2manybikes

What conditions good road, bad road, something very unusual? Very heavy traffic, or none?

How is it different from other commuters?

gerv 

Travel 7 miles, 5 miles on an older, asphalt MUP that is mostly sparsely used and another 2 miles on residential roads. No heavy traffic and the MUP features a lot of wildlife, especially early in the morning, and nice trees. The MUP is well protected from most wind. The major downside is that it is not all snow-cleared in the Winter.

SDRider

My commute is 10 miles one way and it's all suburban roads with dedicated bike lanes on 95% of my ride. About 7 miles is on a major 2 to 3 lane road (each direction) where the speed limit is between 40 and 50mph.

It is quite hilly too. Round trip is over 1500' of climbing.

Cyrus

5 miles one way & the only cross walk is at the end towards the school I work out(no need to even use it). When I leave my house I can go into my back yard where there is a 4 lane highway 50mph There is a 3-way signal and my side doesn't have a signal since there's no road. Just another 40+mph road I must cross. After that the outer road is nice. 8ft shoulder the whole 2.5 miles aprox. I ride. One hill but I can go up it at a constant 18 mph.(there's a speed display parke right on the shoulder up the hill) The traffic isn't heavy when I come to work, but if I go home at 7pm it's not as much fun. I usually work OT until 11pm. That's much easier. That 3-way sign is nice when comming home I can get off the shoulder onto the road and make that light.

wneumann

About 13.5 miles each way, with a climb out of the valley in each direction -- fortunately the long climb is in the morning when I'm more fresh.

It's all paved roads and trails (mostly good quality pavement). The first three miles are light to moderate traffic (but the heavy traffic is usually backed up waiting to get through a pair of stop signs. The next four miles is a heavy traffic road with a bike lane (and really, the drivers here in Albuquerque are pretty considerate to cyclists), then it's about 2 miles of very light traffic residential areas, and the finish is mostly multi-use path (with a good chunk inside an Air Force base).

DoB

25 mile RT. All paved roads in pretty good condition. About 90% of my commute is on residential streets through suburbia with 25 mph speed limits. The remainder is on a couple 5 lane roads with 45 mph speed limits which I have to use to cross a freeway and some train tracks.

Being Detroit, it's dead flat of course. I descend about 120 feet over 12 miles on the way in.

nycballer0591

My commute is mostly sidewalks and a long hill its about 10 miles roundtrip i only ride on the streets in the morning when there is less traffic and i ride on the streets in residential areas. i don't really travel far yet but when i was smaller i went everywhere which seems weird now.

ryanparrish

Pretty good traffic conditions AM commute suburbiaville has nice roads in the PM it is packed with people returning from officing all day Ride the roads in AM PM the ride is about 15 RT

CliftonGK1

7.5 miles one way.
6.5 miles on a heavily used (even at 5:30am) MUP. They've been repaving it, too, so there's a 3 mile section of it that's all new asphalt. The rest of it is nice, but there's some harsh sections which are paint-marked for repavement or repairs. My apartment complex has a connector path to the MUP, so I don't even have to get on the street at all for these 6.5 miles.
The last mile (first on the way home) is on the mean streets of downtown Woodinville, WA. Uhhhh yeah. There's a bike lane, lots of street lights, and it's a double lane road so most people give me an entire lane of berth when they pass. I've had more problems with discourteous riders or oblivious joggers on the MUP than I have had on the streets in Woodinville or in Redmond while running errands.

BirdOnABike

First ~mile is suburbia, quiet streets. Then ~5 miles on a 4 lane divided major thoroughfare with pretty heavy traffic, that is not very maintained with debris and has lots of cross-streets and parking lots; 1/3 of that is wide-shouldered but no bike lane; 1/3 has a bike lane; 1/3 has no shoulder or bike lane but on one side a MUP that also functions as sidewalk. I will, depending on the condiiton of the road, either take this part via MUP or on the road. South FL, so very flat. Lots of honks and yells of 'get on the sidewalk' b/c 99% of the locals ride there.

