I'm not always sure my heart surgery worked. According to the surgeon I'm supposed to be having a phantom recurrence and I still get symptoms from time to time - far less often and less severe than before. But I can still trigger it, usually. Today I couldn't. I pushed hard and felt great!

The scent of honeysuckles along the MUP that constitutes the majority of my 20 mile commute.

Chuckling at the surprised responses when I reply 20 miles to questions of how long is my commute to work. OK, a bit of smugness is there, too!

Seeing other cyclists commuting. It reminds me that there are a lot of us around here who are doing it! It's a bit of a community feel, I guess!

I never see this where I am.

Nice, I see more cyclists now. Today went to dentist and the way back is my office, but since was a nice day, just drove home and rode to work :D

That sucks! I’m lucky to live in a pretty pro bike small city. We are a gold rated place by League of American Bicyclists. I just moved back last year and I’m pretty surprised at the difference from where I lived before.

On the plus side....there is never anyone in my way.

So I've got that going for me.

nothing puts a grin on my face while bike commuting like a ripping tailwind.

it's like riding an e-bike without having to purchase one.

it's too bad those 20+ mph winds exactly at your six o'clock are so rare.

Moving slowly
 

When I was a kid, I so loved long car rides, because I could be free to observe everything.

As an adult, when 99% of the time I am in a car, I'm driving.... my attention is completely held captive by this weird combination of a) occupation with driving rules and safety and b) the massive over-stimulation of constantly flying around at speeds of 30mph+. I became aware that I had become de-sensitized to the world around me that I used to enjoy as a kid riding shotgun by decades of fast speed travel in the driver's seat.

One of the things I love most about commuting on my bike, and just riding in general, is that I don't feel like the world is whizzing past me anymore. Even when taking a fast bike ride, it sometimes leaves me feeling a little sad that I don't have more time to look around as I go, even to stop and poke around or enjoy a stream in the park.

It's delightful to become re-sensitized by means of slowness. It's like waking up after a frustrating dream, or coming out of a depression you didn't realize you were in.

I was happy to use one of the spare batteries I carry with me on my way in this morning when my helmet light conked out. And I was happy I had a spare charger at work so I could recharge the battery before the trip home.

I have posted about a seemingly contrary perception of cycling vs driving in a car.

The group of deer that ran out on the bike path near lake Ontario this morning. First time this happened. Just got this feel good vibe the rest of the ride.

I'm more in the 50-60 degree camp. Cool enough that sweating is minimal, and warm enough that special layers aren't necessary. 50-60 makes me happy.

This morning, it was a bit over 60. But you know what? I was still happy about that.

It's June and you're in Chicago. What times are your commutes? You must work a very long day.

I ride at 5:45 am and 4:30 pm, and don't need lights in June.

It makes me happy to learn about your commute.

i was curious about that too.

yesterday in chicago, sunrise was 5:15am and sunset was 8:25pm.

It was between 8:30 and 9:30 AM. I don't need lights to see then, but I like to be more visible then. And on my trip home too. With rechargeable batteries it's pretty easy to do, and helps me be more visible when I'm in the middle of a busy street waiting to cross to the other side.

Happiness is an empty MUP, a nice view, crisp morning air and the knowledge that I'm not sitting in traffic.

Finding and solving a very noisy frame creak

Ah, today with a bit of tail wind I could hear the wheels rolling - no noise of air hitting around your ear. It was cool!

Hitting it off with another cycling commuter...

It's always nice when I have a friendly conversation with somebody in a vehicle while stopped at a red light. My body art is sometimes a good conversation starter for the guys in a work truck.

Might be good for conversation on BF too; pictures?

Coasting.

Smooth.

:D

WNYC, our local public radio station, does pieces on commuting by public transit and everything else. Yesterday's story was about bike commuting. One major point is that in NYC, a bike commute uses a predictable amount of time. All other modes are wildly unpredictable, and it's necessary to allow for the unexpected. Some people add 45 minutes because it's so bad. Bike commuting is the only mode where that is not necessary.

Bike Psych 101: No Other Commute Beats The Sensory Experience of Biking