I know for a fact that there are more readers of this blog than just my wife (although sometimes I think she just nods along when I ask if she’s read it). I know this because my sister told me at the weekend that she was actually enjoying reading it. She said one of the main reasons she was doing so was to try and find out why it was that I ride to work every day?
At first I was gob-smacked that someone would need to ask for a reason to ride their bike! But then I got my thinking cap on (under my helmet on the way home of course) and decided it would be worthwhile writing a page outlining some of the positives to be gained by cycle commuting.
Freezing temperatures, raging drivers, injuries, mechanicals and storms. Thinking about it maybe I haven’t highlighted the positives enough over the past month! However, there are countless gains to be made by cycle commuting so keep your eyes peeled for an information page with some of the top benefits enjoyed.
Of course you don’t need to do it every day to get these benefits. Family life, social commitments or even work itself might get in the way. Even once a week is enough. However, you will find that the benefits multiply the more you can do it, and probably motivation and enjoyment will do so likewise.
Back on the Road
Ok, so I was never really off it that much, but the road this week is my road bike instead of the mountain bike. The temperature was forecast to rise back above zero again so I can hopefully park the knobbly tyres in the garage and enjoy my slicks again this week. Monday morning was surprisingly cold though and I had to walk the bike out of our street and take the road out of the estate very gingerly. Other than that though it was a beautiful ride to start the week with.
It’s good to be back on the road bike. The amount of effort required is significantly less than riding on the mountain bike. The mountain bike has been useful though because as well as the extra grip provided I’ve also enjoyed the extra cushioning for my injured finger. This has been improving significantly over the last week and on Monday morning I went to our occupational health department to change the dressing. They cleaned it up and told me I would be fine now with only paper stitches and maybe a plaster to protect the nail when needed.
The good thing is that my injury did not prevented me from riding. I did fear at the time that I would need to halt the cycle commute for a while, but thankfully this has not happened and I’ve been able to continue uninterrupted.
8,000 Obstacles
In order to complete my annual target of an 8,000 mile commute I will be reliant on a lot of things to go in my favour:
- Firstly, I will need to remain in this job! This should be fine as it is quite secure: I’ve been here 6 years now, and we have a lot of work lined up. Mind you, nobody knows what the results of Brexit will be so who knows…
- I will need to stay clear of any major illness. A small cold is usually OK to carry on cycling with but anything beyond this will make it difficult to commute to work on the bike and be fit to work when I get there. I’ve been fortunate in the last 6 years not to pick up many bugs so hopefully this will continue.
- I will need to avoid any accidents. This could be the biggest blow to my targets. There is always a danger from other road users (although there is danger whatever form of transport you take) or even mechanical issues.
- I will need to maintain my motivation. This should be the easiest to fulfill as I get as much pleasure from riding now as I did at the start. However, you never know what can happen in the future.
Motivation comes easily when you get a commute at the end of the day like I did on Monday. The sun was still shining, the temperature was pleasant, there was very little wind, and the cherry on the cake was the traffic was very light due to school holidays here. How could you fail to enjoy any of these. Also, I wonder how many car drivers will have had as pleasant a spot on their commute as I did below…
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- School Run Fun - June 19, 2023
Donna Maciver