Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Commuting
Reload this Page >

Eclipse

Search
Notices
Commuting Bicycle commuting is easier than you think, before you know it, you'll be hooked. Learn the tips, hints, equipment, safety requirements for safely riding your bike to work.

Eclipse

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 08-20-17 | 07:37 PM
  #1  
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 730
Likes: 0
From: WKY

Bikes: 2014 Trek Crossrip LTD, 2013 Raleigh Misceo

Eclipse

Is anyone else in the path of totality? We are very near the line that will provide the longest period of totality. We are supposed to get ~2 mins 20sec. It has been ramped up to be a really big thing. I believe the Carbondale and Murphysboro, IL area is the spot that gets the longest period. We did not load our trucks that deliver in that area for Monday. They are anticipating gridlock on the interstates.

Wife and I had planned on going somewhere but the hype has made us change our minds. We will just ride the bikes to a local brewery and watch from their outdoor seating area. I'm not sure we have had the influx of people they anticipated. We still decided we didn't want to spend part of the day sitting in a vehicle on the interstate.

Anyone else going to be able to see this event?
downwinded is offline  
Reply
Old 08-20-17 | 08:26 PM
  #2  
JonathanGennick's Avatar
Senior Member
Titanium Club Membership
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 4,129
Likes: 56
From: Munising, Michigan, USA

Bikes: Priority 600, Priority Continuum, Devinci Dexter

I'm far enough away that I wasn't going to bother even looking. Might try the smartphone selfie trick if I'm in the mood and not too busy when the time rolls around.

I have a feeling 90% of the country will be one long thin line tomorrow.
JonathanGennick is offline  
Reply
Old 08-20-17 | 08:41 PM
  #3  
CliffordK's Avatar
Senior Member
10 Anniversary
Community Builder
Community Influencer
Active Streak: 30 Days
 
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 27,576
Likes: 5,470
From: Eugene, Oregon, USA
I'm about 70 miles south of a total eclipse (by bike). About 99% here, which is pretty good. But, I'm planning on an early morning ride north, and see how far I can get. Fortunately the eclipse is a little later here than on the East coast, I think.
CliffordK is offline  
Reply
Old 08-20-17 | 10:34 PM
  #4  
alan s's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 6,977
Likes: 191
From: Washington, DC
Tomorrow is a work day for me. Maybe I'll see something if I happen to look out the window. Not taking a day off to see a couple minutes of darkness. The next one on April 8, 2024 will be closer to home and last longer, but is also on a Monday. We'll see as that date approaches.
alan s is offline  
Reply
Old 08-20-17 | 10:44 PM
  #5  
Banned
 
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 8,543
Likes: 41
From: England / CPH

Bikes: 2010 Cube Acid / 2013 Mango FGSS

We have a few colleagues from London that are flying over and renting cabins in Yosemite just for the eclipse. I've heard that a similar one is happening over Boston in 2023, which is more our speed.

Last edited by acidfast7; 08-21-17 at 12:21 AM.
acidfast7 is offline  
Reply
Old 08-21-17 | 05:38 AM
  #6  
wphamilton's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 15,278
Likes: 342
From: Alpharetta, GA

Bikes: Nashbar Road

My plan is to take a couple of minutes off work at 2:35 when the sun is its most occluded. We'll have 98.2% which I think will be worth the trouble.
wphamilton is offline  
Reply
Old 08-21-17 | 06:15 AM
  #7  
Senior Member
 
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 2,306
Likes: 22
From: Mooresville, NC (Charlotte suburb)

Bikes: Cannondale Synapse, Trek 5000 TCT, Giant OCR

[MENTION=328212]downwinded[/MENTION] - what part of WKY are you in? I grew up in Hopkinsville where they are going all out as you've probably heard. They've gone so far to make shirts saying "Eclipseville".

