Commuting - FIRST COMMUTE, super happy!

HI GUYS!
ive been reading about your daily commute! ive been planning my commuter route and what should i pack...:thumb: planned to wait for new tyres and tubes, but this morning i woke up and just wanted to ride!:D

So i packed my job clothing and put on my jogging outfit and my cool rayban glasses:love:
straped my lunch on the front rack and a small douffle bag on the back rack of my 1965 Moulton:love:

My planned route includes a boat ride for $1.00 (Aquaexpresso in Old San Juan P.R.). so i enjoyed a big downhill ride from home to the port bought a ticket (the ticket man told me i had to ask the captain about the bike because they are not permited:eek:, but they ussually have no problem )

bought a very well brewed coffee from "Cafe Cola'o", the kind of coffee that makes everyday a better one, with drawings made with milk and everything!
after my coffee the speed boat arrived and i spoke to both skipper and captain about the bike, they happily agreed. I told them that letting me ride would make my commute to work safer shorter and faster, and they smiled :thumb:

so i rode from Old San Juan to the bank district, not to far away on my bike, but the 9 minute boat ride was awesome~!:D
got off the boat greeted the good folk that gave me a ride and went off, this port is on the same street as my workplace with the added bonus of having a bike shop in middle:thumb: . TODAY IS A GREAT DAY! :love:

ill try to take some pics of my commute, pretty fast and simple commute, no matter, im very proud of leaving my car home.:D

total commute time including coffee 30 minutes!

Congrats!
Now, that's my kind of multi-modal commuting.

Now that sounds like a great commute. However, that long, downhill ride to the port turns into a long, uphill one on the way home, oh how I hate those at the end of a day.

Now that sounds like a great commute. However, that long, downhill ride to the port turns into a long, uphill one on the way home...

My thoughts exactly. Good on you, though! Keep it up...

And you started (conveniently enough) on World Car Free Day!!! :thumb:

However, that long, downhill ride to the port turns into a long, uphill one on the way home, oh how I hate those at the end of a day.

I am the opposite, I enjoy releasing the work stress, pounding the energy into my pedals. :D

I would slit throats for a place to get a real cup of coffee between the bike and the train.

I would slit throats for a place to get a real cup of coffee between the bike and the train.

There's some imagery....:twitchy:
If I ever meet you, remind me to quickly offer you a steaming cup of Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha.

I've been to San Juan and it's beautiful with the sunshine there. Oh man just thinking biking then boating with coffee in hand with the warm breeze blowing then bike the rest of the way to work all refreshed and good to go! Mine is just pedal pedal pedal all the way watch for crazy drivers and get to work pumped up.

I am the opposite, I enjoy releasing the work stress, pounding the energy into my pedals. :D

For now, I prefer to do that on the flats and on smaller hills. I'm getting an itch lately, though, to start climbing hills, which I'd never had before, so perhaps it's only a matter of time before I change my commute route once in a while to seek out some hills instead of taking the direct way home which is almost all along the river and mostly flat...

I would slit throats for a place to get a real cup of coffee between the bike and the train.

Hahaha i discovered this place 2 weeks ago and its just great! i love it! at last i fully enjoy my morning!! they even educate me on coffee grain, process brewing etc. their very nice independent people.


I am the opposite, I enjoy releasing the work stress, pounding the energy into my pedals. :D
hopefully ill have your same philosofy from now on! ill have it in mind.




My thoughts exactly. Good on you, though! Keep it up...

And you started (conveniently enough) on World Car Free Day!!! :thumb:
YEAH! im saving the planet and my health, actively!!


Now that sounds like a great commute. However, that long, downhill ride to the port turns into a long, uphill one on the way home, oh how I hate those at the end of a day.

lol ive been practicing the uphill, and my moulton takes it like a champ!


Congrats!
Now, that's my kind of multi-modal commuting.

:thumb:yeah i enjoyed every second...i will try to do it everyday!

You just created a LOT of jealousy over here. I'd love to have a boat ride be part of my commute, coffee and everything. :)

Congrats though, keep it up!

There's some imagery....:twitchy:
If I ever meet you, remind me to quickly offer you a steaming cup of Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha.

were do you live?

Nice job. A successful upgrade or new route is always an exciting thing for us cyclists/commuters as it is so much part of our life.

Wow! What a fun commute! Very nice!

Congrats, and your commute sounds fantastic!

I far prefer to save the hills for the post-workday workout, as it appears you will have!

<coffee toast>

Hooked another one

You just created a LOT of jealousy over here. I'd love to have a boat ride be part of my commute, coffee and everything. :)

Congrats though, keep it up!

