The Joy of Bicycling and My Commute to Fenner

In today’s post, Abby King writes about her love of bicycling, and all the interesting things she sees and experiences on her commute to Fenner each morning.

I have always enjoyed bicycling. When I was younger, my father and I used to take long bike rides along the rural roads near my home. We rarely had a particular destination in mind; instead, we simply bicycled for the joy of bicycling. Even when I fell and was left picking gravel out of my palms and knees, I still looked forward to the next ride. I loved the thrill of coasting down hills and the refreshing wind in my face.

I still like riding my bike. However, I am not a serious cycler; I do not keep track of my miles or venture out for a ride clad in neon spandex. No, these days I bike mostly to get where I need to be. I bike to work, I bike to the library, and I often bike to school.

I find that bicycling has several advantages over other modes of transportation. I have a car, but gas is expensive and the roads are filled with crazy drivers, overcautious slow drivers, and construction detours. Buses keep an unpredictable schedule which makes it nearly impossible to get anywhere on time, and they can be unpleasantly crowded.  Both cars and buses add to the pollution in the air. Walking is much too slow to be relied upon as transportation to all but the closest destinations, and while running is faster than walking, it is slower than bicycling and makes me hot and sticky.  To summarize, bicycling is cheap, efficient, and quick, not to mention a respectable form of physical activity. However, these are all obvious advantages. For me, the real pleasure of the ride comes from when and where I bike. My morning commute to Fenner is one of my favorite routes.

My trip in to work starts at around 6:30am, when I bike from my apartment to a nearby tree-filled park, which takes me to a main road. I take the road into MSU’s campus and from there I can transfer to the Lansing River Trail, a recent discovery of mine. It is a paved trail that stretches through Lansing for about 13 miles. The 2.5 miles of the River Trail that I ride on my commute are mostly wooded, and pleasant to ride through. The River Trail conveniently takes me to Aurelius road, very close to Fenner. From there it is a simple left turn onto Mt. Hope and a right turn into the driveway. This route takes me through woods, next to a shrubby meadow, into the city, and alongside the Grand River. The closer I get to Fenner, the more interesting things I tend to see. Several weeks ago I saw an absolutely enormous snapping turtle, perhaps two feet in length, sunning itself on a fallen tree in the river along the River Trail. Just this morning I saw a doe and her fawn wading into the river, and several minutes later as I turned into Fenner’s driveway I caught a glimpse of another doe, this one with twin fawns, striding gracefully into the long grass.

I cherish my bicycle commute. I am comfortable in the knowledge that I am saving money, reducing pollution, and working my body. Equally important, I know that I am making memories during my summer mornings in Lansing that I can keep for the winter, and for when I leave the region.