How Was Your Commute Today?

[Melalvai]

Finished up a bunch of stuff and didn't want to do the other stuff, and I had a couple hours to kill so I went for a bike ride. The trail was a mess, and is now caked on my bike. It was beautiful. I kept peeling off layers until I was down to my bike shorts and the jersey I usually wear as an undershirt.

I meant to end up on Columbia College campus by 3:30 because that was when I was supposed to take the final exam for my online C++ class. The final is proctored, everything else is online. I miscalculated and barely made it. By the time I locked up & re-dressed I was a few minutes late, but that was ok.

I tried to upload pictures but I'm running into problems. Here's one of ducks that's on my blog (it comes out huge if I try to link it directly to here): http://www.kemenel.org/melalvai/?p=537

[Fredwina]

I think I need to break my circadian rythms from waking up so early the past years. Either that or find a longer route in. But I do like the earlier train better. Plus it gives some time in case of breakdown (i'm usualy on the next to last train in the morning

[kfergos]

Oddly, no commute today. I'm trying to work from home, with mediocre success (my work computer went to sleep, foiling my efforts to access it, and now I have to wait for my coworkers to arrive so somebody can wake it up for me). How do you not get all distracted when you're at home and trying to work? There's so much else I have to do here, like go for a nice bike ride in the sunny, non-March-like weather.

[Fredwina]

Think about the deadlines/things that need to get done so you can do the things you want to. Most of the time, I haven't had to deal teh urge to ride , urge to go back to bed, yes, but urge to ride, no

[Melalvai]

How do you not get all distracted when you're at home and trying to work? There's so much else I have to do here, like go for a nice bike ride in the sunny, non-March-like weather.

I've been working at home for several months, just going to the lab when the rats or students need me once or twice a week for a couple hours. Sometimes I have to:
shut down facebook
shut down my email
shut down my instant messenger
shut down the web browser...unless I have to open it to look for something. But nothing else is open in it.

Music is nice sometimes, but sometimes I get distracted looking for songs I like.

Sometimes I do the housework first so I can focus on my work. Sometimes I find the housework all too easy to ignore. Sometimes I use the housework as a break after an hour or two of concentration.

As far as a tempting bike ride, I generally find somewhere to go during the day even if I have to dig for an excuse, because otherwise I get to the end of the day and feel awful, having sat in front of the computer for so many hours. By "go somewhere" I mean by bike, because I don't have a car at home. The places I go are: campus to check on the students or the rats, my daughter's school to pick her up on Wednesdays when Daddy has class (we meet at the car), the grocery store to get more bananas, my husband's campus to eat lunch with him, or other errands like the library, hardware store, natural foods store, etc. I generally ride 10-20 miles total, depending on how many errands I have to run that day.

[malkin]

Today is "Professional Development Day" which means there's no hurry to get to school and no particular reason to stay all day. I rode in after a leisurely morning.

Commute #2 for the year. Not Earth-Shattering, but better than none!
Still kinda shakey and have a big dent in my thigh.

[Psycler]

Hi, I am been reading the forum for a while and really enjoyed. So I thought I might try posting to it as well.

I have been commuting to work for a few years. It is a 12 mile trip one way for me.
I work 2nd shift which I think is ideal for commuting. I leave for work in the early afternoon before rush hour and I go home between 10:30 and midnight so there is very little traffic then.
My co-workers think I am a little crazy, but I can handle that. Afterall it seems like I am the only one that arrives to work smiling. They don't know what they are missing by driving. ;
I try to commute 2 to 4 times a week. Last week, I managed 4. It was a very good week.

[Melalvai]

My co-workers think I am a little crazy, but I can handle that. Afterall it seems like I am the only one that arrives to work smiling. They don't know what they are missing by driving.

Way to go! Your co-workers will get used to it, after a few years. Good luck with commuting! It is so rewarding. Sounds like you have a great schedule for it. I hope you have good lights!

[Psycler]

I hope you have good lights!

Yes, I have very good lights and lots of reflective gear.

