Southern California - Should I do it?

I normally commute Tue and Thu by bike. The forecast for tomorrow says low 40s in the morning but it will feel like 30 (brrrrr). On the plus side, I should expect a 30 mph tailwind most of the way and only a 15 mph headwind back home that afternoon in nice 60 degree temps. Somebody tell me to HTFU!

Seriously, am I gonna get blown over sideways trying to descend La Tuna Canyon with 30 mph winds?

Sounds hard. Don't do it.

I am also debating whether to commute tomorrow or not. Wind gusts are to reach over 60 mph tomorrow morning at 7 AM... decisions decisions...

If any of you are taking the wind predictions seriously, you have your answer.

Tue and Thurs are also my commute days, and I'm in the same boat. Let's just say I'm more likely to call off a commute due to wind than for rain. My decision won't be based on conditions in the morning - I'll have to check the forecast for the return ride, which could be uphill directly into a headwind if the winds don't die down by tomorrow afternoon.

winds started to kick up here before sunset, glad we got our ride in earlier today. I'd say ride anyways, wind makes you stronger, yah it sucks but don't be a puss if the sun is shining.

60 mph gusts don't make you stronger. They knock you off your bike.

60 mph gusts don't make you stronger. They knock you off your bike.


tuck MORE:D

Tell me you commute with a disk wheel on the rear and deep-rims on the front :)

I thought this thread was going to be about shaving yer legs...

Dammit! :(

I was thinking of bike commuting tomorrow too... I bike commute 2 time a week and i did it yesterday. I suppose i could push it to friday if needed.

will be worse on fruday......

Well, i suppose i could just prepare for a bike commute tomorrow like normal then listen for the wind when i wake up. If it's blowing i'll just sleep for another hour and drive, if it's not, i'll scramble to get ready and to the train station before it picks back up... :D

i have no choice....i left my truck at work....so i guess i'll HTFU.

i have no choice....i left my truck at work....so i guess i'll HTFU.

(sad violins playing) Poor Crash! Woe!


It's not going to be windy down here, so yes, HTFU.

I just road in 40mph winds for 22miles. The IE is always windy. I hate it but since the Izumi Optik jacket got here I willing to go battle with it.

jackets make a world of difference when in the winds.

(sad violins playing) Poor Crash! Woe!


It's not going to be windy down here, so yes, HTFU.

i swear..if i see you on the road i willst spit my gum at you!

man up

I bike commute 2 time a week and i did it yesterday. I suppose i could push it to friday if needed.

Commute everyday by bicycle.

oh.....if the wind is blowing at a race or ifits cold do they cancel?

I thought this thread was going to be about shaving yer legs...
Feel free to weigh in there as well http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=379746 :D


oh.....if the wind is blowing at a race or ifits cold do they cancel?
Nope, which is why I need to HTFU and ride in the wind and rain more.

I'm not worried about a headwind as much as I am being knocked over. Wasn't there a thread about someone who got that on GMR last weekend? Anyway, I'll do Psydotek one up by kitting up and starting the ride. If I feel like I'm gonna crash before the 1/2 hour mark, I'll head back home and drive.

It's VERY windy here right now, but it always seems to die down by morning.

I'm not worried about a headwind as much as I am being knocked over. Wasn't there a thread about someone who got that on GMR last weekend? Anyway, I'll do Psydotek one up by kitting up and starting the ride. If I feel like I'm gonna crash before the 1/2 hour mark, I'll head back home and drive.

It's VERY windy here right now, but it always seems to die down by morning.
Yeah, it usually does die down in the morning... My stuff is all ready to go, batteries charging, clothes laid out, etc. And i'm off to sleep. :) We'll see if i need to HTFU or not...

im riding in no mater what....in the end its annoying but the city does a great job as a windbreak unilke upon GMR

oh.....if the wind is blowing at a race or ifits cold do they cancel?

Damn...you sound like George. I was just trying to puss out of our commute in the morning and I got a similar answer. :p

Seriously, am I gonna get blown over sideways trying to descend La Tuna Canyon with 30 mph winds?

