go full force on my first ride.

Besides, I needed new padded bike shorts.  Yes, they are a thing, and YES, they are a great idea.

Bonus - wildflowers next to the bike path!

That first ride whet my whistle and I went out on Wedenesday after work, too - this was about a 5 mile ride, though I forgot to start logging, so I'm not entirely sure.  I had to hurry home for sometime with the kiddos, but I needed to get a little ride in.

I liked the silhouette here. 

Thursday was totally glorious weather, and I had the day off, but again, sans padded bike shorts, I decided to keep the ride short and sweet - about 4.5 miles, to look at the beach, and then back.

Yesterday, my padded bike shorts came in.

Today, I am not working until 8.

I woke up nice and early.

It isn't supposed to start raining until way after I am done work...

I am going to get on Penelope and just keep going!  Welcome, Spring!  Let's make this season a great one.

Oh, Deer! A Morning Ride to the Causeway

If I am going to be able to catch the sunrise, I'm going to have to get up earlier... the sun was already up by 5 AM, and the colors were beautiful.

I headed to the causeway, and saw a pair of deer on the way there!

Overall, it was just a gorgeous ride.  7.2 miles, 11.3 mph.  Glorious morning.

Don't know if I'll get a ride in tomorrow - the promised thunderstorms look to be arriving then.

Riding instead of Driving: Vocal lessons

My daughter has vocal lessons, and they are about 5 miles away.  Because it was a lovely afternoon, I suggested we ride.  She agreed.

Halfway there, she said that she couldn't possibly go home, too.  I told her there was no choice.

I may have bribed her with a creemee on the way home (that's soft-serve for all you non-Vermonters).

We saw a pileated woodpecker digging by the base of a tree trunk on the way home.  That was pretty cool.

It was another almost 10 miles for the day, and I didn't have to drive my car at all on my day off.  Lovely.

Ride to Sunrise over the Bay

I woke up early this morning.  It's my day off, and I was about to go back to bed, or grab my book... until I looked out of the window and saw the colors starting in the sky. 

I can take a nap later in the day.  I can read my book later in the day... but these colors won't last.

I was about to head to the causeway, but the sky in that direction was solid grey clouds.  While I am sure that the sunrise would have been pretty in that direction, I've been wanting to try a ride in the other direction, to the bay.  It's about the same distance.

The ride is not as pretty, because it is on roads the whole way instead of on a pretty causeway or wooded path.  However, I think the pay off was worth it.

I stopped at a boat access on the way, because the colors were just glorious.

I wish that I had brought a coffee to drink while watching this sky... maybe next time.

The humidity is high today, and it might be rainy later, so I am glad that I got a ride in early.  I may go out for another ride later, but the sunrise... oh, the sunrise is worth getting up early for.

I was not fast this morning (pre-coffee!  And, I stopped often).  I biked 7.2 miles in about 45 minutes, which is 9.7 mph average. 

Riding in the Morning to Avoid the Muggy Heat of the Day

I woke up this morning, and I didn't feel too badly after yesterday's crazy long ride.  I knew that the day was looking to shape up to be hot (almost 90!) and humid - my least favorite kind of weather.  Therefore, I got up and hopped on Penelope, and headed out to the causeway for sunrise.

I think the clouds were prettier about 10 minutes before I left, but I was busy making the kids' lunches, so I couldn't leave when I saw all of the pinks and oranges happening out of my window... that was a shame.  Note to self: You'll get a better bike ride in if you make and blog lunches the night before!

Overall, the ride was very pretty.  It was 7.4 miles, and I was slightly slower than what has become normal, but that would be understandable considering how much I worked my legs yesterday.

I hope that the thunderstorms hold off, and that I get some more morning rides in this week.  The next few days are looking also to be muggy and unpleasantly hot... so here's for hoping!

Memorial Day Ride to Work - and an After Work Trip on the Bike Ferry to My Mom's House!

The weather forecast for Memorial Day said 40% chance of afternoon rain.  Ever the optimist, I decided that meant 60% chance of not rain.   So - I rode to work!

Promise, there's a fox up there.

Can you see the fox?

The morning ride was lovely.  I saw a fox on the bike path.  Trust me, though this picture doesn't really show it, the fox was there, crossing the path calmly in front of me.  Lovely.  This is a reason I ride!

I got to work in 58 minutes, with 11 mph average speed.

 I took a nice change of route (same distance) through the university campus.  I will take this route again.  It went through less traffic, and it was just beautiful.

One of the nice things about biking to work so early is that I skip a lot of the traffic.  This route is easy first thing in the morning, but after work, I am stuck in traffic for 5 minutes at least, waiting on cars and lights..... that's a whole lot of no fun.  I'll take morning, any time!

My mother asked if we could go out for dinner.  The Hubby had the day off, so I asked him to meet me there with his truck, and after work, instead of biking home, I biked down to the end of the causeway, and hopped onto the just-opened-for-the-season bike ferry, into my home town.  From there, it was another 5 miles or so to my mom's house.

I got rained on only very briefly.  A couple rain drops was pretty good for 19.1 miles, 40% chance of rain.  It took me 1 hour and 42 minutes (moving time) to get there from work - it was a long ride, but so satisfying to have done it!  I can't say this will be a regular ride, but it was one that I have been wanting to do ever since I heard about the bike ferry.

On the other side of the ferry!

A beach I grew up near

Colorful bird houses ... and a dinosaur?

The rest of the week looks to be unsettled, weather-wise.  I'm hoping for some more rides, but likely this is the big one!

Finally there!

Commuting on a Chilly Morning (Nicer Afternoon)

I was stung by a bee last night on my ankle, so I wasn't sure how I would feel about biking in to work this morning - but I woke up feeling decent, so I decided to bite the bullet and go for it.

I woke up, packed my work bag, filled up my water bottle, and off I went.

I forgot to start my biking app before I left home, but I did start it after 7 miles.  I was so much faster than the first time I rode to work!! 

This hill... this hill is my nemesis.  I have to walk half of it.

The other big hill, I was able to ride up!  That was much better than last time.

Morning is a much nicer ride - I leave early enough that I am practically alone, on the bike path, and on the road.  There is almost no traffic to deal with, and right near work there are a couple crossings that get a little dicey later in the day.

Anyhow, the ride to work was delightful!  It only took me an hour, as opposed to the 1 hr 17 minutes it took me the first time.  I had time to change and fix my hair and even some extra time. That was awesome.  I even took the slightly longer (mile-wise) route, because it is more on the bike path and less on the road, so much more pleasant.

The only negative about riding to work is that is is hard to get any groceries on the way home.  I picked up a couple things and filled my baskets to the brim, and the bike was heavier on the way home, but I still made really good time - 58 minutes for 10.7 miles.  This is compared to 1 hour, 22 minutes on the way home for my first ride.

I hope to ride to work again on Monday - the kids are off school.  The rest of the week looks rather unsettled, weather-wise, so we'll see what it brings.