So, even though my old bike was stolen, and I mourned it terribly–I got a new bike, thanks to generous friend. Here she is:

newbike

 

She’s got five speeds and handle breaks, and a pretty little wicker basket that I use to keep her brand new U-Lock in.  I love the color. It’s probably my favorite color in the whole world, that shiny-deep blue. It’s the color of the lake on a sunny day.

It’s a little taller than my old one, so I’m getting used to being up higher. Also, this one has handle breaks, which means I spend a lot more time with my hands actually on the handle bars. But it’s weighted differently–I think probably the front isn’t as heavy as the old one–so I can’t really ride it without hands successfully anyway. I’m getting there.

However, now that I’ve got speeds, I can go really, really fast. It feels really great. I’ve been biking to and from my CPE station’s home base in Ravenswood, which is a little more than 15 miles door-to-door. The greatest part of that is that almost all 15 of those miles are on the lakefront, and so I spend all this time next to the beautiful Lake Michigan.

I get absolutely stunning city views.

downtownThis one is from yesterday. The trail curves around the aquarium and the whole city is right in front of it. I love the Chicago downtown area. It is just beyond superb. Sometimes I can’t believe that I live here. Especially when this is my commute. I take advantage of it when I can. Not all jobs are cool with you showing up sweaty, sunburnt, and exercise-high. So I make the best of it when I have one that will. (Of course, I bring a change of clothes.)

On the north shore there are a lot more busy beaches and a lot more people. The south side is quieter, with only a few beaches and not too much traffic. But once you get up to the north side it’s jampacked full of people almost all the time. The morning commute isn’t bad, but coming back on a Friday afternoon is pretty crowded. (I’m still moving faster than the cars on lake shore, though! Hah!)

northsideThere are some great views coming from the north entering the city. This is the way home for me, traveling around the downtown area and passing all the beaches. It’s an impressive city. It’s amazing how well they’ve managed to integrate parks and biking into their infrastructure. I absolutely love it. I wish it was easier to keep people off the bike trails, and treat it a bit more like a commuter spot, but maybe in time that will happen. Until then, I weave around all the people and just enjoy the view.

Here’s the map of my commute.Screen Shot 2013-07-06 at 10.42.23 AM

 


4 Comments

G'Ma · July 13, 2013 at 1:20 pm

Beautiful route!! Beautiful pictures!! (From: G’Pa)

Dad · July 13, 2013 at 5:39 pm

I am really impressed. Nice route, nice infrastructure, nice bike, nice exercise. I love your pictures of the downtown as seen from the bike path. Maybe I’ll bring my bike up sometime and we can ride the lakeshore together!

Stacey · July 28, 2013 at 4:27 pm

Looks like a pretty long commute though. How long does it take you?

maggie p · July 31, 2013 at 5:49 pm

Hi Maggie! I got to your blog through your most recent post on FB, and was glad to have a little window into your summer. I’m super impressed with your tenacity for that commute, and really glad that you’re finding joy in it! They weather’s been pretty great for biking. Looking forward to hearing about your CPE experience when we gather again in the Fall! I’ve only got two more weeks left at my placement! It’s been a whirlwind.

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