eza

Nice and cool this morning after waiting for the rain to stop. Finally got to try out the fenders, and they work as advertised.

HardyWeinberg

2 miles shorter and 2 mph faster on the most direct route, today, than the most serene route, yesterday. I totally spaced this morning, avoiding tree-trimming crews on my block, and wound up on the completely wrong heading (I had intended for more serenity today).

ningnangnong

Very, very, very wet. Altura trousers held out but not the North Face jacket.

Time for a new one I think.

Itsjustb

Another weird commute yesterday. The morning ride was fine (temps finally dropped over the weekend), but loud, as drivers were honking horns like crazy--not even at me, just in general.

Then around 10:30 yesterday morning my daughter's day care center called me. They had a stray dog hanging around the front of the building; they'd called animal control but AC couldn't come for a while. One of the ladies remembered I volunteer with dog rescue, so they asked me if I could come get him. I wasn't expecting what I found when I got there. I've seen many really skinny stray dogs over the years, but this guy was my worst so far.

We caught him and I called one of our foster homes. Long story short, I wound up driving all over Raleigh and Durham getting the dog squared away, and in the end had my car here at work. I didn't ride home yesterday, instead loaded the bike into the car and drove, wearing my bike shorts, shoes, and jersey.

MyPC8MyBrain

Great ride home last night... pounded it all the way. Even stood up and hammered on the last half mile up the hills. I don't know what gets into me. I start off from work thinking I'm just going to cruise...next thing ya know I'm flying.

Had one putz pull way to the right to try and block my forward progress past him while he was stuck in traffic. He didn't catch me again until I was a mile and a half up the hill. What are these yahooz thinking ? Freakin looser.

This morning I left earlier... about 6:30. Man what a huge increase in traffic. School is started again so I think that has a lot to do with it. Passed 100 cars in pre coffee 3 lane gridlock coming down from the house.
Weeeeeeeee..
Hahaha

caloso

No more creaking from the Trek 5200 when standing on the pedals. The shop replaced my BB, retensioned my spokes, and adjusted my headset. Now it's just deadly silent. Beautiful.

chephy

I took a route I don't normally take today, and it was backed up for miles because of construction. I got to do a lot of fun lane-splitting.

Felt fast and strong.

JoeyBike

I like to let out a loud devilish laugh at times like that! Suckers rotting in traffic. Gotta love it.

toughyreader

Hot!

tld

This morning I got buzzed by an SUV. I had taken the middle of the lane, gave a left turn signal and the SUV gunned it and passed me on my left just as I was turning. grr... Other than that, it was cooler today, around 78 this morning, so it made for a nice ride to work. I stopped by the LBS on the way home to pick up a part for my mountain bike and then took the long way home, just to get a few extra miles in. Overall, it was a good day of riding.

vtjim

Maybe it was one of the people who post to Burlington Vermont's Craigslist/RNR. (Look for posts about cyclists) I swear, the people who post there have the average intellect of a 12 year-old. I read it because it's like watching a train wreck. I don't respond.

Anywho, fast ride again today, even with a soul-sucking headwind: 17MPH at the airport, 32MPH on the lake, which I ride next to almost all the way in. Temps around 60F. Hardly saw anybody. Passed a young lady, and noticed a rider who seemed to be reeling me in (or trying to at any rate) but he never caught up.

I talked to a cyclist at a red light about the headwind. He agreed that the wind would probably turn around and be in our faces for the ride home too.

ModoVincere

First time using my generator light set. Its a real cheap set I picked up for like $12 at Target. It worked fine. The light gets pretty dim when I'm going up this one hill, but the suns coming up by that time and I can see just fine. I imagine later on I'll either use the Cateye to supplement the generator light on the hill or I'll just have to get stronger so I can go uphill faster. Either way, it works.

Tude 

Low 60's and low humidity - nice ride - and found yet another way to cut another block off of riding Main St - by cutting through a huge parking lot to a little one way street, jump a couple cubs and VOILA! One less city block of cars fighting to get on/off the expressway.

tld

Oh wow - I envy you! It was so sticky here this morning that it felt like somebody poured syrup on the backs of my knees and every time I stopped, my glasses fogged up.

jyossarian

First commute in a couple weeks. Back to lane splitting, zig zagging and ped dodging.

Flimflam

Ride yesterday was fine, office party last night and the fact I need my back wheel truing and a spoke repair/replacement meant I didn't ride today (amongst other reasons). Also took the opportunity (as I left my rack at work last night, I didn't know how to take a wheel in without using a bungee as a backstrap which didn't seem like a good plan) to bring my Peugoet frame to the mech. and will take a few minutes tonight to ask them what threading it is for the BB...

