How Was Your Commute Today?

[pfunk12]

So glad tomorrow is my day off so I will NOT be commuting. :p


P -- What a scare! It's a week like this one that keeps your blood pumping. Travis could have easily given you a heart attack. Good thing you're in such great shape. ;)

[7rider]

DH rode into the city tonight to meet me, so we could ride home together.
Well....sort of.
He called me when I was in the locker room getting ready. "My rear derailleur cable snapped," he reported. He was riding to our LBS for an emergency repair, and I would meet him there. The shop is just 1.5 miles from my office, so it was an easy trip there.
...a half hour of repair, lots of b.s., and general chit chat, and DH was done with a new cable.
So off we went for a ride home.
Now....DH was riding his sub-17 pound ti and carbon Seven ID8 road bike...which he rides against Cat 2 racers. Me....I was on my upright, flat bar commuter with a single pannier weighing about twice that. So....on our ride home, you can imagine I was a little out-gunned. Think: Ferrari vs. Hummer. Any time the road turned upwards (oh...and it was really windy, too), I got dropped off the back like a rock.
Was I wrong for being a little surly by the end of the ride?

[pfunk12]

No! Surly would have been an appropriate emotion.:p


Was I wrong for being a little surly by the end of the ride?

[HillSlugger]

DH rode into the city tonight to meet me, so we could ride home together.
Well....sort of.
He called me when I was in the locker room getting ready. "My rear derailleur cable snapped," he reported. He was riding to our LBS for an emergency repair, and I would meet him there. The shop is just 1.5 miles from my office, so it was an easy trip there.
...a half hour of repair, lots of b.s., and general chit chat, and DH was done with a new cable.
So off we went for a ride home.
Now....DH was riding his sub-17 pound ti and carbon Seven ID8 road bike...which he rides against Cat 2 racers. Me....I was on my upright, flat bar commuter with a single pannier weighing about twice that. So....on our ride home, you can imagine I was a little out-gunned. Think: Ferrari vs. Hummer. Any time the road turned upwards (oh...and it was really windy, too), I got dropped off the back like a rock.
Was I wrong for being a little surly by the end of the ride?

He definitely should have been doing a better job of pulling!

[Melalvai]

Dumb college kid in an SUV yelled "Laaaaance!" as he passed. That worries me. What are they teaching kids these days?? Lance is fast. I am slow. Lance rides cool bikes. I ride a fred bike. I look nothing like Lance. Lance has one testicle more than I do. I have one ovary more than Lance does. That poor fellow will never graduate college, I believe.

Round the next corner is a pedestrian crossing to the Vet Hospital. I stop at that stop sign reflexively. It's automatic, I don't think about it. Rarely is there a pedestrian in the crosswalk, but this time there was. He proceeded, I proceeded. He turned around in the middle of the road, and announced:

"Congratulations, you are the first cyclist in ten years I have seen stop at that stop sign."

I smiled the rest of the way home.

[pfunk12]

Dumb college kid in an SUV yelled "Laaaaance!" as he passed. That worries me. What are they teaching kids these days?? Lance is fast. I am slow. Lance rides cool bikes. I ride a fred bike. I look nothing like Lance. Lance has one testicle more than I do. I have one ovary more than Lance does. That poor fellow will never graduate college, I believe.

Round the next corner is a pedestrian crossing to the Vet Hospital. I stop at that stop sign reflexively. It's automatic, I don't think about it. Rarely is there a pedestrian in the crosswalk, but this time there was. He proceeded, I proceeded. He turned around in the middle of the road, and announced:

"Congratulations, you are the first cyclist in ten years I have seen stop at that stop sign."

I smiled the rest of the way home.

Hey, Lance...good stories! :D

[ny biker]

I know two bike commuters in northern Virginia whose water bottles froze during their ride this morning.

Anyone else?

[7rider]

I know two bike commuters in northern Virginia whose water bottles froze during their ride this morning.

Anyone else?

Not mine in MD. But then, I whimped out and took Metro. I think I've lost my enthusiasm for 18 degree (-7C) and windy commutes. :(

[ny biker]

Not mine in MD. But then, I whimped out and took Metro. I think I've lost my enthusiasm for 18 degree (-7C) and windy commutes. :(

Well I've never had that enthusiasm so you're still better than me...

[pfunk12]

I know two bike commuters in northern Virginia whose water bottles froze during their ride this morning.

Anyone else?

I went out earlier when it was 23 degrees with a 13 degree wind chill but my water didn't freeze.

[Melalvai]

I am never sure quite how to dress when it is hovering around freezing. A little wind or sun or a couple degrees can make a HUGE difference. Today I brought the full winter kit, but didn't wear it all. I stopped twice in the first 4 miles to undress a little bit!

The little metal bit that makes my brakes spring open when I release the brake lever sometimes comes unhooked. It's very easy to put back, but it confuses me hugely. The first time a few days ago I thought my brake cable was freezing up (only it didn't seem that cold). Tonight I was a little smarter, but the left side front brake metal bit (that had come off last time) was fine. Oh. It was the right side!

The very nice guys at the bike shop looked at my trailer wheels and told me what I need to do. They didn't have the right bearings on hand but they measured & wrote down the dimensions so I can get them at the hardware store. They oiled the bearings I have, so it's lots less squeaky, it will do until I get new bearings.

We also talked at length about how to build the bike stand I'm going to build!

[Biciclista]

I had no intention of riding today; my stepfather is in the hospital, and i wanted to be available to go down there at a moment's notice. that was not to be. My husband packed the car keys in his pannier... so I had a lovely bike commute this morning.

[ginny]

It has been lovely around here lately. The side streets are treacherous at the moment... in fact, a couple of days ago, I walked the last two blocks home because the ice is so slick! I am not complaining though, it's so nice to be able to ride all year round ...

[pfunk12]

I decided to bike in today because it's supposed to snow later and tomorrow morning so I most likely won't be on the bike tomorrow. Because I knew that the trail is still covered with snow, I had to make a decision last night on which route I would take. I have many options to get to work but all of them are on major roads. I decided to take Wisconsin Avenue down to Georgetown and I think it was the best choice. For most of the way, there are 3 lanes heading to DC so I grabbed a lane for myself. Traffic is so light that early in the morning so there were stretches that I actually had the whole road to myself. And no one was beeping their horn at me or telling me to get out of the way. :) Now I just have to figure out which way I'm going to go home.

[kmehrzad]

I decided to bike in today because it's supposed to snow later and tomorrow morning so I most likely won't be on the bike tomorrow. Because I knew that the trail is still covered with snow, I had to make a decision last night on which route I would take. I have many options to get to work but all of them are on major roads. I decided to take Wisconsin Avenue down to Georgetown and I think it was the best choice. For most of the way, there are 3 lanes heading to DC so I grabbed a lane for myself. Traffic is so light that early in the morning so there were stretches that I actually had the whole road to myself. And no one was beeping their horn at me or telling me to get out of the way. :) Now I just have to figure out which way I'm going to go home.


P - Stay safe out there tonight going home.

[pfunk12]

K - thanks...I made it home safe and sound. Although with slightly higher blood pressure than this morning! I decided to do 14th street - straight through the heart of DC. Between the metro buses, crazy drivers, jaywalking pedestrians, construction and all the noise...wow...I miss the bikepath!!! My regular commute is 15 miles and this was only 8.68 but...I would rather do the distance and enjoy the peace and quiet.


P - Stay safe out there tonight going home.

[kmehrzad]

P - Glad you made it home safely. Sounds like a hellish commute through the city.

If only it'd stop snowing so the paths could clear again. We've got the white stuff falling down rather fast right now. I suppose we're looking at 4-6 inches.

[pfunk12]

P - Glad you made it home safely. Sounds like a hellish commute through the city.

If only it'd stop snowing so the paths could clear again. We've got the white stuff falling down rather fast right now. I suppose we're looking at 4-6 inches.

I realize that they are a different breed and much more experienced than I, but I don't know how couriers do it every single day!

Tired of the snow...:( And more show showers on Friday and Saturday...

[kmehrzad]

P - I'm escaping the DC area on Thursday and going to Naples, FL for a long weekend to visit my daughter who's completing a one yr. residency there. Hope to do some riding, beach walking, fine dining, and of course a little shopping. Cannot wait. Looks like my trip will be between snow storms, thank God.

[pfunk12]

Sounds like you have a great (timely) weekend planned! Enjoy! And hopefully the snow will all be melted when you come back. :D



P - I'm escaping the DC area on Thursday and going to Naples, FL for a long weekend to visit my daughter who's completing a one yr. residency there. Hope to do some riding, beach walking, fine dining, and of course a little shopping. Cannot wait. Looks like my trip will be between snow storms, thank God.

[pfunk12]

I decided to ride in today since it may be the last time I commute for a while since we might get 2 feet of snow over the weekend :eek:. Commuting on major roads to get into D.C. is a little stressful but also very invigorating. I feel like the city is waking up before my eyes. I did Wisconsin Avenue again but decided to go through the city instead of getting on the snow packed sidewalks near the Kennedy Center. I took M Street to 23rd Street. At times I had no idea where I was. It was dark and I was feeling a little confused on the bike. But then I saw the Lincoln Memorial! And the Washington Monument! And I knew that all was well and I would eventually be able to find my building :D. I stopped at the Lincoln Memorial and took some photos because there was another beautiful sunrise. So not looking forward to this next storm...:(

[7rider]

I stopped at the Lincoln Memorial and took some photos because there was another beautiful sunrise. So not looking forward to this next storm...:(

Oh, heck. You GOTTA post those pics!

[pfunk12]

Oh, heck. You GOTTA post those pics!

Will post them this evening but as usual, they are never as good as what you are actually seeing. I was coming in a few weeks ago and had to stop and take a photo of the pink/red/orange sunrise behind the Lincoln. It was gorgeous. But when I looked at the photo that I took, I was disappointed.

[7rider]

I know two bike commuters in northern Virginia whose water bottles froze during their ride this morning.

Anyone else?

I read Yehuda Moon today (http://www.yehudamoon.com/index.php?date=2010-02-04), and thought of this post!

:D

[divingbiker]

K - thanks...I made it home safe and sound. Although with slightly higher blood pressure than this morning! I decided to do 14th street - straight through the heart of DC. Between the metro buses, crazy drivers, jaywalking pedestrians, construction and all the noise...wow...I miss the bikepath!!! My regular commute is 15 miles and this was only 8.68 but...I would rather do the distance and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Wow, you're brave, pfunk! 14th St. around the Target/Best Buy is crazy!

A more sane option is 13th, if that works for where you're headed.

The ride in today was nice, but colder than I thought it would be. But it was nice being back on the bike after quite a few days off.

[pfunk12]

Wow, you're brave, pfunk! 14th St. around the Target/Best Buy is crazy!

A more sane option is 13th, if that works for where you're headed.

The ride in today was nice, but colder than I thought it would be. But it was nice being back on the bike after quite a few days off.

DB - You're right. That section of 14th street was crazy on Tuesday afternoon. Even in a car, it would have been insane! There is a lot of construction going on so there was a lane that was closed. I have to admit though, the drivers were nice to me. I may take your suggestion and try 13th street.

[Tri Girl]

Today was the first commute since the snow last week. Woo hoo!!! It was raining to and from work- but who cares when you have rain gear and full fenders. It was so great listening to the rain falling and hearing it rushing in the drains under the streets. What a great day to be riding!
Now I'm off to clean my bike- who thinks it wasn't quite as much fun as I did.;)

[pfunk12]

Today was the first commute since the snow last week. Woo hoo!!! It was raining to and from work- but who cares when you have rain gear and full fenders. It was so great listening to the rain falling and hearing it rushing in the drains under the streets. What a great day to be riding!
Now I'm off to clean my bike- who thinks it wasn't quite as much fun as I did.;)

Good for you, Tri Girl! Always great when you think positively!

Oh, DB...you didn't tell me about that one hill on 13th street. :eek: And that was how my face looked most of the commute home :D. I took 14th all the way up until a few blocks before the crazy section with the Target and construction. I took a right to get to 13th. Pushed my way up the hill and only stayed on 13th for a short time until I went back to 14th. It's a trade off. There's not as much insanity on 13th but there's also no bike lane and it's only a 2 lane road. But wow...14th street is sensory overload. And once I got to Walter Reed Hospital, I had to ride on 16th street for a short time before I could cut through the neighborhoods to head home. Very aggressive drivers on 16th. I could have reached out and touched at least 5 cars that came very, very close to me. And based on the weather forecast, that may be my last commute until spring. :D

[pfunk12]

Here are the photos I took this morning on my way to work. As I said earlier, a little disappointing. They don't show how beautiful it actually was but still...I'm not complaining!

