Commuting After a Hiatus

It’s been about two weeks since I commuted to work on my bike. Part of that was rainy weather and part of that was buying new cycling shoes. I was too nervous to commute through city streets with my clip-in shoes until I could practice.

I decided I needed to just bite the bullet and give it a try. I also missed my bike commute. Wednesday I got up early and got ready to head out. I drove out to the place I park and realized it was way too warm for all my warm clothes. I left the warm gloves in the car but kept the jacket on (and ended up roasting).

I was able to clip in easily. This what my pedals look like:

I rode through the residential streets in Sellwood, constantly reminding myself “DON’T FORGET YOU ARE CLIPPED IN!” It was like a mantra. 😉 I was able to clip in and out at stops and lights easily and had no issues. I rode down to Oaks Park.

I was getting overly warm with my jacket and cycling tights. It’s that weird in-between temperatures in the morning. Soon I will be able to wear shorts and no jacket, I hope.

I am officially over the construction in Portland. It’s everywhere, it’s a pain in the butt, and it never ever ever ENDS! All the projects last years.

I made it across the Hawthorne Bridge and down to the waterfront where I took a quick break. I drank some water and debated on taking off my jacket because I was so warm. Decided to keep going since I was almost to work.

I had no issues with my clip in shoes, the ride was good and I got to work a little earlier than expected.

Morning Commute:

Time: 35 minutes

Calories Burned: 267

Miles: 6.0

Afternoon Commute

I wasn’t excited about my commute home. Don’t get me wrong, I was looking forward to riding. I was NOT looking forward to riding DOWNTOWN. Since there’s construction on the Morrison Bridge I couldn’t ride across there to get home. I love riding over the Morrison because it’s not crowded in anyway, it feels safer than the chaotic Hawthorne and it’s only a 2 block ride from my office. Since I can’t go over the Morrison, I had to map out a way to get to the waterfront and onto the Hawthorne without riding downtown very long. I hate riding downtown. It’s scary, the cars don’t pay attention, the blocks are short and I have to clip in and out a lot.

During my lunch break I walked on the Esplanade to see which route would be best. After work I rode through downtown to Naito Parkway and had to ride up that street a ways to get to an intersection that took me to the Esplanade.

Next challenge: riding up the steep ramp to the Hawthorne Bridge Eastbound.

I noticed right away that my new shoes helped A LOT going up a steep hill! That was a bonus. The not great part? Riding across the Hawthorne at 4:45. It was crowded with walkers, runners and bikers and I got stuck behind a girl on a cruiser that wasn’t going anywhere…I finally got off the bridge and made my way to the Springwater.

The afternoon commute was gloomy and muggy. I was hot in my jacket but comfortable in just shorts. The rest of the ride on the Springwater was easy and comfortable. I stopped halfway to remove my jacket. That felt better. Tackling the monster hill out of Oaks Park was MUCH easier with my new shoes too! That was fantastic. The next part was NOT so great. I rode through Sellwood and just missed the light at Tacoma–a very busy and stressful intersection. I was behind some cars that were stopping and I struggled to unclip one foot. I was going too slow on the bike to stay up right. I unclipped both shoes and came to a stop. It was NOT fun and I seriously thought I was going to die. Not only that I was between a car and a parked car, which seemed like certain death as well. The light changed and I was able to get going enough to get through the intersection but I almost fell over on my bike in the middle of Tacoma. UGH!!!! It sucked big time. I caught myself and made it through the light and to my car. I might need to find a different way to get across that major street other than that intersection. It was truly terrifying. 🙁

I was not a fan of the busy afternoon traffic and me clipping in. 🙁

Afternoon Commute:

Time: 34 minutes

Calories Burned: 287

Miles: 6.0

Total Miles: 12

I will get better at clipping in. I just need practice. And less traffic on the streets! I got home and had a snack before running some errands, then I played in my garden for a bit. The tomato plants are growing tall and it was definitely time for the cages. I fixed myself a quick dinner and then relaxed with some Burn Notice on Netflix. I am a sneezy mess this week–I attributed it to allergies and being outside a lot since the weather is nicer. But Claratin is not doing the trick. I really hope I’m not getting sick! 🙁