Originally Posted by noglider

Yesterday morning I almost got right hooked and also I almost got backed into by an inattentive driver. This morning I decided to take my alternate route which bypasses the segment with the worst traffic. This route goes through Inwood Hill Park, involves an extremely steep climb, and takes me over the Henry Hudson Bridge which offers a spectacular view. In the park I encountered a sign that said my path was closed and I should take the lower path. I didn't know that route nor how to use it to get to the bridge. I ended up doing an even harder climb and getting lost. And near the summit, my rear tire went flat. Funny, I was just thinking it was a long time since I've had a flat. So I stopped to fix it. The park was a virgin forest until the 1930s and hasn't been changed much since then. It's also very empty, and I wondered how safe I was alone in the woods, fixing a flat. Well I didn't see anyone good or bad. Sweat was dripping off my face as I did the repair. I found my way back to the street and continued on my normal route with the bad traffic. Total time lost for getting lost and fixing the flat was 30 minutes.

Originally Posted by wphamilton

Last few days, people wanting to Cat-6 me. It's weird - long grey hair, cargo shorts t-shirt and tennis shoes on a heavy fixed gear with a big pack strapped on back, handlebars way up high, how would it prove something by "racing" me on a MUP? It's not like I rigged up that way to go fast

I don't pay much attention - I figure Cat 6 on a MUP mainly proves that you don't race, nor ever ride with fast people in general. But yesterday a guy passes me after I'm waiting on a pedestrian, and actually twists back and hollers "come on, Let's go", waving his arm, and then stands on his pedals! 3,100 commutes on the Greenway, and I think that's a first.

Originally Posted by Tundra_Man

I kind of had the opposite happen thing happen today. I was riding from our company's location to a client about 10 miles away. I had a meeting scheduled and while I left early enough to arrive at the meeting on time, I wasn't going to have a lot of extra minutes to change clothes.

As I hit the MUP I noticed a guy coming up about 100 yards behind me. He was tucked down on aero bars and moving at a decent clip. I decided that as long as I was a bit pressed for time, I'd use this guy as an excuse to pick up my pace. I set a goal to not let him pass me.

We weren't really racing. He probably wasn't even paying much attention to me. But I managed to stay ahead of him for over 8 miles before I turned off the MUP to head towards the client's building. We averaged just a couple ticks below 20 mph the whole time. The closest he ever got was about 20 yards behind me.

I made it to the client's office 10 minutes quicker than normal, so I was left with plenty of time to change my clothes. The only problem was I'd ridden so hard that I needed that extra 10 minutes to sit and catch my breath.

Originally Posted by wphamilton

Drafting, or playing rabbit is another thing, a game I like to play also. But overtly, with agitated demeanor, challenging me to race with him? I don't get the point of it, an old Fred type on a loaded down single speed, on the MUP, why?

Originally Posted by ptempel

Well, at least you discovered a new route? At first I was thinking of the hill area that the Metropolitan Museum Cloisters is on. But looking up the Inwood area shows that you were at the very northern tip of Manhattan.

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/inwood-hill-park

Sounds like an interesting area/park to explore. Never knew that there was a salt marsh there.

Originally Posted by liampboyle

Hola, I recently (beginning of June) returned to bike commuting to work after being away from cycling since 2009 following an injury. My daily commute is 5.3 miles each way.

This morning was overcast and a bit damp (it was drizzling) but still a nice quiet ride to start out the week with.

Originally Posted by mgw4jc

Howdy to you too! Welcome to the thread and back to bike commuting. Keep it up!

Originally Posted by joeyduck

I really enjoyed walking around the Cloisters. My sister lived near Audubon and 190th for years and it was nice to walk about there.

Thanks for the words of support; but don't fret I am getting along fine and it takes a lot to take me down.

Last night the smoke finally cleared here on the coast and our view was restored. It also rained in the evening which worked perfectly since it waited to being until after we fed the kids on the patio at the island pub. But the air smelled so fresh and it was so cool relative to the previous few weeks.

Have a great week riding friends.

Originally Posted by timvan_78

The forest fire smoke cleared up this weekend, so the ride was great and the air was fresh and cool and clear again! Awesome.

Originally Posted by Jadesfire

I realized this weekend a.) how much of a bad mood I've been in lately and b.) what I should be doing to rectify that. I didn't seem to lose any time or find the commute particularly difficult.
Hopefully I can get three rides in this week, as the weekend is shaping up to be particularly stressful.

Originally Posted by NewATBikeComute

Cycling is also part of what keeps my head on straight; I was in some sort of funk all weekend, but soo much happier after riding before/after work today.

Hope your weekend goes better than you expect.