Week 37 - Day One: The Pleasure Rider

BIKE: Mike
TIME THERE: 26 min.
TIME BACK: 27 min.
WEATHER: clear, 4C, 6 km/hr crosswinds there; partly cloudy, 14C, 6 km/hr tailwinds back.
WHAT I WORE: yoga pants, t-shirt, sweatshirt
NOTES:

Is this what spring/summer bike-commuting is like? Wiping dew off my saddle before setting off, feeling the sun on my skin, running into three fellow bike-commuters within three minutes of starting off, not being yelled at by drivers, arriving at work more glowing than sweaty? I could get used to this. Having started my bike-commuting adventure in the fall/winter, I have to say: this spring riding is just lovely!

One of my colleagues loves cycling and does it as a hobby. He doesn't bike-commute, but he does try to take some time every evening to go for a nice ride through the city. It's how he relaxes and gets a bit of exercise into his day. I know someone else who bike-commutes and also rides for pleasure, spending his weekends touring the river valley because his commute is all road. I bike-commute, and I rarely ride for pleasure. In fact, I think I may have done it once, when I recently took my daughter out for a bike ride on some weekend morning and we toured around our surrounding neighbourhoods. She fell asleep in the trailer, and I had a really nice ride without thinking of what time I'm making or what I'll have to do when I get to work.

I daresay I need to do more leisurely, pleasurely riding. Perhaps this weekend, weather permitting, I should pack up a little picnic and ride my daughter into the river valley and spend some time playing with her there. That would make for some really nice mommy-daughter time. And it would get me out on the bike for something other than the utilitarian reason of getting to work. Perhaps if I (re?)discover the pleasure of cycling for cycling's sake, I will come to appreciate the commute more. Wouldn't that be even nicer than it already is? Believe it or not, that IS possible.