How Was Your Commute Today?

[HillSlugger]

I biked to work on Friday, first commute using my new Ortlieb backroller pannier. It's so much larger than what I've been using. I need to get used to how it attaches to the rack, how the straps work, etc, but it looks like it's going to be a great improvement over the Detours I've been using.

[pfunk12]

I had a feeling that it wasn't going to be a good morning. I just got back from a wonderful few days in La Jolla, California. Since I didn't bike while I was there, I was looking forward to the commute. It was raining this morning at 6 o'clock but it's a warm spring morning so I didn't mind. I had just left my place and wasn't even 10 seconds into my commute. I was coasting down the street when I saw a car door open in front of me on the right side. I immediately became alert and the caffeine kicked in. An old man was putting something in his car. He stepped back, shut the door and then started to cross in front of me. He never, ever looked up the street to see if it was clear. Initially, his back was to me and then he started to cross. Because I was alert, I was ready for him. I had already started to move way over to the left - anticipating that something could go wrong. Fortunately, a car wasn't coming up the street. As he started to cross in front of me, I yelled, "Heads up!" Again...he never looked but he sprinted like Usain Bolt back to his car! I'm sorry...I shouldn't laugh but this guy was probably in his 70s and he looked like he could set the world record in the 100 meter dash. As I passed him, he said, "Are you out of your mind?!" Seriously? Seriously? Me? Am I out of my mind?! I'm not the one who is crossing streets without looking!! I yelled something about him being fortunate that I wasn't a car (especially since you can't hear hybrids). I didn't even get 2 miles when I decided that I had a slow leak in my front tire so I turned around and went home. Maybe my day will get better...

[kmehrzad]

I had a feeling that it wasn't going to be a good morning. I just got back from a wonderful few days in La Jolla, California. Since I didn't bike while I was there, I was looking forward to the commute. It was raining this morning at 6 o'clock but it's a warm spring morning so I didn't mind. I had just left my place and wasn't even 10 seconds into my commute. I was coasting down the street when I saw a car door open in front of me on the right side. I immediately became alert and the caffeine kicked in. An old man was putting something in his car. He stepped back, shut the door and then started to cross in front of me. He never, ever looked up the street to see if it was clear. Initially, his back was to me and then he started to cross. Because I was alert, I was ready for him. I had already started to move way over to the left - anticipating that something could go wrong. Fortunately, a car wasn't coming up the street. As he started to cross in front of me, I yelled, "Heads up!" Again...he never looked but he sprinted like Usain Bolt back to his car! I'm sorry...I shouldn't laugh but this guy was probably in his 70s and he looked like he could set the world record in the 100 meter dash. As I passed him, he said, "Are you out of your mind?!" Seriously? Seriously? Me? Am I out of my mind?! I'm not the one who is crossing streets without looking!! I yelled something about him being fortunate that I wasn't a car (especially since you can't hear hybrids). I didn't even get 2 miles when I decided that I had a slow leak in my front tire so I turned around and went home. Maybe my day will get better...

I hope your day has improved.

I had my flat yesterday while on the No. Central Rail Trail about 1 mile from the car.

[divingbiker]

Wow, close call, pfunk!

Must be the day for mishaps. I got a flat, too far from home and too far from work to walk to either. And not near a bus line. So I fixed it.

A few miles down the road, my rear derailleur cable came out of the little guide thingy, and I had to stop and fix that.

And a few blocks later, my brake cable came unhooked from the brake and I had to stop and fix that.

And as I was riding into the parking garage at work, my tire went flat again and I didn't bother fixing it.

I can't find what's causing the flats (had one last week, too), so I'm hitching a ride home and taking the rear wheel to the bike shop tonight to see if they can find it.

But the good news is I cut off my rain pants and wore them (unhemmed) today, and it seems like they will work. So now I suppose I ought to make them look decent by hemming them.

[Biciclista]

wow, Pfunk, aren't people something else! I had a lovely commute into work today. And the weather has improved since then.
By the way, I doored someone the other day. MY HUSBAND. he was walking around the car , i was in the rear passenger seat and thought he was going the other way and opened the door to get out. Good thing he was NOT on a bike!!!!! He will never let me forget it!

[Melalvai]

Perhaps the time for breakdowns, or perhaps for crankiness. I've had a higher than usual rate of minor incidents over the past few days--the kind where someone honks or yells. Today it was someone on a quiet street who had plenty of time and space to pass me, and the passenger yelled something about a sidewalk at me. That sort of thing.

