Un-Boring Your Commute
As the days get dark and dreary, it gets easy to fall into the old car-commute trap of being bored senseless by your daily trek. That feeling of helpless ennui makes sense when you're stuck behind the wheel of a car with only one real route to carry you out of the commuting duldrums, but there's always fun to be had on a bike. In today's post, let's look at livening up your commute, so you can turn one of the worst parts of your day into one of the best!
Turn it Up
There's nothing like some tunes to amp up your rides. Whether you're the kind of person who likes to color their scenery with soundscapey instrumentals, someone who needs a high BPM to fire up your legs, or more of a podcast/talk radio-type, having some organized noise on your commute really elevates your experience. Your local laws might frown on headphones, but a bluetooth speaker will keep you jamming out in your own little music video all the way to work. After all, you wouldn't buy a car without a stereo - why should your rides be any different?
Mix it Up
When it comes to driving, you don't have a ton of route options. Well, you do, they're just not very exciting or different from one another. Leave home, get on the freeway, wait behind other cars, move a bit, wait some more, get off the freeway, get to work. Or, leave home, stay on surface streets, sit behind other cars, sit at lights, yell at other cars, get to work. But on a bike, taking a new street is a blast! At 10-20mph you see things you've never noticed from behind the windshield. Cute little coffee shops to try, film shoots being set up in the park, so many new dogs to meet and greet - and you still usually end up at the next red light right next to those same cars that raced past it all. If you feel yourself losing the love for your commute, point your front tire down a new street and see what you discover! As long as you still make it to work on time.
Buddy Up
Carpooling is a great way to cut down emissions and give yourself some commute company, but do you know what's even better? Bike-pooling! Find someone else at work who's willing to ride and meet up before you roll to the office. Or check your local facebook/whatever groups to find a bike train that already regularly rides to your area. Or just talk to the other people you see on the road and make some friends. Biking with other people is a great way to get cars off the road so there's more room for riding, it can help less experienced riders get a taste for commuting, and having people to chat with makes the ride fly by! So stop being bored, ride with some buds!
Don't let the winter gloom turn your ride into a downer, crank the tunes, take a new path, and bring a friend! It'll feel like a brand new commute. And we'll see you out there.