Once Daylight Saving Time ends in the fall, commuting gets dicey, at least in my family. My wife is not a fan of me riding at night, which is reasonable considering car traffic around here. I'm more apt to do a recreational ride at night in very low or no traffic areas than ride through Cambridge during the dark, evening commuting hours. But there are days, like today, when riding is worth it, even if it means getting home in the dark. Today I had an early obligation that would have conflicted with day care drop off, if I were driving. So I rode. And I was on time. In fact I was just ahead of the person I would be working with while riding in on the Beacon/Hampshire Highway, unbeknownst to both of us. I finished the ride at close to 13 mph, which is a commuting record for me. So riding in the morning was just fine and it saved the day for me at work.
The ride home, however, was a completely different story. I left a bit early but with the light drizzle it was already pretty dark and the roads were starting to get wet. I had all my lights on and wore my reflector vest and my tires have reflective sidewalls. It was a safe ride home but only because I was cautious to a fault - it must have taken me close to an hour to ride 9 miles, with stops for lights included. I also adjusted the route to avoid a stretch in the woods. I normally ride it in the dark but I thought it would be too slick with the day's precipitation so I saw more cars than I normally see later in my ride. I made it home safe and sound. My average speed dropped to less than 11 mph but that is a decent average for commuting.
Miles for the year: over 2800. I now have rode in all months except for January. And I have run more miles in December than I rode (17 vs 15).
The ride home, however, was a completely different story. I left a bit early but with the light drizzle it was already pretty dark and the roads were starting to get wet. I had all my lights on and wore my reflector vest and my tires have reflective sidewalls. It was a safe ride home but only because I was cautious to a fault - it must have taken me close to an hour to ride 9 miles, with stops for lights included. I also adjusted the route to avoid a stretch in the woods. I normally ride it in the dark but I thought it would be too slick with the day's precipitation so I saw more cars than I normally see later in my ride. I made it home safe and sound. My average speed dropped to less than 11 mph but that is a decent average for commuting.
Miles for the year: over 2800. I now have rode in all months except for January. And I have run more miles in December than I rode (17 vs 15).
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