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Commuting On C&V

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Old 09-05-14 | 08:03 AM
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Commuting On C&V

Who's riding their bike to work?

What are you riding?

How many miles is it?

How long does it take you?


I used to ride to work somewhat regularly- it's about 16.5 miles, and a large chunk of it is bike/MUP.

I had been riding my 84 Specialized Stumpjumper, then my drop-barred 86 Schwinn High Sierra- and then my 85 Trek 620.

Although it takes pretty consistently an hour and fifteen minutes- I budget an hour and a half for the ride- and half an hour to shower/clean up/get ready. When I started at 0800, leaving the house at 0600 was no problem. Since I changed my tour to start at 0600, leaving the house at 0400 is an entirely different animal. I like starting and getting off work early, but I don't get to put as many miles on- and all my riding is "recreational" rather than commuting miles now.
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Old 09-05-14 | 08:12 AM
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I'm lucky as I have a short commute; 3 miles each way. I'll often take a longer route home to add some miles on a bikepath. I have two vintage commuters: a 1988 stumpjumper comp and a 1990ish Bridgestone BB-1, both of which have been heavily modded,

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Old 09-05-14 | 08:21 AM
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My city bike / all rounder is my upgraded '66 Moulten... the ride to the south co-op (where I teach classes) is only 8km while the commute to my shop is 32 steps. The north shop (co-op) is only a few minutes away from me and is not even a warm up.



I also ride a 2001 bikeE CT which is a great city bike... and quite nice for rambling through the river valley.



These have been my go to bikes for the season, sometimes they get a break when I decide I want to change it up and yesterday used my 1954 Raleigh Sports.
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Old 09-05-14 | 08:22 AM
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I telecommute and work from home, so I don't qualify.

But my friend cehowardGS, he commutes on Baltimore streets, daily, with lots of lights and reflective stuff.
He's my hero.
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Old 09-05-14 | 08:28 AM
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Bikes: are fun!

I've been commuting to work by bike off and on for the past few years. I live close - 5.5mi with one heck of a short, steep New England hill in between. Commute time varies based on weather and how much of a mess I intend to be when I arrive. We do have showers on site, so that helps. 15-18min is pretty standard depending on the day. My CAAD9 is the daily driver, but I'll ride others depending on what I feel like any given morning. Energy levels are higher throughout the days that I bike commute, and I then have the ride home to look forward to. Commuting adds significant base miles and I certainly feel stronger on recreational rides when I've been keeping up with and pushing on the commutes.
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Old 09-05-14 | 08:37 AM
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Not C&V by 3 years but when one of two projects are completed the commute will be by C&V.
Ride:
[IMG]Commuter RockHopper by superissimo_83, on Flickr[/IMG]

Distance: 10.6 miles - I only ride one way, home. No showers available at work. Celebrating over 900 miles so far this year just commuting.

Time: between 38 and 45 min. Mostly MUP

Modified the bike with a Marzocchi SL 2005 this last week end to absorb the bumps from tree roots. Curious to see how much the time varies due to the extra lb from the fork.

Once this is painted and assembled, this will be the ride:
[IMG]104_PaTrek. by superissimo_83, on Flickr[/IMG]

Last edited by SJX426; 09-05-14 at 08:41 AM.
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Old 09-05-14 | 08:47 AM
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This has already been done.
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Old 09-05-14 | 08:56 AM
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Originally Posted by Sir_Name
We do have showers on site, so that helps.
Having showers and a locker room is a HUGE plus.

I'm IT support, so being at someone's desk and "ripe" isn't a good thing. That "winning is the best deodorant" thing doesn't fly in that situation.
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Old 09-05-14 | 09:09 AM
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Originally Posted by The Golden Boy
Having showers and a locker room is a HUGE plus.

I'm IT support, so being at someone's desk and "ripe" isn't a good thing. That "winning is the best deodorant" thing doesn't fly in that situation.
Yes, lockers and showers are a huge plus. I still need to repair/replace my touring bike so I can ride in with clothes in panniers rather than a backpack.

I'm an engineer, so "Winning is the best deodorant" does not apply.
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Old 09-05-14 | 10:22 AM
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I commute on my 1972 Raleigh Superbe, about 7 miles each way. Takes about half an hour, depending on wind. I leave home at 4:30AM, so the Dynohub and lights are necessary.
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Old 09-05-14 | 11:10 AM
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currently commuting on a 1980ish Mairag (switzerland) with 2001 Campagnolo 10 speed DT, TA Carmina Cranks, 1970s record sidepulls, syncro ti post and nitto bar/stem, VO fenders. Will be switching to Dura-ace hubs soon.

I also commute on my 1991 rocky mountain hammer, my 2014 Salsa Mukluk and my 2013 custom "monster cross"/tour machine.
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Old 09-05-14 | 11:11 AM
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I commute on this. About 8 miles each way, 25 to 30 minutes depending on traffic lights, wind, condition of the motor, etc.....
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Old 09-05-14 | 11:19 AM
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I only bike commute and do it all year round, but it's a really short ride (~2.5 miles each way). Most of my commuting is done on a '71 Raleigh International:



I'll also take somewhat regularly my 1950 Raleigh Lenton Tourist:



Those two see most of the action though I'm often building up other bikes just to commute on for a while and see how they feel.
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Old 09-05-14 | 11:34 AM
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Bikes: 1991 Bianchi Eros, 1964 Armstrong, 1988 Diamondback Ascent, 1988 Bianchi Premio, 1987 Bianchi Sport SX, 1980s Raleigh mixte (hers), All-City Space Horse (hers)

C&V bikes (to the extent that the "Cosby Show" era is included in the definition ) are all I ride, including to work. It's about 13.5 miles round-trip, but I will do a little extra sometimes.

