I have started biking to work again. I quit in the late summer/early fall as school ramped up, since Im the one that gets the kids going to school in the AM. I started last week, and so far this month i will have racked up over 60 miles with the ride home today. My one way ride to work is just under 6 miles, and I can do it from home to work in about 30 minutes, barring the occasional stops for traffic.
My ride home is a little longer since I don't veer off the path and continue on down Hwy 2 until I get to a larger street and takes me almost straight home. It adds about a mile and half to the overall ride, and about 10 minutes to my time.
And here is the war wargon:
My Cannondale M400, 24spd. I threw a pair of Nashbar Daytrekker panniers on the back, a Sunlite rack (pack was 18.00, rack was 15.00) and I have a Timbuk2 Messenger bag (that cost a little more, but ive had it for awhile) for papers, laptop, lunch. Clothes go in one side of the rear bag, bike stuff goes in the other, and im off. So far after two weeks of doing it ive noticed a 3-5 minutes drop in the time it takes me to get here or back home, about an inch off my waist, I haven't had to coast as much, and ive added a little distance without sacrificing too much time.
Ill have to add some pics of my morning as I ride, now that I have a camera phone. I smoke less, and Ive been drinking less Diet Mtn. Dew (thats been hard) and since I don't hit the amigos every morning for a breakfast burrito and non-diet Dew, and Im limited for lunch since im on my bike Im spending less money, too. (somewhat questionable, since I DID get the panniers and some grips, and the rack, and a pump(s), but overall purchased on sale so I did okay) I'm not spending 5.00 every morning and 3-4 in the afternoon, and I haven't put gas in my car since last week sometime.
Haevyn is shooting up-she is trying to crawl, which usually means she gets on her hands and knees and then faceplants herself into the floor. The kids are out for summer and driving Kolette crazy-the kind of do their own thing and she usually finds out afterward what it was. We have our nephew as well, so she has the 4, plus him 3 days a week. Its gets a little grueling, and sometimes I wish she would push on the payment issue. I don't think she was charging them more than about 50 a week, mostly to make up for a day that she gave up at work so she wouldn't have him every day after working that night before. But economics happen, we aren't necessarily a priority (they forget), and then it goes weeks and *months* so Kolette feels bad about bugging them about it. Its her thing so I don't bother her too much about it, but it IS time out of her day from 7 am until 6pm......630.......645....sometimes.
Okay, im done. Back to work or something.
