Bike commuter

I am woman, hear me roar....down the streets to work on my new bike. It was a public holiday on Friday so the roads were abandoned at 7am which made for an easy ride to work. Monday will be the true test when life around Christchurch is back to normal. On the way home I was riding into a brutal head wind so it took a little longer than the morning ride. And in the winter time, all bets are off. We shall see how that one goes though I suspect it will be no worse than a mid-winter commute in Portland.

One thing I noticed is how wonderful the "no turn on a red light" rule is for bikers. It sucks as a driver because you end up sitting at the light with no traffic coming and thinking that you just want to go! But this rule is a life saver, literally, for bikers. There are a few "bike boxes" along my route as well which make bikers more visible to motorists when stopped at an intersection. I never got the purpose back in Portland but now I understand. My one confusion is the many roundabouts here in Christchurch. They are straightforward as a motorist but as a biker? Not so sure what to do. I have seen bikers just "be" a car and go on through the roundabout but with all of the different directions that cars are taking, I don't feel comfortable going through the roundabout this way. Instead, I take the pedestrian crossing which makes me feel a little safer and will continue doing so for the time being.

It will be great to start my days off with some exercise. Now I need to get my butt back into the pool a few days a week and I am 2/3 there to being able to do a triathlon! (HA! No thanks....I am not a runner). I haven't really been in shape since starting a family so I am looking forward to a new physique in the months to come.