Pacific Northwest - Who rode today?

Hey all! I'm the newbie in Tacoma. Thought I'd introduce myself. I just got my own bike this weekend and I'm pretty stoked. After reading your posts yesterday, I realized that I was being a wimp - letting the snow keep me off the road. So this morning I rode to Home Depot for a few small items. The rain had melted most of the snow - just an inch of slushy stuff in a few shady spots on the trail. But it felt awfully cold and the wind was pushing me backwards and then it started to snow on me :( But then the sun came out :D And then it hailed :rolleyes: Overall it was great and I'm loving the "new" bike. I saw two other crazy bike people while I was out, and then another one rode by my house in a torrential downpour a few hours later, that effing crazy bike guy.

Cheers and glad to meet ya,
Heather

Really.... there is nothing like stickin' with it even when the weather gets nasty. I get such a feeling of accomplishment when its bad out. Just going to the store when its raining sideways and seeing the looks I get when everyone else drove and then ran to the door like there gonna melt. I love it! But maybe I am just really " that effing crazy bike guy";)

Let's face it, most of us here are the effing crazy bike guy/gal :D .

:roflmao:

East Hill

Now this morning commute was sweet. After I got out of rainy Everett that is :D Seattle was down right balmy and dry to ride in this morning.

I wimped out Monday and Tuesday, but was back on the bike today (commute from Eastside to downtown Seattle).

I wore my rain paints, so -- of course -- it didn't rain. A few flecks of snow or sleet, but not much moisture to speak of.

Looking forward to a windy ride home (according to the forecast).

slush-a-palooza today.

It was wonderfully dry for me on the way in. Lots of crap in the bike lanes and on the shoulders, but at least it wasn't raining all over me.

However, as I write this, ForecastFox is telling me that it's raining with 14 MPH headwinds. {sigh} Today I get off a little early, but I'll probably spend all the extra time fighting the headwind on the way home.

Had an MD appointment first thing this morning, but took 1/2 the day off.....meaning a clean bill of health and a 2 hour (windy)ride before work!

Looks like I may benefit and have a tail wind on the way home tonight. The only thing is I have been fighting off a cold for a couple of days now. Because of this I do not seem to have much energy.

First the weather and now kidney stones :cry: I would love to go for a ride but I think my right kidney has been turned inside out :(.

First the weather and now kidney stones :cry: I would love to go for a ride but I think my right kidney has been turned inside out :(.


Ooooowwww! Have you gotten some good pain meds? Gotten rid of the stone/s yet?

East Hill

I haven't ridden to work all week. Bad back Monday, work trips last 2 days, stay home w/ sick kid this morning, another work trip tomorrow. Two bike rides to school in the evenings to reclaim 6 yr old from afterschool care though. The weather has been pretty spectacularly bad here all week. Pineapple Express slushballs.

I am so totally loving the tailwind at night...I head in a northerly direction. weeeeeEEEEEeeeee!

edit: Yes Virginia, there is such a thing as a tailwind.

This was my morning 'ride' today.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/roudy/20080207_07a.jpg

I can't wait for summer!

I am so totally loving the tailwind at night...I head in a northerly direction. weeeeeEEEEEeeeee!

And I, living in the opposite direction, really, really hate it. Last night was a battle between me and a heavy steady headwind combined with some really exciting gusts. Blech.

Hey, Roudy -- Is that a fixie? Looks like a pretty hard ride.

Nothing so far east:( Oxycodone and Tordol I belive. Can't wait to be normal again! Well.. as normal as a biker gets anyway..

Nothing so far east:( Oxycodone and Tordol I belive. Can't wait to be normal again! Well.. as normal as a biker gets anyway..


A couple of years ago I got to go to the hospital with suspected kidney stones. Turned out to be a [benign] tumour instead. If that's what kidney stones really feel like, I really don't want to ever have them.

As it was I was hooked up to morphine whilst in hospital, and given oxycodone when I left the hospital.

Oxycodone does a good job of getting rid of the pain, but don't try driving anywhere :eek: .

Hope you pass the stone/s soon.

