A few weeks ago I mentioned I was planning on biking to work. I'm finally doing it, and so far it's been relatively successful.

This isn't the first job where I've rode my bike to work. When I was 18, I rode to my summer job almost every day (~12 miles round trip) and went through the entire summer on 1 1/2 tanks of gas in my car. (I had to get to the barn somehow.) A few years later, I rode to my summer internship at Pratt & Whitney (~16 miles round trip). In 2005, I biked to my job at EchoDitto (Fairfax -> Arlington), and then in 2006 from Rosslyn to Georgetown.

Anyway, it's about 21 miles round trip, and takes me anywhere from 40-50 minutes. Going to work takes longer than going home as it's 95% uphill and I'm loaded down with my lunch… sans daily can of Diet Coke. I figure I can do without the 12 extra ounces.

The only thing that really stinks is getting out of the Tysons Corner area. My office is basically gridlocked by Routes 7 and 123, the Toll Road, and 495. Essentially, in order to get to relatively safe roads, I have to be Really Careful: crossing Route 7 to the frontage road is one bad spot, then across 123, then Old Courthouse. I'd feel more comfortable if there were crosswalks there (have already put a call into VDOT in hopes they'll consider it, especially since the Dulles Metrorail extension is supposed to go right through there).

Since I am not super hardcore, I'm hoping to do this about three times a week… perhaps more, depending on how high the price of gas gets. But either way, it's nice to be out in the air and sunshine instead of stuck in traffic.