Commuting - Very long commute club: week 23

I was riding along a MUP today and was approaching a group of riders coming the other way. A woman on a mountain bike was on my side of the path with her head down looking at something. I called out, "Heads up" but she ignored me. I called again, then finally "HEADS UP!!!!!!!!!!" in my loudest voice. I started to hit the brakes as she looked up and veered out of my way with a foot to spare. :mad: :eek:

That is jus tthe latest in my "Greatest MUP Follies" collection. All in all, I find riding along these paths to more frightening than the streets by a long way. I ride on them because I like the quiet and beauty when I'm not dodging women on mountain bikes and the like.

Happy riding everybody!

I have to agree with you about that! Mr. Longhorn and I went riding on the Town Lake Hike 'n Bike trail in downtown Austin earlier this summer. Really bad timing as we got there at about 11 a.m. on a Sunday. Everyone and his dog -- literally! -- was there. Fortunately, most folks do a loop between two bridges and we did the entire 10 mile trail. It really thinned out once we got further east. By the time we got back, it was hot enough that the crowds had thinned somewhat. But we won't be doing that again!

I hope to get a few more practice runs in this week before my commute begins next Monday. Unfortunately, we've had the hottest weather since mid-July but temps are supposed to "drop" into the mid-90s this week. :) I've decided if it's too hot to ride, I'm going to do the elliptical instead.

Have a great week, y'all!

Hey Guys! I'm slowly fading from the VLC... mostly because we're experiencing practically the opposite of you, Longhorn - the COLD!!! Is it too early to talk winter cycling??!! I've woken up the last few mornings to a bit of a frost on the ground!:eek: There is no way my brain would let me ride in! I do have to get used to it though. It warms up in the day a bit, but those mornings are cool. Summer didn't last long...

Ah well, the next 2 days I'm off and I'll get back out rain or shine OR cold!! Good to see everyone still cranking it out! I hope to get a few more commutes in till my season (work season, that is) is over end of Sept.

Lovely wet commute today, very heavy rain and lots of standing water, but with full muguards and proper rain equipment it was great, i love battling with Mother Nature.

I used to ride bicycle paths with my best friend a few years ago.
He was a militant biker......it was hard to enjoy the ride with all the
interference from joggers on the wrong(?) side of the trail and unleashed
dogs darting all over the place. Im all for bike paths as alternatives to
road use but mixing in joggers, kids on training wheeled bikes and hyper-dogs
doesnt seem to be a good idea to me.
Im looking for ways to make my VSC ride enjoyable. The ride itself has a brutal
uphill thats about 3/4 of a mile so Im trying to work on hill efficiency for when
I finally get back to the old country. On Friday I got my first MTB flat. The road
is so narrow I had to push for about 1/4 mile before could find a spot I could
fix it.....a flat in the rain......Ive had better biking experiences.
This morning the moon was full and casting an eerie, blue/purple glow over the
grass and fields...I saw a family of deer resting and drinking water by a run-off
basin. They looked happy and calm. IT was a great sight.....the type of thing
that makes the bicycle sooooo much more preferable to any other means of
commuting.

Be safe !
LEm in ??

I find the path that I ride on in the mornings (W&OD and the Custis Trail) to be pretty enjoyable. I like it when it is really hot out, as few people tend to venture out. The only part I dislike is that there will be joggers wearing no reflective material before sunrise. I guess that at that time of day their brain has not woken up :)

Well I took the day off today, as I did a brutal ride in Lem's state. The ride started from Frederick Maryland, went to Emmitsburg Pa, and onto Mt. Alto, Pa. The climbs were interesting as the group went over South Mountain in both directions and came back through the Camp David area in the Cartocin range, for a little over 7,000 feet of climbing. I will be back on the saddle tomorrow.

Hmmm, not specifically VLC-related, but I wanted to brag that I successfully finished the Covered Bridge Metric (Lancaster PA) yesterday (That's Lem's stomping grounds), on my city-commuter hybrid no less. I rode with a group of stellar BF'ers (see the Road Cycling forum for the thread). I wonder if I'll think of my 32-mile commute as "short" now that I've done a metric.

If I have enough recovery by Wednesday temps are supposed to cool off and I'll VLC again.

mtn_chick, I am seriously glad I live in Melbourne with its temperate winters, allowing me to commute year round. The days are getting longer although it is still mid winter here temperature-wise. That will continue well into spring, the seasons here lag the time of year quite significantly. The seriously hot days will only rock up in Jan-Feb.

Since we were in "show-me-yours-and-I'll-show-you-mine" last week in the VLC, here's mine.