East Hill

And I, living in the opposite direction, really, really hate it. Last night was a battle between me and a heavy steady headwind combined with some really exciting gusts. Blech.

Hey, Roudy -- Is that a fixie? Looks like a pretty hard ride.

Bummer, unixpro. I had to ride north of my house last night; riding home (south) was horrible. I was riding in residential areas and got blown around---wind in every direction--and I know I was more protected than you are. "Blech" is right!

Hey, Roudy -- Is that a fixie? Looks like a pretty hard ride.

No, it's a six speed; these are my fixies:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/roudy/20080208_01.jpg

jeez, yesterday going west across i-90, i felt like a kite! it was the kind of wind that makes you curse out loud.... ugh. lean into the wind one way, then it stops and you swerve. then once you corrected for that, it starts blowing again and now you're swerving the other way! what fun, on a five foot wide trail w/ water on one side!

but on the plus side, my new dynohub & schmidt lamp worked great on super-dark mercer island!

Not me! :D
Let's face it, most of us here are the effing crazy bike guy/gal :D .

:roflmao:

East Hill

Not me! :D

Hey, I got out there today just before noon. It was lovely heading TOWARDS Southcenter.

On the way back home I had plenty of time to notice all the mole/pocket gopher activity along the Interurban Trail as I whizzed along at approximately 4 mph :p .

East Hill

You got all the way up to 4 mph?? Wow! I'm impressed! There were times when I think I was spinning at 80 RPM and just staying still!

OK, I have declared it is spring, took off the studded tires, put back the big apples, rode in shorts today. I found it quite refreshing. And 2mph faster on top!

I rode in today, as I have most days since January. The only thing keeping me off the bike is occasional laziness and black ice. I've tried riding in the snow (well, disgusting slush really) a couple times and that's an "adventure" I don't care for much.

It is funny being the "crazy guy"--I use a folder (Dahon Speed 8, 2006 model, if you care) and bring it into the office. So that gets attention. But what I think is really funny is that spending some money on rain gear and using it (perfectly comfortable, though I think warmer weather will be a challenge) makes me into a super-stud. Guys with $1000 bikes and buff physique think I'm hardcore!

Me, I just want to get to work, preferably in one piece, and not have to deal with the stupid hassles of transit. Or car ownership, for that matter. And get some fun in--I find it's pretty hard to stay in a bad mood on my bike.

BTW, first post, I think. Hi folks!

--JB

You still probably have a bit of slush where you are! It looks as if the Puget Sound is done with the cold stuff, although the rain will be with us for the rest of the week.

East Hill

I wasn't prepared for the warm weather this morning...I had to unpeel on my way to work. Too hot!

I wasn't prepared for the warm weather this morning...I had to unpeel on my way to work. Too hot!

I heard that. I just got my cold-weather gear all ready, and then today...I almost broke out the linen shorts ;) A bit damp for that, though.

Rode home Friday night, 10 miles in dumping rain....

Great weather over the weekend, and I'm too busy to ride...

Can I choose 'em, or what?;)

The weekend ride was pretty windy but at least it was warm. This mornings start was wet in Everett but pretty nice in Seattle. Hopefully it will be a nice commute home.

The ride in this morning was great! Not only was it reasonably warm and dry, I overslept just enough that I actually rode in something other than complete darkness part of the way!

Right now ForecastFox says it's 50 degrees with 6 MPH winds from the south. I sure hope this holds out for another few hours until I get to go home. Tomorrow and Wednesday don't look good, though.

This mornings commute was down right balmy. Ah its nice to know spring is right around the corner. At least the rain is warmer then :D

If I decided it was going to be spring yesterday am, it definitely was by pm, serenaded by frogs all the way home. And then this morning add sunshine on top of the countable degrees...

If I decided it was going to be spring yesterday am, it definitely was by pm, serenaded by frogs all the way home. And then this morning add sunshine on top of the countable degrees...

Ah yes, the frogs. Last night I was in the living room and I thought I heard one of the cats snoring. But, it didn't sound quite right, and my cats don't snore! So, I got up to see if one of the cats was sick. No, it was a frog outside the window :p .

East Hill

Some cold frogs out there right now, I'm thinking.

