Today begins week three of riding my bike to work. What began as a bit of a necessity has become something of an enjoyment. My car finally died a few weeks ago. It was 13 years old and had a great run. So while Jennifer and I were deciding what to do next, I began riding my bike.

Thankfully, I spend very little time on the road each day. I have a 1.26-mile commute each day to my office. During lunch, I need to travel downtown almost every day for my other job or to run a couple errands. That trip from my office is a little over 2 miles. So, even in the August heat, doing it on a bike really isn’t too bad.

During this time, I have learned a few things about myself and my city. In the spirit of my book reviews, here are three things I have learned over the three weeks.

I Sweat More

One of the unexpected benefits has been the ability to get a little exercise within the context of my normal day. I love to run, but lately with the kids schedule becoming more congested and school year beginning finding time in the morning or afternoon is a real challenge.

Riding the bike to work, around town, and back home has allowed me to get almost an hour of physical activity each day. Plus, I didn’t have to take any extra time away from my family to do it. Double win!

I Notice More

I don’t know if it is the lack of metal surrounding you or doing 13 miles an hour instead of 30 but when I ride my bike to work I notice more things about my community. This is a great little city. Now that I have been riding around it for a while, you get a real sense of the people who live around you. It was cool to be having this experience right after I finished reading Walkable City.

On several occasions, I have stopped to talk to neighbors who were out walking or pulling the trash to the curb or playing with their kids in the front yard. These conversations wouldn’t have happened if I would have been in my vehicle. And, it isn’t hard to come up with something to talk about. Almost without exception, they will ask, “Why are you riding a bike?” lol.

Which brings me to my third takeaway…

I Have More Ego Than I Like to Admit

It caught me a little off guard by how strange riding my bike was to some people. Some people thought it was kinda cool, others looked at me like I lost my mind. Normally, that stuff doesn’t bother me too much, but this time it embarrassed me a little. I’m not really sure why, but it did. The questions have pretty much stopped now and I am more comfortable with the looks I get but for the record:

Yes, we still own a car.

Yes, I still have a driver’s license.

No, I did not get a DUI.

All in all, this has been a very enjoyable experience. In fact, I have been offered the use of a vehicle until we purchase a new one but I turned it down. At this point, other than being a little inconvenienced it hasn’t stopped us from doing anything that needs to be done. (Well, I did stay at the office during lunch today since it was raining.)

We will probably buy a second car though. Jenn has figured out what she wants, we just haven’t had a free day to go test drive anything. Even when we do though I will probably still continue to bike to work, especially now since my boss bought me a helmet.???