It's an old Giant Innova hybrid I got for free, it was pretty busted up, but I got it back on the road again. I put on a Deore LX RD for good shifting, semi-slicks, replaced the handle bars with something better and now it is the apple of my eye. Oh yes, and the Brooks B17, see the darkening effect of treatment with Hydrophane. The bike is very light for a hybrid, even the LBS chap remarked on it. For commuting I use a Topeak beam rack with the purpose sliding trunk bag. The rear blinkie is mounted permanently to the rack. I pulled a set of alloy fenders from a rubbish bike on the sidewalk. Pedals yellow Crank Bros Candy C.

Hmmm, not specifically VLC-related, but I wanted to brag that I successfully finished the Covered Bridge Metric (Lancaster PA) yesterday (That's Lem's stomping grounds), on my city-commuter hybrid no less. I rode with a group of stellar BF'ers (see the Road Cycling forum for the thread). I wonder if I'll think of my 32-mile commute as "short" now that I've done a metric.

If I have enough recovery by Wednesday temps are supposed to cool off and I'll VLC again.

Juggler Dave........Congratulations on the Metric. A metric is on my list of goals I
hope to attain shortly. That area is a little different than what you are used too ?? :p
I am in Exton right now for two more weeks and the difference in traffic from where I
was is unbelieveable. As much as I think its not too much fun on a bike I cant imagine
why people suffer it in a car. I think to be called 'driving' one must spend more time in
forward motion than stopped. This doesnt seem to happen around here.
Cars here are griddlocked at 30 and 100 for what seems an eternity :eek:
I cant see how people knowingly except and incorporate such unpleasantness
into thier lifestyle. Very sad. No amount of rain and flat tires on my bike would
convince me to subject myself to that every day ! [rant] :mad: [/rant off]

Well I am back after vacation and did a very pleasant commute this morning. The weather had cooled off and the humidity dropped so it was very nice. Fortunately I was able to do 3 recreational/family rides while on vacation so I was not completely out of it.

If you're in Upstate or Western NY and looking for easy rides with family or friends who don't ride much I highly recommend the Canalways trail. Eventually it will reach from ALbany to Buffalo (just like in the Erie Canal song) but now it is disconnected pieces here and there. There is one continuous section from Newark to Lockport that seems to be complete and open although I've not ridden the whole stretch. It's all flat canal towpath riding either paved or crushed stone and very easy. My wife and son, who have not ridden any real distance before, managed to do a 12 mile stretch over by Weedsport and another 14 mi trek in the Pittsford area. Not a challenging ride, but a very good family ride with no vehicular traffic to worry about.

Newbie:

Welcome back, I have missed your sense of humor.

I changed out my saddle, pedals, and shoes this weekend. I probably should not have done all three. The new saddle - Terry Butterfly - is great (my old one had a gash, and some nasty gel stuff kept oozing out). The pedals are fine after I finally got the tension right, but the shoes just are no good. I think they are too small. My feet kept getting numb and they were not comfy. They were comfy in the store, though. So tonight I'll take the new cleats off the new shoes and put them on my old shoes that fit me like a glove and keep my feet happy.

Aside from the numb feet, the commute was really nice-not humid, breezy, and light traffic.

Mornin' everyone.
Here's a helpful reminder for those of you who are riding in the dark now and using halogen lights. Becareful riding with your mouth open while riding in the dark, with your halogen on. Why? Because bugs are attracted to your light. I came VERY close to having a nice big, fuzzy moth in my mouth this morning. Luckily it hit my lip. I had several others hit my hands as I was riding.

Other than that; all is well. Still fairly warm here in Oregon in the mornings; mid 50's.

Well, I think I've dodged work enough.

DL:

I thought that the bugs add protein to the diet. :)

velogirl: When I started riding with bike shoes, I found that the outside edges of my feet were going numb. That got fixed by rotating the cleats inward slightly -- I apparently tend to point my feet outward. It's all fine now. Are your feet numb all over, or just at certain points? You've probably checked this already, but are your cleats in the same position and rotation as they were in your previous shoes?

Looks like I'm riding Tuesday and Thursday again. It's a lovely morning right now, darn it.

(Went on my first group ride on Saturday, though... was fun!)

