Commuting - How was your year commuting

A lot of people have been saying that they have done their last bike commute of the year and mine was today. This made me wonder how was your year good, bad and the ugly (cue music :D )?

The Good
Buying a bike with thin 27in tyres. That put abit of fun into the commute when it was light
Buying my opticube, I don't need to worry if the battery is going to run out soon.

The bad
Missing a lot of the summer commutes due to injury. So I got all the bad weather and very little of the good.
Getting lazy. Getting a 2nd car nade commuting by bike an option rather than a necessity.

The Ugly
The 3 mile walk home in the dark when my back tyre came apart

And of course the very best bit
Finding bike forums :beer:

Have a good holiday and safe cycling in 2003 :fun:

Wow! Big question. A whole year of commuting into one post.

I've still got a couple of days commuting left but I can say it's been wonderful.

I consolidated my working week to one office rather than two and so my commuting has been a lot more consistent over the second half of the year.

This year has been my best commuting year ever and to make it even better, a new bike path has just opened beside a dangerous stretch of road so it's now a much safer commute.

All in all I'd give this year's commute an 8.5 out of 10.

My commuting year was great. I added a road bike for some of the dry weather rides and for recreational distance rides. My summer time improved dramatically this past summer over the previous summer, I found some fast 24" tires for my hybrid.

The people that live along my route now consistently wave to me. Most of our practice's clients know I commute by bike year-round and watch for me. When I went on vacation everyone noticed! I put more miles on my bikes than I did my car, and hope to improve on that next year. The low point of the year was crashing & cracking the head of my radius on the first ride in shorts this spring. I was able to start riding again in 7 days, but couldn't use my front brakes or front derailleur for a month.

In addition to commuting, this year I did a 70 mile solo, and a 90 mile solo, as well as my first group ride (with a bunch of BF friends). This was a good year, and I'm looking forward to next.

My last commute for the year is this Friday (assuming I don't decide to come to work unnecessarily over the Christmas break, which is something I'm seriously considering!). To be honest my year's commuting hasn't been all that wonderful - very little rain, lots of bushfires, dust storms etc. Not to mention the fact that this summer is the worst I've ever seen!

Probably about the only nice thing I can say is that my commute this year (47km round trip) is longer than the one I had when I was at university. And I suppose I don't have to go through Surfers Paradise anymore, that's another plus. And I only had two flats for the entire year (on commutes anyway, I got three on my tour of Victoria), so maybe the commuting year wasn't quite so bad after all.

I started commuting to work in 2001, avg 2 to 3 times per week when the weather was good. This year, started in February and continued till last Friday. Again 2 to 3 times per week. The weather has been really great. Started commuting in the summer on an older road bike. I use my converted mtb to cycle during the late fall and winter as it has the lights. Not particularly happy with some parts of the routes I use as they are prone to some heavy car traffic and some really BAD blacktop. Otherwise the rides have been great and I'm feeling okay after the rides as the routes to and from work are 27 k each way. However, I haven't lost a kg since the spring. Time to up the commutes to 4 per week. Hmmm. And the Christmas season spells trouble with all the goodies.

Gotta like it. :) :) ;)

Due to filling in for absences at work, I will get in one more commute, possibly two.. I commuted to work something like 36 times for a little over 1700 miles so far... I love the commute. Takes approximately 2 hours.. I like to add about an extra 4 miles on and commute home through Temecula's wine country, when not too tired and the weather is nice.. Have about 2 miles of road that is very busy. Other than that, a great commute.. Probably half of it rural..
Commute consists of rolling hills through some agricultural country, possibly through wine country with scattered citrus, and a western looking 'frontier' style town. If only my commute was like 8 miles shorter, I would commute probably 2-3 times a week, instead of once..
Be so pleased if I could say, I put more miles on my bike than I did my car.. Do get concerned about issues like Hants' rear tire falling apart. My boss would love to jump on something like that..
I am religious about my LBS's top notch wrench keeping my bike fit.. I would never get every mile possible out of a tire. Want no troubles. I enjoy the ride too much to not keep the commute bike in top notch shape.. Hope religiously maintaining the bike can pretty much ward off problems ? Have not been able to commute as religiously this month. I can tell my outlook is not what it should be..

