My bike rides this past week
I never know where my bike will take me. I rode five times in the last week, mostly in the morning: 5:00 am, 8:00 am, 3:30 am, 4:20 am, 5:00 pm. Shorter rides are about 13 miles, and longer rides are about 30 miles. With stops, my average speed is about 12-14 mph. The best time to ride is 4:30-6:45 am.
I wander. I have no clue where I\’m going to go when I leave home. This is so wonderful. The only decision is to get on the bike.
One trip took me on the Belgian block of Germantown Ave. I rode the D&R Canal Towpath from Bristol to Yardley before catching a train home. This morning I biked over to Manayunk, along the river to Rittenhouse Square and Washington Square and back on 5th Street. In the evenings I\’m more likely to do a shorter loop.
Because the air is cleaner, because there\’s less noise, and because there are few cars on the road, I prefer to bike in the early mornings before 6:45. Early in the morning, even major roads can have little to no traffic.
Here are some photos and maps… Click on a photo to see detailed versions.
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- Loop before dinner
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- 4:20 am ride into Center City
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- Along the Schuylkill River
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- 3:30 am ride to NE Philly
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- Home to Bristol to Yardley, and back by train
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- Lock on the D&L Trail
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- My bike on the train
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- D&L Trail north of Bristol
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- Morning ride to Germantown and Chestnut Hill
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- Trolley Car Diner
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- Germantown Ave
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- Heart rate's been between 43 and 135.
How does a bike ride affect the rest of my day?
I get a huge mental boost from traveling by bike and observing the landscape. Once home, I feel more alert, focused and able to work at a higher level. This lasts for a few hours. It seems better to be very focused for part of the day than to seek stimulation from Starbucks in order to get work done. Even if I do get some coffee, it\’s not because I\’m trying to stay awake.
