BobbyG

Even though my daily commute ended 18 month ago, I still keep my lights, long-fingered gloves of various warmth, and other necessities in my commuting backpack on the shelf in my closet where it's been for the last 20+ years. I have a smaller trunk bag I've been using for many rides, and often I ride with no bag or pack since none is needed.

But last night I had a social meeting, downtown. It would be dark when it ended, plus cooler and with a chance of rain. I also wanted a change of clothes and toiletries in case I got schvitzed-up riding there.

So I grabbed my bag, checked the battery level in the lights, checked the status of the toiletries bag, made sure the rain gear was still in the bag, changed into my bike clothes, packed fresh street clothes and headed out.

The meeting was only 5 miles away and downhill so it was only a 25 minute ride and I didn't really break a big sweat, but it felt good to go through the procedure I went through all those years of bike commuting.

I changed in the handicap stall, and it was dark by the time I got home. My first night-time ride in months.

The weight of the bag on my back-rack was something I hadn't experience in quite a while, and now I'm thinking of grabbing the bag and wearing it while I ride my old-rackless roadbike, just for old-time's sake.

While my current schedule allows me to ride pretty-much whenever I want, commuting was the main motivator that got me out on the bike almost every day...and riding with a purpose has a special feeling all its own.