Commuting - Extreme commuter club: awards week!

Well, it looks like winter has finally let go of us suffering folk here in the northeast. The forecast in Vermont is temps n the 50s for the most part. It looks like it's time to think about riding the long miles again. Yes, the lonesome highway is calling once more. :D

So, to wrap up the XCC for another year, we should conclude with awards week. This is an opportunity for any of us to acknowledge other members for something you think is cool or noteworthy. Feel free to post as many awards as you like. I'm sure that anyone who gets one will be tickled.

For my first award, I hereby bestow the "Most Encouraging Member of XCC Award" to Marylandnewbie. An always positive, funny, and supportive poster of the XCC.

I have several other awards in mind that I will post later in the week. I imagine that you do as well. Let's see who gets what awards! :)

My last commute for a while is today :cry:
Although Ill miss the job like my last STD, I will miss the
morning commute into Clarendon from Proctor. Some mornings
it was magical.....A scene from the side of one airbrushed 70's
vans or a felt painting you see in Spencer Gifts of a coyote and
Indian under a groovy full moon. :roflmao:
Really though...It was the high point of the day more often than not.


XCC Nommies:
My nominations under the generic 'cool and noteworthy' Mars mentioned
would be MARS and MD-Newb. Between the miles, tales of high adventure
and pathos on their respective trails, they put stuff in perspective for me
when I asked "why am I doing this" a month ago....
Most entertaining : The Aussies
Most professional(?) : Ti Bike

I like reading all of this stuff though....everyone is/has been an inspiration at
some point in my stay here :D

+1 on the nod to Tibike as most professional (if one can be a professional commuter). We all want his wonderful toys.

Lem -- where is the report on commuting on the stingray?? I still remember my lovely gold metallic flake stingray (what can I say it was the 70s) and I'm anxious to hear a modern update.

My only certain nominee for now is "Greatest Loss to the VLC/XCC" for Velogirl. We seem to have lost our only regular female contributor this year. Although its nice to see Mtn chick coming out of hibenation in the far north.

I'm thinking a "Surviving the Most Disturbing Altercation" award for Cyclaholic for his run-in with the beligerent pick-up truck.

Yeah. Cyclaholic, did that guy ever get charged or what?

Today, I would like to bestow the "He who rides with the most livestock award" to amigo.

Congratulations guys...we made it through the winter...like the worst here in 75years!

I nominate all the hardy souls who rode through the winter, as the Extreme Commuter of the year.

Yes, I do like my toys :D

Beautiful ride this morning, looks like rain for the rest of the week......

Lem -- where is the report on commuting on the stingray?? I still remember my lovely gold metallic flake stingray (what can I say it was the 70s) and I'm anxious to hear a modern update.

'Coppertone' was your color, MDnewb, if it was a Schwinn :D

I could not do my ride on the StingRay :cry: The gearing is just too, too low.
I can get about 11mph out of it spinning like a wild banshee :eek:
It would have taken me 1.5 hours to get in !!! I forgot this might be a factor
and when I poked at the pedals for the first time I almost looped it over.
Armed with this highly important information I ran little errands around our town
on it lofting long wheelies at will, wherever....Very fun !!!! Great attention
getting manuever :D

I am also interested in hearing the outcome of Cycloholics psycho-billy encounter.

I nominate all the hardy souls who rode through the winter, as the Extreme Commuter of the year.



I agree! I am not a hardy enough soul to be riding on even a mild winter day up here!! I'm impressed by those who can ride most of the year.

Lem for riding the funkiest bike.
Batman for riding Ti bikes.
Mars for having the nuts to ride a bent up there.
Noob for not cheating on his girl. ever.
Cyclo for not being deaded.
Crtree for climbing friggen mountains everyday.
Ciggy for smoking death darts and riding as fast as most pros.
Everyone else - you get the award for making it through winter without needing to lose weight or having to use your car everyday. Ergo - yours is the best prize of all.

