I am just getting back into bike commuting after a ten month hiatus. The main reason that I stopped posting on this site and stopped bike commuting is because my family and I moved to a new city. As a result, I had no job to commute to so my bike commuting ended rather abruptly. Thankfully, that is all changing.
I went from riding 100+ miles a week to riding almost nothing for a few months. I think this impacted my overall health and I saw a noticeable decline in my leg strength and endurance. I really didn't gain any weight because I eat so well and have such a strong metabolism, but I was getting a little concerned with my overall weakness in cardiovascular health. I don't want to give the impression that I turned into a wheezing windbag - because I didn't. I just didn't have that endurance which had been there previously
So what has changed that has caused me to start bike commuting again? I got a job, that is what. The new job is between 6.6 miles and 7.7 miles away depending on which route I take - bringing my daily total up to 14.3 miles per day, 71.5 miles per week.
New Commute, New Gear
One of the major differences between my current bike commute and my previous commuting experience is that I will always be doing half of my commute in the dark. I work from 2 PM to 11 PM so night gear has become increasingly important for the sake of my safety. I don't want to die making it to and from work.
I also require a new bag since I have destroyed no less than two standard backpacks with my various bike commuting activities. I need a good bag that is going to be able to carry my work clothes, lunch, and towel to and from work - and it has to last for a long time.
It would also be pretty useful if I could get some rain gear and figure out how to maintain a bike after some storms. It rains a lot more here in Kentucky than it did in my always sunny San Diego. According to the Internet, I will be getting 4 times as much precipitation here than I did there making for a much wetter commute. It would be nice to keep things relatively dry and in good working condition. After all, I don't want to give up riding because of the rain and I don't want my bike to turn into a mound of rust.
The last bit of gear I am thinking of getting is a cell phone. I know, not having a cell phone is very weird - especially for anyone still in their twenties - but I still don't have one. This is changing since my wife is increasingly worried about my safety riding at night and it would be nice to be able to give here a call whenever I have a free moment at work. I am also interested in how GPS tracking cell phones could be used to keep track of my commute times and help me become more efficient and at both getting to work and getting home from work. I have decided on what I'll do yet, but it seems like it could be a good choice to make in the long run.
Making the New Bike Commute Work
I also imagine that making the new commute work is going to take some getting used to. I haven't spent much time apart from my family the past several months thanks to the whole no job situation so I imagine getting up the gusto to get out the door early enough to get to work on time may take some serious effort on my part. The whole point of bike commuting is to save money to spend more time with the family, get exercise, and keep my body in good working condition - which makes life a little strange because it can seem like bike commuting actually takes me away from them.
Having to leave to go to work is much more of a chore now that my son is 1.5 years old and my wife awake when I leave in the early afternoon. They are just too fun to leave without a great amount of effort. If it wasn't for their need to eat and have a place to sleep at night I think I don't think I would leave. But bike commuting is definitely the cheapest way to get to work and the exercise it gives me is just an extra bonus that pulls it over the top. I can't wait to start commuting by bike more and I am glad to get back into it. Let's see how this goes.
