First Commute of 2008

[HillSlugger]

I did my first bike commute of 2008. We had a bunch of rain overnight, but the morning is gorgeous, if a bit windy. The roads were a bit wet, but not too bad. Fun!

I definitely see fenders as my next purchase!

New construction/traffic patterns on a few roads may have me looking for some alternative routes.

[Trek420]

I did my first split commute ever Friday bike to work, light rail to the airport for a flight. Fly back, light rail and bus home.

Monday drove to BART station, train to work then rode back to BART.

OK, I did put the bike on the car for the 2 miles home but it's still dark and a sketchy ride at night.

It worked out well, very fast, convenient and saved alllllll the cost of parking at the airport.

[7rider]

Hey, that's great!
Props to you for heading out. Me...I'm still fighting my cold...I heard the rain still falling at 6 a.m. and just kept hitting the snooze button! Too easy to say "Eh...tomorrow." when Metro is my fallback (although they were delayed today..grrrr.).
I saw below on the WABA BTWD site and thought of you. Wasn't last year your first BTWD and BTW experience? Share your story with WABA? It'd be awesome and inspiring!


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Share your experience
Was last year your first Bike To Work Day? Have you biked to work ever since? Are you a long time Bike To Work Day participant? WABA would love to hear your experiences and stories. Send your stories to henry@waba.org

[HillSlugger]

I think that BTWD was my first BTW. I had planned on making it a regular thing, even bought the new bike, but only commuted once more after that. Injury and triathlon training got in the way.

Any recommendations on fenders?

[mimitabby]

congrats! I did my fifth today!
(but next week is going to be dark again in the morning.

[Melalvai]

Any recommendations on fenders?

I like the Planet Bike Freddy Fenders. They are inexpensive, lightweight, and cover the wheel fairly well. As a serious all-weather commuter, I eventually added a mudflap to the bottom, to protect my drivetrain better. I've seen dinky little fenders that just to keep water off your face and back and don't do a thing for your chain and drivetrain.

Although originally I wanted black fenders, and had to choose between "now" and "black", I wouldn't trade my yellow fenders now for anything.

[HillSlugger]

congrats! I did my fifth today!
(but next week is going to be dark again in the morning.

Yeah, bummer about that. I head out between 7 and 7:30 so I'm hoping it may be light enough.

[HillSlugger]

I brought my saddle bag in with me this morning. Paranoid or prudent?

[F8th637]

Congrats! I think my first is going to be tomorrow as there should be less winds and a little warmer. Yeah, yeah, I'm being a weenie!

On my old hybrid, I had a set of the Planet Bike Hardcore and I really liked them. I have sold them though. My husband asked me to take the fenders off his hybrid as they came with it but I'm considering putting them on my Sutra instead.

I still remember my soggy butt during both the Alexandria and Arlington Community Bike ride and the 8 Lighthouse Ride up in Portland, ME. Not a pleasant feeling.

Will my Sutra lose its cool factor if I put the fenders on, you think?

[HillSlugger]

I have a rack on the back so that wasn't so bad, but I was catching a lot of spray off the front. Thankfully, it wasn't going into my shoes, but it seemed to be flying most everywhere else.

[7rider]

Will my Sutra lose its cool factor if I put the fenders on, you think?

There are those out there who would view that as MORE cool!

[F8th637]

I have a rack on the back so that wasn't so bad, but I was catching a lot of spray off the front. Thankfully, it wasn't going into my shoes, but it seemed to be flying most everywhere else.

Oh yes, I do remember that the spray stuck to my shins! Rain doesn't really stop me but the cold does. Brr!

7rider, that's what I thought too! Then it'd really be a tourie!

[sbctwin]

I had my 4th commute of the year. It was a cold morning (27F) and a cold/breezy ride home. I got new tires on my commuter and had tire liners put in. For my first ride, I thought I was dragging a trailer with brakes on. I couldn't believe the drag. And, on my ride home, I dislodged my pannier and it flipped off the rack when I hit a pot hole. I didn't know it had flipped off until a guy in a truck pulled along side me and told my I lost my bag. I rode back up the road and couldn't find it. I was bummed. Then he honked at me from across the road and when I road over to him, he held it up. He said it lodged under a car and he was able to catch the driver and they got the bag out. It was a total lost. But, I had my new showers pass jacket in it that wasn't too badly damaged. Several other items, though, are no longer useable. Oh well. I can tell I didn't spend enough time on the trainer this winter....

[7rider]

Wow...what a bummer about the pannier and the gear.
Nice of the guy tho' to go fetch it for you. That was pretty cool.

[sbctwin]

Nice of the guy tho' to go fetch it for you. That was pretty cool.

Yes, that was incredibly nice of the guy. I wish I had taken his name so I could have thanked him some how. He went above and beyond to help me...