Commuting - Ruminations from the commute

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that one's mind tends to wander a bit while commuting.

A few ruminations from my last commute:
That pole sure has a lot of fliers stapled to it.
I wonder how all the road flotsam ends up in the bike lane.
What kind of tree is it that leaves that kind of residue?
You develop a way to identify cars by the smell of their exhaust.
I go 13 miles, never de-clipping my right shoe, only my left.
It never fails that at least some of the roadway is wet from sprinklers.
I wonder how many revoutions (of wheels, cranks, etc.) I've made on this commute?
Ever notice how much ground is covered by a single crank revolution?
It's a blast sometimes to sit at a stoplight and watch as the occupants roll on by.
The lights themselves are actually very big.
Most times, traffic lights are a drag.
It's always the thing you don't see that causes the flat.

the thing that always strikes me is that i get to see the town wake up. bakers hard at work beneath neon lights behind the counters of their bakeries. bleary-eyed early morning train commuters cueing up for coffee. work crews trudging from their pickups to a construction site. city buses plying their routes with small passenger loads. street sweepers.

the air is always cooler and cleaner; the water from errant sprinklers is a little brisker; the rush of the wind past my ears (my music of freedom for as long as i can remember) a little more vivid; the rising sun more beautiful, promising; and my arrival at work a lot less fatiguing.

The first half of my commute is an uneventful ride though a residential area, but when I hit the highway I begin to wonder how much glass I will come across. I think about how many times I have talked to the city in an effort to clean the shoulder. There sure is a lot more glass on a Monday morning. Today on the way home I saw a steak knife and a cup insulator laying together on the side of the highway...I can only wonder about the story behind that.

But, the one thing that I wonder the most is, what do I look like to the passing motorist at 6:30am, decked out with my lights and commuting gear? Since I do not see any other cyclist on my commute, I crank along and imagine what a pre-dawn, glowing commuter must look like.

I'm hip to your observations, Andy. Some of my own:

What makes goose sh*t so slick?
Who "sees" me, who doesn't?
If they do, what do they think?
Why didn't I take a longer route?
Should I have ridden a different bike today?
Why do I always see men's underwear along the side of the road?
What are people in their cars talking about? Why are they on the phone?

Just a few.....

My observations:
There is no such thing as a tail wind when you are running late.
Yes, bugs will splatter on your forehead.
Hornets fly FAST!
It is only cold outside for the first mile.
Cyclists from the Olympic Training Center will pass you at high warp going up hill fighting a strong headwind.
I really admire them.
Damn, this is fun! Sure beats driving!

Wonder if I'll have to stop to put on my rain jacket
Why don't motorists look further ahead than the end of their bonnets (hoods)
Was that the sound of a leaf falling, or an acorn.
Look at the crows chasing that hawk
Boy was the girl in that sportscar wearing a short skirt
Is that creak the pedal, crank or my left knee

The other day I was wondering what, that 20-something pretty girl, the one that pulled up leaning from the passender window and pointing to my rear and said "nice ass" then smiled and waved, I wonder what she would say if she knew that beneath my cycling clothes, I was old enough to be her father.

Dave

From when I commuted 30km each way (now I live next to school)
:

Which way should I take today?
Maybe I should add an extra 20-30km onto the route?
Did I know that guy?
Whoops, there's a pot hole.
Is the bike path worth it? (propabably not)

Just general inanities like that!

Why do railroad tracks always go diagonally across the road?

There is a direct correlation to the amount of energy expended to beat a light and the likelihood the light will turn red.

Those double left-turn lanes, where the rightmost turning lane can also go straight, are a pain. :confused:

I wonder how many times I'm passed by someone who knows me?

at night: i hope that $#1t-head coming up behind rapidly with a car that sounds like a formular-one can see my rear blinky, i wonder how many people would come to my funeral :(

Originally posted by hayneda
I wonder what she would say if she knew that beneath my cycling clothes, I was old enough to be her father.


Nice ass! ;)

This morning's thoughts:
- Didn't that van pass me in the last village?
- Uh oh, bus... wait for the gust.
- I wonder if a cross wind causes larger turbulence after cars... Must dig out my course notes and work it out!