DL:

I thought that the bugs add protein to the diet. :)

I had already had my Powerbar for the morning :)

While this is not specific to the VLC it does relate to bike commuting. Yesterday I saw the movie, "The 40-Year-Old Virgin". It turns out the 40-year-old virgin is a bike commuter who works in the stock room of an electronics store. His apartmnt is packed with action figures, video games and a framed Asia poster. He paints war game figures as a hobby as well as playing the tuba and singing karaoke by himself. I am not sure if we are supposed to infer that bike commuters are geeks or if bike commuting is seen as one more symptom of geekiness.

On the upside, while his bike commuting (and lack of a car or license) poses some problems, the right woman is willing to pick him up in her car and at one point buys him a new bike from Trek and they go riding together. In the end the bike commuting virgin gets the girl and successfully consumates his marriage. Is there a lesson in here for us two wheeled commuters? Is this a lesson in redemption for people outside the mainstream or is it Hollywood's portrayal of a morally superior class of people who have much to teach the unenlightened around them?

Anyway, if you're not offended by foul language, check it out and see what you think of this latest portrayal of the bike commuter.

hello everyone on the vlc!

I am pretty new to this - have only been commuting for about 3 weeks and only on Tues and Thurs. However, I do have about a 15 mile commute each way. Funny - I wake up and don't look forward to the commute, but 5 minutes into it - I'm loving it!

Here's my question - i noticed a great number of the vlc postings are from NOVA/DC/MD commuters. I currently go from Falls Church to Herndon on the W&OD. But it looks like I'll be changing jobs soon and need to get into DC - I know the best route is W&OD to Custis - but then what? I need to get into the 14th and I street area but dread riding on those DC streets. Any suggestions for paths? I am looking forward to a reduced ride though (11 miles each way) !!

Gracias!!

I had a very nice commute through heavy fog this morning - in my car! I brought clothes for 3 days and food for 5 days. Looking forward to good weather this week.

jh:

I currently go over the 14th st bridge. I then backtrack to memorial bridge (need the extra 2 miles) and then I go from Constitution to F Street.

If I were you, I would check out going up 13th Street, as it is not as heavily traveled as 14th or 15th. I usually get to Constitution around 6:30am, so traffic is not bad at that point. Usually, if I can stop and then go through one red light, when the coast is clear. The traffic does not bother me.

Good Luck.

I made a decision to go slower today. It's hard for me because I am so freaking competitive that when I see a cyclist up ahead of me I always want to shift to afaster gear and blast by them. What a weirdo.

Anyways, I shifted into an easy gear and promised myself to stay in it and go no higher. I kept that promise and actually had a nice ride.

I looked over my winter commuting bike last night. It's a cyclocross bike that will take studded tires. I keep three different front wheels ready in the winter: one studded, one with treads, and one slick. I proabably ride the slick more than the other two combined, even in the Vermont winter, but the studded tire is great when needed. The bearings on the rear wheel are toast, I think. when i spin the wheel, I can hear grinding sounds from back there. Lubrication doesn't help. DanO, you are into bike mechanics, right? Can you (or anyone else) tell me if it is feasible to try and fix those bearings myself? Thanks!

Jenifer- thanks for the advice on the shoes. I know I need to dial in my cleats just-so, but I also realize that the shoes are just plain too small. I don't know why I bought them--they are nice and they were on sale, that's why! But they are size 38! I don't wear 38! I wear 39 or 40, depending on the shoe. It must have been a bad-judgment day. So there you are, I gave them to a dear friend with smaller feet and a new bike. I kept the cleats and will put them on my old shoes tonight, but I have to take the Metro home.

jh: I ride over the 14th Street bridge on the bike path, but it's narrow. You only have to go to I Street, so that's not too bad--only a few blocks up from the river. I ride between the Alexandria and up near Catholic University in NE. I don't have trouble with DC traffic, but I would suggest that you do stop at red lights, and be quite careful when they turn green because, as you know, alot of folks don't necessarily stop for red lights in and around DC.

Mornin' everyone.
Here's a helpful reminder for those of you who are riding in the dark now and using halogen lights. Becareful riding with your mouth open while riding in the dark, with your halogen on. Why? Because bugs are attracted to your light. I came VERY close to having a nice big, fuzzy moth in my mouth this morning. Luckily it hit my lip. I had several others hit my hands as I was riding.

Other than that; all is well. Still fairly warm here in Oregon in the mornings; mid 50's.

Well, I think I've dodged work enough.

