Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - This is going to be fun... I hope..

Tomorrow I'm going to try out my first time commuting to work.
It's going to be a 30 mile one way trip from my house to my work in downtown Chicago.
I'm hoping to do it in under 2 hours.

I've got my saddlebags mounted for my work cloth and laptop and some energy food for the road.

I hope they let me park my bike in the basement where the cars park. I don't wanna leave my bike outside on the sidewalk.

Thomas

wow good luck

If they don't, boldly walk it right in to your office!:D
Tomorrow I'm going to try out my first time commuting to work.
It's going to be a 30 mile one way trip from my house to my work in downtown Chicago.
I'm hoping to do it in under 2 hours.

I've got my saddlebags mounted for my work cloth and laptop and some energy food for the road.

I hope they let me park my bike in the basement where the cars park. I don't wanna leave my bike outside on the sidewalk.

Thomas

Are you taking your Madone? If so.. that ROCKS. One day I hope to commute on such a thing :)

Are you taking your Madone? If so.. that ROCKS. One day I hope to commute on such a thing :)

Woah... hell no. I have to calculate the risk of getting bike jacked on the southside Chicago. I'm taking my old Campus Cicli steely. I would still be pissed as hell if someone would steal it as I have a huge sentimental attachment to it since it was my first road bike I've bought new. But hey.. it's less pricey then the Madone.

Here is a pic of the commuter with it's new rear rim and spoke glory. I just finished trueing and dishing the wheel last sunday. Runs like a champ again.
http://gallery.geekazoids.net/d/4416-2/IMG_0303.JPG
http://gallery.geekazoids.net/d/4435-2/IMG_0310.JPG

Fair play to you Scummer. Hope it goes well for you. I would be interested in hearing what your plans are regarding commuting i.e. is the long term plan in and out each day or something like that. I also have a 30 mile commute but have not taken the plunge yet. You'll be like a new man after it. Good luck.

Have fun...before the Chicago winter set in.

Whoa that is awesome! I started commuting last week but it is only a little under 9 miles one way. I arrive at work in a much better mood. And I park my bike inside.

Woah... hell no. I have to calculate the risk of getting bike jacked on the southside Chicago. I'm taking my old Campus Cicli steely. I would still be pissed as hell if someone would steal it as I have a huge sentimental attachment to it since it was my first road bike I've bought new. But hey.. it's less pricey then the Madone.

Here is a pic of the commuter with it's new rear rim and spoke glory. I just finished trueing and dishing the wheel last sunday. Runs like a champ again.
http://gallery.geekazoids.net/d/4416-2/IMG_0303.JPG
http://gallery.geekazoids.net/d/4435-2/IMG_0310.JPG

Don't ride that one past MY house unless you don't mind getting bike jacked! That is one seriously nice looking bike dude.

Park it in your cube. That's what I do.

I made it. Alive. :D
1h 55m for 30.49 miles
avg speed 15.8mph
avg HR 139bpm

Legs feel great. This was fun, even with the laptop, cloth and other stuff in my saddle bags which dragged me down.

The wife was somewhat concerned this morning about the ride but she'll get over it eventually.

Thomas

That's pretty impressive! And I thought my 18 mile commute was long. See you in the commuting forum!

Cool. :beer:

You can't possibly plan to commute that every day (4 hours of commuting). Plan to do it 1 or 2 times per week?

You do have showers to clean up when you get there, right?

That is about the commute I drive. I thought once or twice about getting up to be able to ride it. Now I am truley inspired!! I have to be at work @ 7am, so leaving the house @ 5 wouldn't be too much of a big deal once I get into the groove.

I am truley inspired dude!!!!

Grats man if you want to take Madone one day Ill drive behind ya in my car and body gaurd for ya just to get you past 79th and south shore there hehe did you take that short cut through Rainbow beach or stay on the bike lane down south shore?

I took the path through the rainbow beach park. It's not really a short cut.. just safer :)

fas2c, I have to be at work at around 8 am. This morning I got kinda of a late start, but I should leave the house around 6am. It can be done.. i've gotten up at 5:40am this morning, I just wasn't organized enough.