[divingbiker]

Good for you, Tri Girl! Always great when you think positively!

Oh, DB...you didn't tell me about that one hill on 13th street. :eek: And that was how my face looked most of the commute home :D. I took 14th all the way up until a few blocks before the crazy section with the Target and construction. I took a right to get to 13th. Pushed my way up the hill and only stayed on 13th for a short time until I went back to 14th. It's a trade off. There's not as much insanity on 13th but there's also no bike lane and it's only a 2 lane road. But wow...14th street is sensory overload. And once I got to Walter Reed Hospital, I had to ride on 16th street for a short time before I could cut through the neighborhoods to head home. Very aggressive drivers on 16th. I could have reached out and touched at least 5 cars that came very, very close to me. And based on the weather forecast, that may be my last commute until spring. :D

You didn't go up the hill right after Florida Ave did you? That's a tough one!

I usually am on 11th at that point and cut back over to 13th at Kansas.

[pfunk12]

You didn't go up the hill right after Florida Ave did you? That's a tough one!

I usually am on 11th at that point and cut back over to 13th at Kansas.

That's the one!! I swear I was looking straight up in the sky! :D

[Tri Girl]

Those pictures are BEAUTIFUL, pfunk!!!:eek::D:)

[Melalvai]

Yesterday I biked through the snow storm to Avis Rental. I decided to nominate them for the PedNet Business of the Month. Because of them, I don't have to own a 2nd car, and I can still make the 180 mile round trip business trips once a month. It costs me $40 plus gas, which is a lot cheaper than I could own a car.

The ride was good because although it was snowing heavily, it was warm and the roads were just wet. Well, wet and slushy. (When I got out on the highway with the car, it was a little different. The right lane was fine, but I didn't like the left lane, so I just didn't pass anyone.)

The only bad part was when a bus passed me and pelted me with gobs of slush. It hit my goretex -thwack-thwack-thwack. I had just pulled my balaclava up to my goggles on the descent because the snow stung my face. The balaclava helped but it was soaking after that.

The manager at Avis also informed me that they'd give me a ride if I needed! He was a little scared about me biking in the storm. He's been really nice about letting me keep my bike in the back room. I also like Avis because they don't require credit cards. And I've never had to wait.

[bikerHen]

I've been kind of bummed my last two evening commutes. It's not dark any more! I use my lights more for being seen now, not to see. :( I look forward to daylight savings as much as anyone but I'm going to miss my rides in the dark. I know, I'm weird, but there you go! All part of my plan to be a crazy bike lady. :p bikerHen

[Melalvai]

I've been kind of bummed my last two evening commutes. It's not dark any more! I use my lights more for being seen now, not to see.
I know what you mean. I am so proud of my lights, especially my downlow glow. The downlow glow is just invisible in twilight. Sometimes I go out for an evening ride just to use the lights.

[Catrin]

I know what you mean. I am so proud of my lights, especially my downlow glow. The downlow glow is just invisible in twilight. Sometimes I go out for an evening ride just to use the lights.

This is what you are talking about, yes?

http://rockthebike.com/lights/downlowglow

We have a NITE ride in June and I will need some extra lights for my bike :)

[Melalvai]

This is what you are talking about, yes?

http://rockthebike.com/lights/downlowglow

Yes! My one is orange. Only it is actually two. I got the dual tube system.

[Fredwina]

well, at least in 5 years.
Things went pretty well,
Arizona tea bottle won't stay in a bottle cage:rolleyes:
The only other was when the train I wanted to board showed up, I thought I had left my computer at the bike station. It was in my purse. I changed on the train rather waiting till I got to work
see how the evening goes

[Biciclista]

why Fredwina, i didn't know you weren't cycle-commuting!

This morning it was almost light out. how exciting!

[Fredwina]

They just opened a new bike station(http://bikestation.org/claremontca/index.asp )
I didn't want to leave my bike out, and this is secured parking.
I got my sticker:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_vuerRrNlUQI/S4mkKeWlYmI/AAAAAAAAGgQ/1g35fBRhmNI/s640/101_0579.jpg
and rack:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_vuerRrNlUQI/S4mkLlvGdZI/AAAAAAAAGgY/n4n85djpcuw/s640/101_0581.jpg
The bikestation:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_vuerRrNlUQI/S4hsH-Z_QHI/AAAAAAAAGec/VgyNtihVbHU/s640/101_0569.jpg
inside:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_vuerRrNlUQI/S4htAKtuzXI/AAAAAAAAGes/WP_03XQO3HA/s640/101_0572.jpg
They have a selection of Park tools, water fountian, and storage lockers
and there's a bike shop across the street:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_vuerRrNlUQI/S4hyGwg2pEI/AAAAAAAAGfc/KJBxoTKPz1Y/s640/101_0575.jpg
I'm debating taking the streets or bike path home . it probaly wont be until after dark

[Melalvai]

The bike station is beautiful, and so is the 'bent.

I made a trip clear across town, and another trip halfway across town, so I actually got 20 miles in today, which was nice. Traffic was very kind. I started wondering if I'm going to miss cycling in traffic when we move to Kirksville, 1/5th the size of Columbia. I decided probably not.

[kmehrzad]

Fredwina,

I like your Bacchetta Giro. The red paint is really an eye catcher ... very nice. I've got a Giro, too. Mine is green and has the recurve seat. It's a fun ride, isn't it?

Attached is a picture of mine.

[Fredwina]

I took the streets . there's a couple place on the trail where I Have troubles getting a light. Had a few close, but I felt better not running a light. Plus, it does have graffiti problems(gangs)
About 20 minutes later, good to know, since i don't always catch the same train going back (no way to predict it in the am either)
Claremont is one of my favorite place. You have to love the "city of Trees and Phds"

[Tri Girl]

A bike station? That's the coolest invention EVER!! :D

[Fredwina]

kmehrzad - the Giro is quite a sweet bike. Not quite as speedy as my Strada, but it can do a lot more.
TriGirl - Pretty neat, but for $15/month..:rolleyes: The only thing is that they could have a "private room" for chnaging, but it well lit to discourage theives

[Fredwina]

maybe I should have gotten those fenders.
I did actually remember my watch,jewlery, and a book to read, unlike yesterday. and I got an earlier train than I what I usually take (more available seats).
The bad news. The weather forecast was for clouds all - now there's 50% of that four letter word that starts with an "R"(

[Blueberry]

The bad news. The weather forecast was for clouds all - now there's 50% of that four letter word that starts with an "R"(

At least it's not the 4 letter word that starts with an "S" - that's what we're looking at. But I suppose that would be rare in your part of the world.

So - is the bike station privately owned or part of transit or what? Do you lock your bike to the rack? Just curious:)

I haven't figured out a goo way to commute yet. It's 32 miles each way - there is a bus that I could bike to, but there are no showers (and I cannot not shower). Plus, I'd have to leave my bike in an icky place (or put it on the front of a bus). Not good options. Wish we had bike lockers:)

[Fredwina]

Snow not that rare here - it just helps to have 8,000 feet of elavation
Bike station is a public/private partenship - the company behind it is Mobis Transportation, but they do need local Govt. approval (hey, that sounds like my line of business:p) Here the cities own and operate the Metrolink(Train service) stations
I usually bring along a baby wipe and change in a train car bathroom, That still does not address your storage issue
Do you think pea-greean panniers will go with my bike? maybe I should get the Detours Toocan Juicys instead(who said this saves money?)

[lph]

It's been a long time since my bike commute saved me any money :D At least in winter. Unless I factor in, say, playing tennis as an alternative way of keeping fit.

This was my commute today :D :D

The sun was so blissfully allovertheplace on my way home that I just had to do a detour up a hill with a pretty view. The road was pretty packed with snow near the top so I had to concentrate to stay upright, but no traffic apart from two careful and considerate sightseers. There's a restaurant up there with a glorious view over Oslo, in summer I do hill repeats up here, today I was happy to just sit.

there is just nothing like the first days of real, bright sun after a long dark winter!

[pfunk12]

Very pretty, lph. Today was my first commuter in what seemed like forever. I haven't commuted because I haven't been at work in over a week. It was great to be back on the roads - even if I was heading to work :D. There is so much less snow than the last time I commuted so it was nice because the bike lane coming home was completely clear.

[kmehrzad]

The sun was so blissfully allovertheplace on my way home that I just had to do a detour up a hill with a pretty view.
there is just nothing like the first days of real, bright sun after a long dark winter!

And to feel the warmth of the sun on your skin ... nothing better.

[Tri Girl]

OK- I'm going to be a big ol' baby here. I've been commuting pretty faithfully this winter, but I've decided I'm tired of cold so I'm not going to commute any longer until the morning temp is at least 40. I always get weenie towards the end of winter, but this year I've just had it. :p
It takes me as long to get dressed as it takes to actually ride to work. I can't wait for it to warm up so I can ride to work in what I'll be working in. ;)

[twin]

I have switched to a running commute for now because I can run enough time to count for a little more exercise and I actually like it.

[HillSlugger]

I have switched to a running commute for now because I can run enough time to count for a little more exercise and I actually like it.

There's a woman I often see running in the morning wearing a pretty sizable pack so I think she does a running commute. I sometimes see her on a bike. She always seems to have a pained look on her face. I hope you are having more fun than she.

[HillSlugger]

I did a bike commute today. I knew that there was some wet weather coming in the evening but the weather reports were saying it would start after dark. Nope. It was a wet, cold ride home.

[pfunk12]

I did a bike commute today. I knew that there was some wet weather coming in the evening but the weather reports were saying it would start after dark. Nope. It was a wet, cold ride home.

I left the office at 2:30 and it started to rain just as I walked out the door. They were way off with the forecast because I, like you, thought that the rain was going to start later in the evening.

[7rider]

I hate you both, Pfunk and Slug. ;)

I actually attended a 5K training session hosted by our Fitness Center today (along with a gait analysis and shoe recommendation from a local running store).
I'm am SO not a runner, but they're doing a 5K on April 1st. How's that for an April Fool's event...me running a 5K????

[pfunk12]

I hate you both, Pfunk and Slug. ;)

I actually attended a 5K training session hosted by our Fitness Center today (along with a gait analysis and shoe recommendation from a local running store).
I'm am SO not a runner, but they're doing a 5K on April 1st. How's that for an April Fool's event...me running a 5K????

Please tell me your iceberg is melting! :D The warm weather, the rain...there's hope...isn't there? :)

Awesome about the 5k!

[kmehrzad]

Please tell me your iceberg is melting! :D The warm weather, the rain...there's hope...isn't there? :)

Awesome about the 5k!

Speaking of warm weather, have you seen the forecast for this weekend? Temps in the 50's ... YES! I'll be outdoors all weekend, riding most of it.

[lph]

There's a woman I often see running in the morning wearing a pretty sizable pack so I think she does a running commute. I sometimes see her on a bike. She always seems to have a pained look on her face. I hope you are having more fun than she.

*snort* :D I've often wondered if people I pass on my commute notice the look on my face, especially when the weather and temperature and my mood is sub-optimal... If so, I hope they all caught a look of the huge silly grin on my face yesterday!

[7rider]

. YES! I'll be outdoors all weekend, riding most of it.

I'll be running! HA!! (ROTFLMAO) :eek::D (more like waddling and stumbling)

P - Yes, glaciers in the sun are totally gone. Glaciers shaded by those great big hemlocks are not.

[Melalvai]

OK- I'm going to be a big ol' baby here. I've been commuting pretty faithfully this winter, but I've decided I'm tired of cold so I'm not going to commute any longer until the morning temp is at least 40. I always get weenie towards the end of winter, but this year I've just had it.
I know how you feel. The 4 years I've been commuting, I've biked all through winter. I actually do ok during the coldest part and then it starts to get a little warmer and I go all "I don't wanna". This winter is different, maybe because we have this beautiful little heat wave! Most of February was ABOVE FREEZING and now it's March!

Not much longer, Tri Girl. We're nearly there!

