Rides 7/13

I didn't really know how long my ride to work is (because knowing this doesn't really change anything), but I mapped it and it's 3.5 miles. It's also 468 feet of climbing, but I don't really know what that means in any quantifiable sense. I mean, I guess I could convert it to meters or fathoms or whatever, but, again, knowing that isn't going to change anything about it. Work is still going to be uphill in the morning and at the top of the hill at the end of the day and it's going to be exactly as far away as it is whether or not I know the distance down to the millimeter or angstrom. Tip: if you are inclined to care about distances, measuring your bike commutes in angstroms make you seem like you're really accomplishing something. Anyway, based on the way I felt about my rides over the past few days (yes, feelings matter more than numbers- come at me quant bros) I thought that the ride might lend itself to the use of the Brompton and so I set off on the folding bike this morning for a lovely jaunt in a mugginess that soon turned to a light drizzle. I decided to follow my normal route until the top of the hill at Cleveland where the traffic light suggested I instead go straight instead of turning and so I ended up going that way a bit. This is generally the route of the 96 bus (kind of?), the bus that my ANC commissioner takes to work and which I took later in the day.

One of the joys of a new bike commute route is the very low stakes but nevertheless thrilling sensation of not exactly knowing every little thing about the roads on which you ride. I knew that I'd be able to get back over the Wisco (we're making this a thing or I'm going to die trying) but I didn't know exactly how or whether the roads would undulate or be trafficky or have potholes or whether the houses would be very fancy or extremely fancy (Ward 3 is so rich it can afford both!) and as the drizzle drizzled, I pedaled forward until finding Macomb and riding up the hill and back to familiar territory. Then it was down the hill on the other side and back up Mass and another successful end to my journey. I was a sweaty mess.

I rode home via Bikeshare at lunchtime to pick up the groom from a long overdue grooming appointment. The weather wasn't unbearably muggy insofar as I bore it. But I didn't much care for it. I took the bus back to work as alluded to (or just told) in the earlier paragraph. I had no regrets about this choice. Even at 3.5 miles, I would've been a mess in my work clothes, which I had kept on for the ride back to the groomers. Generally speaking, it's important to look professional and well kempt when picking up a pet from a grooming appointment, lest your freshly groomed pet become embarrassed. Or something.

At the end of the day, it was another quick Brompton ride home, which proved little problem. I think I'll keep it up with the folding bike- it's the right tool for the task and also rather fun to ride. It's also easier to manage in the building elevator. I'd never really thought about bike elevator etiquette, but now that I have, I wonder if Gear Prudence will be writing about it. Maybe!