How Was Your Commute Today?

[blackhillsbiker]

I had a good one this morning. Very cold, but nice. The frost on everything is pretty. I wasn't feeling too well, though, and by noon had the chills and aches something fierce. I finished up the pile on my desk and had hubby take me and the bike home about 3:00 (about 3 hours later than I would have liked). Got into bed with a heating pad and shivered for another 45 minutes or so, then slept the rest of the afternoon. I don't know if I'm going in at all tomorrow.

Deb

[kfergos]

I finally had a commute! Hooray! I rode ~19 miles to the Bike Alliance in downtown Seattle through precipitation that varied between heavy drizzle to heavy rain. In addition, I rode south into sustained 20- to 30-mph headwinds, with up to 50-mph gusts (according to the newspaper weather report). I rode across Lake Washington on the I-90 bridge in these exciting conditions (I got a ton of spray off the road splashing into my face, ear, and entire left side of my body, but didn't want to take my hands off the handlebars to wipe my face because I was afraid of a sudden gust of wind), and came out alive and kicking on the other side. I only got turned around twice, but that was with my GPS telling me the route, so... And then I rode home a different way, on back roads through downtown Seattle, by the University of Washington, and up around the northern end of the lake, another 18 or 19 miles. By the time I got to my destination each time I was soaked to the bone; my GoreTex "rain pants" utterly failed me on the way in, so I just wore normal Spandex on the way out and was perfectly warm, if soaked, by the end. My rain jacket has also failed, so I may try washing it with Tech Wash, which I hear re-waterproofs clothes pretty well.

My final analysis: I'd have to describe it as "hilly, windy, rainy," and not necessarily in that order. But also possibly pleasant and definitely doable, which is good, since I'm gonna be doing it nearly every day of the week starting January. I am happy to be commuting again -- it felt like getting back on the wagon after a month of pure recreational riding.

Tailwinds, commuters. Now for me it's back to NaNoWriMo.

[indigoiis]

I rode what is now becoming my once-a-week and only commute: 30 miles in to work. It was great except I ran over a squirrel on the bike path part. But when I looked back, he was scurrying away.

It was still really freaky - kuh-thungmpkah-thungmph. *shudder.*

[redrhodie]

(((indi))) That must have been horrible! I've come amazingly close to hitting them many times. I'm glad you didn't fall. Hope it learned a lesson!

[pfunk12]

I did that a few weeks ago when I was riding home. I know that sound!

It was great except I ran over a squirrel on the bike path part. But when I looked back, he was scurrying away.

It was still really freaky - kuh-thungmpkah-thungmph. *shudder.*

[7rider]

I rode what is now becoming my once-a-week and only commute: 30 miles in to work. It was great except I ran over a squirrel on the bike path part. But when I looked back, he was scurrying away.

It was still really freaky - kuh-thungmpkah-thungmph. *shudder.*

Oh, yuck. Glad to hear he ran away - and that he didn't take YOU out in the process.
I always worry about squirrels on my ride in. They are so busy this time of year, they forget to think about what's going on around them (kind of like the deer).

[Voodoo Sally]

Cold!

Icy spots for the first time. . . .

[Crankin]

Indi, my DH ran over a squirrel several years ago and broke his fork! There were ah, squirrel guts and fur all over his bike. A good samaritan picked him up and took him back to work, as he was on a lunch time ride.
Voodoo Sally,where was the ice ? I rode at around 1:30 and it was about 48 by then.

[HillSlugger]

My goal for the year was 25 bike commutes and I finally got the 25th today (3 weeks later than last year). I'm basically OK with biking in traffic and I'm mostly OK with biking in the dark but I'm not really liking biking in rush hour traffic in the dark. This might be my last until late winter/early spring.

[Geonz]

Oh, yuck. Glad to hear he ran away - and that he didn't take YOU out in the process.
I always worry about squirrels on my ride in. They are so busy this time of year, they forget to think about what's going on around them (kind of like the deer).

I have learned to make a squirrelly sound with my tongue in my teeth. I kidja not, they tend to turn and sprint for the nearest tree. I revel in what's sort of almost power...

[blackhillsbiker]

Good both ways today. I am still a little under the weather so I've been slower than usual, but I enjoyed my ride.

Deb

[lph]

I have learned to make a squirrelly sound with my tongue in my teeth. I kidja not, they tend to turn and sprint for the nearest tree. I revel in what's sort of almost power...

Isn't it funny how we tend to try to talk to animals with sounds like they make themselves. A cat's "mrrr?" is the only one I have a decent chance of simulating well.

I used to have to ride through huge flocks of Canadian geese, and I'd invariably end up shooing them by yelling "honk! honk!"

[7rider]

Isn't it funny how we tend to try to talk to animals with sounds like they make themselves. A cat's "mrrr?" is the only one I have a decent chance of simulating well.

I used to have to ride through huge flocks of Canadian geese, and I'd invariably end up shooing them by yelling "honk! honk!"

I don't know what sound a squirrel makes, but I usually hollar out "Chah....chah.." when I see them. No idea what it means. It's just my pre-coffee gibberish that is appears to mean "Hey, dumb squirrel...don't run in front of me....or that car!"

[pfunk12]

Not sure what to think of my morning commute. It was pleasant until I saw all of the police cars . I was riding on the Capital Crescent Trail when I saw 4-5 police cars near Fletcher's Boathouse - lights flashing and police officers milling about. My first thought was that someone had fallen in the Potomac River. I went about 1.5 miles down the trail and there were 2 police cars on the trail and the officers were looking in the nearby woods and in a tunnel. At the end of the trail, there was another police officer on the trail on his motorcycle. I haven't seen anything on the news (but I haven't searched that much). Just hoping that a runner/walker wasn't attacked.