First bike commute of 2013.

It took me long enough to get around to it. The route shown last night was the plan. The reality is that I missed a turn somewhere on the way to the office and my wayfinding intuition took over. Some parts of the planned route didn't make any sense at all once I got there (like the jog onto the bike path at 123rd before Foster) and were similarly replaced ad-hoc.

There seem to be no better ways to cross 435 than taking sections of 103rd and Antioch in rush hour traffic without adding significant time and mileage to the ride. That little stretch is the worst of it. The rest of the route is quite pleasant.

Total mileage for the round trip: just under 20. Not a bad day on the bike, but my lack of conditioning was apparent.

Here's the "cue sheet" from my route starting at about 87th and Quivira, with notes:

• Turn right onto Quivira Rd
• Turn left onto W 91st St
• Turn right onto Reeder Dr
• Turn left onto W 92nd St
• Turn right onto Switzer Rd
• Turn left onto Taylor Dr 103rd - I totally missed it this morning. It cost me some time and finding my way out of cul-de-sac hell.
• Continue onto Perry Ln
• Turn left onto Wedd St
• Turn left onto Connell Dr
• Turn left onto W 99th Terrace
• Turn right onto Grandview Dr
• Turn left onto W 103rd St -- Lots of impatient people heading to highway on-ramps.
• Turn right onto Antioch Rd -- Lots of impatient people heading to highway on-ramps.
• Turn left onto W 108th Terrace
• Slight right onto Lowell Ave/Lowell St
• Turn right onto W 115th St -- JC nichols subdivisions are all mazes.
• Turn left onto Lowell Ave  -- JC nichols subdivisions are all mazes.
• Slight right toward Lowell Ave  -- JC nichols subdivisions are all mazes.
• Turn left toward Lowell Ave  -- JC nichols subdivisions are all mazes.
• Turn right onto Lowell Ave  -- JC nichols subdivisions are all F***ING MAZES!
• Turn left onto W 123rd St
• Turn right onto Foster
• Turn left onto W 132nd St
• Arrive at Metcalf and 132nd St.

All in all, not a bad route. The homeward route was exactly according to plan, but in reverse.