Ten minutes

One of the many advantages to riding my bike to work everyday is avoiding traffic. I spend the vast majority of my ride on bike paths that have no motorized access. This allows me to ride comfortably without worrying about getting the chop from a steel death box. However, the first 2 miles of my ride runs the entire length of East Amazon parkway and there is a substantial difference between riding out at 7:20 and 7:3o.

At 7:20 I nearly have the road to myself. I ride on the right shoulder, and although there is no bike lane, there is room for street parking and hardly any cars parked there. Usually, cars that pass me don't even have to use the other lane to give me a wide berth. At 7:20 I will be passed by 5 or 6 cars in the first section of the ride. If I leave 10 minutes later, my car total will skyrocket. It is as if everyone is due at work at 8 and so at half past everyone is out the door. If I make the mistake of leaving late, I can be certain that mistake will compound itself at nearly every section of my ride and slow me down all the way in.

Traffic problems with a late start: Constant stream of passing cars on East Amazon--Dangerous
Heaps of cars at Hilyard, making the ride across the intersection to the bike path sketchy
Cars turning on 24th NOT stopping for the bikers crossing on the crossing path
South Eugene HS students blocking the end of the bike path, busses blocking the view of oncoming traffic and student drivers turning from every direction to get to school
Stacked up cars on 18th encroaching on the bike lane
At all the places where the Fern Ridge path crosses a street, increased cars, none of whom see bikers or stop for them.

On the days when I can make it out of the house early, I have almost no traffic and rarely need to stop my bike. It is a much more pleasant experience--I can get into the rhythm of the ride and lose myself in the cadence of spinning. I truly love riding my bike to work and I know I am grouchier when I can't/don't ride.

Until next time, keep rolling

Jeremy