Highly Strung

It’s pitch black when we set off and bloody freezing (4 degrees I believe).  My bum bones feel bruised from my first go at the 10 mile ride to my new workplace yesterday.  I actually can’t quite believe I found the motivation to do this, especially for a second day in a row and on a Friday.  Me and the Boyf cycle at a companionable pace along the normal route to my old job (where he still works).  It’s a quiet 6 miles in to the West End.  The first stage is a non talking stage, a busy winding narrow road followed by a short sharp hill with a long downhill on the other side.  We emerge onto a quiet side street with chapped faces from the downhill blast but warm bodies from the sharp climb.  Thereafter we amble in to town, through Tufnell park, skirting Camden then on to Kings Cross.  Road works hold us up slightly then we’re on to the cycle lanes.  A quick kiss goodbye on New Cavendish street and I’m on my own. 

I cycle steadily on through to Marylebone and left down to Oxford street.  Several buses block me in as I approach Marble Arch.  I wind in and out between them until I sit in front them at the lights.  Left down park lane I leave the road at the Animal War memorial and cycle as fast as possible through Hyde Park.  An icy wind hits my left side.  Exiting the park I shoot across the bike crossing on to Knightsbridge, taking the first opportunity to turn left I cut a large corner off to pop out half way up Sloane street.  From there I merge as best I can with trucks and cars around the Sloane Square one way system.  Then it’s left on to the long straight leading to Chelsea bridge.  Hop on to the footpath over the bridge, join the cycle lane.  Crazily the cycle lane is interrupted several times by bus shelters.  I’d expect the kerb to lower to allow cyclists to pop on to the road out of the way then back to the cycle lane, however the gap between what I would expect and reality is rather large.  Skirting the bus shelter I carry on, noting the tree in the middle of the cycle lane as I go.  Queenstown Road roundabout proves to be the usual nightmare as drivers pull out in front of me – they know I’ll accommodate them even though they are not giving way to their right as they should.  We all know who would come off second best if I didn’t.

 From there it’s another short straight on a busy road passing Battersea park station then a left onto a quieter road which leads me to the door of the office….annnnd relax….

 I can imagine the ride would be a hell of a lot more fun in summer particularly as when I cycled through Hyde Park last night I realised that a – my bike light is not very strong and b – Hyde park is not well lit.  I really felt like I was taking my life into my hands.  Tiny lights from other bikes flowed toward me and little red blinking lights lined up in front of me, it was spooky to say the least.  A number of pedestrians walked alongside the bike path, I worried that one might have strayed on to the path and I wouldn’t see them until I was on top of them.  I’m not sure whether to go through there tonight but the alternative is to cycle up Park Lane which can be hellishly busy, I guess I’ll decide when I get there.

 All in all it’s a hell of a lot more interesting than tubing to work, and there are no pesky elbows bumping me.  Having to cycle twice as far as I have ever had to commute before is hard but I like the idea that I’m multi tasking.  Ie I’m getting to work and exercising at the same time.  I often feel time on public transport is a bit wasted as you’re really only doing one productive thing…I don’t call reading the Metro and listening to my ipod a good use of time.

Anyway I hope I’m able to keep motivated on this, if I can cope with today’s cold (the wind is biting) I should be able to cope for the rest of winter…we’ll see I guess.