Calgary Commuting Culture

Bicycle - The last 2 days of filming...

The last two days have been good, I finally captured the gauntlet on Thursday morning and today I managed to get a bit of the Commuter Olympics down on the Bow River pathway. Here is my artistic interpretation of my experience ;)



Before I started the Olympics, I had a truck cut me off this morning on 26th Ave. SW. He accelerated and then pulled a right hand turn in front of me. I had to lay on the brakes pretty heavy, it wasn't really that close but he definitely was driving like a jack a**! I cursed him and his stupid big truck as I pedaled towards work. That was the only really stresser over the past couple of days.

I also managed to capture my morning gauntlet, which is by far the most stressful part of my commute in to work. Here's the video to prove how busy the traffic can get...



Physically I've been feeling better and better on the bike, my legs are starting to feel the magic again, although they're a far cry from my racing days, they still like to make the wheels spin! And now that things aren't as cold or slippery I've noticed that I am able to have way more to think as I pedal along, which is one of the primary reasons why I like to ride my bike so much: time to think, time to reflect.

Now that the weather is getting warmer and the sun is out earlier I've really noticed way more people on the pathways and bike routes, which is good but sometimes it's pretty cool to have the whole path to yourself... so quiet, so peaceful... and usually so cold ;) But in the big picture, the more people that are using the pathways, the less they're driving their cars and that is alllll goooood.

Today was it for filming, now we have the task of compiling our footage into something meaningful and engaging. I think we're going to rock it out. I will be sprinkling video throughout my postings over the next couple of weeks, adding some visual reference to my experience. I'm trying to decide what music to use... I guess it depends on the footage. I am open to any suggestions...

p.s. -- This entire month cost me $0.00 to commute to and from work everyday. Obviously there was the cost of the bicycle ($500), helmet, locks and clothing (<$500) and the bike cage rental (one time fee of $25) but those are a very small amount to pay when compared to a car. No gas money, no parkades, sweet! If nothing motivates you to try different forms of commuting, just think of the economics!

Labels: Bicycle