Yeah, congratulations for a great start. Don't be surprised if some of us in the snowbelt ask for pictures after we're snowed in.

GUYS! thanx for your positive feedback :thumb:
im not sure how long my commute is, but if i were to bike the entire trip would be around 10 miles at most.


Yeah, congratulations for a great start. Don't be surprised if some of us in the snowbelt ask for pictures after we're snowed in.

i will surely take some pics! :thumb:


right now im itching to bike out of work!:D

Sounds wonderful.

I refuse to believe it till we see pics :lol:

Can ya tell I am jealous? Sounds like an awesome commute.

LOL ill post pics i promise!

Yesterday i came back the long route!!! it was great too! a friend called and i went to his house (near my job) and we went off thru "parque central"(central park) and then thru the convention center grounds and then i was already on the Old San Juan Island, pretty good ride, some rough spots and pretty nasty drivers on some roads, but overall i a great commute.....half the way i rode slowly cause my friend likes to cruise slowly, but when he went back home i stepped up the plate and gave it my all.

got out of work at 5:00 got home at 6:45

the convention center disctric was fun cause i got to ride with some roadies and their $4,000 carbon fiber beasts on a very beautifull low traffic hotel like complex. The funny part was to see roadies pass me going super fast and then me passing them cause they had to stop to put their luxury road bikes on the roof of their luxury suv (saw 4 in line) i loled....the irony...


i guess i would never commute on a 3,000 carbon fiber bike, but still, the irony..



Continuation, TODAY, packed a box that i need to send via mail my duffle bag and my lunch bag, attached via stretchy cords, down my hill to the boat ride, no coffee today since the boat was arriving when i got to port (7:35).

greeted my new marine friends and went along.....got to my job at 8:05...25 minutes before time! :)

today ill buy some fast drying towels to bird bath myself upon arrival to be sure im looking my best! :thumb:

Awesome, man! What a way to go! Now you better tell us that you have a job out of hell, or it's just not fair. :D

Ahhhh yes. I barely remember my first time (1974). Thanks for reminding me how great if felt to be independent of auto fuel and repair for the first time!

Now.......PHOTOS! Even the coffee!

just tacking onto this thread (kind of a hijack!). I took 3.5 years off the bike, and made a return last month. Today was my first commute via bike (~24mi one way) from work to home. It was great. Except for the jerk that yelled "get off the road" virtually right in my ear. All I could think about was that guy for the rest of my ride home (the last 4-miles or so). Grrr!!!! How do you guys get over stuff like that quickly...since I have to ride back to work in the morning since my car is there!!

cheers
omesh

...the jerk that yelled "get off the road" virtually right in my ear. All I could think about was that guy for the rest of my ride home (the last 4-miles or so). Grrr!!!! How do you guys get over stuff like that quickly...

Give yourself some specific amount of time to stew. Let's say 5 minutes. Then use a technique called Cognitive Restructuring (I'm saving you $90 an hour telling you this). CR is a mind trick. Think about something, or someone you love. Your last trip to the beach. A new trick your dog learned. Something pleasant. Relive as many moments as you can. If your mind tries to wander back to rage, drag it back to the restructured thought.

Eventually, you won't need any of that. 10 seconds is the longest time I can stay mad at an idiot motorist.

If you want a very complicated and detailed account of this practice, go here: http://www.mindtools.com/stress/rt/CognitiveRestructuring.htm

Give yourself some specific amount of time to stew. Let's say 5 minutes. Then use a technique called Cognitive Restructuring (I'm saving you $90 an hour telling you this). CR is a mind trick. Think about something, or someone you love. Your last trip to the beach. A new trick your dog learned. Something pleasant. Relive as many moments as you can. If your mind tries to wander back to rage, drag it back to the restructured thought.

Eventually, you won't need any of that. 10 seconds is the longest time I can stay mad at an idiot motorist.

If you want a very complicated and detailed account of this practice, go here: http://www.mindtools.com/stress/rt/CognitiveRestructuring.htm

Thanks! Ill try that next time!

Sounds awesome, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Congratulations and keep up the good work!

hey guys! heres some pics! not all, but im working on it...i work for an insurance company as a service rep., it ok, theres a lot of work, and it gets demanding, sometimes im drained psychologically by customers....i compensate having as much fun living outside my job, plants, bikes, kites, driking coffee, lighting for partys, sound eng., visual projection, making stuff to regain my psychic energy...grocery shopping is my all time favorite, only if i bike lol!
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y77/echotraveler/6833_157537241419_556136419_4108318.jpg
heres me riding the Aquaexpresso
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y77/echotraveler/6833_157635506419_556136419_4109907.jpg
the Boat
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y77/echotraveler/6529_154025586419_556136419_4054668.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y77/echotraveler/IMG00009JPG.jpg
cups of coffee
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y77/echotraveler/6833_161633016419_556136419_4168320.jpgCharly Chaplin! lol
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y77/echotraveler/6833_157637301419_556136419_4109938.jpg
a pic of a crazy motorists that dresses like Michael Jackson! and rides around Old San Juan, dancing while riding! lol i love this one!