[Fredwina]

I know about weather woes. We're supposed to have a 50% chance of rain tonight, so I drove.:(
and I have to decide if want to ride tommorrow or go to my club meeting. It's getting to be more like a marketing presentation, so i'm leaning towards riding , but then i'll miss my buds, as we're supposed to get another storm this weekend

[HillSlugger]

Please tell me your iceberg is melting! :D The warm weather, the rain...there's hope...isn't there? :)

Awesome about the 5k!
7 running? Forget about icebergs because hell has frozen over!!! :eek:

[7rider]

7 running? Forget about icebergs because hell has frozen over!!! :eek:

I just signed up for a 5K on April 1st. I thought an April Fool's Day run was appropriate! :p
Help me, mamma! :eek:

[KnottedYet]

My commute today was gorgeous!

The sun was just rising, the air was balmy and smelled so good. All my flowers are blooming and the daffodils were glowing in the diffuse pink sunlight. Birds were going nuts, singing like crazy.

The ride to the bus station was smooth. Very little traffic. Wheeled my bike into her bike locker, chatted with a neighbor who drove there to catch his bus.

The ride home was fairly dark, but again little traffic and balmy cool spring air. My brakes squealed like mad. The pads are old, so I figure it's time for some salmon Kool-Stops. To heck with trying to get the glaze off, I want new pretties!

Yep, gotta love spring commutes! :D

[pfunk12]

7 running? Forget about icebergs because hell has frozen over!!! :eek:

Glad I'm not drinking my coffee right now because I can't stop laughing. :p

Hey 7 - instead of trying to shovel that iceberg so you can commute, maybe you can chop down the hemlocks so the sun isn't obstructed? ;) Kidding...I like trees.

[Fredwina]

back in the saddle (seat) today!
Note to self: Kenda Kwests don't like wet pavement

[tangentgirl]

Fun, quick ride today! The nice city/parks people even cleaned the sand and rocks off of the bike path I take after last night's rain. They don't always do that, and it gets messy quick.

[Biciclista]

it had just sprinkled before i got on my bike so the street was wet. It was 50 degrees and light out! wooo!

Spring is springing.

[Fredwina]

wound up on the late train (as usual), still nit bad

[Melalvai]

Finished up a bunch of stuff and didn't want to do the other stuff, and I had a couple hours to kill so I went for a bike ride. The trail was a mess, and is now caked on my bike. It was beautiful. I kept peeling off layers until I was down to my bike shorts and the jersey I usually wear as an undershirt.

I meant to end up on Columbia College campus by 3:30 because that was when I was supposed to take the final exam for my online C++ class. The final is proctored, everything else is online. I miscalculated and barely made it. By the time I locked up & re-dressed I was a few minutes late, but that was ok.

I tried to upload pictures but I'm running into problems. Here's one of ducks that's on my blog (it comes out huge if I try to link it directly to here): http://www.kemenel.org/melalvai/?p=537

[Fredwina]

I think I need to break my circadian rythms from waking up so early the past years. Either that or find a longer route in. But I do like the earlier train better. Plus it gives some time in case of breakdown (i'm usualy on the next to last train in the morning

[kfergos]

Oddly, no commute today. I'm trying to work from home, with mediocre success (my work computer went to sleep, foiling my efforts to access it, and now I have to wait for my coworkers to arrive so somebody can wake it up for me). How do you not get all distracted when you're at home and trying to work? There's so much else I have to do here, like go for a nice bike ride in the sunny, non-March-like weather.

[Fredwina]

Think about the deadlines/things that need to get done so you can do the things you want to. Most of the time, I haven't had to deal teh urge to ride , urge to go back to bed, yes, but urge to ride, no:)

[Melalvai]

How do you not get all distracted when you're at home and trying to work? There's so much else I have to do here, like go for a nice bike ride in the sunny, non-March-like weather.
I've been working at home for several months, just going to the lab when the rats or students need me once or twice a week for a couple hours. Sometimes I have to:
shut down facebook
shut down my email
shut down my instant messenger
shut down the web browser...unless I have to open it to look for something. But nothing else is open in it.

Music is nice sometimes, but sometimes I get distracted looking for songs I like.

Sometimes I do the housework first so I can focus on my work. Sometimes I find the housework all too easy to ignore. Sometimes I use the housework as a break after an hour or two of concentration.

As far as a tempting bike ride, I generally find somewhere to go during the day even if I have to dig for an excuse, because otherwise I get to the end of the day and feel awful, having sat in front of the computer for so many hours. By "go somewhere" I mean by bike, because I don't have a car at home. The places I go are: campus to check on the students or the rats, my daughter's school to pick her up on Wednesdays when Daddy has class (we meet at the car), the grocery store to get more bananas, my husband's campus to eat lunch with him, or other errands like the library, hardware store, natural foods store, etc. I generally ride 10-20 miles total, depending on how many errands I have to run that day.

[malkin]

Today is "Professional Development Day" which means there's no hurry to get to school and no particular reason to stay all day. I rode in after a leisurely morning.

Commute #2 for the year. Not Earth-Shattering, but better than none!
Still kinda shakey and have a big dent in my thigh.

[Biciclista]

woke up a little late, didn't want to ride because the weather forecast is wetness...
Rode anyway because it wasn't raining yet. it was a damp 38 degrees, it's been raining on and off all day but it looks like it will be at least not precipitating on my ride home !

[pfunk12]

It was a wonderful commute today. I'm back on the trail after being forced on the roads for weeks because of the snow. It's still dark when I start out but it's getting lighter so much earlier. Noticeable difference every day. About 60 degrees on the ride home. Nice but because of a headwind the entire way home, it was a little chilly but I won't complain.

[HillSlugger]

Today is "Professional Development Day" which means there's no hurry to get to school and no particular reason to stay all day. I rode in after a leisurely morning.

Commute #2 for the year. Not Earth-Shattering, but better than none!
Still kinda shakey and have a big dent in my thigh.

:confused:

[7rider]

I'm back! :D
Rode in this a.m. - finally. First time since mid-January.
The big snowpiles are still there, shaded by the hemlocks, at the start of my ride. But I was able to ride around them (in the afternoon,when that grassy stretch is warm, it'll be a mud-fest, tho'. :o) for the most part. Did walk around a few sketchy sections. Saw other bike tire tracks in the sand...so others are riding, too (and I know I'm not the only one who relies on that stupid sidewalk to get out of the neighborhood).
In town, by some tennis courts, a big stand of bamboo had come down on top of the trail. I imagine it's the adjacent homeowners responsibility to clean it up?? It's their bamboo. I'm sure the county will take that stand, but given how overgrown and crazy this particular stand has always been, I don't foresee it getting cleared up for a while. Fortunately, now that I know, there are several work-arounds for me from which to choose.

[pfunk12]

I'm back! :D
Rode in this a.m. - finally. First time since mid-January.
The big snowpiles are still there, shaded by the hemlocks, at the start of my ride. But I was able to ride around them (in the afternoon,when that grassy stretch is warm, it'll be a mud-fest, tho'. :o) for the most part. Did walk around a few sketchy sections. Saw other bike tire tracks in the sand...so others are riding, too (and I know I'm not the only one who relies on that stupid sidewalk to get out of the neighborhood).
In town, by some tennis courts, a big stand of bamboo had come down on top of the trail. I imagine it's the adjacent homeowners responsibility to clean it up?? It's their bamboo. I'm sure the county will take that stand, but given how overgrown and crazy this particular stand has always been, I don't foresee it getting cleared up for a while. Fortunately, now that I know, there are several work-arounds for me from which to choose.

Awesome! Glad to hear that you are back out there!! Now...how was your run yesterday? :D

[7rider]

Awesome! Glad to hear that you are back out there!! Now...how was your run yesterday? :D

More like a trot. Still able to walk upright afterward, and I didn't kill myself. ;)

[pfunk12]

More like a trot. Still able to walk upright afterward, and I didn't kill myself. ;)

That's all good news! :)

[DebW]

Instead of my usual 2 mile commute, today I had to go to Harvard for a meeting, which is 13 miles down the Minuteman Bikeway. Got to Alewife station and expected to ride down Mass Ave to Harvard, but saw a sign pointing to a bike route to Harvard and followed that. The route went along a path along Fresh Pond Parkway and then turned onto Vassal St and Brattle to Harvard Sq. Took me about an hour and 15 minutes.

[HillSlugger]

More like a trot. Still able to walk upright afterward, and I didn't kill myself. ;)

how much time/distance are you doing? Walk + run or all run?

[7rider]

how much time/distance are you doing? Walk + run or all run?

Treadmill: 30 minutes at 2.0 % incline with 1.5 minute run; 3.5 minute walk gave me 2.0 miles. I've been "upping" the run and shortening the walk every other workout. If I run half of it on the 1st, I'll be happy.

For my bike commute home today, DH came to join me. Another adventure of chasing him through the mean streets on his high-zoot road bike, and me on my clunker commuter. :rolleyes:

Heading up my cursed sidewalk coming home (which DH had declared "nutty" when I met him) - he opted to sprint up the hill on the road. I said there's no way I'm doing that....and picked my way slowly up the hill and around snow banks. I walked it around that bog section by the hemlocks. By the time I got home, my front tire was flat. :mad: I picked up something on that sidewalk. Grrrr.....

[kfergos]

Did my first post-crash ride today: 8.35 miles to the transit center on the Xtracycle. Cool and breezy, and I felt incredibly weak and slow, but I made it. Back on the horse!

[Fredwina]

Did my first post-crash ride today: 8.35 miles to the transit center on the Xtracycle. Cool and breezy, and I felt incredibly weak and slow, but I made it. Back on the horse!
:):):)

[7rider]

Did my first post-crash ride today: 8.35 miles to the transit center on the Xtracycle. Cool and breezy, and I felt incredibly weak and slow, but I made it. Back on the horse!

Good for you! Congrats.

[Trek420]

I get off the train 3 stops early and walk the rest of the way. This gets me a mile to a mile and a half walk before work. Yesterday I saw this along the way. What is Rock Racing doing in downtown Oakland? :rolleyes: :cool:

[lph]

Did my first post-crash ride today: 8.35 miles to the transit center on the Xtracycle. Cool and breezy, and I felt incredibly weak and slow, but I made it. Back on the horse!

Attagirl! :)

[Fredwina]

I've been playing around with my cell phone:
Coming in:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_vuerRrNlUQI/S5m6RezOxvI/AAAAAAAAGk8/tp0h5Jv_Cx4/26737_417893912976_813702976_5229211_377735_n.jpg
You notice it says Colleges? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claremont_Colleges
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_vuerRrNlUQI/S5m6QwwCg-I/AAAAAAAAGk4/gtpK8SSSGHc/s640/26737_417895622976_813702976_5229215_6586321_n.jpg
Rolling down College ave:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_vuerRrNlUQI/S5m6QD09TCI/AAAAAAAAGks/-7edhobOpDY/26737_417896017976_813702976_5229216_1299397_n.jpg\
Claremont Graduate University:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_vuerRrNlUQI/S5m6RhSkVDI/AAAAAAAAGlQ/dn31Z_67a4s/26737_417892847976_813702976_5229210_4658289_n.jpg
The Sign say "let only the Thoughtful, eager, and reverent enter here" <ayeb I should take a detour?
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_vuerRrNlUQI/S5m6SIHhYmI/AAAAAAAAGlg/1A-u9lJIV8s/26737_417892392976_813702976_5229209_5095012_n.jpg
Just in time!:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_vuerRrNlUQI/S5ht9mxVCqI/AAAAAAAAGj0/gVbpDHt6y6c/25159_415283007976_813702976_5224118_24272_n.jpg

[lph]

Hey! No fair! You got spring! Green! No snow!

oh ok, you live in California. I guess that is fair ;)

Nice pics!

[HillSlugger]

Hey! No fair! You got spring! Green! No snow!

oh ok, you live in California. I guess that is fair ;)

Nice pics!

The last of the snow in my yard is gone as of today but there's still plenty around.

[kfergos]

I've commuted in the last 3 days on my Xtracycle, since the normal bike is out of commission for an indefinite period of time. Riding that Xtracycle makes me feel like I'm just getting on a bike for the first time in years, it's so much heavier and harder to move. It is so much work, especially up all those famous Seattle hills, even if I'm crawling along at like 6 mph (which I am!). My legs are toast after only 61 miles ridden this week.

And I still have 20 miles home tonight, plus 22 mi each way to Bike Expo Saturday and Sunday! Riding the Xtracycle will sure get me buff...or kill me in the process. :p

[Melalvai]

I finally got to ride today. I was at a meeting in Philadelphia all week. I hoped to rent a bike while I was there, but I was not able to find the bike shop. Or perhaps I did and he had misinformed me about their hours. The hotel was 1.5 miles from the meeting and I walked when I could, but I overslept once and it was raining heavily the next morning. I won't melt but I didn't want to sit in the conference in wet clothes all day.

