How Was Your Commute Today?

[ColoKate]

Nothing too exciting about my commute, still 5 miles and temps in the 50s, but I just had to say...I'm having the best time biking to work! It's the best part of my day. I thought I would only do a few days per week but like it too much not to ride every day. I've nailed my route and gotten into a groove.

Thanks all for the motivation and tips to get started!

[tulip]

Every once in a while I check in here...today's commute/errand run was fantastic! Nothing extraordinary happened, but it's a good day when you actually enjoy running errands at shopping centers--all because I'm on my bike.

The checkout guy at the grocery store was the best-asking me all kinds of questions about my bike and showing me his bike, parked out in the lot. He was very proud of his bike, and now wants some panniers like mine.

I did about 7 miles--Office Depot, a beauty supply store for shears to clip my dog with, the grocery store, and the post office.

I've decided that once a week I will work from a different cafe in town, at least for the morning. I'll get there by bike, so I'll have some more "commutes" to report on.

[7rider]

Well....we got our first "Code Orange" air quality day today.
So, I'll be taking it easy on my ride home today. This morning, it was super sticky. It's like someone threw a switch, and the humidity ramped up over the past weekend.

----
Issued by The National Weather Service
Baltimore/Washington, MD
5:40 pm EDT, Tue., Jun. 1, 2010

... AIR QUALITY ALERT IS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM EDT WEDNESDAY UNTIL 9 PM EDT WEDNESDAY...

THE METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS HAS ISSUED A CODE ORANGE AIR QUALITY ACTION DAY WEDNESDAY FOR THE DC METRO AREA.

A CODE ORANGE AIR QUALITY ACTION DAY MEANS THAT AIR POLLUTION CONCENTRATIONS WITHIN THE REGION MAY BECOME UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS. SENSITIVE GROUPS INCLUDE CHILDREN... PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM ASTHMA... HEART DISEASE OR OTHER LUNG DISEASES... AND THE ELDERLY. THE EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION CAN BE MINIMIZED BY AVOIDING STRENUOUS ACTIVITY OR EXERCISE OUTDOORS.

[e.e.cummings]

I've saved it up...

Gorgeous morning! I have been riding on and off to work since February, and this is what I have observed:
-On the road by 7am, reach work by 7:30am (12km each way). I stick to a bike path, lucky to have that straight from my home to office. I follow the Lachine canal its entire length - I see kayakers, dragon boaters, university kids playing volleyball, the pet hotel taking their many dogs for a poop walk, lovely greenery, then I finally reach Old Montreal Port. I feel lucky to have this ride. No cars, no lights! More and more roller bladers every day, I notice.
-My tires were in sore need of being changed - what a difference when I did.
-I switched from my hybrid to my road bike and love it, so much lighter.
-What to leave at work: a couple of pairs of underwear; extra pantyhose; essential toiletries; extra shoes or sandals; protein bars.
-Found a discreet place at work to hang the 'sweaty' stuff.
-I know it is controversial, but I listen to music on the way in, it breaks the monotony, and I don't play it loud. Right now it is the soundtrack to Le Fableux destin d'Amélie. Remember her riding her bike in the movie? If you have not seen this movie, do! It comes subtitled.
-Don't fool around with the iPod while riding.
-Don't answer the phone while riding.
-I bought a Bento box (a little case that fits near the handle bars) at MEC when I did a triathlon, to stash energy gels and cubes. Handy as a pocket in a shirt for iPod, key, cigarettes and lighter (just kidding!) and energy stuff (necessary for end of day low energy). My little under-saddle bag is stuffed to the brim with a pump, spare tire and levers.
-Yesterday was a warm rain day. Dressed in running shorts, MEC waterproof jacket, covers on the shoes. Could have used a rain cover for my knapsack. Next thing on shopping list. Enjoyed fewer people on the bike path though - only us die-hards when it rains.
-There is almost no such thing as too cold to ride for me (remember I'm in Quebec). As long as its a dry surface.
-Commuting makes you pay attention to the weather (and to the wind speed). The first thing I check when the paper arrives.
-Decided to remove the rack from my road bike for triathlon and left it off. Thought I would not like using knapsack, I don't mind it so much at all.
-Always take a quick look behind before over-taking. Give the person you are passing a wide berth, sometimes people are in their own world and they get alarmed and swerve when they finally notice you.
- I don't have a bell on my road bike, but I really found it handy on my hybrid. Must do something about that. With summer, that path will get busier and busier, and I don't like shouting or whistling to get attention.
-Wherever on the road, surprise/amaze drivers by obeying traffic rules. Relations between cars and drivers is tough around here, somebody has to get the ball rolling.
-Forest fires early this week many miles away - first time I ever rode in that kind of smog. Cough, cough! Can handle fog, not smog. Felt like I smoked my commute.
-Have I had a morning this week when I did not smell the remains of a skunk somewhere? Or had to keep my mouth closed at certain points because of little bugs? Or been blown away by the smell of pot coming from the two guys lying by the canal?
-Noticed the lights that the 'Bixis' have are really good. Must look into that. (For those not familiar with Bixi: http://montreal.bixi.com/home)
-My back sometimes suffers - perhaps I pull a bit too much. Yoga has been great for it.
-Enjoy the ride - it does not have to be a race against time.
-I am sleeping better at night.
I've really enjoyed reading about your rides - let's keep it rolling, commuter-community!

