How Was Your Commute Today?

[Gypsy]

Rode to work this morning in a dress.... yes, made it with out flashing anyone, but I now understand why the cruisers and other bikes have the bar so low. But it was less nerve wrecking that before and I think it's partially that I am getting used to the commute and the cars and also that I left slightly earlier, so I had less cars in my way...

Another bike was already parked when I arrived.

[Tri Girl]

My commute just got bike lanes.
And I got a new yakkay helmet.


Read about both here

LOVE your new helmet (I want one!), and LOVE that your commute got bike lanes! Woot!!!

Rode to work this morning in a dress.... yes, made it with out flashing anyone, but I now understand why the cruisers and other bikes have the bar so low. But it was less nerve wrecking that before and I think it's partially that I am getting used to the commute and the cars and also that I left slightly earlier, so I had less cars in my way...

Another bike was already parked when I arrived.

Yay!!! Glad it's getting easier and you're getting more comfortable with it!! I swear, when I wear a dress to work, cars seem to give me much more room and are kinder than when I'm wearing cycling gear. Dottie from Let's Go Ride A Bike calls it the Mary Poppins effect. I totally agree!

[Gypsy]

Yay!!! Glad it's getting easier and you're getting more comfortable with it!! I swear, when I wear a dress to work, cars seem to give me much more room and are kinder than when I'm wearing cycling gear. Dottie from Let's Go Ride A Bike calls it the Mary Poppins effect. I totally agree!

Never heard of it, but I agree! And I read the comments too and I agree... something about men and women in dresses... good or bad...

[carlotta]

Made it through July with only 2 train commute days and 20 on the bike. It's easier in the summer, but I'm still pretty happy since there are usually four or five days that I have something going on and it's easier to take the train. On second thought, maybe this just means I had no life in July.

I may match the train days for August by the end of the week though, happy hour plans Thursday (and 11 miles after a couple drinks isn't so happy) then going-away for a friend late Friday night in the city. But that's why I'm so appreciative of a convenient train option

I also noticed that I broke 1000 miles for the commuter challenge this year with a month to go, so that's pretty cool

[WindingRoad]

I've been gradually getting some fitness back after my low back debacle. Yoga on Sunday explained to my why I need to do it more often. Ugh still sore. Rode to the store, school and Starbucks for study time. The weather was awesome. Couldn't have had a much better commute day.

[Gypsy]

Good commute today too. In a dress, again, black this time, rather than the bright green of Monday, and didn't have much of an issue. But it turns out my dresses are generally cut close to the body, so I need to get new dresses for the bike or use pants in general. I like the dress idea because of the whole Mary Poppins thing -- I do think it makes me stand out and cars are nicer and pay more attention.

[Tri Girl]

Good commute today too. In a dress, again, black this time, rather than the bright green of Monday, and didn't have much of an issue. But it turns out my dresses are generally cut close to the body, so I need to get new dresses for the bike or use pants in general. I like the dress idea because of the whole Mary Poppins thing -- I do think it makes me stand out and cars are nicer and pay more attention.

Yay!
For some of my dresses that are cut short (too short to wear without something underneath) or those that are a little too fitted (like pencil skirts), I find that I can hike them up just a little and wear compression shorts underneath so I don't flash the world.
Of course, I commute on a mixte bike, so my downtube is seriously slanted. It probably wouldn't work the same on a traditional diamond frame.

[Giulianna23]

Today my commute started in the morning soo nice....with great temperature.
Commuting back home with about 1 1/2 mile to go....I got a flat .

[tzvia]

Yesterday's ride was waaay short. Went downstairs with the pump, to 'top off' the tires, as I do every Tuesday morning, and dang if that front tire isn't as flat as a pancake! I've had those 700x35c Vittoria Randonneur Hypers for about 4 months, and while the ride really nice, I have flatted on the front tire twice already. It's that dang construction; glass, twigs, black-top stones, potholes, nails. They are making more 'bee-hives' as I call them, condo complexes that are as architecturally exciting as a cornflakes box, right across from Pierce College. They finished the east side, and without a break, started up on the west side.

I could not find what caused the flat, and had to pump up the tube and use soapy water to find the tiny leak. Probably a thin glass shard that did not stay in the tire.