Anyway, today is windy, so it was slow going, and coming back was right when schools were letting out, and I passed both the high school and the junior high AND went through the university trying to get home, so THAT was also slow going. I need to be smarter about my route choice at 3:00. That's usually the best route except right then. I might have been better of on the main street, despite it being narrow and full of high school drivers.

[Fredwina]

I couldn't figure how to stuff 2lbs of Danish butter cookies in my panniers. so I opted to pass today. Plus I wanted to see how dark it is now in the morning

[pfunk12]

I couldn't figure how to stuff 2lbs of Danish butter cookies in my panniers. so I opted to pass today. Plus I wanted to see how dark it is now in the morning

Okay, Fredwina...why are you stuffing 2 lbs of Danish butter cookies in your panniers? :D

[divingbiker]

Ok, commuters, I have a question about rain pants. I wore a pair for the first time today, and I didn't like them at all. They kept me dry, and I wasn't hot, but they pulled at my knees so much that my legs started to hurt.

The ones I have are the cheapest that REI sells, so maybe that's the problem. I just feel like they need to have a bit of give in the knees.

Does anyone have rain pants that are comfortable? Guess I'll go window shopping at TE.

[Fredwina]

Okay, Fredwina...why are you stuffing 2 lbs of Danish butter cookies in your panniers? :D
I went and did the Solvang century (ok, I attempted to a century at Solvang, I wound with 75 before packing it due to the winds)
Solvang is a danish theme-ed town.I bought the cookies there (http://olsensdanishvillagebakery.com/) to bribe my co-workers with :) I think they last all of 15 minutes. I was supposed to bring some Æbelskivers back too, but that didn't work out.

[divingbiker]

Ok, commuters, I have a question about rain pants. I wore a pair for the first time today, and I didn't like them at all. They kept me dry, and I wasn't hot, but they pulled at my knees so much that my legs started to hurt.

The ones I have are the cheapest that REI sells, so maybe that's the problem. I just feel like they need to have a bit of give in the knees.

Does anyone have rain pants that are comfortable? Guess I'll go window shopping at TE.

I'm going to move this to its own thread so I don't hijack this one. Sorry.

[ginny]

I totally ate it around an icy corner this morning. I stopped traffic and everything. How is it that I made it all winter without really wiping out, and here I was going SUPER slowly and just going straight over this ice and I ate it hard. I also managed to wipe out hard off my skateboard last night. I'm not sure my right hip will ever be the same. Poor me! :(

[pfunk12]

I totally ate it around an icy corner this morning. I stopped traffic and everything. How is it that I made it all winter without really wiping out, and here I was going SUPER slowly and just going straight over this ice and I ate it hard. I also managed to wipe out hard off my skateboard last night. I'm not sure my right hip will ever be the same. Poor me! :(

Hope you're okay, ginny!

[7rider]

Bummer. Feel better, Ginny.

This a.m., with the change of the clocks - it's back to full-on headlights for the ride in. Heading down the Parkway this a.m., i saw something HUGELY bright coming towards me (and this was after sun-up, so I turned down my own light to "low"). It was a guy on a bike (never saw him before) with an incredibly bright light on his handlebars and a second, almost equally bright light on his helmet! :eek: He gave a wave as he went by. I dinged my bell. It was like watching a flying saucer pass by me....very surreal.

But, other than that....normal ride in (thankfully). Snow on my cursed sidewalk is completely gone, leaving behind enough sand to qualify the sidewalk as "a dirt road" and the bamboo has been completely cleaned up from the MUT. Yay.

[Fredwina]

Did my first ride back in the semi -dark I used the rail trail which wasn't bad.

[DebW]

Just started back at the part-time bike shop job, and with gorgeous 55 degree weather I enjoyed the ride. But after our 3 days of rain (10 inches total), I had to modify my route from 13 miles to 16 miles to avoid the roads that were closed by floods.

[tulip]

It's beautiful out there! I had to run errands for work, so I did it all by bike. I consider that my commute. 7.5 miles.

[7rider]

So last night...I go out to the garage to top off the air in the tires on the commuter. It's about 10 at night, I'm exhausted, and I really just wanted to go to bed. My front tire was flat. :mad:
No problem...I'll just ignore it and take DH's bike in the a.m. It's not like he'll be using that bike tomorrow. I'll fix the flat tomorrow.
So, I go into the laundry room, where his bike is. Pump up the tires. Easy peasy. Done in a flash and I'm ready to go.
Oh, wait. It doesn't have a saddle bag. Need a saddle bag. I'll transfer the one over from my bike.
Oh, wait. It has a clip for it's own quick release bag on the saddle rails. Look for the bag. Can't find it. I'll remove the bracket.
(sound of clock ticking.....)
Finally! My saddle bag is on!
Oh, wait. I need a light. It's still dark in the a.m. I know. I'll just transfer the lights over from my bike onto this bike. Take the lights off. Arrrrgghh!!! Too tight on the handlebars. The cables from the brakes, the shifters, and who knows what else means I can't set this light up on this bike. It just beams up into space.
Grrrrr.... Well, I'll use DH's lights. He won't be using 'em tomorrow and they should have a charge.
Find lights. Put lights on. Sound of clock ticking.
There. Ready to go.
Arrrrrgghh!!!! DH has Crank Bros. pedals on this bike!!! I use SPD's! :eek::mad:
Ferget it. I am NOT swapping pedals. I could have changed the stupid tire on my own bike 3 times in the amount of time I just spent futzing around with his bike.
Fortunately, DH heard my meltdown in the basement and came and changed my flat front tire for me. I put my own lights, and my own saddle bag back on MY bike, and that's what I rode this a.m. :o

e.t.a.: This is why people don't like bike commuting. Sometimes, it can be such a p.i.a. to get ready. Sigh.

[Biciclista]

yikes, 7rider, what a story!

I rode for the first time since DST too a nice but DARK morning. I feel reallly crappy though, like i'm not getting enough sleep.

[tangentgirl]

Very proud of myself. Rode to work by bike every time I could this week.

Monday - Jury Duty - biked in pm tho
Tuesday - Drove to client (client far), brought bike to work, rode home
Wednesday - Rode to work, drove to class after work (class far)
Thursday - Rode to work, riding home this pm
Friday - working from home - woohoo!

Ideally, this is the plan all the time. Except the jury duty thing. Bike on Mondays too.

And it's freaking beautiful out there.

[Melalvai]

Well, it's easier for me to ride the bike than the car. Often I'll turn down a ride from my husband because the thought of removing the basket and a couple other things, and loading it on the car, and then unloading it at home and putting the basket and things back on, just seems too much work. Even if it takes me longer to bike than it would have to do all that.

Plus then maybe he'll have time to start supper before I get home...

[Melalvai]

I share the lane right up to the roundabout, then I check and take the lane. Some people are more gracious about letting me take the lane than others. Today I got one of the less gracious, who nosed up close trying to intimidate me into letting him pass.

After the roundabout he zoomed past me and waved his arms in a frustrated manner. He sped all the way up to the stop light where I stopped behind him--so sad I slowed him down so much on his fast trip to the stop light! lol

That gave me a chance to get to know make & model & licence number--and notice the Pickleman's sign on top of his car, he is one of their drivers. So I gave them a call and reported him.

The manager gave me a free meal and told me their driver's get 3 strikes and then are fired and this counts as one strike. "It wasn't that big a deal," I protested. "I just want drivers to know that bicyclists have a right to the road and we can share the road."

He disagreed with me. "I walk and bike to work every day too," he explained.

[lph]

e.t.a.: This is why people don't like bike commuting. Sometimes, it can be such a p.i.a. to get ready. Sigh.

Story of my life. :D Beautifully said, 7! :D

[redrhodie]

Excellent commute today. I took the bike path this morning, and couldn't make myself get off it and head to work. I rode almost to the end, which is a only a couple of extra miles. I've been alone at work for the past couple of weeks, so no one noticed I was late. :D

Had a tailwind most of the way back tonight. Big fast ride! If there wasn't so much crud on the roads, I'd have nothing to complain about.

[HillSlugger]

I biked to work on Friday, first commute using my new Ortlieb backroller pannier. It's so much larger than what I've been using. I need to get used to how it attaches to the rack, how the straps work, etc, but it looks like it's going to be a great improvement over the Detours I've been using.

[pfunk12]

I had a feeling that it wasn't going to be a good morning. I just got back from a wonderful few days in La Jolla, California. Since I didn't bike while I was there, I was looking forward to the commute. It was raining this morning at 6 o'clock but it's a warm spring morning so I didn't mind. I had just left my place and wasn't even 10 seconds into my commute. I was coasting down the street when I saw a car door open in front of me on the right side. I immediately became alert and the caffeine kicked in. An old man was putting something in his car. He stepped back, shut the door and then started to cross in front of me. He never, ever looked up the street to see if it was clear. Initially, his back was to me and then he started to cross. Because I was alert, I was ready for him. I had already started to move way over to the left - anticipating that something could go wrong. Fortunately, a car wasn't coming up the street. As he started to cross in front of me, I yelled, "Heads up!" Again...he never looked but he sprinted like Usain Bolt back to his car! :D I'm sorry...I shouldn't laugh but this guy was probably in his 70s and he looked like he could set the world record in the 100 meter dash. As I passed him, he said, "Are you out of your mind?!" Seriously? Seriously? Me? Am I out of my mind?! I'm not the one who is crossing streets without looking!! I yelled something about him being fortunate that I wasn't a car (especially since you can't hear hybrids). I didn't even get 2 miles when I decided that I had a slow leak in my front tire so I turned around and went home. Maybe my day will get better...

[kmehrzad]

I had a feeling that it wasn't going to be a good morning. I just got back from a wonderful few days in La Jolla, California. Since I didn't bike while I was there, I was looking forward to the commute. It was raining this morning at 6 o'clock but it's a warm spring morning so I didn't mind. I had just left my place and wasn't even 10 seconds into my commute. I was coasting down the street when I saw a car door open in front of me on the right side. I immediately became alert and the caffeine kicked in. An old man was putting something in his car. He stepped back, shut the door and then started to cross in front of me. He never, ever looked up the street to see if it was clear. Initially, his back was to me and then he started to cross. Because I was alert, I was ready for him. I had already started to move way over to the left - anticipating that something could go wrong. Fortunately, a car wasn't coming up the street. As he started to cross in front of me, I yelled, "Heads up!" Again...he never looked but he sprinted like Usain Bolt back to his car! :D I'm sorry...I shouldn't laugh but this guy was probably in his 70s and he looked like he could set the world record in the 100 meter dash. As I passed him, he said, "Are you out of your mind?!" Seriously? Seriously? Me? Am I out of my mind?! I'm not the one who is crossing streets without looking!! I yelled something about him being fortunate that I wasn't a car (especially since you can't hear hybrids). I didn't even get 2 miles when I decided that I had a slow leak in my front tire so I turned around and went home. Maybe my day will get better...

I hope your day has improved.

I had my flat yesterday while on the No. Central Rail Trail about 1 mile from the car. :o

[divingbiker]

Wow, close call, pfunk!

Must be the day for mishaps. I got a flat, too far from home and too far from work to walk to either. And not near a bus line. So I fixed it.

A few miles down the road, my rear derailleur cable came out of the little guide thingy, and I had to stop and fix that.

And a few blocks later, my brake cable came unhooked from the brake and I had to stop and fix that.

And as I was riding into the parking garage at work, my tire went flat again and I didn't bother fixing it.

I can't find what's causing the flats (had one last week, too), so I'm hitching a ride home and taking the rear wheel to the bike shop tonight to see if they can find it.

But the good news is I cut off my rain pants and wore them (unhemmed) today, and it seems like they will work. So now I suppose I ought to make them look decent by hemming them.

[Biciclista]

wow, Pfunk, aren't people something else! I had a lovely commute into work today. And the weather has improved since then.
By the way, I doored someone the other day. MY HUSBAND. he was walking around the car , i was in the rear passenger seat and thought he was going the other way and opened the door to get out. Good thing he was NOT on a bike!!!!! He will never let me forget it!

[Melalvai]

Perhaps the time for breakdowns, or perhaps for crankiness. I've had a higher than usual rate of minor incidents over the past few days--the kind where someone honks or yells. Today it was someone on a quiet street who had plenty of time and space to pass me, and the passenger yelled something about a sidewalk at me. That sort of thing.

