My First Commute

As I said last night, if the matress monster didn't get me I was going to ride to work today. Well, I guess the matress monster was taking the day off, or perhaps he slept in, because he didn't get me!

I got up about 5:15 and started my normal morning ritual. I removed the daily filth and scraped the fur off of my neck and got dressed. Then I had a banana and packed my panniers for work.

I got out of the house about 6:25. After collecting my security badges I started pedaling. Out of the parking lot and up the first hill. There was no traffic so I rolled through the stop sign and on to 1900 West (the main north/south road hereabouts) and started south. Going south on 1900 is mostly uphill. The hill is gradual, but never-the-less real. Particularly to someone in as bad a shape as I am.

I arrived at 5600 south, about 9 blocks south, blowing pretty hard. Because I need to turn left here I rode through the intersection and stopped on the opposite corner. I turned the bike to the left and backed it up onto the side walk. I just sat there for 3 or 4 light cycles and blew.

After my breathing and heart rate were somewhat back to normal I started out again. At this point, 5600 south goes under I-15. Due to some crazy design decisions, both the north and south bound entrances to I-15 are right turns off of 5600 south. I got part way across and freaked out. The traffic was heavy and close and not considerate at all. So I got off the bike and walked. Under the freeway and for a while afterwards there is a side walk. There are pedestrian signals for crossing the freeway entrances and exits. Walking was much less stressful.

After going under the freeway 5600 south turns right and heads towards the Roy gate onto Hill AFB. It's uphill for the next 3/4 mile. Since I'm not really very comfortable starting on an uphill slope, and because the traffic into the gate was amazing, I decided to walk to the gate and then a little further. After checking in with the security guard I walked another 150 yards to a point where I thought getting started again wouldn't be too difficult. I clipped in my right foot, looked for traffic, and pushed off. I fought to get my left foot on the pedal, I struggled to keep the bike straight, I failed at both! The next thing I knew I was on my side in the river rocks decorating the side of the road. The bike was on top of me. I was clipped into the pedals and stuck! I layed there for a minute or two and collected myself. About the time I was ready to try to figure out how to extridite myself from this predicament my first rode angel appeared. He asked me if I needed help and then helped me get myself out from under my bike and back on my feet. He even helped me set up my paniers, which had fallen off in the fall. We looked over me and my bike and decided that all was well. He went on to work. THANK YOU!!!

As I finished collecting myself, one of the security guards from the gate walked up and asked if I was alright. He asked if I'd been hit by a car. I told him, "No, I just fell over." His radio didn't work, but he started back towards the gate. So I pushed my bike a little further and mounted up. Just as I was about to start again, I saw flashing light bars and heard sirens. Security police and the base paramedics were coming down the street. So I sat and waited for them. When they arrived they, again, asked if I'd been hit by a car and if I needed medical attention. By then my ego was well and truely trampled, but medical attention wouldn't help that. So I told them that I was fine and had just fallen over while starting out. They laughed with me about it, shook my hand and went back to what ever firemen do while they wait for the next call.

{NOTE: I discoverd later in the morning that I had jammed my left ring finger during the fall. So far, just a little swelling and a very small amount of pain. Not to bad for trashing my ego in front of hundreds of people.}

I sat on my bike and waited for about 5 minutes while the traffic jam created by the police and paramedics abated. Then I started again. Or rather I tried. I quickly realized why I'd fallen. I'd gotten off the bike in a VERY low gear. So when I pushed on the first pedal there wasn't enough speed to keep me going straight whilst I brought up the other foot. So I caught myself, shifted to a higher gear and started out again. The rest of the trip to work was uneventful. The high point was coasting down the hill by the firestation at 21 miles per hour.

Trip stats: 4.74 miles in 52:30. Max speed 21.1, average speed 5.4, total trip time 1:10:00.

The trip home was much less eventful. As I talked with people about my ride to work a suggestion for a route modification was made. So when I left the office I took a slightly different route back to the Roy gate. This saved time and distance. I rode the whole way only stopping for two traffic lights.

Trip stats: 4.36 miles in 35:40. Max speed 23.7, average speed 7.7, total trip time 0:40:00.

All in all, not too bad for a first commute. Tomorrow I'll take a rest day to recover. I plan to ride again on Wednesday. Right now the weather guessers are predicting a short reprise on winter. So I'll look at the weather Tuesday evening to decide about Wednesday for sure. I want to ride at least one more day this week. Perhaps, but probably not, a third day. That's a significant milage increase, so I probably won't ride that third day. We'll see.

In the mean time, be safe out there and remember, the wheels go DOWN!