Cold Commute

by @636man

It’s about 7 AM as I wake up and look outside. The stars are fading from the sky as the sun peeks from behind the mountains. It’s cloudy and about 33 degrees. My groggy thoughts look for an excuse to drive the truck to work, but I fight my urges and choose a 2-wheel trip. I put on my basic work attire and over my uniform and hoodie, I don my 1-piece cold weather suit, before zipping up the suit I put on boots and my windproof balaclava. I am starting to feel pretty warm inside and begin to sweat. I still must kiss my sweetie goodbye, put on my helmet and heated gloves (just in case I need some extra heat). After all that is done, I locate my small gear bag and load it on the back of my DRZ-400SM. Once outside, the neighbor’s dog spots me and goes on high alert and the barking begins! I step on to the peg and swing my leg over the saddle. Between the thick winter suit and the 21” front and 18” rear wheel from an “s”' model, I can barely reach the ground. I turn on my headset and stream music. As I reach the end of the driveway the barking dog hides and I feel relief, both being much more comfortable outside in the brisk November winter air and having my least favorite part of my commute (suiting up) out of the way.

I slowly start my journey on very twisty back roads, warming up the tires. Within the first half mile of my trip a weathered white husky looking dog is frequently near or in the road, laying down, or standing up. I always slow down and when the dog gets near, I speed away just like in the textbook. The last few mornings he races me down the street, around a few corners, me on the road with him in the grass just along the road. I let him lead the race until we get too far from his home, and then I pull away. At first, I thought he might be a biter, but now I know better. The cold tire race first thing in the morning is now my favorite part of my cold commute. I slow carefully and look for the husky; no sign of him today.

The sun continues its climb for my commute. It’s quiet with hardly any traffic on the road. The scenery is nice, mostly made up of the changing of autumn leaves on twisty country roads. I am warm in my suit with an occasional gust of cold air up under my helmet to keep me awake in the early morning. I’m glad I chose to ride today, as I always am once I am on the road. I stay alert for wildlife and drivers that like to pull out in front of motorists.

I stop to fuel up, and that is when I realize my debit card is in my gear bag zipped up under my cargo net in the basket. I remove my glove and begin the excavation process. I top off the bike with a fresh gallon of 87 octane, clear the trip meter, re-glove and relaunch. Leaving the gas station, I am about halfway through my commute, continuing my now snaking route through the old town to my job on the edge of city limits. I much prefer the country roads, but there are plenty of things to enjoy through town. The architecture is older with character and often neglect and decay. It draws my mind back to what things must have been like during its heyday. Now I am approaching the dam, I ride the bridge over the river and admire the water falls. Sometimes it is steaming with heat as the water rushes over, but unfortunately, not today. I don’t have much time now as I approach the turn for my workplace.

I park my bike near the front of the parking space, grab my key, phone and gear bag and march into work. Wearing my safety yellow one-piece riding suit, I usually grab attention. How could I not? “Good morning Mr. Armstrong” I hear a voice say to me. Entering the locker room, I sit down for the final portion of my commute. As I wriggle out of my riding garb, I think about how I must look in my suit and helmet carrying this gear bag and realize, my coworker hit the nail on the head. The image of Apollo mission astronauts walking across the bridge to the rocket in full gear carrying a case in one hand waving with the other, flashes in my mind. It is me, I realize, and I think about the cold commute of an astronaut.

“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” JFK

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