The best and worst part of your commute

[light_sabe_r]

Just wondering what obstacles people face on their commutes.

On the way there:
The best part of my commute is the trail that runs beside norman creek. In the afternoon riding along that on my way home I hear all the lorikeets going nuts. Plus the trail starts next to the Library so I usually duck in there and pick up a new book to read at home before I ride on.

The worst part is crossing Ipswich road to get to the hospital in the morning. It's 3 lanes of traffic to cross in each direction (6 in total) and is full of TRUCKS and disgruntled drivers going to Ipswich at supposedly 60kph but they really fly by!! It was also near where I crashed coming home
a few weeks back.

[newfsmith]

The worst part of my commute is the left turn into the driveway when I get to work. 2 years ago they widened the road so there are now nice paved shoulders, but the traffic is going at least 15 to 20 mph faster, getting a gap both directions in next to impossible.

The best part is a lot bigger, riding through the Audubon Sanctuary and adjoining Trustee's of Reservations sanctuary lets me see lots of wildlife and plants; and at the end I come to a chunk that is leased to an organic farmer so I ride through fields of sunflowers, tomatoes, pumpkin and corn. Since I commute year-round it get to see all of these go through their annual cycles.

[Tri Girl]

The best part: only a 15 minute commute, and little to no traffic in the morning.
The worst part: lots of cars in the afternoon and crossing a very busy 4 lane road. I still get scared there every day.

[makbike]

The worst part of my commute is that our school system goes back to work on Thursday and I'll find myself commuting. When I do commute the worst part is that the safest way to my school is down a very high traffic road (approximately one mile of travel) and dealing with parents who are late, high schooler in a rush to meet their friends before classes begin, school buses pushing me, etc.

The best part of my commute is from June to August when I don't have to commute. However, when I do commute the best part is turning of the busy 2 lane road onto the road that takes me to my school (approximately a one mile ride). Traffic is spread out and motorists are far nicer and very patient. I've actually had parents drive behind me and stay there until I reach my school making this part of the ride a lot of fun and hassle free.

[mimitabby]

The worst part of my commute is when i have to get into the left lane to turn left. Traffic is moving 35-40 mph and they want to get around me, and there I am trying to get into the left lane!

The best part of my commute is the hill home. There are NO right turns at all, for a mile. So I can merrily pedal uphill at my own speed pretty much not too scared that someone is going to try to take me out because the lane is very wide.
another best part of my commute is when I go through the old factory building where they used to make the old b-52 bomber airplanes. It's totally vacant, but there are still roads that go THROUGH the silent building. So as I silently pedal through, I imagine all the hustle and bustle that Rosie the Riveter and all those other gals were making during WWII.

[velogirl]

The best part of my commute is Washington Park. I work at a bike shop two miles from my house. Half way there is Washington Park. Since I bring my dog with me to work (she rides on the back of the bike), we always stop at Washington Park to play for a while. I think that's how I trained her to love riding on the bike -- we always go to the park!!!

The worst part of the commute is coming home. I live on a somewhat-busy street and even though it's the designated north-south bike route, it's terrible for bikes! There's usually broken glass in the non-existent bike lane and always busy. I'm only on this street for half a block, but it's just a couple of blocks from the freeway and right next to my condo complex is a shopping center with a grocery, starbucks, etc., so lots of folks are bustling in their cars. I have to make a left turn into my complex and it's always a challenge. Probably doesn't help that I was hit on this street in 2002 -- it's always creeped me out.

But did I mention the best part is going to the park?

[DebW]

My 13 mile commute from Wayland to Lexington, MA.

Worst: Rt. 2A in Lincoln/Lexington between Bedford Rd. and Old Mass Ave. Fast traffic and narrow. It used to be fast traffic, narrow, and bumpy, but it got repaved 2 years ago. Generally OK but occassionally I get passed too fast and too close by a bus or large truck. And I have to make a left turn getting off of it, which occassionally has me sitting on the double yellow line with cars whizzing by in both directions. The only reason I have to ride on this road is because Hanscom Air Force Base is between me and my destination.

Most annoying: All the road patches, which are only on the right 1/3 of the road of course. With my stiff 80s steel frame, this stuff is really unpleasant (like having your brain rattled sometimes). I take the center of the road if at all possible to avoid it.

