How Was Your Commute Today?

[tzvia]

Strangest but best commute today.

Being a recovering couch potato, back on the bike since '08 after a 6 year run as a junkfood junkie, and now 50, I don't claim to be a rocket on a bike. No one has ever ever ever commented on my bike-ability or fitness till today.

On the way home I have a long straight run of about 5 miles, and about half a mile in, a guy about my age (maybe a bit younger), turns just behind me from a cross street. I barely take notice as I click through the gears, taking this ride to try and spin smoothly at about 90rpm. I'm doing 19mph, feeling good as I normally don't go so fast on my 29lb commuter but I want to get home. Some dope steps out into the street in front of me, and I quickly, without thinking, brake while lifting and getting behind the seat as if I am going down a hill, just to keep control. I just miss him. Stopping at the light, after about 10 seconds, the guy on the bike pulls up onto the sidewalk on my right and says 'Boy, you are in really good shape, I had trouble trying to keep up!" I could only stammer "You're in good shape too." We talk for a few moments about the bikes, he is on an older steel MTB. The light changes and he motions for me to go first. At the next light, he says "thanks for the workout" and I replied to have a safe ride.

Ok, I'm stoked.

It sounds like I'm not the only one here with co-workers who think we are nuts. Hey, you all are all in better shape than most of them so just smile. I told a co-worker the other day that my resting HR was 49 and he said I was dead!

[Crankin]

I always had the same experience/comments from my colleagues when I commuted. Even my (12 year old) students gave me grief (you rode 13 miles????). It got old after awhile, especially since most of them were young enough to be my kid.

[Psycler]

I had a good commute yesterday. A little cold outside, but I actually overcompensated and had a little too much on. So I just rode a little slower and enjoyed the ride more.


I didn't ride on Monday. Rained all day. Normally I don't like to ride to work if it is raining or will be on the way home. I don't like to arrive to work a mess and on the way home, I don't like to give drivers more of an excuse to hate my existence. They already don't think I should be out there at night, forget about the rain.
However, reading all of your posts where you do commute in rain and deal with it, maybe I should be out there a little more too.
I think I have the clothing down when I won't be too messy arriving at work. And I can still deal with angry drivers.

[Atlas]

I've finally relinquished some of my adoration for my Cross Check because I took my vintage Motobecane to work a couple days ago when it threatened to rain. It has fenders and my CC doesn't. I love the Surly so much that I don't really mind getting dirty on the way home. Anyway, it was quite a jolt to the system to get on an upright cruiser and putz around instead of buckling down and speeding down to work. Nice change of pace.

AND...I finally got a helmet. I'd been putting it off because of the price and the silliness but after reading some old threads here about no one looking good in one and hearing stories from friends who have had some bad accidents I thought, this is stupid, get something on your head. So thanks TE.

[BikingNurse]

Yea for helmets!!! Glad you got one. I look very silly and my hubby is quick to let me know that. but I don't care! I like my brains inside my head.

Hmm. 46 degrees today. Still a bit windy today but I took the long way to work and rode 3 miles instead of 1. Second day on my bike.... SO out of shape but I will be doing alot better by August I hope my first official 75 miler of the year is 8/7.

[lph]

Helmets do not look silly! Well, maybe they do to everybody else, but when I see someone riding at any kind of speed without one I think "urk, crazy guy, better keep away from this lunatic".

Seriously. A helmet makes me think "oh, good, a real cyclist". Tight spandex in glorious multicolour can look a bit silly, and the prancing walk one gets in roadie shoes but helmets, no.

[Biciclista]

It never rains when there' s a full moon, right? uh. yeah, sure. Today dawned slightly overcast, the sky had clouds scudding by all day. 10 minutes before I had to leave work...
it started... to rain.... good thing i have rain gear. By the time I got home water was puddling in my shoes.... hehe