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2014!! How was your commute today?

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2014!! How was your commute today?

Old 08-21-14, 10:25 AM
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Originally Posted by dru_
Pro-tip: wet and leafy covered wooden surfaces are VERY slippery. Went down at about 4-5 mph going around a corner coming out of the Forsyth greenway section to Bethelview. Jumped the chain and had to do some roadside repair before finishing the ride out.
I did that one a month or so back. No leaves, but wet wood on a greenway boardwalk with turns. I knew it was going to be slippery and slowed down, but still, the slightest lean sent that front tire out from under me. Glad you're okay.
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Old 08-21-14, 10:44 AM
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Got caught in a thunderstorm yesterday afternoon and fled for cover in a nearby city park. I had checked the radar before leaving work and the skies looked clear, but the humidity levels are so high right now that storms can develop very quickly. I started noticing the dark skies about halfway home and then it started thundering and lightning a lot, so I pulled out my iPhone to check my radar app and I was heading right into the belly of the beast. Fortunately I was close to the park, which had a community center where I could hole out for 30-45 minutes. Got home later than usual but dry except for the sweat.

Ironically, yesterday had the lowest percent chance of rain in the past 5 days according the local forecasters but that's when it got me. I drove on Monday and Tuesday because the forecast called for 70-80% chance of storms, but I could have made it home both days without hitting rain. That is what's so frustrating about our current weather pattern -- the rain is virtually unpredictable.
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Old 08-21-14, 11:11 AM
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Originally Posted by ericy
Grr.. On the way home, I cross an entrance ramp to a toll road, but there is a crosswalk clearly painted across the entrance ramp. When I get there, it was clear - I start to move, and then the light changes above, and people come roaring down - they obviously have no effing idea what the point of a crosswalk is. I could tell that this one pickup truck just wasn't going to stop - I anticipated that he wasn't going to do this, so I let him go by .

On the plus side, I cross a number of streets along the way, and I am noticing that much of the time the signal is "don't walk" but when I press the button it immediately changes to walk. So I am trying to perfect a technique of slowly rolling up to to the pole with the button on it and pressing it while moving slowly, and if it changes I can cross without even unclipping...
It's much easier to just stay on the road and follow the traffic lights. Just FYI.
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Old 08-21-14, 12:51 PM
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Rode home yesterday and added some to commute ending up with 26.45 for the ride home + 11 in the morning makes for a good strong day of riding.

This morning the humidity seemed to be less or at least it was not condensing on my glasses so I was able to ride in no problem. The traffic seemed lighter as well. The past three rides I have avg 16.3, 14.8, and 16.0. I have to hustle home today and I hope my legs can hold out to make it home.
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Old 08-22-14, 04:54 AM
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Old 08-22-14, 06:31 AM
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This has been my most challenging summer (and year) for bike commuting yet, mainly due to the weather. Like most Eastern states, NC had a colder and snowier winter than usual. Summer has also been cooler than usual but very humid with lots of thunderstorms. Many of these storms have been quite severe with heavy downpours, flooding streets and lots of lightning. We're running 10" above normal in rainfall for the year, with most of that surplus occurring in July-August. Needless to say, my commuting mileage is off, but ironically my total mileage is a little higher than usual -- mainly due to several long bike trips and generally nice weather on the weekends. Typically, commuting accounts for half or more of my total mileage but it's about 45% right now.

Essentially, deciding whether to ride every morning is a roll of the dice. Will I get caught in another thunderstorm or make it home unscathed? I decided to ride today, despite one forecaster calling for a 50% chance of afternoon thunderstorms and another one calling for 30%. My wife and I are going to the beach this weekend, with no bikes, so I want to get one more day of riding in. I'll find out this afternoon whether my gamble paid off.
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Old 08-22-14, 06:42 AM
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Originally Posted by dru_
I'm with you. pretty morning this morning. Unfortunately, I got caught out on a stupid.

Pro-tip: wet and leafy covered wooden surfaces are VERY slippery. Went down at about 4-5 mph going around a corner coming out of the Forsyth greenway section to Bethelview. Jumped the chain and had to do some roadside repair before finishing the ride out.
I wouldn't call it a "stupid", because your Forsyth greenway has a LOT of wood sections and a lot of traffic when I've seen it at least. Plus the boards are parallel to your wheels and not cross-wise if I recall right, and I think that gives us just a little less traction. It just takes a split second of inattention to go down.

