Andy Dreisch

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that one's mind tends to wander a bit while commuting.

A few ruminations from my last commute:

• That pole sure has a lot of fliers stapled to it.
• I wonder how all the road flotsam ends up in the bike lane.
• What kind of tree is it that leaves that kind of residue?
• You develop a way to identify cars by the smell of their exhaust.
• I go 13 miles, never de-clipping my right shoe, only my left.
• It never fails that at least some of the roadway is wet from sprinklers.
• I wonder how many revoutions (of wheels, cranks, etc.) I've made on this commute?
• Ever notice how much ground is covered by a single crank revolution?
• It's a blast sometimes to sit at a stoplight and watch as the occupants roll on by.
• The lights themselves are actually very big.
• Most times, traffic lights are a drag.
• It's always the thing you don't see that causes the flat.

Bandit

the thing that always strikes me is that i get to see the town wake up. bakers hard at work beneath neon lights behind the counters of their bakeries. bleary-eyed early morning train commuters cueing up for coffee. work crews trudging from their pickups to a construction site. city buses plying their routes with small passenger loads. street sweepers.

the air is always cooler and cleaner; the water from errant sprinklers is a little brisker; the rush of the wind past my ears (my music of freedom for as long as i can remember) a little more vivid; the rising sun more beautiful, promising; and my arrival at work a lot less fatiguing.

Steele-Bike

The first half of my commute is an uneventful ride though a residential area, but when I hit the highway I begin to wonder how much glass I will come across. I think about how many times I have talked to the city in an effort to clean the shoulder. There sure is a lot more glass on a Monday morning. Today on the way home I saw a steak knife and a cup insulator laying together on the side of the highway...I can only wonder about the story behind that.

But, the one thing that I wonder the most is, what do I look like to the passing motorist at 6:30am, decked out with my lights and commuting gear? Since I do not see any other cyclist on my commute, I crank along and imagine what a pre-dawn, glowing commuter must look like.

Alan Perkins

I'm hip to your observations, Andy. Some of my own:

What makes goose sh*t so slick?
Who "sees" me, who doesn't?
If they do, what do they think?
Why didn't I take a longer route?
Should I have ridden a different bike today?
Why do I always see men's underwear along the side of the road?
What are people in their cars talking about? Why are they on the phone?

Just a few.....

Big Johnson

My observations:
There is no such thing as a tail wind when you are running late.
Yes, bugs will splatter on your forehead.
Hornets fly FAST!
It is only cold outside for the first mile.
Cyclists from the Olympic Training Center will pass you at high warp going up hill fighting a strong headwind.
I really admire them.
Damn, this is fun! Sure beats driving!

chewa

Wonder if I'll have to stop to put on my rain jacket
Why don't motorists look further ahead than the end of their bonnets (hoods)
Was that the sound of a leaf falling, or an acorn.
Look at the crows chasing that hawk
Boy was the girl in that sportscar wearing a short skirt
Is that creak the pedal, crank or my left knee

hayneda

The other day I was wondering what, that 20-something pretty girl, the one that pulled up leaning from the passender window and pointing to my rear and said "nice ass" then smiled and waved, I wonder what she would say if she knew that beneath my cycling clothes, I was old enough to be her father.

Dave

Spire

From when I commuted 30km each way (now I live next to school)
:

Which way should I take today?
Maybe I should add an extra 20-30km onto the route?
Did I know that guy?
Whoops, there's a pot hole.
Is the bike path worth it? (propabably not)

Just general inanities like that!

Andy Dreisch

Why do railroad tracks always go diagonally across the road?

There is a direct correlation to the amount of energy expended to beat a light and the likelihood the light will turn red.

Those double left-turn lanes, where the rightmost turning lane can also go straight, are a pain. :confused:

I wonder how many times I'm passed by someone who knows me?

greywolf

at night: i hope that $#1t-head coming up behind rapidly with a car that sounds like a formular-one can see my rear blinky, i wonder how many people would come to my funeral

Ellie

Nice ass!

