Fall and Winter Commuter Challenge!

[Grog]

The real fun starts this week.

There is a forecast of rain for almost every day of this week, and the heavy winds are going to start tonight. Hopefully I'll make it home before the 75 km/h gusts hit Vancouver, and it will have died down tomorrow. It can be pretty crazy to see the big Douglas firs at my office window swinging in the wind. On those days I definitely avoid riding as some of those big conifers have a bad habit of shedding branches. I don't want to be hit by a tree on my way home!

And I'm going to get a new pair of tires tonight. I've been getting a flat a week - always a different cause - since I started using the current tires on my commuting bike. I'm not very interested in having to change flats in the rain, cold, and wind.

Good luck everyone for this week!

[kfergos]

I'm going to have to change my goal for this week, since on Friday I'm getting my new bike ( ) and that involves some driving, ironically enough:

Mon - 2 rides
Tues - 2 rides
Weds - 2 rides
Thurs - 1 ride (dropping old bike parts off to put on the new bike; hard to ride home sans saddle and tires!)
Fri - 1 or 2 ride(s), depending

Minimum Total: 8 rides for the week of October 6 through 10.

[SouthernBelle]

I just looked at the weather for the rest of the week.

I knew there was a chance of showers today, so I have rain gear in the pannier. But tomorrow there is an 80% chance including thunderstorms! I guess I better pack extra shoes and socks to keep dry.

[bikerHen]

Made it through week three. Althought I did have to have my husband pick me up on his way home from work yesterday. I was a little careless with my rotary cutter and cut a deep slice in my index finger. It's right where I grab the brakes on my road bike. So I'm on my mountain bike for a few days.

Morning commutes are getting a little cooler. I've had two rides in the mid twenties this week. Brrrr to start but once I get moving nice and crisp! bikerHen

[Eden]

Brrr indeed.. and its getting darker too.

M + W 12 miles to and from work, F 22 miles to and from the animal shelter.

I bought myself some Tire Sparx (led's that fit onto your valve stems) for added side visibility.

[Grog]

Cooler and darker, but I love wearing the wool, and I enjoy riding in the dark (provided I have good lights, which I do).

100% for me this week. I even had more kilometers than usual because I did a few detours on the way to and from work.

Happy me. I love this.

[Geonz]

It got chillier here but mainly still just jacket weather... I wore gloves some days but it wasn't really necessary.

Next week still nice!

Buzzed by a driver two days... same guy (WKG 44). Not so close that I can say "you did that on purpose" - but there's a whole left lane, dude, goin' the same way on this one way street - so I'm gonna have my camera at the ready next time, just to send a message (and be sure not to get sloppy with lane position).

[indigoiis]

Week 3 actuals... it's getting darker out there!

Week 3:
10/6 - 13 miles
10/7 - 60 miles
10/8 - 0
10/9 - 0
10/10 - 0 miles
10/11 (today) 30 miles - had to work an event.
Total week 3 miles: 103


Week 4 - tomorrow (it doesn't count, cuz it's not commuting) I'll ride 25 with the Mister cuz he got his new old Colnago (another one) and wants to test ride. It's a beauty. Maybe I can get some snappies.

Mon. 10/13 - 60 (buses running reduced schedule for holiday)
Tues. 10/14 - 20
Wed. 0
Thur. 0
Fri. 30 or 60, depending on how I feel...

[SouthernBelle]

I did 3/5 days.

Last night I bought a handlebar basket. It's detachable. It will make it easier to buy milk by the gallon!

[kfergos]

It's been gorgeous weather for the most part, and I've been enjoying using all my bright lights in the dark. As I expected, I did 9/10 commutes to work:

Mon - 2
Tues - 2
Weds - 2
Thurs - 1
Fri - 2 (the way home was on the new bike!)

Then on Saturday the new bike and I did a couple quasi-commuting trips together that I don't know if they count or not:

- 13 miles round trip to the grocery store for croissants (mmmmm)
- 12 miles round trip to the ice cream place for root beer floats (mmmmmmmmm)

So I either did 9 or 11 commutes this week, depending on how you count.

Total miles: 155

[SouthernBelle]

Where are all our challenge commuters?

Riding in this morning, I had some brake pad (center pull) rubbing going on the front wheel. More an irritation than anything else. I stopped to buy some luncheon yogurt and reached down and tried a quick adjustment but that didn't cure it. Blech.

[sfa]

Is it too late for me to join this challenge? I was dithering on the lights issue, but I bit the bullet and got headlights, then installed fenders this weekend so I'm all set to go for year-round cycling. My goal is only one day per week--my husband's work schedule and my after-work schedule is such that doing more days isn't a realistic goal at the moment.

Sarah

[SouthernBelle]

We're easy. It's never too late. I think you can include any utility cycling too!

[out_spokin']

Well, came home from the biz trip with a cold, so 0/0 last week, and decided to give myself one more recovery day today without the frigid air blast in the still-weak lungs. I'm gonna dig out the warmer gloves and facemask tonight since we've dipped into the below-freezing mornings! Happy to have this challenge group to help me get back into it - I'm already prepping in my brain for what I'll need to hit my goal the next couple of weeks.

+1 on the "not too late to join" sentiment!

[twin]

5 of 5 for the 3rd week and I am trying to add some miles before school and a little during my plan because my commute is not to long. Fun stuff.