The worst is leaves on top of leaves and it gets slimy between them, slick as ice, so be extra careful this fall!
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Old 08-22-14, 07:13 AM
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More rain but at least not heavy like yesterday. Hoping it clears up because I have an afternoon appointment and would rather not be soaking wet when I get there!
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Old 08-22-14, 07:15 AM
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Umm, foggy. 72 degrees with I'd guess a 70 degree dew point. I had to sit up four or five times, to ride no handed and wipe my glasses off.



In fact, it was so foggy/humid that I had water beading on my arm hairs.


Nice morning for a ride though.

I think I've come to the conclusion that commuting three days a week is what I would call the sweet spot for me. 24 miles, round trip, three days a week puts a pretty good toll on my legs. And if I want to ride on the weekends I need a day or two off. Basically if I'm going to ride on the weekends, I'll commute three days during the week. If I know I have a weekend where I won't be able to ride, I try to commute four days.
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Old 08-22-14, 07:19 AM
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Originally Posted by wphamilton
I wouldn't call it a "stupid", because your Forsyth greenway has a LOT of wood sections and a lot of traffic when I've seen it at least. Plus the boards are parallel to your wheels and not cross-wise if I recall right, and I think that gives us just a little less traction. It just takes a split second of inattention to go down.

The worst is leaves on top of leaves and it gets slimy between them, slick as ice, so be extra careful this fall!
What makes me chuckle about this. I've been on the ground 2x's in the last 10 years. Both times on the big creek greenway. both times within 50 feet of a trailhead. both times it's been a brain fart on wet surfaces and tree stuff. The first time on the decaying remains of pine tree spores, this time on leaves. 1000's of miles on the roads, in traffic etc. Both get off's in the relative safety of a MUP, both self inflicted.
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Old 08-22-14, 07:30 AM
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Originally Posted by dru_
What makes me chuckle about this. I've been on the ground 2x's in the last 10 years. Both times on the big creek greenway. both times within 50 feet of a trailhead. both times it's been a brain fart on wet surfaces and tree stuff. The first time on the decaying remains of pine tree spores, this time on leaves. 1000's of miles on the roads, in traffic etc. Both get off's in the relative safety of a MUP, both self inflicted.
I know, I've slipped several times on the wood section in Roswell, always when I knew better. Wet leaves, ice, freezing rain, and frozen mud (that one was really embarrassing because I had relaxed after getting past the "dangerous" parts).
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Old 08-22-14, 07:51 AM
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I was all ready to go, noticed my front tire was low. I started adding some air, and kept hearing the 'ssssss' sound. I may have done it as I was adding the air, but the there is now a leak at the valve stem.

So no commute today.
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Old 08-22-14, 08:23 AM
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Warm and humid but no rain today (strange, given the weather system this "summer").

Quiet ride on the highway this morning due to a fatal accident last night that has the highway closed off. The highway was closed to westbound traffic at Long Lake Rd and at Southview Dr: I was travelling east from Southview to Long Lake so I was ok to use it and encountered only 4 vehicles along the 8km/5mi, I even rode in the middle of the road for a short distance LOL.

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Old 08-22-14, 08:33 AM
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Originally Posted by mgw4jc
I was all ready to go, noticed my front tire was low. I started adding some air, and kept hearing the 'ssssss' sound. I may have done it as I was adding the air, but the there is now a leak at the valve stem.

So no commute today.
Must be something in the air lately ... I had a valve go bad also. This was last Thursday.

Replaced the tube, didn't air it up enough and came up with a snake bite puncture on Tuesday.
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Old 08-22-14, 10:00 AM
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Originally Posted by jrickards
Warm and humid but no rain today (strange, given the weather system this "summer").

Quiet ride on the highway this morning due to a fatal accident last night that has the highway closed off. The highway was closed to westbound traffic at Long Lake Rd and at Southview Dr: I was travelling east from Southview to Long Lake so I was ok to use it and encountered only 4 vehicles along the 8km/5mi, I even rode in the middle of the road for a short distance LOL.
Too bad about the accident and the fatality. But pretty sweet when you get a road like that to yourself. I have driven that highway several times and you can get speed up and misjudge things on the rollers (if it is the stretch I am thinking of).

After home sick for two days back on the bike today. I tried to go yesterday but it was not going well so I went home, drove the kid to daycare and slept all day. My wife can home, said I looked awful and asked if I just slept all day. This morning I feel like a million bucks.

Nice ride this morning it was cool, fairly quite and it is Friday. I had someone yell to get off the road at me, from two lanes over. When he yelled I just smile and though, my goodness he looks like a toad; I guess he needed to get that off his chest. I was taking it kinda easy when he yelled but I still ended with a number two on my sole KOM stretch.