I started to recite the plate number & make/model of the car (Alero) to report to MoBikeFed, but my heart wasn't in it so I didn't bother trying to remember it.

It occurred to me that the act of reciting the plate number is calming, and gives me time to decide if the incident is serious enough to spend the minute or so of my life on reporting it. I generally lean toward reporting even minor incidents because I believe they should be, but I don't want to waste too much of my life on it either.

Nice to see the snow melting just as fast as it could!

[7rider]

I did something I normally don't do on my bike rides today.
I rode for my heart rate.
I obsessed about keeping it around 75% of my predicted max. It was rather slow going. :( I got passed by an old guy on a really old Schwinn road bike. :o
I did get the HR up sprinting for a light. But other than that.....slow and steady, with one eye on the road, and the other eye on my HR display.

[indigoiis]

First full commute in (28 miles) today and the Gods down in Big River decided to take my bike computer as a toll - I heard a "tick-ting!" going 23 mph down the hill, and once up and down the other side, realized the computer was gone. I was not turning around at that point (it would make me late for work.) It's a cheap computer anyway, but I should probably go back tonight or tomorrow and see if I can find it.

[redrhodie]

I had a fun commute. I brought my car into the shop AGAIN and got it in early enough to do a 20 mile route from the shop to work. I rode on some roads I hadn't been on in a few years, one called "Gravelly Hill Rd" I kid you not. It's not as bad as it sounds :rolleyes:. I also rode past Worden Pond, the largest freshwater lake in RI. It was over flood stage, and there were signs up saying "flooded road" but luckily it had receded and I was able to cross.

I had to get to the shop quickly after work, so I took the straightest route, which is just under 5 miles. My car's still not fixed.

I love bikes.

Oh, and my mechanic is also a bike commuter in the summer. I tried convincing him to start now. He has a million dumb excuses-like it's too cold (ummm it was almost 70º the other day). I'll work on him.

[lph]

oooo, groan, ouch. :( Time to drop the studded tires and start paying attention. I've been commuting for months meeting hardly anyone on a large portion of my commute and have gotten lazy or cocky or something. Came down the bike path towards an underpass a bit fast, making a large curve towards the left-hand side, discovered just a bit too late that there was a darkly clad pedestrian there in the dark, tightened up my curve to avoid her and wiped out with a splendid bang. Studded tires don't really grip well on smooth concrete elements, and I have a lump on my thigh the size of my cupped palm to prove it.

I also broke the lever off my right hand shifter, which is a PITA cos I just replaced that one a few months ago. Had to shift up by locating the ittybitty metal thingy sticking out and pushing it until it clicked... :p

Ah well. Didn't hurt any joints or expensive gear which is a good thing. And it's spring and I'm raring to put on summer tires anyway. I haven't worn my winter jacket for 3 days running, and my winter shoes are getting uncomfortably warm! Huzza! :) :D

[redrhodie]

(((lph)))! That sounds really bad! Good job missing the pedestrian. I hope you're not really hurt. Sometimes the adrenaline rush can mask the pain for a while.

[lph]

aw, thanks red. It got pretty sore as the swelling rose and I limped to lunch like a grumpy octogenarian, but swelling has receded and it's better each time I get up. Just a bang, but I'm glad my bone density seems to be fine.

hehe, like your bike mechanic story :D One of my most outdoorsy rock climbing partners said to me yesterday "..and, you know, the biking season starts soon" and I just stared at her and grinned until she got my point ;)

[Melalvai]

Someone said "Are you happy that biking season is back?" I just looked at her in confusion. What is this "biking season"? Then she said "Oh, do you bike through the winter?" I am happy to bike in nicer weather. It's a little chilly in the morning for the clothes I've been wearing, but perfect in the afternoon. The weather means I'll either be a little chilly in the morning, or over heated later on. I wear layers on top but that doesn't help much on the bottom half! :D

[DebW]

Hope you heal quickly, LPH. I just put my studded tires back on this morning because it was raining and snowing and the temperature will drop down to 20F tonight. Because of the studs, I stopped and lifted my tires over a water hose across the bike path. The hose already had several leaks but I decided not to give it any more. People are still pumping their basements out from the 10" rain a week ago.

[tangentgirl]

Lph, ouch!

I'm proud of my commute this morning. Managed to up my average speed to 13mph. Fast for me! :)

[azfiddle]

I'm not a daily commuter, but have a goal to commute once a week for the rest of the school year. It's about 10 miles each way, uphill in the morning, and I take a slightly longer route in the morning to avoid some of the traffic. Yesterday was the 3rd time I've done it.

It took 47 minutes to ride, vs 20-24 minutes to drive, but I felt great when I got there. Coming home is easier.

I like riding my road bike, but it means having to use a back pack for my lap top and change of clothes. I have thought about riding my mixte, which has a pannier, but it is quite a bit heavier, and I'm not sure how much it would slow me down.... and it's already hard for me to get out the door at 6:30 am

[Melalvai]

I'm not a daily commuter, but have a goal to commute once a week for the rest of the school year. It's about 10 miles each way, uphill in the morning, and I take a slightly longer route in the morning to avoid some of the traffic.
I love hearing stories of how people get creative so that they can commute. Instead of saying "I don't have time to bike 10 miles each way every day" for example. Thanks for sharing!

[Crankin]

AZfiddle, I did what you are doing 1-2x a week for 5 years. I was also a teacher and I also made the choice to ride my road bike instead of my flat bar road bike with the pannier, because it was so much lighter. One thing that helped was I brought all of my hygiene supplies to keep at school and also a spare pair of underwear, black flats and a pair of capri pants and a black jacket. I would bring my clothes for the week in on Monday, but I also knew I had the extra stuff there, so I could just bring a t shirt with me. Another thing I did that made it easier was I showered at home and then "cleaned up" when I got to school, in the bathroom, put some make up on, and put gel in my hair. I didn't have to bring a lap top, so I used my Camelbak with the bladder taken out for a backpack. It was more anatomically correct than the other ones I had and I could easily get my lunch and a few papers, make up in there.
Commuting 1-2x a week kept me sane!

[7rider]

I'm not a daily commuter, but have a goal to commute once a week for the rest of the school year. It's about 10 miles each way, uphill in the morning, and I take a slightly longer route in the morning to avoid some of the traffic. Yesterday was the 3rd time I've done it.


I agree with Melalvai - congrats. No one ever said to be a bike commuter you have to go every day. It's all about providing an alternative. You find what works for you - equipment-wise, schedule-wise, etc. - and it provides you with a transportation alternative. Sometimes, the alternative saves you some money, sometimes it allows you to lose some weight, and sometimes - as Crankin found - it keeps you sane! :D

[ginny]

Well, my hip bruise is still around. Nonetheless, I have been biking. We finally have no ice left anywhere... it was warm this morning :) I love spring!

[azfiddle]

Thanks for the support and suggestions! I was hoping to ride Thursday as Friday is a day off, but it's going to be raining. I'm not that committed at this point. I might try for Weds if it's not too windy.

How much time do you regular commuters leave in case you have a flat??
Sharon

[ginny]

if I have a flat, I pick up my bike and go home or walk to work... I suppose if I was commuting farther, things would be different.

[HillSlugger]

Thanks for the support and suggestions! I was hoping to ride Thursday as Friday is a day off, but it's going to be raining. I'm not that committed at this point. I might try for Weds if it's not too windy.

How much time do you regular commuters leave in case you have a flat??
Sharon

I have what I need to repair a flat, but I don't plan in any extra time. I, however, have very flexible hours so it doesn't matter much.

[azfiddle]

I have everything to fix a flat.. though it might take me a good 10 minutes or more as I'm not very fast at it. I am supposed to be in my classroom by 7:30 but if I was 10 or 15 minutes late it would be okay...

Sharon

[lph]

Commuting today was lovely :) Took a look at my good bike (the purdy white one my dh got me for my 40th birthday) about a week ago and the disc brakes needed bleeding, they were all mushy. So I got a bleeder kit and figured out how to do that this weekend - spending 3 hours on the first wheel and 20 minutes on the second :p - and yay! today I got to ride in to work on summer tires for the first time!

Celebrated by taking the long way in, and going home I celebrated some more by riding up my hill repeat hill once as well. I had to pop by the gas station each way since the ride was longer than I'm used to, for a tired banana on the way in and smoothie on the way back, but I got home without feeling too wobbly.

(And I'm home alone because dh and son are off at the inlaws cabin, so I get to mess around all I like and eat what I want for dinner when I want. Tomorrow I plan on bringing my road bike indoors and working on it in the kitchen :D )

[Melalvai]

Really nice weather! I actually commuted three times today: two trips to campus, and one trip to the bank. My daughter joined me for the bank trip. I love it when she bikes with me. Her bike is my old bike, and therefore has one, and only one, toe clip, on the right. She forgot not to take her foot out, her shoe got stuck, and she fell over at the stop sign. Her leg is lightly scraped.

[katherine]

lph- how difficult/messy was it bleed your brakes? I've been thinking of trying to do mine, but the guys at my LBS, who obviously make money doing it for me, tell me I wouldn't want to try it at home.

I'm looking forward to my commute today, especially becasue Tuesdays and Thursdays I get to ride my son to preschool, and Thursday it's suppossed to snow! The humanity! So this is it for the two of us this week.

[Fredwina]

I got to the station and found that I had left the padlock for the equipment locker at home(Have a U - lock for the bike). got everything in my panniers for the train trip

[Atlas]

Since I got a job in town I've been commuting every day to work (3 days a week) as well as going downtown to see my partner at work on my day off. It's so wonderful to be back on my bike and to feel myself getting stronger each day. No longer completely winded when I get to work, and I've started sprinting the last stretch of road before our house. I have so much fun I might add longer routes (which is possible because I don't go to work until the afternoon).

[pfunk12]

I really enjoyed my commute this morning. There was a slight chill in the air and it was very, very windy. It was trying to rain but it never amounted to anything other than a sprinkle here and there. But the rain drops that pelted me in the face because of the strong winds? Ouch. Got to the Tidal Basin around 6:50. The Cherry Blossoms were gorgeous. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera at home but I will pack it tonight so I can take some photos tomorrow. So nice when the tourists aren't there. :D

[lph]

lph- how difficult/messy was it bleed your brakes? I've been thinking of trying to do mine, but the guys at my LBS, who obviously make money doing it for me, tell me I wouldn't want to try it at home.

That is BS. Excuse me, but it is :D

It could get messy, but doesn't have to be. I set up my whole work stand in the kitchen on top of a wax cloth covered with newspapers (I had to do a lot of other stuff as well), and I had several rags handy to catch spills. You don't want to get brake fluid on your bike because it strips paint (not that anyone would notice on my bikes) but it comes out in dribbles and droplets, not gushes. I wrapped a small rag around the bleed screw at the brake lever which was handy for picking up small spills.

The instructions with the bleed set were a little confusing, but I found a useful video on youtube showing my brakes (Hayes Stoker). Yours may be bled another way, but basically all I did was attach a bottle full of brake fluid to the bleed screw at the caliper (if this falls off it does get messy) and a spill bottle by a hose from the bleed screw at the lever (ditto if this one falls off). Then I just squeezed and released until all the bubbles were out and the system was full of clear fluid.

(My mistake on the first wheel was being overzealous about rotating the caliper to let all the trapped bubbles escape. I rotated it above the hose several times, letting all the air in the hose into the caliper... :o)

[katherine]

Thanks lph! I am headed straight to youtube to search for my brakes, I will be careful about the screws. If mine bleed like yours it really doesn't sound bad at all. Totally something that could be done in the garage. Damn do I hate the boys at all of our local shops some days, I always seem to wonder do they do this becasue I'm a customer, or because I'm a female customer. GRRRRRR. But again, Thank you!

[lph]

Have fun :) The more stuff I do on my bike, the more I realize that time and patience are more important than knowing how to do it beforehand. Which the mechanics at my lbs do not have a lot of in peak season. Not that they don't do their stuff well, it's just that they are much more likely to just swap out a part, or just make a decision without asking me, where I would sit and doodle and figure it out and tailor the final result to my bike, and then re-adust a few days later if it didn't work out. To fix a bike well I feel it really helps to be the one riding it! With apologies to all of you excellent mechanics out there.