Some cold frogs out there right now, I'm thinking.

This morning they should have been tucked into their warm little frog beds. It was cold out there (although I rode later in the afternoon, as I was off last night).

East Hill

Clear skies this morning, so it was cold. Dipped back to the mid 30s this morning.

I'm waiting for the nice weather, but I know that won't happen for a few more months.

The weekend is looking good :D

I hope so it is time to dust off the rode bike and go for a real spin. I think I will do my Everett to Sultan run. If my legs will hold up it has been since October since I have done any real mileage

33 degrees in Sumner this morning. I got on the long underwear put on my jeans slapped on a fleece pullover then the Burley jacket, wool socks hiking boots headsock and fleece glove liners with my regular full finger gloves, buckled up the helmet switched on the headlights, blinky light and blinky vest and off I went. I realized about the time I got 4 miles down the road that I was a bit overdressed. I was sweating like crazy by the time I got to work but its all good. Twas a nice ride home and I sold the Pug. Now tonight I'm taking the wife out for dinner. This has been and excellent day. Oh yeah what was wrong with the sky today there was a lot of brightness and it was this really funny color........... BLUE :D

Oh yeah what was wrong with the sky today there was a lot of brightness and it was this really funny color........... BLUE :D

First time this year I had to break out the sunglasses.

East Hill

Lucky for me I wear photo grey or I'd lose the sunglasses

Oh yeah what was wrong with the sky today there was a lot of brightness and it was this really funny color........... BLUE :D

Yeah I saw that too there was this big yellow orb in the sky too.

gee, glad the weather predicted warm today. went from bainbridge to point no point in a 50mi loop...wet, grit, and cold. ah well. still a good ride! by the time back the sun peeked out, the warmth was welcome.

A absolute beautiful day here. Sunny clear day with snow in the surrounding hills. Much too nice not to ride. Too bad I had to work. The drunks must have been out in force over the long weekend, glass everywhere. Thank goodness for kevlar tires.

So much for the showers today, I went out for my fourth ride in as many days...this time in shorts!

So much for the showers today, I went out for my fourth ride in as many days...this time in shorts!


The bad news is that the cloud cover made for a not very exciting lunar eclipse. We wuz robbed, dang it! I demand another total lunar eclipse in a couple of weeks when there's no clouds :) .

East Hill

East Hill, you had clouds? We had a beautiful view of the lunar eclipse from my place -- spectacular. Even the dogs were impressed.

BTW, I woke up this morning in LA. Rainy/misty -- I left for the airport early because I knew (having lived in LA many years ago) that the freeways would be terrible in the rain; they just don't know how to drive in rain in LA. Got back to great weather here in Seattle, took an easy 17-mile ride in the sunshine to celebrate the fine weather.

The bad news is that the cloud cover made for a not very exciting lunar eclipse. We wuz robbed, dang it! I demand another total lunar eclipse in a couple of weeks when there's no clouds :) .

East Hill

Not to make you feel any worse but....it was clear at Millcreek and I watched it while I took the garbage out.

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200708/r172130_648441.jpg

I just got in about 20 minutes ago. It was FOGGY but oddly enough when I left the house in Sumner it was clear as it could be the closer I got to Auburn BOOM Fog Oh well it should be nice going home

Not to make you feel any worse but....it was clear at Millcreek and I watched it while I took the garbage out.

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200708/r172130_648441.jpg

Nice photo!

Yes, unfortunately up here it was thick with clouds. No rain, just clouds. At one point we could see the clouds thinning about halfway through the eclipse and got excited, but a couple of minutes later it was back to thick cloud cover :( .

At least everyone took nice photos!

East Hill

Last night I pedaled through the eclipse, stopped outside the REI where i bought my first brain bucket for a bike (the end of my bike rebel days... don't mock me I almost cried. No more cigarettes, beer, no seatbelt using, motorcycles anymore I was down) but I walked out the door and there was the start of it... and I felt better. I extended my ride, cutting back and forth over the bridges and the esplanade for an extra hour. It was a great night. I am sore this am but it was great the way the eclipse turned around my attitude last night.