This week I get to reflect on just how great it is to commute by bike. Of course I've been riding to work for years, but up until this year my ride was just a few blocks, in Ashland where it hardly ever rains. Since January I've had a 5.5 mile ride each way in Corvallis where it rains all the time. I haven't missed any rides due to rain, but I did take the bus twice when the roads were too icy.
This is the 20th week of the year. So that's 100 days -2 days I rode the bus and -2 Fridays I took off = 96 days of riding. Out of that I would guess that I got rained on less than 10 times, and rarely both ways. Even when it rains all day it seems to let up when its time to ride home. And if it does rain, I've got good rain gear. While there have been a few rides that were less than pleasant they still were enjoyable on a certain level.
Fact is I think I go crazy if I couldn't ride everyday. For one I don't know how I'd wake up without a brisk ride in the morning. By the time I get to work the blood's flowing and my brain is alert and ready to go. I'd be a zombie If I rode in a car. The ride home is even better. Had a frustrating day? Go hammer some hills. Cold or rainy? Ride hard and get warm. Nice day? Go explore or just meander. I pretty much always ride in on the bike path, but I try and ride home a different way each day. There are 4 main routes I can take home, and I can mix those up with even more variations. I usually get in at least 2 longer rides a week going home. Often I'll combine them with a shopping trip or some other errand.
So this being Ride Your Bike To Work Week I hope others will catch the bug and start making it part of their lives. I can't think of a better way to make everyday a better day.