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Extreme Commute Club: Week 1, 2007

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Extreme Commute Club: Week 1, 2007

Old 12-03-07, 08:56 AM
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Extreme Commute Club: Week 1, 2007

Well since it is the first week of December, the Northern parts of the US have been hit by a serious storm and the D.C. area is supposed to look like a wind tunnel later today, it seems like time to start the XCC threads.

There is no real topic for this inaugural thread, but I was wondering if anyone has done any holiday shopping on their bike. I hit a bookstore for some gifts, but that is pretty small time when it comes to carrying things on a bike. So has anybody else turned their bike into Santa's sleigh while shopping?
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Old 12-03-07, 11:39 AM
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I didn't exactly buy presents, but weekend before last (the one right after Thanksgiving), I needed to go down to the mall area and pick up some supplies for an entertainment center I'm building to hold the family Xmas present (want to guess what we got?). I think I was a sight with my backpack on full of hardware, a 6' and a 4' length of quarter-round, a 4' roll of window screen, and a bunch of 4' shelf standards attached to my rack. The long piece of quarter-round stuck out 3 or 4 feet past the end of my bike.

Snow here last Saturday. It turned to rain this morning and today is supposed to be rainy and windy. There was quite a bit of standing water in the road, but at least the temperature is up into the low 50s today. I just hope the rain quits or shifts direction before I have to ride home. I hate headwinds.
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Old 12-03-07, 11:40 AM
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I have done very little riding lately, as I am trying to pass a kidney stone. Not much fun, but I will be back on the bike tomorrow. Wish me luck.
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Old 12-03-07, 04:07 PM
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Condolences Tibike -- it would probably make a saddle sore seem comfortable! Hopefully it will pass as uneventfully as such things can pass.

Getting set for the ride home in the wind tunnel effect.
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Old 12-03-07, 04:13 PM
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Faced the wind heading in today, and will reap the corresponding beneftis heading home tonight- just need to be careful on the road part of my ride...
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Old 12-03-07, 06:33 PM
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I was still recovering from a cold today. My daughter needs the van tomorrow so I'll try battling the sub freezing temps. I hope the wind dies down [after I get it's help in the am, that is]. Tomorrow is a jersey with hood & balaclava day. I'll see how good the Lake boots are!
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Old 12-04-07, 06:36 AM
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I've done our fortnightly meat and milk shopping a few times - over 40lbs in my rucksack. I nearly fell off the first time i came up off the saddle to get a bit more power!
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Old 12-04-07, 07:18 AM
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Another windy morning!
Man is it gray outside- just blackness, feels like the calm before the storm...
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Old 12-04-07, 07:46 AM
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Sign me up. Commuted in yesterday and in somewhere between -3F and -8F temps without a whole lot of wind. Snow had been mostly plowed although there was plenty of white stuff still on the roads and trails on the route that I took.

This morning had a little wind from the east (!) although a storm is moving in from the west. Snow was falling and I'd say about an inch was on the ground already. It was around 15F, so it was truly a wonderful ride. I love riding in falling snow.

I can't wait to ride home. I only hope the snow is still falling.

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Old 12-04-07, 07:50 AM
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The previous 3-4 weeks were more extreme than this one is turning out to be. I don't think I've commuted in temps warmer than 35 degrees for a month, but right now it's 6:45 and 55 degrees outside!

Of course, this is Colorado and totally expected, but it takes my commute back into the relaxing realm. Spending an hour on the bike at 20 degrees gets a little tiring

I know the temps will be back down in a day or two, but I can enjoy it now!

My cold is also finally gone, so I'm kickin' strong again.
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Old 12-04-07, 08:07 AM
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...and on topic:

I've never done any holiday shopping via my bike, but I did go through the drive through at my local bank last night on the way home. Granted, I wasn't banking, but I was picking up some DVDs from a friend that works there.

Anyway, I guess I have no idea why I thought that would bring me back on topic. Enjoy!
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Old 12-04-07, 08:57 AM
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Well last night's wind really sucked. About 3-4 miles into 30-40mph gusts. Then another 3 miles at a little bit of an angle so the wind was less viscious. This morning the winds had dropped a little, but there are a few flakes swirling about, just to remind us winter is coming. Tomorrow's forecast calls for some amount of snow.

