The Bike Commuter
For a long time I've wanted to be a hardcore bike commuter. When I was still in school I wanted to get a job in downtown Philly and ride in from the suburbs along the Schuylkill River Trail to go to work. Three years ago when we moved to the DC area I was able to basically make it a reality. Since coming to Norway I feel like I've taken it up a notch. I appreciate that I am able to go door to door on two wheels.
Norwegians On Bikes Are Everywhere
A couple of weeks ago I was in a sporting goods store and witnessed an amazing site. Gone were the cross country skis and in its place were hundreds of bikes. The store was so busy that people took numbers and waited for one of 10 sales people to assist them. The scene was something a bike shop in America could only dream of.
I've learned that Norwegians are just as passionate about riding bikes as they were about cross country skiing during the winter months. The downside of snow free ground is that I now share my commute with hundreds of spandex wearing, neon jacketed Norwegians. Another revelation is that Norwegians are fast on bikes. I feel very motivated by all the fast riders.
Beauty On Every Ride
I love my ride and dozens of routes I can take to and from work. I love how the scenery changes so drastically along the way. I tried to capture the feel of one of my bike routes through pictures.
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| The streets of Oslo |
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| Boat docks along the Fjord |
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| At the side of the bike super highway. |
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| Neon wearing cyclist on the bike super highway. It was a quiet moment, but it gets really crowded. |
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| Bike trails converging together. This is about the halfway point home and halfway up a long hill. |
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| Quiet roads up by the International School. |
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| A suburban neighborhood. More uphill |
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| A very red barn and farm house near home. This shade of red is actually very popular. Although cool, today was a glorious day to be outside. |
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| During the winter these were ski trails. Now they are horse, bike and hiking trails. This is about a quarter mile from home. |
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| This is right before I turn off to go home. If I keep going down this trail I end up in the mountains where there are hundreds of kilometers of trails. |
Getting Ready for the Birkebeinerett
A colleague has been telling me about this mountain bike race called the Birkebeinerett. It is a 94km race and has nearly 18,000 participants. It is the largest mountain bike race in the world. I signed up for it and started my training a few weeks ago. By the end of August I am hoping to be strong enough to put in a respectable showing. What I love most about having signed up is that it is keeping me motivated and I can already feel myself getting stronger.
I know I can't expect to have it this good for the rest of my career in the Foreign Service, but I sure am loving life right now and look forward to making the best of the next year and a half.