Well, I don't know if last year's 20 mile round-trip commute in lovely Victoria BC counts as a VLC, perhaps a VSLC (somewhat long?), but one of the highlights for sure was biking home after a gruelling 12 to 15 hour day (a crazy little indie feature I was working on there) from View Royal up to Saanich, first on the deserted and paved Galloping Goose (reclaimed railbed), then the equally deserted hard-packed Lochside Trail (reclaimed hillibilly tractor dragstrip). Now these are all wonderful MUPs, but after midnight they were my-exclusive-use-paths. Nights were as black as ink though, and the three-LED white blinkie in the front of the bike wasn't worth cr*p, as I discoved after numerous ditch-dunks and a few close calls with a certain bridge over Belkinsop Lake. A 10W Halogen helmet-mount soon fixed that, even if it made me look kind of strange in the daytime... I soon discovered an amusing side-effect of using the light at night however (other than being able to see where I was going!): bugs. Lots and lots of huge juicy bugs, heading straight for my blazing head. I got pretty good at keeping my head angled just so they would bounce mostly off the front of the helmet, and wearing clear-lensed glasses for the rest. But here's the cool side-effect to the bug side-effect: bats! Lots and lots of crazy dive-bombing bats, gunning for the bugs. The crazy ones would dive straight at the light, coming up behind the bugs and whatnot and nearly startling me off the path into the woods. The really cool ones were the ones who would match my speed and direction and then weave back and forth about five to fifteen feet ahead of me, just chowing down in the beam of my light, nailing the critters high and low as they dove towards oblivion.

Now I'm back in the concrete jungle of a daily Vancouver-Burnaby run, and I sure miss the nightly dance of the bats. That, and the mist rising off Blenkisop Lake at midnight, with the bullfrogs calling to a gibbous moon, as I stopped for a squirt of water on the boardwalk.

Well, I don't know if last year's 20 mile round-trip commute in lovely Victoria BC counts as a VLC, perhaps a VSLC (somewhat long?), but one of the highlights for sure was biking home after a gruelling 12 to 15 hour day (a crazy little indie feature I was working on there) from View Royal up to Saanich, first on the deserted and paved Galloping Goose (reclaimed railbed), then the equally deserted hard-packed Lochside Trail (reclaimed hillibilly tractor dragstrip). Now these are all wonderful MUPs, but after midnight they were my-exclusive-use-paths. Nights were as black as ink though, and the three-LED white blinkie in the front of the bike wasn't worth cr*p, as I discoved after numerous ditch-dunks and a few close calls with a certain bridge over Belkinsop Lake. A 10W Halogen helmet-mount soon fixed that, even if it made me look kind of strange in the daytime... I soon discovered an amusing side-effect of using the light at night however (other than being able to see where I was going!): bugs. Lots and lots of huge juicy bugs, heading straight for my blazing head. I got pretty good at keeping my head angled just so they would bounce mostly off the front of the helmet, and wearing clear-lensed glasses for the rest. But here's the cool side-effect to the bug side-effect: bats! Lots and lots of crazy dive-bombing bats, gunning for the bugs. The crazy ones would dive straight at the light, coming up behind the bugs and whatnot and nearly startling me off the path into the woods. The really cool ones were the ones who would match my speed and direction and then weave back and forth about five to fifteen feet ahead of me, just chowing down in the beam of my light, nailing the critters high and low as they dove towards oblivion.

Now I'm back in the concrete jungle of a daily Vancouver-Burnaby run, and I sure miss the nightly dance of the bats. That, and the mist rising off Blenkisop Lake at midnight, with the bullfrogs calling to a gibbous moon, as I stopped for a squirt of water on the boardwalk.


A buddy of mine travels for work and his travels took him to the Island of Midway; not only known for it's role in WWII but also a home for millions of Albatros. One night he had to ride a bike back to his building using a helmet lamp and he was constantly having to bob and weave to miss the albatros that were flying directly at him. Those things gotta weigh at 8 lbs. each.

...he was constantly having to bob and weave to miss the albatros that were flying directly at him. Those things gotta weigh at 8 lbs. each.

Albatros - plur: albatrosses?

Singly or in groups, I wouldn't want those things coming in at you out of the black night, that's for sure...
:eek:

A buddy of mine travels for work and his travels took him to the Island of Midway; not only known for it's role in WWII but also a home for millions of Albatros. One night he had to ride a bike back to his building using a helmet lamp and he was constantly having to bob and weave to miss the albatros that were flying directly at him. Those things gotta weigh at 8 lbs. each.

That would be a good way to have an Albatross around your neck.... :rolleyes:

Albatros - plur: albatrosses?

Singly or in groups, I wouldn't want those things coming in at you out of the black night, that's for sure...
:eek:

"Albatrosi", maybe? Come on, doesn't anyone work in a zoo around here?

