Bike to Work Day...in the rain?

[HillSlugger]

I've been signed up for this for months and looking forward to it. Unfortunately, tomorrow's weather prediction is calling for rain and has dampened my enthusiasm. I know I won't melt and my bike it equipped to handle the rain, but I'm a bit concerned with the way people around here drive when it rains.

Will you be riding tomorrow?

[indigoiis]

We also have rain forcast. I am going to be wearing my crossing-guard-disturbing-shade-of-green vest, and a blinkie. And layers.

I'm leading a bike train, so I can't bail.

Be prepared for the worst, and it won't be so bad. ;)

[divingbiker]

I have the day off, but I'm still planning to ride over to the Silver Spring pit stop. Of course, if it's really bad, I may just sit on the couch and read the paper...

[7rider]

I also plan to be at the Silver Spring pit stop. My office's bike team is having an "event" at 8:30 - I have to be there at 7:30 to help set up. So, it's going to be an early day for me.
Yeah, Terry's accident and the rain are not making me really motivated to ride tomorrow. I'll be in layers....maybe on DH's bike with the disc brakes. But I don't feel like changing out tires tonight and re-sizing the Ortleibs for a different rack.
Sigh.
Maybe I'll call in sick.....Not.... :o

[F8th637]

I kept checking the weather hoping it would change all week but alas. Why couldn't we get today's weather tomorrow? I am planning on riding tomorrow anyway though as I do need to pick up that t-shirt. :p Yes, I'll be soppy and wet but that's ok. I have disc brakes so I figure my excuses are fairly limited.

[Trek420]

My first bike to work day was in the rain, I loved it. But right now I'd trade your rain for the kind of heat we had today. Just 2 miles from the train to home but I stopped at a park, got some water, had an orange.

I've never had to rest on the way home. :(

My ride to work is a choice and usually twice a week the days with best weather/traffic conditions. I felt badly for those who have to ride each day, it is a scorcher.

If it wasn't BTW day I would have waited till tomorrow. But I had a nice ride.

[Possegal]

My ortho took the question out of my hands, told me I'm not allowed on my bike yet. My shoulder is still inflammed and he said not until i get rid of the pain can I ride. Problem overall, but makes the rainy Friday a non-issue. So I choose to work at home tomorrow! Good luck and be careful to all of you who are riding.

[jobob]

I head out for work at around 7 am and it takes me about an hour, so this morning wasn't very hot for me. Glad I wore my trusty Amici Veloci sleeveless jersey, nevertheless. :cool:

I'll probably wait until 6:30 or so to head for home tonight. That's what I did last night & it worked out pretty well, there wasn't much wind (yay!) and what little there was was relatively cool going across the bay.

[madscot13]

Hey gang, I am riding, even though it will be raining, I will be graduating, I don't have a job to bike to, and I am a bit busy.

Bike to work! show that you care!

[Velobambina]

You DC girls be careful! With all the rain we've gotten, there's bound to be a lot of deep puddles.

I'm getting over a horrible upper respiratory virus, so I decided to forego riding in the rain and instead, opted to let Coach Troy torture me this morning.

[divingbiker]

Well, I went back and forth but finally hauled my butt off the couch and rode over to Silver Spring in a light rain, and I'm so glad I did! It was a fun ride. Not many people at the SS pit stop.

I got some nice schwag, and I registered my bike with the county police. After picking up a few things at Whole Foods, the rain picked up a bit on the way home. But it's mostly downhill until the big uphill at the end. Funny how that big hill is so much easier in the morning than it is at the end of a long work day!

Here's the loot: a t-shirt, chamois towel, two reflective thingys for the spokes, reflectors for the bike, key ring with carabiner and compass, and a water bottle from the police.

6043

[Trek420]

Bike to Work day in San Francisco had twice as many bikes as cars going down Market street. :p

[HillSlugger]

I biked to work! The rain was worst right as I left the house and then eased up to a drizzly/mist by the time I got to the rally point.

I helped myself to their breakfast spread and picked up my goodies: T-shirt (as seen in DB's post), a hideous-green water bottle, and a handlebar bag (wouldn't you know I just ordered one!); also got a set of tire levers from REI. I also had the REI guy try to adjust my rear derrailleur.

