I got to ride with another commuter!!

[Trek420]

I'm opposite most commuters. Seems my fellow cyclists live elsewhere, leave the station and are heading to work while I and some "invisible cyclists" arrive at the station.

Now I do see more weekend warriors popping up where before we were an oddity in the 'hood.

I helped a woman commuter this morning by showing how I manage BART with a bike.

Monday I had a very pleasant chat with an older gent on the train. I'm guessing 60's. He rescued a folder that a friend was throwing out and did a great job of painting and fixing it.

It's his first week of riding to work and his grin was ear to ear. He asked for some tips, info, I talked about the how and why of riding with traffic. He got off the train with "I'm going to go right downstairs and get a bright yellow vest!" Nice gent, hope I see him again.

[kfergos]

I almost always see just a few people going opposite of me in the summer, maybe four or five routinely. We all wave at each other, and one guy and I say "good morning." I think it's because so far out from the city, anybody else on a bike -- commuting or not -- is something of a rarity.

I've had once or twice when some guy an I ended up together going the same direction. It's nice to have company, but this one guy on a Cervelo (He told me faux-modestly: "I've been commuting a few months now, and the direct route is 10 miles each way, but on nice days I like to go longer," like he's super macho) made me ride faster than I intended to. I stayed ahead of him, though! But mostly no, I ride alone 99% of the time.

I never see anybody else in the winter. Not one, for five months or more of the year. If I saw somebody else on a bike in February, I'd probably just fall off my bike in shock. (On a side note, I was in the bike shop in the winter getting something done -- it seems like things always need fixing in the winter -- and I heard this guy talking about how he loved riding on ice. He was all talking about how great it was with his studded tires and all. I have studded tires for the winter, and I spent that whole time thinking "He likes riding on ice? I'd go a mile out of my way to avoid riding on it!" But even so I didn't see him out there in the "wintry mix" weather, either.)

[jsdilks]

I ride on the back of a tandem for our commute to work about 3 days/week. It's a short ride (about 4 miles each way) and on a path most of the time. We run into folks - a few of the same faces - and wave. We also generate a few comments "she's not pedaling" or surprised looks when we pass people. I've been off a bike for 25 years and the last time I rode was on the back of a tandem when we were undergrads and had a baby that we put in a bike seat. So this is all pretty new to me. The paths make a huge difference for me, because I'm very nervous on the streets - I don't trust drivers in general, and drivers in DC especially. But I chat up people when we're stopped and leave them smiling. And I always wave at the kids.
Shelly

[Trek420]

and a hearty welcome to TE!!