How Was Your Commute Today?

[ZenBiker]

Had a nice commute today, great weather going in and almost no head wind coming home (unusual here). And for an interesting twist, I encountered a slight delay in the morning due to a unicycle troop (band? group?) practicing in the road! Two cars waited along with me as the unicycle riders executed a sort of pinwheel turn, before we went ahead and passed them. I'm sure they plan to be in the 4th of July parade and were getting in some street experience. Anyway it was a fun way to start the day.

[redrhodie]

I got a flat this morning. Rear tire, of course. Got to work on time, even after stopping to buy a new tube, so I'm definitely getting faster at changing them. There's the one good thing about glass on the road. Practice makes perfect.

[redrhodie]

What, is everyone on vacation?! Not me. I rode in today and am very excited to report that the long awaited bike path extension is done! yay! Actually, it's evidently been done for a few weeks, but I never checked. This means I can now avoid the big intersection that used to literally give me nightmares. I did overcome all my traffic fears riding through it twice a day, so that was good, but now I never have to sit through multiple light changes before I get a green light. So, the new route should be faster, even though it's probably the same length. I suspect once the word gets out that it's open, it will be too crowded with kids and dogs for me to enjoy, but for now, it's great.

[Melalvai]

I'm not on vacation, but on good days the one-mile ride isn't all that interesting.

Today I rode a few extra miles around town because we did our bike/ped traffic counts! This is the first ever for the city of Kirksville. We used the National Bike/Ped Documentation Project guidelines. We learned that the guidelines are for big cities. For example they recommend one count location per 15,000 population. Well, our population is 17,000 total. One location isn't going to tell us anything! We did 4 locations. Also, the recommended dates & timing aren't ideal. They suggest a 5-7pm on a weekday. I know from experience that Saturday afternoons see a LOT of cyclists and runners on the street that I was counting at. And at this time of year, most people are out in the evening or morning when it is cooler. But during the 2 hours I was there, I counted 5. One of those was my co-counter who had to leave. One was my friend bringing me another bottle of water. And one was my friend leaving after bringing me another bottle of water!

I think the other intersections probably fared better. They were in locations that people use when biking & walking for transportation, while my spot (on my old road that I used to live on) was on a road that people use for recreation or training.

[RadicalEdward]

It's been too cold and wet to ride

I rode in today though - and had to chip the ice off my bike
No seriously
Ice

Foggy morning with Frost everywhere - no sun to be seen - reasonable wind
I don't think we'll see the sun today at all

[Melalvai]

Yesterday I took the car in for an oil change & tune up. It ended up needing a new oil pump switch too.

When it was done I drove home and switched to my bike, and biked over to my mechanic's house for new cables.

Car maintenance: $277.
Bike maintenance: $36.

I love biking.

[redrhodie]

Like riding through clam chowder. Ick.

[ZenBiker]

On the way home tonight:
was waiting at a stop light behind a pick up with two dogs in the back. One dog barked at me the whole time. Apparently the guy on the motorcycle behind me thought that was pretty funny, because when the light changed he pulled up beside me, slowed down, barked several times, then pulled away laughing. ??

[Biciclista]

On the way home tonight:
was waiting at a stop light behind a pick up with two dogs in the back. One dog barked at me the whole time. Apparently the guy on the motorcycle behind me thought that was pretty funny, because when the light changed he pulled up beside me, slowed down, barked several times, then pulled away laughing. ??

that's hilarious!
I got rained on all the way home but it was warm enough that i didn't care.

[Melalvai]

My daughter's play is this weekend so the rehearsals have been going pretty late at night. She doesn't like to bike in the dark by herself so I go meet her at the park when they're done. When I ride past people out walking or just standing around, I hear them say things like "Cool lights!" and "Whoa!" to each other. Monkey lights are impressive!

This picture is from the Monkey Electric website:

[7rider]

I think I missed the memo or something that today was Everybody Get Outside Day.
Granted, it was pleasantly cool, with less humidity than we've seen in recent days. It was, indeed, a glorious morning to be outside. And folks were. By the truckload.
Normally, I can count on one hand the number of other cyclists I see on my ride in, and only slightly more joggers along the MUT that parallels the road I ride. This morning, I must have seen 50 joggers and 20 people on bikes (including one woman, riding in a pair of mini short-shorts, wearing her helmet strap across her lower lip, a la the Queen's Guard, who ran the light at Colesville Road - a 6 lane highway where cars routinely come flying down the hill - from either direction, and it's risky to cross WITH the light for fear of red light runners. To run the light at crossing is near suicide.
Ah, well.

[ZenBiker]

arrghh - they're chip-sealing the roads in my neighborhood. This means laying down a layer of tar, then a layer of small diameter gravel, compacting it a bit, and then more tar/oil to seal it. Generally the gravel goes on and then some days pass before the top seal is applied. Wouldn't be so bad to ride on the gravel if it were even, but at random intervals there will be a "drift" of 1-2" deep, loose material across the road

So every evening is a new adventure in finding alternate routes home, depending on what the road crew got done during the day. At least the flag men on the project are sympathetic, commenting on how they've created a bumpy ride for me!

[Tri Girl]

because when the light changed he pulled up beside me, slowed down, barked several times, then pulled away laughing. ??

that is TOO funny!!!

[HillSlugger]

Bike commuted yesterday for the first time in 2 months and only the 4th time this year I've let my triathlon training take priority

[7rider]

So, I was leaving this afternoon - heading to the elevator to go to the gym to dress for my ride home tonight.
My boss is by the elevators. "By the way," he said. "That was me yesterday."
Huh??
"In the van. On Fairview. In the van. I beeped at you. I saw you on your bike."
"Oh. I don't remember any van beeping at me."

I suppose if they're not screamin', yellin', honkin' threateningly, or being illogical moronic jerks, I just tune them out.