In an attempt to keep fit and do my bit for the environment I began cycling to work. My current commute is just under 27 miles per day and takes me from Bristol to Bath and back, mainly along the first Sustrans Cycle Route: the Bristol-Bath Railway Path. I cycled 2,350 commuter miles in 2007.
To make the journey a bit more interesting/challenging this year, and to put something back into the mix, I thought I would take a virtual trek across North America, transposing my commuter miles (red line on the attached map) onto a virtual route as given by Google maps (avoiding highways etc).
In January I started this virtual journey close to the area where John Cabot landed on his first voyage from Bristol to Newfoundland. I completed the journey on Friday the 14th November.
During the trip I have lost 15kg, feel a lot healthier and have saved approximately 1.5 tonnes of CO2 (compared with driving the same distance to and from work for a year); never mind the CO2 I have saved by not flying to America. I am now aiming to up my combined total (commuter miles and weekend miles) to around 5000 for 2008! this is approximately half of my total annual car mileage and almost twice my 2007 cycle miles...
Why not join me in 2009, cycle commuters united, slowly, ever so quietly saving the planet!
The race is on for 2009, Santiago or bust... Watch this space...
I would like to say a big thank you to all my sponsors... you have given me the impetus to carry on through the wind and rain, and have helped me reach my target of £500 which will be winging it's way to Sustrans in the new year ...
