The Lure of the BIKE LANE

One of my favorite sights!

As a nervous biker I am always thrilled to see an actual Bike lane.  Of course it does not solve all of the hazards a cyclist faces on the road, but it does give me my own portion of the road on which to ride, and it gives drivers, many of whom have no concept of "sharing the road" with cyclists, some awareness that cyclists exist.  Where there is a bike lane, rather than expecting drivers to slow down and maneuver around a cyclist going 1/3 the speed of most vehicles, I only have to count on them to stay in their own lane and not drift over a solid white line.

Today I rode 14 miles of Bike Lanes.  I just started riding from my house, and headed west and south, until the bike lane ran out, then I turned around, and turned down any random street that had an inviting bike lane.

Of course, 14 miles is a nice ride, but certainly not the mileage I need to be doing.  But for now I would rather have a great ride that allows me to get more comfortable on my bike and increases my confidence, and return home after 14 miles feeling great and loving cycling, than push myself through 25 miles on less enjoyable roads, and come home frustrated or on edge.  Until I build up my comfort and confidence on the bike I can't really focus on building the speed and power I need, so for now I will continue to take it one step (or 14 miles) at a time.