Aloha! Just thought i'd share a few pics of my 30mile ride home from work. I catch the bus and ride about 4 miles in the morning, but i ride the way back. All on my fixie.
http://myspace-794.vo.llnwd.net/00200/49/75/200085794_l.jpg My Bike
http://myspace-037.vo.llnwd.net/00200/73/06/200096037_l.jpg The flightline where i work
http://myspace-936.vo.llnwd.net/00200/63/95/200085936_l.jpg The mountains I ride around
http://myspace-169.vo.llnwd.net/00200/96/16/200086169_l.jpg Coastline shot
http://myspace-371.vo.llnwd.net/00200/17/36/200086371_l.jpg This is the first big climb
http://myspace-371.vo.llnwd.net/00200/17/36/200086371_l.jpg Another shot zoomed out.

After this stuff its mostly through residential and city streets. Still a fun ride though.

inkdwheels: that is a lovely commute, great scenery.

Lego: love the commute story, i felt as if i were there, evening and night rides are ace, all the little critters come out to play.

Mars: you can bung new bearings in easy, take the wheel out, undo the cones and locking nuts, get the bearngs out, clean the cups, grease and bung new ones in. Try and use the tip of a biro to place the bearings in and DON'T DO IT NEAR A FRIDGE - everyone knows that things disappear under fridges never to be seen again!!
Replace the cones and lock nuts and away you go.
TIGHTENING CONES: lock the first nut (next to the bearings) tight against them WITH A WRENCH, then put the next locking nut on and HAND tighten this against the first, then untighten the first BACK against the hand tightened one, this allows just enough movement for the bearings without them grinding or being too loose.

Dry sunny commute today, messing in the woods on my ss tonite!!!!

oh and heres my trail bike and my commuter . . .

tibikefor2 and velogirl - thanks! I feel better about the streets of DC now; however, how does that place look at 8am? I won't have to be at work until roughly 9 or so, but I know the earlier the better for bike commuting (i think).

On another note - on my commute in this morning I almost witnessed a bad accident. On the W&OD trail there was a cross walk section and cars were backed up at the light (typical DC traffic). So a biker and jogger started to cross since the cars were stopped due to the light and traffic. One driver accelerated into the turning lane and came within a few inches of hitting both! It was pretty freaky to watch - I felt like yelling out to them but didn't have time - glad it all turned out okay though.

the nightly dance of the bats
I like the sound of that.

inkdwheels: nice bike, and wow, what beautiful scenery for a commute.

Mars: if you can't resist dropping into a taller gear, the solution is simple. Get a bike like inkdwheels and never worry about more than one gear. That's easy for me to say though since I have no real hills on my commute.


I'm back in the saddle after a work-imposed hiatus from bike commuting (work related travel) the last couple weeks. It's good to get back into the routine. As everyone here has noted, the temperatures have really cooled off in the morning, which is nice. I have my lights all ready to go, so bring on the darkness.

MDNewbie: It's good to have you back! Your vacation rides with the family sound really nice. Those days are gone for us, with the kids all grown. Maybe there will be grandkids someday and we can ride with them! :)

Velogirl: I'm glad you like the new saddle. I have a Terry Liberator and it's comfortable on shorter rides but now that I'm riding longer, I've found that it's uncomfortable. I finally succumbed to the recommendations here on the BF and ordered a Brooks Champion Flyer "S." It will come tomorrow; I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the break-in period isn't too long. Also, I've been wearing cycling sandals since I started riding and really like them. I bought some shoes a month or so ago because I thought I'd need them for winter and they were on sale but I wonder if I won't be able to get by with socks and the sandals, as mild as our winters are. Guess I'll find out!

jhhall: I know what you mean -- once I'm riding, I wonder why I ever hesitated, even in the heat. Why can't I remember that when the debate is going on in my head? :)

inkdwheels: I knew you must have a beautiful commute! Is there a part of Hawaii that isn't beautiful in one way or another? Although, I have to admit that I was surprised how much the northern part of the big island looked like West Texas! Are you in the military? My FIL worked on planes when he was in the Air Force. I also have a son in the Marines stationed at Iwakuni, Japan. He's attached to an air wing but he works on computers, not planes.

Welcome, lego! I can tell that I'm going to enjoy reading about your rides!

DL: I've been amazed at how few bugs I've encountered on my rides. Maybe it's just too hot and dry. I hope so because I don't think I'll be able to breathe if I have to close my mouth!

Mars: If I went any slower, I'd fall over! ;) As much as I complain about the weather here, the good thing is that I won't need to do much different for winter except dress a little more warmly. If we get any ice or snow, everything closes down, especially the schools!

