How Was Your Commute Today?

[MojoGrrl]

My first commute (on the tandem, with my boyfriend who is also my coworker) was last Friday. We did it again this Weds and then today. We ride to the train, then take the train to another city and then ride from that city over a mountain (seriously, 1700 feet) to work...30 miles each way. Today we actually rode the WHOLE way home (about 54 miles, 3600 feet of climbing) and I am exhausted. All the riding, though it's hard, isn't that bad. It's the as*hole drivers who make me want to start carrying a pistol in my jersey pocket.

Seriously, what the F is wrong with people? All of the stories I read on here, and now experiencing it myself - why do people feel the need to go out of the way to harass cyclists? I've never encountered so many rude drivers in the last 6 months of cycling as I have on my six commute rides. My boyfriend suggested we get a "huge rubber **** and put it on a stick and hold it out" to keep people from driving too close. I don't think it will help with the drivers who make a point to flip us off, or drive up next to us and roll down the window to scream at us for making them need to pay attention and not drive 70 mph on country roads with a posted 45 mph speed limit. Mind you, we are not doing anything rude or unsafe ourselves, and are trying to keep as far to the right as we can on the narrow and shoulderless roads. I've also noticed that the entitled as*hole drivers who seem to feel the most inconvenienced by having to slow down for a minute and then pass us are driving either a) Mercedes Benz, b) SUV, or c) some monstrous, gas-guzzling American made truck. Seriously, the encounters I've had commuting just the past week have made me hate people.

[7rider]

Not completely related to my commute, but a rant.
So yesterday, I did my shopping at lunch. Picked up a box of Gas-X (DH and I go thru a lot of that ). $5 for a box of 18. Ouch. So I ride home - all my groceries tucked in my panniers (there's the link...see?), and I unload said groceries in my kitchen. Pick up the box of Gas-X. Flap is open. 18, huh? $5? Ouch.
Wait just a cotton-pickin' minute.
Instead of TWO sleeves of 9-pills each, there is only ONE sleeve.
Someone opened the box in the grocery store and helped him/herself to one of the sleeves and left the half-empty box on the shelf!!
Dirty no-good thief!
So I paid $5 for 9 stupid pills
Never occurred to me to check the box. Boy, will I next time.

[Sky King]

Yesterday's air quality was "yellow" which means no outside burning and that you should avoid strenuous exercise. They also suggest to limit your driving. Boise is not known for it's public transportation and I had an appointment about 8 miles away, so of course, I rode my bike. I did ride slower than normal so I wasn't doing any heavy breathing but couldn't help but wonder how cool it would be if on a yellow alert air day NO one was allowed to drive, of course that isn't going to happen in the near future but how great would it be if everyone had to walk, ride or take the bus.

[Melalvai]

That is such a good point. Instead of saying "air quality is poor, don't bike" making everyone drive and worsening the air quality, say "air quality is poor, you can't drive today".

Ah, we can dream...

A ton of people have been telling me "Oh, I saw you the other day". Guess I've been out and about a lot!

[tzvia]

Last week.
So frustrated about last Thursday's ride home. The parking lot exit at work is paved right through the middle of an empty weed lot and I exit that way. Well, I picked up a huge thorn from some of the weeds that were cut a few weeks ago and did not notice for a block, and then I sure did. FLAT. Crap.

So I get out the pump and patch kit and found a little shade as it's 103f and patch it. Then the hell began. Yes I had found the 1/2" thorn and removed it, checked the tire and the other wheel too. Put it all together, confident that I would just pump it up and go. Nope. Pump-pump-pump. Nothing. I took off the pump and the head of the presta came off and was in the pump head. Ok, get the spare, change again. Pump-pump-pump. Nothing. Shoot. Take off the pump- again the presta nut is broken off. I've never had an issue with the pump before (Blackburn Carbon Frame pump) but I took it apart and I don't see any problem with it. Called the sag wagon and waited in the heat.

I know there is a reason why I look for tubes with removable presta valves for my road bike and mtb, but I had not found any that fit 28~32c tires. Re-thinking this at home, I remembered I had bought some 25c Continental Gatorskins and I switched out. They feel so much better than the Kenda Kwests. But leaving work again this week, I stopped at the exit and sure enough there were 3 thorns in the back, and one in the front. But they had not punctured the tubes yet. So I will leave work out the side exit that does not go through the undeveloped part of the campus.