Also, i just noticed one broken spoke on my back wheel!:eek: is it safe to ride while i get a replacement??

Makes my small commute look boring. (it actually is). The idea of boating as part of a commute sounds awesome, and that coffee looks amazing (and I don't even drink coffee).
Keep up with the pics, too! You'll look back on them after you've been cycling for awhile. That's my plan, at least!

Can i safely commute with 1 rear broken spoke??!!
heres another pic
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y77/echotraveler/IMG00062.jpg
enjoying El Morro Fort (doing exercise)

today ill have to use the car...=-( sadly i have 1 broken spoke and will try get replacement...ill try to find someone that can cut spokes to length, not sure that even exist here in P.R. plus true the front wheel cause i don't want more broken spokes!

Nice pics, that coffee looks awesome.

Didn't you say there is a bike shop in route on your commute? Could you drop the wheel off on your way in with the car and possibly pick it up on your way home? I would let a shop do it so you know the spoke tension is right and that it is also true.

Nice pics, that coffee looks awesome.

Didn't you say there is a bike shop in route on your commute? Could you drop the wheel off on your way in with the car and possibly pick it up on your way home? I would let a shop do it so you know the spoke tension is right and that it is also true.
yes this coffee is an anti-depresant :thumb:
i went to his shop 2 days ago and told him i wanted to true my wheels and check tension, because i had some loose spokes, the guy said "i have to much work, maybe bring them in friday see if i can do them on the weekend:twitchy:" i told him that i didnt want my spokes to break since its pretty difficult getting a replacement in PR and he replyed "dont worry nothing's gonna happen"...and now this...:mad:

this morning i went to another bike shop but they are closed at 8:30 so im guessing they open at 10:00 or later....:twitchy:

mostly i want to ride tomorrow at critical mass San Juan, not the same mass as in USA, since here the Mass seems to respect keggers, and simply like to ride and obey rules...


hey guys i just came back from Bike Stop they told me i could ride tommorow but i needed to bring them in asap to prevent more broken spokes. He said "if i dont have the spoke size ill make one for you, dont worry so much man, if you were to respoke the entire wheel then we would need to buy new spokes, but for one! ill do it!"

hey guys i just came back from Bike Stop they told me i could ride tommorow but i needed to bring them in asap to prevent more broken spokes. He said "if i dont have the spoke size ill make one for you, dont worry so much man, if you were to respoke the entire wheel then we would need to buy new spokes, but for one! ill do it!"

Yeah, don't worry. I'll PM you my spoke source. In the mean time, replace the broken one, have the guy true the wheel up, and you should be okay. A 28 spoke 16" wheel with a steel rim should be pretty close to indestructable! If the spokes were not tensioned correctly at the factory, or have loosened up over the years, then you may be dealing with metal fatigue. If that is the case, then you can expect more spokes to break. If that happens, bite the bullet and replace them all. You can do it yourself, or you can pay your mechanic; but don't worry. It's not a big deal.

Nice bike, by the way. Where do you lock it, while at work?

Yeah, don't worry. I'll PM you my spoke source. In the mean time, replace the broken one, have the guy true the wheel up, and you should be okay. A 28 spoke 16" wheel with a steel rim should be pretty close to indestructable! If the spokes were not tensioned correctly at the factory, or have loosened up over the years, then you may be dealing with metal fatigue. If that is the case, then you can expect more spokes to break. If that happens, bite the bullet and replace them all. You can do it yourself, or you can pay your mechanic; but don't worry. It's not a big deal.

Nice bike, by the way. Where do you lock it, while at work?

:thumb:THANX i will read your PM ASAP! Changing the entire 28 spokes is what i want. but for now i ride with -1 spoke :innocent:

i can respoke myself, not true the wheel but if its cheap enough ill let someone do the entire job.:D

thanx for the complement! it rides pretty good, and am waiting for new tyres (110 psi) and tubes make her even faster! thankfully i dont have to lock it up at work cause i pakt it beside me. so i can watch it all day long. when i park it somewere i use a heavy chain for the frame and a flexy metal cable with lock for the wheels.

I think I might be able to tell how happy you are with your first commute.. just maybe. Emoticons are rad.

Congrats! I just did my first commute today and also posted.