It's not over yet, a couple of days left. It's been a great year, I've been able to commute to work on the bike just about every day, I've just missed a few, this past years weather was good for the most part and has presented us with some variety to the adventure, hot, cold, wet and at times just about perfect. I'm going to try to ride through the winter but it's getting into the cold season here now. When the morning temp is 0 degrees F or below it's hard to get out there for the 18.5 miles I have to go, I find the footwear is the weak link, no matter what I try, I get cold feet at about mile 12.
Things I've learned.
Panaracer Pasela tires wear out quickly and flat way too easy.

You can carry anything on a bike.

Chains break when the loads get heavy in hilly terrain.

Drivers ease up when you give em a smile.

Just about everyone you know thinks you're crazy.

The more fit you get, the less fit others appear.

You just can't own enough bike stuff.

There just is no way to rush a person on a loaded bike, you get there when you get there.

Have a great holiday everyone, stick with it and get an early start to next years commuting adventures. Keep posting, I look forward to getting in to work every morning and reading them, they're a great motivator and I have learned through the postings on this site that there are a lot of dedicated cyclist out there. Again, Happy Holiday

After commuting for three years from 12-17 miles each way(depending upon route), we built a new house that is now only 10 miles from the office. Talk about an easy commute! Plus, given a traffic bottleneck that I had to ride through from my old location, I now have shaved at least 15 minutes from my commute.

The other thing was starting to commute on a fixed gear bike. Riding that bike is so cool--I can't describe except to say that it just flows . . .

Dave

The Good:
November 1 completed my second full year as a full-time bike commuter, 22+ miles round trip, and I still enjoy it more every day. I can ride year round.

I found a great group to ride with sometimes on weekends, just my speed; not racers, but nice brisk rides.

In October I completed the local MS 150, 75 miles each day Saturday and Sunday.

[B]The Bad:[B]
I missed a lot of days due to travel.

Still didn't lose the additional weight I want to lose, 20-30 more pounds.

A week of vacation in the middle of some kind of cycling Mecca in the hills near Escondido, California - WITHOUT A BIKE!!

[B]The Ugly:[B]
A crash on a diesel spill in early September, 4 weeks before the MS 150, that kept me off the bike for 3 weeks of training added to approximately 5 weeks already missed July-August due to travel! But I made it anyway!

All in all, a great year commuting and cycling. This year my objectives are to lose at least 20 pounds and get fast enough to keep up with the rest of the Bovine Paceline in the MS tour next October. Oh, and to finally get time to put together another fixed gear! As Dave says "...it just flows."

The good, another 4000 plus mile year, and I got my Flying Scot set up to ride this summer.

The bad, one accident on ice.


The ugly, taxi drivers!!

I will easily exceed 4,500 miles for commuting errand running once again.

Only had 5 flats (3 in one week).

No accidents, although more close calls then I could possibly keep track of.

Switched from a backpack to a Burley trailer. No more sweaty back and I can now bring my dog to work with me.

I have toughened up and now ride in temps as low as zero degrees F...used to wimp out around 20 F.

Got rid of some old bikes (Cannondale CAAD 1, Fuji Tahoe, Cannondale CAAD 2, old Raleigh) and purchased some additional hardware (Burley Rumba tandem and second Trek 6500).

Life is good!

The good:

Summer riding


The bad:

Reducing the commute to a cycle-train-cycle affair for much of this Autumn and Winter, due to a combnation of factors


The ugly:

Fall on ice last January (and coincidently losing my back wheel this morning)


Richard

I rarely commuted early in the year, then slowly built up until I was enjoying it tremendously, especially after I got my Trek 6500 MTB, which fits me like no other bike I've ever had.

Problems arose in trying to find a route that minimized traffic and train delays. The route that avoided the train put me through more dangerous intersections and into a neighborhood that has had a problem recently with muggings and where I was intentionally bumped by a motorist.

I think I'll go back to fighting with the train.

I haven't commuted for almost 2 weeks due to a sinus infection. I hope to start up again next Monday.

Overall, not bad. As soon as I get the route fixed, it'll be great.

The year was good, although short, as I started it quite late.

The Good:

My route is great. Not much traffic, some hills, and decent downhills. Varied wind behavior, and easy on the eyes. Also the good feeling I get from riding.

The bad:

My old helmet is falling apart, and I lost my glasses case with the other lenses in it. I am getting a new helmet for xmas, so I have stopped commuting for a few days until then.. I just wish my old one held up a bit longer.