Daily Commute

I have two ways to get to and from work, and I can combine them. My street route is about 5 1/2 miles. It's partially along residential streets, but most of it is on a one-way three-lane 35mph road. I love that route because it's fast. I can hit 35 mph for bursts on part of it, and I've even hit 40 mph once on the final hill. I love having three lanes because I can take the right lane, leaving two full lanes for cars to pass me.

The one-way road has relatively new pavement (I have to watch for the pavement seems), which makes it safer. I do have to watch the far right because some of it is a parking lane during non-rush times. Also, it goes through campus and a shrinking not-so-nice part of town, so I have to watch for glass in the gutter (the not-so-nice part is getting squeezed out by gentrification from the South and Ohio State University students from the North).

It's really busy during rush hour, but I frequently ride in the wee hours of the morning, in which case I have the road nearly to myself.

I can also take an MUP for 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 miles if I want. Sometimes, I take the MUP part way and get on the streets. The MUP is nice because you can go for miles without having to interact with car traffic. I won't take the MUP on nice afternoons because there are too many idiots. I also can't take the MUP the day after a snowfall. The ruts in the snow freeze, and even my Nokkians can't take rutted ice.

rajman

On my way to work I have 0.75k of residential street, then 3.5 k of MUP (fairly heavily used at this time of year - in the winter it is cleared of snow with some icy patches), then climb up a 4 lane 50 km/h road for 1.5 km (my workout for the day!) and then about 2 km through residential streets and a university campus (major ped traffic, road network very difficult to use - stop, go and dodge all the way). On my way home I have 2 choices - the same way back (If I wanted to I could hit 60-70 km/h on the hill - but would probably lose my life on the curve halfway down!) or a 6.5 km ride through residential streets with a very steep hill and passing through some 4 lane commercial streets with lots of shopping. I often take the alternate on the way back so I can run errands - bank, supermarket, etc..

Overall a very pleasant commute.

EDIT: I am spending this year in Calgary, if anyone in TO was trying to figure out my route BTW the MUP is along the beautiful banks of the Bow river - the highlight of my day.

Billiam

6 miles each way. Going in, 0.5 mi residential, .5 mi downhill on a light arterial and 1 mi urban industrial which takes me to a MUP for the final 4 miles. The MUP (Burke-Gilman in Seattle) is decent for the 1st half, but is getting pretty busy on the 2nd half due to student traffic (the University is back in session) and some long-term construction at the half-way point is a real pain. Other than the home stretch, it's all pretty flat though (any alternatives force a steep climb over a ridge and higher traffic volume). Coming back I usually skip the arterial and go the last mile on residential (since I'm going uphill at 10mph rather than downhill at 30!)

donnamb 

3.5 miles beginning in an urban residential neighborhood with low-traffic "bike boulevards". Cross light out of neighborhood onto busy one-way to make left turn onto street with a bike lane. Bike lane heads towards river and connects with bridge across to downtown. On the bridge, it's like an MUP, but there are markings for where peds and bikes should position themselves. Turns back into a bike lane seamlessly, then into a right turn lane to a 3 lane one-way street where I take the lane, make a left onto a similar street, turn into a driveway to get on the sidewalk, and I walk the bike for the remaining half block to the building door.

wild animals

my route is about 22 miles round trip. on the way there, a mile or two are in a residential area, then i turn onto a relatively busy highway with 2 lanes in each direction. for awhile it's 35mph, then it goes to 55. i ride in the shoulder and stay on the highway for 2.5 miles or so, then cross the highway onto beautiful country roads with no shoulder, which usually have speeds of 45mph. i just realized yesterday how awesome many of the motorists are on those roads, because even though they don't *have* to, many of them pull their cars or SUVs entirely over into the other lane, often a hundred or so yards behind me! they stay in the other lane until they're totally past. (some of the other drivers aren't as nice but we won't talk about that now.)

there are some climbs, most notably on the way home (3 climbs that, depending on my energy level, could involve me stopping or walking for a bit), but i shouldn't complain. they aren't that bad even though i hate them.

at the end of the ride there are a few blocks on a boulevard in the town in work in, and that's where people usually rev their engines or honk or yell at me. in only 2 or 3 blocks! hmph.

the road on the highway is okay, although generally sprinkled with gravel and glass and plates and chairs and tires, but on the country roads the pavement is abysmal. really awful. i hope i never bounce out of a pothole into the path of an oncoming vehicle. the road is ba-aad.

the traffic at 6:45am or so is AWESOME! almost everyone is going in the other direction (to portland and beaverton), so there are only a few cars overtaking me. it takes awhile to cross the highway though.

