How Was Your Commute Today?

[tzvia]

Sky King-
Good idea, the slime tubes. I'm a nerd and resistant to heavy tubes. But I found a slime light tube at the LBS so bought it for the back wheel. Gonna put it on the next time I flat. It weigh double what a good road tube weighs, but what am I weenie-ing about- 50 grams.

Got tubes with removable cores- and put an extra core in my patch box. I do this already for the road bike and MTB, I don't know why I didn't do this for the commuter.

My ride today was great. Not too hot, maybe upper 80s with a slight breeze. However, there were lots of sirens right behind me as I rode- several times I looked back, they seemed to stop a block or so behind me on Desoto... Got home and found out that there was a fatal accident. It must have happened right after I passed... Gives me the chills.

[7rider]

Brrrr...
45 degrees out this a.m. (7 C).
Had to pull out the jacket for my ride in this a.m. First time since....May?? maybe?

[divingbiker]

Yesterday while I was driving to the office, I was stopped on a downhill road in a line of traffic but had the green light at the bottom of the hill. A young guy on a bike was screaming down the hill (it's a wide road) to the right of the cars. An SUV was coming toward us and took the opportunity to turn left at the light through the stopped cars.

You know what's coming...the bike slammed into the SUV. I heard the impact, and saw the cyclist lying on the hood of the SUV for a few minutes. Once he started moving, I relaxed.

Miraculously, he was unhurt. He had one scratch. But there were a lot pedestrians and a crossing guard at the corner, and they insisted he go to the hospital. I stopped and asked if he wanted me to take his bike to my office and lock it up. He called me later and I dropped it off at his house on my way home.

He was so appreciative and said he was fine, except for some soreness. The windshield of the SUV was shattered. They didn't file a police report, but both the cyclist and I felt that he had the right of way since he had the green light and was going straight. Not sure what the police would have said.

He was one lucky young man.

[kmehrzad]

Amazing. That would have really shaken me up for the day.

Yesterday while I was driving to the office, I was stopped on a downhill road in a line of traffic but had the green light at the bottom of the hill. A young guy on a bike was screaming down the hill (it's a wide road) to the right of the cars. An SUV was coming toward us and took the opportunity to turn left at the light through the stopped cars.

You know what's coming...the bike slammed into the SUV. I heard the impact, and saw the cyclist lying on the hood of the SUV for a few minutes. Once he started moving, I relaxed.

Miraculously, he was unhurt. He had one scratch. But there were a lot pedestrians and a crossing guard at the corner, and they insisted he go to the hospital. I stopped and asked if he wanted me to take his bike to my office and lock it up. He called me later and I dropped it off at his house on my way home.

He was so appreciative and said he was fine, except for some soreness. The windshield of the SUV was shattered. They didn't file a police report, but both the cyclist and I felt that he had the right of way since he had the green light and was going straight. Not sure what the police would have said.

He was one lucky young man.

[tzvia]

Ok, I put on the slime tube in back, and tested my frame pump, which did not break off the head of my presta valve this time. Maybe being hot in the sun and in a hurry somehow caused me to break two presta valves. I donno.

Got a new front light that I really like already. It's the Nightrider mininewt 600. If you are looking for a simple all-in-one commuter front light and don't need 4+ hours at a shot, it will give you 600 lumens for 1.4 hrs or so. There are two lower lumen settings that extend the time. It charges via USB so I just charge it at work. It has a quick disconnect bar mount, is really light weight, and there are no wires and battery packs. Been using it this week and I think it will be perfect for this winter.

Yep, time to make sure I am ready for daylight savings time change. It's gona be really dark in the morning in a few weeks.

Today was overcast and almost foggy and a little misty. Got to work damp. It was 92f when I left though.

divingbiker- that gives me the willies. Having a car cut me off is my biggest fear when I commute in the dark. Ranks up there with being doored. I guess that is why my bike is a x-mas tree of lights and reflectors. Fear. Good the guy is ok (but I am sure he was sore the next day.)

[Duck on Wheels]

... but my route doesn't take me past this point anyway. The lucky bike commuters who rode in from outside the toll booth ring today were rewarded, not only with the sight of all the cars paying their tolls, but by friendly municipal workers in reflector vests who stopped the cyclists and paid them (!) the equivalent of the auto toll (about $4) to thank them for NOT driving One cyclist who was interviewed said "I think I'll go buy myself a coffee." That's the gist of this story in Norwegian: http://www.adressa.no/nyheter/trondh...cle1698894.ece
Oh, and note in the photo - the cyclists are all wearing helmets.

[Velocivixen]

@Duck on Wheels, thanks for posting that video! I didn't understand a word of it but I really liked that they were rewarding the cyclists. I also like seeing that there were so many cyclists AND that they were wearing helmets! When I first saw your name I thought you might be from Oregon (University of Oregon mascot is a duck!). Is commuter cycling popular in Norway?