bmthom.gis

Everything about that appeals to me, except the white bar tape lol. I mean, it looks sharp, until you get a couple hundred miles on it. But that is gorgeous

arsprod 

That is puuuurty! 45F this morning and I'm watching rain clouds moving in, likely a wet ride home. Even if I didn't know most of the fair-weather commuters by sight they're easily recognizable - they're the ones wearing shorts. Yikes!

Hypno Toad

@arsprod and @bmthom.gis

Thank you!

I know white bar tape is a poor choice for utility, but this bike will have a pampered life. In fact, I'm planning on new gloves to use with this bike only.

Today is sunny and a great day to take this bike for a fast ride - my commute from my house to my home office.

bmthom.gis

Quite a lovely 3ish miles. Temps probably around 52, cool enough for a light jacket, no wind. Was going back and forth on a full commute or or short one from The Wife's Office, chose the shorter one to hopefully get in a group ride later tonight. Took some photos along the way bc it was a beautiful morning.

After turning off a busy road, I had peaceful bliss like this the rest of the way


Main Street Columbia, SC (sorry for the blurry shot...I call it artistic in hindsight)


Your semi-humble poster on the road my office is located on


My office is the red awning. Before that, from intersection on in is Pearlz Oyster Bar, Uncle Louies (dive bar), The Oyster Bar (two oyster bars on the same block..and they both do good business), and finally my office


Just on the other side. I work in a dangerous place lol

mgw4jc

Pretty normal commute today. Overcast, but a bit warmer than previous days this week. Afternoon thunderstorms possible. Thursday evening is my shorter day as I ride about 5 miles where my wife takes my bike and I meet the local running group for 5-6 miles of trails. Then I meet her back at the end of my daughter's ballet class.

The temps have been ideal here for a while now. Not looking forward to the hot summer days.

beerRun

Welcome, prasanth!

My commutes have been great this week. Mid-50s mornings, mid-70s afternoons, no wind. And I'm getting faster!

PatrickGSR94

Nice rides this week, but had a few interesting and very rare encounters.

Tuesday morning I turned left from a narrow road onto a 2-lane no shoulder road, heading away from an area with large warehouses. At least 1/4 mile away I see a pickup truck, but most people turn in by the warehouses so I went on. Well he came on straight, and started honking when he was still 1/4 mile away. Okay whatever, I keep on going. I see him in my mirror. He gets closer behind me and honks some more. I turn around and hold me left arm like "Whaddya want me to do??" and keep on controlling my lane, heading uphill towards a blind hill crest. Then he guns the engine to pass, straddles the double yellow, and passes me with less than a foot between my bars and his mirror. Believe me when I tell you that 99% of motorists change lanes to pass me on 2-lane roads. Passing cyclists on a double yellow is legal, when safe, in MS. But this was a blind hill and it wasn't safe, nor did he pass me in a safe manner. Arse.

Then on the way home Tuesday a little beagle comes running out and barking into the middle of the 2-lane road. Just a little farther up the road, I pass a house where a large German Shepherd comes running and barking out into the road! I've had problems with the dogs at this house before. An oncoming motorist had to slow way down and honked at the dog lol. I filled out the dog report form on my club's website so they will be getting a friendly notice in the mail soon.

Then this morning, just as I turned the corner from my house, a car rides CLOSE behind me as I round a curve with cars parked on both sides. After it's clear he rides up alongside me and is like "there's a 20 MPH sign there for a reason. They put that sidewalk over there for you". I yelled that I'm not supposed to be on the sidewalk. Another arse. If I see him around the neighborhood out in the yard or something I'll have a word with him. I'll remember his car.

Otherwise I was pretty tired coming in today. I was up late watching my Memphis GRIZZZ defeat the Portland Trailblazers to advance on to the next round of the NBA Playoffs. Why Memphis is in the Western conference I'll never understand. Game wasn't finished until nearly 11:30 central time.

jfowler85

Stand your ground with the jackasses, good on you. People love the fun side of driving but suck nuts at actually reading/following laws pertaining to operating a vehicle on public roads...and the law sucks at educating drivers about how to handle bicycles.

Armycopter

First post here. New to bike riding in general but set a goal of riding to work twice per week. I do quite a bit of running (mostly indoors in the winter and outdoors in the summer). Got my bike last week and so far I have accomplished my goal (1 week in a row ha ha). It was 37'F this morning when I left and my fingers were a bit frozen by the time I got to work but overall was a great ride. The ride home will be in the 50's so it will be fine. I don't mind it a bit on the cool side since it helps to not be covered in sweat when I get to work (there are no showers here). My commute is 6.8 miles one way and 7.2 miles back (the difference is due to some one-way roads). Looking forward to some good riding this season. I am a bit concerned about drivers as it can be a little scary flying along with cars on my left and drainage ditches on my right!

noglider 

I nearly collided with a doofus coming the other way. There are deliberate pinch spots on the path which aim to slow down the bike traffic. The doofus passed pedestrians on their left, putting him into my lane. When he saw he was on a collision course with me, he went even further left. I tried to pass him on my left, because that is my trained reflex. At the last moment, I realized it wouldn't work, and I saw his rear wheel skid in front of me. Unskilled dude. We managed to avoid hitting each other.

But that was fruitful, because the guy riding behind me struck up a conversation. He ended up accompanying me all the way to the Bronx because he lives and works in that neighborhood. He showed me the bike path over the Henry Hudson Bridge. I had been wondering how to get there, and I needed someone to show me. It's more pleasant as a route, but it is a little out of the way and much hillier, so it takes more time. I will take it sometimes but not always. He's a really nice guy, so I thanked him and handed him my card when we parted ways.

prasanth

Thankyou @beerRun.
One more day of pleasant ride.
Upper 50s both ways.
Rare tail wind in the return uphill ride to the boot.