The one guy I had a conversation with turns out to live within a 1/2 mile from me. We compared our routes and do the exact same thing.

Light turnout compared to last year. :(

[F8th637]

Man, you guys got great stuff!! My pit stop in Vienna had way less swag than they had last year. A chamois towel, a handlebar bag?!?! You guys made out like bandits! I got my t-shirt and the water bottle of course and my Fairfax County bike map fresh off the presses! It started drizzling a bit right before the pit stop but it let up as I ate my breakfast there. All in all, fairly uneventful. I think my body was tired or maybe my mind and I kept it easy and used all the granny gears I wanted. :D Kudos to all you who rode this week!

[7rider]

I also rode in. It was pouring at 5 a.m. when I woke up, but fortunately it was just a light mist when I left the house. I passed Terry's truck, still at my house...and that was kind of sad. No riding partner. :( It alternated b/t drizzle and mist all the way in. I saw only one of the yellow crowned night herons by the tennis courts off Sligo Creek. It was also missing it's buddy. :(
I picked up the same schwag as Janice. I was there at 6:40 - got interviewed by a reporter from the Gazette...so look for me on Wednesday! Not many folks where there and they were still setting up, really. Disco Health had some fanny packs, but I didn't take one. I also didn't visit the MoCoPo, so my haul was minimal. I did pick up the clippy things...they're for your spokes?? I thought they were for your shoe laces (oh...go them, too). Spoke seem better, actually. I got some stuff for Terry. We'll visit him tonight, I think. He's been coming 'round so it'll be nice to visit with him.
I got quite a lot of interest in my Bike Bucks program. We had a "juicer" at our office - bagels (thankfully...I was starved by the time they came over with them) and coffee. Yum! Had a great crowd at our juicer. A real boost.
:)
Glad everyone had a good - and safe - Bike to Work Day morning. Safe ride going home!

[HillSlugger]

I got some stuff for Terry. We'll visit him tonight, I think. He's been coming 'round so it'll be nice to visit with him.
I got quite a lot of interest in my Bike Bucks program.

I'm glad that Terry is doing better!

What's your "Bike Bucks" program?

[7rider]

I'm glad that Terry is doing better!

What's your "Bike Bucks" program?

Thanks.

Bike Bucks is a program we are implementing (unfunded - by the grace of our LBSs) to offer financial incentives to bike commuters...ride 100 miles, earn $5 bike bucks that you can spend at area shops. We "borrowed" the program...nearly verbatim and with their blessing and assistance...from a similar program run at NIH: http://www.recgov.org/r&w/nihbike/#bucks Currently, The Bicycle Place and Proteus accept Bike Bucks. Hopefully, we'll get other shops to sign on.

[F8th637]

Bike Bucks sounds like an awesome program! I'm all for getting more people riding their bikes.

[HillSlugger]

I'm a contractor with the National Cancer Institute. I wonder if I qualify to participate?

[7rider]

I'm a contractor with the National Cancer Institute. I wonder if I qualify to participate?

Not for my program!! ;)
Check with the NIH folks.
Their's is open to "NIH employees and contractors."
Their program administrator and club president is on maternity leave, so their program is "on hold" right now. You could zap her an email...you may get a bounce back of who to contact in the interim.

[HillSlugger]

Here's the stuff I picked up (minus the shirt):
http://home.comcast.net/~nicole.thomas14/BikeDaySchwag_0283.jpg
That water bottle is possibly the ugliest water bottle in the history of cycling!

[F8th637]

I'm so jealous of everyone else's schwag. Even if the color isn't the most-appealing green it still looks a lot better than the hard plastic bottle I got from W&OD Friends. I just noticed that my Bike To Work t-shirt has a hole in the back too. :(

[madscot13]

that is pretty cool all I got was a T- Shirt. I wish I had a handlebar bag!

[HillSlugger]

It seems weird that the different locations, all through WABA, had different stuff.

[divingbiker]

got interviewed by a reporter from the Gazette...so look for me on Wednesday!

I took a quick look at the Gazette on my way out the door, and saw your paragraph near the end of the article--they said you like to save gas $ and see all the traffic backed up on the beltway every day. A guy on an Xtracycle got a lot of coverage.

[7rider]

Ithey said you like to save gas $ and see all the traffic backed up on the beltway every day.

Oooohhhh...geez......:o