Feels nice to have a rest, I guess, but I much prefer riding - I convinced myself over many factors, including the 400k I'll be doing this weekend, I used to like the TTC but it's really frustrating now that I've been so used to riding.

Quickbeam

Good commute today. Less humid and cool. Perfect riding weather (Twin Cities area of Minnesota).

deanack

I had a nice ride in this morning. It was a little cool 64, but I had on a long sleeve t-shirt under my jersey. I ready like the new bib shorts I just got, I do not like the feel of the normal shorts on my back. I got thru two lights on 18 Mile that I have not made before. They have two lights at each main road for the Michigan left turn lanes and the difference between the first and second was too short before. Maybe I am getting faster. The miles in the morning starts my day off right.

CliftonGK1

I found a guy's checkbook on my way to work this morning. No phone number on the checks, so I looked his name up online. Found a phone number, but when I called it, it was a fax line. (I sent him a fax saying I found his checkbook, and gave him my number to call me.)
There's no other guys with this name in the general area, and the other search hits for his name have him listed as the lead singer of a pretty famous local band. Who knows... maybe I get to meet a local rock star later today.

HardyWeinberg

Well, I drove and didn't lose a measurable amount of my soul, so that's not too bad.

Last night, I took the most intense hill-climbing route home (pulling 2.5 yr old in trailer). I took the sidewalk for the hill. Very good peace of mind. An alternate to that route could also involve a different sidewalk, but it is much wider and higher vis too. This sidewalk was definitely subpar, but still, peace of mind was good.

The day before I did it in traffic, plus accidentally on the middle (not granny) ring, way winded at the top then I have to say. No abuse from cagers unlike Friday, tailgated by horn leaning buffoon. How she could lean on her horn so much w/ that latte and cell phone I don't know.

I have 3, 4 I guess, main choices to bring toddler back a) Straight up main drag (2 lanes each way plus turn, have to change toward the left, blocking freeway lane, right at the top of the climb), long but manageable hill (after a couple yrs of conditioning and regearing anyway) or up side street w/ some traffic but not much hill, then onto either b) short but wayyyyy steep side street, 1 lane (1 lane total I mean) or c) onto main drag at light so my left turn position not so bad on the cages (least hill of all), and then d) this other side street on the other side of the main drag that I took yesterday. Longer hill (so not as steep as b but longer, so more output overall I think). Sidewalk option to defuse impact on cages. d) is pure gold in the am, going down it, lovely and vacant, but in the pm, rush hour, it is more full of cranky cagers than b/c options.

regional

Hi all....just joined the forum. Have been commuting regularly the past 2 seasons (April - October) with my Miyata one thousand. 30 km each way. I did 80 days last year and hoping for 100 this year (at 54 today). Unfortunately I always get a good headwind heading home due to lake effect!! Have had this bike for almost 20 years and it's still in great condition. It's a wonderful bike to commute with. Any other commuters from Montreal out there?

philmarion

terrible commute this morning....my rear wheel gear shifter broke at the bottom of a large ravine. Stuck on the smallest sprocket at the bottom of the hill! Unable to shift gears.
Had to walk it up the hill. Managed to ride it to a nearby bike store where I'll go during lunch time to see if they can replace it in time for my commute home.

caloso

I'm just going to forget the woman in the beige Camry who ignored my signal to change lanes and then accelerated to 45mph or so (on a 25mph limit street) so she could sit an extra 30 seconds at the red light. I'll ignore the fact that the maneuver was stupid, illegal, inefficient, and just plain assholish. I hope your day improves from there, lady. I really do.

Anyway, mine did. I decided I hadn't been riding the tri bike enough this year so I brought it out for my own personal ITT on the American River Bike Trail. (Now I know that we have all sorts of arguments about whether it's a good idea to ride fast on MUPs, but the lower section of the ARBT is basically a bike highway at 7:30am on weekdays and most folks on it are seasoned commuters and fitness riders. So it really wasn't an issue once I got out on it. )

Basically, this ride reinforced LeMond's Law: It never gets easier, you just go faster.

esbelch32

Didn't commute today, and looks like tomorrow will be another day 'off'- literally- as I do have an ear infection and am on a round of antibiotics and Percoset, with 2 days on quarters.

What's funny is, I was going to bike in to the hospital...til the side of my head went numb! Oh well, there's next week.

vtjim

Responding to my own post. Wind this morning was south. Is now NW at 10 and supposed to increase.