I've been commuting almost two years now, and that was my first DNF. Gonna get me some tubes with removable valve cores this weekend.

[rubysoho]

It took all summer but I have officially commuted to work (during work hours)! I assume traffic was lighter than normal because of the holiday weekend - I'm not complaining. I packed all my stuff in a small bookbag which I have never done before. Lunch + breakfast (left without eating) + clothes + shoes + keys + blah blah blah = a bit heavier than I was expecting! Definitely made my start-ups much harder but it was manageable. Took me a perfect hour. Someone in a van chatted with me at a light. He was very pleasant. The majority of my ride is on trails but the times I was on the road I feel I was lucky to have many polite drivers who gave me space, etc... I am very greatful for that.

Looking forward to doing this throughout the fall and maybe the winter!

[redrhodie]

I had my car tuned up yesterday, so I rode from the service station to a few miles past Worden's Pond, a scenic road, then I just turned around and rode to work. I ended up with close to 20 miles for the day, and my car is running great, and there were no surprises, so I'm happy. Traffic was heavy. The students are returning to URI, but now the beach section of my commute will lighten. Give and take.

[Sky King]

How bout some slime tubes for this time of year? I hate goat heads too!

Last week.
So frustrated about last Thursday's ride home. The parking lot exit at work is paved right through the middle of an empty weed lot and I exit that way. Well, I picked up a huge thorn from some of the weeds that were cut a few weeks ago and did not notice for a block, and then I sure did. FLAT. Crap.

So I get out the pump and patch kit and found a little shade as it's 103f and patch it. Then the hell began. Yes I had found the 1/2" thorn and removed it, checked the tire and the other wheel too. Put it all together, confident that I would just pump it up and go. Nope. Pump-pump-pump. Nothing. I took off the pump and the head of the presta came off and was in the pump head. Ok, get the spare, change again. Pump-pump-pump. Nothing. Shoot. Take off the pump- again the presta nut is broken off. I've never had an issue with the pump before (Blackburn Carbon Frame pump) but I took it apart and I don't see any problem with it. Called the sag wagon and waited in the heat.

I know there is a reason why I look for tubes with removable presta valves for my road bike and mtb, but I had not found any that fit 28~32c tires. Re-thinking this at home, I remembered I had bought some 25c Continental Gatorskins and I switched out. They feel so much better than the Kenda Kwests. But leaving work again this week, I stopped at the exit and sure enough there were 3 thorns in the back, and one in the front. But they had not punctured the tubes yet. So I will leave work out the side exit that does not go through the undeveloped part of the campus.

I've been commuting almost two years now, and that was my first DNF. Gonna get me some tubes with removable valve cores this weekend.

[laura*]

So frustrated about last Thursday's ride home. The parking lot exit at work is paved right through the middle of an empty weed lot and I exit that way. Well, I picked up a huge thorn from some of the weeds that were cut a few weeks ago and did not notice for a block, and then I sure did. FLAT. Crap.

This morning: Push bike to top of driveway. Get on bike and start down the road. "Hey, there's a lot of tire tread noise from the back wheel today!" Stop. Press back of bike down. "Hmmm, that tire's compressing a whole lot." Uh, oh. Notice and remove thorn from side of tire. Take bike back inside. Plan B - walk.

This afternoon: Remove wheel. Remove inner tube. Check inside of tire for sharp items. Find three more thorns! Check tube for punctures. Find one and patch. Pump. "Hey that's not holding pressure!" Again check tube for punctures. Find another and patch. Assemble bike. Check front wheel. Find yet three more thorn stubs (but no flat tire).

Retrospective: The bike was fine yesterday. I didn't do any offroading. There's no known thorns in my yard. Hmmm. Oh! I rode to the local park. Some group was having a Labor Day picnic. They had a band that had set up on the MUP. To avoid going through the band to get to a drinking fountain, I went across the grass and weeds...

[Vanilla]

I had a lovely ride this morning despite the traffic being heavier now that the school holidays are over and all the nice quiet side roads are being used as rat-runs. I never understand why, when London has such good public transport and kids get free travel, that parents insist on driving their little darlings the short distance to school. Anyway, I managed to shave two minutes off my journey and only nearly ran in to one idiot man who crossed into my path when he was skipping a red light and looking the other way. Hopefully my loud swearing made an impact and it's certainly better than me making a physical one with him