I guess the XCC thread was well timed for most of the country. I don't know about the rest of you but I need about 4 more hours in each day to complete all the stuff I have to do.
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Old 12-04-07, 09:42 AM
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https://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.p...ostcount=22182

I think that my ride home yesterday might qualify for an extreme commute.
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Old 12-04-07, 01:04 PM
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Clifton -- I would say that might qualify your ride but I just don't see the sort of hill climb we usually require for admittance Those are some wild conditions. I am glad to save I have never had to ride in flooding that significant. Take care in that much water.
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Old 12-04-07, 01:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Marylandnewbie
Clifton -- I would say that might qualify your ride but I just don't see the sort of hill climb we usually require for admittance Those are some wild conditions. I am glad to save I have never had to ride in flooding that significant. Take care in that much water.
The hill climb is behind the photographer by about a half mile. That's where all the water flowed down from. 7% - 8% grade for 0.82 miles. I'm glad that it's on the way to work and that I get to cruise down it on the way home.
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Old 12-05-07, 05:10 PM
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Biked in in the snow this morning, didn't have any problems. It got colder and slushier during the course of the day so I rode a mile to the bus station and put my bike on the front rack for the ride home.
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Old 12-05-07, 05:52 PM
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I'm still at it. 5 Days per week. I ditched my 30 mile RT for 6-10 miles RT. It's not so much extreme yet here in KC than it is just getting chilly. We had two little tiny waves of freezing rain so far, and a few mornings below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. That doesn't count as winter yet, though.
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Old 12-05-07, 07:00 PM
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I've been off the bike yesterday, today, and maybe tomorrow. I caught a bad cold/flu/whatever and stayed home in bed yesterday. Today I felt good enough to come into work, but I couldn't have biked it in. I'm pretty sure I'm heading back to bed as soon as I get home. We'll see about tomorrow in the morning.

Sure feels strange here without all my gear hanging around drying out. It probably smells better, though
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Old 12-06-07, 08:32 AM
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I don't feel so extreme this time of year its been in the low 40s high 30s in the mornings and 60-70 in the evening instead of 110, but its stil a 42 mile RT. I did have a huge confrontation with an idiot driver on the way home, he bumped me with his mirror as he tried to move into my lane, didn't hurt me or the bike. I guess he was just in a hurry to move over?? When I rolled up to him at the light I hit his truck with my hand, and said a few choice words. He got out and walked back to get in my face..until I pulled out the pepper spray. He got back in his truck and drove off saying "your a dead man you keep riding your bike on the roads where bikes don't belong". I got the bump on tape but when I tried to stop and start the camera when he got out I didn't get it started because I was also trying to get my pepper spray out.....Oh well I got his plate and the initial incident just in case.
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Old 12-06-07, 10:21 AM
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Hey where in Irving you getting harrassed? I ride down royal/regency to hidden ridge on my commute and haven't gotten any trouble except when I ended up on mcarthur trying to get home from a training class. No one was happy to see me there and I ended up sidewalking where I could or pulling into driveways and taking the road between light cycles.

This morning was in the low 40s I think and I had a short sleave jersey, arm warmers, knee warmers and a wind front vest on over my new bibs (never had bibs before). Next week they are talking about freezing temps again so that should make my commute pretty extreme. Not so much the weather but from all of the businesses that run their sprinklers in the AM when it is below freezing.
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Old 12-06-07, 10:29 AM
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Hey, I'm soo excited to be a part of the XCC this year! In the previous years I've been on this forum I lived in Texas, so it wasn't really extreme at all.

I haven't done any shopping yet, though maybe tonight when the snow starts back up I may go out and play in it . Oh, it did walk to the post office for stamps this morning at 15°F this morning, does that count?
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Old 12-06-07, 10:36 AM
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I was in Dallas, Merell and Marsh near the ESD. Mornings I ride from Northgate and Cheyenne down Northgate, cut over to O'Connor, to riverside to Ca Crossing, thru cabaret royal past Parker college to Merell east to Welsh North to North Haven cut under 75 to WRC trail, to Ti Blvd. Left a few small roads out but you get the idea. reverse on the way home if I don't alter, except I go left on Riverside to Northgate to avoid RH Las Colinas traffic.
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Old 12-06-07, 10:37 AM
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Hey Newbie and other ECC guys, I use to post here but been too busy at work lately. BUT what a week we have had!!!! I had to post. Winds early in the week and now 4" of snow. Rode everyday but kinda wished I hadn't last night. It was a real trudge going home. This AM was even more spooky. While not as exerting it was really scary. Ice, slush and lots of cars. Not looking forward to the ride home. Be safe out there. Charlie
FWIW Wish I had knobbies 'n studs.
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Old 12-06-07, 10:52 AM
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Aww yeah! The snow is falling just in time for Week 1 of XCC. Photos coming forthwith.


Last edited by ax0n; 12-06-07 at 11:18 AM.
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Old 12-06-07, 12:37 PM
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Ugh! My memory is worse than I thought. I remember it was hard pushing through snow - not that it was extreme! I rode on my much slower MTB with Nokian studded tires today. The normal crusted covering on the MUP slowed me down and bounced the bike back and forth. The 3-4" of soft stuff on overpasses was like sand and sucked the wheels. If not for the tire track from a park vehicle I'd have ran out of energy before getting to work.
I'm hoping to buy a Charger electric assist MTB for this purpose. The 1.0 - 4.0 multiplier to my own input (up to 1/2 horsepower) might make all the difference.
BTW - the home thermometer read 15F but it was probably the 20F registered at the local high school. I bundled up and the temps were secondary to other concerns.
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