I live in Charlotte area now though. No plans to go anywhere, but may step outside the office a couple of times to check it out.
mgw4jc is offline  
Reply
Old 08-21-17 | 12:19 PM
  #8  
Banned
 
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 43,586
Likes: 1,380
From: NW,Oregon Coast

Bikes: 8

Just north of it, so I got out the eclipse viewing glasses when I went to my porch.. it's almost over, here..
fietsbob is offline  
Reply
Old 08-21-17 | 12:51 PM
  #9  
RubeRad's Avatar
Keepin it Wheel
10 Anniversary
Community Builder
Community Influencer
Active Streak: 30 Days
 
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,966
Likes: 5,242
From: San Diego

Bikes: Surly CrossCheck, Krampus

Originally Posted by JonathanGennick
I have a feeling 90% of the country will be one long thin line tomorrow.
YES! We can finally make Hands Across America work!
RubeRad is offline  
Reply
Old 08-21-17 | 12:54 PM
  #10  
RubeRad's Avatar
Keepin it Wheel
10 Anniversary
Community Builder
Community Influencer
Active Streak: 30 Days
 
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,966
Likes: 5,242
From: San Diego

Bikes: Surly CrossCheck, Krampus

Took the morning off to go with the fam to the local library eclipse party, it was such a zoo, and they had limited glasses so a stand-in-line, pick-a-color, wait-for-a-turn system, we turned right back around and went home and made pinholes. Also enjoyed the tree-shadows full of crescent-shaped light-dapples. I remember seeing that effect in an eclipse I saw in Ohio (? back in 97-99?)

Riding to work as our eclipse declined, I took a few flip-phone pics of my shadow where I was able to make a couple pinhole-->crescent effects. Some day I might figure out how to get the pics off that phone and post them.
RubeRad is offline  
Reply
Old 08-21-17 | 01:00 PM
  #11  
no motor?'s Avatar
Unlisted member
 
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 6,192
Likes: 435
From: Chicagoland

Bikes: Specialized Hardrock

We stood outside the back of the building and didn't see much with the overcast skies and only a partial eclipse here. The internet was a better source for seeing the eclipse here.
no motor? is offline  
Reply
Old 08-21-17 | 01:04 PM
  #12  
JonathanGennick's Avatar
Senior Member
Titanium Club Membership
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 4,129
Likes: 56
From: Munising, Michigan, USA

Bikes: Priority 600, Priority Continuum, Devinci Dexter

Saw the crescents on the driveway, from the sun shining through my trees. And my neighbor had made a box, so we watched that for a bit.
JonathanGennick is offline  
Reply
Old 08-21-17 | 01:09 PM
  #13  
Senior Member
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,943
Likes: 23
From: Thornton, CO

Bikes: 2003 Orbea Orca, 2003 Bianchi Imola, ? Waterford

I'm way off so just another work day for me. I found a cool image from a guy in Oregon:



We actually just took my son to the Rose Planetarium to see the "Dark Universe" space show yesterday. It was pretty cool.

Dark Universe Space Show
ptempel is offline  
Reply
Old 08-21-17 | 01:10 PM
  #14  
alan s's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 6,977
Likes: 191
From: Washington, DC
Saw it on NASA website. It was interesting. From here, looked like a cloud passed in front of the sun, and then no change when a cloud actually passed in front of the sun.
alan s is offline  
Reply
Old 08-21-17 | 01:22 PM
  #15  
Banned
 
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 8,543
Likes: 41
From: England / CPH

Bikes: 2010 Cube Acid / 2013 Mango FGSS

I just caught the corner:

London
acidfast7 is offline  
Reply
Old 08-21-17 | 01:35 PM
  #16  
Darth Lefty's Avatar
Disco Infiltrator
Titanium Club Membership
10 Anniversary
Community Builder
Active Streak: 30 Days
 
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 15,341
Likes: 3,529
From: Folsom CA

