Not really Marathon Training, but kinda Fitness Related

First commute using my new Brompton folding bike. And it was fun...

Sunny left for Texas at around 4am, I went back to sleep and dreamt of picking broken glass from the new tires of my Brompton. I guess, sub-consciously was a little worried about how well the first Bike-Bus-Bike commute of my life would go!

I had intended to leave the house at 6:10, but it was 6:17 by the time I was on the way. Only 7 minutes late, but I started to worry that as I've not really ridden a bike in a few months (and the bus departure is an non-movable time) That this might not give me enough time to ride the 5 for 6 miles.

It turned out that I had more than enough time; arriving the stop which is closer to our house (and the one I had decided to use for the first day) 15 minutes early... Too early... This made me change my mind about which stop (and which bus) to catch in order to get across the bridge. I carried on cycling & went the extra Mile to the Freeway stop. (again reaching it in more than enough time).

I was glad I did as this bus takes me slightly closer to work, and with a new critical eye I realized that the 'Slightly Closer' is a mile or so up a long slow hill. Descion one of the day, always use the Freeway bus stop in the morning...

The other thing I had not decided on was whether I should use the bike bag/cover. I kinda thought 'no' as it's an extra step to the fold/unfold process. But then at the stop, as I was carrying my uncovered folded bike, someone very nearly walked into me in that early morning commuter tiredy-haze.

This was the point I decided that the bag was a good idea. I am essentially someone who prefers to avoid confrontation, and I figure that someone walking into my big 'bag' is less likely to provoke an angry reaction compared to someone walking into (or brushing against) what they perceive to be a dirty oily bike. (The oily bits of the Brompton are all self contained, and when folded the chain is completely inaccessible, but still it's perception, not actuality which is the key here..)

No questions from the driver as I got on the bus, the sideways seats near the back door, are good as the bike can sit on the floor while being out of the way. Bike bag is good here too, as it's more comfortable to rest my leg on, in lew of holding onto holding the bike to stop it falling/moving.





Freeway was too shaky for my poor little blackberry camera, but here we are with it's little carry-beak poking out from the cover...

No problems getting off the bus, unfolding and making the short ride to the office, where I showered and stowed.

Feel nice and enlivened and ready for a days work after getting morning exercise...