Today, I finally did it. I rode my bike to work. A couple of weeks ago Michelle bought me a bike for my birthday and a long-held plan to actually bike to work became a reality. It was fantastic.

I live along a very fine arterial bike path that passes within sight of my office window and it really is somewhat shameful that it has taken me this long to actually make the trek. I’ve walked extensively through downtown Hamilton but never taken up the cycling mode. It took me 19 minutes to cover the 5.2 km so my pace was rather leisurely, including stop lights, stop signs, small children, big squirrels, and serious crossing guards.

My plan was to avoid getting all ‘geared up’ and just pedal over with my normal garb and footwear. This tactic was intended to remove internal excuses I might create to riding more regularly. Now that it has been done once, I have very little reason not to repeat it. Living within a biking commute of work is yet another thing I can add to my list of what I love about being in Hamilton.

The image above provides a general idea of how I looked this morning—no spandex, gloves, toe-clips or timing devices, just the sounds of woodland creatures, natural fibres worn as God intended, and a brisk upper lip, all in poetic motion. Some of my colleagues prefer more synthetic clothing—I bear them no ill will. Spandex provides its own (and adequate) retribution. [Source]