How Was Your Commute Today?

[RadicalEdward]

-3.5 deg (Celcius) this morning when I left (25.7F)
Foggy - no issues with the cold once I got going, but the softshell just doesn't cut it for the additional moisture in the air!
Nearly froze solid when I arrived - should be sunny when I leave though, it'll be a wonderfully clear ride home

[7rider]

DH left work early today, so he was able to come and meet me at work and ride home with me. That was good for a couple of reasons. First, he wants to get a few rides in (at least 1!) before we do Saturday's time trial. Second, I couldn't get to the grocery store at lunch because I had to attend a meeting, so I didn't get to do the shopping I wanted to do. With DH around, we could stop at the store we pass on the way home, he could watch my bike (I don't carry a lock with me), and I could get the groceries after work.
And since I was all decked out in bike clothes, I wanted to take the tri bike out when I got home so I could see how the chain shifts on the wheels I just put on with a new cassette. So, we got to the house, DH brings the groceries upstairs, I swap my commuter shoes for my road shoes, grab the tri bike, and head back outside for a cruise around the neighborhood to work the chain through the gears. Halfway out, I see a familiar kit (my agency team kit - which I also happen to be wearing) standing on the side of the road, with a familiar bike - a recumbent - parked off the road on on the grass. It's my friend and co-worker, Mark. Thinking he was on the phone to his wife, reporting some mechanical problem, I pull over and say hello. He was grazing his way through a neighbor's mulberry tree.
"Getting my daily dose of antioxidants!" he said. The tree was thick with fruit in various stages of ripeness.
"This time of year," he explained, "I look like I just came from a voting station in Iraq." He turned his hands over to show his fingertips and nails stained deep purple.
So we chatted for a while - him handing me a handful of mulberries every so often, and then we departed...both in our matching team kits - him on a recumbent, me on a tri bike, both with fingers stained purple. We must have made quite a pair!

[blackhillsbiker]

Between yoga and some more tweaking the fit, the roadie and I are becoming much better friends. She seems so light and fast! I rode her yesterday and today. No back, neck or shoulder pain. I'm still smiling.

Deb

[Geonz]

We had some major storms blow in at 4:00 a.m. -- they abated just in time. Silly me still wore all the rain gear, so I got sweaty anyway. I think I would have steamed up just as much with Gore-Tex but I'll try that next timeand see; I wore my more traditional rain jacket instead because it has a hood...
I don't *really* like these 7:30 mornings but I love the Fridays off that are the payback, and I do like that I can run five minutes later, relatively speaking, 'cause there's just nobody on the road in a college town in the summer at 6:45 a.m.

[ZenBiker]

Had a nice commute today, great weather going in and almost no head wind coming home (unusual here). And for an interesting twist, I encountered a slight delay in the morning due to a unicycle troop (band? group?) practicing in the road! Two cars waited along with me as the unicycle riders executed a sort of pinwheel turn, before we went ahead and passed them. I'm sure they plan to be in the 4th of July parade and were getting in some street experience. Anyway it was a fun way to start the day.

[redrhodie]

I got a flat this morning. Rear tire, of course. Got to work on time, even after stopping to buy a new tube, so I'm definitely getting faster at changing them. There's the one good thing about glass on the road. Practice makes perfect.

[redrhodie]

What, is everyone on vacation?! Not me. I rode in today and am very excited to report that the long awaited bike path extension is done! yay! Actually, it's evidently been done for a few weeks, but I never checked. This means I can now avoid the big intersection that used to literally give me nightmares. I did overcome all my traffic fears riding through it twice a day, so that was good, but now I never have to sit through multiple light changes before I get a green light. So, the new route should be faster, even though it's probably the same length. I suspect once the word gets out that it's open, it will be too crowded with kids and dogs for me to enjoy, but for now, it's great.