Everyone thinks car traffic will be hell tomorrow and Thursday with the Pope in town, so I figured I'd better start getting used to commuting with my new Chrome backpack instead of pannier - because it'd be a bit easier to ride between cars - if it comes down to that. I was a bit concerned how my previously injured lower back/hip would feel, but my back generally felt fine as long as I worked on keeping the shoulders rolled back, the spine straight and long - standard stuff in hatha yoga and other forms of exercises (eg. weight lifting, kettlebell exercises) for preventing a rounded lower back.
Morning ride was about 63F all the way - never really warmed up by the time I arrived at work. In other words, it was the most pleasant morning commute I've had yet. A bit of chill to start, but the backpack kept me warm, and it didn't take long for the body to heat up.
This was my first full commute with the new trekking bar and the MKS Lambda pedals. Really love the pedals. Because of the huge surface area, each pedal stroke takes less effort.
The trekking bar got a bit uncomfortable to grip with my hands in the inner flats position, where the brake handles, bell, and twist shifter are. I just wasn't used to riding with a straight handlebar, which is what the inner flats of a trekking bar feel like. I also had the Zefal Spy mirror mounted on the left side of the trekking bar. The Zefal proved to be useless as it was impossible to adjust the up-down viewing angle on the fly. I got a lot of practice looking over my shoulder without causing the bike to wobble sideways, as well as using my ears to hear approaching cars on my left. Before my evening ride, I removed the Zefal, which improved left-hand comfort in the inner flat hand position. I tried pulling my elbows in to help reduce the wrist bend in this position. I find the side hand position to be the most comfortable cruising position. My torso is a little less upright there, but it's fine. The front curve hand position proved to be as effective against headwind as I'd hoped.
The evening ride was just as pleasant as the morning ride. Felt like the calm before the "storm" that everyone's expecting tomorrow - record crowds, crazy traffic, etc.