There's always the option of 'blowing off' work and tuning in to Mia Lee's afternoon sessions.

do you let this group make all your decisions for you?!?
i'll be riding and i don't even have to commute, i'll be working from home

do you let this group make all your decisions for you?!?
i'll be riding and i don't even have to commute, i'll be working from home
Of course I let this group make all my decisions for me. I have no spine and these are the only friends I have.
Actually, I just start these threads because I'm bored. I already know my decision before I post, but it's fun to get people all riled up. I really should be finishing up my professional development homework.

I wussed out... The wind was howling when i woke up at 3:15am. However when i went out to my car at 5:00am it was dead calm.

always happens that way

I wussed out... The wind was howling when i woke up at 3:15am. However when i went out to my car at 5:00am it was dead calm.
That's why I ignore everything until 5am. It was quiet as a mouse and in the low 40s when I woke up. A tad bit chillier than my Tue commute but overall quite nice. I just had to be more cautious for debris in the road. I made a horrible CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH as I walked down my sideyard with all the leaves and acorns that fell (and I just swept yesterday!) so I hope I didn't annoy my wife too much.

Oh, and I have reason to believe one of my students took a pic of me in my "gay" outfit on his camera phone as I arrived to school this morning. Can't wait to see where that surfaces.

When I awoke at 6, I noticed that it was still blowing fairly hard. By the time I took a shower and started to get dressed, it was pretty calm. Cold but calm. The commute was very nice, but it was so cold that I had trouble keeping my eyes open in the ride in. They were stinging... even though I was wearing my glasses. :p

My problem is that I have start riding from my house around 5:45AM to get to work on time, so the wind was still blowing then.

That's why I ignore everything until 5am...

I wish i could. :lol: But if i bike i gotta be up at 3am and out of the house by 4am... :(

I start at 5:45 too, but I was lucky I guess. There was a slight headwind down La Tuna, but that only knocked me from 42 mph to 38, and I still got to work in record time! I just went out of my classroom and saw that the wind is kicking up already.


I wish i could. :lol: But if i bike i gotta be up at 3am and out of the house by 4am... :(
Ouch! What time do you have to be at work? I thought a 1+ hour commute to be at work at 7 was torture enough.

Oh, and I have reason to believe one of my students took a pic of me in my "gay" outfit on his camera phone as I arrived to school this morning. Can't wait to see where that surfaces.

Oh my, I just spit coffee on my lap. Too funny. :p

BTW...I rode 9 miles this morning. Not my typical commute as I drove George to the train station so we could check the route out from the house and sleep in a bit, since our original plan was to ride there but we didn't want to chance not making the train in these winds. I left my car there and rode to work. It was windy, but not too bad. The hardest part was dodging all of the debris in the bike lanes.

I did it too! No wind in SD though. :p

Wusses (except UK)!!!! HTFU!

It was fun riding in this morning!
Cool, breezy, a thrill a minute!
Grinding a 39 x 21 out of the saddle on flat ground was the best part.

At least I'll have something of a tailwind going home.

The hardest part was dodging all of the debris in the bike lanes.
When I moved to Pasadena, I read about their proud 1:5 people to tree ratio and thought that was awesome... until I realized how much of it ends up on the ground in the fall and on windy days. I seriously have to sweep my back patio and driveway every afternoon. To add insult to injury, I have actually seen squirrels chuck their empty acorn shells from the tree or my roof into my backyard... while I was sweeping it!

Wusses (except UK)!!!! HTFU!

It was fun riding in this morning!
Cool, breezy, a thrill a minute!
Grinding a 39 x 21 out of the saddle on flat ground was the best part.

At least I'll have something of a tailwind going home.
My HTFU will come on the way home. The forecast still calls for 20+ mph headwind for me, and I believe afternoon wind forecasts.

I am not riding home!!!...i am off for a day and a half....i think 250 miles in the last 6 days is just fine...

plus i hate headwinds.

Alrighty, i'm doing it tomorrow. Forecast says 20mph winds which i can or should be able to handle... :lol:

33 degree windchill! Yay! :o

I start at 5:45 too, but I was lucky I guess. There was a slight headwind down La Tuna, but that only knocked me from 42 mph to 38, and I still got to work in record time! I just went out of my classroom and saw that the wind is kicking up already.


Ouch! What time do you have to be at work? I thought a 1+ hour commute to be at work at 7 was torture enough.

