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After driving my car home from work on Monday, my brother Mike told me May 28 - June 1 is Bike To Work Week. I’m not sure if it is an officially recognized week, but I figured it sounds decent, so I’m gonna go with it.

On this morning’s ride in, I got my first flat tire. It happened about 3km into my 7.5km ride. Of course, I don’t have a pump, a patch kit or a spare tube, so I had to jog/walk my bike the 3km home.

I’ve never fixed a bicycle tire before. I’ve seen it done a few times, but it still took me a while to figure everything out. I considered just leaving the bike and driving my car to work, but since it’s Bike To Work Week, I wrestled with the tire and got it all patched up. I put the tire back on and took it for a quick test ride up the street and back. Once I was convinced my quick fix was sufficient, I was on my way back to work.

I was about an hour late for work, and I was a lot more tired, sweaty and dirty than usual when I got there. But I did learn how to fix a bike tire. I also learned that it’s a good idea to at least have a mini-pump and a spare tube with you when you ride long distances. I’ll probably hit up the store tonight and put together a little emergency kit in case I find myself in this situation again.

In a previous post I mentioned I was thinking of getting a new bike (bicycle, not motorbike). About a month ago I finally decided to go out and do it. I checked out a couple of local bike shops, and decided to get a Giant Boulder SE from Impala Bicycles in Whitby. Check it out:

The bike cost me about $400, and it’s much better than the department store bike I used to have. The quality of everything is so impressive - the gears always work, brakes are tight, and it’s really comfortable to ride. I honestly think it was worth spending a bit extra to get a quality bicycle, especially since I plan to ride it a lot.

I ride to work three to four times a week on average, and I really enjoy it. My setup with work is awesome, since they let me keep my bike indoors in a storage area. Plus we have a changeroom with a shower, so I can have a quick shower when I get to work and then change into my business casual stuff.

Between the riding to work and going out on weekends, I’ve been doing a lot of riding so far. I’ve put about 250km on the bike already, and I figure I should have close to 1500km on it by the time winter comes. I’m getting some good exercise, spending more time outdoors and I’m even saving some money on gas and parking.