Ellie

"Why are there so many rednecks in Queensland?"

* This morning's headwind is usually this afternoon's headwind, too

* Did I close all the openings on my panniers or is my stuff silently falling on the road behind me??

* This is weather and I am OUTSIDE in it, not being a slug on the couch inside!

Originally posted by pinerider
* Did I close all the openings on my panniers or is my stuff silently falling on the road behind me??


LOL! For some reason I find myself thinking about this quite often.

Other favorite topics:
- Mmm, the sea smells good this morning. Maybe I should go kayaking after work...
- Great, another section of bike path ripped open for sealing work / pipes / electrical / whatever. No advance warning. No designated detour. Remember to take another route on the way back.
- DUH, the other route still has the section they ripped open three months ago. No advance warning etc...
- There's an empty spot in my handlebar. Maybe I should stop by at the lbs to get some stuff.
- Does that caged guy realise I have the right of way?

--J

Riding to work presents new experiences every day, life would be so dull without them.

---- You never flat when you're early.

---- It's never just rain, it's wind and rain or cold and rain.

---- Nothing is truely water proof.

---- Everyone that doesn't bike is always eating somethng and complaining about being overweight.

---- We see everything along the road.

---- When you ride your bike, you wear things out before they break.

---- As soon as one ride is over, you're looking forward to the next.

---- Dogs that bark don't usually bite..

---- The worst drivers drive school busses.

Originally posted by hayneda
The other day I was wondering what, that 20-something pretty girl, the one that pulled up leaning from the passender window and pointing to my rear and said "nice ass" then smiled and waved, I wonder what she would say if she knew that beneath my cycling clothes, I was old enough to be her father.

Dave
:roflmao:

that burning smell !!. i know its not coming from under my hood.:D

A couple more:

It's amazing how you get to know the precise locations of every little bump
We commuters know every little change in grade, and shift up or down accordingly
It's cold, and people who park outside have misty back windows, and are dangerous
The extra sunshine in the morning with last weekend's time change is more than offset by the earlier darkness
My flashing front light is by far the most effective safety device I use.

I always reflect on how I am building my strength and enjoying the challenge while riding while others are just "coasting" in their cars.

Gosh, I'd like to turn them on to cycling!

Thoughts from today's commute:

- I'm exhausted, this is going to be a long 15 miles. At least 1/4 mile is behind me.

- That guy needs a light on his bike, he's gonna get killed.

- This bus wants to kill me.

- Hey, those are the same caltrans guys that passed me at the bottom of the hill, I shoulda grabbed onto the truck when I had the chance. ;)

- Why is this part of the road always wet? I definately don't like the slime that grows on it.

- Wow, I am making good time today. DOH my pannier just fell off, I knew I shoulda double-checked it before i hit the road.

- Why did this light just completely skip our side of traffic twice?

- Those pine trees really have a strong smell.

- Good Choice! (usually thought when someone looking to do a right turn, and keeps inching out, stops and decides to wait until I pass)

its sutch a nice day & im realy enjoying this ride should i keep going past the works gate & fone in a sicky later:D :D

A headwind/seabreeze is a god-send in such extreme heat.

Originally posted by Chris L
A headwind/seabreeze is a god-send in such extreme heat.
It's both the heat and the humidity...

In the summer, a headwind is actually a "cool" thing; at times, I've actually hated a tailwind. It's as if the air is standing still.

Chris, load that hydration pack with icy liquids and let it sit squarely on your spine!

:eek:

Originally posted by Pete Clark

It's both the heat and the humidity...

Tell me about it. On a tour a few years back I did 70-odd km in temperatures of 37C without even breaking sweat in the less humid surrounds of Inverell, NSW. Very pleasant riding around there, too! That's another rumination from the commute - in two weeks' time I'll be touring in Victoria.


Originally posted by Pete Clark
Chris, load that hydration pack with icy liquids and let it sit squarely on your spine!


I don't actually use a hydration pack. I prefer to let the sweat escape through my back. I just drink a heap of water before the ride and refill at regular intervals. Of course, my commute is only 23.5km one way, so that isn't a problem most of the time.

why do some trucks exhaust pipes exit the truck @ cyclists head level & dus the @r$$hole change gear & make more smoke @ that prescise moment on purpose or am i being paranoid ??:mad:

Some of my recent thoughts

- Whats causing that clunking noise?