I've been favoring these two as of late. The '91 Bianchi when the weather forecast looks nice and I don't have to carry anything:


And the '88 Diamondback FG when it's winter, if rain threatens, or I need to schlep loads of clothing back and forth (I try to group it into one batch a week):
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Old 09-05-14 | 11:43 AM
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Bikes: Yes, please.

I live 30 miles from my office and regularly need a car for work-related trips, so commuting by bike is not the best choice. Did it once, though, just for fun. Took the then just acquired Austro-Daimler Inter 10. This is about halfway, near Leiden:

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Old 09-05-14 | 01:01 PM
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Every weekday for the last 3 years. Work is close but every day I take the 25mi long way to work, If I can get out earlier I can go longer. It really gets my head in the right place. Monday & Friday I'll take the Austro with panniers & now fenders so I can take cloths for the week. In between I'll take a lighter bike. I ride in a kit and take a pretty good splash bath in the sink. Weekend rides are just not possible for me except when the girls visit and I get to chase after their husbands on long rides.

78 Austro-Daimer




86 Peugeot Triathlon

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Old 09-05-14 | 01:11 PM
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I commute on my '72 Cilo Pacer. I also pick up my daughter from school after work most days. So, I wind up adding a Piccolo trail-a-bike for the first part of the commute, lock it up on my way into the office, then commute the rest of the way from Berkeley to my office in Oakland. Then on the way home, I grab the trailer, head up a small hill to my daughter's after care, then we ride the last 1.5 miles home together. Total round trip distance is about 16-18 miles depending on whether I'm also picking up and/or dropping off my daughter. From home to office, I've done it in 20 minutes (and was a sweaty mess), but it's usually closer to 25 minutes of bike time, plus another 5 minutes or so dealing with all the locks & stops.





If it's raining, I'll take my Nishiki Competition with fenders.

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Old 09-05-14 | 01:27 PM
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Originally Posted by ThermionicScott
The '91 Bianchi when the weather forecast looks nice and I don't have to carry anything:
Whoa, what's up with that rear brake lever?!
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Old 09-05-14 | 01:41 PM
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Originally Posted by gaucho777
Whoa, what's up with that rear brake lever?!
Haha, it never fails to provoke comment! I was riding on a hot and tiring day of RAGBRAI in 2010, and there was a stretch of new cement that had had the center groove cut, but not yet filled with tar. A surprising number of us got our <25mm tires caught while crossing the center at too shallow an angle. Before I knew it, I was skidding on my left side, watching my bike bounce and flip in front of me.

I sustained a partially torn AC and a dislocated right thumb, but my bike was relatively fine -- the rear tire was wasted, and that end of the brake lever apparently took all the rest of the hits! Since aluminum doesn't handle bending all that well, I figure it's best to leave it as-is rather than try to bend it back. It works just fine.
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Old 09-05-14 | 02:40 PM
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1975-or-so Viscount with S3X fixed gear three-speed hub.

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Old 09-05-14 | 02:55 PM
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Originally Posted by noglider
1975-or-so Viscount with S3X fixed gear three-speed hub.

I see the original fork doesn't scare you.
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Old 09-05-14 | 03:30 PM
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I commute on and off using my '84 Centurion Elite GT. Friction shift bar ends and all..............
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Old 09-05-14 | 04:16 PM
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Commute is 18+ miles each way. Mostly flat MUP, but the last few miles before home require climbing 350' on moderate to steep hills, so a shower is only needed at home. (Wet Ones wipes work great for the morning arrival.) I hadn't bike-commuted in years, but the desire to get back in "century shape" gives me reason to get up an hour early, and my wife usually rides down in the afternoon, so we have a great ride home together, even if it often features a headwind.

My nice day commuter bike is this Marinoni SLX Sports Tourer. I really need to take an up-to-date photo against a better background with the current wheels and Gilles Berthoud saddle.


I'm not so obsessed that I ride when its raining or likely to do so, but sometimes the roads/trails are wet from the previous night, so here's my wet road commuter bike, now with fenders. (No, Mt. Rainier is not on my commuting route):
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Old 09-05-14 | 05:05 PM
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Bikes: 1978 Trek TX700; 1978/79 Trek 736; 1984 Specialized Stumpjumper Sport; 1984 Schwinn Voyageur SP; 1985 Trek 620; 1985 Trek 720; 1986 Trek 400 Elance; 1987 Schwinn High Sierra; 1990 Miyata 1000LT

Here's my Stumpjumper packed up for the commute- really not a good way to roll- I hated having the backpack on me- the weight and the sweat.. The bungees didn't hold all that well.

Bullmoose bars look cool, but not so good after 8 or so miles.




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Old 09-05-14 | 05:31 PM
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Originally Posted by peugeot mongrel
I see the original fork doesn't scare you.
It's the second version with the steel dowel inside the steerer tube. I'm told that's OK by both Frank the Welder and [MENTION=158672]FBinNY[/MENTION].
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