How Was Your Commute Today?

[MomOnBike]

I haven't posted until now because I work at home and walk to my other job. However, I've been biking to my radiation treatments, so that counts, right?

Anyway, I went out to get my bike to ride to my appointment, and I have a really soft tire. Figuring (hoping) I had a slow leak, and that it will be OK for the afternoon, I began to pump. SSSssssssss. Hmmm, maybe it's not a slow leak.

The hole in the tube was where the last umpteen holes were. So, I did the only obvious thing and patched the tire on the offending spot. I slapped in a new tube and was on my way.

That would have been the end of it, except DH called after work. He had a flat - multiple holes in the tube - and needed a rescue.

I do wonder how we offended the cycling gods. Surely today will be better for both of us.

[radacrider]

{Posting today about yesterday's commute}
Yesterday (Tuesday) was the test ride for my new crankset (went from 175mm to 170mm crankarms). What a difference 5mm makes, or was it really the mental expectation from spending the $100+? The long 7 mile climb was done almost exclusively in the middle chainring (36T) versus previous rides using the inner (26T) quite a bit. Just a few tweaks to the cassette gearing and I'll be happy, at least for a while.

Nice morning in Portland, OR - dark when I left, cool in the 40's.

The return trip started off a bit slow as my right foot cleat came loose, so I had to take a few to trial and error it back into the correct position. The warmer afternoon had me sweating more, but good ride home. Nice to be able to take advantage of our good, spring like weather - hear it's about to change on us and get a bit wet.

[redrhodie]

Relaxed. Totally no wind. I could get used to this.

[Catrin]

Relaxed. Totally no wind. I could get used to this.

no wind!?!? Such a wonderful thing is possible? I need to move to your area

[redrhodie]

no wind!?!? Such a wonderful thing is possible? I need to move to your area

We usually got plenty! There's maybe one day like this every six months.

[Melalvai]

I haven't posted until now because I work at home and walk to my other job. However, I've been biking to my radiation treatments, so that counts, right?

That is hard-core! Of course it counts! I hope you run of flat tires and bad bike luck has passed.

[7rider]

Yesterday morning, I saw this woman from my neighborhood who I occasionally see who rides a Fuji cross bike to her job at a school just north of us. Just seeing her was shocking enough, because I know she usually leaves much earlier than I. She was just enough ahead of me, that I couldn't catch her before our routes parted. I did note, however, that I could barely see her from the side, and that if/when I saw her again, I would mention that she should consider adding some side reflectivity to her bike or her body.

Well, I saw her on my ride home, coming back into my neighborhood. I caught up to her this time, and we chatted. She mentioned how she was 15 minutes late and she vowed she'd never do THAT again. She was amazed at the increase in traffic on the roads from 6:30 to 7:00. If you can get out at 6:30, the roads are empty. After 6:45, to 7:00, the amount of cars picks up significantly. (After 7, forget it...it's a zoo out there). I noticed that, too. However, I can never get my act together in the morning to get out at 6:30 as I would like to. Too much time spent playing with my bunny, Noah, in the morning. We have to have our little bit of quality time.

Oh, and I did mention the reflectivity to her. She was wearing an Illuminite jacket, but I swear...I have a pair of Illuminite tights, and I honestly find they are not all that reflective. It has to be pitch black, and the lights have to hit it just right for it to work. I recommended she get some reflective stickers from a hardware store and ugly up her frame some. We both agreed, visibility is better than an un-marred frame.

[colorisnt]

Rode home last night with my headlight, taillight and all my blinkies. It was glorious. Cool and no one bothered me. I didn't intend to stay so late, but I had a really bad day and one of my friends who is a second year forced me (not against my will) to go to dinner with her and have a beer.

It was worth it!

I was going to ride this morning, but because college gameday is here, there is no way I will be able to get to my building on bike due to this huge closeout of most of the roads on central campus. Think tons of people who may or may not be already drunk. I am happy CGD is coming, but I wanna ride!

[7rider]

Ya, know....you just learn all sorts of things and meet all sorts of folks when you bike commute that you would NEVER meet when driving in a car.
I had a young woman riding behind me for much of my ride home today. Finally, when I got to a light in a plaza, I asked her "Are you following me?"
She replied, "I'm trying not to!"
We ended up riding together for a bit. I showed her a road through a quiet neighborhood that avoided a busy street she was about to ride. She told me she had recently completed a charity ride to raise money for cancer research. It was a cross-country trip - from Baltimore to San Francisco called 4K for Cancer. Sounds like quite an adventure for a college student! I certainly would never have done it when I was her age (yikes....having a "feeling old" moment here...but it's been more than a few years since I've left college).
Was an interesting, fun, and pleasant conversation.
Too bad I had to drop her on the downhill! Bwahahahahahahaha!!

[colorisnt]

That's fun. It's always nice to meet other cyclists. I met one today that works in my office building but I didn't know him. I was showing a friend how bad his chain was on his bike and pointed to the chain on a Kona the guy was putting on the rack. He let me show my office mate a demo about a clean and lubed chain. We talked and turns out he and his gf are both in psych and just down the hall from us.

I love bike people!

[kimikaw]

I'm a new commuter. Just over 11 miles each way. Combination of multi use path, lightly traveled neighborhood roads and some small sections of trafficked road. Overall a great ride. Generally rolling, but primarily downhill to work, more of a climb back home.

Anyway..... until today ride has been uneventful. Cars seem generally aware of cyclists. Most of my "what are they thinking, oh yeah, they aren't" moments have been on the MUP, usually someone walking their dog.

But today I fell. Due to a driver. Combined with still having to think about getting out of my pedals - versus instinctively unclicking when I brake.

At the very end of my commute there is a fairly steep short climb up an urban neighborhood road. Saw the driver backing out of her driveway. Sure she saw me. She stopped, looked at me, backed a couple more feet, stopped....and then apparently decided that she couldn't wait 15 seconds for me to pass, or that I was going so slow she could beat me or whatever stupid thought was in her head. It was almost like I could see the thought process and knew what she was gonna do. Sure enough she went from stop and wait to back right out.

I yelled, braked hard. And didn't take a foot out. Over I went. Luckily she also slammed on her brakes. I'm fine, bike is fine. Tiny little strawberry on my knee.

Damn. I was so pissed at her. I mean really a few seconds to wait. Yes, it's a hill, yes I'm going slow, but c'mon.

And then almost equally frustrated with myself. Will I ever get that instinct - brake fast=unclick same time. As opposed to thinking about taking my foot out because I anticipate a stop ahead. Same issue is handicapping me in mountain biking now that I'm trying that.

Just had to vent. And really I do know it was the driver at fault - but maybe even madder that I can't help but get on myself at the same time.