The back tire has a Slime-Light tube in it and hasn't flatted yet, so I see I am going to have to get a Slime-Light up front too. Without a winter rain to wash some of this stuff out to sea (sorry charlie) it feels like I am mountain biking on a land fill.

[Melalvai]

After reading everyone's flat tires I wanted to post this:
I did not have a flat tire today.
In fact I haven't had a flat tire in a long time. Don't remember when the last one was, I'm guessing 1.5 years.

The only excitement on my commute lately, since the new bike lanes went in, is that the major north-south street near us is undergoing badly needed repavement. It's all torn up right now. I use it for 1/2 block to get to the bike-laned east-west street. I could cross over it and take the next street, but I can never seem to remember to do that. This morning just after I signaled my left turn I remembered it, but there was a truck behind me, and I didn't want to confuse the truck by not turning left after I said I was going to turn left, so I turned left! Maybe I'll remember tonight.

It's so hard to make little adjustments to a daily route. Not long ago I decided that I was tired of dealing with the traffic in front of the post office, and 4 stop lights in a row (which are perhaps 1/4 or 1/3 of the stop lights in the entire town). If I jumped a block north I could avoid both the post office traffic and have stop signs instead of stop lights. It took a couple weeks of to remember to do it even once!

[tzvia]

{{Sigh}} Wish I had the option to take other streets. Yea, there are other streets, but they suck. To the west, the next main street is narrower, the lanes are narrower and there is no room for a cyclist between the parked cars and the lane. It's much more crowded feeling and I can see myself getting doored as there is just no room. Desoto (any other west San Fernando CA TErs here?) is nice and wide with wide lanes and a bike route/lane (rare item here for a N/S street). I feel lucky to be working at a business on that street, commuting wise. To the east is another narrower street, no room for cyclists, a hill and college traffic. The MUP that runs E/W, which I do cross about 2 miles from home, was extended and now turns and goes NW 1 block over, but it angles away from work AND does not cut out the part of my ride that passes the construction. All it would do is add maybe a mile to my commute and leave me with the choice of taking Desoto with the road debris or Canoga with no room and more traffic.

Yesterday's ride felt good until I got home. We got some clouds and moisture up from the south, it was somewhat overcast and cooler, maybe upper 80s tops. It had actually rained around noon! Rain in August. A cloudburst. So I rode home at a good clip enjoying the cooler weather, not noticing the high humidity but after getting home I had to peel the clothing off of me. I was soaked; it was so humid the sunblock that was supposed to be water proof had lifted off my face and arms and was pooling in white globs. Road debris was sticking to my gooey legs. Gross.

[Giulianna23]

No commuting since last wednesday when I had a flat returning home. Fixed on Saturday but couldn't commute today due to the fact that I have to do some errands at my lunch break and right after work as well. So I will do that and If I finish on time I may hit the road or the trails in the eve for a few miles . I hope

[ak2outside]

My commute today was unnecessarily crazy.
It started off well with my 16 year old son commuting with me. He broke off to head to city center while I continued just south of downtown. I was continuing at an intersection straight and a vehicle in the left turn lane from the opposite direction saw me (we made eye contact, I'm wearing bright lime yellow, bright pink helmet) and punched it across traffic, cutting off another car running parallel to me and came within 5 feet of taking me out. Slammed on his horn, flipped me off, screamed at me (from within his car with windows up) and just refused to be civil. He left rubber on the road both stopping FAR TOO CLOSE to me, and then when he accelerated after allowing me keep my life. Where are the police? I don't want a police state with cameras at every corner, but man! I got more of a work out from the adrenaline than i needed. I am finding it difficult to concentrate at work today.

[Tri Girl]

I got more of a work out from the adrenaline than i needed. I am finding it difficult to concentrate at work today.

Scary stuff!!! I'm SO glad you're OK, but WOW- what a nut!!!

[Melalvai]

Oo, that's scary. There are a few crazy drivers out there. I was a driver today, hopefully not a crazy one! The car isn't going into 3rd gear very well so I took it in--bad news-- needs a new transmission and clutch. Well, it's an old car, and I just keep repairing it as long as I can, because that's cheaper than a car payment. We keep it in good working order but it does need some expensive repairs from time to time. I picked it up, took it home, and came back as a cyclist.

It meant I walked to vote (from the mechanic) and then to work, instead of biked to vote.