(Winter is coming here, i'm not happy about having to buy warm gear :mad: )

I agree! I am not a hardy enough soul to be riding on even a mild winter day up here!! I'm impressed by those who can ride most of the year.
You live in Yukon! I've hunted up there and your spring time would scare this poor little Michigan commuter into staying at home with a hot coffee for the day.
My pecker gets chilled just thinking about winter commuting in your neck of the.... tundra. :D

Gusboh, for the funniest sig line, third year running.

I would be a contender if we actually had extreme weather here for more than maybe a month and a half if you added all the crappy weather together. With the exception of the 9 days (seven work days) I took off of my bike, I averaged only one day using the car per week, and that usually was due to waking up too late to get to the bus in time.

Anyhow, props to all my fellow XCC four-season commuters. And mad ginormous props to all you insane people who actually had three months or more of serious extreme weather.

You live in Yukon! I've hunted up there and your spring time would scare this poor little Michigan commuter into staying at home with a hot coffee for the day.
My pecker gets chilled just thinking about winter commuting in your neck of the.... tundra. :D

It's not so bad now, it ranges from -5C (23F) in the am to +9C (48F) on the ride home. And it'll only get warmer! Right now I have no choice - I made the FIRST commute home (woohoo!) tonight, and now I just have to get my arse outta bed early to make my way in at 6:30 am....:eek:

But wow! That road bike had me make it home (20 miles) in 1hr 3min - that is the fastest ever, and for my first commute, I'm ecstatic! I had to stop halfway and take a 5min break though, not used to this yet. Oh, and the wind was also helping!:D

It's not so bad now, it ranges from -5C (23F) in the am to +9C (48F) on the ride home. And it'll only get warmer! Right now I have no choice - I made the FIRST commute home (woohoo!) tonight, and now I just have to get my arse outta bed early to make my way in at 6:30 am....:eek:

But wow! That road bike had me make it home (20 miles) in 1hr 3min - that is the fastest ever, and for my first commute, I'm ecstatic! I had to stop halfway and take a 5min break though, not used to this yet. Oh, and the wind was also helping!:D

That's definately warmer than I had assumed it would be. I remember hunting up there back in the late fall of 2002, There was already well over a foot of snow (~30cm) on the ground then and the temps were well below freezing. And that wind... ugh!
My buddy and I were all chilled but our guide... she was acting like it was nothing.

How about a "We're Men . . . We're Men in Tights" Award for all the four season commuters.

Very pleasantly uneventful rides in surprisingly nice weather. Talked with a guy at the bike rack who shares my ambivalence about fair weather riders. We both felt that us year-around crazies shouldn't have to vie for spots at the bike rack with people who only remember their bikes when its warm. Then of course being bikers we did nothing about it and went off in search of carbs!

Today, I would like to nominate Lem as the "All Around Coolest XCCer Award."

Rode the long miles again today. Awesome weather, low fifties but sunny and light winds.

Amigo rides with more livestock than me? Say it isn't so! Man, I deal with cattle traffic jams - and they leave more than oil on the road. :eek:

How about he who bunny hops chickens for me? :D

Ok guys here my Awards:
Mars = The Godfather of Extreme commuter club.
TiBike = 007 Award, for all the tech toys.
NewBe = Father of the year Award, for dragin out the kid on rides in the mock.
Crtreedude = Cattle hearder of the year.
Mtn Chick = Frozen Toes Award.
Gusboh = The guy that stops trucks with his bike Award.
axOn = Most hill in they commute Award.
Lem = Wildest ride Award.

Did I forget any one?

Amigo rides with more livestock than me? Say it isn't so! Man, I deal with cattle traffic jams - and they leave more than oil on the road. :eek:

How about he who bunny hops chickens for me? :D
I hereby bestow the "He Who Bunnyhops Chickens Award" to crtreedude. :D

Ha Cigtech - "frozen toes" was appropriate for me this morning! They got really cold!!! And parts of my legs that hit the wind were RED and cold for hours after I got to work. Brrrr! Ok, so it really isn't too balmy at 6:30am around here. Yet. :)

crtreedude - "He who gets to use howler monkeys as his own personal alarm clock"?? LUCKY!!!

