Not so bad! :) I rode really slow this morning, and managed to arrive with a dry bra--success!!! Amazing tailwind back tonight. Can't beat that! Voeckler's still in yellow, I'd call this day perfect!
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Not so bad! :) I rode really slow this morning, and managed to arrive with a dry bra--success!!! Amazing tailwind back tonight. Can't beat that! Voeckler's still in yellow, I'd call this day perfect!
Coming home tonight: 90 degrees, breezy, 14% humidity. Probably sounds like heaven to those in the midwest, and I admit it's pretty nice as long as my water bottle is full!
I'm still trying to ride about once a week. Today it was overcast and 78 with just a little headwind in the morning (actually, there is a headwind almost every time I ride) and my average was only 13.3 riding in.
Coming home, the clouds dissipated and although I mis-remembered that it was going to be 91 when I left, after I got home I checked the hourly weather chart and apparently, it was closer to 101. My commute is 10 miles each way. I feel okay for the first 5 miles or so, and it helps if I stop at the convenience store and fill up my water bottle with ice. By the last 1 1/2 miles, I have usually hit my heat limit, and start to wonder if I should stop and cool off. Even though it is downhill (ever so slightly), I usually need to lie down and drink something cold as soon as I get home.
My commute sucked! My car blew a radiator hose and I got to hang out with the AAA guy and spend like $100 on car repairs and be late for work. Shoulda rode the bike.
started my moon today, and rode anyway. Had a good ride in, doing hills better :)
A friend of mine commented that her bike has become her "lazy way" of transportation. I said "Isn't that funny! I know I kept intending to walk or even drive this winter but it was just easier to bike, even in the bitter cold."
How I miss that bitter cold... It's still easier to bike than to walk or drive.
My commute was great. The new bike path extension has been working out. The virgin asphalt is dreamy smooth. It seems to take me a few more minutes, which is weird. Not sure if it's a little longer, or if I'm a little slower for some other reason. Anyway, it hasn't been busy, so that's been nice. The official opening ceremony is later this week, so that might make more people know about it. For now, it's mine. All mine.
Bought a bike computer this week and got it working this morning
WOOH!! 55km/hr!!
(Just ignore the 9km/hr up that hill..) :P
Need to figure out how to pull out the average speed and distance and stuff
A Beautiful ride this morning - a layer of Frost on everything :)
I don't envy you lot the heat, it'll hit us here soon enough *sigh*
My car's brake light came on yesterday, so I brought it to the mechanic today, which is 5 miles from work. Whenever I have car work done, I bring my bike along and ride to work. It's much shorter than my regular commute, so I think of it as not riding. I came very close to not wearing bike shorts today. I'm so glad I didn't.
When I got to the shop after work, my car was not ready, and would not be until tomorrow. And, they wouldn't let me take it because it was too dangerous to drive. So, I had to ride another 10 miles to get the bus. Not a big deal, but I had been thinking of this as a non-ride day. I ate a puny lunch, about half the calories I usually eat for lunch, and I was dehydrated. I blame my current emotional state for both of these. My appetite is off, and I forgot to drink enough. Had I known I would be riding 15 miles instead of 5, I would have used some chamois butter, and eaten more. I also didn't have bus fare. Luckily, my lbs is right down the block, and they generously gave me some cash. Love those guys.
I had to wait almost an hour for the bus, and it went a really crazy route, looping through the community college, which I'd never even seen before. Had I known it was going to do that, I would have gotten off at the first stop and just ridden from there. That would have been faster, for sure. It ended up taking me 2 1/2 hours to get home.
Well, I'm beat. At least I didn't go postal on anyone. :D
Hello All, I'm new around here, just found this website a week or so ago. I have been commuting daily to work since May. I'm amazed and how much better (more energized) I feel with even a small ride to work and back. My commute to work is a tiny .71 miles, but generally I try to get an extra six to twelve miles in after work. I own a brand new in May 2011 Specialized Vita Elite, it's a hybrid and perfect for commuting. Although I do feel, every so often, the need for a fast & light road bike (maybe next year). My dream is to get in shape enough so that I can take a bike tour of New Zealand. I guess my reason for hanging about here is to get some winter biking tips - I've gotten some good ones already from lurking about. I plan on biking as much as I can until it snows out.
