Week 28 & 29 (June 1-5, 8-12)

Summary:

Week 28
Monday - Bicycle
Tuesday - Bicyle
Wednesday - Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Thursday - Bicycle
Friday - Bicycle

Week 29
No commutes - vacation in Costa Rica

I can't say it enough: this late spring/early summer has been perfect weather for a morning and afternoon commute. The only reason I didn't ride on Wednesday was to make a kickball game in Hopkins that night. I probably could have ridden directly there, but the extra hour or two was better spent cranking away at work to get projects in good shape and bug out early on Friday for our trip.

The closest I got to a bicycle in Costa Rica last week was visiting a Gary Fisher/Trek cycle shop in San Jose, though I must have grazed five to ten fearless moron bikers navigating the circuitous mountain roads at night, lacking helmets, lights, and the sense that God gave them. I was more concerned about keeping the 4,700 pound Mitsubishi Montero on the road and from spilling its six passengers and cargo into coffee plant laden valleys, leaving little time to check for bicyclists or pedestrians.

(Side note: the $16 we spent to rent a GPS unit was the best $16 that has ever been spent. Not only did it give us our route, it also alerted us to dangerous bridges and deteriorating roads.)

Week 27 (May 25 - 29)

Summary:

Monday: No commute (Memorial Day)
Tuesday: Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Wednesday: Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Thursday: Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Friday: Car (AM & PM Carpool)

Being out of town makes it rough to ride.

Bike to Work Day – A Beginner’s Journey

The following is a guest post from Brent who rode with me on Bike to Work Day this year.

For a few months, James and I had been talking about biking in together. We live a few blocks away from each other and both work in downtown Minneapolis (usually). Bike to Work Day on May 14th provided an excellent trial run for me as I’ve never done this before. It’s about a four mile trip in. I learned a lot. For instance:

• When your friend invites you to use his road bike instead of your junkie “mountain bike” take him up on it. I can’t imagine what type of biking my bike is built for, but it isn’t road biking. James pedaled approximately once for every 20 of mine often coasting for long stretches as if he were cruising downhill. I was working hard. I think I got passed by an elderly couple out for their morning walk.
• Dress as if it were winter, even if it is spring. I was concerned about getting too hot and sweaty and smelling bad at work all day. Au contraire. I dressed light. It was windy and cold. When I arrived at James’ house he gave me a pair of gloves. I treasure those gloves. My hands would have frozen to the handlebars without them.
• Even if you normally eat your first meal around 10am, get some food and water in your system before heading out. At the very least, I should have had some water with me for the ride. Fortunately, about half way there, a restaurant had opened it’s doors for some free breakfast for bicyclists. I ate some apples, drank some water, laid down in a booth for about 5 minutes (I was dizzy) and felt as good as new.
• Don’t get discouraged and swear off biking before the ride home. I was a little nervous that I would end up having to call my wife to pick me up in the van on the way home. Humiliating! I was still tired from the ride in at the end of the day and James wouldn’t be there to encourage me and keep me on the right path. I joked that he would probably pass me around the third mile even though he was leaving an hour later. However, the ride home was much better. It was warmer and took about half the time. No laying down or stopping was necessary. Success!

It turned out to be a great day to work out the kinks if I ever want to try this again (which I do).

Also, I shouldn’t forget to mention that we were greeted with more free food, music and lots of information booths when we got downtown. Thank you city of Minneapolis!

Check out another guest post written by Brent on Jenna's (his wife) blog