How Was Your Commute Today?

[redrhodie]

Great job, Mel! I hope your dh learns to love walking. It's the perfect form of exercise.

My grocery store is about the same distance as yours, and I usually walk there. I HATE driving there, and do so only on really rare occasions, maybe a few times per year. I ride once in a while, when I have to buy a lot. I usually shop every day or so, so walking is just easier if the bags are light.

[HillSlugger]

Two weeks in a row! Woo hoo!

[7rider]

A milled road surface awaiting fresh pavement claimed the life of my rear taillight tonight. . The light was permanently mounted to the rear rack and the mount busted. I hope my LBS has something in it's spare parts bin so I can jury-rig a fix for it.

[redrhodie]

Last night the wind was so intense, I actually thought for a brief second that I'd have to stop and walk. I didn't, but it crossed my mind. It wasn't even close to the worst wind I'd ridden in, but it was just so steady and unwavering; flags whipping like they were on a fast moving ship, without a break to be had. In a few months, I'll be used to it again. Summer spoiled me. Hello fall.

The morning ride had a tailwind, and that was most fun.

[kelleil]

I had a great commute today. Masterfully handled traffic. However head wind. Tremendous headwind.

[Melalvai]

The clouds loomed darkly this morning but the weather page said only 10% chance of rain. So I didn't hurry to get to the office while it was still dry. Then the heavens opened. My expensive rain gear keeps me fairly dry, but I do get damp around the edges in a heavy rain. I looked at the downpour, stripped down to a t-shirt and underwear and put on my rain gear and sandals. I put my work clothes and socks in a plastic bag. I have shoes in my office. When I got to work I changed into my dry clothes. The only thing I forgot was a towel. My tshirt and my rain gear are hanging up to dry.

The lovely part is that it's warm enough to do that. On colder rainy days I end up with wet socks and wet gloves. I bring extra of both but if I have to go out several times it is limiting.

[ZenBiker]

I had a great commute today. Masterfully handled traffic. However head wind. Tremendous headwind.

My sympathies. During April and May where I live, there's almost always a west wind in the afternoon, which is a head wind for my commute. Today it was 15 mph, gusting to 25 = no problem. Some days it's 25 gusting to 40. That makes me say bad words.

[NadiaMac]

So, updating my last post: I've managed to keep up some momentum with the commuting and have managed to ride to work two or three times a week each week. Mostly, I take the more direct route, which is about twelve miles, but i've ridden in over the neighboring mountain twice with a co-worker, which is pretty cool. I've ridden in a few times with a big group commuter ride- over 60 people showed up last Friday! Most of the folks go much further, over forty miles to work!

on the process side: I located the showers at work - pretty nice ones in the building next to mine, and our company provides towels and shampoo, soap etc so we are very spoiled in that regard. The other "improvements"- I picked up a chrome commuter backpack and the thing is great a big improvement for carrying clothes to work (two tiny comments, I may review it later). I also obtained a brighter headlight, though haven't used it much since it's pretty light in the mornings now.

The one thing I haven't worked out is carrying my work laptop in on the bike. The thing is a brick and I do work at home a fair bit especially on the weekends. I have some neck/back issues and am loath to carry it in my backpack, but at the same time, I like riding my road bike to work and am not into putting a rack onto it. I do have a backup bike with a rack, but it's clunky and way less fun to ride. So, at the moment, I ride in only when I don't need the laptop at home the night before. This is the major limiter.

[7rider]

What a cluster this morning.