Where do you shower when you get there? I teach as well but have never commuted because I would have to leave about the same time as you and that's really early for me to be out the door. I have my wife drop me off so I can ride from work sometimes. I try to make sure all of the kids are off campus before I leave, so as few as possible see me in the "gay" outfit.

Well, there was no wind this morning (and i'm not complaining). :) Was pretty cold though...

One of the custodial staff saw me walking down the hall and said "Man, you're fast!" Apparently he arrives at Union Station at the same time as I do except he takes the shuttle to the hospital while i bike. I ride along the same route as the shuttle and i guess he saw me as they went by I still got inside the hospital at the same time he did. :D

Where do you shower when you get there? I teach as well but have never commuted because I would have to leave about the same time as you and that's really early for me to be out the door. I have my wife drop me off so I can ride from work sometimes. I try to make sure all of the kids are off campus before I leave, so as few as possible see me in the "gay" outfit.
Since it's rather cold in the morning, I don't sweat all that much, but I have a faucet and soap in my room, so I wash my upper half in my room and then change before I open it up to students. When it starts getting warmer, I know the PE faculty locker has a shower so I'll probably have to start using that.

I get to school 1/2 hour earlier than I have to just to avoid being spotted, but some students get there even earlier, so it's just inevitable. As long as you're comfortable with yourself, the students will rib you a little and then get used to it.

Since it's rather cold in the morning, I don't sweat all that much, but I have a faucet and soap in my room, so I wash my upper half in my room and then change before I open it up to students. When it starts getting warmer, I know the PE faculty locker has a shower so I'll probably have to start using that.

I get to school 1/2 hour earlier than I have to just to avoid being spotted, but some students get there even earlier, so it's just inevitable. As long as you're comfortable with yourself, the students will rib you a little and then get used to it.

I need a shower after I do an easy ride for an hour. I know if I was commuting I'd ride a little harder than zone 1. I'd probably leave later than planned also, so I'd need to ride even harder. Our PE faculty locker has a shower also, so that's an idea. I'm not sure if it gets used. I'm plenty comfortable in my lycra, I just try to avoid contact with non-cyclists as much as possible when I am wearing it. When our projectors were installed and I was showing the kids what we could do with them, I showed them some pictures of me racing from the internet. Pictures and in person are different though. One of the kids referred to my jersey and bibs as a "giant speedo".

I need a shower after I do an easy ride for an hour. I know if I was commuting I'd ride a little harder than zone 1. I'd probably leave later than planned also, so I'd need to ride even harder. Our PE faculty locker has a shower also, so that's an idea. I'm not sure if it gets used. I'm plenty comfortable in my lycra, I just try to avoid contact with non-cyclists as much as possible when I am wearing it. When our projectors were installed and I was showing the kids what we could do with them, I showed them some pictures of me racing from the internet. Pictures and in person are different though. One of the kids referred to my jersey and bibs as a "giant speedo".

What about MTB shorts? I wear some Endura Humvee knickers or shorts (i've got both) depending on the temperature. They look "normal" enough and function just fine as cycling clothes (and have lots of secure pockets). :)

What about MTB shorts? I wear some Endura Humvee knickers or shorts (i've got both) depending on the temperature. They look "normal" enough and function just fine as cycling clothes (and have lots of secure pockets). :)

That's really the minor issue. I can deal with a few kids seeing me in lycra. I just need to make myself get up early enough to get to work by about 6:45 so I can grab a quick shower and change. The ride is about 23 miles and takes around 1:15. I usually get up at the time I would need to be leaving. This would probably work for me 1 or 2 days a week. My longer day on Wednesday needs to be a continuous 3-4.5 hour block which is why I get as much done as I can on the road after work and then hop on the trainer to for 1to 2 hours to finish it.

i used to commute 20 miles each way to work and never needed a shower in summer or winter. yeah i was sweaty when i got to work but didn't stink. i just toweled off and changed.

i used to commute 20 miles each way to work and never needed a shower in summer or winter. yeah i was sweaty when i got to work but didn't stink. i just toweled off and changed.

I just don't like that feeling. I do it all the time after races and throw on a t-shirt and jeans. The thought of putting on a shirt, tie and slacks like that doesn't appeal to me.