The ugly:

I started commuting without paying much attention to the condition of the bike. After reading BF, I know much more about what exactly I'm doing out there now. Needless to say, the first time I tried to fix a flat, I discovered that my chain was anything but clean. I had THICK black grease all over my hands by the time I was done, and I didn't want to touch my bike after that.. I have yellow and black handlebar tape :eek: But I've learned quite a bit, and now I have fewer problems.

The Good:

Started bike commuting this year.

The Bad:

Broken collar bone has kept me off the bike for a month and probably another month to go.

The Ugly:

The scar that travels the entire length of my collar bone from the surjery.

The good:
An incredible great summer with possible the best august I have ever experienced. Great weather and nice riding adds up to a good year.
Bought some really good equipment (Schmidt dynamo hub and B&M frontlight with standlight).

The bad:
Snow already in october.
Promised my family to stop commuting when snow and ice arrives in autumn/winter, probably not a bad thing though.
Rolled over a rat by mistake one morning. It was a terrible feeling when hitting the animal. I ran over it with only my front wheel, it dissapered into the woods, don´t know how bad injured:confused:

The ugly:
---


Anders
SWEDEN

How was my year commuting?
TERRIBLE at best! Nuff said. :mad: :crash: :crash:

My first year as a serious (since August) bike commuter:

The good:
I've lost 17 pounds I didn't need.
I'm outside every day for a least an hour.
I didn't have to spend a fortune to ride comfortably to work almost every day for 5 months.
Info and support from participating in Bike Forums has been outstanding! Thanks Joe! :)

The bad:
It's all good! :beer:

The ugly
My kids are driving all over the place in my cars while I'm helping the environment in my own small way. :rolleyes:

the good
I started commuting by bike consistently this July, as a result I have spent more time on my bike than ever before. I discovered road bikes and plan on getting one soon. I have lost weight and seen many new parts of the city. I have started working on my bike, and have yet to really foul anything up. I think I am slowly getting my temper under control in reguards to bad drivers with much help from this forum. I stopped drinking coffee and dropped to 5 smokes a day. I feel more connected wth the world and much more well rounded. THE WHITE STRIPES

the bad
The diesel fumes are killing me, I wish the city would keep the busses in better working order. I discovered my usual route to work freezes over before anything else and that it is sort of fun to go sliding down the pavement on your back. I lost a pulley off my derailer mid commute, but discovered the importance of regular maintainance.

THE UGLY
No job, hence Temp1

The Good:
Started commutting this year after spending the last couple talking myself out of it. Got rid of the knobbies and picked up a couple MPH on average. Got a computer to keep myself motivated to go faster and do more miles. The REALLY good: Bought my new bike so that I can dedicate my first to full-time commuter duty.

The Bad
Dumb@ss drivers who either pass to close, honk at you, or scream GET THE F&*(&(^$ OFF THE F^#$#$G ROAD!! (Bright Spot : watching them have to jam on the brakes to avoid rear-ending someone)

The Ugly
My mood while dealing with said drivers (Bright Spot motivates me to push harder) My bike and helmets after adding the amount of reflective tape needed to make me visable even during the day!! (Mine is hunter orange but reflects white)


BTW: Does any one know where I can get my hands on some black reflective tape? I know it exists because I've used it before but I'm not about to raid the local Air Force base's AGE shop just to get some.

My day shift keeping me away to work before sunrise and home after sunset makes me so angry.. My usual shift I am out on teh bike 3-4 days a week. I have not been on the bike for over a week, I am so tense- I am fit to kill.. American expersion..
I am going out tomorrow, on the bike- Christmas Shopping- even if there is snow and hail hitting the ground.. I wll be gone all day.. I was so close to 9,000 miles.. Never make it inow, in one week..

Originally posted by Raiyn
BTW: Does any one know where I can get my hands on some black reflective tape?
Try http://www.motoequip.com/RK.htm .
Scroll to the very bottom - they have 8" x 11" sheets of 3m black reflective tape (2 for $16.95 +$2.99 shipping in USA)
It's meant for motorcycle use, but it should work.

For actual rolls of black reflective tape instead of sheets, try:
http://www.galls.com/shop/viewProductDetail.jsp?item=DE180 for 1" tape and
http://www.galls.com/shop/viewProductDetail.jsp?item=DE181 for 2" tape. The same site also has 3" and 4" varieties.