So, I go to put air in the tires this morning on my commuter, which lives out in the garage. Flat rear tire. Maybe, I can pump it up, get to work okay, and pump it up again before my ride home.
Pump, pump, pump, hissssssss
Air was coming out nearly as fast as I was putting it in.
Back inside. "Hon....can I ride the Big Buzz?"
Sure. Good to have an abundance of bikes and to be approximately the same size as DH.
So, I unpack my pannier, re-pack in another pannier, b/c my Arkel doesn't "work" on his rack without major adjustments to the hooks - which I don't want to do. Pump up the tires. Throw the grocery pannier on the other side of the bike (I need to hit the grocery store at lunch - plus I was bringing in pretzels for the office), put on DH's shoes (about 1.5 size too big for me ), and off I go.
Whap. Whap, Whap.
The Big Buzz is a "wicked cool" bike - but it doesn't have very long chain stays and my heels keep kicking the bags - especially the grocery bag - especially with DH's big water-ski shoes.
So it was a delicate, slow cadence, heel-up sort of pedaling style in this morning. Sigh.

[lovelygamer]

Commute yesterday and today was cold. 50 degrees 10mph winds. Not very fun in my opinion. Looking forward to a warmer ride home (it's warmed to 70).

This week is not promising. They are calling for 30mph tomorrow and 50% chance of severe storms Weds/Thurs.

Let's not even get into the lady that tried to mow me down INSIDE the parking lot to work. She couldn't give me 30 seconds leeway.

[kelleil]

My sympathies. During April and May where I live, there's almost always a west wind in the afternoon, which is a head wind for my commute. Today it was 15 mph, gusting to 25 = no problem. Some days it's 25 gusting to 40. That makes me say bad words.

I noticed I can handle headwind better on my road bike. On my commuter, a steel single speed, I'm all kinds of cussing.

[kelleil]

So, updating my last post: I've managed to keep up some momentum with the commuting and have managed to ride to work two or three times a week each week. Mostly, I take the more direct route, which is about twelve miles, but i've ridden in over the neighboring mountain twice with a co-worker, which is pretty cool. I've ridden in a few times with a big group commuter ride- over 60 people showed up last Friday! Most of the folks go much further, over forty miles to work!

on the process side: I located the showers at work - pretty nice ones in the building next to mine, and our company provides towels and shampoo, soap etc so we are very spoiled in that regard. The other "improvements"- I picked up a chrome commuter backpack and the thing is great a big improvement for carrying clothes to work (two tiny comments, I may review it later). I also obtained a brighter headlight, though haven't used it much since it's pretty light in the mornings now.

The one thing I haven't worked out is carrying my work laptop in on the bike. The thing is a brick and I do work at home a fair bit especially on the weekends. I have some neck/back issues and am loath to carry it in my backpack, but at the same time, I like riding my road bike to work and am not into putting a rack onto it. I do have a backup bike with a rack, but it's clunky and way less fun to ride. So, at the moment, I ride in only when I don't need the laptop at home the night before. This is the major limiter.

Hey Nadia. Work in Mountainview? Are you talking about the sf2g group?

I put a Linus adjustable rack on my commuter with a Timbukt2 Shift Pannier Messenger. Easily handles laptops and not on your back. I have back and neck issues and I swear by that set up. The rack is elegant, light and unobtrusive; quite unlike most racks. The bag is hella useful. It's sold out on the website but I got it at the San Carlos REI.

Of course you could buy a new bike that splits the difference and you could put the rack on it.

[redrhodie]

I was planning on driving today because I did a hard ride yesterday, and the forecast was rain (good excuses for a rest day), but I happened to get up early (thanks Eddy) and the roads were dry. Next thing I know, I'm wearing knickers. I bet the English girls think that's funny.

It was crazy windy, but from the south, so all the headwinds were downhill. I love south winds. I had a sweet tailwind coming home, and it never did rain. Glad I rode. Tomorrow I'll rest.

[Tri Girl]

I'm the worst bike commuter EVER! It's May (bike month) and I have yet to ride to work this month. Last week I drove all week because it was just post-marathon and my legs were fatigued. Really, I guess I was just lazy. This week I've just been admittedly LAZY! I only have 9 days of work left until summer break and I'm going to bike them all, dangit!

[lovelygamer]

Today was a great commute. I live so close to work (1.75 miles) I have to get really creative to get in miles. I did 6.75 total today. 75f and 13mph winds.

Currently at 20 for the week, ahead of this point last week!