Originally Posted by pinkrobe
I rode in a little early with my wife. She didn't sleep too well, and was both tired and cranky. The traffic volume when she normally rides in is disgusting! I almost never ride at exactly that time, usually 15 minutes earlier or later. There must be some sort of critical mass of cars or something.
I found a 15 min change in departure time, for me, has a huge effect on the cars. I think it's the difference between 'can still make it to work on time' and 'can't'.
Yesterday and today I stopped taking the trailer back home after dropping the kids at the daycare, taking direct road route rather than semi-circuitous trail route; yesterday I biked them home, and today I just left the trailer for my wife to pick up when she gets the kids. Saves 2.5 miles, gets me into work about an hour earlier too (not sure where all the time was going; I had been packing clothes and laundry after dropping the trailer off, and apparently dawdling a bunch too).
Anyway, back on the road I re-discovered my 'race the car to the stoplight' game. They always pull ahead, but I can still beat them to the end of the road, 'cause no matter how fast they accelerate from the 1st couple lights, by the time they get to the freeway, they're bound to be behind a couple of delivery trucks. (I'm in a bike lane doing this, w/ pretty much no burning of rubber or other gestures letting the car people know they're playing this game with me).