2017! The how was your commute thread!
10-09-17, 02:11 PM
#2451
Disco Infiltrator
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Smoke in the air from Napa. Kiddo started off the ride with an Oreo in a baggie in his hand, reward and bribe. We stopped for a stick for kiddo to wave. We passed some police at the fairgrounds doing motorcycle training and testing, and stopped to watch. I tried to tell kiddo that it's easy to go fast but hard to go slow... I'm sure he didn't get it. One of the cops told me kiddo looked like he was driving me with a crop. When we got to daycare the Oreo was uneaten. I guess he was saving it. After that on the way to work I saw a Bricklin safety car. Can't remember the last time I saw one of those. Bricklin is an interesting guy, he brought both Subaru in the 1960s and Yugo in the 1980s to the US market but didn't manage to launch Chery (a Chinese brand). Subaru of America was a US owned and publicly traded company til its acquisition by the parent company Fuji in 1986. Bricklin as a make did not survive a rocky start in the 70's
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Genesis 49:16-17
Genesis 49:16-17
Last edited by Darth Lefty; 10-09-17 at 02:15 PM.
10-09-17, 02:14 PM
#2452
Newbie
I had to work Saturday, but only a half day. So I thought it would be a good day for my first commute. About 11 miles each way. 45 minutes. Not bad. A little wind but nice temperature.
First time using the rack and bag, too. I was surprised how much that extra weight affected my effort. More of a workout than I had imagined. But it was cool. Will do again for sure.
First time using the rack and bag, too. I was surprised how much that extra weight affected my effort. More of a workout than I had imagined. But it was cool. Will do again for sure.
10-09-17, 02:25 PM
#2453
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Nice! Welcome
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Genesis 49:16-17
Genesis 49:16-17
10-09-17, 06:12 PM
#2454
Senior Member
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It has occurred to me this week that if I had video cameras on my bike and I shared my ride with you folks, you would be shocked and distressed with how crazy life on a bike is here. It's invigorating because it requires so much mental acuity and alertness. Yet I see lots of new kinds of people bike commuting here. Three years ago, there was a big wave of fat people on bikes, and they look great. Then came the old people who tough it out, and they look great, too. Now I'm starting to see kids, sometimes with parents, sometimes not. There are men and women who could be magazine fashion models riding all kinds of bikes elegantly. There are working class people of all kinds of professions. It's becoming a microcosm of New York City, hardly a niche segment.
10-09-17, 07:37 PM
#2455
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60°F with light fog this morning, could have used glass wipers. Water on the outside during ride, fog up on the inside at stops. Working on a new route to work to avoid a couple of schools where traffic just snarls. Slightly quicker but added more distance, and road conditions not as nice. WATCH OUT FOR THE WALNUTS! One reason why summer riding is better. Drenched when I got to work. 80°F for the ride home, still drenched. My gear did not even dry fully after hanging all day. Running out of daylight, I need some more nighttime riding accessories other than tail light, headlight and high-vis shirts.
10-10-17, 05:59 AM
#2456
Senior Member
A very nice uneventful commute this am with the temp at 65 f degrees. Though the humidity was not as apparent today as it has been the past few days, so pleasant riding.
10-10-17, 06:41 AM
#2457
Full Member
Calm mid 60s temperature today.
The rising sun's light falling on trees, with mist hanging just above the grass makes for a pleasant sight.
The rising sun's light falling on trees, with mist hanging just above the grass makes for a pleasant sight.
10-10-17, 07:03 AM
#2458
Senior Member
68 ish and overcast. I was just wearing my office clothes this morning, so I took it slow so as not to get overly sweaty. Saw two squirrels doing what mating couples do on the way in.
10-10-17, 07:04 AM
#2459
Senior Member
A pretty good ride this morning, though still quite humid. I managed to sweat almost as much as an August ride. Interstate accidents had a one of my roads a bit clogged. I was able to merge in, keep up, get in a left turn lane and pass some cars before turning off into a quieter neighborhood.
10-10-17, 07:42 AM
#2460
The Fat Guy In The Back
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Hello fall! 29°F this morning. First sub-freezing commute since last spring made me want to dress warm. I resisted the urge to wear my balaclava and just went with a head band to protect my ears. Rode a little more than 9 miles to this morning's work location. Halfway there I noted I had made the correct choice as the balaclava would have been too hot.
