First day of Bicycle commuting

[pegkerr]

Well, my bicycle is parked at the rack downstairs, and I am unbelievably smug. All went pretty smoothly. I got my gear stowed on the bike and was able to handle it just fine. Biked to the light rail station. There I ran into a hitch: the machine wouldn't accept my $20 bill, and I discovered it would only give up to $10 change anyway. But happy discovery! The machine accepts credit cards. This is great, because I rarely carry cash--although if I end up taking light rail a lot, I will investigate getting discounted fares offered by my employer. And my fare is $2.00, not $2.75.

I got the bike on the train okay, and it wasn't too crowded by the doorway, so I stood there, and no one gave me the evil eye. I couldn't quite make my way through the crowd over to the hook where bikes were supposed to be stored. I will try tomorrow.

Got off the train after about eleven minutes and biked to work and locked up. Very simple. The whole thing was about a half hour, start to finish, and might have been even quicker except that my fumbling with the fare machine caused me to miss a train. I got to listen to my radio on the train, which made me happy.

I am going to try riding home tonight. We'll see if I make it all the way or have to bail for a bus partway home.

I need to get a second mirror for the other side of my helmet. And rain gear. Also, mental note: always stock Kleenex.

Comments

[jbru.livejournal.com]

Good for you! (I wondered when you said your fare was $2.75, so glad you've got a little extra change every day.)

Does your employer do any sort of transit-pass subsidy? Even if not, you shold stop by the transit store in the skyway and see about getting a discount pass. At least for the breaking-in period while you're getting the hang of the cycling thing.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Ditto on checking about passes. Our local (pitiful) bus system offers large discounts for monthly or yearly cards.

Yay bike! Yay Peg!

[kiwiria.livejournal.com]

I think you have every right to be smug :) Good going!

[peacockharpy.livejournal.com]

Hurrah!

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

Good for you! I'm looking forward to starting to bike again, but it's still too cold for me, and there are snowbanks in some of the bike paths.

[satakieli.livejournal.com]

Hurrah! Good luck on the way home.

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

Yay you!

[threeringedmoon.livejournal.com]

Impressive.

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

Great start! I wondered about the fare you quoted before, but I haven't been on bus plus light rail in months, so I wasn't sure my memory was of *current* fares.

Now, if your bike is there when you come out at the end of the day, things are good. Isn't it mostly downhill to get home?

[hiddenhibiscus.livejournal.com]

Good for you!!!

[mayakda.livejournal.com]

Awesome!

[nmsunbear.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! That's awesome!

[blackholly.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! That's great!

[pameladean]

That's excellent, Peg. Congratulations.

P.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

Are you sure you can take the bike on the bus?

Here, people can take bikes on the metro and the commuter rail, but not on the bus.

And well done!

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Our local busses have racks out on the front, for bikes.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Yep, we have racks on the front of busses, too.

[airemay.livejournal.com]

Yea!!! I'm glad it went well. :D

[mareklamo.livejournal.com]

Woo-hoo! That's awesome!

[castiron.livejournal.com]

Yay!

[norabombay.livejournal.com]

Wooh! That's an amazing acomplishment. I'm really proud of you.

[schnoogle.livejournal.com]

You've got me itching to get back on my bike! Pity it's 600-odd kilometres away.