I'm trying to commute once a week. It means leaving half an hour earlier, and it's always a bit stressful even though I feel great when I get to work. I've got my change/clean-up routine down to less than 10 minutes. .... but I've got to say, riding home when it's 100 degrees leaves me ready to collapse when I get in the door.
Today the humidity was reasonable (17%) and the clouds moved in as I rode home, but I then I had wind all the way home. I'm not sure which I prefer- blazing heat with calm or more favorable winds, or overcast with wind.
Crap. Earlier this week, nice cool morning ride. For two blocks. Then my bike started feeling like it was hinging in the middle, then it felt heavy and dead in the back. Shoot, flat. No time to change it so I turned around and walked briskly home and took the truck to work.
Took the time that evening to rotate the tires (they have about 1600 miles on them and the back is more worn than the front but still serviceable.) The rear tube was not only flat from a rather large 1/2" by 1/8" wide shard of glass stuck in the tire, but it looked chaffed and had many tiny cracks like it was dry so I replaced it. Had to use pliers to get the glass out of the tire, and patched it from the inside. It felt good to ride it on Friday.
Our weather has been mild for the San Fernando Valley/L.A. I don't think it's been 108f yet, and has maybe hit 100 once or twice all month. The humidity is high though and I sweat bullets going home.
And I think it is time to start looking into new 700x28c tires...
had my first run in with rain, today. Funnily enough, two days ago was my one month anniversary with my bike. Little blue monster is a beast.
Rain isn't my favorite. BUt I think I just have to find better ways to deal with it. TO be honest, it wasn't a good day and I wasn't expecting the rain
A normal commute in, until I heard a nearby 'chufchufchuf...' as I was approaching a railway line I bike under, and thought that diesels sounded a lot like steam trains these days. Just as I got there a stream locomotive went past over the bridge, it was pulling an excursion train and working hard to get up the hill. It was quite a sight - I have mixed feeling about steam power, a steam engine pollutes an awful lot, still it made my Monday.
I freakin' hate my car. My commute today: DH needed the good car (normally he works from home so this isn't much of an issue) so my choices were to take the unreliable car or ride my bike. I've been commuting by bike a lot recently, but we didn't realize our conflict for today until after I had already gotten in an early morning run, and there are thunderstorms predicted for this afternoon, so I figured I'd take the unreliable car. Generally if it's going to have problems it'll be right at the start (or the non-start as the case may be). But it started up just fine and got me about 9 miles along on my commute before it started lurching and stalling. I eventually got it off the highway and parked it in a convenience store lot and walked the last 2.5 miles to work. Between the drive, the time spent starting and stopping and lurching, and the walk, I could have biked the route a lot faster.
I'm calling a vehicle donation place and getting rid of that car today.
Fun. For one, I finally got a new tune stuck in my head. I've had Leonard Cohen's "Everybody Knows" playing in my head on rides for months. Months! Finally today, something inside clicked, and "Heavy Metal Drummer" by Wilco came on. What a contrast! Hopefully, it's a sign of good things to come. I love Leonard Cohen, but that might be the most cynical song ever written. I'm ready for a lighter internal beat.
Also fun because I out-rode the impending rain. Saw it coming on the Doppler, and my friend said, "Ride like the wind!" and I took off. Apparently that wasn't really necessary, because it's still not raining, and I've been home for an hour. Oh, well, it's good to have inspiration for speed. I purposely didn't ride my rain bike today because I thought it might be fun to try to avoid it, and it was.
Edit, oh, and I forgot about yelling at the strollercizers monopolizing the entire bike path (both lanes) this morning. After saying, "bike back" and "walkers move to the left" and being ignored, I finally yelled "walkers to the left!" (there are signs posted at every intersection, it's not my rule). Afterward, I was embarrassed for being rude and hoped no one I knew heard me. But, they finally moved.
my school year starts tomorrow and that means I get to commute again!!!! WOO HOO!!! It's been FAR too hot this summer to do any recreational riding- only riding as part of the training I'm doing for the IM next month. Can't wait to get on my bike and ride to work again! I always miss it when the school year ends, and always look forward to it when the school year begins.
