savethekudzu

Got any good stories from this year's Bike-to-Work Week?

Here's a video that was posted at Duke today...
https://www.duke.edu/today/archive/oncamera.php?id=18233

jpdesjar

Just another week commuting by bike for me and a gorgeous one at that.

one_beatnik

Yep. The smell of fresh soil from the planting, fresh cut grass, oh and the wild plum trees in bloom. The songs of the catbird, cardinal, purple and gold finches, the meadowlark (that I try to mimick...in vain) in the morning. The sun coming up over the hill on my left.

This week the polite drivers I've had. (I think I'm surprised because I've been reading so many horror stories here!)

I really love the surprise of the convenience store clerk when I'm getting my morning coffee when she finds out I rode 12 miles! "How can you ride that far?!?!?"

Shinyville

I'm in a small department of 5 people. I've been commuting for about 3 years by bike, year-round. The timing on this is coincidental, but two more people have started bike commuting this week, and plan to stick with it! So now we're one driver, 3 cyclists, and one person takes the bus. Not too shabby.

jpdesjar

That's awesome, I think most of the people in my building live just out of reach to ride a bike in but I know there are people that drive 5 miles or less. The only other bike I saw here this week was a three wheeled recumbent bike.

Mr_H

The first year I was here at work (going on three years) they had a Bike to Work day, but nothing since Course, doesnt matter to me, but still.

I guess Friday is the recognized Bike to Work Day in this area...which is funny since Friday is the day that I have off and instead am going for a long weekend on Mackinac Island (where there's no cars, all bikes).

Percist

I feel like such a failure for not riding today! To be fair I was woken at 5AM with a window rattling thunderclap and the radar during my commute had more red (and purple-purple's baaad) than the back of my rig. . .I still would have braved the flooded streets and 60-65 mph gusts, but alas I don't do lightning.

Stopped raining now,

4 out of 5 won't be bad and my legs needed a rest before my bike club's spring century this weekend. I'll have just under 300 miles this week! Woo-hoo!

ItsJustMe

I forgot about it being bike-to-work week. I drove to work today for the first time since February. I brought the minivan and the cargo trailer, because I didn't want to carry 20 sheets of 3/4" OSB underlayment on my bike...

kokomo61

I've ridden 2 days this week, and will likely ride to the office tomorrow for BTW day (even though Fridays I usually work from home). Usually, I average 16 or so MPH for the full ride (21 miles), but today felt great, and even though I got passed by 3 roadies (usually I get 1 max), pushing the pace had me finishing at 17.2, which is the fastest I've done it this year.

Great weather!

devildogmech

If you could do that...... You'd be my HERO!

I couldnt ride to work last night... I left my bag in my van (witch my MIL had!).... No spare tubes, no multi-tool, no pump or locks..... The one day I didnt have that stuff, would be the one day I definatly needed all of it!

I've had people at the hospital asking me about it, and some have even said they are considering it!

MNBiker

This week has had generally beautiful weather to ride. The city of Minneapolis had Wednesday of this week as bike to work day and had various events planned for the day.

One event had a number of businesses providing free continental breakfasts for people who rode or walked at least part way to work this week. I stopped at a nice little neighborhood cafe (Birchwood) in south Minneapolis and had a very tasty muffin (I skipped the free coffee as I don't drink it). I considered going to a second restaurant providing free food but I didn't have enough time and so just rode in to work.

It seems like there are more bikers than usual on the road this week -- maybe partially due to how nice the weather is finally getting.

mochapants

Today I was enjoying a great morning bike ride to work, clipping around a small lake and came across a family of Geese crossing the trail.

"How cute!", I thought as I began to slow down, "Nature is such a wonderful thing. Mom and dad goose instinctively know how to stand guard on the path while the little ones scurry across."

Even their hissing at me made me think about how God gave all creatures the ability to show and recognise warnings to stay away.

"They would protect their young to the death", I thought as I slowed down even more, trying to let the last cute little fuzzy thing get across so I can be on my way.

At that moment I violated mother goose's comfort zone and had a 30 lbs pissed off goose flying straight at me, ready to bite my head off.

I was going 5mph, holding on to the handlebar with one hand and trying to push the goose off my back with the other. She landed on my back! Her big web feet were sitting flat on each side of my spine, wings flapping with her big neck ready to strike like a cobra. I then saw an opening in the right lane. I quickly pushed the fowl off with my left arm, turned on the afterburners and got out of there.

The rest of the way to work, all I could do was wonder if there was poop on my back.

bizzz111

I actually saw someone else on an xtracycle. First time since I've built one that that's happened.

