Commuting - Extreme commute club: week 21

I put slicks back on my bike tonight. I'm sure that they will come back off before spring arrives for good, but the roads have been clear and dry for many days now. Can't wait for tomorrow to try them out again!

Thanks to everyone who posted pictures last week. Tibike and Velogirl, remember that you promised some pics this week! I thought we could try this little game: write a haiku about your commute. The baisc rules for haiku are that it is a non-rhyming poem three lines long. It should have 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the second, and 5 in the last. A reference to a season is a plus. Obviously, if you break some or all of the above rules, nobady is going to care.

Here is mine for today:

The merciless wind
Blows the tears back from my eyes
Squinting, I still ride.

I was thinking about those cold winter mornings when the wind is blasting away and your eyes are watering from the cold. I get icicles on my sunglasses sometimes from that. I can feel their tracks as they blow back on my cheekbones.

Here are some pictures of my new commuter.

Great Hotrod TiBike'2 ! Looks like 25mph standing still !

MARS: @ 7:54 we already have 1" and its still coming.....
Might want to hold off on the slicks !! :eek: :eek: :eek:

Whoa. Nice bike tibike! How is it to ride?

I hope you don't have to lock that beauty up anywhere.

Tibike, I'm not sure, but I think I see a couple or square inches that are not reflective -- Tsk Tsk!!! Seriously, that is a nice looking ride.

Mars -- what is this a homework session? I haven't thought about haikus since HS English class! I'll have to give this some thought -- perhaps its good material for tomorrow morning's ride.

Eyes watering from the cold wind is my improvised thermometer. If the tears actually run down I know its not that cold. If they freeze as soon as they move beyond the shelter of my glasses, then I know its cold. There have been a few days riding around here that remind me of cross-country skiing in Upstate NY long ago.

Well I've replaced my brake pads over the weekend and now I'm ready to ride. With any luck I got the alignment right so I can skip the squeal. Forecasts around here have the possibility of snow on Tuesday so spring is not here yet. I'm just hoping the winds die down.

Tibike: The big chainwheel looks bigger than normal - optical illusion? The entire bike also looks very short - do you get toe overlap?

And what is that grey thing on the tri bars?

These are not to criticize - I wish! (How do you clear drool from between keys on the PC?)

Great Hotrod TiBike'2 ! Looks like 25mph standing still !


+1 :eek: nice ride!!


My fellow VLC/XCC'ers my apologies for not getting my commute pictures posted, I promise this week I'll put some up, along with some bad poetry.... :D

In other news, I rode a century on Saturday on my new road bike, I thought it would be a good way to get better aquainted with it. Apart from desperately missing my aerobars it went very well, I only wish I'b brought sone tools to do a few adjustments - the seat was 1/2 inch too low. I'm surprised how good I felt afterwards, I could feel the compliance in the carbon rear end & seatpost absorbing the harshness out of the bumps. I only averaged 17.5mph but I'm sure that will improve.

Enjoy your week, be safe.

I posted a photographic record of my commute, check it out (if you have broadband) at

http://members.iinet.net.au/~jdekter/commute/commute.html

Also posted in a separate thread.

Howdy all. Mars, I just put my slicks back on. WOW I forgot how fast that bike is! With the Nokians its such a dog....

Here's to 50% chance of snow on Tuesday.... lately that just means that it snows just enough to make the streets wet on the way home. Not enough to warrant studs, let alone anything more than a slick...

Thanks for the nice comments on my bike.

The bike is quite fun to ride, the titanium dampens a lot of road vibration, this is also the best climbing bike I have ever had.

The frame is a compact frame and has a virtual 54cm seat tube (hey I am only 5'7"). I get minimal toe overlap probably due to my size 8 shoes.

The big chainring is a 52. I also think that the big chain ring looks bigger than normal. I think that this has to do with the minimialist design of the crank.

The grey thing on the side of my aero bars is a little nob which is where I mount my headlight.

Luckily I do not have to lock up my bike at work, as it resides 5 feet from my desk.

This will be my only day commuting this week, as I head out this Thursday to Arizona and New Mexico for a 1 week bike Tour. I will post some pictures from the tour.

Hope everyone has a great week.

Go Blue Devils!!

...Go Blue Devils!!

just twist that knife a little more, will ya'? Oh, the agony of defeat!

My Haiku:

My daily workout.
Round and Round My Pedals Go.
An Endorphin High!