I like the strollercizer term, that's great. I have the same problem with a section around the lake, where I bike after work. I finally gave up the bike path and used the road. Between the kids and the geese the roads are safer, and at least the geese have the sense to move. I actually had a little kid (maybe 4 or 5 yrs old) stand in the bike path and kinda jump from side to side in front of me purposely get in my way. I'm sure she thought it was cute.Quote:
Originally Posted by redrhodie
That sounds very annoying. I usually stay off the bike path at this time of year, but it was my friend's birthday, and I thought I might run into him on the path. We have opposite direction commutes.Quote:
Originally Posted by AnnB
I don't think this was an actual "Stollercize" group like they have in NYC, but it was 8-10 ladies working out with their babies (which I totally respect; but pay attention and give others room to get by, please). The real Strollercizers I used to see in Manhattan were totally hard core, running full speed, with one hand on the stroller, then jumping sideways. I swear, some of the women would be in tears trying to keep up. Oh, and they ran single file, with military-like formation. I suspect it would be easy to get by them.
Yesterday I needed to be in San Francisco Bay Area's East Bay. Some neighbors were driving to the West Bay, :p er, Peninsula. I put my folding bike into their trunk and got a ride with them.
This let me ride across the bay via the Dumbarton Bridge! :cool: The ride was much easier and more pleasant than I expected.
I linked a bunch of errands, all via bike, into this trip. In the end, it was 9 errands and 50 miles of riding. :eek: At one point I was slightly lost - I knew I was on the correct side of a certain freeway, headed in the correct compass direction, and that within 10 miles I'd encounter the cross street I was looking for.
Even after 50 miles of pedal pushing, I don't feel a thing - no soreness, no tiredness. I think this trip must be in the top 5 of my single day riding distances.
This commute did end on a bit of a sour note. I forgot my sunglasses hooked onto my bike's handlebars while I had dinner. They were gone when I returned. :( At least I got two years of use out of them.
Got in my once a week commute a day early- maybe I'll get two this week. A bit humid for Tucson but relatively cool (high 70's) on the way in. The way back I was trying to beat the rain clouds (really, I was more worried about the potential for outflow winds) and didn't bring my work laptop with me. Great tailwinds for a change, and the last 5 miles I probably averaged 21 mph!! Big raindrops but not too many for the last mile, so it was just pleasantly cool for a desert summer afternoon.
Wow today's commute was absolutely horrifying. As I was coming home this evening I had a whole line of cars buzzing me. One got so close it actually grazed my hand on my handlebar. The light in front of me changed and I caught up to one of the cars that buzzed me way too close. I knocked on their window and I asked the guy driving: "Sir, would please give me a little more room the next time you pass me?" He pops off "would I get on the trail". I say back "where". Because there is no access to it from that road! He is about to get all defensive so I just look at him and say "Please sir, all I'm trying to do is get to work." Looks like his wife and kids were in the car, so I didn't fly off like I really wanted to. I'm glad I didn't lose my cool but dang!
After that guy and the one who grazed my hand went around me so close and fast I jumped out smack in the middle of the lane. I NEVER do that but honestly I felt safer pissing off all the cars behind me and dealing with them that way. When I was off on the edge they were trying to squeeze by me doing 45-50 MPH which was WAY over the speed limit there. I don't know what got in to drivers today but I feel lucky to be alive after today. :mad:
The crappiest part is that there is NO way to avoid this road. I am only on it for at most a quarter of a mile, you'd think I was on there for 10 miles holding up traffic with the way these jerks were acting! :mad::mad::mad:
When I got home I felt like curling up in the fetal position. It didn't help I had another flat today. :(
Take the lane. It's safer. What's more important, a few seconds of their time, or your life? And if they honk, then at least you know they see you.
Yes, take the lane. That's been my experience any time I try to "hide out" on the edge because I'm scared of the road. The road suddenly feels much safer when I take the lane. It is hard to do, it is so counter-intuitive. But once you do, it makes so much difference.
I don't really feel like a lot of people get mad at me either. Oh, maybe someone will honk or yell, but they do that no matter what you do.
I rode in the rain this morning, in all my rain gear. I love riding in the rain--when it's not too hot for the rain gear, but not too cold either!
I was ready for rain today, but it never came. I wore a cycling cap under my helmet, just in case, and I rode my Soma DC. It was pretty cool out, in the 60s when I started this morning. It felt good. Still not cool enough for the arm warmers I brought, but their time will come soon enough. I love this time of year.
