I biked to work today and it was amazing. Kudos to Boston & Hubway. #biketowork #Boston @bikeboston @RandCorporationToday was bike to work day, so that motivated me to check out Hubway, the not-so-new bike sharing program here in Boston. I was worried the bikes would be clunky or the signup complicated, but the interface at the station was a cinch and I was off on a bike in no time. My first bike was a little clanky, and with only 3 low gears, it sometimes felt pointless to pedal downhill, but the seat was adjustable and comfortable and I felt great riding it.
I had to make a stop in the morning for an appointment. There were Hubway stations two blocks from my house, two blocks from my appointment, and one block from my office. All super convenient. I hear that sometimes the stations are full so you can’t return your bike--that would be a bummer if you were in a rush--but all I experienced was ease and convenience.
As for Boston, I enjoyed seeing the number of bike lanes and the number of bikers. Where there weren’t designated lanes, the bike symbol in the lane was more than symbolic: it reassured me as a biker that there was space for me and maybe even made the other drivers more courteous, if you can use that word and Boston drivers in the same sentence. A little planning kept me mostly off main roads, but even when I was on Huntington Ave, it was smooth sailing. And when I made a wrong turn in the South End, I just ended up getting a closer look at some of the great side streets there.
I’m sure it didn’t hurt that it was a gorgeous, sunny, cool spring day, and I wasn’t in a rush. There are plenty of reasons not to ride--if it’s too hot, too wet, or too cold, or I’m carrying too much stuff, or I need to dress a certain way (and not get sweaty!). But now, some of my many reasons are gone--having to make sure my bike’s tires are full, shlepping it out of the basement, worrying about locking it somewhere during the day, and most importantly, having to bike home every time I bike in. It was so freeing to be able to bike to work and enjoy it--and to be able to decide NOT to bike home, since I had to pick up my kids. Now I can take them in in the morning and bike home if my husband is getting them, or vice versa. That is amazing!
I can’t say every day will be bike to work day for me, but I hope a lot more of them will. Thanks, bike to work day!
