The First Rides of the New Year

We had our faculty retreat Thursday, so summer has come to a screeching halt and the work and commuting year has begun.

The first few bike rides were a bit more pleasant in the morning than in the afternoons. The main reason is that was nicely cool in the mornings both Thursday and Friday—but it got up to 90 in the afternoons.

Still, in the context of this summer—I won't complain much about riding in 90-degree heat.

The long bike rides of summer are gone. I'm sure there will be a few afternoons where I take the extra time to trek the trail route home, and some Saturdays where I ride for pleasure, but for the most part my biking is more businesslike and briefer now—a way to get from home to work and back again.

The bike and helmet lights were already handy, as there was a reception for new faculty in my department at the chair's house, followed by an evening newspaper staff meeting—and it was 9 p.m. by the time I headed for home Thursday night.

Well, the commuting year has started. They say that June, July and August are the three main reason to be a teacher, and I won't dispute it—but then again, when the school year kicks in, I'm the guy who's riding with lights at 9 p.m. because my day began at 8 and didn't end until 13 hours later. Not all days are like that, but still, it's much more than 40 hours a week.

Which is one reason I bike. A bit of quiet, a little exercise, 25 minutes twice a day of “me” time—I could drive in 10 to 15 minutes what I bike in 25, but I wouldn't enjoy it as much and it wouldn't relax me as much.

Let the bike commuting begin.