How Was Your Commute Today?

[Biciclista]

Yep, moving to Seattle on October 30. I have a room full of boxes at work that I need to slowly bring home.

Moving to Seattle? Wow, how cool is that? do you have a place to move to already? Do you mean SEATTLE SEATTLE?

[kfergos]

Moving to Seattle? Wow, how cool is that? do you have a place to move to already? Do you mean SEATTLE SEATTLE?

I am initially moving in with my parents in Kirkland, but I will be interning at the Bicycle Alliance of Washington in Seattle proper. I am so excited! No more winters of snow and ice! And I get to work at a bike advocacy group! More exclamation points for everybody!!

[tulip]

I am initially moving in with my parents in Kirkland, but I will be interning at the Bicycle Alliance of Washington in Seattle proper. I am so excited! No more winters of snow and ice! And I get to work at a bike advocacy group! More exclamation points for everybody!!

Um, you must have missed Seattle's last winter--right Mimi?!

Sounds like a dream job!

[kfergos]

Um, you must have missed Seattle's last winter--right Mimi?!

Sounds like a dream job!

I was there at Christmas last year and it was crazy! I'm just hoping it's not a permanent thing, and maybe they'll put something other than sand down on the roads if it does snow. ...I'm not getting rid of my studded tires yet, though.

[Cataboo]

I heard that the pacific northwest is gonna have a light snow season this year because of la nina or el nino or one of those wind patterns.

[Eden]

Last winter was *highly* unusual - like a once every 25 years occurrence. I've lived here for nearly 20 now. Last winter was only the second time I've seen considerable snow and the first its lasted for more than a day or so. Usually snow lasts a matter of hours at the most around here. This year is supposed to be warmer and I think perhaps dryer because of El Nino and some other factors (or is it La Nina... I can never remember which is which and what exactly they do....)

The year before last we had couple of weeks or so very cold mornings and intermittent ice - which IMHO was much, much worse than the snow. I could ride my cross bike in the snow, but the ice was treacherous.

[uforgot]

I heard that the pacific northwest is gonna have a light snow season this year because of la nina or el nino or one of those wind patterns.

I heard that we were going to have a mild winter also, because of the same reasons. (Notice that I'm not sure of the spelling either). Then I heard on the radio that the farmers almanac said it was going to be a BAD winter. Who do I believe?

[lph]

Commute today was cold! Just above freezing. Had to pull a a wool blanket over me to eat breakfast, we haven't put up any curtains or heaters yet. I debated going up to the icy attic and crawling around thunking my head on the beams to find my winter shoes, didn't sound too appealing so I went for shoe covers instead. Warm enough, but only just. Time to break out all the winter stuff now. The weather is glorious, which means warm (-ish, 10-12 deg C) rides home again, but also clear nights and cold, cold mornings. Will have to pay careful attention to the road some mornings in case the ice sneaks up on us.

Smell: I ride past a huge coffee storehouse down by the ocean every morning

[Deborajen]

Kfergos - Holy cow! What a load of cargo! Now I feel like a wimp for driving to the store because I didn't want to haul a 10-pound bag of kitty litter on my bike!

But your bike - it's looooong. My bike's rear tire is under and a little behind my seat. With all of your cargo I can't see the frame and maybe I'm just slow to wake up this morning, but how'd you do that?

[redrhodie]

Yesterday's commute was unusual in that it was the first time I ever felt really lousy on my bike. I woke up with a sinus headache, but figured I feel better once I got going. I was running late, so I didn't even have time for my morning cup a Joseph. Anyway. Every. Bump. Was. Like. A Hammer.

The evening ride was much better.

[Geonz]

Breezy ride in. Decided not to go the long way 'cause 10 miles into 20 mph winds would take too long. Went back home and tossed 200 aluminum cans into the rig and dropped 'em off at The Goat for 77 cents. (I could get twice that at teh "real" recycle place, but I'll let the store have a chunk.)
My Xtracycle (that's how we do that, Deborajen ) runs lots better with the new cassette it got last week. Last Monday night the chain wouldn't find a gear... right in front of the bike shop. Took me a good quarter mile and getting off the bike and talking to it... didn't change gears again for the ride home. Took it in for its tune up (I'd planned on waiting 'til October and the shop being less busy)... and the cassette fell off in Jeff's hand. Reckon I'm glad I didn't wait any longer...

[Mad Kate]

Today was my first commute to the new office; it is about 20 kilometres (12.5 miles) one-way or 40 kilometres (25 miles) round trip. Most of the route is on a rural road with a speed limit of 80 km/h, with some rolling hills of about 3 to 6% gradients. Overall, it took me 1 hour, 6 minutes each way. Got caught in the rain without any rain clothes, which wasn’t very pleasant.

[tulip]

Mad Kate, that is the perfect commute distance in my opinion. When I commuted by bike, my commute was 14 miles each way and I could never get it under 1 hour 20 minutes, which was sometimes juuuuuust a little too long and I'd have to hurry hurry once i got to work.

So sorry you got caught in the rain, though.

[Cataboo]

I noticed this morning that the speed thing that they just installed in my neighborhood clocked my speed - I rolled past it at 13 mph.

I'm now going to have to ride past that thing over and over and see how fast I can get it to clock me at.

Madkate - I try to keep rain clothes at the office and then some in my panniers just in case.

[Melalvai]

I share the lane right up to the roundabout, then I check and take the lane. Some people are more gracious about letting me take the lane than others. Today I got one of the less gracious, who nosed up close trying to intimidate me into letting him pass.

After the roundabout he zoomed past me and waved his arms in a frustrated manner. He sped all the way up to the stop light where I stopped behind him--so sad I slowed him down so much on his fast trip to the stop light! lol

That gave me a chance to get to know make & model & licence number--and notice the Pickleman's sign on top of his car, he is one of their drivers. So I gave them a call and reported him.

The manager gave me a free meal and told me their driver's get 3 strikes and then are fired and this counts as one strike. "It wasn't that big a deal," I protested. "I just want drivers to know that bicyclists have a right to the road and we can share the road."

He disagreed with me. "I walk and bike to work every day too," he explained.