Things I've learned about cycling in the past week

[SteelBlue]

Today marks the beginning of week 2 in my quit driving to work campaign. I've really enjoyed being on the bike again, even if it is just two short rides a day. I've learned/re-learned a few things.

1) Being in good running shape has no appreciable carry over to cycling. I'm not a great runner, but I'm in decent shape. I thought this would make me feel pretty strong on the bike. It did nothing.

2) Extra weight sucks. I had that surgery in January and have put on about 10 pounds since. I haven't really noticed it when I run, but wow do I feel it on the hills when I bike.

3) I'm a horrible climber. This is a combination of both #1 and #2. Creekster joked the other day about seeing single digits when he climbs even the smallest hill. For me it's currently an absolute reality. I end my little commute (coming and going) with a half mile climb. I looked down at my computer yesterday afternoon to note that I was rocketing up that climb at 6.8 mph. Might as well walk!

4) Driving in traffic is kind of fun. I know it's dangerous but I actually get kind of a rush out of it. There are a few times where I have to work my way into a left turn lane and I have to work my way through a couple of lanes to get there. Moving through traffic and pissing impatient haters off makes the commute even more worthwhile. I have missed this while I've been a runner.

5) There are some scary drivers out there. Not so much that they've endangered me yet, but you just see so many errors while you're out on the road. Banning hand held cell phone conversations while driving will be a good thing.