How Was Your Commute Today?

[redrhodie]

Yeah, but I still can't come with a good story to explain the big pile of sweet potatoes I one time saw on a ride!

A body was hidden in a sweet potato delivery truck, and the killer had to dig to find it because his unique lapel pin was stuck in the corpse's hand.

Okay, I stole that from Hitchcock.

[Eden]

I saw owl porn and pretty much got dusted by a unicycle on my commute this evening... yes it was a surreal sort of day....

[kweber]

I bought my first road bike a few months ago and use usually on the weekends, but I commuted for the second time today to work. I feel great and am able to get in 1.5 hr of exercise I wouldn't have got normally. No stops or problems today whereas the first commute last week my chain fell off twice.

[Melalvai]

I bought my first road bike a few months ago and use usually on the weekends, but I commuted for the second time today to work. I feel great and am able to get in 1.5 hr of exercise I wouldn't have got normally. No stops or problems today whereas the first commute last week my chain fell off twice.

Fantastic! I hope you have many chain-problem-free commutes.

[tzvia]

Been having the most massive allergic nightmare - Don't know what it was that caused it, but I have been unable to breathe through my nose since last Friday. So I was off the bike all week till today, as I am finally starting to breathe with my mouth closed again. Had to break down and use a nasal spray (hate those things, so addicting) because I could not sleep. It felt so good to be back on the bike, and it wasn't really cold or windy this morning either. It rained a bit earlier this week so the air felt clean and crisp. Can't wait for tomorrows MTB ride.

Been seeing more people commuting by bike than I've been seeing before. Older people on comfort bikes and cruisers, others on old steel MTBs. Two years ago it seemed like I was the only one on a bike who was not a kid. And for the first time, when I got to work and stopped at the guard station to dig out my badge this morning, another employee rolled up on his bike. Never saw another rider at the gate before.

[7rider]

Okay. More bizarro sightings on the ride today, and I am at a loss to come up with a story for this.

Today was Adidas Slide Day.

This morning, I ride down the sidewalk and turn left onto the road out of my neighborhood, per usual. On the sidewalk off to my right was a pair of these black and white Adidas slides. They are distinctive for their 3 broad white stripes. Huh. I ponder, as I ride by. I briefly wonder if I should pick them up, wash them and donate them to Good Will (since they were a pair, after all).

Fast forward to the end of the work day. I'm five miles away, in the heart of the city where I work, crossing a street with the light on my ride home. There, in the middle of the intersection is another pair (a pair!) of Adidas slides. What the heck????

Alas..got side tracked on my ride when I got close to the spot of the first pair, so I didn't see if they were still there. Oh well.

[Melalvai]

Okay. More bizarro sightings on the ride today, and I am at a loss to come up with a story for this.

Today was Adidas Slide Day.

This morning, I ride down the sidewalk and turn left onto the road out of my neighborhood, per usual. On the sidewalk off to my right was a pair of these black and white Adidas slides. They are distinctive for their 3 broad white stripes. Huh. I ponder, as I ride by. I briefly wonder if I should pick them up, wash them and donate them to Good Will (since they were a pair, after all).

Fast forward to the end of the work day. I'm five miles away, in the heart of the city where I work, crossing a street with the light on my ride home. There, in the middle of the intersection is another pair (a pair!) of Adidas slides. What the heck????

Alas..got side tracked on my ride when I got close to the spot of the first pair, so I didn't see if they were still there. Oh well.

That's an easy one. There was only one pair. They walked.

[rubysoho]

I finally mapped my ride into work online and discovered it is 13 miles, almost exactly! That means I've been putting down 26 miles each time I commute. I'm liking that.

Yesterday I skipped work (told them I wasn't coming in) and decided to explore one of the trails further than what I normally ride when I am commuting and I found some GREAT hills. Normally the trail isn't as hilly as the road because the DOT used different grading but not in this section. I had to work! So now I know where I can go when I am coming home from work to add a couple miles of more difficult hills if I want.

[redrhodie]

Nice S wind yesterday made for a fine afternoon commute. I love tail winds.

[Melalvai]

Yeah, that wind was something else! It was a challenge getting to work, but coming home, I FLEW. 20 mph on Jefferson St! That speed on that street might not be a big deal to some, but it's hard to get much speed out of my heavy commuter bike, especially with its studded tires.

I keep wondering if it's safe to take off the studded tires yet. I'm sure if I remove them we'll get an ice storm!

[redrhodie]

Yeah, that wind was something else! It was a challenge getting to work, but coming home, I FLEW. 20 mph on Jefferson St! That speed on that street might not be a big deal to some, but it's hard to get much speed out of my heavy commuter bike, especially with its studded tires.

I keep wondering if it's safe to take off the studded tires yet. I'm sure if I remove them we'll get an ice storm!

I took mine off last week, and it snowed yesterday, of course. I was probably premature.

[Melalvai]

We had a blizzard today and I went around all day feeling smug that I had not gotten around to taking my studded tires off. But when I went home, the snow had melted. I think I'll get them taken off next week.

[Tri Girl]

HOLY MOLY- on my commute on Wednesday, I saw another bike commuter riding to work. It's been ummm.... gonna say about a YEAR since I saw another bike commuter on my way to work.
We have so few people here that bike for work (which is sad, but not surprising since we are one of the fattest states in the nation).
Anyhow- I was so excited I wanted to wave and yell hello. But I refrained.

[7rider]

Anyhow- I was so excited I wanted to wave and yell hello. But I refrained.

Why? I often wave or ding my bell or give the "head bob" to other commuters. We're a small fraternity.

Some, I know by sight. I've assigned them names, as most I don't know (but a few, I've chatted with enough at stop lights to actually get a name). There is
"Guy with the really bright lights."
"Old Guy on the Older Schwinn Who Always Dusts Me." (saw him this morning in his bright shiny blue tights - true to form...he dusted me.).
"Mountain Bike Dude"
"Lady on the Cool Electra Bike". (she's the only other woman I've seen).
A few others I haven't seen in a few years. I suspect their job situations have changed.....

[Tri Girl]

Why? I often wave or ding my bell or give the "head bob" to other commuters. We're a small fraternity.

I should have- although I imagine with my excitement I might have wound up looking like a loon (arms flailing, ringing my bell). Plus, he was a half a block away on a street perpendicular to mine. I did see another one yesterday as I was leaving my driveway. He rolled right past and we exhanged niceties. Is it bad that I love that gas is going up? Last time it went sky high there were more bikers for transportation than I'd ever seen before.

I love that you name the commuters you see. If I start seeing them with any frequency I might just do the same.

My ride to work today was into a strong southerly headwind- blowing at 30 mph, gusting into the 40 mph range. It was rough, but it was kinda fun because it's trash day so I had the added obstacle of slaloming around trash cans in the road (I actually enjoyed that part). It took me twice as long as usual, but I'm looking forward to the SAWEET tailwind I should have going home. I'm hoping to not have to pedal at all on the way home. Wind- you better not change directions. You hear me???