Fingers and toes were a touch chilly, but not terrible. Temp was right in that in-between range where my long cycling pants were too warm but shorts wouldn't have been enough. So at the moment the long pants are hanging up in the closet inside-out to let them dry out a bit. I brought shorts for my lunch commute to a different office when it's supposed to be in the mid-40s.
Fingers and toes were a touch chilly, but not terrible. Temp was right in that in-between range where my long cycling pants were too warm but shorts wouldn't have been enough. So at the moment the long pants are hanging up in the closet inside-out to let them dry out a bit. I brought shorts for my lunch commute to a different office when it's supposed to be in the mid-40s.
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10-10-17, 08:07 AM
#2461
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Hello fall! 29°F this morning. First sub-freezing commute since last spring made me want to dress warm. I resisted the urge to wear my balaclava and just went with a head band to protect my ears. Rode a little more than 9 miles to this morning's work location. Halfway there I noted I had made the correct choice as the balaclava would have been too hot.
Fingers and toes were a touch chilly, but not terrible. Temp was right in that in-between range where my long cycling pants were too warm but shorts wouldn't have been enough. So at the moment the long pants are hanging up in the closet inside-out to let them dry out a bit. I brought shorts for my lunch commute to a different office when it's supposed to be in the mid-40s.
Fingers and toes were a touch chilly, but not terrible. Temp was right in that in-between range where my long cycling pants were too warm but shorts wouldn't have been enough. So at the moment the long pants are hanging up in the closet inside-out to let them dry out a bit. I brought shorts for my lunch commute to a different office when it's supposed to be in the mid-40s.
Lots of frost on the grassy dikes along the Red River, but roads were dry and the air was crisp with a light wind at my back.Actually, a very lovely morning ride for my 4.5 mile morning commute to the office.
10-10-17, 08:54 AM
#2462
multimodal commuter
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Beautiful morning, if unseasonably warm and humid!
Followup to last week's cell phone mishap (details here); but for those who missed it and don't want to read all the details, my android cell phone fell out of my bag on my ride home last week, got run over by a car but miraculously didn't break): I dropped it on Saturday, it fell only two feet to the ground, hitting a glancing impact on the way down, and the screen cracked right in half. Now that the screen is broken, the whole phone is clearly bent in the middle. It still works... but a replacement is on the way.
Followup to last week's cell phone mishap (details here); but for those who missed it and don't want to read all the details, my android cell phone fell out of my bag on my ride home last week, got run over by a car but miraculously didn't break): I dropped it on Saturday, it fell only two feet to the ground, hitting a glancing impact on the way down, and the screen cracked right in half. Now that the screen is broken, the whole phone is clearly bent in the middle. It still works... but a replacement is on the way.
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10-10-17, 09:10 AM
#2463
Senior Member
After that on the way to work I saw a Bricklin safety car. Can't remember the last time I saw one of those. Bricklin is an interesting guy, he brought both Subaru in the 1960s and Yugo in the 1980s to the US market but didn't manage to launch Chery (a Chinese brand). Subaru of America was a US owned and publicly traded company til its acquisition by the parent company Fuji in 1986. Bricklin as a make did not survive a rocky start in the 70's
10-10-17, 09:25 AM
#2464
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I didn't know 66 degrees could feel hot, but with 95% humidity it apparently can!
I also tried an alternate route this morning to go around a large hill that I don't particularly care for. Life lesson....just because an alternate route looks flatter on Google Earth doesn't mean it is. The climb was twice as steep.
I got a great workout though!!!
I also tried an alternate route this morning to go around a large hill that I don't particularly care for. Life lesson....just because an alternate route looks flatter on Google Earth doesn't mean it is. The climb was twice as steep.
I got a great workout though!!!
10-10-17, 09:32 AM
#2465
The Fat Guy In The Back
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Only about 2800 made and somewhere between 450-1500 known surviving.
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Last edited by Tundra_Man; 10-10-17 at 09:36 AM.
10-10-17, 09:39 AM
#2466
GATC
44F, overcast, supposed to rain most of the rest of the week.
10-10-17, 11:59 AM
#2467
Senior Member
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There's actually a Bricklin for sale at a dealership here in my town: https://www.kelolandautomall.com/inv...rchId=19043495
Only about 2800 made and somewhere between 450-1500 known surviving.
Only about 2800 made and somewhere between 450-1500 known surviving.
10-10-17, 05:13 PM
#2468
Full Member
Another pleasant commute.
I have two bikes that I keep switching between for the commute. One is a mid 80s Bianchi Campione 10 speed and other is heavier Specialized Sirrus 27 speed.