This morning's thoughts:
- Didn't that van pass me in the last village?
- Uh oh, bus... wait for the gust.
- I wonder if a cross wind causes larger turbulence after cars... Must dig out my course notes and work it out!

Ellie

Chris L

"Why are there so many rednecks in Queensland?"

pinerider

* This morning's headwind is usually this afternoon's headwind, too

* Did I close all the openings on my panniers or is my stuff silently falling on the road behind me??

* This is weather and I am OUTSIDE in it, not being a slug on the couch inside!

Juha

LOL! For some reason I find myself thinking about this quite often.

Other favorite topics:
- Mmm, the sea smells good this morning. Maybe I should go kayaking after work...
- Great, another section of bike path ripped open for sealing work / pipes / electrical / whatever. No advance warning. No designated detour. Remember to take another route on the way back.
- DUH, the other route still has the section they ripped open three months ago. No advance warning etc...
- There's an empty spot in my handlebar. Maybe I should stop by at the lbs to get some stuff.
- Does that caged guy realise I have the right of way?

--J

mrfix

Riding to work presents new experiences every day, life would be so dull without them.

---- You never flat when you're early.

---- It's never just rain, it's wind and rain or cold and rain.

---- Nothing is truely water proof.

---- Everyone that doesn't bike is always eating somethng and complaining about being overweight.

---- We see everything along the road.

---- When you ride your bike, you wear things out before they break.

---- As soon as one ride is over, you're looking forward to the next.

---- Dogs that bark don't usually bite..

---- The worst drivers drive school busses.

Pete Clark

greywolf

that burning smell !!. i know its not coming from under my hood.

Andy Dreisch

A couple more:

• It's amazing how you get to know the precise locations of every little bump
• We commuters know every little change in grade, and shift up or down accordingly
• It's cold, and people who park outside have misty back windows, and are dangerous
• The extra sunshine in the morning with last weekend's time change is more than offset by the earlier darkness
• My flashing front light is by far the most effective safety device I use.

Pete Clark

I always reflect on how I am building my strength and enjoying the challenge while riding while others are just "coasting" in their cars.

Gosh, I'd like to turn them on to cycling!

Sailguy

Thoughts from today's commute:

- I'm exhausted, this is going to be a long 15 miles. At least 1/4 mile is behind me.

- That guy needs a light on his bike, he's gonna get killed.

- This bus wants to kill me.

- Hey, those are the same caltrans guys that passed me at the bottom of the hill, I shoulda grabbed onto the truck when I had the chance.

- Why is this part of the road always wet? I definately don't like the slime that grows on it.

- Wow, I am making good time today. DOH my pannier just fell off, I knew I shoulda double-checked it before i hit the road.

- Why did this light just completely skip our side of traffic twice?

- Those pine trees really have a strong smell.

- Good Choice! (usually thought when someone looking to do a right turn, and keeps inching out, stops and decides to wait until I pass)

greywolf

its sutch a nice day & im realy enjoying this ride should i keep going past the works gate & fone in a sicky later

Chris L

A headwind/seabreeze is a god-send in such extreme heat.

Pete Clark

It's both the heat and the humidity...

In the summer, a headwind is actually a "cool" thing; at times, I've actually hated a tailwind. It's as if the air is standing still.

Chris, load that hydration pack with icy liquids and let it sit squarely on your spine!

Chris L

Tell me about it. On a tour a few years back I did 70-odd km in temperatures of 37C without even breaking sweat in the less humid surrounds of Inverell, NSW. Very pleasant riding around there, too! That's another rumination from the commute - in two weeks' time I'll be touring in Victoria.

I don't actually use a hydration pack. I prefer to let the sweat escape through my back. I just drink a heap of water before the ride and refill at regular intervals. Of course, my commute is only 23.5km one way, so that isn't a problem most of the time.

greywolf

why do some trucks exhaust pipes exit the truck @ cyclists head level & dus the @r$$hole change gear & make more smoke @ that prescise moment on purpose or am i being paranoid ??