Best: The road next to the Drumlin Farm Audubon Sanctuary. I get to look at the drumlin every day, and sometimes the sheep are in the field.

Most fun: The big hill on Bedford Rd. in Lincoln Center going north. It's a tough uphill, but a very fun downhill. I hit 36-38 mph going down, and it's fairly straight and then has a flat half mile until the Rt. 2 stop light. Going the other way there is a stop sign just at the bottom of the steep section, so I can't take much speed.

[Kimmyt]

Best Part: Being on the Trail in the morning, passing all the other commuters and cyclists and people walking their dog before work. I can get pretty fast on that nice flat trail, so I like to get into the drops and feel the road just hummmmm underneath my tires.

Worst Part: Norristown. Coming out of the trainstation onto a busy 2-lane road with potholes and broken glass and gravel. I have to continue on these roads for some time, and let me tell you that asphalt can get hot! Also, I hate sitting behind cars at traffic lights.... exhaust blows!

K.

[xeney]

The best part of my commute is that it's only about five minutes long, all through residential city streets, and some days if I go in late I see more bikes than cars. People wave, almost everyone is friendly. The last block I take through an alley to avoid a one-way street, and the guys at the body shop always wave and say hello.

The worst part of my commute is a block and a half stretch right by my office that is officially designated a "bike route," but has diagonal parking all along one side. It wasn't so bad in past years -- the people who park there are mostly residents and they all seem to be really careful about backing out, so that is less of a concern than it might otherwise be, although obviously I have to be really alert. But also obviously, I have to take the lane in that stretch, because of the diagonal parking, and in the last few months that has been a little scary. It's a 25 mph zone and it used to be fine, but my neighborhood's demographics are changing, and these days we have more SUVs and cellphones and aggressive drivers. A lot of people seem to feel that they must pass me on that stretch, even though there isn't any room to pass safely. (I take the lane in most of my route, because our bike lanes are not wide enough to keep me from getting doored, but this is the narrowest stretch so it's pretty scary when I get passed.)

Actually, I change my answer. Cellphones are the worst part of my commute. People on cellphones don't see bicycles.

[Haudlady]

Let's see... the best part is coming down the Big Hill in the morning.:D

The worst part is trying to ride past Dunkin Donuts in the morning - I had three near-misses in July!:mad:

(Or is the worst part going UP the Big Hill, after having slaved in the office all day? Ah well, my climbing is getting better!:p )

[Tater]

Best part - my commute is better for me than any cup of coffee. I am wound up and ready to go when I get to work. While everyone else is groping for their morning stimulant, I just rode mine in.

Worst part - (1) executing a three lane sweep to make a left hand turn to get downtown. If I can time the traffic lights correctly, this isn't a problem. The bike lane ends about a quarter mile back, so I have to take the lane and hope some redneck in a pickup understands that I belong there too. (2) another left hand turn on the way home. I don't even bother attempting to get into the left turn lane, the traffic is just too much. I cross the intersection and punch the ped crossing button. I have found that to be much easier.

[tulip]

I commute 14 miles each way, starting in Maryland, through DC, to Alexandria Virginia. Three states a day!

The best part of my commute is my hour + of riding my bike early in the morning, being strong, and taking the lane. I like it when I get on the bike path in Virginia and don't have to deal with stop signs and busses. Oh, and there's that cute guy going the other way who always smiles at me!

The other best part of my commute is arriving at Misha's coffee shop in Alexandria. THAT's my destination, and since it's only a couple of blocks from work, I figure I might as well just go to work since I'm so close.

The other best part of my commute is having a shower and an indoor bike rack at work. Bless them!

The other best part of my commute is my job--I really like it!

The other best part of my commute is going home and letting all the stresses of the day trickle away as I ride home.

The other best part of my commute is arriving home to my beautiful house and garden. I was able to buy a house a few years ago and it's really dreamy--100 years old with a wrap around porch and a yard that I've filled with flowers.

The other best part of my commute is kissing my lovely husband hello, taking a shower, making dinner, practicing mandolin, reading a book, and falling into a heavy sleep (biking makes for good sleep, among other things :cool: )

What was the rest of the question?