JavaMan: One of the good things about a one-way commute is that I'll be able to bring clothes, books, food, etc. in the car and not have to load down my bike as much. That should help me a little on the hills.

Jenifer: How far did you go on your group ride? I've been on three -- a beginner ride (10 miles) that helped me learn how to get around in traffic; a huge event ride with about 1200 cyclists; and a club ride through the city -- my husband and I were dropped by the second traffic light, which I thought was pretty rude.

mtn_chick: I have to second jur's comment. As much as I complain about the heat, we usually only have a couple of weeks a year when it is miserable. By the time it gets cold here, I'll be well-educated, having already read about how y'all are coping for months!

jur: Your ride looks great! I was just re-reading the thread on which you and Eggplant Jeff give us updates about breaking in your Brooks. I may not get to even try mine out until next Monday. It gets here tomorrow but my in-laws are coming so that we can all go down to San Antonio for my son-in-law's naturalization ceremony (he's from Lebanon.) And since school starts Monday, I know I'll be bogged down in preparing syllabi and lesson plans all weekend. But maybe I can work a ride in somehow.

Lem: Sometimes I think if I had to experience more gridlock, commuting by bike would be easier. But because I work just as the edge of town and live out even further, I turn an easy, high-speed 20 minute drive into a grueling, low, low-speed, 90 minute ride. It can be difficult to justify to myself when I'm feeling short on time -- but then I remind myself that I'd rather ride than get on the elliptical for that long. And I'm always glad I did it.

JugglerDave: Congratulations! That ride sounds like such fun! We used to go to the Covered Bridge Festival in Brown County, Indiana when I was a kid. I'll have to check out your thread about it.

tibikefor2: I wish you could help me find alternatives for my commute! But if I ever visit DC again, I sure know who to call for help to get around.

Dave: Your rides look so sleek and unencumbered. Mine is covered with lights and bags. Do you use a backpack or messenger bag? I keep trying to figure out what I can do without but everything I carry has something to do with safety or being prepared for a flat or bad weather -- stuff I hope I'll never need!

Whew! I sure hope I didn't miss anyone! :)

Ahhhh, nice cool ride in today!

Today's Stupid Cager Trick didn't even involve me. There was a minor traffic jam on one of my route's rural roads (due to the ever-present road construction), a road which crosses an active railroad track. A cream-colored Escalade was sitting on the tracks. Wow. This isn't a once-a-day freight line; this is a frequently-used commuter rail track with fast trains on it! I sense a Darwin moment in this driver's future.

Other moments of note: The squirrel that missed my front wheel by about six inches; the well-dressed very old woman mowing her lawn with an enormous push mower (smiled and waved at me!); and the green lights that were all in my favor today! Whoo-hoo!

Longhorn: My group ride was 35-40 miles. I surprised myself by staying with the front group (except for the actual racers, who went off in their own group like shot out of a shotgun). The advantages of riding with a group are much clearer to me now -- drafting, companionship and conversation, a tiny sense of competition, and the ability to let other people pick the route, lines, and pace. Very enjoyable! I do need to learn all the hand and voice signals, though. When I followed people, I could just do what they did, but when I led the group for a couple of miles, I was really clueless. :rolleyes:

No commute for me today. I woke up at my normal "commute time" and I was just too tired. Even after my ritual coffee and PowerBar I couldn't keep my eyes open...so back to bed I went. A shame too, today is supposed to be the last of the "cooler" days.

inkdwheels, those are great photos! Thanks. It really looks like the coast of SoCal to me. Which island is it?

Oh, and how about "albatri"? :p

Hi Longhorn, i use a messenger bag which takes lots, although i am toying with the idea of getting some panniers, but i will have to save up for that!

I have a Brooks b17 on my commuter (different saddle in photo), they are beautiful hand made works of art, altough i have trimmed mine and it looks more like a Swallow (see thread 'Brooks Gets The Chop' in Road Cycling section - v. interesting thread). The saddle took a while to break in but i am skinny and light and don't have much padding on my rear - i guess around 400-500 miles. The most important part for me was getting the angle correct, for me nose slightly up works best, you may find as i did that it can be painful and then suddenly when the angle is right - relief!!

Let us know how you get on.

Longhorn, thanks for the welcome. Actually our rides did inspire my dad to dig out an old moutain bike he had picked up somewhere and go with us. Unfortunately, just a few blocks from the house he blew a tire so his ride was cut short. On the upside we went through his collection of other bikes he has picked up and found an old Giant Rincon that was in pretty good shape. It needed lube and some adjustment, but seemed ridable.

