It's the first day of 30 Days of Biking, and I've kicked things off with a bang. A soggy, wet bang, but a bang nonetheless.
Thanks to intermittent rain showers, my morning work commute was a bit wet and sloppy. 18 miles of wheel spray threw a nice layer of gravel and dirt all over the place, leading to some embarrassing marks on my backside and leaving me to wonder why I wasted my time cleaning my gear and laundering my cycling clothes over the weekend. Fortunately, I have a very understanding boss and a shower at work, where I can rinse the gravel out of my hair (seriously, it gets everywhere) and the grime off my body to make myself presentable. I should probably look into installing some fenders...
As I've mentioned, I have my reasons for committing to 30 Days of Biking -- plus a few I haven't shared, yet -- but the bottom line comes down to getting out there and being seen on a bicycle. At the risk of taking myself a little too seriously, I like the idea that if people see me using a bicycle to commute to work and go on short trips to the store, rather than using a car, maybe they'll be inspired to do the same.
Or maybe not. Maybe they'll see the tremendous effort and discipline required and be completely turned off? I sure hope not, which is why I try to place a great deal of emphasis on the fun and freedom that comes with this activity. Even a short trip to the store can lead to some rare photo opportunities, if you're the type who loves taking pictures; or at least a good story for your blog post. Again, if that's the kind of thing you're into as a bloggy-blog type of person.
In addition to whatever other reasons I have, mostly, I just love riding my bike. Honestly, I'd be riding as much as possible regardless. As I've said to a lot of people recently, I don't get up at 6 am just to be at work by 9, I get up at 6 so I can have 1 1/2 hours of pure, blissful riding all to myself. And then, I get to do it again on the way home! That, to me, has been all the reason I need.
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Thanks to intermittent rain showers, my morning work commute was a bit wet and sloppy. 18 miles of wheel spray threw a nice layer of gravel and dirt all over the place, leading to some embarrassing marks on my backside and leaving me to wonder why I wasted my time cleaning my gear and laundering my cycling clothes over the weekend. Fortunately, I have a very understanding boss and a shower at work, where I can rinse the gravel out of my hair (seriously, it gets everywhere) and the grime off my body to make myself presentable. I should probably look into installing some fenders...
As I've mentioned, I have my reasons for committing to 30 Days of Biking -- plus a few I haven't shared, yet -- but the bottom line comes down to getting out there and being seen on a bicycle. At the risk of taking myself a little too seriously, I like the idea that if people see me using a bicycle to commute to work and go on short trips to the store, rather than using a car, maybe they'll be inspired to do the same.
Or maybe not. Maybe they'll see the tremendous effort and discipline required and be completely turned off? I sure hope not, which is why I try to place a great deal of emphasis on the fun and freedom that comes with this activity. Even a short trip to the store can lead to some rare photo opportunities, if you're the type who loves taking pictures; or at least a good story for your blog post. Again, if that's the kind of thing you're into as a bloggy-blog type of person.
In addition to whatever other reasons I have, mostly, I just love riding my bike. Honestly, I'd be riding as much as possible regardless. As I've said to a lot of people recently, I don't get up at 6 am just to be at work by 9, I get up at 6 so I can have 1 1/2 hours of pure, blissful riding all to myself. And then, I get to do it again on the way home! That, to me, has been all the reason I need.
