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How was the commute today? Continued.

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Old 03-09-10 | 09:46 AM
  #3951  
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From: Alexandria, VA

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Yesterday afternoon was without a doubt the best commute I've had in MONTHS!!! Temps in the low 60s - so I was in shorts and a tee-shirt for the ride home for the first time since November IIRC. Got to watch the sky turn a beautiful rich orange color as the sun set. Slight tailwind made it all the more pleasant. Stopped near home to get some groceries and a 20 lb. bucket of cat litter. Not a complaint in the world!

This morning's ride was pretty nice, too. Temps in the 40s by the time I left, so I dispensed with the underlayer tights I had been wearing under my shorts throughout the winter and just went with shorts. Tee shirt and fleece top. Weather Channel said winds N at 2 MPH. Definitely stronger than 2, but still not the 20-25 mph gusts of late. 7 miles including stoplights in 31 minutes. I feel fast again!

Looking forward to a great ride home. Might try to sneak out for a little lunchtime ride, too, time permitting.
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Old 03-09-10 | 10:02 AM
  #3952  
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From: south Puget Sound
25F and blinding sun. Frost is hard on the cherry blossoms, but they were past their peak anyway.
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Old 03-09-10 | 11:28 AM
  #3953  
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Very tough commute today. 21F this morning, 28F this afternoon. Winds at 30-40 mph all day with fallen branches and other debris everywhere. Prior to this week, we had 2 weeks of 50F days which melted all our snow. I was even doing some of my summer rides again. Figured spring came early, but boy was I wrong. It's been below freezing all day for the past 4 days with very strong, cold wind. The forecast is calling for snow this week.
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Old 03-09-10 | 11:37 AM
  #3954  
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Yuck!
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Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
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Old 03-09-10 | 01:36 PM
  #3955  
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From: Antioch, IL

Bikes: Giant Defy Advanced 0, Rivendell- Sam Hillborne, Montague folding bike.

Very foggy this morning, vis down to 100 yards at best. I almost turned left in front of a car with no lights. That would have ruined my day.

Not looking forward to ride home in rain.
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Old 03-09-10 | 01:38 PM
  #3956  
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From: Sacramento, California, USA

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Bright sunshine and a chilly north wind. Going to make for some Paris-Nice like conditions on my lunch time interval sessions.
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Old 03-09-10 | 03:39 PM
  #3957  
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From: Alexandria, VA

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Originally Posted by HardyWeinberg
25F and blinding sun. Frost is hard on the cherry blossoms, but they were past their peak anyway.
Ah yes... cherry blossoms! Ours will be here soon in the other Washington. Sadly that brings buttloads of tourists to otherwise easily navigable paths along the Mall and around the Tidal Basin. It'll still be pretty, though!
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Old 03-09-10 | 06:14 PM
  #3958  
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I wore shorts today 60F, sunny! Woooohoooo!

Adam
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Old 03-09-10 | 08:09 PM
  #3959  
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From: Fort Worth, Texas Church of Hopeful Uncertainty

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From this morning.....

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Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
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Old 03-09-10 | 11:23 PM
  #3960  
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House- / cat-sitting for the in-laws this week, 800ft up a vertiginous slope. Ouch! So far the rain has held off and everything has been hunky-dory. Enjoying the vistas and the wine.
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Old 03-09-10 | 11:36 PM
  #3961  
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From: Chicago, IL

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tonights ride home from school was pretty awesome.... man I can't wait for spring/summer. I was only wearing 1 layer! and a vest. temp was ~40F and I had a slight tailwind - i was booking home.
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Old 03-10-10 | 01:17 AM
  #3962  
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I have been commuting part time year around for 3.5 years now, somewhere around 9000+ miles in total. Today I had a first. I was riding home, in the dark on a MUP and out from no where came an opossum. It must have seen me because it approached the edge of the MUP then began to turn around. Before I could react, it ran in front of me and I nailed it! Fortunately, I didn't wreck! I didn't stop to see if it was OK or not, so who knows what happened to it...
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Old 03-10-10 | 01:44 AM
  #3963  
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From: 52°57'N 6°21'E

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March 10. First time I got slammed by a car. The guy claimed he never saw me.
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Old 03-10-10 | 05:34 AM
  #3964  
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From: Atlanta

Bikes: Cannondale T700s and a few others

Trying to get back into a regular commute. Horrid winter for GA. as bad as people drive around here on dry roads you can forget it with any hint of snow and Ice. We have also been in a 5 year Drought till last year. Now we back into a rain pattern that is maybe a little higher then normal.

Monday and Tuesday were wonderful! Chilly in the mornings so I haven't broke the SPD's out yet (I hate the shoe covers I have) but didn't need the ski gloves. Afternoons were great with high 60's Tuesday and low 70's Monday.


Monsoon today (and suppose to continue for the rest of the week) so driving in
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Old 03-10-10 | 06:59 AM
  #3965  
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From: Raleigh, NC

Bikes: Waterford RST-22, Bob Jackson World Tour, Ritchey Breakaway Cross, Soma Saga, De Bernardi SL, Specialized Sequoia

Warmest morning commute in quite a while, about 50 F. The weather is looking really iffy today, and it might be raining by the time I head home, but I hated to miss a ride when the temperatures are so mild for a change. I had to go out of town for a couple of days, so I rode to work on Monday morning, left my bike in the office while traveling. Got back late yesterday afternoon and rode my bike home with beautiful weather and temps in the 60s. So I still got in 3 days of commuting even though I was out of town for two of those days.
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Old 03-10-10 | 07:14 AM
  #3966  
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From: Burlington, Vermont

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22F/-5C, clear sky, wind calm. I caught a woman (riding) who had such "big hair" that I thought she was wearing a parka with her hood up until I got close to her.

The broken fifth of Cuervo Gold on the MUP was a nice touch. I saw it well in advance and avoided it.
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Old 03-10-10 | 07:43 AM
  #3967  
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From: Boston, MA
34F, Sunny, little wind. Feels like the beginning of Summer;-)
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Old 03-10-10 | 07:46 AM
  #3968  
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From: Monson, MA

Bikes: Catrike Trail Recumbent trike

A little cool starting off, but besides that, it was a nice commute this morning. When i left my home it was 27F and now it's currently 31F and sunny with no wind.
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Old 03-10-10 | 08:11 AM
  #3969  
2su
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From: Chicago, IL

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Originally Posted by hopperja
I have been commuting part time year around for 3.5 years now, somewhere around 9000+ miles in total. Today I had a first. I was riding home, in the dark on a MUP and out from no where came an opossum. It must have seen me because it approached the edge of the MUP then began to turn around. Before I could react, it ran in front of me and I nailed it! Fortunately, I didn't wreck! I didn't stop to see if it was OK or not, so who knows what happened to it...

Ha... a remember last year I either hit a bird or a bird flew into my front tire 3 times in one month... so random.

Today's commute sucked. rain.... kind of the first rain since forever but still... I was drenched. and cold.
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Old 03-10-10 | 09:10 AM
  #3970  
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I have been absent from posting my daily commute for a while because the report would sound like a broken record. Sunshine, clear roads and one less layer of clothing. Today has an addition to a usual uneventful ride with a GPS tracking device monitored by the City planners with the intent to improve the roads for the commuting cyclists. According to the organizers, they issued 100 of these units to volunteers who answered an article in the local newspaper or by word of mouth. The unit is the size of a small I-pod and it is to be worn around my neck. There is an on off switch on the side and a round button in the middle top of the unit. When I am ready to start my ride the unit is turned on, a blue light appears and after a short wait the blue light begins to flash indicating enough satellites were found. If on the journey I come across any obstacle or dangerous road situation the centre button is pushed and that location is marked. A battery charge lasts about 18 hours and to recharge just plug it in to your Universal Serial Bus. I volunteered for this project to try and help the City planners instead of just complaining about their apparent inaction. Whether anything comes from my simple commute only time will tell.
Oh by the way, minus three degrees Celsius, the sun occasionally peeking out behind some clouds, no wind and a return trip forecast of plus twelve degrees. The studded tires come off this weekend.
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Old 03-10-10 | 09:47 AM
  #3971  
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From: Alexandria, VA

Bikes: Trek 830 Mountain Track Drop bar conversion

Shorts and a tee shirt only for the AM commute today! Woohoo! Now that's improvement! Lovin' it.
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Old 03-10-10 | 09:50 AM
  #3972  
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From: Burlington, Vermont

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Originally Posted by duckbill
Today has an addition to a usual uneventful ride with a GPS tracking device monitored by the City planners with the intent to improve the roads for the commuting cyclists.
That sounds like a nice project. Just turn it off before you visit your mistress!

Are they going to make maps of rides? I'd like to see that if I lived there, if nothing more than to see how many riders use various roads and paths, which it seems is what they're doing.
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Old 03-10-10 | 10:12 AM
  #3973  
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From: Chico, CA

Bikes: Trek Soho, Fisher Aquila

fanfreakintastic! It rained last night, but is clear as a bell this morning if a bit brisk. The air has that cool, clean, refreshing smell that makes you feel as if you're taking a drink out of a cold mountain spring. Rode in on my Knight which is quite a bit faster than my Soho. Can't wait for lunchtime!
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Old 03-10-10 | 10:49 AM
  #3974  
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From: south Puget Sound
37F, blinding sun, clammy. S'posed to cloud over and skies open up tonight. We'll see.

My son is digging his pannier:

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Old 03-10-10 | 11:07 AM
  #3975  
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From: Columbia, Maryland

Bikes: Trek 820 mtb, A no name red steel pipe bike, my commuter

It was a nice ride in, and the temps are good at 0 C ( 32 F). Saw my first rabbit this morning, and the sky is lightening up ever so little, but still noticeable. These are all good signs of good weather to come. I ditched my ski pants in the morning, as temps are closer to freezing, and hopefully, they continue to build upward, quicker rather than later.
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