How Was Your Commute Today?

[7rider]

Low 40's - one of those raw and damp mornings, with some lifting fog. I found out that Oakley Straight Jackets STILL fog up when I stop at a light on cool, damp mornings. I was hoping that these fancy high-zoot glasses would somehow be better than that.
I pulled up to a light at a BIG road crossing, saw this guy John that I occasionally see. Started chatting before the light turned green. There were four cyclists waiting together at the light (including that old guy on the equally old Schwinn that always dusts me! ). I had never seen so many bike commuters waiting at that light at the same time! Cool.

[Melalvai]

I had never seen so many bike commuters waiting at that light at the same time! Cool.

That is cool! Because it means that many people did NOT run the red light.

[7rider]

That is cool! Because it means that many people did NOT run the red light.

It would be suicide to run that light. It's a main drag with 6 lanes of fast moving traffic. Even when the light goes green, you have to wait for all the motorists (especially the city buses) to finish running the red light before you can go.

[Biciclista]

today my ride into work was broad daylight the whole way! yippee!!

[uk elephant]

What a lovely ride in this morning! Overcast, but not too cold. First morning commute in shorts (although I did wear a wool turtleneck with the shorts). And all the training I've been doing is really helping, even though I'm never doing as much as I would like. Pedalled up all the hills feeling strong and not wheezy and made it to work 30 seconds faster than my previous best time despite having to stop to let some cars past at one point. And now the sun is breaking through the clouds and I'm looking forward to a nice detour on the way home.

[kfergos]

New commute! I've been riding the same 20-mile commute in to work and then a different 20-mile commute back home again since I started my internship in January. My dh and I have put an offer on a home -- finally! and just in time for the tax credit, too -- so today as part of the "neighborhood evaluation" I rode the route from that house to my work. Tonight I'll ride back to the house to see if that's doable. That'll be the hard part; it's up a fairly steep hill right at the end.

This morning was gorgeous! 40 and clear, hardly anybody on the Burke until I got close to the UW. I love the Burke because it's mostly flat or almost imperceptible ups/downs, but I hate it because of the bumpy roots. I rode from Blyth Park in Bothell to Dexter in Fremont on the trail, and it made me appreciate anew how very far you can get here in the Seattle area on bike paths alone. It's amazing. Overall a wonderful ride and only 1.75 miles longer than I'm doing right now, so very doable.

[pfunk12]

Low 40's - one of those raw and damp mornings, with some lifting fog. I found out that Oakley Straight Jackets STILL fog up when I stop at a light on cool, damp mornings.

It was a little chilly this morning, wasn't it? I didn't have any fog on the way in but I was surprised at how quickly the sun was rising. Just a few weeks ago, it was soooo dark in the morning. I don't have to use my headlight that much. My Oakley glasses also fog up when I get stuck at the light on Connecticut Avenue. Not happy about that either.

[kfergos]

My Oakley glasses also fog up when I get stuck at the light on Connecticut Avenue. Not happy about that either.

I think this is just the nature of glasses that wrap close to your face. You're hot and steamy; the air is cool; your hot steamy air hits the glasses and condenses. Pulling your glasses a little bit away from your face at long stop lights solves this problem completely.

[7rider]

I think this is just the nature of glasses that wrap close to your face. You're hot and steamy; the air is cool; your hot steamy air hits the glasses and condenses. Pulling your glasses a little bit away from your face at long stop lights solves this problem completely.

I got into the habit of taking them off and swinging them back-and-forth nonchalantly, like I was fanning myself, when stopped. That...or wear them low on the tip of my nose and start riding head down through the intersection, so the cool breeze washes over them and clears them up.

[lph]

(I hardly wear glasses riding at all because of the fog thing)
Beware, rant follows.

I hate riding (I actually wrote "riding"! ) DRIVING my car to work Hate it hate it hate it.

It started ok, I was up early and even including loading my kayak (which is why I was driving in the first place) was off 15 minutes earlier than usual. Everything went fine and I was determined to enjoy restituting my legs and listen to the radio and not obsess about traffic. But after spending 35 minutes jerkily snailing my way to work, through tunnels and being cut off all the d*mn time, instead of 40 minutes happily rocking along on a bike... I was ready to explode. Watching all the other cyclists breezing by on the bike path didn't help at all. Louis Armstrong on the radio singing "We've got all... the time... in the world" helped for about 3 minutes, until the morning service took over. aaaaggggghhhhh.

Oh, and I just rang my LBS and was told that the wobbly rear wheel on my road bike has really unstandard hub bearings and they can't fix it so I have to buy a new wheel That's on top of all the necessary parts I just bought and the oar and pfd I really need right now. Pissed off and poor, all at one time.

*mope*


Yeah, I know I'm spoilt

[NoNo]

First ride in of the year! What a difference from my last ride last year. A road I used to take is now part of the airport and there's a new road that snakes around. The road I took to get to the bridge into New Haven is blocked off for construction and I had to wind my way around the oil tankers (not the most comfortable place on a bike) to find a way around. Got to work and enjoyed the lessened traffic at the gas station due to the moved highway off-ramp. It was like riding a totally new route!

I started out cold, my fingertips freezing and my breath clearly visible. I finished warm with the sun finally up. What a fun time of year to ride!

[Serendipity]

Commuting season has finally arrived for me! Yayy!
It's finally warm enough - just around 0 degrees C - and light enough in the mornings to ride to work. Riding in the freezing cold & pitch dark just doesn't do anything for me - yep, i'm a wuss!
Last year I started driving my vehicle to work early in the week with my bike in the back, then leaving the vehicle at work and riding back and forth, then taking the vehicle home at the end of the week. Worked so well for me that I'm doing that again this year.
Decided to ride my MTB this year rather than my road bike - so much dirt/gravel on the shoulders left over from the winter that I'm sure I would have hit the dirt a time or two by now if I'd been on the road bike.
Makes it a bit tougher ride but still wonderfuly way to start (and end) the day.

[Melalvai]

Yesterday's ride to campus I went around to the MKT trail, doubling the distance. It's been a few weeks since I was on the trail. Some of the memorial benches have sprouted new plaques with a phone # to call to get the story on the person memorialized by the bench. I listened to a couple stories. Not fascinating, but what a great project! Now I no longer need to wonder why this bench says "Love and Sniffs" or who Dr. Solomon Ward was.

[lph]

Aaaaahhhhh. I rode again today. I still don't have the kayak oar I need though I spent 3 hours looking yesterday, haven't decided on a pfd, am missing a rear wheel for my road bike and need to change yet another cog on my mtb, but I'm awash with endorphins and couldn't care less. Aaaahhh....

So, Melalvai, why does the bench read "Love and sniffs"?

[redrhodie]

I was kind of dreading the commute home last night because the wind was from headwind direction. Glad to report, it wasn't so bad. Took me only about 5 minutes longer to do the 15 miles, but I did catch every red light, too.