How Was Your Commute Today?

[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.

[redrhodie]

That really sucks, Kim. Hope you're okay.

[kimikaw]

Thanks. I'm fine. Confidence just a bit shaken. Had a brief mental debate in afternoon to call hubby to bring me home. But then realized I needed to ride home, get over it.

MTB friend thinks the more I ride off road - where I can't anticipate all the stops the more instinctual it will get(the unblocking with sudden braking). As for careless drivers, I just have to continue to ride defensively....

Oh and for the earlier post from 7rider about lack of side visibility on another commuter. That's something I hadn't thought about until reading this forum either. I put the little lightweights stickers on all my spokes over the weekend got em at REI, about $15 for the pack of 86 stickers. A world of difference!

[malkin]

You will learn new habits and skills that will help keep you safe. Still, they're bigger than we are!

Glad you're ok!

[Melalvai]

They weren't kidding about that wind advisory. It blew me OFF the road. I tried to get back on the road and here comes another gust. After that I managed to get in the middle of my lane, even a little bit on the left, and the next gust blew me toward the edge instead of off the road.

Coming home I realized that the gusts would want to blow me into traffic instead of off the road. I came up with a strategy: I would assertively take a good chunk of the lane to encourage passing cars to use all of the left lane. Then as they passed I would move toward the right, giving myself plenty of room to be blown into by a gust.

In reality it didn't work that way. Too many cars and it all happens too fast to be constantly moving back and forth. So I just took the lane assertively and scanned frequently so I always knew what traffic was behind me.

Speaking of scanning, in the early afternoon that was difficult because I woke up with a crick in my neck. I had texted our med student who is helping with our rats and asked "Does osteopathic manipulation cure a crick in the neck or do I just have to wait it out?" He replied "Meet me after lunch and I'll work on your neck." WHAT A DIFFERENCE!! I was able to scan comfortably after that. It would have been really hard to be as aware of the traffic behind me, if I'd still had a stiff neck.

That, and the free memberships to the gym and the aquatic center, are benefits to working at an osteopathic medical school!

[kimikaw]

Thanks everyone for the kind thoughts. I intend to continue riding with clip less. My commute is so rolling - Garmin says nearly 1000 ft ascent / 500 ft descent in my 11 ish ride home (and the much easier inverse on trip to work). Really like having the upward stroke pull. But will probably keep one foot out in key spots. And continue to work on the unanticipated stops/quick feet out. Know that the more MTB/WI single track I do, they better that will get. (best place to practice - hitting the dirt much softer than the pavement!)

WindingRoad - Yikes! Glad you're okay! And was able to maneuver around him!

Melavai - Gotta hand it to you riding in this wind. Know I don't have the guts to do it. Both from fear of bike handling, and from my tendency to curse headwinds!

[redrhodie]

Yesterday the forecast was for 75º and sunny, but to my surprise, the roads were still wet from the rain the day before. Add the fallen leaves to the mix, and it was the messiest commute ever. I looked like I'd done a 'cross race when I got to work, my back and legs (and bike!) were covered in mud. There was crud everywhere, even little sticks between my chain rings.

It never warmed to anywhere near 75, and I was worried I'd be cold since I wore a ss jersey, so I kept a good pace for the ride back to stay warm. The roads were still wet at 5pm, despite being mostly sunny all day! I managed a new record for that route, but I had a tailwind, so there you go.

[MyRubyE]

Ok, so for eight days or so I have become a sloth like zombie and didn't ride my bike for various reasons. So I got on my bike and commuted to work both on Thursday and Friday - finally!! *And, I'm feeling like me again!!. I'm alive!! I'm the king of the world!! I'm Tarzan ahAAaaAa!! *Ok, back to reality... When I don't ride, or do not do any form of excercise, depression sets in. *Thus the need to rotate those wheels to create a spark in my being and make me feel worthy,*empowered,*and*invigorated. *Here's hoping for another devine week weather wise and a natural anti-depressant-like bike commuting next week.

[redrhodie]

MyRubyE, I get the same way if I don't ride, and it ain't pretty. Glad you got out!

Yesterday I had 20-30 mph winds with 40 mph gusts, and you know, it wasn't bad. I've just resigned myself to the fact that's it's going to be slower, and in the morning, it only took me about 5 minutes longer for my 14 mile route than usual. At night, it was a wicked tailwind, so I flew home! I have to admit, my quads were on fire when I was done.

Easy spin today, not a commute. Happy Halloween!

[malkin]

When I don't ride, or do not do any form of excercise, depression sets in.

No kidding. I've been sick for over a week, and I started wondering if big Pharma could market a combination anti-histamine & anti-depressant. They put everything else in those OTC remedies, why not this?

[colorisnt]

An anti-depressant anti-histamine would be all I need! LOL. Speaking of which, I haven't been eating much because of an adjustment and tapering up of my SSRI which makes me feel like I will throw up when I exercise. Gah. Between that and the flu, it takes almost everything to finish a meal. So far, I haven't been too successful, but it is getting better.

Commuted for the first time in a week! Felt SO good to be back out. Took the trail that they have now finished for MUP with a crossing for bikes and pedestrians. OF COURSE the construction workers left all sorts of goodies behind - nails, boards, metal things everywhere!. I had to get off the bike and kick the following away so that I and others could get through. Sad. Other than that, the trail is great. And I enjoy not having to go through parking lots anymore!

Rode here and climbed the big hill with no issues, so I know I am getting stronger despite the time off of commuting. Had a good ride, but man that wind was awful! Getting up the small hills into the university was awful. Cold weather gear worked great, but boy that wind is hard to power through!