How Was Your Commute Today?

[Crankin]

Earlier, or later. I decided to bag boot camp today and ride to work. I had nothing until 10:00, but I wanted to get there by 9:15 or so. I left at 8:50, a perfect ride. When I left tonight at about 6:10, I felt like I was flying. I felt pretty aggressive and had my left arm out and finger pointing, with my "teacher gesture," as my friend calls it, as I rode through Concord Center, and I have to turn left and merge in 3 places. It's very cloudy, getting ready to rain, so I had both front and my 2 rear lights going. no mistaking me. When I got to my neighborhood, my average was the highest of all my rides this year, which is amazing, given I have my pannier, though it wasn't stuffed with much, just my clothes.
DH says this stuff happens to him on almost every commute, and he rides 17 miles! I won't stop; this is the quickest and most direct route. I can leave earlier or later, depending on the day, but I am not stopping. Perhaps, if I was a new rider, I'd be afraid, but this is just the way it is. As it gets warmer, I may experiment in riding in clothes that look less like roadie clothes, which usually gets you treated better, in my experience.
Going to boot camp tomorrow, despite my dislike of the instructor on Tuesdays.

[rebeccaC]

While having a cup of tea and a chocolate almond brioche on my way to work this morning photographer and filmmaker Lauren Greenfield sat down next to me. What a great conversation for 30 minutes on her early photography in L.A. and how we both use photography to see culture. She was riding to a meeting close to my office so we rode together for 3 miles. I was a little late but that story explained it well enough so it didn’t matter. A 6 mile ride this morning.

After work I took the beach bike path north to it’s end at Will Rogers Beach and then back towards home. Watched the sunset while sitting on the beach. 24 miles total for the day......so far I've done everyday of my 30 day pledge

[Eihposi]

Dreadful! I'm going to the opera tonight after work, so I decided to take the subway (then I don't need a bag full of extra clothes), but the train left 2 minutes early, so I missed it, and then the next train was late, so I stood outside in the cold for 20 minutes, which is about the same time it takes me to cycle to work. I felt so stupid for not taking the bike after all. Stupid me!

[Crankin]

It's supposed to rain today and I have an appointment about a half hour after I finish work.
Taking a rest day, no commute today. Looks like I won't be able to commute again until maybe next Friday, given the combination of Passover, work schedule, weather.

[GLC1968]

I've been commuting about once a week lately and this week (with lovely weather), I managed two commutes.

Today was commute #2 and it was amazing...such a gorgeous day on tap here! The ride home should be delightful.

There was a funny incident though. I was about 0.5 miles from my office and I'd scaled back my effort to try and cool down a bit before arriving. I came up on another cyclist on a mountain/hybrid bike. We were on a MUP that no one uses in the morning except cyclists. I didn't feel like exerting the effort to pass him when my office was so close, so I just hung back about 5 bike lengths or so. He clearly did not know I was there. First, he blew a snot-rocket but I was far enough back to miss it. Then he lifts himself off his saddle slightly and makes a motion with his body that could be nothing other than farting. I was totally snickering to myself!

I SOOO hoped that he was headed to the same office as me so that I could tease him about checking behind before blowing a snot-rocket. I'd reassure him that he missed me but leave him wondering if I knew about the fart or not! Unfortunately, my fun was thwarted as he turned off down another road. ;-)

[azfiddle]

I'm also on the once weekly commute- the ride in this morning was beautiful- perfect temps, not much wind and I left a few minutes early and avoided 3 miles of bumpy pavement and traffic by riding the longer route via the Julian Wash bike path. I only saw 2 walkers- no other cyclists. Still a few lingering wildflowers- Desert Globe Mallows, some tall pink Parry's Penstemon, a few Desert Marigolds. I passed a very vocal Cactus Wren on top of a cholla, a few Black-Throated Sparrows and House Finches. I like it that part of my commute goes through desert habitat. I don't have the typical commuter problems of car doors opening at me and not too many stoplights, but part of the route goes along a pretty busy traffic corridor past the air force base, and parts of the route don't have the greatest shoulders. But by the time I get in to work- 10-12 miles depending on the route, I feel pretty good.

The ride home will be a bit warm- in the 90's....

[Crankin]

GLC, that is hysterical and gross at the same time.