I've been trying to own the road on my commute as well. I do feel lots safer, although drivers really are cranky when they have to follow a bike. Especially if it's after work
My whole family commuted by bike together for the first time today! We dropped our older son (age 7) off at camp first, and he rode his own bike and parked it at the rack. He was really proud of himself. I towed son #2 (age 2) in the Burley, and my partner and I dropped him off at daycare next. We both rode off to work from there.
The whole process took about a half hour longer than it usually takes me to get to work, but I think we'll get the process streamlined and it will go faster next time.
I have been commuting by bike 2-3 days per week since May, and this was my partner's very first day bike commuting. I think we all did pretty well! :)
Gillian
lurking a while but I had to register just to vent about this: running late for work, big stupid detour around a park I usually ride through on the edge of downtown. The detour finally gets you back on the trail for about 100yards and then off to the street again. There is a stop sign. 3-way stop. I slow down and look for any traffic, see none and yes, run the stop sign.
What did I get in return? a $100 ticket and a lecture about how "most car/bicycle accidents are the cyclists fault" and "sometimes all that's left of the cyclist is a splat on the road" etc, etc.:(
Could they at least save this for when they see someone doing something actually dangerous!?
ps. I got to watch about a half dozen other cyclists do exactly the same thing while I stood there waiting for the ticket. No cars passed. and I was the only one pulled over. what a morning!
ouch, In Idaho we are fortunate to have the "idaho stop" on a bike we are allowed to do exactly that, slow down, make sure the path is clear and proceed. This becomes a challenge when we are touring in other states as we don't know the rules of the road so when not in Idaho we come to a complete stop. That policeman must have been in a good hiding spot. So sorry for the fine!
Yeah, he was actually parked on the grass in the park behind some trees! He didn't pull out, just hit the lights and siren. I have a feeling he plans to sit there all day, hmm, maybe a different route home is in order. :mad: grr.
I finally rode my commute yesterday, but it was the afternoon and the intent was just to familiarize myself with my route. It wasn't too bad. Rather bumpy for my road bike, or maybe I am too cautious with it? I did fall for the first time, it was hilarious. Just one of those instances where you don't clip out fast enough. Lightly scraped my elbow and the left end of my handlebar. But I was laughing too hard to really notice. I almost did it again when I got home because I clipped out with my right leg instead of the left like usual. Oh well. I am excited to have completed the 24 mile route and even more excited that it is totally doable even with some good hills. Now if my work schedule would only stay consistent I could plan my cycling commute days!
Wow, library, that bites!
Where were you? The cop will probably move too, so don't count on a different route keeping you ticketless.
I FINALLY rode my new commute this week. I haven't quite got the bugs worked out yet. It's twice as long now, and that combined with not riding for a couple months has rendered me tired. It will be a good sleep tonight.
Today's commute was "sub-optimal". This morning I left the house 5 minutes earlier than usual to get to work in time for a meeting, but the head wind was enough to erase my head start and I ended up 2 minutes late anyway.
Temps in the afternoon were higher than I expected. We've had record-breaking heat all week in Arizona, but I thought it was going to be a little cooler today. The high was 107, so I stayed late grading papers. It was still over 100 when I headed home- right into another head wind! It's downhill on the way home, but it didn't seem like it for most of the way.
My first commute (on the tandem, with my boyfriend who is also my coworker) was last Friday. We did it again this Weds and then today. We ride to the train, then take the train to another city and then ride from that city over a mountain (seriously, 1700 feet) to work...30 miles each way. Today we actually rode the WHOLE way home (about 54 miles, 3600 feet of climbing) and I am exhausted. All the riding, though it's hard, isn't that bad. It's the as*hole drivers who make me want to start carrying a pistol in my jersey pocket.
Seriously, what the F is wrong with people? All of the stories I read on here, and now experiencing it myself - why do people feel the need to go out of the way to harass cyclists? I've never encountered so many rude drivers in the last 6 months of cycling as I have on my six commute rides. My boyfriend suggested we get a "huge rubber **** and put it on a stick and hold it out" to keep people from driving too close. I don't think it will help with the drivers who make a point to flip us off, or drive up next to us and roll down the window to scream at us for making them need to pay attention and not drive 70 mph on country roads with a posted 45 mph speed limit. Mind you, we are not doing anything rude or unsafe ourselves, and are trying to keep as far to the right as we can on the narrow and shoulderless roads. I've also noticed that the entitled as*hole drivers who seem to feel the most inconvenienced by having to slow down for a minute and then pass us are driving either a) Mercedes Benz, b) SUV, or c) some monstrous, gas-guzzling American made truck. Seriously, the encounters I've had commuting just the past week have made me hate people. :mad:
Not completely related to my commute, but a rant.