[QUOTE=mtn_chick]Ha Cigtech - "frozen toes" was appropriate for me this morning! They got really cold!!! And parts of my legs that hit the wind were RED and cold for hours after I got to work. Brrrr! Ok, so it really isn't too balmy at 6:30am around here. Yet. :)

That's why I moved to Flordia. I hate the cold. I had a motorcycle dri-ride outfit to wear while I was in Kansas City. It keep me very dry and sometimes to warm.

Today, I want to give the "Caped Crusader Award" to Tibike. I think the reason is obvious.

Well today had a nice ride to work. Hitting 21.6 mph average speed over the 18.3 miles to work. I took the long way around to work. Then after parking the bike and starting this morning paper work, I hear what sounds like a mac truck hitting the air brakes. Yep the front tube gave out. The rim tape moved to one side and let the tube expand through one of the spock holes.

But that's ok because I have a tube and patch kit, tools, air pump..... oh shut I forgot to put the air pump back in the rear bag after using it the other day..... Called the wife at 11:41 am. She brings it to me after 4:30 pm. But that's ok to, I worked till 6:00 pm. Got off the clock and patched the tube and waited 10 min. to see if it was going to hold. Went back to see if it held, yep flat again. so pulled it again and put in the new tube. All is right with the world again.

Did the 31.5 miles home in 92 min. Thats a average speed of 20.5 mph for the ride home. What a hell of a day. Gald it's over.

Gusboh, for the funniest sig line, third year running.
I'd like to thank McDonalds, in'n'out, krispy kreme and the motor car companies. I'd also like to thank all those lovely ladies who haven't been called a hottie and are therefore green as a ... green thing ... with jealousy (if you don't get it, search for all threads started by Mars + 'hottie').


Today, I want to give the "Caped Crusader Award" to Tibike. I think the reason is obvious.
Beat you to it, kinda :)

Batman for riding Ti bikes.

*whispering* we need to re-think the VLC/XCC moto again ;) :D

A lovely morning of 50 degree temps and rain. At least it reduces the crowds on the MUP and bike racks.

Well third times the charm -- I think I finally got the position of my new saddle dialed in. When I've replaced the saddle before either I just got lucky or the saddles were similar enough that the previous positioning worked. On this saddle I had to move it a little more forward and give the nose a little down tilt to stop it from wearing a hole in my bottom and keep the naughty bits from going numb. Hopefully I have it right this time.

I'd like to thank McDonalds, in'n'out, krispy kreme and the motor car companies. I'd also like to thank all those lovely ladies who haven't been called a hottie and are therefore green as a ... green thing ... with jealousy (if you don't get it, search for all threads started by Mars + 'hottie').


Beat you to it, kinda :)


*whispering* we need to re-think the VLC/XCC moto again ;) :D

I think so too. We need som esort of sticker for our bikes/bags.

Today, I want to offer the "Fastest Person On A Walmart Bike Award" to CigTech. That is some pronto ridin' there fella. :D

Hey Mars,

This moring I got to work in good time and locked the bike up. Then went right over to the bank. A customer of mine said to me "You where really working that bike". I told him that i was taking it easy this morning. He then tells me "If that was taking it easy, then you must really fly on that bike". I was doing like 22 mph when I passed him about 3 miles from work. And he never cought up to me again.

Hey Mars,

This moring I got to work in good time and locked the bike up. Then went right over to the bank. A customer of mine said to me "You where really working that bike". I told him that i was taking it easy this morning. He then tells me "If that was taking it easy, then you must really fly on that bike". I was doing like 22 mph when I passed him about 3 miles from work. And he never cought up to me again.
nice...:D

Im coming to FLA soon, CigTech.
Sleep with one eye open.............

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:D