Squeeze

Today's surprise commuting experience:

I have several routes that are all fairly close to each other and generally parallel. I'm fortunate to have multiple MUPs and/or quiet residential streets to ride for about 4.5 of my 5 mile commute to work. This morning I decided to zoom over to the elementary school near my house and cut through their parking lot to start a slightly longer way to work. This would let me avoid a big mud puddle on another trail I saw on the way home last night as well as some slightly different scenery, since I hadn't gone the school way in a couple weeks.

I forgot school has started, and that made a difference this morning. All summer the school was abandoned and I'd fly through there without a care, but today there were kids and teachers and parents and cars all over the place out front. I decided a guy blasting through the crowd in the parking lot on a bike wouldn't do anyone any good, so instead I rode almost past the school on a side street and cut down across a steep grassy hill, through the playground (there was no one in sight or I wouldn't have done this), and then pick up the little single-track trail that leaves the playground and joins the main trail 20 or 30 yards away.

I thought the hill would be a nice SMOOTH grassy hill but instead it was a bone-jarring, tooth-rattling shake-a-thon that I would have approached much more slowly if I had known what I was in for. I somehow survived and bolted down the gravel MUP to my favorite part of my commute when I go this way - a long downhill run of maybe a mile on a very quiet neighborhood street. It's long and steep enough that I can just about spin out on my 3x8 '90s MTB running street tires if I want to. From there I cross a little side road and take a flat run of perhaps a mile on MUP before the last part of my commute - a steady uphill of maybe two miles.

Down on the flats, thinking of the climb ahead, I reached down to grab my water bottle for a big swig of water, and...

...I bet some of you guessed where this was going when I described the hill. Yep, no water bottle. I suppose I could have left it but I knew I'd want water as I got closer to my office, and why waste a perfectly good bottle? I was ahead of schedule, and my arrival time at work is flexible as long as I'm not stupidly late, so I turned around and rode back up to the school to get my bottle.

That turned in to a nice long ride and I feel even better than usual here at my desk, knowing that I've gotten my excercise for the day and get to do it all over again after work, too.

ThermionicScott 

Got up super-late this morning after upgrading my iPhone last night. Of course, I spent an extra 5 minutes to get my "fast" bike ready for the trip.

dcb23

77F/25C wow, humid and very summer like again.

FenderTL5

heavy rains yesterday afternoon, streets/MUP were still damp and littered with wet leaves.
I took it easy in the corners otherwise, warm (70s) and muggy. we're supposed to get a break from the heat on Friday.
Otherwise an uneventful ride in.

droy45

Foggy out this morning, low traffic and managed almost all green lights and rolling stops at intersections. Made good time. Its amazing how much more enjoyable the ride is in the morning as compared to the afternoon. If I would wait until 6:30pm to leave the office I may have a better commute home as the traffic would have slowed and the temps dropped some. That would be a long day though and my bride would be home worried about me.

spivonious

So humid this morning. I am drenched with sweat. It's supposed to be in the 90s again this afternoon, so coming home will feel like riding through a sauna.

The clicking noise went away on its own. I'm going to take it in for a tune-up next month just to make sure it's good to make it through the winter.

dramiscram

Hot and humid this morning, 25» celcius but with the humidity it's like 36°c . Strange week so far, 5°c on monday morning with pants and long sleeves jersey and 36°c two days later in the super hero lycra suit.

Nice commute anyway

tarwheel 

Another warm day in NC, the third or fourth in a row when the high reached 90 F or higher. Fortunately the humidity is not oppressive. We still have no hot water at work, but I'm getting used to the cold showers in the morning. Rode my touring bike for the second day in a row because I had a lot of gear to carry today, so I kept an easy pace.

DXchulo

What is it with ******** on bikes (they're not always in cars) who cut in front of you when you're stopped at a red light? It's even worse when said ******* runs a red light right in front of you, then rides slow as **** so that you have to wait for a break in traffic to get out of the bike lane to get around his stupid ass.

timvan_78

Yesterday on the way home I saw a crunched up road bike underneath a semi-trailer on my route. Stomache turns--classic right hook. Got home, checked the news and the guy had died.

https://www.vancouversun.com/news/Cyclist+dies+after+being+truck+Burnaby/8895541/story.html

Felt slightly better when I got to work this AM and confirmed that the fellow commuter in my office that uses the same route was present & accounted for.

groovestew

Unbelievably clear and calm this morning. A smoke trail left by a passing jet stayed a thin, straight line in the sky for my entire commute. Chilly too, only 6C/43F...warm enough still for shorts, but I wore a long-sleeve shirt and gloves, and a bandanna under my helmet covering my ears.

Beavers have been active along one trail. A couple more trees down. It would be nice if they could finish the job and clean up after themselves.

PatrickGSR94

Not too bad yesterday and today... yesterday was hot, this morning wasn't hot but was extremely humid. I think I was more sweaty this morning in the 70-deg. weather than I was yesterday afternoon in the 90 deg. weather.

dcb23

The heat and humidity continue here in DC. I believe it moves out beginningnthis afternoon. A calm ride in. Darness is the norm these mornings.

essiemyra

The ride in was good and temps were warm at 68 f degrees with high humidity. I could smell the skunk again this morning in the same area as the other day, but the scent was not as strong, so I assume he is deeper in the woods. Anyway, a nice uneventful ride in this morning.

FenderTL5

If the weather guessers are correct, today is the last day of the heat and humidity for a few days.
Lots of cars again this morning - no unpleasant interactions, just extra traffic. I had one guy on a road bike veer onto the MUP from a parking lot about 10 feet in front of me, he wasn't watching/looking, but no harm no foul I suppose. I did hear him apologize as he rode on. He was racing something.. I wasn't.

Standalone 

I'm melting. I've also been off the bike too much. There is a new commuter train station right near me and I'm just as winded getting there as I was getting to the old farther one.

jrickards

Dry and overcast, then wet, then dry again, oh well, at least the temps were mild.

spivonious

So humid. Go away Summer!

The click has returned, but much softer. I'm starting to think the bottom bracket has some crud in it. Is it easy to take apart and put back together?

JPinWI

Woke in a funk but worked it out on the way to work...beautiful sunrise in these parts...no rain...no wind...if only they were all like Today. :-)

dramiscram

Last night on my way home I rode in a middle of a thunderstorm for at least 15-17 kms, lightnings everywhere around me, pouring rain and a big headwind. It was very frightening but a lot of fun and a big rush of adrenaline at the same time, weird feeling. I did one of my best time of the year even with a 20 kmh headwind.
This morning was wet, pouring rain again, tailwind, a lot of traffic for my rural commute.
It's been raining a lot here for the last 72 hours, the river is almost as high as it is in the spring.

jrickards

Reminds me of what a co-worker said to me as I was about to change into my lycra gear, "Are you transforming?"

Yalc

a bit humid but right arround 70's. I love dallas when it turns to fall..

costelde

Haven't biked to work since Monday because of the rain. I am in Denver CO. I am 50 years old and have lived in CO since the early 70's and I have never seen rain like this. It's unbelievable and no end in site for it.

groovestew

A few degrees warmer than yesterday (10C/50F) but chilly on the bare arms starting out.

ill.clyde

Haven't commuted in a week ... head cold ... still fighting off the lingering bits of it. Was going to ride this morning but decided I'd give myself the next two days off and then back to it on Monday.

Darker than it has been at 6 a.m. today too ... going to have to get a light set (front/rear - cheap) for a little peace of mind on Monday