Ouch

My arse was thoroughly pulverised on the way home from work today. I'm the proud borrower of a newly-repaired bicycle and helmet, and I tried the evening commute with it for the first time. I've been walking to work and back all week (just under an hour each way) to avoid the damp despair of the bus. I've been told that the 18 is the worst bus in Dublin, and I absolutely believe it. I can walk the entire way to work in the time it takes me to walk from home to the bus stop, wait for the bus, ride the bus and walk from the bus stop to my work.

Since walking was an improvement from riding the bus, I expected cycling to be better yet. This was my first time commuting by bicycle in any city, and it was a bewildering experience. One major factor contributing to my confusion was riding on the left side of the road instead of the right. Each turn required that I devote special attention to winding up on the correct side of the street without causing an accident or being involved in one myself. Do I ride as far to the left as I can when I pull up to a stoplight? What if the cars turning left don't see me and hit me when I'm going straight? This method of going to work is fraught with much more peril than walking.

It is also fraught with more pain. I don't know if the roads are bumpier, my suspension is worse or my bum is just less...calloused than in Minnesota. But regardless, the frequent jolting impacts drove me to whimpers. This was mingled with muttered instructions to myself on how not to get killed.

But the speed and convenience of this new commuting method may just be enough to override its drawbacks. I somehow made a wrong turn when attempting to follow my usual walking route home, and I found myself significantly further north than I'd needed to travel. Despite taking a long, looping detour, I made it home in half the time it's been taking me to bus or walk. This means I'll be able to sleep later in the morning, and I'm quite happy to endure my rear being pummeled (by a bicycle) for that.