In Victoria, in the summer, I used to bike to work downtown on the Galloping Goose trail.
This trail is a converted railroad paved bike and walking trail that is heavily used during the summer months, and, because it's Victoria, it's heavily used in the winter months as well. The trail is lined by blackberry bushes and is beautifully situated beside lakes, trees, and the Gorge.
I started riding my bike to work in Victoria on a Bike-to-Work week years ago. I enjoyed the exercise and the ridiculously beautiful trails that were scattered throughout the city.Plus, it was really nice to be able to start the day out feeling virtuous and smug.
Also, the trail was completely flat with no hills. On good days, when I didn't get hit by warm bird droppings, the mornings would be brisk and beautiful. On the ride to work, I would regularly see songbirds flittering around me singing sweetly to each other while playing chicken with my front tire.
I considered, briefly, about joining in Bike-to-Work week this year and I was more than a little jealous of my work friends who were smugly able to complain about their sore legs and wobbly knees.
I miss biking. There are three reasons that I didn't participate in Bike-to-Work this year:
I'm lazy; I live in the Hart and the university seems a really long way away with hills on either end of the trip; and when I examined my tragically heavy bicycle, I discovered that my bike tubes were shredded and my handlebars were covered in baby spiders. I could have overcome one or two of these challenges in time for Bike-to-Work week, but not all three.At least, not now.
Now that I have publically admitted my shortcomings, I challenge the rest of my lazy, Hart friends to perhaps consider, briefly, to join in my wimpiest summer goal yet: bike to work, at least one time, this summer.We can take the bus or call for a ride home. With any luck, the ride will be equivalent to my Victorian, Disney-esque rides with an obscene number of beautiful wildlife, birds and other woodland creatures.
Although yesterday, when I was driving to work down the Hart hill, I drove past a mother black bear with two cubs.I was glad I was in a car and not on my bike.
My bike, I should mention, is a three-ton dinosaur of a mountain bike that was a hand-me-down from my mother after she purchased a much nicer bicycle. I would not be able to outrun a toddler on my bicycle, much less an angry mama bear. I hope that people in the city will consider joining me and challenge their friends and family to a very easily obtainable goal this summer: bike to work at least one time.
Then we can be smug together.