A Second Haiku:

Mathematica
Explains the world all around
With probability

My love Joshua
Not an ideal commuter
My love remains firm

(my only bike fisher Joshua X1) -the singletrack, the pavement. the only difference is the tire pressure and suspension torque. :)

dew sparkling
bike surging ahead
I am blest

Pedal hard
wave to commuters
wash off sweat

thread traffic
"Hey watch out moron!"
shaking head

dogs bound round
pedestrians weave
"ding ding ding"

Thirty miles per hour
My slicks roar on the pavement
Woohoo, I'm free!

biking in the rain
glad I'm not a cager too
I'd be mad!

PS- Haiku + Bikes = Baiku?

track stand at stop sign
a mighty wind from the east
stones imbed in face

bee in shirt
aw crap do something
yay no sting!

Oh, I've been doing 3-5-3. Right. Here is a 5-7-5s:

I load my kitbag
and mount my trusty bike and
troubles disappear

"How far do you ride?"
"About twentyseven k's."
"Mate you are crazy!"

That's what they tell me all the time JUR. And I wished I had the view you have on your commute.

Mars, Gald to see you having fun on the road tires again.


Well I going to build a bent bike tomorrow. I going to make a mock up frame tonight. And then start the real frame tomorrow. I am using my MTB wheels and some road tires. I still have to get a crank set for it. But I should have everything that I need for it. OH, and I have to get a chain, I have two but think I'll need one more.

I did not work today, and have the next two days off. But I did ride to the doctors office for a nice 12 mile fun ride. I pulled the seat up 2.75" today. I read a post about the seat height and it said that the seat height should be 35" X .883 = 30.9". I had it at 27". Now I feel like I'm standing up on the bike LOL. I did get it up to 33.5 MPH on the way to the doctors.

Here is my mileage for the huffy. I got it on the 1 of March.

This is a haiku.
Its the first I ever wrote.
I hope you like it.

:p yeh, I know, pretty lame :rolleyes:

I finally came up with a couple of haiku offerings

Studs on. Studs off. Argh!
Miyagi says practice, Ha!
L.A has no snow

Eyes water, tears freeze
Nose runs, glasses fog, toes numb
Joys of winter rides

Waiting to see what the predicted dusting of snow turns out to be. Other than that just a chilly but uneventful commute this morning.

Some awesome haikus everybody! Such good writers here!

CigTech, make sure you post pics of your recumbent building process and finished product! That's a pretty impressive project. I hope it turns out :)

Well I put my slicks on too soon! We got some snow last night that stuck and made for very slick roads this morning. Of course I had to put my Nokians back on last night so that this mornings ride wouldn't end with me crashing. The shoulders of the roads were very very bad. Lots of frozen slush, black ice, and general nastiness. Even with the studs, I felt the bike slip a couple of times. That was spooky! I wouldn't have rather driven, though. I had a blast and overall felt safer than being in a car.

Cigtech, once you finish building your entire 'bent please join us in poking fun at Mars who so far has hesitated to even build a tailbox for his 'bent. Maybe your example will shame him into a creative frenzy.

Cigtech, once you finish building your entire 'bent please join us in poking fun at Mars who so far has hesitated to even build a tailbox for his 'bent. Maybe your example will shame him into a creative frenzy.

'newbie, maybe we shouldn't encourage Mars to build that tailbox.... he already does 24mph, if he gets any quicker we're going to lose him to the land speed record forums :D

Cig, I've had a 'bent on the drawing board for a little while now, I'm really looking forward to seeing yours.... I'm just a bit short of time at the moment (pregnant wife + 2 little ones + 6 - 7 day work weeks)

I got the frame Mocked up today. It took a little longer then I thought it would. Here is a couple pic's of it so far. That's me holding up the bike for the photo. I will have to put a longer and taller goose neck on it. And I'll to make a way for the rear gear box, for holding all the commute junk... IE tools, tubes, radio, batter for the head lights... ect. I'm going to make some headlights out of 12v 25 watt lamp lights. and some turn singles. If all goes well I'll be riding with the cagers. In stade of fighting them off.

The frame in the forground in what is left from the MTB.

This is what I had im mind before the mock up.

Hey Cig, are you building out of wood or is that just the mock up for cutting metal? Sorry if that's a dense question....

