First Colorado Bike Commute

First post from Steph! I am a 40-ish mom working in Broomfield.  I bike commuted before we moved to Colorado, but have not attempted a commute here yet.

After three unsuccessful Sunday rides to solidify a route to work, I finally mustered up the courage to attempt a "real" commute this week.  And, since temperatures were in the mid-60s, there was really no excuse not to try.

I live about 10 miles from my office on the roads, but my commuting route is approximately 13 miles because half of the ride is on trails.  I use my cyclocross bike to commute because it is happy on trails or roads.  It works very well, though I would be faster on the trails with a mountain bike and on the road with a road bike.  No matter, it is good to do trails and roads.  Here is the view from my office.

On the day I took this photo, I saw a flock of bluebirds and a zillion mountain bikers on my route.  It was a nice ride.  On my first commute (Thursday), I did not see any wildlife other than the prairie dogs, but met a lot of nice runners who commiserated with me about the headwind.

Lessons learned:

1. There is an underpass at the intersection of Eldorado and Interlocken in Broomfield so that you don't have to cross all of the lanes of traffic from the bike lane to turn left.  Score!
2. I will leave toiletries at work so that I don't have to carry them back and forth. This duplicates the set in my swim bag, but as long as I use them all up, it is OK.
3. I will put a bottle cage for my water so that I don't have to stop to get the bottle out of my pack.  Cyclocross racers don't need water cages but they are not riding for over an hour with their computer, bike lock, and shampoo in a pack!
4. When riding on gravel, keep weight on the back tire to maintain traction.
5. I am glad to have a light on my bike.  I think it helps me be more visible to drivers and it is a comfort in case I am late leaving work.