[7rider]

Yesterday, I ran a 5K with my Fitness Center. My first ever running event. From zero running to a 5K in 4 weeks. Okay, so I didn't actually RUN the whole way, but...shock of all shocks, I found out I placed 3rd in my age category! :eek: I won a stunning aluminum water bottle with a special sippy-cup top for proper hydration on the treadmill. :p
So today was "recovery" day. Easy spin. Stay out of the big chainring. Spin the junk out of my legs.
DH calls. "Can I meet you and ride home with you?"
Sure.
So he gets to my locker at 5. "I just saw Dave (a co-worker and mutual friend). He just got back from Qatar. Hasn't been on a bike in 3 weeks and was going into the park to do Mormon Hill (a big LDS church sits on a hill - and the road up it is known locally by cyclists as "Mormon Hill"....I don't think any cyclist knows the real name of the street!). Do you want to go try to catch him?"
Sure.
So off we go, into the park. Me drafting of him. We never caught him at the hill, but saw him coming back. Chatted on the side of the road for a good 20 minutes. Then we headed back home...the hill home seemed a whole lot bigger and slower on my commuter vs. my road bike, not surprisingly.
But...so much for my easy spin home. :rolleyes: My legs hurt more now than they did this morning. I'm wondering how I'm going to do my morning ride with a friend that we planned. Ugh.

[Biciclista]

bike commuted wed and thur but today with rain and gale force winds I decided to leave my bike at home. I would have worried all day...

[HillSlugger]

Yesterday was a great day for biking in the DC area. For my ride in, traffic was especially light. The ride home was my first ride this year in shorts and a short sleeve jersey.

[7rider]

I was late this morning, as I spent WAY too much time, running around the house, looking for my cell phone. It wasn't in any of its usual hiding spots and I had shut it off, so I couldn't track it down by the ringing.
Finally, I checked my jersey's back pocket - yes, the jersey that I was wearing, and honestly, for the third time - and there it was! In the same pocket as my Garmin. :eek::o
I swear. I have absolutely NO recollection of putting it in there - that morning or even last night when I lay out my clothes.

[WindingRoad]

I got soaked today coming home from the grocery. Fortunately my paniers have rain covers built into them which has saved my butt on countless occasions. I did get home before the hail hit so I felt fortunate. :) It's always an eerie feeling when you hear the tornado sirens go off and you are still 4 miles from home:eek:

[Melalvai]

It's always an eerie feeling when you hear the tornado sirens go off and you are still 4 miles from home
Yikes! That sounds exciting.

I was so thrilled today because I didn't need my jacket even on my early morning ride to visit the rats. Although it would be nice if there was an "in between" stage. It was so humid that although it wasn't super hot yet, I was feeling kind of weird by the time I got back home, and shivered a lot after that. I'd say heat exhaustion but that's ridiculous, it wasn't even 80F.

[Biciclista]

not sleeping well lately.. dragged myself out of bed and onto the bike this morning. It felt pretty good.
strong steady wind for part of the ride, but it's short so I don't mind it.

[WindingRoad]

Biciclista - I feel your pain with not sleeping lately, ugh.:(

I decided against the commute today, the 40 mph wind gusts explained to me that it wasn't worth it while carrying my new Mac. :eek:

[redrhodie]

Fab* commute today! I had tail winds in both directions--lucky me! First ride of the year in shorts!

*did anyone see the tour of Flanders this weekend? ;)

[Jenerator]

Wicked cross winds both ways, but commute seemed faster, having swapped out the snow tires for slicks. Supposed to snow again tonight! May have changed tires a bit too soon :)

[Melalvai]

Supposed to snow again tonight!
Wow! I'm glad we're not getting any of that.
I tried to go vote, but they weren't at the usual place. I tried the alternate location they used a couple years ago, no luck there either. I went home, re-checked my sample ballot & voter id, nothing listed there. Called the elections official, and found out where to go. Headed back out to vote, and stopped by campus to visit my pregnant rats. Then back home.

Later I had a dentist appointment, and back to campus to meet with students. I ended up biking 25 miles total. The wind was awesome--when I was riding north or east! It was horrible going south and west.

[indigoiis]

Nice commute today - all the way in (taking bus home to truck which I left parked last night at the park and ride - hope it's still there!) RI is slowly recovering from floods and flood damage. My route (South County to Providence) was interrupted only by a spot on New London Turnpike in West Warwick where they were pumping out a side street onto NLT to go over into the retaining pond on the other side of the road. So we had to dismount and walk our bikes through the rushing water. Other than that it was swell!

[ginny]

So, this morning we had snow on the ground (again!), and icy roads. Since I went down hard about 3 weeks ago, I seem to have lost some of my confidence. I took the long way in, and enjoyed myself (other than being convinced I was going to end up broken lying in the street), and made it in with no issues. I am excited about the old mixte I bought last weekend. It will be a fantastic summer bike, but the rims are big enough that I can put studded tires on it for next season - that will be nice...

[Biciclista]

45 degrees and HEADWIND! and i got to work sweaty...

[lph]

weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, I'm riding on summer tires now and I feel like I'm riding the wiiiiiiiiiiiind.... :)

I find myself pedalling in time to and nodding to the music on my earbuds, grooving along this one long stretch of bike path, making approaching cyclists look at me and grin :) The balaclavas have all gone so we can actually see each others faces. Nothing like SPRING!

[7rider]

weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, I'm riding on summer tires now and I feel like I'm riding the wiiiiiiiiiiiind.... :)


I put my summer tires back on, too. Love the difference! :D

I rode in to work today, but immediately hopped on Metro and head into the District so I could give platelets at the Red Cross. It's about a 4 block walk from the nearest station to the apheresis center. I was amazed at the number of cyclists riding downtown today. :eek: Cool. :cool:

[Tri Girl]

The ride in was in the 30's, the ride home was not much warmer, but with a 30+ mph headwind. There were seriously times when I could have crawled faster than I was pedaling my bike.
Oh well- frost tonight and hopefully this will be the last of it... hopefully.

[redrhodie]

It had to be 85º when I left work tonight! It's only April! Crazy. Had a good tailwind home again. I'm going to get spoiled.

[HillSlugger]

It was in the high 80's for my ride home :eek: I enjoyed a nice tailwind :D

[kmehrzad]

The longer daylight hours are allowing me to ride 35 miles after work. Am getting a headstart on building my mileage for the spring/summer months. I'm loving these warm temps.

[Jenerator]

30s and a couple inches of snow on the car in the a.m. Forutunately none sticking to the roads. Glad I didn't need to swap back to the snow tires. Wet, but not windy ride in. Sunny and warmish ride home.

[tulip]

I had a really good commute today. 9 miles, to the grocery store (I had not braved that busy road before, but I found a quiet alternative to get there) to pick up a few things, and then on to the post office and back home/work.

In the grocery store parking lot, one of my neighbors was walking to her car with her groceries right in front of me. I said hello, and she was just amazed that I rode my bike "all the way to the grocery store!" It's less than four miles...

The grocery store does not have bike parking, so I had to lock my bike to a street sign. The wind knocked it over while I was shopping. The chain of grocery stores was just bought out by bigger chain, and they will be remodeling the store soon. I told the manager to tell them to put sheltered bike parking in as part of the reno. Yeah, sure he'll tell them...

The pollen is fierce and the winds are strong, so it's kindof like a pollenstorm out there. But it's 80F and sunny, and all the drivers were considerate.

[Melalvai]

The pollen is fierce and the winds are strong, so it's kindof like a pollenstorm out there.
Pollenstorm, that's a good word for it! It's been weird weather, blowing hot and cold. In particular blowing strong! I was so warm the other day, then today I needed full-fingered gloves. Lots of cyclists, joggers and walkers out there.

[Tri Girl]

Pollenstorm. That's about right. :rolleyes:
Today's commute was amazing!! For the first time in two weeks the wind died down (was only blowing 15 instead of 40). I took a 2 hour detour on the way home to ride around the lake. What a glorious day (even tho I had to break out the tights and winter coat again after lots of warmth). ;)

[azfiddle]

I'm getting for another attempt at a once a week commute- I missed it last week because it was really windy and other stuff I don't want to get into. I tried to remember to take everything to work in the car today: shoes, stuff to clean up and (even shampoo and blow-dryer)... but I to forgot to grab a change of clothes and will have to tote my laptop after all...

If I put it in writing, I'm more likely be committed to get up and out of the house half an hour early so I can ride.

[tzvia]

This morning it was in the mid 50's F when I left the house. I had a light cycling jacket, short sleeved jersey and jeans on. By the half way mark, the cycle-puter said it was 60F and I was boiling, so I stopped at the light and took off the jacket and stuffed it into the pack. First ride to work of the year w/no jacket and short sleeves. Felt good. No winds blowing in my face, that's rare; I got to enjoy the ride. Even going home was good, about 80f. This is it for So Cal; the time after the jacket mornings and evenings, and before the sweltering summer. Don't know how long it will last, but for the moment, commuter heaven.

I installed the second bottle cage as I plan to carry 'wet my shirt' water in it to combat the summer heat. But for now I am content to watch the sunrise and enjoy the pleasant afternoons.

[azfiddle]

My commute weather was great- just needed a windbreaker and shorts in the morning and jersey and shorts in the afternoon, and I loved how energized I felt all morning.... but both Weds and Thurs I pushed myself harder than usual on a steep hill on after-work rides, and now something hurts above my left knee, on the outside of my leg. First cycling-related complaint (aside from saddle comfort issues)..

I probably should have skipped commuting, but I had planned all week to ride to work. I'm going to take a few days off, stretch, take ibuprofen, use an ice pack and hope it gets back to normal.

[7rider]

Low 40's - one of those raw and damp mornings, with some lifting fog. I found out that Oakley Straight Jackets STILL fog up when I stop at a light on cool, damp mornings. :mad: I was hoping that these fancy high-zoot glasses would somehow be better than that. :(
I pulled up to a light at a BIG road crossing, saw this guy John that I occasionally see. Started chatting before the light turned green. There were four cyclists waiting together at the light (including that old guy on the equally old Schwinn that always dusts me! :rolleyes:). I had never seen so many bike commuters waiting at that light at the same time! Cool.

[Melalvai]

I had never seen so many bike commuters waiting at that light at the same time! Cool.
That is cool! Because it means that many people did NOT run the red light.

[7rider]

That is cool! Because it means that many people did NOT run the red light.

It would be suicide to run that light. It's a main drag with 6 lanes of fast moving traffic. Even when the light goes green, you have to wait for all the motorists (especially the city buses) to finish running the red light before you can go.

[Biciclista]

today my ride into work was broad daylight the whole way! yippee!!

[uk elephant]

What a lovely ride in this morning! Overcast, but not too cold. First morning commute in shorts (although I did wear a wool turtleneck with the shorts). And all the training I've been doing is really helping, even though I'm never doing as much as I would like. Pedalled up all the hills feeling strong and not wheezy and made it to work 30 seconds faster than my previous best time despite having to stop to let some cars past at one point. And now the sun is breaking through the clouds and I'm looking forward to a nice detour on the way home.

[kfergos]

New commute! I've been riding the same 20-mile commute in to work and then a different 20-mile commute back home again since I started my internship in January. My dh and I have put an offer on a home -- finally! and just in time for the tax credit, too -- so today as part of the "neighborhood evaluation" I rode the route from that house to my work. Tonight I'll ride back to the house to see if that's doable. That'll be the hard part; it's up a fairly steep hill right at the end.

This morning was gorgeous! 40 and clear, hardly anybody on the Burke until I got close to the UW. I love the Burke because it's mostly flat or almost imperceptible ups/downs, but I hate it because of the bumpy roots. I rode from Blyth Park in Bothell to Dexter in Fremont on the trail, and it made me appreciate anew how very far you can get here in the Seattle area on bike paths alone. It's amazing. Overall a wonderful ride and only 1.75 miles longer than I'm doing right now, so very doable.

[pfunk12]

Low 40's - one of those raw and damp mornings, with some lifting fog. I found out that Oakley Straight Jackets STILL fog up when I stop at a light on cool, damp mornings. :mad: :(

It was a little chilly this morning, wasn't it? I didn't have any fog on the way in but I was surprised at how quickly the sun was rising. Just a few weeks ago, it was soooo dark in the morning. I don't have to use my headlight that much. My Oakley glasses also fog up when I get stuck at the light on Connecticut Avenue. Not happy about that either. :(

[kfergos]

My Oakley glasses also fog up when I get stuck at the light on Connecticut Avenue. Not happy about that either. :(I think this is just the nature of glasses that wrap close to your face. You're hot and steamy; the air is cool; your hot steamy air hits the glasses and condenses. Pulling your glasses a little bit away from your face at long stop lights solves this problem completely.

