The Great Adventure - beyond Minnetonka!

[dreamshark]

I have to work this weekend, or I will never get caught up with my testcases. I'd decided that a while ago. I decided to turn it into an adventure by Riding. My. Bike. Getting in good enough shape to ride my bike to work and back is one of my goals for the summer. I'm not sure if I'm there yet or not, but a weekend seems like a perfect time to give it a try.

I have ridden from my house to the Depot in Hopkins many times (when I used to ride to work at Digi). And I have experimentally ridden the last part of the ride, from the Depot to QLogic. I think if you add the two together it's between 12 and 14 miles. I'm pretty sure I can ride that one way, but not quite sure I can do it again to get home. I'm taking my keen new phone, and figuring I can call for backup transportation if I need it.

I've spent about 2 hours nerving myself up for this great adventure. I packed an elaborate lunch, and even found a cold-pack in the freezer that fits into the pocket in my Laptop Lunch case. I took a good look at the apparently broken bike compass and realized that it wasn't really broken, just disassembled in an odd place where the bracket attaches to the bike (not the place where the computer slides out of the bracket - this is a different, previously unknown, oddly pointless assembly point). The face is scratched, so I still suspect Free Wheel of manhandling the bike in some way, but at least it's attached to the bike again.

Let's see... what else do I need. My building badge!! It would be really dumb to ride 14 miles to work and then not be able to get in! My computer glasses. A headband, because it's really humid out there. And I guess I should put on my spandex bike shorts for this jaunt. And take an antihistamine. And put on a hat.

This is scary. A safari into the 2nd-ring suburbs. Wish me luck.

Comments

[mizzlaurajean.livejournal.com]

Luck!

You are braver then I and definately in better shape.

[chirosinger.livejournal.com]

The best of luck to you! Just beware of evil animal control trucks!

[pameladean]

Sunscreen!

I hope you have a fine time.

P.

[jbru.livejournal.com]

Speaking of your Freewheel experience, I noted yesterday on my ride home that there is another bike co-op, called The Hub, that is in the same building at Midwest Mountaineering. Right on the corner. So if you're craving that hippie, good-feeling bike shop experience, you might give them a try. Mind, I've never been there so I can't vouch for their hippiness or lack thereof.

[skylarker.livejournal.com]

Luck!
I'm impressed! (I could only do 4-5 miles on my stationary bike when I had one.)

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

I can't ride more than 15 minutes on a stationary bike. Without the pleasure of movement and scenery to distract me, my legs start to hurt too much. Also, on a real bike you have the option of coasting for 10 seconds whenever your legs get tired. If you can ride 5 fake miles on an exercise bike, I'm sure you can ride 10 real miles.

[skylarker.livejournal.com]

Huh. That's good to know. I'm looking into getting one of those adult, three-wheeled cycles when I can afford it - a more ecological way to make grocery runs.

[daedala.livejournal.com]

I hope that you survived your trek into the wildes of suburbia.