So I rode my bike home yesterday. Savvy TPMTHDM readers may have noticed the exercise widget over to the side of the blog finally being updated (for the first time since early May). After just being very exhausted from working non-stop on 2 houses for weeks / months, I gradually just got lazy with the exercising (as has happened before).

But I’m back with a new batch (and a hatchet that I borrowed from scratch – a hatchet – a hatchet!). I have brought out the bike and yesterday was my first bike ride home from work since the move to the new house.

With the new location, I am not so conveniently placed near the Little Miami bike trail, so I had to plan a new route that was entirely on road. After hemming and hawing over various options, trying to balance route shortness with good bike riding / low-traffic roads, I came up with the following route

It grades out at 16.0 miles, though my ride yesterday actually ended up at 16.4 miles on my odometer, probably mostly due to the fact that I made two wrong turns. Actually I made one wrong turn and one wrong not-turn (where I should have turned but didn’t). That compares to 16.78 miles to my old house (world record of 1:05:15).

Started out pretty well. I got a ride in to work and brought my bike (still trying to score a place to shower at work). I was trying to decide the optimal time to leave to best avoid traffic, but various meetings and such got me stuck there till about 5:15 p.m. The first part of the route was familiar – actually the first mile or so is exactly the same as my old route. Upon reading Socialville-Foster road, instead of turning left (and dealing with the huge backup of cars waiting at the light on Columbia), I turned right onto some open roads. Traffic was light and I made my way up on to Irwin Simpson. When I got up to Mason-Montgomery, I slowed due to an impending red light. And what did I see upon looking down at the road? 2 NICKELS!!!. I slammed on the brakes to try and get them, but they looked to be kind of stuck in the asphalt and just then the light turned green. But they will be mine – oh yes, they will be mine.

I pulled an audible shortly after crossing. When I had pre-driven this route the other day, I noticed that SB traffic on Wilkens road backed up at the 4-way stop at Irwin Simpson. So I cut through the Regal Cinema there on to what I guess is called Deerfield Road, so I could continue straight and continue on Irwin Simpson. Make sense?

After staying on Irwin Simpson I made my first wrong turn. I was looking to turn left into a development and loop around the back of Cottell Park at the corner of Irwin Simpson and Snider. But I had it in my mind that there was a street before the one I wanted to turn on so when I saw it, I kept going straight. Then I saw the park and realized I had missed my turn. I ended up cutting through the park multi-purpose trail to miss the stoplight. NB traffic on Snider was pretty heavy but I cut through the stopped cars and waited for an opening and continued SB.

Traffic was pretty heavy on Snider and the road isn’t that wide. I could cut through a neighborhood here for an extra 0.5 miles – I may do that next time. Turned right on to Fields Ertel and then left onto School and then left onto Solzman before turning right on Kemper. Kemper was a very big road but luckily not a whole of traffic. The only problem is that I have to stay right for optimal safety while biking, but after 1/2 mile or so, then cut across 2 lanes of traffic and into the left turn lane to turn left onto Baen Rd. Wasn’t really an issue for me yesterday but might be more challenging with more traffic. I may decide to turn onto (a different) Deerfield Rd instead of Baen next time to avoid having to stop at the intersection of Deerfield and Baen.

Deerfield Rd. was fine but at Cornell I made my 2nd wrong move (this time a wrong not-turn). I was supposed to continue straight, going on to Creek Road to Kenwood but instead I turned right. Cornell had some traffic and I almost missed Kenwood Road. I knew it was coming up soon but the signs were hidden and I had to brake at a red light and then cross in the crosswalk. I continued for a bit on the sidewalk till I could get back on the road, but not before a lady coming out of a shopping center completely did not see me and just pulled out right in front of me. I gave her a friendly wave.

Then came the long stretch on Kenwood Road. One thing I noticed here was the differing in behaviors approaching a red light. I would see a red light ahead and I would think I should slow down to approach the red light (being used to approaching in a car). But then I would realize that wait a minute – if anything I need to speed up! because the light is likely to be green and then red AGAIN by the time I get to it at bike speeds.

Kenwood had some traffic but it wasn’t bad because for the most part it was at least a 3 lane road if not 4 or 5 lanes. So I can ride in the right lane and cars have plenty of room to get around me. From the YMCA to Shawnee Run there were a couple of really good hills though – best one was from Galbraith to Montgomery right by the mall. So you know at mile 14 or so – it’s time for a grueling incline!! I am at least grateful that the final grade towards my house is no longer a steep uphill, but instead a gradual decline.

Final time was 1:11:49. Whaddaya know – it’s a new world record!!!!