Commuting - Dreading spring...

No more solo night ride home, with only the moon accompanying me.

No more being treated like a macho man for riding in cold weather. (So, I can't feel my fingers, but the cool air invigorates me.)

Sweat, sweat and more sweat in summer. And bottles and bottles of Gatorade.

Taking the freight elevator to avoid stinking up the passenger elevator. In winter, I don't even need a shower.

Joggers, skateboarders blocking my way.

Fair-weather bike riders returning, making it harder to get to work.

Call off bike to work day!

No more solo night ride home, with only the moon accompanying me.

No more being treated like a macho man for riding in cold weather. (So, I can't feel my fingers, but the cool air invigorates me.)

Sweat, sweat and more sweat in summer. And bottles and bottles of Gatorade.

Taking the freight elevator to avoid stinking up the passenger elevator. In winter, I don't even need a shower.

Joggers, skateboarders blocking my way.

Fair-weather bike riders returning, making it harder to get to work.

Call off bike to work day!

Yup, I saw my first rollerblader for about 5 months a couple of days ago on the W&OD trail. You forgot the gaggles of moms pushing strollers who absolutely refuse to share the path because they're - you know - entitled.

But I will NOT miss the swirling 30 mph winds. I'll not miss having to clean sand out of my drivetrain like I did last night. I'll not miss needing 15 minutes to get dressed with all the layers necessary to stay warm (including oven mitts for gloves on days like today). And I'm really looking forward to riding my road bike again, which has been impossible with all the winter crud on the road that makes riding on skinny tires a little more treacherous.

So there's some good and bad.

No more solo night ride home, with only the moon accompanying me.
There's 1 other guy at my office who commutes routinely, and there's a guy going the opposite direction of me on my ride home, so I never had a truly "solo" ride.

No more being treated like a macho man for riding in cold weather. (So, I can't feel my fingers, but the cool air invigorates me.)
Most people just thought I was crazy, not macho.

Sweat, sweat and more sweat in summer. And bottles and bottles of Gatorade.
That's a year-round issue for me.

Taking the freight elevator to avoid stinking up the passenger elevator. In winter, I don't even need a shower.
No elevator (1st floor,) and I'll still walk through the cubes to park my bike at my desk before hitting the showers.

Joggers, skateboarders blocking my way.
There's enough room on the rural roads for all of us on my commute, and I'll be really surprised if I encounter any skateboarders. There are already a few joggers, and they all have reflecty vests and flashlights or blinkies.
Even though it's a slowdown, sometimes I ride one or two exits on the MUP in the spring/summer to enjoy the scenery. ;)

Fair-weather bike riders returning, making it harder to get to work.
Not on most of my route or at the time I ride in. Too early and too much close traffic.

Call off bike to work day!
NEVER!

I can do without the excess traffic but it will die down when the weather warms up and the newness wears off.

What I am not looking forward to is my nutty tree pollen allergies.
I am not planning any brevets or group rides in April due to my allergies. Three weeks of drug induced confusion.

Something I am looking forward to is the increased enforcement of leash laws. Lately idiots with their unleashed dogs have taken over a MUP I have to use. Of course, each one yells bad dog at their dogs after chasing me while I scream at the owner for being an idiot. Personally... I would like to take the unused leash and wrap it around each unleashed dog owner's neck and pull very hard. I swear this is a daily event! Yesterday it was a terrier mix that came charging at me.

I am looking forward to spring for one reason. No freezing in the am and hot in the pm! Yeah I'll have Hot in the am and absolute scorching in the pm instead but at least I won't have to carry home all the winter gear in my bag, currently backpack but by summer will be saddlebag.

Now what I haven't missed at all is the fair-weather cyclists. Not that anyone actually commutes except a few folks on bf that I never see but drivers seem alot more aggrivated on monday when all the peletons were getting in their way and breaking all kinds of laws all weekend. It has already started as office whining about all the cyclists need to get off the road and go race in a parking lot somewhere :D

I have always taken bike to work day off or at least off my bike. Maybe I'll try riding in this year perhaps I can help a stranded person on their first ride?

