I cycle home on a tow path, I usually see 3 herons and the odd kingfisher. Today one of the herons allowed me to cycle past it as it stood on the path, I could have touched it. Fab indeed.

🙂

Occasionally a heron on the canal tow path part of my commute – completely unfazed by my cycling past just a metre or two away. Also see the occasional deer – in the gap between the canal and Bingley by-pass! For a commute that’s 50% urban there’s a surprising amount.

I had a heron flying next to me for about a km the other day.

I do wish my towpath commute was a little more picturesque though.

Oh Far Canal…

I’m mates with a barn owl. I think he (or she) uses me to scare mice for breakfast.

The smell of freshly cooked bacon from the shack under 5 Ways island.
The smell of freshly cooked croissants from Tesco on the edge of Brum.
The wave I get from the same fella at the bus stop in Harbourne. I have no idea who he is but every time, he waves.

I walk down the stairs to my office form my bedroom. Quite convenient really.

Had to walk past me wife which I guess you could class as congestion 🙂

Heron touching sounds a bit too niche.

A couple of decent size drops to flat, a natural bombhole, and then laughing at the progressively grumpier faces the nearer I get to town 🙂 Never did understand why people look so miserable on their way to work.

Another heron/towpath fan here.

And the university campuses on warm summer afternoons. 😳

When I lived in Perth WA I would often see dolphins and pelicans on my ride to work.

I take the same photo every day. It’s the same but it’s always different.

Getting a seat.

Herons here too on the canal.

Unfortunately its usually joined a bit further along by the lesser spotted estate dwelling scum bags who try and push you in the canal.

Racing Mr. Rapha on his S-Works Team … and winning.

The South Lakeland Fells and views across to the pennines, taking the long way back through the Langdales ;P

The little bit of made for cx singletrack next to the cycle path, fast with a few roots and a couple of sand sections to power through.

The smell of salt, seaweed and diesel when I pass the marina.

The fact its around 5 minutes faster than driving 😀

The smell of freshly cooked bacon from the shack under 5 Ways island.
The smell of freshly cooked croissants from Tesco on the edge of Brum.

That’s just torture!

Today I enjoyed properly filmworthy ‘heavenly rays of light’ breaking through clouds over the North Downs

I take the same photo every day. It’s the same but it’s always different

Brilliant idea. Although, slightly nuts 🙂

Riding past the lines of cars I’d be sat in if I wasn’t on my bike. Just being on the bike is fab in itself.

Full gas into a nice gap in the traffic on the roundabout at the bottom of the big hill is way more satisfying than it ought to be.

Or students doing the ‘walk of shame’ always makes me smile.

The short but perfectly formed downhill section from the top of the quarry complete with drops, jumps and gaps followed by the ultra steep grassy bank leading to the loamy singletrack through the woods makes for the perfect 1 mile section of my commute.

Not quite as heart stopping as being nearly run off the road by a dopey Audi driver as soon as I dare venture on tarmac immediately after… but close.

.. not a single bird fingered mind you. I alsmost poked a squirrel if that counts?

@colin9 that is awesome.

I just like slipping passed all the traffic and the woken up energised feeling once i get to work.

I get to see herons and geese most days on the towpath, one thing that is really good is the smell of the Cadbury’s factory in Bournveille – there’s some days where the air is thick with the smell of chocolate.

Also when geese are flying next to me coming into land on the canal, its only happened a few times but it’s ace when it does.

85% of it is off road
Limited nature to be seen but for 18 miles where i live its an awesome route

I had a deer run across in front of me last week, but it happens quite frequently and I tend to take it for granted.

Mine follows the Thames then goes through Richmond Park, a short urban stint and I’m back along the Thames past Parliament and into the city. 85% cyclepaths and it’s a nice route with plenty of nature despite being London. It’s interesting seeing the city change over time as all the building work progresses.

The geese on my commute are hooligans! TBF it’s only when they are breeding or have young.

Saw a hedgehog the other night as it was crossing the road

Either a load of urban drops on the more direct route or a choice of half a dozen downhill trails ranging from 1 to 5 minutes in length, with berms, drops, gaps and general techy fun. As you can imagine I am no longer commuting on my Brompton!

I love commuting the whole year round. Kind of keeps you in touch with the seasons more.

Have similar experiences to all of the above, herons on the towpath, sneaky bits of single track in the local woods with the deer etc, but best wildlife has to be when riding in the woods in the dark the owl that always flies in front of me in my headtorch beamevery time I ride by him/her.

Other favourites are watching the sunrise/set, the sound of icy puddles cracking as I ride over them, noticing how grumpy car drivers look as I pass them on the cycle path, the smell of the earth in the woods,and feeling energised by the time I get to my desk and already looking forward to the ride home!

Flippin’ lovely this cycle commuting lark!

I enjoyed watching the following birds having a bath on this mornings slight diversion into work:

Loads of herons and kingfishers, the occasional hawk. Seeing the long line of queuing traffic on the freeway on the far side of the estuary and feeling smug.

But mostly riding with my 4-yr-old son and dropping him off at kindy on the way to work. Seeing him progress from being scared of downhills after a couple of big stacks, to insisting I ride on ahead and check for cars coming out of driveways so he can fly down the hill, trying to beat his own record for how far he can get up the hill on the other side. Magic 8)

Also, the “you’re as daft as me then?” exchanged grins with other cyclists when it’s raining sideways.

Dodging wing mirrors and the congestion charge, occasionally enjoying the sights of the city while wearing a pollution mask which makes me feel like a much skinnier version of Bane from batman. 😆

hairylegs

Spot on there.
If you are lucky enough to have a nice,quiet and scenic commmute,it is a thing of joy.
I think my years of doing inner city routes makes me appreciate mine even more.

I walk into work through the park each day and the bit in the town centre is close enough to my favourite independant coffee shop to pop in a couple of times a week.

Need to finish my singlespeed project to start riding in, but then that would kill off my coffee stops so think i’ll stick to walking

one thing that is really good is the smell of the Cadbury’s factory in Bournveille – there’s some days where the air is thick with the smell of chocolate.

I miss this.. but tbh who wants a dirty factory and 500 jobs when you can have lots of nice shiny houses…:-(

Still I do get the occasional deer running alongside or in front which is cool.

Herons on the canal commute are ace 🙂

Thunderbirds 😆

things that make your commute fab

The bit where I hit 77mph on the way home & see the sign that says ‘Boroughbridge 6 miles’.

Colin9 is winning this by far!

I get the second half of Follow The Dog to myself on the way in, then I can do the first half on the way home again. Amongst many other routes as well…