Today was my first experience with cycling to work and it went very well.
Last night it took a little planning to get the required gear, including the laptop, into a backpack and to decide what kind of clothes can be rolled up and still look OK at the office. The good thing was I didn’t forget anything and I think I looked presentable.
The ride was about 20 minutes and there were no major problems. I’m used to riding in the traffic so that wasn’t an issue, but it was a little heavier than usual at rush hour. One slowdown was getting behind a slower biker and being trapped between the curb lane traffic and the guy ahead. As traffic pulled away from a light I was able to slip into the lane and get around the guy and back up to speed.
Here at IBM there is a bike cage compound under a surveillance camera and people lock the bike inside the cage so I hope it will still be there when I head out for home tonight. There is a small change and shower room on the 3rd floor and I had it to myself. If there were more the two guys at the same time, it would be very close quarters. The ride end-to-end took longer that the car, probably close to 1 hour home to desk by the time I locked up the bike, showered and changed etc.
So all in all it’s been a good experience and I think I’ll make it a regular option for traveling into the office. I hope it doesn’t rain on the way home, it’s looking a little dark out there right now and the forecast is 60% for showers.