Don't forget school will be out soon! Teens driving around late at night with nothing to do. Oh loook at the dork on the bike screeech.

Parents changing their commuting time due to differeing childrens schedule. No more baiting cars in school zones and trying to get them to pass at over the speed limit :(

winter is sounding better and better as this thread progresses. lol

I can do without the excess traffic but it will die down when the weather warms up and the newness wears off.

What I am not looking forward to is my nutty tree pollen allergies.
I am not planning any brevets or group rides in April due to my allergies. Three weeks of drug induced confusion.

Something I am looking forward to is the increased enforcement of leash laws. Lately idiots with their unleashed dogs have taken over a MUP I have to use. Of course, each one yells bad dog at their dogs after chasing me while I scream at the owner for being an idiot. Personally... I would like to take the unused leash and wrap it around each unleashed dog owner's neck and pull very hard. I swear this is a daily event! Yesterday it was a terrier mix that came charging at me.


Easy solution to the dog-chase scenario:

Stop and try and pet the dog. Dogs chase and bark because they're frightened...I guarantee they'll back off if you act un-afraid and try to accost them. They're 90% of the time just all bark and no bite pvssies.

I actually think it's funny when they bark and chase and get some comic relief for my day out of their ridiculousness. Then again I have a herd of 3 dogs, my wife is a pet groomer and we're foster parents for shelter dogs so we're around them all the time.

As for the summer, I am REALLY looking forward to not having to spend 15 minutes getting dressed. It's gonna be wake up, throw shirt, shorts, socks and shoes on and go. Oh yeah, and I won't have to pack additional layers for "just in case" and an emergency light either, because it'll be friggin' light out when I get home!

I won't miss much about winter, actually. It was novel at first, but soon became a big PITA. I don't like heat, though.

The chasing hasn't bothered me too much. I tend to stop and stare at the dogs. Occasionally, I take off just for the sheer amusement it gives me to watch the owner run for a mile. :p

The positives do outweigh the negatives by far. I love just wearing a jersey and shorts. Plus, I am from a desert and love the heat.

I am REALLY looking forward to not having to spend 15 minutes getting dressed.

No kidding! And as someone else mentioned, chilly AM and hot PM commutes mean having to pack and haul all your cold weather gear home in the evening. I can hardly wait until it's shorts weather in the morning as well as the afternoon.

I look forward to eye candy out for a walk on summer mornings. And I know that they missed me :)

meh, to each his own.

there are positives to each season and negatives as well. personally, i love the summer commute. less clothing, more eye candy and faster commute times. this week has been tough on the bike. i'm tired and not really enjoying the 3 hours i spend out there trudging along into the wind.

What I will miss about winter:
Night riding with lights in the morning and afternoon. I love that!
Quiet MUPs. These are like bicycle super highways in the winter. At least when they get around to plowing them.
Quick cleanup at work due to less sweating.
Enjoying a season many people don't - you know the types...house, car, work, car, house...complainers about the cold, etc
The "you're crazy, nuts, etc" comments. Gee, I must be doing something right. I made it through 3 winters so far.
Riding across frozen lakes
The sheer "adventure" of it
Riding through fresh powder snow.
Losing the mystique of being a winter cyclist and just blending in.


What I look forward to after winter:
The speed of a road bike and getting to work earlier to enjoy more of the "long route home"
Leaning into corners rather than "fred corning"
More commuting routes
Lightening the load, no more panniers with extra gear - just a rucksack with a change of clothes.
Not having to wrap-up my Dinotte AAA NIMH batteries to keep them warm (shoulda gone LIon)
Avoiding MUPs (Where motorists go to scowl at cyclists. Not to mention trying to break the iPod barrier to warn them when passing. Did I mention dogs and other freak shows?)
Commuting with my "3 season" friends in the AM.
Less bicycle maintenance.
Getting out the door in 15 minutes for the morning commute
Unveiling sculpted calves to the sun for the first time since last Oct.