He was planning to take a ride or two with my son since we left the boy with grandma and grandpa for a last week of fun before school starts. I hope they have fun!

The commute in DC has ben great these past 2 days -- reasonable temps and low humidity. Its been a great way to get back in the saddle.

Hoping for some sun this afternoon after riding through light drizzle this morning.

Jenifer, what voice signals does your group use? I have ridden with groups that yell, "Rolling!" or "Going" to mean go through an intersection, and "Slowing!" to mean slowing down or stopping for a light. The trouble is that all 3 sound the same, and no one seems to recognize it as a problem!

Jenifer, what voice signals does your group use? I have ridden with groups that yell, "Rolling!" or "Going" to mean go through an intersection, and "Slowing!" to mean slowing down or stopping for a light. The trouble is that all 3 sound the same, and no one seems to recognize it as a problem!

A pop quiz, huh? Okay, I'm game. :D

"Stopping!" combined with a downturned arm -- stopping or slowing
"Car back!" -- car approaching from behind
"Runner up", "Biker up", "Skater up" -- someone approaching in opposite lane of multi-use path
"Single file!" -- what it says
"Sand!" -- sand patch at side of road
"Bad pavement!" -- you can't avoid the bumps you're about to hit
Horizontal extended arm -- turning (of course)
Extended arm pointing at the ground -- pothole, bump, whatever
Funny wiggle of right hand behind back -- avoid big obstacle on the right (e.g. parked car)
Raised arm -- I have no idea what this meant

I'm sure there are others I haven't seen yet. I wonder... do these change a lot from group to group, or region to region, or what?

Hi all,

Thanks for the warm welcome, Longhorn. I've been lurking for a while now: it's nice to contribute.

I miss my long buccolic Victoria commute (see bat story): I now ride 24kms return into an ugly industrial part of Burnaby BC on the outskirts of Vancouver. I do have the mountains on my left most of the way though, and there are nice fast stretches where Jake can really loosen up.

Which reminds me - I hit 2000 kms on Jake the Snake yesterday y'all! Woohoo! For all our non-metric holdouts to the South, that's 1,242.7424 miles... which is really... nothing to, er, celebrate about... Anyway, the bike's a year old now, and my only mod has been an upgrade two weeks ago to a cheap Nashbar carbon fork. All I can say about that is - what took me so long!!! It really soaks up the harsher road vibrations and conveys a more positive handling sensation. Less vibrations also seems to make my bar-end mirror a little less useless as well.

It is getting cooler in the mornings here as well - in fact, I left in a sleeveless jersey this morning and almost immediately regretted it. It took me about fifteen minutes to warm up, even pulling forty pounds of maple syrup in my saddlebag (long story). Yep, it'll be time soon to dust off the arm warmers...

And then of course, this being the West Coast, the skies will open up and the rain will fall until April...

I live on the island of Oahu, in Honolulu. I was in the Marines until 2003. I now work as a contractor on base. One thing thats nice about Hawaii is the scenery. I am moving to San Francisco at the end of the year. You can't stay too long in Hawaii or you'll never leave.

Longhorn: the Terry Liberator is quite a bit wider than the Butterfly, thus the likely culprit for your discomfort. Wide saddles are generally less comfortable the longer you are on them. Good luck with your Brooks. I haven't dared, yet.

A pop quiz, huh? Okay, I'm game. :D

"Stopping!" combined with a downturned arm -- stopping or slowing
"Car back!" -- car approaching from behind
"Runner up", "Biker up", "Skater up" -- someone approaching in opposite lane of multi-use path
"Single file!" -- what it says
"Sand!" -- sand patch at side of road
"Bad pavement!" -- you can't avoid the bumps you're about to hit
Horizontal extended arm -- turning (of course)
Extended arm pointing at the ground -- pothole, bump, whatever
Funny wiggle of right hand behind back -- avoid big obstacle on the right (e.g. parked car)
Raised arm -- I have no idea what this meant

I'm sure there are others I haven't seen yet. I wonder... do these change a lot from group to group, or region to region, or what?

"Stopping!", "Car back!", and "Runner up!" are also common in CA, but most people out here yell "Bump" instead of "Bad pavement". Also, "Glass!" is yelled quite frequently. Single word commands seem to rule.

Have you encountered a situation where the front of the group enters an intersection just after the light turns yellow, and the people at the back start yelling for the others to go through the intersection anyway? What command do they yell? I've heard "Pedal, pedal!", "Go!", "Going!", "Roll!", Rolling!".

