PatrickGSR94

nasty@$$ birds lol

dcb23

Sooo nice to be back in the sadle for a beautiful morning commute after 2.5 weeks.

Now need to get used to riding with a wedding ring! (Ring is loose so it's kind of scary.)

nudave2005

63F and spun up the hill like nobody's business.

tarwheel 

Great commute this morning, with the humidity ever so slightly lower than lately. Hopefully that bodes well for the prospects of afternoon thunderstorms, which have been an almost daily occurrence this summer in NC. A cold front is supposed to pass through the state later this afternoon or evening, which could make the afternoon commute dicey, depending on the timing of it. I placed my bets on it arriving more toward evening, but might need to find another ride home if it hits during my usual commute time. We had a monster storm on Wednesday afternoon, which forced me to catch a ride with my wife.

jerrduford

First real commute of the year. I've started a new job and also have a new bike!
It was about 45-50F this fine morning, I took off at about 6:20, and arrived at 7:30. About 18 miles through and around downtown Grand Rapids.

The ride was a breeze on my new Synapse 5!

cvskates

I had a flat on the way home yesterday. Not my first flat, but the first one while actually going to or from work, as opposed to out on rec rides.

One cyclist, and 3 cars stopped to ask if I needed assistance or a ride. I guess the universe is trying to restore my faith in strangers.

anthonybkny

great ride today, stress free route from brooklyn into midtown manhattan. was faster this morning. however, i just noticed a nice piece of glass sticking out of my rear tire. the tire hasnt gone flat, but look at the size of this gash. being a bike noob, should i attempt to ride home with this? my commute is 13 miles or should i get a new set of tires? if so, what do you guys recommend for NYC streets? i have a cannondale bad boy 5 with 700x28c slicks on it now.

PatrickGSR94

I recently got a cut like that, which didn't go all the way through. I filled it with black Shoe Goo and it's been perfectly fine.

PatrickGSR94

Pretty nice ride into work this morning. Not hot, but very humid. I forgot to bring my bath towel to work yesterday so I had to bring it in my backpack this morning, which wasn't very fun. Also I nearly went down in an intersection because my foot slipped off my new Shimano double-sided SPD/platform pedals while trying to get going from a red light. Didn't go down but my left thigh hit the bike top tube pretty hard. Probably gonna bruise it up nicely.

I took a different route this morning than my usual. My usual route (same both morning and afternoon) passes by 2 schools near my office, which I pass between 7:15 and 7:30 so the traffic is crazy nuts. I went a different way this morning which was only 1 mile longer, but passes no schools at all, and has nearly 300 feet LESS climbing - 376 this morning vs. the usual 660 feet according to Strava. I think I'll make this my new regular morning route.

dramiscram

The ring may be loose but is the knot tight???

Congratulation!!!

dramiscram

Nice commute today but I had to go back home after 3 kms because I forgot my saddle bag with all the Tools and spare tubes, etc, on my other bike. I didn't bring my lunch box this morning so I took my vintage Bianchi to work and forgot to make the switch. That with a big 30 kms headwind I took me 1h15 min. to get to work.
This afternoon should be a blast as the winds should increase but then it will be a tailwind

anthonybkny

great tip, will give it a try, thanks!

Squeeze

Commuted by car today, BUT...

After about six weeks of bike commuting two to four times per week by bicycle, I've been wondering why my weight hasn't changed.

I wear the same kind of pants every day to work and this morning it seemed like they were just hanging off me. I had to pull my belt in one hole tighter.

I may not be losing any weight according to my ancient bathroom scale, but my stomach is thinner and I feel great, even on days I don't ride. Maybe I'm building leg muscles and losing fat, so the weight is the same? Or maybe I just need a better scale.

Either way, I'm hoping for a late arrival of winter so I can keep on riding to work instead of driving. I really enjoy this forum as well. Thanks to all who participate here. I learn something every day here.

MikeM21

That ring is going to weigh down your bike in soooooo many ways! But, congratulations anyway.

