Bike To Work Week 2

So week two of the Bike to work program is here. Today's trip went about 5 min faster than the last one. This was due to a couple of things. Firstly since I left 30 min earlier than before, some of the traffic was less than before, so I didn't have to wait at some unlighted intersections as long as I had to last week.

Secondly, I did a better job of pacing myself and recovering from hill climbs. I cannot stress enough the importance of pacing. So fo example, I did not pedal down hills this time. This conserved energy for the final hill. I'm not going faster than 30 MPH so, it make little sense to pedal when I'm already moving at 26 or so MPH.

lastly is proper cadence control. a lot of people, including myself often use too hard a gear for going uphill. They put a lot of stress on their knees and legs pushing a hard gear. Instead i is better to get a good cadence going that allows you to maintain a decent speed with decent turnover where you're not fighting the bike and gravity.

On a closing noteI have to say that there are some really rude people on the road. It's not cool to put the nose of your car into an intersection when a bike is approaching. It's scary and it pisses me off. Also, check your mirrors when pulling out of parking spots. You should assume that the bike is moving faster than you think it it's moving. In most unrban settngs we can hit the posted speed limits.

I think next week I will start doing this twice weekly. I will need to get a portable fridge for my office because sports drinks from vending machines are pricey.