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I've been thinking lately about riding to/from work.  Partly this is because I feel like I'm not getting enough riding in during the week.  It's also because I'm feeling a bit guilty about neglecting The Noble Steed.  And there's a part of me that's a free-wheeling tree-hugging hippie who'd rather not contribute any more to the world's pollution than absolutely necessary.

In aid of all of this, I've been perusing Bikely's maps.  I found one that will get me into the city without having to play with too much traffic.  I decided to try it out today.  I have no idea about the length of the ride, given that I still have not fixed my bike's computer.. however, I can say pretty confidently that I think I could do the ride in an hour or less (which, by extension, means that the distance is probably under 20Km).  The instructions were very accurate.  I only took two wrong turns.  Overall, I'm very impressed with the map and with my ability to find my way

I took the opportunity to see just how easy it would be to get to the new King George Square cycle facility.  The answer is:  exceptionally easy.  The exit from the Roma St Parklands goes straight onto Roma St (funnily enough), which in turn has lights to stop traffic so that cyclists can turn onto the far right hand lane of Roma St and straight into the facility's reception area.  I have to go to a Dell seminar (read:  sales pitch) in the CBD on Thursday, so you just know I'm gonna be riding in.  Fuck catching a train, complete with sardine impersonation, or paying $30 for parking.  I'm biking it in!! 

For my anticipated commute route, however, there is the matter of getting from Roma St to the Bincentennial Bikeway (aka the riverside expressway bike path).  It's only a few hundred metres, but it involves getting into peak hour CBD traffic.  This is something I really want to avoid if I'm going to be doing it a couple times a week.  So my next journey of discovery will involve riding into town, then figuring out how the hell to get from A to B without getting squished.

There is the other matter of how much time it will take to do the entire ride.  I'm anticipating between 2-3 hours each way.  This is OK in the mornings as I'm an early riser, but it could be problematic for the return trip.  If I leave work at 1630 (optimistic, since my actual official end of day is 1700), that means arriving home between 1830 and 1930.. the 1830 side of that is palatable (since I get home at around 1800 when driving anyway), but 1930 or later is not so cool.  Still, I won't know until I try!!

I've realised that if I really do make commuting on the bike a regular thing, I will have to replace The Noble Steed with another flatbar bike.  The whole reason for getting The Beast was because The Noble Steed is too big for me, and was the likely source of my hip pain.  But The Beast has no attachments for panniers (it's a racing bike, not a commuter), and the truth is that it's my go-fast, sleek, magic, special bike, and I don't want to use it as a commuter.  So the only answer is another bike.  )" alt=")" class="middle" width="15" height="15" />  MaxBabe is actually very supportive of this idea.  Given that I have already spent $8,000+ on biking this year, I was a little suprised.  But on the other hand, I really shouldn't be all that surprised.  One of the things that makes MaxBabe such a good match for me is that she has never tried to control what I do with my money.  Sure, she'll give her opinion, or will try to be the voice of reason, but she never tries to take the decision-making away from me.  That is respect, folks, and I love her for it.

Anyway.. if the commuting thing pans out, there'll be a new steed in the Max stable.  This will likely be many months away (as I need to decide if commuting on the bike really is for me).  It should tell you something about me that I have already decided what it will be called:  The Young Upstart 

After riding to the city, I met up with BestMate in Toowong today.  His physio told him he could get back on the bike, but only on flats, and only on the easiest gear.  Evidently, his body isn't quite ready for that yet, as he found the going very tough.  We rode to the Goodwill Bridge and had to stop to let him recover for a while.  He was in so much pain, we ended up turning back.  My guess is it wouldn't have even been a 10Km round trip.  Poor BestMate