Yesterday was the last day of National Bike to work week and, thanks to a busy schedule and viral induced exhaustion, I had yet to commute by bike! It was time to get on the bandwagon. More importantly, the Friday one week before Memorial Day is the anniversary of the start of the 2009 Fernandez Brothers Bike Tour, and I was out to commemorate it.

I packed up three changes of clothes in the morning and started the day with a ride to work. After work, I rode past my house and continued along the route we took on the first night of the tour, excepting that my gps kept me on course. I rode under the train trestle bridge where we agreed that Lowell is a terrible place to ride and past the dark, forested, intersection where the first and only crash of the trip resulted from Isaac’s infamous videography. I rode past the bars where some girls asked about my reflective bracelet and ended in Auburndale at Debbie’s. I didn’t renact the crash, but I did score a flat tire.

I really enjoy riding at night when it’s warm. The roads are quiet and the breeze is cool. It’s rare to even see another rider after dark. You feel like you own the road. There is less to think about. Since you can’t even read your own speedometer, just focus on the patch of road lit by your headlight and keep pedaling. I trust the gps to light up and beep at me if I need to do something. Plus, it justifies the ownership of a 12 hour headlight system and clear sunglass lenses.

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