Hey genel, I didn't know where Antioch was, but I recognize the names Mundelein and Libertyville...when I was a kid my family lived in Vernon Hills for a year. I don't remember much about the area, but I do remember it being a bit of a shock going from a small town school where there were 150 kids from K-8 to one with 300 kids in grade 3 alone. I remember the army of buses that hauled us kids around, and it's not surprising that if they weren't running, the traffic would be unbelievable. Thing is, because I took the bus and didn't pay attention once I was on, I wouldn't have had a clue how to get to my school by bike.

I did it!! First commute today! (does happy dance)

Weather was great, considering how nasty it's been the last few days. The route worked perfectly, and there seemed to be a tailwind... I was hitting 15MPH with loaded panniers and lights. Only got honked at once when I took the lane for a few hundred feet approaching an intersection, and even that wasn't too bad. Everything went smoothly. This is what a daily commute should be!

Day 1: I'm already hooked. Just have to sweat on the way home today.

Congrats on the first commute, FunkyStickman.

This morning's commute was pleasantly cool (68F), which was nice. The 15-20 mph headwind was not as nice. I'm looking forward to a few days of temps in the 70s and 80s for highs. I don't htink we've had it this cool since early June.

A tailwind? what is that? I get honked at all the time, but it is just cause I am hot.


Congratulations. Welcome. commuters are a pretty weird bunch, but it sneaks up on you real gradually.

Last night's ride home was memorable. Probably the heaviest thunder shower I've rode through. 30mph wind and pouring. Oh yea the lightning and thunder scared the bejesus out of me. Just needed a bar of soap and a shower curtain.

Last time that happened to me I just happened to be in front of the Garfield Tavern. Called my son with my pick up truck. nice people, even let me bring in my bike and lean it on a pool table while I had a beer and waited for my son.

Quick short commute in to work today. Passed one commuter on the way up the mountain this morning... Now I get to quote thesufferfest.com:

There are those little moments...like catching and dropping someone on the climb on the commute home...that make the whole day worthwhile.

Rain Monday and today both ways. Not much of a rain, just enough to get the roads wet and maybe reduce visibility at night. I have learned that drivers can't see as well at night when it rains so I usually let the wife pick me up at night when it rains. She insists and after being hit one night on the way home during a heavy downpour I have to yield to her just to keep the peace. I used to see the rain as a challenge but not any more, especially at night. It was just spitting and it was nice and cool, I really enjoyed to change. Other then the rain nothing remarkable on either day.

Yep, drivers in heavy downpours just don't seem to see us, even when we are all lit up and flashing.

Another good ride in, once again a bit chilly on the downhills, at least the first one. I love the summer mornings, and remember them fondly, once they are gone.

Another super-fantastic day on the road. After six months off, I'm starting to get my road legs back. The minutes are melting off the commute. It really is surprising how much time you can shave off a 20 mile trip when getting back into some semblance of shape. The jersey is still a little over-stuffed, but the wheels are spinning faster now.

The bridge over church road on the Chester Valley Trail is under construction. Again. It's a real PITA lifing the bike over and around all the blockade stuff.

It's supposed to rain at some point today. Let's hope it's after the trip home; I wore the sandles, not real shoes today, and it's just not quite warm enough to make rain on the toes comfortable.

Low 60sF and overcast. No wind. I made a conscious effort to maintain (as opposed to exceeding) 15MPH for the heck of it. Pretty relaxing. I allowed myself to go faster on down-slopes.

Yesterday my ride home was one long Silly Commuter Criterium . It was one roadie after another I was chasing down. One guy (and I) got tangled up with brain-dead parents blocking most of the MUP with their ridiculously large strollers, not moving, paying attention to a brat in a stroller. Roadie asked them to move. They glared at him. I said, "You really should move out of the way." They glared at me. The roadie yelled back, "For your own safety as well as for others!" By now I was right behind the roadie and I said, "Indeed!" We had a bonding moment griping about stupid people.