- Why do I carry so much stuff?

- Will my towel still be in the drying room?

Some of my thoughts:

I think my rear derailleur needs readjusting.

Your typical roadkill has pretty large teeth.:D

Did they honk to say "Hi", or to piss me off?

My thoughts:

I wonder if the crows have found that squirrel yet?
Does it make any sense to sweep the streets in the middle of the night?
Did that sound like a spoke breaking or was it a twig bouncing off my wheel?
I am really over dressed, I shouldn't listen to people who don't know what they are talking about...
Did I remember my keys, my cell phone, should I take the long way, the short way, oh why can't I make up my mind...
Hey another great idea for the novel, the main character...
God, please, if You really care about me, let the wind blow at my back.
Let's see I'm out of .... so maybe I should run by the grocery store.... should've ridden the commuter today...
Here's the world class cyclist blocking the wind to help haul Lance up the mountain...
I think it's time to break out the boots.
Man don't these people know about lubing their chain, listen to that clatter, I should open up a bike clinic and do free mantainence as they ride by.

For the moment, that is all I can come up with.

When I ride to work, I am an independent free thinking individual doing what I like to do on my own terms. :)

When I drive to work, I'm just another rat in the race.:rolleyes:

- Does that dog want to race or eat me?

- Does the DOT go out of their way to put stop signs at the bottom of hills?

- I wonder if there are any good hills on that road?

From last friday nights commute:

I know damn well that bump is there, I know that it hurts when I hit it. So why do I always let my attention lapse right before hitting it?

Why did I leave my water bottle at work?

:cry:

You tend to act like a kid on a bike. For me, it's when I aim for the low-hanging branch from a palm tree, just to have the plam branches brush over my helmet at high speed. Don't know why, but a commute just wouldn't be complete without this little diversion.

I'm never eating chicken for lunch again.

:cry:

I`ve not allowed enough time to get to work and there`s a headwind..............

Its a shame my beautifull village is spoilt by all these parked cars..........

Will i see the Roman soldier ghost my car commuter workmate is convinced he sees passing the Roman village remains...........

Hope i see Snowy ( my nickname) the Albinno Pheasent this morning..............

Beaufront Castle looks splendid catching the early sun-rays this morning...........

Nearly in now, what excuse can i think up for being late again, lol.

Sheesh, one night of wind, and now the entire road is covered in leaves, pine needles, acorns and palm fronds. Now I know what everyone keeps talking about on BF when they say to be careful of braking in leaves.

All this road stuff really sticks to my booties and leg warmers. I hope its dry before I have to go home tonight so I can just flake it off.

If it's in the road, you will eventually run it over.

All of my flats have been on the day of or following trash pickup. There is always a bunch of broken glass, nails and other general debris kicking around. It is tougher to avoid this stuff during the winter when my commute is generally in the dark.

:D Does my ass really look as good as they all shout out to me????

Originally posted by jerseybikergrl
:D Does my ass really look as good as they all shout out to me????

Please post a picture. We'll let you know.

Originally posted by jerseybikergrl
:D Does my ass really look as good as they all shout out to me????

Ummm...

Ah, what the heck! It works for A.Troll...

Wanna be my girlfriend?

:love:

Originally posted by Chris L


Ummm...

Ah, what the heck! It works for A.Troll...

Wanna be my girlfriend?

:love:


hahaha.. Quite infectious isn't she. :beer:

You know...soon as I wrote it...I knew I'd set myself up for some kind of comments. I'd photograph it myself....but it's tough to get the right angle. If anyone's on Rt 537 tomorrow morning...please feel free:D

Just try and run a red light at a camera enforced intersection. They will mail one to you. ;)

please feel free

Looks like another dangerous statement to me!! :D

photocopier:D

Scanner!!! <sans undies> lol


PBW

:blush: OK......Due to popular requests.....My ass ;) .....

:thumbup: I give a perfect 10:D

Ssccchhwwweeettt!

Gotta love that pink bow. lol

PBW