Velocipeding

I have been cycling to & fro’ work now week-dailysince March, 7 miles each way.

My cycling log

http://www.endomondo.com/embed/workouts?w=tMNs2h6sPHg&width=950&height=600

At rough tally, I guess I’ve saved 14 miles of fuel a daythat’s ~£1.35×2 for a 7mpl car. That’s ~£54 a month. Hummm…  I have bought a bike & various bits & pieces,which really needs a year of cycling to offset. But the above is still a nicemonthly fuel saving, and extra exercise costs (time & money) not are required.

Health benefits: perhaps immeasurable – Last year I toyed with swimming twice a week at lunch times but although initially enjoyable after 6-7 months the novelty wore off (you don’t get a nice view and you can’t listen to podcasts while swimming). Generally I encountered as little exercise as possible. Now that I cycle, I see good aerobic activity twice a day. The daily endorphin hits are invaluable. The dailyexperience is arguably also more constructive than a similar trip in a car/bus and cerebrally, thoughts and feelings get a more intense workout. The experience is arguably exhilarating and elevating,depending on your psychological position/attitude in the road-spacesocial-class struggle – this does need to be kept in check.

Today we had a beautiful fresh morning for the journey in – I’ve started to take aslightly easier pace (today helped by ‘Hothouse Flowers’ in the headset)… and when it’s dry I’m wearing less clothing, this helps with the ‘afterglow’ when I reach my destination. Less sweat! Thanks Dave.

However, the commute home last night… drenchchchchched!  Greatriding in the rain rain rain really is invigorating, but I ended up a drowned rat. Water/windproof top kept mytorso dry but my head, shoes, socks and longcycle-trousers absolutely sodden. Fun fun!