A Light 2 Bike 2 Work By 4/24/09

"Get a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live."~Mark Twain, Taming the Bicycle

The most significant personal change which will impact my ability to participate in National Bike/Walk to Work Day this year is that I changed grade (from middle to high school) so have an earlier (7:00 am rather than 8:00 am). This means that when I leave in the morning to ride my bicycle to work, it is just before 6:00 am instead of 7:00 am and therefore dark outside still. This would not be such a huge concern as that my most direct route to school goes through the heart of the city.

So, this morning I went to the local bicycling store and purchased the inexpensive ($10) Bell Dawn Patrol Headlight for my bicycle (as well as four rechargeable AA batteries) in hopes of continue the "tradition" of riding when I can. Generally the month of May is challenge due to so many activities after school which will require my driving a car in order to be there in a timely manner. Last June, though, I was successful at riding my bicycle roughly three times a week.

This past week I have been bicycling to the video store and library as a way of getting my "bike legs" back, and now with the light in place, I am feeling more confident about pedaling Monday. It occurs to me now, as it did last year, is that the most difficult part of this adventure (other than careless motor vehicle drivers) is answering this question:

How does one ride 11+ miles to work and continue to smell (and look) like a professional?*

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

* = NOTE: This was mostly accomplished last year, but it was challenging not to look like I was destitute with wrinkled clothes and sweaty shirts.