Ugh, I've been dreading the good-weather crowds too. :(

I look forward to eye candy out for a walk on summer mornings. And I know that they missed me :)

I should be shot.
I forgot the eye candy. After all, I ride through a large park near a university. There is something about jogging and 20 year old women...... :p

I should be shot.
I forgot the eye candy. After all, I ride through a large park near a university. There is something about jogging and 20 year old women...... :p

Thanks to gravity and elastic materials behaving as harmonic oscillators. ;)

I've already seen a marked increase in sidewalk and wrongway riders. Usually on cruisers with super-frickin-wide handlebars. So there's that.

I'll report back with my findings tomorrow. This afternoon (low 50s, partly sunny) on the way home I'm taking the MUP for a few miles for observation of the spring fauna.

same fears here, but spring is coming regardless, so i try to fool myself into enjoying it.

so far it's kind of working, which makes me doubt my intelligence :)

i like to bike at night. I will miss using the Fenix lights for an hour every day :(

I can do without the excess traffic but it will die down when the weather warms up and the newness wears off.

What I am not looking forward to is my nutty tree pollen allergies.
I am not planning any brevets or group rides in April due to my allergies. Three weeks of drug induced confusion.

DataJunkie,

Next time you see your favorite MD, ask for an Rx for Flonase. I have serious grass & tree allergies and this stuff changed my life.

luck,
fat biker

That is one of the meds I take. It works fairly well for me.
Speaking of which, I will need to make that appointment soon.
I also take claritin reditabs, excedrin sinus, and perscription eyedrops for my allergen caused conjunctivitis. Reditabs work better than most prescriptions for me but I think I will be trying something new this year.
That and sleeping next to a HEPA airfilter helps.

My home is surrounded by vile trees known as cottonwoods. Had I known I was allergic to them I would have found a different home. Ugh
The annoying thing is that I feel better at work since it is surrounded by alpine trees and 30 miles to the south. I think during that period I will no longer be working from home until it is over.

That is one of the meds I take. It works fairly well for me.
Speaking of which, I will need to make that appointment soon.
I also take claritin reditabs, excedrin sinus, and perscription eyedrops for my allergen caused conjunctivitis. Reditabs work better than most prescriptions for me but I think I will be trying something new this year.
That and sleeping next to a HEPA airfilter helps.

My home is surrounded by vile trees known as cottonwoods. Had I known I was allergic to them I would have found a different home. Ugh
The annoying thing is that I feel better at work since it is surrounded by alpine trees and 30 miles to the south. I think during that period I will no longer be working from home until it is over.


In most studies, Claritin had slightly more effect than placebo. Zyrtec is the stuff I've used for years and works great (I also have nasty allergies). It's also OTC and generic now, so it's pretty cheap.

Another couple things that might help are a neti pot and allergy shots. I'll let you google neti pots and yes, they are weird, but darned if they don't work. It's like a shower for your sinuses. In fact, it works about as well, and faster, than sudafed for me.

Allergy shots are a more long term solution and take years to build up. It sounds like quack science, but it does work. I was on shots for years and two years ago, my allergist suggested I try going off of them. My allergies are far less severe than they were before I started the shots.

I'm torn. In the winter it takes much longer to dress, the scenery is hideous (it never snows), and my skin gets extremely dry no matter what I do. But in the summer I ride to work at 6:30 am and when I get there 15-20 minutes later I'm completely drenched in sweat because it's already THAT HOT. And let's not even discuss the ride home, or going into the grocery store looking like I just took a shower with my clothes on. On the plus side, I don't need extra clothes so I can ride just about any bike I want in the summer when it doesn't rain.

I'm looking forward to being able to feel my fingers and toes at the end of each ride.

Oh, and not asking "can I ride my road bike today or is this an mtb day?"

