Today is the fourth week in a row that I’ve ridden my bike to work at least one day of the week. A few months ago I had the idea to start riding to work, but I had some analysis paralysis on the details of riding to work. I was worried about the time, the bike and the sweat involved with riding to work. Luckily there was a road ready bike waiting around in my garage (courtesy of my father) and one day I finally hopped on.

My work place is only 6 miles away from my home so the distance is short, although there are many hills involved. Fortunately for my coworkers the way to work is downhill and I barely sweat even on warmer days (assuming I leave early enough). This means I can make it to work in ~25 minutes with some brisk exercise and I’ve even noticed an increase in alertness and mindfulness on days I ride to work. The steep ride home is a bit more brutal when it is 90 degrees and sunny, but I think my cats mind the dripping sweat less than my coworkers would.

Unfortunately I plan to move further away from my work in the near future, which will limit or completely eliminate any days I ride to work. Currently a commute via car takes around 10 minutes so the time to bicycle is relatively reasonable. Anything much further than this would take too long and seems difficult for me to do on a regular basis, at least until I cycle more regularly or am prepared to shower and get ready at work.

There are a few things that have made my bicycling to work possible besides the good fortune I have had in location and bicycle selection. The most important of these are bicycle panniers (also courtesy of my father) that I put my lunch, U-lock and change of clothes in. The bag keeps the weight off my back and lets me ride more comfortably and sweat less. I highly recommend panniers or at least a very comfortable/lightwight/breathable bag to anyone who wants to ride their bike to work and needs to carry anything.

In my current location there are still times where I wake up and drive to work because of time constraints or pure laziness, but I feel guilty on these days. Eventually I hope to live in a city where a bicycle commute makes even more sense due to shorter distances and worse vehicle traffic. For now I’ll try my best to ride whenever I can.