Commuting - My first commute. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

Well, I made it alive. Here I am at work, and my commute took exactly 90 minutes on my old Centurion Ironman Expert. Not a bad ride at all. Computer said total distance was 22.5 miles, which seems about right when driving.

The ride itself wasn't bad. The mile long Tacoma Narrows bridge is a little nerve racking, but I got used to it. Luckily, the railing is up high enough to keep me from falling off. I have no desire to be fish food.

I guess what ruined the whole thing was someone chucked a 2 liter bottle of Coca-Cola at me. Didn't hit me, but sprayed Coke all over the front wheel. The sticky Coke made the brakes screech all the way to work everytime I used them. Just got done washing it off. What a mean person.

Now, I get to look forward to the ride home at 5am.

Congrats on your first commute.

Look on the bright side - they threw a bottle of coke rather than their car at you :D

Welcome to the club. Get used to having random crap thrown at you. Happened to me a few nights ago.

Just did my first commute last week...got run off the rode twice. Since then I've found a better route and things seem to be going better. Haven't had anyone throw things at me yet...I guess I have that to look forward to!

Well, I made it alive. Here I am at work, and my commute took exactly 90 minutes on my old Centurion Ironman Expert. Not a bad ride at all. Computer said total distance was 22.5 miles, which seems about right when driving.

The ride itself wasn't bad. The mile long Tacoma Narrows bridge is a little nerve racking, but I got used to it. Luckily, the railing is up high enough to keep me from falling off. I have no desire to be fish food.

I guess what ruined the whole thing was someone chucked a 2 liter bottle of Coca-Cola at me. Didn't hit me, but sprayed Coke all over the front wheel. The sticky Coke made the brakes screech all the way to work everytime I used them. Just got done washing it off. What a mean person.

Now, I get to look forward to the ride home at 5am.

Man, get hassled on your first commute. What a bummer. Hopefully this won't be a regular occurence. Good luck to you!

Not sure what's better, a Coke bottle that missed, or the water baloon the struck me in the ear at point-blank range... Either way, I feel your pain. :D

That's a nice long commute! How often will you ride it?

Congrats on the commute. :beer:
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge would be a little un-nerving for me too. I don't like high places. :(

I've had more things thrown at me while walking along a road than biking. Why do people think this is okay? Why do they laugh so hard? Is it really that funny when I duck a bottle of snapple moving at 60 mph? Would they stand there and "take one for the team"? I've never been hit by a fastball in the head, but I saw one knock Mike Piazza out and he's alot tougher than I.

The worst that has been thrown at me on a bike has been a cigerette. I stopped to make sure it was out and wouldn't start a brush fire.

The thing that scares the crap out of me everytime is when people yell inchorent gibberish at me as they fly by. I don't know why but it makes me jump about a mile high. I bet they find it hillarious. And this is the difference between yelling and throwing stuff. Yelling stuff at me is funny, I actually do see the humor in it. I'd rather they didn't yell, but I at least understand the idea.

Lately people have been yelling, "Get a Car". I need a T-shirt that says, "My wife has my car".

Lately people have been yelling, "Get a Car". I need a T-shirt that says, "My wife has my car".

You need to yell back "Get a life!" :D

Weird... I've never had things thrown at me. I have seen people chuck out garbage and only have it fly into my path (usually able to safely roll over it).

Is this an American activity?

My son told me the other night that when he was in high school, he and his friends would sometimes yell at cyclists as they passed by. He's ashamed of it now. He's a Marine stationed in Japan and he bought a bike to get around base. I seriously doubt he gets yelled at like that there but he doesn't like the idea of people yelling at his mother!

So far, no one has yelled or thrown things at me. I've been honked at a three times (in six days of commuting) -- two were friendly but unnecessary warning toots but the third was a long blast intended to harass me. I was as far right in the lane as I could be (no shoulders) so there was no other reason. It was a huge SUV, of course!

Congratulations on your first commute! It's a great feeling, isn't it?

The worst that has been thrown at me on a bike has been a cigerette. I stopped to make sure it was out and wouldn't start a brush fire.

Same here. Also have had some young punk on a motorcycle passing me on a side street going real slow, then just as he passes by me winds up his engine.. startled the hell out of me.

Everytime I go over that bridge, I think of this:

http://regentsprep.org/Regents/physics/phys04/bresonan/tacoma.htm

Fortunately, that was 65 years ago and I have a much higher faith in the current bridge.

55/Rad

Everytime I go over that bridge, I think of this:

http://regentsprep.org/Regents/physics/phys04/bresonan/tacoma.htm

Fortunately, that was 65 years ago and I have a much higher faith in the current bridge.

55/Rad

Yep, that would scare the poo out of me, too... :o

Yep, that would scare the poo out of me, too... :o

The wind on that bridge is unbelievable - and you can feel that SOB move. I experienced it on my pac coast bike tour in 2002. Beautiful, but a little unnerving. way to go!!

I dunno, I've never had anything thrown at me, and occasionally I've heard people making noise as they pass but I've never been sure they're yelling at me (as opposed to just a loud radio or whatever). Ditto honking, I think I've only been honked AT once or twice... sometimes there is honking nearby but I think often as not it's someone going over the line into the next lane to pass me and getting honked at by someone in that lane :).

So no, it isn't an American thing, although I strongly suspect it is a regional thing.

The ride home at 6am sunrise through downtown Gig Harbor, was like watching God open his eyes, and look at me with a smile.

It was perhaps one of the finest, most satisfying ride I have had in months. It was so calm, the water in the harbor was still as glass.... and the silence. Ohhhh, the silence had a sound of its own. Only the ocassional ding of a bell from a boat tied up in the harbor was to remind me I still dwelled upon this earth, and not in heaven. With my backpack, and old Centurion, I cruised along at an average of only 15mph, but for an old 25# girl, she just keeps on going. If she had eyes, ahhh, the stories she could tell of our travels.

My second skint across the Narrows bridge was still a little unnerving. Perhaps that is a good thing, to keep my wits about me. This time, no harrassment, no bottles thrown at me, nor horns honking. Just the beauty of a small town on the water to adorn my heart and soul with passion, the passion of my ride. There was only the ocassional older woman walking her dog to be seen, with no riff-raff to stain this portrait of grace and solitude.


How's all this sound so far?

Can you tell I had a good ride home? :D

Now I think I have finally found the light I want for my bike.
http://www.cygolite.com/light/products/10RoverNiMH6hr.htm

That bites that you had a pop thrown at you on your first commute! Congrats, though, on your great attitude and first commute.

No one has ever thrown anything at me (yet), just ride close and yell to get off the road or like the other day scream at me to take the bus (little do they know I get home 20 minutes faster riding my bike than if I take the bus).