KingT, yes we do have showers. Well, the building does in the changing room of the workout area. The shower felt great and it's free to boot :D

Fair play to you Scummer. Hope it goes well for you. I would be interested in hearing what your plans are regarding commuting i.e. is the long term plan in and out each day or something like that. I also have a 30 mile commute but have not taken the plunge yet. You'll be like a new man after it. Good luck.

My plans are to commute as much as I can with the bike. If it rains, I'll take the train. But if it's nice outside I ride my bike. In the winter time I don't know yet. Chicago can get really f'n cold in the winter.

Maybe I just get some indoor rollers for the winter. I really, really, really want to do the Rocky Mountain 1200 randonee by July 2008.

So on my way back home tonight I'll put some more effort into my ride and see how I feel the next morning.

I took the path through the rainbow beach park. It's not really a short cut.. just safer :)

fas2c, I have to be at work at around 8 am. This morning I got kinda of a late start, but I should leave the house around 6am. It can be done.. i've gotten up at 5:40am this morning, I just wasn't organized enough.

KingT, yes we do have showers. Well, the building does in the changing room of the workout area. The shower felt great and it's free to boot :D

I love commuting on my bike, I think it actually gives me a great start to the day. Also I like your commute bike, right now I'm commuting on my road bike, when asked why I didn't park it outside (by HR) I simply said that I wasn't leaving a 3k bike on the rack, and since my immediate boss, and his boss have no problem with parking it in our storage room, I don't worry about it :).

I'm interested in what late fall and early winter are going to be like this year, I will go back to my commuter with cross tires when the weather turns bad, I still need to get some fenders for it. BTW that's a great time, my commute is 15 each way, takes me about 42 min in the morning and about 55 min in the afternoon, I just have so much more energy in the morning.

I made it back home.. but damn, the headwind sucked. Only 14.1mph on my way home.
Shubox, don't go through the rainbow beach park in the evening after work when the kids are out of school. It sux! Too many bad people in that park during that time, if you get my drift. Some stupid teenagers thought the had to block my roadway by walking right into my line. I almost forcefully dismounted.

Thomas

I cannot even begin to imagine a 30 mile one-way commute. Definitely something to be proud of. Are you going again tomorrow?

Edit: oops.. I missed some posts. You basically already answered that. :)

I made it back home.. but damn, the headwind sucked. Only 14.1mph on my way home.
Shubox, don't go through the rainbow beach park in the evening after work when the kids are out of school. It sux! Too many bad people in that park during that time, if you get my drift. Some stupid teenagers thought the had to block my roadway by walking right into my line. I almost forcefully dismounted.

Thomas

hmm maybe on the way home try going down South Chicago Ave? the bike lane is nice and street is clean.

My commute to work (when I go back) is 37 miles one way the wheels in my head are turning figuring out where to park a bike over night and at least drive 1/2 way to work to the bike.

hmm maybe on the way home try going down South Chicago Ave? the bike lane is nice and street is clean.

My commute to work (when I go back) is 37 miles one way the wheels in my head are turning figuring out where to park a bike over night and at least drive 1/2 way to work to the bike.

where do you live / work? maybe you could find a member who lives halfway between that would be kind enough to let you park in there garage / driveway? I live west of the city (about 20 minutes outside of the loop) in westchester, I would be happy to allow any Bike forum members to leave bikes in my garage / to assist in commutes/

I made it back home.. but damn, the headwind sucked. Only 14.1mph on my way home.

From someone who commutes in the city that really is the windiest city in the US, you have my sympathy. Just, um, not very much of it. :D

Here is the course I take to and from work.
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/3809541

Today was great weather for the bike ride. A sweet 65 degrees in the morning and the forecast for this evening is going to be around 80 with nothing but sunshine. Yeah baby.

It feels good to be alive and the riding bike to work is a feeling of liberation.

Thomas

That's quite a commute! I live 1 mile from work. Not worth the trouble.

And my bike was stolen yesterday outside of my office. And yes, I'm pissed :mad:

SHOOT!! I am sorry, they should chop of a hand for stealing, IMHO!!

Check the pawnshops nearby, first thing. I hope you made a police report as well.
And my bike was stolen yesterday outside of my office. And yes, I'm pissed :mad: