The commute in was great. After only one day off due to heavy AM rain, I was really antsy to get back on the bike. My muscles started to burn, but it felt great. It was upper 40s and I decided to try an experiment. What is the better jacket, fleece, which breathes easily but also doesn't block wind or rain, or GoreTex, which doesn't breathe as easily, has no insulation, but is waterproof? I think GoreTex wins in temperatures below about 55°F. Looks like rain today, so I'm glad it came out this way.

A short bus honked as it passed me this morning. I had a good laugh to myself as I reminded myself that he IS the short bus driver, after all. As a reward for his hurry & rudeness, he got to that red light 15 seconds before me, and was leaving it right as I rolled up behind him.

The computer systems at work are not working well at all. There's been an hourglass on my other screen for about 10 minutes now. It isn't responding to Ctrl + Break either. I'm going to have to shut down stupid Lotus Notes. Oddly, the internet works fine, so I'm not too frustrated, hehehe.

The day keeps getting better. I ordered my first Brooks saddle, a Flyer, Monday afternoon from Amazon. Got it just now. (standard shipping: $7, not Super Saver) I don't know how they do it, but it is great. Can't wait to get home and get it on the TriCross.

groovestew: Interesting encounter indeed. I hope you gave her the stink-eye. Glad you were alert. The world needs more Lerts.

EKW: That is what I first thought when I read 'cougar' too.

sseaman: What's a greenway?

Hardy: Why do you normally pull a trailer? To tote kids around, or luggage?

Jim: Good lesson about checking the radar. I have a much simpler system, but it is only reliable on short commutes: If it is raining when I'm ready to leave, I take the car. If not, I take the bike. I don't care if I get wet on the way home.

Others: One guy keeps posting about his 'MUP' or something. What is a MUP? (I may have mixed up the letters, I can't find the post at the moment)

Jeremy: MUP = Multi-Use Path. In Edmonton, we use MUT (Multi-Use Trail).

Ride in this morning was fine if a bit cool and windy. The ride home could be interesting. The forecast is possible severe thunderstorms, hail, and tornados.

I almost wussed out and took the car but I'm hoping to get lucky.

a dedicated walking/biking path through parts of the city

Tempted the weather gods by taking my fenders off the fixed gear this morning. Ride in was mellow. I tried to occupy my mind by counting all the traffic violations (rolling stops, cellphone and texting, failure to signal) by the motored commuters on my route. After 12 or so in 3 miles, I lost track.

commute was as always a bit of a mixed bag, good times away from car drivers, and bad times getting stressed stuck in traffic, feeling like i want to ride like a cycle courier without care, and then thinking no i darent just in case run into

I always seem to get a bit stressed from the way some but not all car drivers seem to ignore the cyclist, mind with that said, i think pedestrians sometimes ignore cycles as well, especially through city areas, frequently get people walking in front of me, without looking my way.

Good parts of the commute include times when riding on minor roads away from rush hour traffic, then i start enjoying the ride more, and realise how fun it is, although part of me actually gets a buzz from getting stressed out in traffic!!!!.

Started getting more confidence on the bike since ive been commuting for 4 weeks now, but very different to leisure riding, been tired from work and then cycling, when i first started commuting my observation was far lower, now im more perceptive of what may happen, and can start positioning the bike better.

It was a misty/ rainy, cool (45° F) morning on Long Island. Normally, I would have driven, but I felt a bit playful this AM, so I donned my rain gear, put the lights on blink and rode. Passed another bike commuter (day laborer type on big box type BSO.) Of course I hit every traffic light and got to enjoy the misty rain. My "rain pants" (cheapo nylon wind pants were pretty well soaked but my upper body stayed dry (thank you J&G Cyclewear). Legs got kinda chilly from the wetness, but for the short ride, it was tolerable.
The ride home should be drier, but not necessarily warmer.

A nice spring day in Boulder
 

A (somewhat) unusual May snow storm last night. Ride wasn't bad, but I did need to wear my rain gear. The photo was taken from my office.

Paul

Attachment 150491

How was it today? Wet! 50 in the AM and 60 tonight. Tomorrow is an overtime day. Leave around 5: am and home about 4PM +. Maybe 6:30 PM? Ride carefully. Wing Nut

I dropped of the family's Suburban this morning at the Chevy dealer and they were kind of enough to drop me off at home. Then, I rocked to work on the big Dummy without a winter coat. I grabbed a bunch of groceries and got home in time to put on my SPD shoes and sped to the dealer's on the lightning fast Cross Check to pay a small fortune to have my upper manifold gaskets replaced. I couldn't put my Dummy in the back of the Suburban easily as the Cross Check.

I managed not to get rained upon at all today. Rode in when it was cloudy. Rode home when it was cloudy. I was home not 20 minutes and now it is a steady rain. I guess I'll pay for that luck in the near future.

I commuted my 1st time on bike 16 miles each way. It was sunny and beautiful. Lots of other friendly bikers out there 2 helped me find my way at different points

It was a decent ride in and a bit drizzly, but nothing soaking. The temps are staying good around 6 C (44 F). The afternoons, cloudy or not are very nice. Being sleeveless with shorts is a good feeling. Saw my first early morning rider of the year, going in the opposite direction, all lit up. I caught a
glimpse of an arm raised in a headlight going by, so I responded in like.

Muggy. A very warm 68 F when I left home, and I made great time. Another bike commuter actually passed me, on a mountain bike no less, but I didn't notice him until he was going by. I rarely ever see other bike commuters on my route. I didn't bother giving chase because I've ridden every day this week with long weekend rides coming up.

22nd ride to work since November 15
felt strong, stronger than ever
cool temps and I like wearing a bandanna with my new headband
toes got cold but days of toe warmers are looong gone, right?
dropped my chain at one point, after I passed a pretty girl walking. I downshifted too hard at the end of the cogs. don't know what I was thinking. oh yes I do ... whoa ...! I do love spring.
computer needs a new battery but it will last today

13.3 miles
29.1 max
15.3 avrg
52 min saddle time

I was up waaaay too late last night. :o
:beer:

Slower than normal, but not too much. A nice morning though. Sunny, around 40F. No wind at all. I stopped and watched some Canada geese with their babies.

Cool ride in with occasional sprinkles, other than the headwind, it wasn't a bad ride. I'm sitting here looking at yet another flat. Luckily the tube held until I got to work in fact, I didn't realize it had flatted until just a few minutes ago. This is the 3rd or 4th flat I've had in as many weeks. I'm currently riding on Continental Ultra Sports and have been enjoying the speed and handling but dreading the decreased flat protection. I've put off replacing them with something with a higher level of protection but, I've had enough. I just got out an order for some Conti Tour Rides and, although they're slower with greater rolling resistance, they give me much more peace of mind. I'll change the tube over lunch and ride home on a mushy rr. tire, again (my new office doesn't have access to a bike room/floor pump so, I'll use my hand pump which may get me to 40 lbs or so).

It's getting warmer so my pace is having to slow some to control sweating. But you can't beat a sunny day.

It looked threatening when I left work a bit after 4:00 PM so I put on my rain gear. Well, no rain so about half way home I quickly took it off at a stop light because it was so uncomfortably warm.

Within 10 minutes the skies opened up and I got soaked to the bone. :-)

Welcomed the cooler temps this AM. Good ride in and legs felt strong. Last night and tonight were first rides on new saddle (I must have gotten the last one) ;) Dialing it in and it's nice and comfy. Way better than the crappy, stock, way-too-wide, riding-on-springs saddle I've had for too long (i.e., over a year). I'm no saddle expert, and I'm sure a Brooks would be nicer, but I'm quite happy for the less than $20 I spent.

Now to make some good tips pedicabbing on Saturday so I can throw some more $ at upgrades to my bike.

Warmest morning in a long time at 10C. Very nice ride in. On a long hill, I passed a guy riding his bike on the sidewalk, and a woman walking her bike on the road. Seems to me they should have switched places.

I'm really loving my new commuter, an early 80's Bianchi road bike. It's so light and nimble, and just flies on it's 23mm tires. I'm not as fond of the modified route I need to take to avoid gravel, though.

Beautiful ride in this morning. I was a bit tired to start but after the first mile I warmed up and flat out hammered all the way. Broke the 42 minute saddle time, 41:40 to be exact for my 12.3 mile commute, for the first time this year.

The cagers even seemed to be courteous this morning. I had this one downhill stretch coming off a left turn at a light. I was first in que and took the lane and maxed at around 36 mph, at the bottom stopped at a light some gal in a Prius that was following me even gave me a thumbs up.

45F and blinding sun. First sub-50F commute of the year in shorts, no tights. Metabolism slowly dewinterizing...

Welcome to the bike commuting world! Consider going to fill in your profile information so we know where you are and what you're about. A 32 mile round trip commute is pretty respectable! I don't know if I could hack that every day...

It was pouring this morning, so I took the car. It is discouraging, but not enough to put on rain gear & sweat. At least not yet, hehehe.

It was so awesome I can't describe it. Perfect weather - I'm back in my sandals with bare toes. And it's just light enough to take off with my sunglasses at 6:30 AM.

After dealing with a headwind last night all the way home, this mornings commute was pleasant at 43* and clear. Tried a different route that turned out to be only 1/2 mile longer (current round trip of 17 miles), but more traffic. Only saw 3 other bikes this morning on the way in. Last night was passed on the path by a couple using a pair of power assisted bikes, headwind didn't seem to bother them any.

Tonight commute looks to be clear and about 77* and a homebrew in my future when I get home, this is my friday off (two thumbs up to that)

the ride home was quite good but I don't like these running shorts over my trisuit. also I tore a small portion of fabric at the bottom of the zipper. dam. the zipper works fine but I should sew the bottom of the zipper back together with he fabric. I was in a hurry and tugged on the top too abruptly grrr that's what I get for rushing

12.9 miles
26.7 max (homeward is uphill)
13.9 avrg (ditto)
55 min saddle time

30F on the way in, but it felt much nicer since the wind was absent. I had to manuever around a bus parked on the shoulder to get home tonight. It would have been different if he were broke down, but I am sure he stopped to get a soda or something at the convienent store.

Had a "Silly Commuter Racing" moment on the way home tonight.

I'm in what's called "Tech week", which in the theatre means a series of "10 out of 12's"- days where you work 12 hour days with 2 hours of break just before the show opens. It's an exhausting time and given that I just finished a semester teaching full time at a college concurrent to my other work I'm feeling like I don't have much ooomph on my bike rides this week.

So tonight as I left the theatre around 11 pm I vowed to "take it easy" on the way home and just smoothly and gracefully make my way home. But as I was riding along a hidden section of road running parallel to the Mass Pike that leads to the back side of Fenway park I'm moving nicely along the flat quiet stretch on this windless night and pass a couple of guys on single speeds. (I'm on my big old hybrid with milk crate, 26" wheels and carrying my usual ton of crap.)

As I pass one of the cyclists, I had "dinged" him with my bell because his erratic riding style led me, wrongly, to believe, that he was about to cut across the road and turn left suddenly. Instead, as I pass, he yells out, "Oh! So this guy wants a race!"

Actually, it was the last thing I wanted tonight but old instincts die hard and as this kid thrashes his bike up to speed and starts to gain on my back wheel I feel my upper body relax, my elbows drop and my legs start to spin, and spin, and spin until I'm cranking at about 110 rpm in a pretty substantial gear. I wound it out to I don't know what kind of rpm and as I felt him dropping off I clicked into one more higher gear and turbo'd away at what felt like warp speed. The satisfaction I felt as I heard him let out an involuntary groan and sigh as he fell further and further back was worth all the effort.

I know these things are stupid, especially when you're as out of racing fitness as I am, but they can be fun. I'm awfully glad he didn't totally humiliate me.:p

Another warm, muggy morning. I rode one of my racing bikes today because I have a surplus of clothes and food in my office and didn't need to carry anything. It was fun going fast for a change, even though I kept reminding myself to take it easy so my legs will be well rested for the weekend rides. Still ended up with my fastest morning commute in a while, despite catching nearly every red light. Only downside was that i was drenched in sweat when I got to work.