Cycling

I seem to be taking this cycling lark rather seriously!  I have now cycled to work (and back of course) four times, although I should admit that this is four days across nearly two weeks - I don't want to wear myself out too soon do I?

 

It's just over nine miles from my back door to the bike sheds at work, so in one day I really do get my quota of exercise by cycling for about two hours and covering eighteen miles.  The journey itself is a mixture of bike paths and major roads.  The worse bit is the first section (or last should I be on the way home!) where the traffic really is quite heavy - cars on their way to work, lorries and buses - so it's not altogether pleasant, but as I am wearing a hi-vis vest I hope I am quite easy to spot; and most drivers do give me a reasonably wide berth, I just get the odd one or two every now and then that seems to think that an inch or two is sufficient space!!

 

The majority of the route, though, is on bike paths or smaller country lanes.  The longest section is probably the old railway line that has been tarmacked and is one of the major Sustrans (bike group) routes and it very leafy and green and pleasant to cycle along.  However, on the way to work this route is ever so slightly uphill - you'd have to be an engineer (or cyclist!) to see the gradient, but as trains generally avoid hills this old route takes a very long way to get uphill so the journey to work is a bit huffy and puffy with my legs aching a bit.  The journey home.....is a different thing altogether.....I whizz down that path keeping an eye out for dog walkers!

 

I cycled into work today and although the weather forecast is for rain it seems to have held off for now, so the trip home tonight should be pleasant - sometimes I see squirrels, but I have yet to see another owl.  I was taking a circular route one evening a few weeks ago when this owl flew over my head carrying some food for it's owlets!!

 

Commuting to work by bike is fun, but it's not all you can do - Mum and I are going on a touring holiday in Suffolk in August - see, I told you I was taking this cycling lark a bit too seriously!!! ;-)