Bikes: Stormchaser, Paramount, Tilt, Samba tandem

Wife brought a mocha and babies to my office and we watched it together. A local coffee joint was handing out eclipse glasses with an energy drink slushy yesterday; this morning they issued a recall because they were questioning if they were good enough. So they can now be traded in for another drink.
__________________
Genesis 49:16-17
"Well, well!" said Holmes, impatiently. "A good cyclist does not need a high road. The moor is intersected with paths and the moon is at the full."
Darth Lefty is offline  
Reply
Old 08-21-17 | 01:39 PM
  #17  
RubeRad's Avatar
Keepin it Wheel
10 Anniversary
Community Builder
Community Influencer
Active Streak: 30 Days
 
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,966
Likes: 5,242
From: San Diego

Bikes: Surly CrossCheck, Krampus

Originally Posted by Darth Lefty
Wife brought a mocha and babies to my office and we watched it together.
I prefer a dry white wine with my babies.
RubeRad is offline  
Reply
Old 08-21-17 | 01:55 PM
  #18  
Occam's Rotor
 
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 7,248
Likes: 2,334
Totally fogged in here. The only evidence was a slight dip in the (very low) output from my solar panels.

Last edited by Cyclist0108; 09-18-19 at 04:24 PM.
Cyclist0108 is offline  
Reply
Old 08-21-17 | 02:02 PM
  #19  
Korina's Avatar
Happy banana slug
10 Anniversary
 
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 4,565
Likes: 2,513
From: Arcata, California, U.S., North America, Earth, Saggitarius Arm, Milky Way

Bikes: 1984 Araya MB 26L, 1992 Specialized Rockhopper Sport, 1993 Hard Rock Ultra, 1994 Trek Multitrack 750, 1995 Trek Singletrack 930

The grey got darker, then the grey got lighter. The NASA feed was cool, though weirdly 3 min. behind.
Korina is offline  
Reply
Old 08-21-17 | 02:05 PM
  #20  
Korina's Avatar
Happy banana slug
10 Anniversary
 
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 4,565
Likes: 2,513
From: Arcata, California, U.S., North America, Earth, Saggitarius Arm, Milky Way

Bikes: 1984 Araya MB 26L, 1992 Specialized Rockhopper Sport, 1993 Hard Rock Ultra, 1994 Trek Multitrack 750, 1995 Trek Singletrack 930

+1!
Korina is offline  
Reply
Old 08-21-17 | 02:08 PM
  #21  
brianmcg123's Avatar
Senior Member
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,287
Likes: 62
From: TN

Bikes: 2013 Trek Madone; 2008 Surly Long Haul Trucker

Pic from SE TN.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg
IMG_2954.jpg (84.3 KB, 142 views)
brianmcg123 is offline  
Reply
Old 08-21-17 | 02:10 PM
  #22  
brianmcg123's Avatar
Senior Member
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,287
Likes: 62
From: TN

Bikes: 2013 Trek Madone; 2008 Surly Long Haul Trucker

It was perfectly clear. An amazing sight.

What was unexpected were all the crickets starting to chirp and all the street lights coming on.
brianmcg123 is offline  
Reply
Old 08-21-17 | 02:16 PM
  #23  
Occam's Rotor
 
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 7,248
Likes: 2,334
A once in a lifetime experience ....

Last edited by Cyclist0108; 09-18-19 at 04:24 PM.
Cyclist0108 is offline  
Reply
Old 08-21-17 | 02:32 PM
  #24  
brianmcg123's Avatar
Senior Member
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,287
Likes: 62
From: TN

Bikes: 2013 Trek Madone; 2008 Surly Long Haul Trucker

Originally Posted by wgscott
A once in a lifetime experience ....




You win.
brianmcg123 is offline  
Reply
Old 08-21-17 | 02:37 PM
  #25  
alan s's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 6,977
Likes: 191
From: Washington, DC
Originally Posted by wgscott
A once in a lifetime experience ....
Assuming you are an octogenarian. By your crude drawing (an obvious case of sour grapes), I'd bet you are getting close, or are there already. Better luck next time, if you have a next time.
alan s is offline  
Reply


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.