[Catrin]

My co-workers already think I am nuts once they learned I have TWO bikes...it will be interesting to see how they react when they start seeing one of them in my office every Tuesday

There is no safe bike parking - at least not where I would leave MY bike, and have permission to have it in my office

[redrhodie]

I had rain both ways today. I love riding in the rain, but the bike cleaning part is a drag. It took me an extra half hour after each ride to get it and me dry, plus cleaning the gunk off the floors. I'm lucky to have access to a clothes dryer at work, so I didn't have to put wet clothes on at the end of the day. I stuffed my shoes with newspaper, and they were nearly dry by the time I left work. This morning, I felt like my feet were in sinking boats as I rode. As unpleasant as that is, the ride was worth it.

[kmehrzad]

My co-workers already think I am nuts once they learned I have TWO bikes...it will be interesting to see how they react when they start seeing one of them in my office every Tuesday

When I ride into the office, I keep my bike in my small cubicle. Folks walking by usually make positive comments about riding in AND occasionally a co-worker will want to ride the bike down the long hallway. They're cool with the idea of a bike in the office, thankfully.

[7rider]

My co-workers already think I am nuts once they learned I have TWO bikes...

They would find me certifiable, with 5! (and plotting for a 6th with my federal tax return!)

It was wet this a.m., so my shins were covered in grime by the time I got to the office. Was dry and windy for the ride home, and DH rode down to meet me at my locker so we could ride back together. It was good to have somebody to draft off on the route home.

I had to clean up my commuter when I got back. It was a mess!

[Ana]

On my usual route (on the street, mind you), the construction in one particular intersection has been completed so the opposing lane has opened up. Waiting to turn left because of oncoming traffic tends to delay my arrival a bit and left turns in general make me a bit apprehensive. A car pulled into the “right turn” lane in the opposing traffic lane at the light with the turn signal on indicating a right turn. The lights are timed such that the oncoming traffic light down one block on the other side gets a green light before my intersection does.

The light at the intersection turns green but the car hesitates. Since the road has two lanes, I turn left into the left-most lane and wait until the car figures out what is happening and decides to turn; then I signal and move into the right lane. This car stays in the right lane (so it wasn’t trying to turn into the left-most lane). I often move toward the right side of the lane in case any of the drivers feel overly inclined to pass me. This woman decides to pull up next to me, roll down her window and say “have you ever thought about riding on the sidewalk?” to which I responded “No, I just ride on the road.” She said, “you’re going to get killed out there” to which I responded, “Yeah, well it hasn’t happened yet.” Mind you, I have both front and rear lights as well as a florescent yellow jersey…so it’s not like I’m in a black hooded sweatshirt here. She mumbled something after that, which I did not catch. I didn’t get defensive because I was uncertain of her intent. It may have been a genuine concern for my safety, an annoyance that I’m interfering with her driving or a combination of both. I know that I have a right to ride on the road and that my choice to turn into the other lane of the two-laned road might not have been the most prudent but still...

I’ve learned my lesson: wait for the unsure drivers when turning left

How common are instances like this?

[lph]

I'm not exactly sure I followed the situation, but it sure is a bit baffling when people say things like that and seem sincere. Angry people are easier to just brush off, but what do you answer to something like that? There's a "youth page" in my daily paper for teenagers to write letters about things they care about, and one of them just wrote yesterday about how she was so upset about cyclists in the roundabouts and why didn't they use the sidewalks which were made for "safety"... And she's not even a car driver yet.

I want to say something along the lines of how riding in the street is the correct and legal and safest thing to do if you're a "fast" cyclist, i.e. faster than just doodling along (it is legal to ride on the sidewalk here, but you should pass pedestrians at a walkers pace), that I'd rather be the weakest party in the street than a bully on the sidewalk, and how I'm only in danger if drivers like you don't respect my right to be there... But I rarely get around to saying anything. There's so much attitude to change. I try to just behave like a car, be visible and predictable and aware, and hope that over time somebody notices.