On a more somber note, I had a friggin' headwind coming into work. I've never had a headwind coming into work. Now looking at the flag outside my window, it looks like I'll have a headwind going home.

Screw headwinds.

devildogmech

I take it this is your first "Goose Attack"? Mean little *******s, arent they? Makes me have no problem Blasting em' come hunting season

n9viw

Had good weather so far this week, so that was nice. I drove today because I won't be leaving for home until 9pm, and I'm not yet brave enough to dare busy streets after dark. Tomorrow is IL's Bike To Work day, and I'll DEFINITELY be on two wheels.

Nice points this week: Having people recognize me from the newspaper article done about cycle commuting... LAST year. No altercations from cagers, so far. Saw more cyclists in the past 2 weeks than I think I saw all season last year! Already seeing weight loss benefits, even though I've only been riding for a couple weeks now. Smelling cherry and apple trees in bloom. Finding new and fun routes to and from work. Yep!

devildogmech

Dude, let me tell you, Night time is SO MUCH SAFER! I only see 2-3doz cars at night, opposed to the 5-600 I see during the day..... And I get out before the drunks do

jacob.

I havent gone on one bike ride where i didnt have headwinds. Its annoying as hell. On almost every ride, as i'm trying to push through the wind, i either end up yelling at the top of my lungs "WHAT THE FU#K!?" or "GOD DAM#IT!!!".

First time I've ever had to deal with headwinds every day, and its pissing me off so much.

katmu

I was my division's Bike to Work organizer again this year. Turns out, I am most proud of my own department of 30 IT geeks. A couple of others rode in with me yesterday and another co-worker is riding in for the first time tomorrow and I helped a few others map out their route. I agree with MN Biker, our gorgeous weather this week has been great for encouraging new bikers.

BassNotBass

I know what your going through. Some days it seems that no matter which road I turn down, the wind changes direction so that' it's always blasting right into me. But then I just recall the feeling of hot humid summers at the race tracks in the South while wearing full leathers... roasting out on the tarmac surrounded by thick stagnant air... every breath taken in almost feels like getting wet boarded... suddenly the headwinds don't feel so bad anymore.

murphstahoe

our SF-> Mountain View (40 miles+) ride departed SF with 42 riders, and picked up several more at various waypoints. It felt more like Critical Mass than Bike to Work Day. At least until someone went OTF and started up the attacks...

blwyn

Highlights of the week:
I've seen one other person on a bike (more than usual).
Waiting behind a car at a stop light. Driver suddenly decided to backup. Bent my wheel and damaged the disc brake.
Same intersection, next day, had a water bottle thrown at me. I may have provoked this one by picking up the cigarette butt which they had thrown out and flicking it back through their car window. Although, I was very polite when I said "Hey, I think you dropped something."

We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Mr Wonderful

I finally passed another commuter today. It helped that he was on knobbies and unaware that I was racing him.

YoKev

Nice blwyn!

I didn't see any other commuters this week. I know a friend of mine was riding everyday this week (going the opposite direction from me), so that's cool, but still...

LordBass

Had my main commuter in for service earlier in the week. When I called to make sure it'd be ready, the tech nicely asked if I was getting ready for our local 'bike to work' day. I confirmed, and he said he'd spoken to probably 30 others that said the same. That's quite a lot for a smaller shop in our area.

There were few unfamiliar riders out this morning, but not many. The local advocate group provided breakfast around the Seacoast. I stopped in to find breakfast pizza. Egg, sausage, ham, onion, and a bit of hot spice. YUM! I dined and listened to stories of climbing Pinkham Notch in a recumbent from a cool character in a Cinelli cap.

While enjoying my pizza, a reporter from the local paper stopped in to chat with us about why we ride, etc. She commented on how early she had to get up to be there. I offered that we did too. She took the obligatory photo of us with our bikes, though the story has yet to appear on the site.

I got to work to find only one other bike on the rack. I work in a building of 700.

SDBluefish

Lots more people than usual on the MUP this morning (I saw over 20, usually see maybe 4 or 5). Some old hands, a fair number of obvious newbies. Felt a little bit like January at the gym when all the New Years Resolutionaries descend! I was carefully modeling good behavior the whole way: holding a straight line, calling out when passing, careful & courteous at crossings, checking my blind spot before overtaking. Figured anything I can do to make bike commuting seem friendly and unintimidating was all to the good.

Who knows, maybe for a few of them it will even stick! (optimistic me!)