Hi all;

I didn't pedal today due to an epic ride yesterday - my day off. Of course the difference between a 'day off' ride and a commute is that you don't absolutely HAVE to get anywere. When I hit the bike path I nearly turned back due to a nasty, hot headwind - which threatened to turn me into a piece of jerky - and the fact that despite all my best efforts my cranks are clicking like a mini maraca player on crack. (I've done everything but replace the BB. Does anyone else find that BB's just don't last as long as they should?) Anyway, I did stick with the bike path until I got out of town and ran about 25 miles out a rolling desert 2 lane and back. It was a good road for casual intervals. It would climb just until I was ready to yell uncle, then give me a break. It was good I'd made it back to civilization before I began to cramp a bit.

I didn't work Friday either. But I did drive into the office with my wife then pedal 12 miles to my mum's house to mow the lawn, then back to work for the drive home. I do that semi-regularly, so I'd call it a commute of sorts.

Tomorrow I'll be in the saddle early to ride in to work - crackling bottom bracket and all. It spins just fine despite the noise, so I'll just have to ingnore it till it's really fried.

Take it easy everyone. Happy trails. DanO

Im glad to see your all having a nice week commuting so far. After a good start last week, my im getting boned by the loan company who keep postponing my refinance settlement. It was supposed to be last night, then tonight, now it looks like tommorrow which means i couldnt ride in today or tommorrow and thursday is the group ride. Im glad this is a taper week or i'd really be pissed about missing out on the great weather were having.

Latecomer to this series of VLC threads, but they're great reading! My bike commute is 23 miles each way from just outside Issaquah, WA to Seattle, a mix of urban riding and bike/ped path. I average about 11-13mph due to hills, stoplights (always right at the bottom and top of the hills!) and road construction. Did it sporadically last year, bumped it up to 2x/week this summer, and hope to keep it up through the winter. I alternate between my Gold Rush recumbent, Fuji Royale road bike, and sometimes my Rockhopper beater MTB if the weather is really bad. It's nice that I have the option of taking the bus part way, which I sometimes do if I'm having an off day.
Would like to be faster at it, but small middle-aged engine is pushing around a quarter to a third of my weight in bike & gear, so climbing is the only thing I do well.

Am actually finding I prefer to ride home after 8PM; even though it's dark, the reduction in traffic makes the urban sections of the ride a lot more pleasant- and faster. Need to upgrade my lighting though.

Keep the stories coming,

Bob Norris

Bob:

Welcome to the thread.

Ink, nice pictures.

Lego, welcome to the thread.

Longhorn: If you come to DC with Hubby, I will be happy to give you a personal bike tour of DC.

Well I am sitting in my office and it is 7:32. No work did not keep me here, my brother was in town and we met for dinner and I ate too much, so I will be taking the Metro (subway for non DC folks) to Vienna. Dinner was worth not commuting home as we went to a Spanish restaraunt. I had grilled monkfish with eggplant puree as an appetizer and seafood paella for the entree, but no desert. I will be back doing my full commute tomorrow.

Lego: Love your posts, not just here but elsewhere. I love how you write and you are one funny guy (gal?). Welcome to the VLC and I hope you stay a long time.

rnorris: I saw one of your posts as well. It was awesome, so great to have such new members who can really wordsmith.

Today, at a place where the MUP joins onto a street, I saw the following sign: "Please ride respectfully in this neighbourhood, ride in the bike lane."
The logo of the organization that runs the bike path was on the sign. This really irked me. As a fast rider/commuter, I have no intention of riding in the bike lane if I feel it is unsafe or filled with the various users of the MUP. the law here states that one must ride as far right as is practicable. It says nothing about being required to ride in a bike lane. Who are these guys, I thought, to over rule the law of the state because they built their bike path there? And what kind of message does that send to auto drivers? That respectful bike riders will ride in the bike lane, of course!!!!!! >:(

By the time I got to town, I was in enough of a state that I went to the offices of the organization that runs the path and let them know what was on my mind. To the credit of the guy who posted the sign, he listened to my views without being defensive or interupting. He agreed that the sign needs to be changed - but that it was only going to up another couple of days anyways. He said that the users of the MUP and the people of the neighbourhood were getting into conflicts. Apparently, some large groups of slow moving cyclists woudl exit the MUP and spread out over the entire road, blocking the traffic. I suggested that the sign should read "Ride respctfully through this neighbourhood, obey all traffic laws."

I guess we will see what happens next. I got the MUP blues this week, that's for sure.