Errand Crushing Adventure

Today I did all of my errands via bicycle. I know this sounds weird because I almost always do all my errands by bicycle, but usually they are done one at a time on separate days, because I’m a poor planner. By the time I realize that I should have been heading somewhere else, I’m on my doorstep unlocking my house. Not today however. Today, I thought ahead, mapped out a route, kind of, and then stepped out my front door into the great unknown.

I think the hard part about doing multiple errands on a bike is that I usually only know the way to and back from some place. I can ride to the grocery store and back or to the post office and back or to the greenway and back, but I’m not too good at picking out the best routes between all of these places.

The places to visit today were the bank, the central library and the post office. Errands in a car are easy, well easier, because you can just pick the route that you believe will offer the least amount of aggravation and then you go on your way, but it doesn’t really matter what road you take. One could also do this on a bicycle, but there are definitely some roads to avoid if you value your life. Peters Creek Parkway is one, Silas Creek and University Parkways are just a few of those that should be avoided at all cost. 

About half of the roads that I rode on today I don’t normally travel on, and for the most part I was pleasantly surprised. I think it’s one of the joys of the bicycle that you can really explore a neighborhood. In a car, you can’t look around and enjoy the scenery because there’s always a pedestrian just waiting to step into your path, and you need to keep your concentration. While the pedestrians can still be a danger, you the cyclist for the most part can just relax and enjoy the scenery. I discovered a new section of the city, which I will most likely visit again, and then left that to venture into the strip mall jungle, which my bank inhabits. Surprisingly drivers didn’t seem too angry that I was there, probably because they had to be vigilant about people walking around while staring at the sun. The only real danger I faced was dodging a salmoning grandmother in a tie-died shirt. I retraced my steps and rode downtown to drop off some movies at the central library and then cruised on down to the local post office near my house on the way home to drop off a thank you card. 

This is what I love about cycling around instead of driving. If I have to drive, it just feels like I’m waiting in line. When I’m riding, I’m having an adventure, because you never know what’s going to happen and once you’re out there you just have to deal with the adversity and keep on pedaling.

Go mash some pedals.