Last Commute on Remembrance Day



From Wikipedia - Remember Flanders Fields

I made my final bike commute to Fort Worth Alliance Airport today. Since it’s also Remembrance Day, I’ll resist the temptation to call it “the commute to end all commutes.” In that commute, I fell three times in 11,000 miles. Only one fall was serious; when I unexpectedly encountered a trench associated with construction of a new road median. The other two falls were on “MUP” paths in wet conditions. I have not had a single “close call” with motor traffic on my bike during the commute. Not one. Perhaps I’ve been miraculously fortunate enough to avoid the horrible and dangerous situations with cars I hear people describe daily, but it is also possible that cycling really CAN be fun and safe, and that motorists are not demons looking for opportunities to run down innocent and safely operating cyclists.

Today, I brought along my camera so I could take a memorable and spectacular “last day” photo, but nothing really spectacular or memorable happened. As a result, the photo I chose illustrates the dramatic and death defying nature of bike commuting. “Live Fast and Die Hard,” so to speak. It shows the lock from my locker at work. Today was a good time to finish for less dramatic, but more practical reasons as well. I ran out of soap and shampoo this morning, I still haven’t replaced that tube with the broken Presta valve, I’m overdue on lubing Buddy’s chain, and my Cateye headlight is held to the bike with a rubber band because the bracket is disintegrating – again.

The Locker Lock Comes Home

I’d never have suspected it when I began, but I’ll really miss the commute to Alliance. It’s been hard at times, but also rewarding. I’ll miss the buffalo. I’ll miss baristas at the ready with triple filtered ice water when it’s really hot out. I’ll miss Holly the crossing guard, and my cheering section. Most of all, I think I’ll miss the sense of accomplishment each time I swept into the final left hand turn lane from Heritage Parkway in the morning.

Next; a new adventure begins!