Slightly warmer than yesterday. The sunrise was pretty twice, but I wasn't able to get a photo. As I started out it was a deep orange and spreading into some clouds. Then it faded and about 5 minutes later it popped hugely into bright pinks and purples. Good morning!

i am back on the commuting saddle
 

I started a new job Oct 2 with same business but it meant moving to a new building in the same city. (better working conditions and more money made it worth it.):thumb: I missed a week of beautiful fall weather riding that first week of Oct. :eek: I went to AdventureFest by bicycle times. My legs had lost some of their strength and speed even with going to the gym a couple times but it was a good time with multiple bikes. I got to demo 8 bikes and I rode my mountain bike and my cyclocross bike on a couple rides as well.

I got my commuting plan together for the most part and said I am going to do it so I did Oct 18th. I was so excited to have done it. it made me miss the facilities I lobbied to get installed and make it nicer but just have to do some work here in the new building.

Last week I rode 4 out of 5 days to work :) and rode to the last Upward football games of the season. I refereed 3 games and coached one then rode home. I was able to get 122 miles last week. I did not ride Monday because legs were feeling tired. I have ridden 2 (so far) out of my 4 day work week this week. :thumb:


yesterday I saw 34F on the GPS and today was cooler than I expected but still a good ride.

I get those at times too. In fact, I seem to get them more often than others: is it like frostbite where, if you've had it once, you're susceptible to getting it again?

Not surprised, you current status is Newbie. :lol:

Yeah, that's not fun. I was riding with a friend about a month ago on a century ride and he got 2 in the space of 20 minutes. Before I gave him my spare tube, I insisted on checking his tire and lo and behold, there was a shard of glass that had pierced through the tire and was rubbing the tubes. After it was removed, he completed the remaining 80km/50mi and the next 3 centuries over the next 3 days without another flat.

Dark and overcast this morning. 33F with a strong tailwind. Made great time on the way to work.

Saw a dead racoon laying on the MUP under a train trestle. It was a pretty darn big one, probably the size of three volleyballs in a row. Perhaps it was pregnant and that's why she was so fat? It looked like the head had suffered an impact so I'm speculating it was up on the train trestle and got hit.

The deer are all kind of hyper lately, it must be mating season for them. This morning a large buck was trotting down the path towards me and veered off into the trees seemingly reluctantly, when I was closer than I'm really comfortable with. There were also about a half dozen does here and there, mostly scattering about more or less randomly.

The one upside to this weather is I can don a windbreaker and stay in my work clothes without sweating. It's really nice to just park and walk in like a normal person sometimes.

I'm not sure if getting one once means you're more susceptible or not.

I do notice that it rarely happens after I've been riding a couple miles and have had time to build up a light sweat. But that monster downhill starts about 1/2 mile from my house and there's just not enough distance for me to generate any heat before I head down it. Plus, it faces the west which means in addition to the windchill caused by my speed, I'm also frequently getting blasted by a cold winter wind. All of that adds up to my daily ice cream headache on this hill during the winter months.

On days when this might happen to me, I find that if my eyebrow bridge is not covered, even with a light layer such as a single layer of a Buff (during cold temps, I'll typically form my Buff into a beanie under my helmet), then I'll suffer. Yes, it does go away but it hurts until then.

Good to hear - you were my first thought too. What a cluster

Last night's commute was unusual in that there was a small raccoon curled up in the middle of the lane. He got up and started to move as I swerved wide. I don't know if it had been hit or was just young and stupid, sitting in the road at quitting time.


Followed that up with a dead skunk in the road this morning. City hasn't picked it up yet. Otherwise calm and cloudy, but a lot warmer. I pushed a bit coming in, so my legs are trying to discuss this "exercise" bit with me.

[MENTION=227213]wphamilton[/MENTION], isn't November deer hunting season? And is there a correlation with mating season and hunting season? I notice I see more dead deer on the road in November than in any other state.

When I got to my home neighborhood last night, it hit me that while the bad guy missed me by 15 miles and a few hours, it still feels like it was a sideswipe. Police presence is extremely increased. Parts of the highway are closed. The number of people on the path was severely reduced, though the weather could be a factor. It is cool and damp and overcast.

Physically, the ride was pleasant. I feel I'm still getting stronger, and that makes the moderately large effort feel like it's getting easier. It was good to rest my body from vigorous exercise for three days. I was feeling tired and sore, and now I'm better.

Saving time ends this weekend. Got your lights ready?

The attack in NYC was a hell of a thing. Five of the eight dead were tourists from Argentina on their 30th high school reunion tour, all 47-48yo. I'm glad we haven't heard any of our members were caught in it.

Today's commute was a pleasant uneventful ride with the temp at 53 f degrees when I left the house.

Welcome back @RidingMatthew. How long is your new commute?