[Deanna]

The best part of my commute:

Passing all the cars stuck in stop and go traffic (thinking my route was a "good" alternative to the main highway)
Slowing way down on the shoulder whenever some jack@$$ thinks he's going to take cuts in front of all the people stuck in traffic by passing on the right
Getting the best parking space at the office (I get to park inside!)
The option to extend my ride home after work by 20-35 miles on beautiful backroads


The worst part of my commute:

I pass one freeway offramp where people cut in front of me a little too close
Sometimes I have a headwind on the way home

[mimitabby]

oh, you reminded me.
the best part of my commute (okay another best part) is that no matter which way the wind is blowing, on my commute, it is only a headwind for 1/3 of the ride
because i ride in a circle!!!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
x.......................x
x........................xxx
x...........................x
x...........................x
x............................x
x............................x
x.............................x
x..............................xxxx
x...................................x
x....................................x
x..................................xx
x.................................x
start...........................finish

(that's my commute)

[alpinerabbit]

Mine only has a worst part - it is 50 km so I've only made it once. And it's not nice enough to do it again.

[GLC1968]

My commute is just shy of 14 miles from one side of Greensboro to the other.

The best parts:

The early morning quiet
The ability to blow off steam at the end of a long day
Friendly Ave (three HUGE rolling hills)
Hobbs Road (tons of huge gorgeous houses and more huge rolling hills)
The stretch down Old Battleground where I ride through Guilford Courthouse Military Park... it's always so shady and cool in there!


The worst parts (you'll see some repeats!):

Friendly Ave in the morning - the traffic sucks and people are not kind to bikes
The stretch of Old Battleground where I ride through Guilford Courthouse Military Park when there is traffic - very narrow road with no shoulder at all
Getting held up at lights waiting for cars to show up to trigger them!
No bike paths or bike lanes to use

[CorsairMac]

hmmmm - what an interesting thread:

Best Part: every day I ride!!

Worst Part: drivers that turn right without using a turn signal! lol

[Deanna]

Worst Part: drivers that turn right without using a turn signal! lol


That goes on my list too! I sometimes think turn signals are now an optional feature in cars.

[withm]

hmmmm - what an interesting thread:

Best Part: every day I ride!!

Worst Part: drivers that turn right without using a turn signal! lol


Sigh. Imagine having a $40,000 automobile that doesn't have turn signals. LOL.

[bikerHen]

WORST:
The "big long hill" only 1.5 miles into my ride.

Not long enough. It's 3 miles straight up the highway, or a 6 mile loop, or a twelve mile wandering path through good and bad neighborhoods and really busy streets.

The road I have to ride on my twelve mile loop has good wide shoulders but they are filled with all kinds of sand and gravel, sharp things, and stuff that fell from passing traffic. It's a very busy road with lots of big fast trucks.

Road Construction! Seriously disrupting my route right now. :mad:

Having to cross four lanes of 60+ mph traffic to get home, w/o a light. :eek:

BEST: Nothing very pretty to look at, but I'm riding my bike to work and for errands. And it feels great! :D bikerHen

[tulip]

Sigh. Imagine having a $40,000 automobile that doesn't have turn signals. LOL.

Ah, the Budget Model Lexus...I know them well!

[Geonz]

Best: the little sprints on smooth roads, the friendly people in cars and on bikes.

Worst: the hostile souls and the road construction, and the left turn across (student!) traffic to get across campus.

[HappyAnika]

Worst:
- Squeezing between big trucks and the median curb at an intersection on a 65 mph hwy (I approach slowly hoping I'll catch the red light).
- Afternoon thunderstorms
- The big hill I have to go up to get home toward the end of my ride when I'm exhausted
- Erratic prairie dogs who wait until just the right moment to run out into the path/shoulder

Best:
- The view on the way into work, the next best thing to being in the mountains is looking at them while riding my bike!
- Getting in 37 - 42 miles a day, saving gas and time by combining my workout with my commute
- A long list of possible routes (most of which are very nice)

[spokewench]

The best part of my ride to work is the fact that I am riding my bike instead of driving my car. I feel envigorated when I get to work. My commute is very short but it has a very nice trail along the busiest road that a couple of years ago was not there that makes my commute much better. The worst part was being hit by a young driver a few years ago on the way home riding in the bike lane (car turned right in front of me) ! Luckily i was not hurt seriously. :)

[dingster1]

Mine is the same for both best and worst. Very short commute. About a mile.:(

[Jenerator]

Bests:
Getting to work 5 minutes faster than if I drove, taking the shortest route.
Getting to work a little late because a long ride on empty streets under a full moon was too much fun.
Getting home an hour slower than if I drove, taking the long route.

