I dumped the pump today and rode my bike to work for the first time! In the past the idea of riding down Central Ave scared the begeezus out of me so I had originally planned on biking only as far as Westgate then completing my trip on BusPlus. I left early enough to avoid most of the morning traffic so I felt comfortable enough to ride all the way to Colonie Center then cut through the mall parking lot to Sand Creek Rd.
The 6+ mile ride took me about 30 mins. Slightly faster than walking to WAMC and taking BusPlus & only slightly longer than commuting by car. If I bike tomorrow too I’ll save $15.67, reduce my CO2 emissions by almost 40% and burn 1,245 additional calories (based on CarFreeDiet.com Calculator) this week.
It was quite cool this morning so I was able to commute in my business casual work attire without getting overly gross. I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t break a sweat at all but it was nothing a little deodorant and office AC couldn’t take care of.
Having CDTA BusPlus and local routes as a backup in case of mechanical issues or anything else is reassuring. I can easily ride, or walk my bike, to the nearest bus stop (and there are many along my route) if I have to. And since I took CDTA’s Dump the Pump pledge, I have a free day pass coming my way which will surely come in handy!