[7rider]

I think this is just the nature of glasses that wrap close to your face. You're hot and steamy; the air is cool; your hot steamy air hits the glasses and condenses. Pulling your glasses a little bit away from your face at long stop lights solves this problem completely.

I got into the habit of taking them off and swinging them back-and-forth nonchalantly, like I was fanning myself, when stopped. That...or wear them low on the tip of my nose and start riding head down through the intersection, so the cool breeze washes over them and clears them up. :cool:

[lph]

(I hardly wear glasses riding at all because of the fog thing)
Beware, rant follows.

I hate riding (I actually wrote "riding"! ) DRIVING my car to work :mad: Hate it hate it hate it.

It started ok, I was up early and even including loading my kayak (which is why I was driving in the first place) was off 15 minutes earlier than usual. Everything went fine and I was determined to enjoy restituting my legs and listen to the radio and not obsess about traffic. But after spending 35 minutes jerkily snailing my way to work, through tunnels and being cut off all the d*mn time, instead of 40 minutes happily rocking along on a bike... I was ready to explode. Watching all the other cyclists breezing by on the bike path didn't help at all. Louis Armstrong on the radio singing "We've got all... the time... in the world" helped for about 3 minutes, until the morning service took over. aaaaggggghhhhh.

Oh, and I just rang my LBS and was told that the wobbly rear wheel on my road bike has really unstandard hub bearings and they can't fix it so I have to buy a new wheel :( That's on top of all the necessary parts I just bought and the oar and pfd I really need right now. Pissed off and poor, all at one time.

*mope*


Yeah, I know I'm spoilt :o

[NoNo]

First ride in of the year!:D What a difference from my last ride last year. A road I used to take is now part of the airport and there's a new road that snakes around. The road I took to get to the bridge into New Haven is blocked off for construction and I had to wind my way around the oil tankers (not the most comfortable place on a bike) to find a way around. Got to work and enjoyed the lessened traffic at the gas station due to the moved highway off-ramp. It was like riding a totally new route!

I started out cold, my fingertips freezing and my breath clearly visible. I finished warm with the sun finally up. What a fun time of year to ride!

[Serendipity]

Commuting season has finally arrived for me! Yayy!
It's finally warm enough - just around 0 degrees C - and light enough in the mornings to ride to work. Riding in the freezing cold & pitch dark just doesn't do anything for me - yep, i'm a wuss!
Last year I started driving my vehicle to work early in the week with my bike in the back, then leaving the vehicle at work and riding back and forth, then taking the vehicle home at the end of the week. Worked so well for me that I'm doing that again this year.
Decided to ride my MTB this year rather than my road bike - so much dirt/gravel on the shoulders left over from the winter that I'm sure I would have hit the dirt a time or two by now if I'd been on the road bike. :D
Makes it a bit tougher ride but still wonderfuly way to start (and end) the day.

[Melalvai]

Yesterday's ride to campus I went around to the MKT trail, doubling the distance. It's been a few weeks since I was on the trail. Some of the memorial benches have sprouted new plaques with a phone # to call to get the story on the person memorialized by the bench. I listened to a couple stories. Not fascinating, but what a great project! Now I no longer need to wonder why this bench says "Love and Sniffs" or who Dr. Solomon Ward was.

[lph]

Aaaaahhhhh. I rode again today. I still don't have the kayak oar I need though I spent 3 hours looking yesterday, haven't decided on a pfd, am missing a rear wheel for my road bike and need to change yet another cog on my mtb, but I'm awash with endorphins and couldn't care less. Aaaahhh.... :D

So, Melalvai, why does the bench read "Love and sniffs"?

[redrhodie]

I was kind of dreading the commute home last night because the wind was from headwind direction. Glad to report, it wasn't so bad. Took me only about 5 minutes longer to do the 15 miles, but I did catch every red light, too.

[7rider]

Ow.
I threw out my back on the abs machine this morning at the gym after my ride in (don't ask me how...I have NO idea! :confused:).
I have a call in to my chiro. Meanwhile, I'll wash down lots of ibuprofen with my morning joe.
:(

[pfunk12]

Ow.
I threw out my back on the abs machine this morning at the gym after my ride in (don't ask me how...I have NO idea! :confused:).
I have a call in to my chiro. Meanwhile, I'll wash down lots of ibuprofen with my morning joe.
:(

Oh, 7...I'm so sorry to hear that!! :(:( Hope you find relief soon.

[malkin]

Lately, on days when I ride up to work, Brewer has been riding with me and then he goes on for a bit longer ride. Today, I rode the longer circuit with him and I'm looking forward to stretching my commute out a little on nice days when I am not late.

[Melalvai]

So, Melalvai, why does the bench read "Love and sniffs"?
Hope you get your new rear wheel soon!
Apparently that family has an unusual way of showing affection, instead of hugs & kisses, they sniff. I had thought perhaps Al and/or Marjo was a dog.

7rider, I threw out my back doing sit-ups. I guess an ab workout that goes a little too far is dangerous to the lower back. I sure am careful about my sit-ups now.

[Tri Girl]

Eek, 7! :eek: Feel better soon.


The ride to work was surprisingly calm. Little wind, clear skies. Beautiful. The ride home was very wet and windy. It was kinda fun riding through puddles- until I got really cold. ;)
3 for 5 this week. Some days I just can't drag my butt outta bed in time to ride...

[Fredwina]

I rode all the way to the train station and realized that I didn't have my badge:o or train pass:( so I rode home. does that count as a commutte?

[7rider]

7rider, I threw out my back doing sit-ups. I guess an ab workout that goes a little too far is dangerous to the lower back. I sure am careful about my sit-ups now.

that is the funny thing - it is my upper back -my rhomboids that I pulled. My chiro was pretty surprised, to say the least ( until sh considered the source I guess! LOL)

[bikerHen]

I had a great commute. The first time I've gotten to ride this week. Thanks to my daughter sharing her cold with me. :mad: I even got to ride in the rain this morning, which is extra double bonus points in my book. :D bikerHen

[redrhodie]

The Doppler Radar showed a huge green blob over RI (meaning rain), but I looked outside, and it wasn't raining. I especially like commuting on Sundays, so rain or not, I was riding.

There wasn't a drop of rain, and in fact, the morning ride was mostly sunny. No other cyclists out. I'm guessing the forecast kept them in. I was so prepared to get wet, I wore a wool base layer, a wool jersey, a rain jacket, a cap with a visor under my helmet, and full finger gloves. Well, I did get a little wet--from sweat!

Fun ride. I rode my steel bike, which hasn't seen much action since Spring sprung. Felt so good.

[malkin]

Glad the forecast didn't scare you out of a ride!

[Jenerator]

sprinkling & thundering on the way home, just beat the hail!

[Melalvai]

Look where I parked today.
http://www.kemenel.org/melalvai/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/100_1523-300x225.jpg

[Serendipity]

Cold, cold, cold!
It was about -3 C this morning - what happened to spring?:(
But, fast pedalling + higher gear = fastest commute I ever done!
I have an insulated coffee mug that fits perfectly in my water bottle cage; let me tell you that coffee sure hit the spot along the way.

[Biciclista]

nice photo Melalvai!

i had a lovely commute. It was light enough finally today that i rode in on the scary busy road. (and it wasn't very busy!!!)

[kfergos]

Had a nice DRY commute today -- yesterday got soaked to the bone, and my clothes didn't dry out all the way by the time I had to leave. Today was cloudy but nice. I saw an airplane pulling a banner, but I couldn't read the banner. I've been enjoying the lovely fresh green color as all the leaves pop out. Also a good number of other commuters out. Side note: Is it always windy from west to east on the I-90 bridge?

I just got a freebie Terry Liberator saddle that I'm going to try out on the rental bike. (My normal commuter is still in the shop; it's been 1.5 months. I bet I wear out the chain on the rental bike before I get my regular bike back.) I'm looking forward to trying out a different saddle on the rental bike, as the one that was on there reminds me of this Craigslist description (http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/sea/1533612838.html).

[HillSlugger]

Wow, it was foggy this morning! Had to deal with the fog in the air and the fog on my glasses. Made it in safely.

The ride home was beautiful, spoiled only by the guy who had to yell something about "sidewalk!"

[lph]

Agh! Cold!! Just below freezing but pretty sunshine, so I expected it to warm up as I went and chose the long way in. But then the sun disappeared *brr*. I started off a little over-heated, unzipped here and there, got onto the coasting part, started zipping things closed again, and then just sat there feeling toes and fingers slowly turning into little blocks of ice. Commutes over an hour going on hour and a half are definitely more challenging to dress for than sub-one-hour commutes.

Oh, and one terrifying spot of ice I didn't see coming at all and had to brake over. Haven't seen real ice for weeks and have gotten very used to leaning over in turns again :-o

[Fontinalis]

As the weather is warming up (mornings above freezing!), I have taken again to commute by bike full time. Have not touched the car in two weeks now. Yesterady, I did a commute to a suburb that I don't particularly like because of poor city planning of the bike lanes or no bike lanes in some areas. But the good surprise is that end of season last year (october) I was doing that in 1h45. And yesterday, I did it in 1h10 with the wind in my face and 47F. And 1h15 coming back, no wind, but uphill for the most part. I am encouraged to keep at it. The best part of it is that going by car to that location takes me between 45 min to an hour. So 1h10-1h15 by bike speaks volume on commuting by bike in the city! I rest my case. :D

[Catrin]

I am considering starting to bike to work the one day a week I don't have somewhere to go directly afterwards (and it isn't safe to park my bike there) - though for now would likely take the bus home (they have bike racks here). I will likely just bring clothes to the office the day before as I do not have racks just yet - and want to get more comfortable with my LHT before I start adding weight to him. It makes sense that adding weight to the back would change the way he handles.

Hopefully NEXT weekend can test the route - I need to do that before taking the plunge. My boss is allowing me to park my bike in my office :D We DO have a bike rack outside the City-County building where I work - but it is isolated and I have never seen a nice bike parked there. Much easier to put it in my office for the day!

[WindingRoad]

Hey girl! I ride to downtown all the time if you need help on routes I can probably help. Kudos to you for commuting! :D

[Biciclista]

you know, I've been bike commuting since 2005. This is my 5th year.
And my goodness, a lot has changed. In the early days, i was nervous all day because I knew I had to face the traffic and ride back up that hill. I had a lot more trouble with the temperature, dreading the heat dreading the cold.
But I've really changed. It's still not a cakewalk to go up the hill, but depending on my mood, I saunter up it, plod up it, or push up that hill. Used to be if the temperature was close to 40 degrees, i'd panic, it would be too cold. I got used to that too. I've discovered that even if my hands are cold (in my longfingered gloves) I'm going to be warm when I get to work.
This has spilled over to other parts of my life too. I don't suffer so much from the cold as I used to. (I still require lots of blankets at night) But when I'm out and about, I just don't need to be coddled as much.
Thought you guys would like to know. Hey, just one more week and it's bike to work month!

[Catrin]

Hey girl! I ride to downtown all the time if you need help on routes I can probably help. Kudos to you for commuting! :D

ooooooh, this is good to know :D I am busy this weekend and want to get another good road ride in before I start doing this - but I would like to start doing it soon. As I said, it can only be one day a week.

I live around Cunningham and Crawfordsville, and am considering either coming straight down 16th and making my way through the downtown streets (at 5am), or riding up to 30th/White River and taking the White River Trail downtown...

[7rider]

Well....I set a record this week. 4 days out of 5.
And all blissfully uneventful!
No thrown backs. No crazy drivers.
I did run into (not literally) a friend of mine today and we rode for a while, chatting. Was a pleasant way to end an otherwise crazy work week.

[Melalvai]

This has spilled over to other parts of my life too. I don't suffer so much from the cold as I used to. (I still require lots of blankets at night) But when I'm out and about, I just don't need to be coddled as much.
I've observed that too! I used to be the one who was always cold when everyone else was sweating. I'd keep a sweater and even scarf & hat at work. After I started biking I was the one who was hot in the office when others were putting on their sweaters and turning the heat up.

[redrhodie]

I had a scary commute last night. I saw a dog come very close to being run over. It was awful, but luckily he was missed by the tiniest of margins. Even though he was okay, the rest of my ride wasn't the same.

The morning commute was great. I had had a massage the day before to help with a migraine (both massage and migraine were painful) so I decided to ride soft. It was really pretty out, and I took the easiest route. I had a tailwind and ended up at work refreshed and relaxed.

