My ride into work this morning was uneventful. Ideal weather but my body was a bit abused over the weekend with a head cold, yellow jacket sting on my right wrist and some soreness from a lacrosse match. A slow leak in my rear tire also caused me some worry throughout the ride.
For some reason the streets and the trails seemed less populated this morning. Maybe a lot of people decided to take the day off. But it was nice to be back on my usual route and its familiarity (knowing all the potholes and other road hazards, traffic patterns, short cuts, etc). I don't think I'll be taking the North Branch Trail route anytime soon despite the scenery. It took a bit longer and Elston Avenue is too boring.
The only bad part about my ride was no hot water showers in the locker room. But to put it in perspective, a cold shower is better than no shower.
Distance Traveled: 24.3 miles
Distance to date: 3277.1 miles
Price of gas: $3.54
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4 comments:
It really seems like most of the bike blogger are experiencing some sort of fatigue. My guess is that we are doing a lot more activities this time of year.
Then again, very often it's just the start of our commutes that are difficult and we get in stride soon enough. Whatever, it's nice to be physical enough to feel the effects. It's a lot better than sitting in front of the tele, eating twinkees and smoking cigaretts.
My issue is that my riding has become routine. I still enjoy it but there really isn't as much worth writing about. I also find I'm not at the computer as much as I was six months ago. I live in a nice neighborhood so my family and I spend much more time outside walking or taking the kids to the park.
I am commuting downtown to the Merchandise Mart from Ravenswood.Can you suggest a route from the lakefront to the Mart that won;t make me yowl in terror?
Sally,
I've found the City of Chicago's bike map to be a great reference. It indicates Grand and Wells to be recommended routes (Grand west to Wells and then south to the Mart). On your return you can take Kinzie to Dearborn to Illinois. You can see a copy of this map online (Google Chicago Bike Map) or just go to City Hall and pick up a few free copies at the information desk just inside the LaSalle Street entrance.
The traffic might be intimidating at first but I'm certain you'll get use to it. Eventually it'll be as exhilarating as whitewater rafting.
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