RonH

Here's mine.

ModoVincere

Ron,

Nice job of documenting your commute. Do you ever go back through the campus to get luch at Burrito Art? I love that place. Maybe we could do lunch there someday?


Ok...my commute...leave my drive way and turn left (shorter route and smaller hill ). Go about 3/4 mile and turn right onto a 2 lane road that is way over traveled by cars. Go down a nice hill for abuout 1 mile and pick up speeds in excess of 30 mph. Stop at light and wait for someone to be nice enough to allow a cyclist to turn left in fron of them onto another over used 2 lane road. Now its uphill again, but its probably only 3% gradient. Stay on this road for about 3 miles, going through a stop sign and over one very narrow bridge. Climb 2 more nice little hills and finally turn left onto a divided 4 lane road with speed limits of 45 and average car speed 65 mph. Stay on this road for about 4.5 miles and climb at least 3 more significant hills. Total route is 8.3 miles and approximately 600 ft of climibing.

Usually take the same route home with a detour at the stop sign to go over to a major highway that has a nice bike lane on the right shoulder. I use this to get in a little hammer time. I get about 2.5 miles along this highway, and can run speeds of 27-29 mph on my MTB and 30 - 35 on my road bike. Then I come back to the road I live on...opposite end from where I started the circuit. Going down the nice big hill on this road, I've topped out so far ( on Road bike) at 48 mph and plan on hitting 50 someday.

DataJunkie

2 miles downhill in the morning on a nice 5 lane empty road at 5am. Burrrrrrr......
I have this dip between hills that occurs before I have a chance to warm up. The temp literally drops 10 degrees. Then I ride on a trail for 13 miles into denver past sewage treatment plants and other industrial areas. I change trails around REI and ride for another 5-10 miles depending on my route. The remaining 10 to 8 miles are on roads.

My quiet route takes me through nice residential areas on slow moving streets. The only downside is the hills.
The second option I frequently take, winds through high traffic streets but less hills. I take this one to arrive at work faster and strangely enough, to amuse myself. I also think it helps to keep my traffic cycling comfort level alive and well.

ducati

A photo essay of my commute (not my photos, strung together from an excellent local website!):

https://ndjedinak.blogspot.com/2006/0...f-commute.html

rule

Yes...and each way 8.2 miles of it.

wheel

Well I am only 4 miles out

https://www.mediamax.com/bodybait/Hosted/3.wmv
3rd street route not used alot.

https://www.box.net/public/vth3252ops
I use this route all the time and for good reason.

Not very exciting, 11mb and 8 mb
I have three routes.. The last option as you will see is under construction so I don't use that one.

Pretty hard to complain with this route.I takes me around 40 minutes a day.

Cheshire

mine is 35 miles of mediocre-to-needs-repairing paved roads and highways. Most of it is 45-55mph speed limit and either 5-lane with a paved curb and no shoulder, or 2 lanes with the occasional passing zone and the white line meets grass or guard rail. Nothing but hills.

In a way, I'm kinda glad the Surly turned out to be too small for me...I just got 26x1" slicks for the hardtail mountain bike that has adjustable travel and a lockout on the front fork.

RonH

I've been by that place a hundred times but never tried it.

If you're going to be down this way send me a PM. It's always nice to meet another BF member.

ken cummings

Four miles of suburban streets, 2 miles of MUP, 2 miles of back country road, 2 miles in a Senior community, and 2 miles on a state highway, each way. In the AM only the highway is busy. In the PM only the Senior roads and the back road are quiet. There is one little 200 yard patch of hard packed dirt that is nasty only during the rainy season.

squeakywheel

5 miles one way. Rual road for a while. Cross a highway on the overpass in the city (very intense). Residential streets until I reach the large multi thoussand employee business park.