How Was Your Commute Today?

[mandiam]

today at mile 15 on the commute, i saw a lady coming towards me who looked to be in her 60s, roller blading with an overall jean dress, with poofy white leggings, swiping away the gnats in front of her with a towel-- when we passed, she saw that i use a kitchen towel to cover my nose and mouth when going through the gnat zone-- and she gave me a two thumbs up.

[Melalvai]

I got a yakkay helmet (looks like a hat). So stinkin' cute!!! I love it. My commute is even MORE fun because of that thing.

[Giulianna23]

Got stung on my shoulder by a killer bee this morning ...

About 5 minutes after I left home ... riding down an incline road feeling the cool breeze ad happy because it's Friday!!...then all of the sudden..bang!!!... she got stuck on my shirt by my left shoulder.... I tried to remove her carefully so she won't sting me and without hurting her...but it didn't work. I am ok..I am not allergyc to them but it wasn't a good way to start the morning. I still enjoyed and had a good time riding my baby to work though.

[ak2outside]

I woke up exhilarated to ride to work, a very light mist, warmer weather (high 60's). Half way through the skies opened up and let me have it.

I still have dirt in my hair from all the muck my tires threw at me. With an average rainfall of 10.3" annually, I thought I was safe. I thought wrong!

[Catrin]

I woke up exhilarated to ride to work, a very light mist, warmer weather (high 60's). Half way through the skies opened up and let me have it.

I still have dirt in my hair from all the muck my tires threw at me. With an average rainfall of 10.3" annually, I thought I was safe. I thought wrong!

Thankfully you are getting rain, though I must admit that doesn't sound like much fun!

Reading this thread is making me feel guilty, for one reason or another I've not been able to do my once-a-week bike commute for a few weeks. I just won't ride home in the brutal temps we've been having. My asthma is pretty much just gone, but I am not going to risk it. I might have a chance this Friday, assuming things cool down for one day like they are promising, but I've heard them say what before this summer

[ZenBiker]

I challenged myself to ride every day in July - commute to work, to the farmer's market , to church by bike. So far so good. Mornings are great, afternoons hot and not so great (though nothing like what you all are dealing with back east).

Had a close call this morning. I was at a stop light waiting my turn, one foot clipped out, standing in the middle of my lane. No other cars in my lane, just me right at the edge of the intersection. A truck coming from my left turned suddenly into the road I was on, tires squealing, and just made the corner without clipping me. I actually leaned my bike over trying to scoot sideways out of the way. Of all the ways I thought I might get hit by a car going to work, sitting at a stop light at this intersection was not one of them. Guess you can never take anything for granted!

[WindingRoad]

I took a break today and drove. I've been battling the heat all week and I think that cumulative heat exposure phenomenon may be happening to me. So tired and my stomach keeps hurting? I dunno maybe it's a bug or something but I gave myself a day off. I hope to ride again tomorrow assuming I feel better.

[Catrin]

I took a break today and drove. I've been battling the heat all week and I think that cumulative heat exposure phenomenon may be happening to me. So tired and my stomach keeps hurting? I dunno maybe it's a bug or something but I gave myself a day off. I hope to ride again tomorrow assuming I feel better.

It is good to take care of ourselves, tomorrow is another day!

[Gypsy]

My commute was better today than the last time I rode my bike. I also got my new lock and proceeded to lock my bike up...


Except, when I came down to check on it, the security in my building were worried because I had not actually locked the bike to anything.

*sigh*

[Melalvai]

My commute was better today than the last time I rode my bike. I also got my new lock and proceeded to lock my bike up...


Except, when I came down to check on it, the security in my building were worried because I had not actually locked the bike to anything.

I've done that! Not very often, but once I came out to my bike and realized it was locked to nothing, and once my husband watched me lock up my bike and then said "I think there's something wrong."

[Eden]

It's been a zoo out there - literally - on my last two rides I've had to dodge a mole, a snake (just a little tiny black garden one), an off leash dog, bunnies - tons of little brown bunnies (no wonder we are having such an amazing recovery in the raptor population.....), and I saw two little gophers or something poking their heads out of the ground.

[Melalvai]

My commute just got bike lanes.



And I got a new yakkay helmet.


Read about both here

[laura*]

The other day, I did this year's first major multi-modal commute:

First I drove to the park and ride lot. Then unloaded the bike and rode 6 or 7 miles so as to be first in line to board a long distance commute bus. 75 minutes after first parking, the bus went by the park and ride lot. After the bus ride, transferred to a trolley train, and then biked to my final destination. The return home was the reverse sequence, except with a detour for dinner, and disembarking at the park and ride lot.

Total riding distance: Right about 30 miles.

Major incidents: Flat rear tire 0.1 miles from my destination. It was some sort of construction grade staple.

Other issues: The grocery store near the start of the bus route runs out of breakfast early these days. I have to make alternate breakfast plans.

Additional incident: Discovered a flat front tire upon unloading the bike the next morning. This time there's nothing stuck in the tire. I haven't tried fixing it yet.

[tzvia]

Laura-
That's a major sounding commute!

Flats suck for sure! Out here we get goat-head thorns. They are like spiky 'jacks' and can go right through the toughest tires. Been using Slime-light tubes and it really helps. I check the tires regularly, and from time to time find those wooden 'spears' straight through the tire. I carry a mini multi-tool with small pliers to help remove them. The slime seals the tube and makes life easier. There's also condo construction on one stretch on the ride home and between the nails, staples and broken glass from the soda bottles the workers drink I could not ride with normal tubes. Every three or four months, depending on what I have been pulling from the tires, I remove the tube and give it a going over and put a real patch over anything the slime had sealed. If it looks really bad I replace it. That's also a good time to inspect the inside of the tire for anything that was not visible from the outside. It's worth the trouble because sitting on the sidewalk in the hot summer fixing a flat is just no fun. Slime-light tubes are awesome.

If you eat at bus station mid point, maybe taking something with you would work better? Small juice bottle, breakfast bar, fruit, banana, bagel with cream-cheese?

[redrhodie]

I rode to Wilco last night. They were awesome! I almost didn't go because it looked like rain (it was outdoors) but I am so glad I went. The rain just made it more fun. They are so good live. So much fun.

Biking to the concert was great. Bike Newport had a kiosk set up with a repair shop. Bike parking was plentiful and safe. There were a lot of bikes! After the show, they were passing out free lights, but I was already looking like a Christmas tree, so I didn't take one. A lot of people came without lights, and it was already almost 10 pm when the band stopped playing, and totally dark, so they were really lucky.

Leaving the venue was a little nerve racking because it was really crowded. I decided to go the long way home to avoid the traffic. It was pitch dark and there are no street lights for much of the way, but I know every crack in the pavement of this route. With the music still fresh in my blood, the dark ride was dreamlike. Not being able to see much more the the spot of light in front of me, the feeling of the ride was still so familiar. It was really cool.

I missed the lbs ride this morning because I wasn't waking up at 5 am, but I rode to work. Made it home before the rain, but it was so humid it didn't matter.