On the heavier Sirrus, I hit higher max speed but lower VAM, probably due to its weight. On the Bianchi, its higher VAM but lower max speed. Both give the same average speed!
Just an observation.
Oh and recently, I had to change my phone mount. The older one used to rattle a lot. The new one keeps the phone steady. Turns out all those vertical vibrations were adding 100 feet to my rides
I have two bikes that I keep switching between for the commute. One is a mid 80s Bianchi Campione 10 speed and other is heavier Specialized Sirrus 27 speed.
On the heavier Sirrus, I hit higher max speed but lower VAM, probably due to its weight. On the Bianchi, its higher VAM but lower max speed. Both give the same average speed!
Just an observation.
Oh and recently, I had to change my phone mount. The older one used to rattle a lot. The new one keeps the phone steady. Turns out all those vertical vibrations were adding 100 feet to my rides
10-10-17, 08:34 PM
#2469
Disco Infiltrator
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I have a good fifty miles into my new MTB so I started playing with the suspension settings. For starters I had set up the pressures per recommendation and put the rebound knobs right in the middle of their range. Today I added a little pressure to the rear and took all the rebound knobs out two clicks. This didn't seem to accomplish much on the fork but the rear felt a lot more active.
Saturday I met a guy who wanted to sell a "like new" tire via Craigslist and I passed on it. It was a premium tire but used up - the knobs were round. He cussed as he left, "I don't know what people expect for twenty bucks, @#$% eighty dollar tire..." If he paid eighty dollars for it, he's a fool, you can find it anywhere for sixty... and if he wants twenty dollars for it now when it's worthless...
Saturday I met a guy who wanted to sell a "like new" tire via Craigslist and I passed on it. It was a premium tire but used up - the knobs were round. He cussed as he left, "I don't know what people expect for twenty bucks, @#$% eighty dollar tire..." If he paid eighty dollars for it, he's a fool, you can find it anywhere for sixty... and if he wants twenty dollars for it now when it's worthless...
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Genesis 49:16-17
Genesis 49:16-17
10-11-17, 05:53 AM
#2470
Senior Member
This mornings ride was a pleasant uneventful ride with the temp at 55 f degrees.
I was watching Jeopardy last night and the contestant who has won(winning 332,400.00) for the last ten night is a bartender in New York City and a bike commuter who rides home at four or five am.
I was watching Jeopardy last night and the contestant who has won(winning 332,400.00) for the last ten night is a bartender in New York City and a bike commuter who rides home at four or five am.
10-11-17, 06:01 AM
#2471
Full Member
Mid 50s here as well. I left from home at 6. This is my earliest start since the days got shorter.
Mostly uneventful except at one point when a drop of sweat from my forehead landed on the RWGPS app's pause button. Had to stop and wipe the screen for the app to un-pause,
Mostly uneventful except at one point when a drop of sweat from my forehead landed on the RWGPS app's pause button. Had to stop and wipe the screen for the app to un-pause,
10-11-17, 06:30 AM
#2472
Senior Member
75F with 94% humidity and 73 degree dew point. Ugh. I'm ready for Augtober to be over and hoping it will be less humid in Septvember.
10-11-17, 07:11 AM
#2473
The Fat Guy In The Back
Join Date: Sep 2009
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27F this morning and our first hard freeze. I can tell I don't yet have my winter skin, as in three months this weather will feel balmy.
Rain is predicted starting Friday through the weekend. All this moisture combined with the relatively late hard freeze is really not helping the farmers with harvest.
Rain is predicted starting Friday through the weekend. All this moisture combined with the relatively late hard freeze is really not helping the farmers with harvest.
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10-11-17, 07:15 AM
#2474
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Weather's perfect here. Low 60s in the mornings, low 90s in the afternoon. Traffic is getting heavier on my commute home tho.
10-11-17, 07:26 AM
#2475
Senior Member
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Uneventful commute this morning, other than much cooler than in recent days. We've been having lows around 70, high around 90, but a cold front last night dropped temps a good 20 degrees across the region. Today's high is in the low 70's, and it was in the low 50's this morning. Humidity should be MUCH lower today.
In other news, I finally replaced my Grand Prix 4 Seasons rear tire with 3,600+ miles on it. Somehow it was still holding 100psi despite missing some rubber in a few places.
In other news, I finally replaced my Grand Prix 4 Seasons rear tire with 3,600+ miles on it. Somehow it was still holding 100psi despite missing some rubber in a few places.