Worst:
Being on call and having to drive the take-home-car.
Being too sick to ride, but not sick enough to call in sick.

[CorsairMac]

Mine is the same for both best and worst. Very short commute. About a mile.:(


can you pick some other routes that will give you some more miles?

[Trek420]

My ride to work is not scenic, there are a couple of stretches, going around Lake Merrit is one. But the traffic and incomplete bike lane keeps my sole focus on the road even there:

worst part:
where do I begin? there are a lot of obstacles.

best part:
any time I get a smile and act of courtesy or kindness from a driver, ped, another rider.

That makes my day. :D

[spokewench]

Hi Trek 420:

Lake Merritt in Oakland? Yuck I worked in one of those buildings by Lake Merritt for 9 years! I sure wouldn't have wanted to ride my bike around there.

One time, I rode my bike from San Leandro thru Oakland to the area around the Oakland Airport where they used to have Tuesday crits. Let me tell you that Ride is not recommended!

[uforgot]

Best part: I live in a small town and it is absolutely required that I wave to everyone, whether I know them or not, as everyone waves and smiles at me! We have a 4-way stop, and 99% of the time any car that hits the intersection when I do, waits and wants me to go through first. Everyone is considerate, friendly and most of all protective to me. I teach, so I can just put my bike in my classroom. My students think its "cool" I ride, as you don't see many adults riding bikes around here. People here don't know biking laws and there are no "Share the Road" signs, but courtesy and friendliness keep me safe.

Worst part: When my co-workers hum the song from the Wizard of Oz. The one where the "witch" is riding her bike with Toto in the basket. Everyone thinks they're a comedian...:D

[run it, ride it]

WORST PARTS:
-Head-on wind the whole trip there--try explaining to your non-bicycle-riding supervisor that you were .03 seconds late because you got caught in a headwind.

-Hot and exhausted...great way to start an eight-hour day of outdoor labour

-Trying to get bike shorts on at the end of the day, when I'm even more exhausted and sweaty.

-TRANSPORT TRUCKS. Sometimes there's too much traffic for them to move over and I nearly get sucked under.

BEST PARTS:
-NO SPEEDING TICKETS (at 7:50am on a Saturday, when Murphy's Law dictates that the only other person on the road is a cop). I am chronically late--the best thing about biking is that I can leave at the same time and get there EARLIER each day!

-The look on the same cop's face when she sees me the day after the ticket travelling about 110km slower.

-I don't have to wait in line at Main Gate to get into my place of employment (provincial park). My coworkers will be lined up out to the highway for 20 minutes and I just breeze past the line and wave to the gate attendant as I fly by.

-My trip there (13km) includes only right-hand turns.

-Discarding the sweat-drenched polyester uniform and steel toes for bicycle shorts and a bra top for the trip home.

-The ride home is almost always with the wind

-The way my boy lifts his head, arches his neck and perks his ears when he hears the bike coming down the driveway for our evening ride after work.

[betagirl]

The best part of my commute: There are 2 parts I really enjoy. The first is near my house, as I go down Washington street toward the city through all the old homes and under the huge 100 year old trees that canopy the road. The other best part, and this may sound crazy, is Wacker drive in the city. It's such a rush to navigate through to my school or work with all the cabs, buses, and cars. :D

The worst part is: The 3 miles of ghetto I have to ride through as Washington crosses the west side of Chicago. It's kind of depressing, kind of risky, and there's a ton of glass and other crap in the road. I've had 6 flats since I started commuting in June. Needless to say I'm REAL good at changing my rear tire.

[CorsairMac]

Worst part: When my co-workers hum the song from the Wizard of Oz. The one where the "witch" is riding her bike with Toto in the basket. Everyone thinks they're a comedian...:D


roflmao - I Love it! The guys here will hum that every once in awhile too! I'm thinking we should get ourselves some red silk poppies for our desk!! waddya think? ;)

[CorsairMac]

The worst part is: .......and there's a ton of glass and other crap in the road. I've had 6 flats since I started commuting in June. Needless to say I'm REAL good at changing my rear tire.


have you looked into Kevlar tires and/or slime tubes? We've got bike lanes here that are just a mess and either I'm very lucky or my Kevlar tires and Slimed tubes have kept me safe and it didn't add that much weight to the bike.

