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A Merry Life

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A Day of Bike Commuting

June 18, 2012 by Mary

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for details.

I haven’t been biking to work as much as I thought I would. This is because A) it’s too hot for me and B) it’s too easy to get a ride with coworkers. So I’ve been biking mostly in the evening or at night when it’s cooler.

Today though I spent the day with my bike. I wanted to get to the office early so I biked in.

bike ride

The morning bike commute was interesting.

  • Tons of broken glass on the road, more than normal. I went passed 4 different areas where it looked like car windows had been broken.
  • Almost got grazed by a car. On Peabody at the intersection right before the bike lanes start it got a little scary after the green light and one car was within inches of me.
  • After that I almost got backed into by a different car. On the trolley tracks on Main St. right where car traffic is not allowed a car kept going then instead of just finishing and turning on the next road (like I figured they would) they decided to back up. I was not directly behind them – I was behind to the right. If they had backed up straight it would have been fine too but instead they backed up turning INTO ME. I swerved and avoided being hit but geez guys, pay attention.

Yes, it was a little scary. I generally feel pretty confident biking around even on streets without bike lanes but sometimes I remember it’s me vs. a car and I will lose that battle.

Because there is nowhere to put my bike once I get to the office I just parked it in front of my desk. I actually loved seeing it there every once in a while because it made me think of happier times riding while I was glued to my chair at work.

Bike at the office

Awesome view in my opinion.

The bike ride home was the complete opposite of the bike ride to work. It took longer, it felt harder, I felt super tired. The heat was the main problem. It was a little bit over 90 degrees at the time with yucky humidity and that meant I was sweating after just 5 minutes. It wasn’t pleasant.

 Hot bike ride home, indeed!

 Bike ride home

I went a lot slower home than normal which helped a bit. A guy in spandex and a flashy bike passed me toward the end which made me want lighter clothes and a light bike too! In the end I made it home successfully so no worries until I ride another day.

I thought about going on another ride once the sun went down since I’ve been doing that most nights recently but a headache killed those plans. Instead I’m off to drink lots of water, take some medicine, and relax!

Do you any of you bike commute or ride in cities? Any stories or tips to share?

Filed Under: Fitness Tagged With: biking, Fitness, Memphis


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Comments

  1. Tammy says

    June 18, 2012 at 10:14 pm

    You are so brave! Some mornings I’m a nervous wreck just driving to work! Be careful out there!

    On an earlier post, you mentioned being bummed because you don’t have access to a car. There is no doubt that Memphis is a car-centric city! It is so spread out that it is almost impossible to get across town without a car!

    • Mary says

      June 18, 2012 at 11:08 pm

      Thanks! Most mornings I feel pretty good about it but sometimes it does get a little scary.

      Yeah… living in Memphis without a car is hard. Especially since my mom lives across town it is impossible for me to find a way out there sometimes and there is no way I feel I could safely bike to where she is. When I come back I’m definitely getting a car AND a bike!

  2. Amy says

    June 18, 2012 at 10:14 pm

    Is that a cruiser? How did you choose your style of bike? I’m in the market for a bike (moving to Chicago!) but am totally clueless as to what kind to get. My only bike experience is with spin class and a short stint with a “comfort bike” with 20something gears. It was anything BUT comfortable and I just couldn’t figure out the gears! A cruiser is appealing to me but I’m afraid that I won’t have the strength and / or stamina to make it! Downtown is fast and being too slow may not be safe. Any input?

    • Mary says

      June 18, 2012 at 11:07 pm

      It is a cruiser! I actually didn’t choose it, it’s a borrowed bike from my boss. I like it but my bike I normally ride is a hybrid that is a cross between a road bike and mountain bike so it works with various terrain but still is good for the roads. I would recommend that or even better, go to a bike store and try out a few different bikes. Any good store will let you ride around the parking lot or store or somewhere to see what feels the most comfortable to you. Cruisers can be fun but I don’t know if they are that great for every day biking in the city, at least for me. I’d prefer a lighter, faster bike.

      Good luck finding the right fit! Let me know what kind of bike you get! :)

  3. The Mrs @ Success Along the Weigh says

    June 19, 2012 at 6:22 am

    Cute bike! I know all the spots you were talking about (we stay at the Residence Inn downtown when we go there) and I can only imagine how scary that was. I can tell you as a visitor that the Main St area was a little confusing for us at first so I wonder if the person backing up wasn’t familiar with the area. They need to make helmets with A/C! :)

    • Mary says

      June 19, 2012 at 8:26 pm

      It’s possible. It is pretty confusing and people regularly drive onto Main then realize they weren’t supposed to. Most just go to the next street but this one backed up into an intersection and almost into me!

  4. Lisa says

    June 19, 2012 at 4:28 pm

    I’m a bike commuter too and I see awful things. The most annoying is when cars either don’t see me, or don’t care. I can’t tell you how many near-misses I’ve had. :(

  5. Jody - Fit at 54 says

    June 19, 2012 at 7:40 pm

    Love that last pic!!! No biking for me – don’t like it BUT it is very car dense her too & just scare the crap out of me!!!

  6. Dennis says

    June 20, 2012 at 11:45 am

    I live in the same rural community in which I grew up but it is not as rural as it once was. As a kid I rode my bike everywhere. Now, I would be terrified to get on the road on a bicycle. There’s just so much more traffic out there than when i was young.

  7. merri says

    June 22, 2012 at 6:10 pm

    i’ve always thought biking in a city would be scary. even driving when a bike is near is scary too. some of my coworkers ride to work. one of them leaves his biking spandex on half the day and he walks around like that, it’s funny. i LOVE the heat and 90 deg weather but i dont think i could bike around esp with a helmet and backpack in that and not pass out. stay safe!

  8. bike commuting says

    June 28, 2012 at 3:47 pm

    Bicycle travel is a good journey and free from pollution. Morning and evening riding is good.

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