ride my bike more

It’s not a noble goal. It just makes me feel better when I get a bit of exercise every day. Since we moved to the new house, I have taken the bike to work every day. It’s not very pleasant when it’s raining or very hot, but then the train isn’t all that pleasant either.

The days are getting longer and I got my bike serviced, so it’s time to set some riding goals. I want to ride to work (and that means towing the baby trailer too) at least twice a week. Last weekend we did the Lillydale to Warburton rail trail (a railway line that is no longer used so is turned into a riding track). Now we are looking for the next one.

I was doing really well through autumn, but I don’t like riding after dark. I had a few near misses with cars, despite being very brightly lit. I’ll still ride on weekends for pleasure, but I’m not going to be towing the daughter around on the bike until I know I can get home before sunset.

I left work a bit late yesterday and didn’t get to child care until 6:15 (closing time). My usual path goes through an unlit wooded area, and I wont use it after dark, so I stuck to the main road. After toots and rushing trucks I took the first turn-off but the side streets were an industrial area, which after dark is rather scary, and lots of roads were cul-de-sacs. I ended up back on the main road. It was an awful ride home, and really puts me off riding in winter when it gets dark so early.
I wasn’t so worried about the bike path until there were some attacks on cyclists, and now I spend too much energy looking at shadows. I still want to ride at least two days a week, but I’ll only ride if I can leave work early.

... and today is shpaing up to be a good day.
I got up early and rode in, towing the child in the rain. She thought it was a great adventure. I’ve chatted to my boss, who is never really happy, but wasn’t unhappy. And I brought my lunch, so I might even manage to spend no cash today.
However, my room is freezing, and I’m sitting here in a down jacket. I got it second hand online – the ad said children’s size four, but it arrives and I can fit into it. You’ve seen the photo – I’m not a size anything single digit. But it fits and it’s keeping me warm. The seller is happy to refund the selling price, but then I would be $20 out of pocket on postage, so I might as well keep it for the office.

I will try to ride three days this week. The weather is looking bad, so it might not work out, but I will try. I want to get fit for the big walk at the end of the year, and cycling is a good start.

I still had to walk up the steep bit. I rode in again today. It does make me feel good, and it makes me feel like I deserve a treat. And combining toilet training and towing the two year old in the trailer is interesting. She hasn’t had any accidents in it yet.

... and it’s still not getting any easier. There is one spot on the way home that I usually get off and walk. It’s great fun on the way to work: speed down the hill and through a drain. We both go ‘weeeeee’ as we go through (daughter in the trailer behind). On the way home, it’s up-hill, and I can’t quite make it up the other side of the drain. So that’s my next aim. Get up enough speed going up that I can make it through the drain. The big problem with getting off at the drain is that it’s still up-hill for a hundred meters or so, so I usually end up walking that bit too until it flattens out.

I rode in again this morning. I keep thinking that it should start getting easier at some point. I huff and puff and if I have to stop at a give way sign going up-hill, it’s very hard to get going again. My fitness has to be improving, doesn’t it?

The chain fell off and it squeaked a bit. I really need to get or do a service. Even just a bit of chain wax would help, but I am not mechanically minded. Guess I’m going to have to change that if I can’t find the time to take it to the shop.
I’m in need of a shower, but I can’t drop my daughter off to childcare until 8:15, and then I’m supposed to start work at 8:30, so that doesn’t leve much time to get to work and shower. I’ll sneak out at morning tea. It’s in everybody’s interest if I have a shower sooner rather than later!