Daily Ice Cream Headache < Daily Ice Cream Cone

Warm enough that I considered not wearing my jacket, but I did, and then removed it with about 3 miles to go. Good ride though.

thanks
 

[MENTION=366933]mgw4jc[/MENTION] thanks it is a touch shorter than the old one. maybe .2-.4 miles shorter. I have found myself looping around and stuff to get a little extra this morning.
The security guy at our building chuckled when I told him I was here to park my bike for work. I could tell he was smiling. I guess that is because we have said the same thing 7 times in the past 8 work days. haha :innocent: feels weird talking into the box and not really sure where the person is or if they can see me.


It was warmer today 50F and should be gorgeous on the way home.

today is my Friday! have a great weekend everyone.

Today's ride into work:

I was hugely overdressed, as I hadn't really paid attention to the increase in temperature, so I sweated a lot.

I had a slight tail wind.

My bike is a lot lighter today than yesterday, and my weight lifting left me ready to exert hard. So I went hard and had one of my fastest times. The tail wind didn't hurt. When I climb hills, I can get into a position that is similar to the way I do dead lifts with the barbell, and I'm able to climb pretty fast now.

The landscapers are doing a lot of work on the bike path lately. They pulled some bushes and trees and marked them for removal. One tree was knocked down but not fully pulled from its stump, and it was partially blocking the path. I got off my bike and pulled the tree completely off the path and onto the grass. Passing cyclists thanked me loudly.

Good deed for the day done! I'd thank you too...

It was definitely deceptively hot this morning, and I also noticed fewer bikes out yesterday, but that might just have been the colder temps as you said.

44F, drizzly; oh yes, saw a spectacular spinout. I was waiting at a red light, and a not too new Suburban was coming from my left to turn to its left; it fishtailed, then went into a full 270, wound up slamming onto the sidewalk and facing backward from where it wanted to go, toward me. It drove forward, over some barriers, into the parking lot of a bar, drove around the bar (away from me) and then turned right onto the main drag continuing on its original intended path.

Wow, was he going fast or just turning too sharp?

Good enough ride for me this morning. I left early and went to the gym for a bit. On my route from there to work I caught the green on the first two of the three stoplights. This helped me keep up a good pace. After getting to work I see I have a Strava achievement due to being able to cruise through one of the lights. I don't get why people create such short segments (< 1 mile) in random places like that.

Really warm yesterday afternoon!

I was on my folding bike. I have to replace the pedals. The right one has a cracked bearing or something, makes a loud grinding noise every now and then, and sometimes freezes up and rolls my foot off it. This just started yesterday. Kinda dangerous, though!

Through sometime in January but they can't shoot them on the Greenway (city park) which may explain why there are so many of them. Several of this year's fawns were out tagging along this morning, still young enough to be cute.

Glad you were at a red light. Sounds like the driver might have been driving impaired. Where's a cop when you need one?

Its going to be a really nice day today! Was 63F and might be my last chance to wear shorts and short sleeve jersey. Its supposed to be a few degrees warmer than yesterday (maybe 73F or so) later on. Had a easy commute and was chit chatting with a co-worker that I see once in a while. Also no crazy GWB traffic on the NJ side lit thee was yesterday morning. The crossing guard mentioned that somehting happened on or near the bridge yesterday. Will have to look it up.

I love riding to work on Friday; traffic is usually light and so I can cruise. I hit the longest light on my commute on a stale green that turned yellow half-way across, so it was worth the sprint. Then I relaxed and hit the next longest light as it turned red. Those half-easy and half-hard rides (intervals?) don't work well with traffic lights.

Today, 37F and raining. Dark. I made good time, did not need to cool down, changed clothes, now I have a meeting 1.5 miles away in 40 min; need to decide if I am going to wear my work clothes into the downpour to ride there, or go upstairs and see if I can check out a car.

I wouldn't have minded looking in the driver window to see what was up; mgw... I think turning too sharp definitely played a role; if he was going way too fast (like faster than everybody else already speeds on those 2 roads) I don't think he would have been able to spin the 180 after the first 90 degrees, just would have gone straight off the road (it's a T that he was turning left onto).

Taken this morning at about 7:30am after arriving at work. Shot from inside on some stairs, looking east over the lit front entrance to the building.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/a6...=w1680-h945-no

I had another flat yesterday. This time I was tight on time and I had to lock my bike to a sign post and take an Uber.

This is my third puncture flat this week. I couldn't find anything wrong with my tire, I think I've just been unlucky.

I took yesterday (Friday) off from work to euthanize and bury my dog. :cry:

Waffle the greyhound

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ZD...w1822-h1360-no

Aw, Tom. That's a bad cap on the year.

No commutes for me this week as I'll be on travel, but I have one morning to myself and I might try the bike share in DC just for funsies. Then again I might spend the whole morning in Udvar-Hazy because rockets