Author Topic: First Utility Bike Ride!  (Read 2158 times)

purplepants

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First Utility Bike Ride!
« on: October 29, 2014, 02:54:32 PM »
So, I know it's not nearly as badass as most of the cyclists here, but I'm well pleased with what I accomplished over the weekend.

I have a very non-mustachian commute, 53 miles one-way (after we get out of this hair-on-fire debt emergency, I'll be able to change that, but for now I'm stuck with it).  On the way home from work last Friday, I hit some road debris on the highway.  I planned to put the spare on myself, but discovered that I had *two* flat tires, so I had to have the car towed to the tire shop.  No cost to me, thanks to my USAA roadside assistance ($24 a year, money well spent). 

I had a full hazard warranty on the tires, or I would have plugged them myself. 

So there was only the matter of getting from home to the tire shop, which is in the next town, on Saturday when the repairs were finished.  I thought to toss my bike rack in the trunk of the car before the tow truck arrived.  Saturday morning, I rode the 12 miles on a divided four-lane highway on my mountain bike. 

I was so nervous before I set out.  I just got the bike in May, and hubby and I have gone for a few recreational rides on the local greenways.  But I haven't ridden it anywhere that cars are allowed to go - let alone cars doing 60MPH on a road with narrow shoulders!  The route has a few steep uphill climbs as well.

Needless to say, I felt like a major badass when I rolled into the tire shop after the hour and a half ride.   

Total cost:
$0.75 for air in my bike tires
$1.07 for a bottled water (I know, but I forgot my nice chilled water bottle on the counter in my anxious state)

Also, on that ride I rode past my preferred local grocery store (plus 4 other chains), Lowe's, Home Depot, Target, Wal-Mart, AutoZone, Napa Auto Parts, all the major pharmacy chains (plus 2 local pharmacies), and Petco.  All of those shops just became 100% bike-able now that I've biked right past them!


Dyk

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Re: First Utility Bike Ride!
« Reply #1 on: October 30, 2014, 09:15:56 AM »
I don't see much value in trying to be the most badass cyclist ....

But I see HUGE value in what you did.  Overcoming fears, proving to yourself what is possible, doing something 'uncomfortable'.

Nice work, keep it up!  Thanks for posting.

skunkfunk

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Re: First Utility Bike Ride!
« Reply #2 on: October 30, 2014, 10:14:00 AM »
I like to bike, but I'd definitely think twice before taking a 60 mph highway a significant distance. How long were you on such a road?

Sid Hoffman

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Re: First Utility Bike Ride!
« Reply #3 on: October 30, 2014, 11:41:24 AM »
I also would not ride a bike on any road with a speed limit higher than 45mph, but that's just me.  I've done it before on a connector highway between my town and another which has a 65mph limit, but it also has a full lane-wide (10 feet wide) shoulder for the bikes to use.  OTOH, I've seen cars with texting/twittering drivers using the shoulder instead of the traffic lane, blissfully unaware they are not even close to being in the right place.  As a result, I don't bicycle on those roads anymore.

STILL HAVING SAID THAT, awesome job for the OP!!  I remember the first time I went grocery shopping using my bike.  I felt like I had just conquered a mountain or survived a week of camping with no food or something, because it literally felt that foreign to me to use a bicycle to do something I had only done by car my entire life.  I'd bet more people would bicycle if they did it at least one time.  Just doing it once gives you the confidence to know that you can.

purplepants

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Re: First Utility Bike Ride!
« Reply #4 on: October 31, 2014, 09:18:48 AM »
I like to bike, but I'd definitely think twice before taking a 60 mph highway a significant distance. How long were you on such a road?

I felt like that highway was the safest route between the two towns (the other options were some very curvy backroads with absolutely no shoulder where the police don't tend to patrol, so drivers often go WAY above the speed limit, often weaving back and forth because they are not paying close attention).   I was on it for the majority of the ride, but I took the option to cut through the parking lots of businesses as often as possible.  I realize all it takes is one idiot texting and driving to be hit, but overall I felt much safer than I expected to, and people tended to move into the left lane to give me plenty of space. 

I probably won't bike that far on that road often, but I absolutely have the confidence to bike to the local grocery and hardware stores now.  The MMM post the other day about having a no-car weekend felt very timely because I do have errands I will need to run this weekend, but this time I'll try to do them all by bike!