My commute was motorized today and I dropped off the commuter to take advantage of the LBS' August tune up special. I built this bike up myself and have been having crazy shifting issues lately. I can dial it itn temporarily but it was in need of some professional help.

Off to the beach tonight for a week so August commuting is officially done! 220 miles total, 11 days out of 16 possible. Also broke through a weight loss plateau and dropped six more pounds this month for a total of 67 in about the last fifteen months! Let's hope that I don't put it all back on at the beach. I'm taking the Merlin, so I should get some good riding in.

Have a great and safe week fellow bike commuters!

Squeeze

I missed that wedding ring post. Congrats to dcb23!

I've been married 16 years so I don't think about my wedding ring much. I never take it off and it's just like another part of my body.

However, as I returned to bike riding after many years of not riding regularly, I've noticed that in addition to the developing the usual bike callouses on my palms near the base of my fingers that I remember having all throughout my childhood, I've developed a callous just in front (on the fingertip side, not the palm side) of my wedding ring too.

baron von trail 

The ride in this AM was a struggle. Tired as hell. Lost sleep over the past few days has caught up to me. I've even fallen asleep in my chair here at work. The 30-mile ride home tonight is going to suck...unless I sneak a few more zzz's.

PatrickGSR94

I believe muscle is denser than fat, so you can indeed trim down and build muscle without actually losing any pounds.

I held some good eating habits while I was running and dropped 25 pounds in a year, down below 195. But now after another year my eating habits aren't that great. However I have maintained a pretty steady weight in the 192-193 range. After I ride home from work I'm ALMOST below 190 but not quite there yet.

RidingMatthew

congrats on the wedding band be careful you don't lose it. I lost my after 10 years of marriage. I had lost 30# walked into a lake and it slipped right off my finger. She and I are sad about the loss but my new cheaper titanium fits better and is more comfortable.

MikeM21

Ring or bike???

PatrickGSR94

Probably ring. My ring is titanium also. Mine has never slipped off, but I have noticed it slightly looser fitting lately. When we went to the beach I did not wear it out in the water.

Squeeze

You skinny guys who are losing rings need to chain your ring to your watchband, sort of like the chain on a trucker's wallet.

enigmaT120

I didn't feel like riding in this morning. Mostly because I didn't feel like going to work, but I guess that's normal for me. Nice ride though: the moon is still up illuminating my scenic ride. One car passed me leaving Falls City, and none others for the final 8 miles of my ride. That's the way I like it.

Today was my second day riding on my B17. My seat bones were a little tender but it was OK. On my other saddle, I'm prone to getting a sore muscle in a left hamstring. I've been to two massage therapists and they failed to fix it, though it still seems to me like an issue that could be fixed that way. It's difficult to stretch that particular muscle. Anyway, it doesn't bug me at all with the Brooks saddle. Dunno why, as I don't know what causes the pain in the first place.

CVskates post reminded me of something from Wednesday. I was pedaling along and noticed a tree with ripe (err, mostly) wild plums, so I stopped to eat them. No need for energy bars this time of year. A motorist stopped to ask if everything was OK, which was really nice, so I explained what I was doing. Then he asked "Do you know this road turns to gravel?" I bet he's a bicyclist, just not a Fargo rider. Yeah I knew, that's a regular route for me, but usually later in the day. I told him I had the bike for it.

enigmaT120

I've stared at the picture a few minutes, but I guess I'm missing it. It looks to me like he is using his U-lock to lock the pipe to the lower frame tube. Are you just thinking about the way the shopping cars will whack his handlebar?

jerrduford

You said you're losing inches, clothes are fitting looser, and feeling great. Why would the scale matter at all? It's just a number. You don't stamp "196 lbs" to your forehead, however your waistline is pretty easy to see. Keep at it, and don't let the scale fool you!

tigerteeuwen

Been commuting by bike to work for the last 8 weeks by bicycle 5 days a week, I have actually sold my car for the time being, but we still have my wifes car for other things.

Bit of a flu this week though, hope to get over it this weekend, i have just been riding slower then usual on my commute to not wear myself out.

still can't believe it though 8 weeks, 5 days a week. time flys.