I started to recite the plate number & make/model of the car (Alero) to report to MoBikeFed, but my heart wasn't in it so I didn't bother trying to remember it.

It occurred to me that the act of reciting the plate number is calming, and gives me time to decide if the incident is serious enough to spend the minute or so of my life on reporting it. I generally lean toward reporting even minor incidents because I believe they should be, but I don't want to waste too much of my life on it either.

Nice to see the snow melting just as fast as it could!

[7rider]

I did something I normally don't do on my bike rides today.
I rode for my heart rate.
I obsessed about keeping it around 75% of my predicted max. It was rather slow going. I got passed by an old guy on a really old Schwinn road bike.
I did get the HR up sprinting for a light. But other than that.....slow and steady, with one eye on the road, and the other eye on my HR display.

[indigoiis]

First full commute in (28 miles) today and the Gods down in Big River decided to take my bike computer as a toll - I heard a "tick-ting!" going 23 mph down the hill, and once up and down the other side, realized the computer was gone. I was not turning around at that point (it would make me late for work.) It's a cheap computer anyway, but I should probably go back tonight or tomorrow and see if I can find it.

[redrhodie]

I had a fun commute. I brought my car into the shop AGAIN and got it in early enough to do a 20 mile route from the shop to work. I rode on some roads I hadn't been on in a few years, one called "Gravelly Hill Rd" I kid you not. It's not as bad as it sounds . I also rode past Worden Pond, the largest freshwater lake in RI. It was over flood stage, and there were signs up saying "flooded road" but luckily it had receded and I was able to cross.

I had to get to the shop quickly after work, so I took the straightest route, which is just under 5 miles. My car's still not fixed.

I love bikes.

Oh, and my mechanic is also a bike commuter in the summer. I tried convincing him to start now. He has a million dumb excuses-like it's too cold (ummm it was almost 70º the other day). I'll work on him.

[lph]

oooo, groan, ouch. Time to drop the studded tires and start paying attention. I've been commuting for months meeting hardly anyone on a large portion of my commute and have gotten lazy or cocky or something. Came down the bike path towards an underpass a bit fast, making a large curve towards the left-hand side, discovered just a bit too late that there was a darkly clad pedestrian there in the dark, tightened up my curve to avoid her and wiped out with a splendid bang. Studded tires don't really grip well on smooth concrete elements, and I have a lump on my thigh the size of my cupped palm to prove it.

I also broke the lever off my right hand shifter, which is a PITA cos I just replaced that one a few months ago. Had to shift up by locating the ittybitty metal thingy sticking out and pushing it until it clicked...

Ah well. Didn't hurt any joints or expensive gear which is a good thing. And it's spring and I'm raring to put on summer tires anyway. I haven't worn my winter jacket for 3 days running, and my winter shoes are getting uncomfortably warm! Huzza!

[redrhodie]

(((lph)))! That sounds really bad! Good job missing the pedestrian. I hope you're not really hurt. Sometimes the adrenaline rush can mask the pain for a while.

[lph]

aw, thanks red. It got pretty sore as the swelling rose and I limped to lunch like a grumpy octogenarian, but swelling has receded and it's better each time I get up. Just a bang, but I'm glad my bone density seems to be fine.

hehe, like your bike mechanic story One of my most outdoorsy rock climbing partners said to me yesterday "..and, you know, the biking season starts soon" and I just stared at her and grinned until she got my point

[Melalvai]

Someone said "Are you happy that biking season is back?" I just looked at her in confusion. What is this "biking season"? Then she said "Oh, do you bike through the winter?" I am happy to bike in nicer weather. It's a little chilly in the morning for the clothes I've been wearing, but perfect in the afternoon. The weather means I'll either be a little chilly in the morning, or over heated later on. I wear layers on top but that doesn't help much on the bottom half!

[DebW]

Hope you heal quickly, LPH. I just put my studded tires back on this morning because it was raining and snowing and the temperature will drop down to 20F tonight. Because of the studs, I stopped and lifted my tires over a water hose across the bike path. The hose already had several leaks but I decided not to give it any more. People are still pumping their basements out from the 10" rain a week ago.

[tangentgirl]

Lph, ouch!

I'm proud of my commute this morning. Managed to up my average speed to 13mph. Fast for me!