So yesterday, I did my shopping at lunch. Picked up a box of Gas-X (DH and I go thru a lot of that :rolleyes:). $5 for a box of 18. Ouch. So I ride home - all my groceries tucked in my panniers (there's the link...see?), and I unload said groceries in my kitchen. Pick up the box of Gas-X. Flap is open. 18, huh? $5? Ouch.
Wait just a cotton-pickin' minute. :eek:
Instead of TWO sleeves of 9-pills each, there is only ONE sleeve.
Someone opened the box in the grocery store and helped him/herself to one of the sleeves and left the half-empty box on the shelf!!
Dirty no-good thief!
So I paid $5 for 9 stupid pills :eek::mad::mad::mad::mad:
Never occurred to me to check the box. Boy, will I next time.
Yesterday's air quality was "yellow" which means no outside burning and that you should avoid strenuous exercise. They also suggest to limit your driving. Boise is not known for it's public transportation and I had an appointment about 8 miles away, so of course, I rode my bike. I did ride slower than normal so I wasn't doing any heavy breathing but couldn't help but wonder how cool it would be if on a yellow alert air day NO one was allowed to drive, of course that isn't going to happen in the near future but how great would it be if everyone had to walk, ride or take the bus.
That is such a good point. Instead of saying "air quality is poor, don't bike" making everyone drive and worsening the air quality, say "air quality is poor, you can't drive today".
Ah, we can dream...
A ton of people have been telling me "Oh, I saw you the other day". Guess I've been out and about a lot!
Last week.
So frustrated about last Thursday's ride home. The parking lot exit at work is paved right through the middle of an empty weed lot and I exit that way. Well, I picked up a huge thorn from some of the weeds that were cut a few weeks ago and did not notice for a block, and then I sure did. FLAT. Crap.
So I get out the pump and patch kit and found a little shade as it's 103f and patch it. Then the hell began. Yes I had found the 1/2" thorn and removed it, checked the tire and the other wheel too. Put it all together, confident that I would just pump it up and go. Nope. Pump-pump-pump. Nothing. I took off the pump and the head of the presta came off and was in the pump head. Ok, get the spare, change again. Pump-pump-pump. Nothing. Shoot. Take off the pump- again the presta nut is broken off. I've never had an issue with the pump before (Blackburn Carbon Frame pump) but I took it apart and I don't see any problem with it. Called the sag wagon and waited in the heat.
I know there is a reason why I look for tubes with removable presta valves for my road bike and mtb, but I had not found any that fit 28~32c tires. Re-thinking this at home, I remembered I had bought some 25c Continental Gatorskins and I switched out. They feel so much better than the Kenda Kwests. But leaving work again this week, I stopped at the exit and sure enough there were 3 thorns in the back, and one in the front. But they had not punctured the tubes yet. So I will leave work out the side exit that does not go through the undeveloped part of the campus.
I've been commuting almost two years now, and that was my first DNF. Gonna get me some tubes with removable valve cores this weekend.
It took all summer but I have officially commuted to work (during work hours)! I assume traffic was lighter than normal because of the holiday weekend - I'm not complaining. :) I packed all my stuff in a small bookbag which I have never done before. Lunch + breakfast (left without eating) + clothes + shoes + keys + blah blah blah = a bit heavier than I was expecting! :eek: Definitely made my start-ups much harder but it was manageable. Took me a perfect hour. Someone in a van chatted with me at a light. He was very pleasant. The majority of my ride is on trails but the times I was on the road I feel I was lucky to have many polite drivers who gave me space, etc... I am very greatful for that.
Looking forward to doing this throughout the fall and maybe the winter!
I had my car tuned up yesterday, so I rode from the service station to a few miles past Worden's Pond, a scenic road, then I just turned around and rode to work. I ended up with close to 20 miles for the day, and my car is running great, and there were no surprises, so I'm happy. Traffic was heavy. The students are returning to URI, but now the beach section of my commute will lighten. Give and take.