Also are you using the rear triangle of a full suspension xmart bike? I always thought that'd be an easy way to save alot of time buidling a recumbent. Someday I might actually try it ;)

Blew up my headset today, left work at noon, made it home and down to the lbs in time. Got it fixed, and wont even miss a rain filled commute for tomorrow morning.

Got it replaced with one that has lube access ports on it, so i can squeeze in more greese every 2 weeks during my regular mainenance.

Those were great Haikus. I am a retired old man who commuted for years and now just do recreational riding very badly due to some handicaps. I often sing songs such as "On
Ther Road Again" or "Riding on the City of New Orleans" when I am alone on a quiet residential street. I have often longed for a song that appropriately exresses my joy of riding the bike and the memories it brings. There is a topic for a new web site! Anybody take the chalenge?

Those were great Haikus. I am a retired old man who commuted for years and now just do recreational riding very badly due to some handicaps. I often sing songs such as "On
Ther Road Again" or "Riding on the City of New Orleans" when I am alone on a quiet residential street. I have often longed for a song that appropriately exresses my joy of riding the bike and the memories it brings. There is a topic for a new web site! Anybody take the chalenge?

Unfortunately I have no musical talent whatsoever but I do want to share a recent experience. I was riding home having a bit of a hammerfest when I came upon an elderly gentleman riding inthe same direction, he was on a low-mid range new-ish looking road bike, Shimano 105 componentry, all alloy frame.

As I approached I noticed a man in quite good physical condition, not exactly going too slow either. As I pulled up level with him I was immediately struck by his facial features, specifically because they indicated a much older man than his physique and riding speed would suggest. I said hello and made some pleasant conversation about what a nice evening it was to be enjoying a ride.

Well, it turns out that my new friend Brian is 75 years old, has cycle commuted most of his adult life and since retiring over 10 years ago still gets out for a bit of a spin on a daily basis - about 40 or 50km a day! :eek: I rode with him for the next 30kms chatting with him about his past commuting experiences untill our paths diverged. It was the best commute I've had in a very long time.

Thinking about it on the rest of the way home I relished two wonderfull thoughts - Barry will never sit and fade away in some nursing home.... and neither will I.

Those were great Haikus. I am a retired old man who commuted for years and now just do recreational riding very badly due to some handicaps. I often sing songs such as "On
Ther Road Again" or "Riding on the City of New Orleans" when I am alone on a quiet residential street. I have often longed for a song that appropriately exresses my joy of riding the bike and the memories it brings. There is a topic for a new web site! Anybody take the chalenge?

That's a great idea! Let's make that the theme for next week!

This is what I had im mind before the mock up.
CigTech, that thing is AWESOME!!! Best of luck, and please, keep posting pics and reports!!!!

Cigtech, once you finish building your entire 'bent please join us in poking fun at Mars who so far has hesitated to even build a tailbox for his 'bent. Maybe your example will shame him into a creative frenzy.

Man oh man, why did I ever mention that tailbox idea??? :D

If you finisha nd ride that bent, I will commit to building a tailbox....

Tell you what Mars, You build the bent and I'll make the box... LOL

Rykoala, I just took the mock up for a test ride... Now I'm thinking of just keep the wood frame. It's very lite and I could fiberglass it. Oh, I got it up to 25 MPH and then back off. It's only a wood frame with deck screws in it. I did fall once on a take off. I have to learn how this think feels and acts.

I real don't know if I'm going to keep it whit a wood frame or not. If I build a steel frame it will be havey. And I don't have a mig welder. So I really am thinking about just fiberglassing the wood frame. The frame held up to the test ride very well. I even went over a couple speed bumps. LOL

My Trail park is 1 mile around it. I did 5 laps in 15min 08 seconds. That's a 20 mph ARTS Man this thing is fast.

Sweeeet!!! I don't know if I have the guts to commute on a bent; I really like the visibilyt of an upright bike. That being said, I would try it at least once! I can't wait to see how your build goes!

Rykoala, I just took the mock up for a test ride... Now I'm thinking of just keep the wood frame. It's very lite and I could fiberglass it. Oh, I got it up to 25 MPH and then back off. It's only a wood frame with deck screws in it. I did fall once on a take off. I have to learn how this think feels and acts.

I real don't know if I'm going to keep it whit a wood frame or not. If I build a steel frame it will be havey. And I don't have a mig welder. So I really am thinking about just fiberglassing the wood frame. The frame held up to the test ride very well. I even went over a couple speed bumps. LOL

My Trail park is 1 mile around it. I did 5 laps in 15min 08 seconds. That's a 20 mph ARTS Man this thing is fast.


