The Slice: Bike week will be an uphill struggle

So I’ve made a pledge to take part in Bike to Work Week, May 12-16.

And I don’t mind telling you, I’m worried.

For one thing, I’m not in great shape. Oh, sure, I walk a lot. But walking, while terrific for clearing your head and meeting cats, is not the ticket to total fitness.

Then there’s the fact that I have not been on a bicycle since dipping my toe into the Tongass National Forest for a couple of hours several years ago during an Alaskan cruise. That was fun. But I never really figured out the gears.

This time, I’ll have friends who will help me on that front.

What about my route, though? It’s about four miles to the Review Tower from my house, most of that downhill. That shouldn’t be a problem if the brakes on my borrowed bike don’t burst into flames.

But pedaling back up the South Hill is going to be a different matter. I fully expect that I’ll have to dismount and walk it on certain stretches.

Call me disparaging names if you will. I know what my right knee can and cannot do. I’m not signing up for the Tour de Spokane, after all.

Anyway, I could go on and on with my list of concerns. Take potholes, for instance. We’ve all heard from drivers about this situation. But what if you plunge into one of those pits on a bike?

And what about rainy mornings? It’s one thing to walk in a drizzle. But I suspect it’s a bit more difficult to wipe off your glasses while riding a bike in the rain.

I’ll tell you the truth, though. All of that is almost beside the point.

My real fear is that this experience is going to sour me on Spokane.

OK, not totally, not irrevocably.

But I’ve seen the way some Spokane drivers share the road with those who are not in automobiles. Let’s just say I have concerns that my week on a bike will not leave me humming a happy little tune.

What if I emerge from my two-wheel experiment bitterly radicalized and thinking our civic slogan ought to be “Near Nature/Nearly Run Off the Road”?

Who knows. Maybe things will go well. Perhaps my biggest complaint will be that my borrowed helmet made my hair look goofy.

Still, I’d be lying if I said I was optimistic.

So why do this? Two reasons, really.

I want to experience Spokane from a different perspective. And I want to find out how much time a bike could save me in going to and from work.

In any event, I’ll report on my adventure in The Slice next month. Wish me luck.

I’d say, “Honk if you see me,” but maybe that’s not a good idea. I’ll need to stay focused on the road.

“Today’s Slice question: How does your workplace culture deal with chronic tardiness?