[divingbiker]

Well....we got our first "Code Orange" air quality day today.

Aw, did you have to tell me that? Now I'm going to be gasping all the way home.

[e.e.cummings]

We just had terrible smog here past Monday due to raging wildfires east of Montreal (apparently caused by lightning). I had never seen it that bad. My son said the school would not let the kids play outside at recess, it was so thick. I read that it had drifted to New England, possibly as far as Washington. We had lots of rain yesterday, which must have helped the fires. We are used to reading about wildfires in hotter places like California, it is so rare to see it here.

[redrhodie]

I read that it had drifted to New England, possibly as far as Washington.

I had to close my windows on Monday because of the smoke from those fires!

Today's commute was just okay. I had a weird incident where a jogger tried to push me into the road to give her more room. I wasn't close enough for her to reach me but I assume I was "in her space" . As I was about to pass her, I looked behind me and saw cars coming in the traffic lane, so I stayed just to the inside edge of the white line (we were both in a bike lane/shoulder, and she was running toward me, so she saw me coming for a while). Until she tried to touch me, I had no idea she had an issue. She also told me to "move over". I thought she was really rude. Really, the safe thing for her to do, if she was uncomfortable with my passing distance (which seemed perfectly safe and reasonable to me) would have been to move further away from traffic, not try to push me into the road! Good grief.

When pfunk was pushed by a pedestrian a while back, and I remember thinking that people can be jerks. I'm still thinking that. At least my jerk missed me .

[colorisnt]

Great commute today despite the weather. Rode home for lunch and it was beautiful as well. Reminds me how much I would rather ride then drive.

[HillSlugger]

Aw, did you have to tell me that? Now I'm going to be gasping all the way home.

I didn't like the heat or humidity, but at least the air didn't seem to be troubling me too much.

[e.e.cummings]

On my commute home, I was riding behind man with a tiny child in a little seat attached to his bike. He had been going fairly slow for some distance before we met a corner underpass. Before that, I was just taking it easy, much slower than my normal pace, and I would have passed him, but I waited until we were past the corner and all was clear. At one point, he looked around, so he knew I was there. After clearing the underpass, I started to pass him - and he decided to gun it as I was right beside him like he was refusing to be passed. We were on one of those bike paths that is 'poled' off during non-winter months, and if you go off it, you are in the traffic.

Had it not suddenly become a race, I would have passed with plenty of time for the oncoming in the other direction, but now, it was split-second decision time, I either had to fall back (not knowing if there was someone behind me who would be alarmed by my slowing down) or race ahead of him so not to encounter an oncoming cyclist who was riding at a pretty fast clip. It alarmed me that a man with a very young child on board would ride so fast and be so blatant about not wanting to be passed. You never know what people will do, or what they are thinking.

[Fredwina]

ee. i'm not sure what to say.
Looks like I may to temporarily retire from commuting. Caltrans is reworking a freeway interchange on my from work to the train station(I take a shuttle bus) - I was about an hour and a half late and just got home

[blackhillsbiker]

Frustrating. Part of the path had become one with Rapid Creek. We've had crazy rains lately. All the underpasses are closed. It is an adventure figuring out how to get there from here around all the water.

Deb

[Crankin]

Like Tulip, I check in here once in awhile, since my real commuting days ended a couple of years ago and won't start again for about a year (when I graduate and have to get a job ). Today was the start of my summer "errand riding" season. I only have ridden my Jamis twice since January 1; once was just a winter ride and the other was in April for a doctor appointment.
I try to do small local errands on my Jamis at least once a week. Sometimes, twice. Most of these trips are 8-13 miles, some are 20. Today, I went to the fish market to buy some yellow fin tuna. I ran this morning and was in no mood for a road ride; wicked thunderstorms were predicted for later PM (they are arriving now), so I went out at around 1:45. It was so pleasant not to be thinking about speed or anything else! It was sprinkling on my ride there, but since it's 80 and humid, it felt good. I locked my bike up at the LBS next to the fish market, got my fish and then quickly took off for home, avoiding the French bistro/bakery and ice cream shop on the same block.
8.7 miles and I was soaked with sweat when I arrived home. My poor Jamis needs some TLC... i wiped the yellow pollen dust off of it, but the chain needs to be replaced (it's been sitting in the basement for awhile) and the bike needs a good cleaning.

[7rider]

Sometimes I really dislike my job (like now), but I have to admit, I love the flexibility it affords. Doppler radar was looking ugly this afternoon - an approaching front bringing heavy rain, wind, and thunder. I could see it coming off the Blue Ridge Mtns pretty fast - too fast for a dry ride home. It's not that I hugely mind rain, but all that magenta on Doppler indicated heavy, nasty stuff. And I don' like riding in that.
So I wrote up a leave slip for an hour and a half of leave, handed it to our deputy, took care of some last-minute work, and left early.
Had a dry ride home, and I'm sitting on the front porch now, showered, watching the rain fall and listening to the thunder.
Nice.

[pfunk12]

So I wrote up a leave slip for an hour and a half of leave, handed it to our deputy, took care of some last-minute work, and left early. Had a dry ride home, and I'm sitting on the front porch now, showered, watching the rain fall and listening to the thunder. Nice.

You were smart. I should have handed in a leave slip, too. I got caught in it. Heavy but warm rain, thunder and lightning. But I made it home safely.