Ahh…a nice sunny day. I am thankful that I rode my bike earlier as it is currently sunny and 79 degrees downtown in the Nation’s Capitol. I have been commuting for about 2 months now I think and have put 400 miles on my bike and less than $20 on my Smarttrip Metro Card 🙂 I will have to see how long I can do this. I am hoping to ride year round except on those days when the roads are icy, but should not have to worry about that for several months.
My commute to GU used to take me around 15-20 minutes of walking and then, assuming no wait for the shuttle bus, a 10 minute ride to the campus from Dupont Circle. My commute to World Market used to include the 10 minute ride on the shuttle bus to Dupont Circle and then a 20 minute ride to Friendship Heights on the Metro. With trains coming every 2-3 minutes, the wait time was negligible. Normally I would arrive at World Market a few minutes before 6 pm and many times was rushed to get there depending if I was delayed leaving GU and had to wait in line to get on a shuttle bus during rush hour.
Now..with my bike, I average between 12 and 17 mph and get to GU from home in less than 14 minutes! Today it took 13:44. My commute to World Market no longer necessitates a ride to Dupont to catch the Metro, instead I head north on Wisconsin Ave and get there in less than 20 minutes! While it is an uphill ride, the time to ride there at a leisurely pace is still less than the bus and metro.
Riding home from World Market is very nice. After a long day, the 6 mile ride home is mostly downhill. I have reached 32.5 mph. While I am scared of going that fast for fear of that unexpected pothole or stone, the ride is exhilarating and tend to go as fast as I am able.
Not only has getting a bike helped me shorten my commute and wake up later 🙂 It has also helped me become more aware of the bike initiative in DC and also come to appreciate spandex! LOL. Good thing bike riding is healthy because those clothes are very form fitting and revealing.