Yesterday I had a rare opportunity for a real life bike commute on a train. I live close to my usual workplace (5mi in the car, 10 on the bike). I do occasionally ride to work, but only when I am not working a 24hr shift (go ahead call me a whimp). But yesterday my department had an off-campus meeting that was 35 mi (on the bike) away. I took the commuter train up there (rode 12 mi) and then rode all the way home. It was a perfect experience for mapping out a route (I did get slightly lost and added about 2 miles), figuring out the train schedule, and actually riding my commute.
This probably sounds minor and unmentionable to those commuters who live like this all the time, but it was a great learning experience for me. These are acquired skills. Learning how to be efficient and proficient at them takes practice, especially with a loaded bike. Now I have more confidence and will be planning an over-night excursion. For me I find taking these baby steps is a good way to learn, practice, ride and not use any vacation time!
Here are some pics from the trip:
I find that using a folding bike is great for the public transit/bike combo. Makes the whole process a bit easier when I can just fold my bike to bring it on the train or even buses/subways that don't allow full size bikes.
ReplyDeleteHi Ryan. I have heard quite a bit about folding bikes for travel. I am curious about the idea, but right now I see them as an unnecessary compromise. But that is a personal opinion. Perhaps that opinion will change as I begin to travel more with my bike.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to try one out. They seem to be hard to find in inventory where they will let you spin around the neighborhood.
I am curious about the process you went through to make the decision to go "foldy".