any plans for bike to work day?

[Trek420]

Ok, I woke up at 4 am and it was pouring outside. Got up anyway, got ready, at 6 it was still raining hard so I text message Erin and said I still planned to ride but would leave about my normal time if it let up at all.

By 6:30 it had all but stopped, really just a mist so I got Mae's (dog) stuff outside, grabbed the bike and headed out the door.

By the time I had locked up the heavens opened again and it was pretty much a downpour.

I'm dressed for rain, lit up like a Christmas tree but I'm a fair weather cyclist at heart, normally don't head out in the rain. I'm fine if caught in it but don't ride in the rain on purpose.

So I'm thinking to my self "self? I've arranged for 2 hours off, I could go back inside and wait for a break". Mae also is looking at me as if to say "you know we both could be inside right now watching GMA" when my neighbor comes out in bathrobe and slippers to take the garbage out.

She sees me in full bike gear, schoolbuss yellow rain jacket, Velogirls jersey and says incredulously "you're riding??!! In this??!". Without thinking I say "It's bike to work day, yep, I'm riding" Damn right I'm riding, so off I go.

The ride to BART was wet but fun, like stomping in puddles once I got going. In BART I stood next to a first-time bike commuter, poor guy got the brunt of my sermon "why you should wear a helmet".

By the time I got off the train at Lake Merrit it had stopped raining so I had a nice ride to the first refresher station.

Then turned towards Downtown Oakland and rode with a group of women cyclist which I think included one of the Oakland City Council members on a rented bike. They took a different route than I would have, went down Broadway, we agreed that a left on Webster would have been better but I decided to stick with the group. One of them commented that she felt safer with me there because of my screaming yellow rain gear and bright blinky Velogirls blinky light on my backpack. I'm happy to help.

At Downtown Oakland I picked up more bike schwag, coffee and a free Bike to Bart t'shirt still arrived with time to clean up and get ready to work.

happy Bike to Work Day TE

[Bike Goddess]

Well, I didn't bike to work today- but I public transit ALL the way!
At the Pleasant Hill BART station I found CindySue- she got treats from me and I got bike treats from her including the infamous RED BULL!

Sunday when I go on the Napa ride I'm takin my can!

It was great to see CS- she's a real trooper- rain and all there she was with her red rain bike!

CindySue- you should tell everyone what you do for a living! It's way cool!

[cindysue]

- she got treats from me and I got bike treats from her including the infamous RED BULL!

CindySue- you should tell everyone what you do for a living! It's way cool!

Got yummy carrot cake from Nancy this morning. She always has goodies in hand. Last time it was skin care stuff from Gumps.

Ahhhh, what I do for a living? Thanks Nancy - I like to think I'm contributing something positive.........

Well, what I "do" is multi-faceted, actually:

I am a student at UC Berkeley - 1) Masters in Civil (Transportation) Engineering, 2) Masters in City and Regional Planning. I work for a research firm: Innovative Mobility Research. Our projects include "smart parking" (those signs that tell you how many parking spaces are available, and the ability to reserve a spot through your cellphone/online), Low-speed modes to Transit (encouraging non-car modes of transportation like walking, biking, segway), pedestrian safety issues, "intelligent transportation systems" (like Fasttrak, 511.org, the signs on I-80 that tell you how long it will take you to get to the bridge, .....) I also work weekends at Juvenile Hall as a youth counselor.

So school full time and anywhere from 20-40 hrs per week of work leaves Cindy a very tired girl - but I do love to ride..............

[Bike Goddess]

Yes, and you do a good job of both!!!

Hope you have some time to ride this weekend. We will miss you on Sunday in Napa- that's turning out to be a BIG ride!
Nancy

[cindysue]

We will miss you on Sunday in Napa- that's turning out to be a BIG ride! Nancy

Bummer! But need to entertain BF's visiting friends this weekend............

[BikeMomma]

I couldn't ride on Bike to Work Day, but I rode home from work on Wednesday...only about 9 miles. 'Zat count? I also rode from work on Thursday to join the regular Thursday night ride group.

However...on both nights, I had to go back to work to fetch the car...so I guess no emissions were saved. Oh well....the good intentions were there. I also put up posters all over City Hall (my workplace) saying "Don't Drive, Ride!"

[spazzdog]

Is there a Barbara Cleforth in the house (from DC area)? She is a prime TE candidate

If not, somebody find her... she was interviewed as part of a little segment on "alternative commuting" on this mornings edition of Sunday Morning (CBS).

spazz

[CorsairMac]

At Downtown Oakland I picked up more bike schwag, coffee and a free Bike to Bart t'shirt still arrived with time to clean up and get ready to work.

happy Bike to Work Day TE

good on you Trek!.....isn't it funny sometimes how just 1 sentence can change a mind?? must've been fate that your neighbour came out Just at that time to get her paper! and how fun is that to catch a bunch of women to ride the rest of the way in with! Hope your ride home is just as inspiring!!

[nuthatch]

You da (wo)man, AG!!! My commuting hero!! I didn't ride today because of rain but I'll take your inspiration with me when our bike-to-work week starts in June! Neither rain, nor snow, nor dark of night....hmm, sure hope it doesn't snow in June....

[Melody]

You know. It's ironic. I normally bike to work, every day. Very rarely do I have the car. But hubby has his new (used) 240SX and we both couldn't sleep well last night, so I was exhausted this morning. I just didn't want to deal with the traffic and rain, or with California drivers + rain.

So... on Bike to Work Day... in Bike to Work Week...

I drove a car



Mel

[Veronica]

Yep, it was pouring when I went to work this morning. I rode anyway, as usual. But i didn't get any schwag.

I did wear my Top Hat t - shirt today though.

V.

[Crankin]

Instead of riding to work, I will be riding with a colleague from work, at 5 AM. I will drive to her house and we will ride for about 15-20 miles. Since she lives about a mile from our school, i will shower and at her house and go to work from there... she's a runner who cycles once or twice a week at this time of year. Right now she's got a sprained ankle, so she's riding. Since she's about 15 years younger than me and a marathoner, I hope I can stay in the lead!
Gotta go to bed... I have to wake up at 4:15 to get ready and get to her house by 5 AM.