Bike to Work Day
Route Review
I biked from South San Jose to Palo Alto riding where-ever Google Maps told me to go. I ended up biking through Campbell, Cupertino, and Los Altos.
I found all streets that Google directed me to had a bike lane and I didn’t have any issues with cars encroaching too close.
The roads were also pretty flat, which made riding much easier than expected.
There were a few spots where due to cars or obstacles I had to either get on to the sidewalk or get into a car lane, but I had time to plan those out, so I could do it safely.
What I Learned
I feel that bike lanes have improved so much in the last 10 years. There’s just a whole lot more streets with them.
Media Consumed
Anya and the Dragon
Friends
I got to give Hans a big hug when I saw him staffing the Bike to Work booth. I hadn’t seen him in-person in a couple of years, so it was nice to see him.
What Happened?
22.8 miles, 2 hrs 18 mins, 426 ft of ascent
21.5 miles, 1 hr 51 mins, 372 ft of ascent
May 18th was Bike to Work day in the Bay Area and in the spirit of saying yes to communities this year, I decided to bike to work. It was my first time biking to work, so I wasn’t sure if I should put my laptop in a backpack or in my panniers, but I wasn’t sure how well the laptop would work in a pannier, so I just decided to bring it in a backpack. I packed my usual essentials: lights, wind breaker, bike lock, sun screen, first aid kit, and a power bank. I also packed a towel and a shirt to change into, as I was worried that I’d be sweating like Jim (in The Office) biking to work.
I woke up at 7am and was out the door by 7:30AM. I don’t know if one is supposed to stretch before a bike ride, but I didn’t do it this morning, so I wondered if it’s necessary for the first few minutes of riding down Cherry Ave. There weren’t too many cars on the road at the start, but in Campbell and Cupertino, I ran into a couple of schools, which meant I saw a bit of traffic, but I was surprised by how well behaved the cars were on the road. The miles came easy, and about 10 miles in, I took off my wind breaker as things warmed up to about 60 degrees. I sipped my water at every few red lights and found myself enjoying the nice pace (and the audiobook I was listening to).
I arrived at the intersection of Foothill Expressway and Arastradero Rd, where it was easy to spot both the Bike to Work booths (on both sides of the road on Foothill). I actually saw that there was a firetruck and an ambulance, so I assumed that a biker had passed out resting or something. At the booth, I saw Hans, who was surprised to see me, and I got to give him a big hug. He then told me that the firetruck and the ambulance parked next to the booth was due to a homeless person who had stumbled to the booth and was feeling lightheaded; they had fed him some food and gave him water, but he needed further help, so the ambulance took him to a hospital. I was hungry, so I scarfed down two croissants with this apple filling, and a fruit cup—the croissants were heavenly. The Bike to Work volunteer gave me a sweet reusable (and apparently collectable) shopping bag and invited me to their party later that day. I needed to get to work before 10 though, so I made my way to my building and my desk. I needn’t have worried about being sweaty, as I didn’t need it at all. I mean, I washed my face, but I didn’t need much more freshening up.
After a busy day at work, I left to go home around 5:30pm. Sunset would hit around 8pm, which gave me a 30 minute cushion, should I need it. I biked a bit faster on the way back, as I found myself chasing fellow commuters on bikes. With about 5 miles to go, I was feeling a little tired, but in spite of it all, I made it back without much drama.
I felt so good about the bike ride, that I’m planning to bike to work again next Thursday (if there are no morning meetings). I really enjoy the biking, and maybe this new habit (should I keep up with it) will help me lose the 15 lbs I’ve gained since last summer.