With Autumn and cooler weather just around the corner, I decided this week was it. It was time to strap on my helmet and become that awesome person. It was time to chance rush hour, specifically the cabs, because according to Buddy the Elf, Watch out! The yellow ones don't stop! Plus, I already had two practice rides that happened over the last two weekends under my belt; yes, I am that person. Monday was rainy, Tuesday, I wasn't sure I would make it from the office to the yoga studio in time (which I'll admit is a lame excuse), so today, Wednesday, I was out of excuses. Well, except for the fact that I wasn't really sure which bike route to take, maybe I needed a third trial run. No, no, no more excuses. Helmet on, now bike.
The ride to work was easy and extremely enjoyable - the weather was cool, traffic was manageable. It wasn't until the last few blocks that I became more aware of the traffic because of the nonexistent bike lanes in the Loop. I, surprisingly, was happy with the route, Milwaukee to Kinzie to State to Monroe, and while it's probably not the most direct one, I feel it's the safest, primarily because of the amazing bike lane on Kinzie.
The only downside to the morning commute was when I met up with a co-worker a block from work. She simply asked how the ride went and then if I was worried about my bike seat getting stolen, because apparently another co-worker had his recently stolen on the same street that my bike would be parked. Well, honestly, until that point, a stolen bike seat didn't even cross my mind. It was a busy street (Michigan Avenue) with lots of people, how could someone just simple steal a bike seat without anyone saying anything. The worry stayed with me throughout the day. I pondered the idea of having to bike home without a seat - is that even possible!? Already, I was planning on lugging my bike to the nearest bus stop, which would take me to a bike shop to have a new seat installed and, hopefully, a locking mechanism to save my new seat from getting stolen.
Five o'clock rolls around, and I finally leave the office at 5.15p with a good luck biking home from another co-worker. The whole elevator ride, I take deep breathes and hope that my bike is still locked up, please, please, please, with a seat. Yes! It's there bike seat and all. The new gray hair from all the worrying is not appreciated.
I get situated and start my ride home, but I wasn't really sure where I was going. I forgot to map out a return trip, and, since Chicago has a lot of one way streets, and I'm not really that familiar with the route that would get me home, I took a gamble and started out in the right direction, west. Not the smartest move, seeing as I missed Kinzie. I went Wabash to Dearborn and hit every single stop light on Dearborn until I missed Kinzie. It snuck up on me and crossing over three lanes of traffic on a bike wasn't going to happen. I ended up on Hubbard (your
Bikers passing on the left. Bikers passing on the right. Bikers lined up in threes, fours, or more. Bikers collecting at stop lights. Bikers weaving in and out of traffic. The bike traffic wasn't bad, but it was just another thing to bear in mind with all the other distractions on the road. I paced myself to keep behind the bike cluster fuck (my term) and, if I was the leader of a bike cluster fuck, I will never know. I only paid attention to the bikers in front of me and the ones in my peripheral vision as they passed me. Speaking of passing, I passed no one on the ride to work, but on the ride home I passed three people (well, the same person three times - it counts as three).
Thirty minutes later, I pulled up to my apartment. The trip took the exact same time that it would have taken to ride the EL. All in all, a successful day biking to work, which warranted the call home to tell my mother that I am awesome and a glass of wine.
Yes, I will bike again to and from work, but probably not tomorrow, more likely Friday or next week.
No comments:
Post a Comment