I am looking forward to a nice weekend, maybe get a ride on my new only rode once by me road bike. I will see how I feel, maybe get a hill climb.
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Old 08-22-14, 10:23 AM
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Originally Posted by joeyduck
Too bad about the accident and the fatality. But pretty sweet when you get a road like that to yourself. I have driven that highway several times and you can get speed up and misjudge things on the rollers (if it is the stretch I am thinking of).
I wonder if you're thinking of the rollers between Sault Ste Marie and Thunder Bay, there aren't really any of any significance where I am.
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Old 08-22-14, 10:43 AM
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I was planning to NOT ride this morning: lots of stuff to carry home, rest up the knee for big cycling weekend, late night last night, got up a bit late this AM, etc. etc....but...

I'm not sure how/why but I ended up riding in anyways.
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Old 08-22-14, 11:19 AM
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Originally Posted by timvan_78
I was planning to NOT ride this morning: lots of stuff to carry home, rest up the knee for big cycling weekend, late night last night, got up a bit late this AM, etc. etc....but...

I'm not sure how/why but I ended up riding in anyways.
You know why, it is more fun and relaxing. It was a great day for a ride.
@jrickards I very well may have been thinking of them. I do know for certain I saw a spectacular sunrise camping near a lake in Espanola one trip.
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Old 08-22-14, 12:52 PM
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It wasn't raining at 4:30 this morning so I rode in, so glad I did since I wouldn't have made it in otherwise. The creek at the end of my road flowed over and flooded the road, and there was one particular spot on the state road that was flooded higher than usual. Traffic was closed to all traffic but there's always that one idiot that ignores the warnings and goes around the barricade. He wound up stranded in about 3.5 feet of water from last night's storms and had no idea where he was to call AAA for a tow. When I got to the diner, I called the local garage to let them know there was someone stuck out on the road that needed a tow. I hope the guy learned his lesson, an expensive one as it's going to cost him at least $2000 to replace his engine. I've been wondering all day whether auto insurance covers stupidity. Anyway, days like today make me thankful I commute by bike... I can pedal through water, or walk through it if it's too deep. Another plus, I don't have to wash my bike now as it was covered in mud yesterday, and I was too busy when I got home yesterday to wash it off - the puddle did it for me this morning, all I had to do was towel dry and re-lube it.
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Old 08-22-14, 05:07 PM
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Different kind of commute today. My employer is looking for new office space, and this morning we checked out one possibility. I took the opportunity to ride there to check the feasibility of commuting by bike. It was okay; distance-wise it's about the same as my current commute, but there's a lot of crappy pavement, and the last 13 blocks are on a busy street. The building supposedly has underground, secure parking for bikes, but no shower facilities. Actually, there are few amenities at all in the area; nothing within walking distance.

The other location we're considering would give me shorter commute by a few kilometers, and the route is mostly trails and marked bike lanes. It also has secure underground bike parking, and a full fitness facility on site with free admission to tenants (i.e., free showers)! There's also tons of amenities close by.

Guess which location I'll be voting for!
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Old 08-22-14, 06:53 PM
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I was on furlough today but I wanted to mention that my coworker wrecked on his own ride yesterday. He was at the intersection of the Folsom-Auburn bike lane with Natoma Station Drive, where the ramp down the curb does not line up with the path. He was avoiding some joggers too, I'm not entirely clear about the chain of events. He had walked his bike the remaining two miles to work in the dawn light and worked a full day before getting checked out. I gave him a ride home. He couldn't lift his bike into the truck, and when he went to get checked out at Doc In The Box, they found his collarbone broken. I asked him why... "S**t to do." He's going to an orthopedist today to see if he needs further work or just to keep off it. Stay safe out there...
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Old 08-22-14, 07:40 PM
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Brutal humidity this morning, brutal heat index this afternoon....but it's only a 30 min ride each way and it is late Aug in Florida...so Meh.....
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Old 08-25-14, 04:47 AM
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68F /20C I would almost call it brisk compared to the past few weeks. Got about two blocks from home and remembered I left some files for work on the table....Monday.

Over the weekend, I reattached a modified rear fender to my Bianchi, Iseo...I had a thicker tire installed and that rubbed on the fender. Solution was to just cut the front end off and attach it with zip ties to the rear rack. So far so good, no rubbing and no rattling. Just needs a rain test.
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Old 08-25-14, 05:08 AM
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The commute in this morning was very nice, the temps in the high 50'sf when I was leaving the house.
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Old 08-25-14, 05:15 AM
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Was going to be a good commute this morning but hit 2 trains that was a extra 40 minutes. Had to put a new tire and tube on the front wow what a difference! A bit muggy this morning but going to be a warm one on the ride home.
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