]No more solo night ride home, with only the moon accompanying me[/COLOR].

No more being treated like a macho man for riding in cold weather. (So, I can't feel my fingers, but the cool air invigorates me.)

Sweat, sweat and more sweat in summer. And bottles and bottles of Gatorade.

Taking the freight elevator to avoid stinking up the passenger elevator. In winter, I don't even need a shower.

Joggers, skateboarders blocking my way.

Fair-weather bike riders returning, making it harder to get to work.

Call off bike to work day!

Still treated as a "ain't you that crazy chick who rides all winter and in the rain too???", and I hear that from the most unsuspecting people - people at night walking down the road with their hoods up and not looking quite savory, from a bunch of high schoolers on the bus (yes I do take the bus when I have a layer of ice on the roads, riding city traffic sucks with icy accumulations), etc no matter when I ride. :D Gots my fan club I guess. Priceless is the coming up to a stoplight and it's pouring - and I tip the helmet and the water runs out of it - and I look over and see some interesting expressions from the dry people in their vehicles. :D Yer still tough all year round believe me!

What spring? It's snowing and windy. Studs will be on the bike for another month. They keep forgetting to plow one section of my route. Put this thread on ice and come back in a month.
J/k, I'm not really that grumpy, but it's still true. No sign of spring here whatsoever, February is usually one of the coldest and windiest months, March is definitely winter and April is whatever it wants to be. May is spring and I have to say I'm looking forward to slicks, a less filthy drivetrain and whatever eye candy there will be on my route. Definitely not a university campus. :( Removing all the extra layers from my bag will lighten the load a lot, looking forward to that too.

All those are minor inconveniences to me. Not going to miss Winter riding one bit. I'm tired of having to wear extra clothing.

DataJunkie

I'm seconding the Neti pot.

I grew up in CO with as many allergies as one can have. I had sinus infections every year of my life until finally a nurse at CU told me to try a Neti Pot. I still get the watery eyes, the sneezing, etc...but my sinuses don't get backed up ever!

Also, I like Singulair for allergies...works amazingly well.

Have you ever thought about allergy shots? You can still do them as an adult, and it sucks at first, but they work in the long run.

Thank you all.
I will take these suggestions and see if I can make it through April a bit less miserable.

I will talk with my doctor about allergy shots when I see him next.
Now to make some notes. Every year I try something different. I was more in the ballpark last year but definitely could use quite a bit more improvement.

hmm apparently the neti pot is something my doctor told me about last year. In one ear and out the other. :p

Really funny thread!

A week ago we really had a really nice day in Vancouver and unsuspectingly I started fearing the arrival of spring and summer. Since I go around Stanley Park and False Creek I know that whenever it gets nice out there will be joggers, strollers, dogs (all in the wrong side of the bike trail) and the worst kind imaginable: TOURISTS!!!!!

I've already started to see them wondering around the park with NO clue about their surroundings whatsoever. The only thing that keeps me safe are my Dinotte lights which really scare people away. In a sense these lights still give me a bit of "macho" feeling hehehehe!!!

Still Nokian weather here until at least late March. We had 3 or 4 inches of snow today.

Thank you all.
I will take these suggestions and see if I can make it through April a bit less miserable.

I will talk with my doctor about allergy shots when I see him next.
Now to make some notes. Every year I try something different. I was more in the ballpark last year but definitely could use quite a bit more improvement.

They like to start you in allergy shots in the off season. When I first started years and years ago, it was in November/December. I wasn't up to the full strength maintenance dose by the time allergy season rolled around (April) but there was still a huge difference.

I had forgotten about sinus infection thing and the Neti pot. I used to travel lots when I worked for SGI and would constantly get sinus infections from hanging out in a data center for 14 ish hours at a time (when I flew it was to fix broken stuff so I stayed until it was fixed). No longer after using the neti pot.

I've really enjoyed the challenge of my first winter commuting and seeing what limits my gear and I have. The extra prep time and hauling extra gear really sucks though.