There are bents our there that are made of wood with fiberglass reinforcement. If you go to a site called bentrideronline there is a discussion board. One of them concerns homebuilt recumbents. I'm sure they will be very impressed with your work and have some helpful suggestions.

Sweeeet!!! I don't know if I have the guts to commute on a bent; I really like the visibilyt of an upright bike. That being said, I would try it at least once! I can't wait to see how your build goes!

I have found that you have to ride a bit different on a recumbent in traffic due to the low position. I'm a little less visible, but much more noticable, if you see what I mean. When people see me, they really look because they don't know what they are looking at. So, in balance, I think that cars are more aware of me than they were on my roadie.

CigTech - that is a very nice looking piece of work even for a mock-up. I think a wood frame bent would look very cool going down the road. (As a side issue once you finish your wood frame 'bent, you can join the debate on which wood offers thesmoother, better ride!) And just think how easy it will be to identify if anyone takes it for an unauthorized spin.

Mars -- when you started these threads didn't you say they were for seeking mutual support/motivation in our biking goals? So we're just cracking the whip on that tailbox goal ;)

With any luck I will post a couple of pics of my newest light setup next week. I'm calling it the M III in honor of the two versions that went before it. I'd love to tell you that it was just like the development of 5-UP, 6-UP and then the triumphant 7-UP. Unfortunately, the development has been more like "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" ("We built the first castle and it sank into the muck. So we built a 2nd castle on the same spot and it burned and sank into the muck. So we built a 3rd castle ...") I have great confidence that this enclosure will work well and be durable enough to survive the commute.

It was a cold but uneventful commute this morning. The sunny day brought out a lot of riders this morning. I'm guessing the trip home will be even more crowded. And once again the winds are back, so I'm sure it will be a headwind on the way home.

Yesterday, I got to do some more extreme commuting. I had to go way out into the boondocks for a meeting, and my wife was using my car, since hers was in the shop. I rode from my office to the Rosslyn Metro station, took the train to Van Dorn, and rode the remaining three miles to my destination. For out-of-town-people, Metro is the local train/subway system.

Notes on Metro biking:

1 Elevators can be hard to find, and signs are non-existant
2 No road signs when exiting Van Dorn A simple arrow labeled "Van Dorn North" would help.
3 Using Metro plus bike was only a bit faster than riding all the way.
4 However, it was really nice to sit and read for a half hour each way.
5 I'm glad I tried taking a bike on Metro. It gives one a good travel alternative.
6 Total distance redden for the day was 20 miles -- a new record for me. I'm tired!

Today was windy, but otherwise unremarkable.

Paul

I leave on my cycling vacation tomorrow, so I thought that I would write a Haiku to keep up the spirit.


I sit on my bike
Arizona and New Mexico
Smile every day

or

Saddle sore, oh my
Oh what a pain in the glute
PLEASE do go away

I know I'll just sharpen the boom, and go jousting down the side walk ... LOL

PaulH -- I agree with your observations about Metro. Finding the elevators at street level can sometimes resemble an Easter egg hunt. Also of course the restriction to non-rush hour times makes the Metro-bike combination not useful for the regular day to day commute. It is kind of fun to roll your bike on the train, just for the novelty if nothing else.

Tibike -- OK we're all envious, don't taunt us with poetry.

Cigtech -- you're not getting into the biking spirit. To sidewalk joust you need a carbon fiber or titanium lance. I would probably go with a combination of a carbon fiber lance to absorb the shock, but a titanium point to stay sharp and lightweight!

Well still don't have the bent done yet. I made some mods to get today.

Some guy that lives dwon the street from me seen me working on the bike. He Gave me a 24" MTB for parts. There was nothing wrong with thw Bike, till I got done with it. LOL Now it just a cut down frame and missing the handle bars, tires, seat, cables, chain and breaks.

I put the 24" front tire and a 26" on the back tire of the bent.I'm going to paint Yellow and Black and name it the Hornet if it's fast. If it's slow I call it the Tertle.

I am going to have to replace the seat back 2" x 4". I must have cracked it with last nights joy ride. And now the back tire is off to the drive side by 3" at the ground.

Cigtech: Could post some pics of the 'bent in rideable condition?

I'll have to put it on the back burner till next week, when I get so more time off. But I'll well be posting pictures as I go.