Riding your bike is fun, slightly dangerous sometimes, and good for the environment. In about a month, I’m going to take my first trip abroad to Amsterdam. From there, I’ll be participating in Cycling for Libraries where we’ll be riding bikes from Amsterdam to Brussels, stopping at libraries along the way. I am beyond stoked. We’ll also be stopping in Brugge for a day!
Ha! I couldn’t resist.
Cycling, seeing libraries, talking about libraries, and hanging out with 99 other library people sounds like a great vacation to me. In order to prepare, I’ve been riding my bike to work. I find it’s a lot easier to incorporate physical activity into my everyday life because I am lazy and wouldn’t do it otherwise.
As I commute to work on my bike, I’ve been reflecting on what I really enjoy about it. First, I value the quiet time that I get on the way to work. It’s just me and the road (and a bunch of cars), I get to think my thoughts and just be outside for awhile. The fresh air is nice before sitting in a freezing cold library all day. Is it the golden rule of all libraries to be freezing? Seems that way. Second, I get to work a lot faster on bike than on bus. Hard to beat that. Third, it’s just good for me physically and mentally. I feel a lot better by the end of the day. I’m sure the endorphins help.
It took me a while to acclimate to cycling in Chicago. I grew up in a mid-sized town in CA, where people really like cycling a lot. There are lots of bike lanes and not so many buses and cars. Chicago is a big city, I never saw myself as an urban cyclist, still don’t really. I rode my bike downtown once and was terrified of being run over by a double-decker tour bus. However, I just had to practice being on the road and remember that the same road rules apply here as they did in that mid-sized town. I’m doing okay! Now to practice riding with a large group…
I hope to have more updates as I venture on my trip. If anyone has tips on touring, riding in large groups, or places to check out in Amsterdam, I’m all ears.
cat lady librarian 
Remember that you can have the entire lane to yourself (and ride in its center) when you need to for your safety. In the US anyway. If you ride at the edge, it encourages people in cars and trucks to squeeze by you, and if the lane isn’t wide enough, that’s very dangerous. It can be an uncomfortable thing to do, but keep in mind that there are many kinds of slow vehicles on the road.
I commute by bike whenever I can. I enjoy a ride on my lunch hour. I also like that I don’t get stuck in traffic; if I drive or take a bus, I really don’t know when I’ll be home, it can take 20 minutes if the stars align perfectly or an hour if there’s gridlock. On a bike, it’s about 30 minutes no matter what. I can make social plans.
Have fun in Amsterdam!
Great, these are the reasons why i bike too. It’s such a beautiful machine as well. See you in Amsterdam! 🙂