That's the stuff!!! Thanks!!

A truly fine year. Cycled nearly every day, 300+. Only bad thing was there was no rain, so there was no water in the James over the warm months, so I couldn't go kayaking. But what the heck does that have to do with the commute/cycle anyway?
Every place I've worked this year has let me bring my bike inside-- I hardly ever have to lock it up. What a plus!
Year's pretty much over. I may pump out and go Christmas shopping this weekend one day, but other than that I'm waiting impatiently for January to start riding again...

The Good?

I moved. I had new roads to explore.

The Bad?

3 summer months were unbearably hot and humid. I never commuted during those months.

The Ugly?

Getting a flat on the anniversary of 9/11, on top of a hill, overlooking an AF base. I decided to change my tube right then and there. I was jacked up by the police.

Today, I tried to make up for a shift that deprives me of my normal ride time.. So today I unusual for California.. I put on rain gear and took off to the mall to get Christmas presents. Had plenty of space in the panniers for presents. Sure beats driving in the traffic.. Only patchy rain. Ended up only buying stuff for bike at LBS. Lines too long at mall stores. Encompass a mall visit while out in car errends later in Afternoon. Got in 30 miles on bike. Maybe end up with 8,500 miles for year?

all good realy, that ,cos its summer now (rose coloured glasses ect.),approx.220ks a week .longest ride only 80ks:( best buy was specialised turbo tyres with flak-jacket flat protection, no flaties since, (2500 +ks). I`m still above ground, thats got to be good ! but still not finished for the year, return to work on Boxing day:mad:
i still havnt finished building my "rain bike" yet ,tho all i need to get for it is a rear carrier!:beer: all the best for next year :beer:

Good:
Rediscovered the bicycle this year, Started Commuting, rode my first organized ride, and also a first Century (made possible by the excersise I get on the commutes). Around 2500 miles since August!

Bad:
Discovered annoying/annoyed drivers and also vocal teenagers out for a drive.

Ugly:
Cruising by stopped traffic on the right side and was forced into a citrus tree/bush where a branch impaled my arm and left a nifty scar. (I was expecting the branches to just brush aside, I am a little more careful now in that section and use the frontage road on the other side of the trees when traffic is heavy)

The good:

Finding this forum. Spending time on the bike and staying in decent shape in spite of a really busy year at work. Finding lots of detours to and from work. Having REI replace and upgrade my frame after I discovered a cracked weld. Having to have my dress pants altered to take in the waist and let out the seat. Getting really good at trackstanding. Having a carload of college-age girls make the "ow!" sound at me.

The bad:

Being forced by heavy traffic through a bike lane full of broken glass and flatting my brand new Michelins. And then discovering that the spare tube I was carrying was a regular length valvestem when I needed long ones. Wishing that I lived farther from work. Freezing my butt off because I don't plan well.

The ugly:

Idiots who think the bike lane is a passing lane. Idiots who throw stuff out of their cars. Idiots who call you ugly homophobic things (let me see if I've got this straight: you're looking at my butt, and *I'M* the one who's gay????)

How was your year commuting?
Ten thousand times better than any previous year in which I did not commute by bicycle.

Life is decidedly different, and I hope it shall continue to provide
more wonderful suprises.

This was my best year ever commuting I increased my mileage from 6 miles a day to 20 I am in better shape at 46 than I was at 30. I don't have a computer on either bike I can only guess on the mileage but it is over 5000 between th commute and prepping fot the STP 200 mile 2 day trip. I went October totaly car free, which is not really a stretch for me I have only had this vehicle for 2 years I went 12 years without a car but I didn't ride that much I was more of an on again off again rider. My goal next year as far as the commute is not to drive my car for work at all. I have toyed around with getting rid of the car but I hate to give up the freedom it gives me to explore new places with my bike.

gente people the year commuting is not over for me so far has been a good year second year car free (not bumming rides or paying taxi fares) 2 solid yrs and only 2 spills. 2 bikes stolen this year:( but oh well such is life. :) my commute is around 5 miles and i find i ride extra whenever i can. new baby on the way and I would say for a 29 yr old couch potato i am in pretty good shape. This summer i hope to sneak in some weekend trips but who can say what will happen:)