As we ride out April and greet fondly May, and national bicycle month, it’s a good time take stock of our rides and commutes and consider changes to routes, etc.
If at all possible, it is safer and far more enjoyable to ride on trails or paths separate from cars. Separation means our safety.
For example, the street outside my apartment building has only one bike lane going north. Returning south as a result is very stressful. It is dangerous to share one lane with cars and buses especially without a shoulder.
This being said, I moved over two blocks to the west where there is a wonderful, safe and enjoyable park path that parallels the one-lane street.
The park has giant berms that shield traffic noise from park users. This change has improved immensely the asthetics of my ride here.
With the warmer and better weather, we may want to add on additional miles to our commutes or rides or just take the long way home or in to work to enjoy the ride and the weather.
I’ve participated in some challenges where I wanted to add some miles mainly to my commute. It helps to look at a map (bicycle shops have them) and draw out with my index finger loops of safe and scenic riding for additional mileage. These maps highlight safe routes.
This time of year many cyclists sign up for events or challenges. Preparing for an event is a great way to train and get in shape in a hurry.
One aspect of challenges I enjoy is the community message board where participants share their unique experience. Checking the leaderboards is also fun but consider competing only against yourself.