Tim859
Member
First commute on the Trek Verve+ was interesting. The forecast looked good for a couple of days so I threw the bike on the back of the car and headed to work. I thought about riding home all day. The first half mile from work is busy if you catch everyone leaving which of course I did. I always get a little nervous on this stretch of pavement. Most drivers are courteous but a few think it’s a race track. I made it through this section without incident. I crossed a highway and then I’m on mostly rural roads. Almost immediately get a call and had to pull over to a safe spot to answer. Seemed like it took me forever to get my gloves off and fumble with my phone to answer. Finish the call and settle down into a rhythm for a few miles. I come to a cross roads and decide I’m going to take the longer scenic route home. This route is hilly but very little traffic. On my non assisted bike the hills really punish me so I don’t take this route often. The route takes you down into a beautiful river valley and back up. When I got to the bottom there was high water from the recent rains. I felt silly choosing this route in hindsight. I would have to back track a few miles or cross the water. I considered riding through but didn’t want to damage the bottom bracket and or the motor. I decided I would carry the bike across by foot. I carried the bike barefoot across the submerged bridge. The water was cold, but I made it across. The ebike made the next 2 miles enjoyable as I climbed from the valley floor at a comfortable pace. Arrived home with a ride time of 1:13 for a distance of 18 miles. Felt great and not too tired when I got home. Didn’t feel like I was going that fast but averaged 4 mph faster on the ebike. It’s such a blast to ride and has me riding more often than I normally would.