[betagirl]

Hey CMac - I did put a Kevlar tire on the rear. I got a flat a few weeks ago. Not sure why though. I think part of my problem is crappy performance tubes. There was a piece of glass in the tire, but it didn't puncture all the way through. Most of my flats were pre-kevlar. So here's hoping :D

[light_sabe_r]

I'm adding UNISEX TOILETS to the worst part of my commute. The floor's sticky and it's almost like they haven't been cleaned in eons...

Did I mention I work in a hospital?? EWE!!!!

[bigredbike]

Tater, I think we have the same kind of dog. Aussie? That's Cooper on the left, he's 2-1/2. Spoiled rotten.

Okay, best part: cutting through neighborhoods with no traffic and no stop signs. Always have to be alert but easy riding and pretty fast.

Worst part: a busy 4 laner that I have to grind through the first and 10 last minutes with lots of debris in the bike lane.

[withm]

My route is 13 miles due north/south. The prevailing winds are out of the north in the morning, and often shift to a more southerly direction in the afternoon. So...

Worst part: 13 miles of headwinds in the morning :(
Best part: 13 miles of tailwinds when I'm lucky :) :)

[SalsaMTB]

After a few reroutes, my commute is now about 13 miles each way (original route was 16!!)

Best part....leaving early morning and basically having the road to myself. The mornings where DH is motivated and rides in to work with me!

Worst parts....there's a bridge over a major freeway that is only two very tight lanes and no shoulder. Drivers are very aggressive on this bridge and it freaks me out riding over it. Plus, I have to take the lane because just over the top I have to make a left. I just muscle as fast/hard has I can up and over it and pray the drivers a nice! The traffic on the way home is pretty bad also.

[betagirl]

I forgot 2 other best parts are when I just start getting into downtown Chicago, and am crossing over the Kennedy expressway, I look over at all the cars stuck in bumper to bumper traffic :D It's also at this point where if the wind is blowing right, I smell the chocolate being made at the Blommer chocolate factor a few blocks away. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[DebW]

Years ago I had a commute that went west in the morning and east in the afternoon. The cool part of that was that every afternoon in the summer, I knew if there was a sea breeze and how far inland it went. It was really obvious. I'd be riding in calm air and within 1/2 mile I'd be bucking a headwind. The sea breeze usually extended to about the Arlington/Lexington line outside Boston.

[Tater]

Tater, I think we have the same kind of dog. Aussie? That's Cooper on the left, he's 2-1/2. Spoiled rotten.

Okay, best part: cutting through neighborhoods with no traffic and no stop signs. Always have to be alert but easy riding and pretty fast.

Worst part: a busy 4 laner that I have to grind through the first and 10 last minutes with lots of debris in the bike lane.

Yes, bigredbike, Jack is Aussie! Four years old and spoiled as they come! :p

One other good thing about my commute, after having a flat and deciding to walk the remaining half mile home, two people stopped to ask if I needed a ride or if I was okay. That was cool!

[Lise]

Hmmmm...nothing particularly good or bad about the commute...best part is on a summer morning when I feel like a kid riding to the swimming pool again. Then it turns out it's work I'm riding to!

I'm with beta about the chocolate factory, so I'll give another best/worst: The b/w of my ride downtown to get to the south lakefront path.
Smells:
Best: Chocolate factory.

Worst: Leather factory. Barfatrocious.

Pavement:
Best: my block, recently repaved.

Worst: that bit of Elston by the railroad tracks. If you don't go over the tracks just right, you hit a major pothole. My water bottles have gone flying twice at that part.

Speed:
Best: Elston, between Division and Chicago. Flying! In the aero bars! :D

Worst: Lake to Roosevelt on Des Plaines. Two words: Friggin' stop lights. OK, that's three words. :rolleyes:

[Sheesh]

I just recently started commuting by bike (today was day four!) and I just had to stop on my way home tonight to enjoy sitting by the lake. It is a beautiful day and there was a faint breeze (just enough to keep me cool, but not so much that it felt like I was battling the wind to get home). Lake Michigan is definitely the best part of my commute.

The worst is the part where I have to ride on the streets. I take the lake path most of the way, but once I get downtown, I have to take Harrison and I'm not really comfortable on the roads yet.

OT: I too have an Aussie! His name is Murphy and he's a blue merle.