[Tri Girl]

3 of 5 days this week for me. I wish I'd ridden every day, but my allergies are making me so miserable that I'm happy I got in 3.
My commute yesterday was really peaceful. Strong headwind in the morning (after a good rain the night before), and a strong tailwind on the way home. Pure bliss!!

[Medianox]

Its the best time of year here for commuting-cool in the mornings and just nice and warm in the evenings. My favorite part is when I pass homes that have orange trees blooming....the scent of orange blossoms in the cool morning air is intoxicating!
After a few near disasterous equipment failures last year, I resolved to buy a new bike for commuting. My tax return was nice this time and (after much research) I spent some of it on a Swobo Otis! I chose the 16.5 stepthrough size, fenders, rack and back basket (for shopping and errands). I made the decision to try and live as car free as possible (either one of the bikes I have is worth more than my '95 Neon right now-lol) so the rack and the basket are for store trips, etc.
I find myself getting up early to ADD miles to my morning trip to work on purpose because my new bike is so fun to ride!
Since the bike is all stealth matte black, I added Lightweights spoke reflectors and black reflecting tape to parts of the frame, plus new lights.
I don't find myself riding in the dark too much, but it does happen and I want to be prepared.

[Tri Girl]

I spent some of it on a Swobo Otis!

How dare you taunt us with just a story of your new bike and not show us pictures! :p I'm going to need to see a picture of your new ride.
Congrats!!

[Medianox]

lol sorry! :)
Here (http://www.swobo.com/Zoom_PopUp_Bike.php?p=1052&pkey=5&ColorCode=1-326) is a link to the official pic....I'll take some later and post-i've been too busy having fun riding it to take any!
:)

[Psycler]

Hi, I am been reading the forum for a while and really enjoyed. So I thought I might try posting to it as well.

I have been commuting to work for a few years. It is a 12 mile trip one way for me.
I work 2nd shift which I think is ideal for commuting. I leave for work in the early afternoon before rush hour and I go home between 10:30 and midnight so there is very little traffic then.
My co-workers think I am a little crazy, but I can handle that. Afterall it seems like I am the only one that arrives to work smiling. They don't know what they are missing by driving. ;
I try to commute 2 to 4 times a week. Last week, I managed 4. It was a very good week.

[Melalvai]

My co-workers think I am a little crazy, but I can handle that. Afterall it seems like I am the only one that arrives to work smiling. They don't know what they are missing by driving.
Way to go! Your co-workers will get used to it, after a few years. Good luck with commuting! It is so rewarding. Sounds like you have a great schedule for it. I hope you have good lights!

[Psycler]

I hope you have good lights!


Yes, I have very good lights and lots of reflective gear.

[Catrin]

My co-workers already think I am nuts once they learned I have TWO bikes...it will be interesting to see how they react when they start seeing one of them in my office every Tuesday :rolleyes:

There is no safe bike parking - at least not where I would leave MY bike, and have permission to have it in my office :D

[redrhodie]

I had rain both ways today. I love riding in the rain, but the bike cleaning part is a drag. It took me an extra half hour after each ride to get it and me dry, plus cleaning the gunk off the floors. I'm lucky to have access to a clothes dryer at work, so I didn't have to put wet clothes on at the end of the day. I stuffed my shoes with newspaper, and they were nearly dry by the time I left work. This morning, I felt like my feet were in sinking boats as I rode. As unpleasant as that is, the ride was worth it. :p

[kmehrzad]

My co-workers already think I am nuts once they learned I have TWO bikes...it will be interesting to see how they react when they start seeing one of them in my office every Tuesday :rolleyes:


When I ride into the office, I keep my bike in my small cubicle. Folks walking by usually make positive comments about riding in AND occasionally a co-worker will want to ride the bike down the long hallway. They're cool with the idea of a bike in the office, thankfully.

[BikingNurse]

OK I actually walked to work today but my Dolce Triple came in so my friend dropped me off at the LBS at lunch so it actually starts with lunch time but just the same, It was a commute to work from the LBS which is farther away than my home.
Slightly rainy, up hill with head wind. Loved it all (except the headwind) Birds were singing and traffic was pretty low. Going home tonight I have to go to the hospital to drop off surgery papers then can head home. But I'm putting my computer on today before I leave the office. My legs were not happy with me and as were my lungs but my heart was saying THIS IS AWSOME!!

[7rider]

My co-workers already think I am nuts once they learned I have TWO bikes...

They would find me certifiable, with 5! :eek: (and plotting for a 6th with my federal tax return!)

It was wet this a.m., so my shins were covered in grime by the time I got to the office. Was dry and windy for the ride home, and DH rode down to meet me at my locker so we could ride back together. It was good to have somebody to draft off on the route home.

I had to clean up my commuter when I got back. It was a mess!

[tzvia]

Strangest but best commute today.

Being a recovering couch potato, back on the bike since '08 after a 6 year run as a junkfood junkie, and now 50, I don't claim to be a rocket on a bike. No one has ever ever ever commented on my bike-ability or fitness till today.

On the way home I have a long straight run of about 5 miles, and about half a mile in, a guy about my age (maybe a bit younger), turns just behind me from a cross street. I barely take notice as I click through the gears, taking this ride to try and spin smoothly at about 90rpm. I'm doing 19mph, feeling good as I normally don't go so fast on my 29lb commuter but I want to get home. Some dope steps out into the street in front of me, and I quickly, without thinking, brake while lifting and getting behind the seat as if I am going down a hill, just to keep control. I just miss him. Stopping at the light, after about 10 seconds, the guy on the bike pulls up onto the sidewalk on my right and says 'Boy, you are in really good shape, I had trouble trying to keep up!" I could only stammer "You're in good shape too." We talk for a few moments about the bikes, he is on an older steel MTB. The light changes and he motions for me to go first. At the next light, he says "thanks for the workout" and I replied to have a safe ride.

Ok, I'm stoked. :D

It sounds like I'm not the only one here with co-workers who think we are nuts. Hey, you all are all in better shape than most of them so just smile. I told a co-worker the other day that my resting HR was 49 and he said I was dead!

[Crankin]

I always had the same experience/comments from my colleagues when I commuted. Even my (12 year old) students gave me grief (you rode 13 miles????). It got old after awhile, especially since most of them were young enough to be my kid.

[Psycler]

I had a good commute yesterday. A little cold outside, but I actually overcompensated and had a little too much on. So I just rode a little slower and enjoyed the ride more.


I didn't ride on Monday. Rained all day. Normally I don't like to ride to work if it is raining or will be on the way home. I don't like to arrive to work a mess and on the way home, I don't like to give drivers more of an excuse to hate my existence. They already don't think I should be out there at night, forget about the rain.
However, reading all of your posts where you do commute in rain and deal with it, maybe I should be out there a little more too.
I think I have the clothing down when I won't be too messy arriving at work. And I can still deal with angry drivers.

[Atlas]

I've finally relinquished some of my adoration for my Cross Check because I took my vintage Motobecane to work a couple days ago when it threatened to rain. It has fenders and my CC doesn't. I love the Surly so much that I don't really mind getting dirty on the way home. Anyway, it was quite a jolt to the system to get on an upright cruiser and putz around instead of buckling down and speeding down to work. Nice change of pace.

AND...I finally got a helmet. I'd been putting it off because of the price and the silliness but after reading some old threads here about no one looking good in one and hearing stories from friends who have had some bad accidents I thought, this is stupid, get something on your head. So thanks TE.

[BikingNurse]

Yea for helmets!!! Glad you got one. I look very silly and my hubby is quick to let me know that. but I don't care! I like my brains inside my head.

Hmm. 46 degrees today. Still a bit windy today but I took the long way to work and rode 3 miles instead of 1. Second day on my bike.... SO out of shape but I will be doing alot better by August I hope my first official 75 miler of the year is 8/7.

[lph]

Helmets do not look silly! Well, maybe they do to everybody else, but when I see someone riding at any kind of speed without one I think "urk, crazy guy, better keep away from this lunatic".

Seriously. A helmet makes me think "oh, good, a real cyclist". Tight spandex in glorious multicolour can look a bit silly, and the prancing walk one gets in roadie shoes :D but helmets, no.

[Biciclista]

It never rains when there' s a full moon, right? uh. yeah, sure. Today dawned slightly overcast, the sky had clouds scudding by all day. 10 minutes before I had to leave work...
it started... to rain.... good thing i have rain gear. By the time I got home water was puddling in my shoes.... hehe

[7rider]

Windy!
Why is it always a wicked headwind going home? Going home is primarily UP hill the whole way! :mad:
Tomorrow I have to take the truck in, as I have an appointment right after work that I can't get to via bike.
I don't remember the last time I took the truck in. Sometime last year? Maybe more. Huh.

[kmehrzad]

Windy!
Tomorrow I have to take the truck in, as I have an appointment right after work that I can't get to via bike.
I don't remember the last time I took the truck in. Sometime last year? Maybe more. Huh.

That's fantastic - you haven't had to drive into the office in such a long time. Good for you.

[redrhodie]

Right before leaving work, with black clouds looming overhead, and the wind tipping tree tops to rakish angles, my friend said "You sure you want to ride in this? It's a hurricane!" I said "Want? Maybe not want, but I'm riding." 25-30 mph gusty headwind for the last 10 miles, with drizzle. Once again, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. :)

[kmehrzad]

Right before leaving work, with black clouds looming overhead, and the wind tipping tree tops to rakish angles, my friend said "You sure you want to ride in this? It's a hurricane!" I said "Want? Maybe not want, but I'm riding." 25-30 mph gusty headwind for the last 10 miles, with drizzle. Once again, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. :)

You rock girl!

[redrhodie]

You rock girl!

Awww, thanks! It wasn't that long ago I would have accepted the ride offer.

[Psycler]

[QUOTE=7rider;506201]Windy!
Why is it always a wicked headwind going home? Going home is primarily UP hill the whole way!

Remember, a head wind up hill just cools you down while you are working up a sweat. ;)

I had pretty strong winds riding yesterday too. When I was going downhill, the wind slowed me down to nothing.

[BikingNurse]

yesterday's headwind going home was awful! I today comming in I took the med. route (not the short, not the long) It was cool and breezy but I rode with my 1st grader. It was longer for him but we had a good time in this eeyore weather.:)
I won't ride home tonight. My mom is picking me up at the office and we are going to the Taste of Home show at the Fairgrounds. I'm so excited! (I'm a lousy cook, but I make a mean salad!)
Happy Thursday everyone!:D

[HillSlugger]

Let me state from the start: THIS IS NOT MY BIKE!

http://home.comcast.net/~nicole.thomas14/UnderTree-P4290035.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~nicole.thomas14/Onlooker-P4290038.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~nicole.thomas14/ToddAndBike-P4290040.jpg

So, I was starting my lunch when the office admin comes by to ask if my coworker or I had biked in today because a tree had just fallen over onto the bike rack and crushed a bike. Turns out that the guy down the hall who broke his hip 3 months ago had gotten the OK to start biking and today was his first day back bike commuting. It was the same bike he was on when he went down on his hip. Even if the bike wasn't trashed I think it would have been time for a new bike. I've never been so glad to have NOT ridden.

[kmehrzad]

MDHillSlug - That's way too close for comfort. Glad you and your bike are okay. Too bad for your co-worker, though.

[Tri Girl]

Awww... that's so sad. What bad luck. :( Look at the expression on his face. Poor guy (oh, and glad you didn't ride in today).

Just out of curiosity- will the property management pay for the damages?

[pfunk12]

That is really sad. :(

[lph]

Oh no! Oh, and he looks so sad :( (plus he's kinda cute).

Give him a hug from the TE ladies ;)

[7rider]

Oh, that just stinks.

[HillSlugger]

Awww... that's so sad. What bad luck. :( Look at the expression on his face. Poor guy (oh, and glad you didn't ride in today).

Just out of curiosity- will the property management pay for the damages?

It is expected that the property management will be liable. I certainly hope it turns out that way and ends well for Todd. I'm really glad it wasn't his Lamond under that tree! :eek:

[Psycler]

Oh no, the poor bike, the poor man.

Is he going to give up, or is he going to keep going?

[HillSlugger]

Oh no, the poor bike, the poor man.

Is he going to give up, or is he going to keep going?

He'll just switch to one of his other 3 bikes. He's headed up to NY for the 5 Boroughs ride on Sunday. He's already shopping for the replacement bike.