Mailman44

Beautiful commute today. Temperature was in high 70s with a light breeze. What made it so good though was the first time I rode my new fixie!

Darth Lefty 

I saw a snake sunning himself on the Main Ave fire road.

essiemyra

The commute this morning was very pleasant. The temp was 44f degrees when I left the house. A bunny ran across the road in front of me, then turned around and ran back to the first side. I guess he did not like what he saw on the other side of the street.

esmith2039

A little head wind this morning temp not bad though. Had to take a sleep aid last night so extremely groggy and felt like crud. Just put it in the easiest gear and kept going. Riding the bike seems to getting easier.. only the recovery time! Still have alot of leg muscle to build up.

mgw4jc

He couldn't find the chicken!

Cool and overcast this morning. I left a little later than I like to, so had to make up some time. I ended up with what may be my fastest to-work commute time/pace ever - average speed was 17.9mph (including stops). I'll sometimes hit that average on the way home, but not on the way to work.

Happy Friday!

noglider 

I rode from work to my mother's place to visit her. On the way, a spoke in my rear wheel broke, and instantly, my rear wheel was too wobbly to turn. This wheel gave me trouble a couple of years ago, and I replaced all the drive-side spokes. Now it's time to replace the non-drive spokes. I think I'll use a different rim, too, because this one is too soft. It went way too far out of true from the loss of just one spoke, and there are 36 spokes.

I carry a multi tool, and it has a spoke wrench built into it, but it does not make for fast work. I loosened the spokes on each side of the broken one to reduce the wobble. I got it to the point where it didn't rub the frame on either side. It started out rubbing on both sides. I disconnected the rear brake so the wheel wouldn't rub that. By the time I was done, the bike rode fine and didn't feel off in any way.

After visiting my mother's place, I rode home on Columbus and Ninth Avenues, not my usual route. It was really treacherous because there are so many wrong-way cyclists. I can't count how many I encountered. I think I'll take up a complaint with the city. If they want ridership to increase without an increase in accidents, they'll have to do something about this. It has become out of hand. Too many people think IT'S JUST FINE AND DANDY TO RIDE AGAINST TRAFFIC. But I get honestly scared of a collision. Not a fatal or even serious one, but I'm working too hard to avoid a collision. There is no protocol for encountering an oncoming cyclist in close quarters, so we both have to guess whether to move left or right, and the final decision happens when we are much too close to each other. We need to get the word out that this is NOT OK.

Route from work to Mom's where I broke a spoke

Route from Mom's to home with all the wrong way cyclists

beerRun

A hawk glided across my path the other day---pretty flippin majestic.

I've also learned about the Utah State University Botanical Center's Baby Animal Days on my commute. Gonna take the tot to that.

Commuting brings one all sorts of treasures.

bmthom.gis

Happy start to National Bike Month! I broke my usual rule of not riding on Fridays. Never made it to the group ride I was going to do last night...dinner was too delicious. I think next week they are pushing the start time back anyway which will make it easier. I have more pics today...this time a full commute from the home.
Weather was nice...around 55 at start time with a 5 mph breeze gusting to probably 10, but it was mostly a cross breeze today. Arm warmers were needed. Traffic was fine the first 2/3 of my ride but really picked up for the last bit.

First road I ride on out of the subdivision. Luckily I am only on it for ~1/2 mile. I take the lane on this one because the lanes really aren't wide enough for me and a car to share.


I turn off from there onto this semi residential street next to RR tracks. I do not like this road...all chip seal and lots of pot holes, but it beats riding on the road from the first picture. It parallels that main road.


From there is gets nicer


Your moderately humble poster. I


Once I am off of that road, I get a bike lane or cut through a residential area for all but the last mile of my journey


Residential area cut through. I get a bike lane again after this road, but it eliminates some more dangerous intersections.


Then I get to cross the river. I wish they would build a pedestrian bridge to connect the greenways on either side, but at least this bridge has a bike lane. It is also where the bike lane ends


View of the other side


No pictures of the roads that take me from the river to the street my office is on - too much traffic around and no shoulder. I usually take some more side streets but the line in the left turn lane to get to those was ridiculous. But finally got to work...

arsprod 

Welcome to the insanity that is bicycle commuting - lots of great info and encouragement here! Cooler this morning, 40F but forecast to reach 70 this afternoon. I'm so ready - still having winter flashbacks

noglider 

@bmthom.gis, that first road needs to go on a road diet.

KCBikeCommuter

We've had absolutely stunning commuting weather this week! Much better chance for rain next week though.

bmthom.gis

Tom, that road needs a lot of help. Surprisingly this morning it wasn't backed up (It has taken me 15 minutes on a bike before just to go 1/2 mile). Our infrastructure here is horrible, and politicians seem so hellbent on NOT fixing our roads, that it is a news story every single day.

The first road (Highway 1/Augusta Rd) does get a sidewalk right after I turn off of it. I have used it once or twice to ride to a bar 2 miles away. The whole design of that road needs a lot of help

noglider 

@bmthom.gis there might be an activist group you can join. If not, you can form one. I did that in NJ. We made a difference.

bmthom.gis

There's one for the city I work in and good things are happening. The county I live in is so staunchly conservative a penny sales tax to fix all of our roads in our county was recently voted down. Such a shame, because they need help!

EDIT: It is my hope that once the city gets some good infrastructure, my county will follow. I am shocked we even have bike lanes in my county.