I rode behind him, and we caught a couple of other roadies before he peeled off. Then I spotted someone in a full kit. He was tough to catch. After a couple of 25MPH sprints, I caught him. We left the MUP and he mashed up a hill. I spun, keeping up. Then he turned left while I went straight. Took me a while to return to normal heart rate and respiration.

I think it was my fastest ride home yet. (BTW I ride a 30+ pound dual-suspension Trek MTB.)

Finally back commuting after a 3 week break, and boy was it nice. The temp was in the upper 60's which was a nice change from the low 80's a few weeks ago. Looking forward to the 18 miles ride back home this afternoon.

First commute in the rain. Fenders have gone up significantly on my priority list.

Commute today, weather and riding-wise, was perfect. Nice cool weather for the first time in months, I really enjoyed myself. Forgot my work keys at work, but that's okay... forgot my extra pair of undies at home, not okay. I forgot how weird it feels wearing bike shorts under jeans...

Had another moron on the road today, this time it was a young thug in a hooptie, wanting to play chicken with me... he pulled into my lane and revved his engine at me, I held my ground and pointed to the other lane... he missed my bars by about 6", if that. Oh well, if he wanted me to cower by the side of the road, I wasn't going to do that... so sorry.

His windows were down... maybe I should have "washed his windows" for him with my water bottle? LOL.

After yesterday's 5C commute, today's 10C seemed like a heat wave. Nice ride in, lots of other cyclists to reel in today.

Good ride home last night and a nice, cool ride in this AM - mid 60s F under cloudy skies w/ a nice breeze. Managed to leave for work a few minutes early and wanted to ride a little more, so I tacked on a couple miles to the commute. Work sucks today, but the commute home is just 7 short hours away! :-)

Funky ...

I've been commuting for years in a pretty heavily-congested suburb of Philadelphia. There are a few boneheads out there that don't like to share the road with cyclists, but I find them pretty easy to ignore now. I remember them being pretty unsettling early on. There are many, many more drivers that go out of their way to accomodate us, and I am grateful for them.

Clothes ... I pack a duffle bag with several changes of "unmentionalbes", socks, t-shirts, and an extra thing of deodorant. I bring it in when I am forced to drive, and I keep it stowed at work for those "just-in-case" days. I also leave a pair of shoes at work, so I don't need to bring them in every day. Because I leave the house at 4:45 in the morning, I find those just-in-case moments happen more than I would imagine.

First commute since weekend mountain ride, it was a little chilly about 50f and slow going my poor knee is killing me it seems to hurt more in the mornings. Thanks to my now fenderless bike i got a face full of spray this morning also thanks to the damn sprinklers making the sidewalks all wet.

60F and sunny

Another short ride in to work. Woke up late and had to rush my 5yo out of the house so I skipped breakfast. It was warm enough to go without the leg and arm warmers today.

Got in a nice long ride this morning. No armwarmers this morning. It's going to be a sizzler this afternoon!

Ages since I've contributed to this, but I'm now commuting on a folder (Dahon Speed 6) about 6 or 7 miles each way in London (used to be 13 miles each way into Edinburgh).

Anyhow, today I got thumped on the back of the head by a London bus mirror. Gave me a bit of a fright as I was stationary at the time. I "discussed" it with the driver, who had just misjudged my height (but why he had pulled up so close who knows) and he was very apologetic.

Now I know what helmets are for.

Other than that got stopped for a while at the zebra crossing outside Apple Studios on Abbey Road, some Beatles fans doing the photo thing.

Rainy but no wind so quite nice really

A great ride home today. A strong headwind, but the temp was amazing for this time of year. Had a great chat with a driver at a red light.

Started wearing sleeves for the first time since spring, I take it as a good sign of things to come. A woman at work asked me the other day about my route to work, she's planning to ride in she says. Another guy told me he also was going to ride in but I get the impression he isn't planning on making it a habit, he's just bought a new road bike and now that he no longer smokes has been riding more. Pleasant temps both ways, nothing remarkable to write about, not that there usually is. Oh, I did almost get run down by a chick who for some reason thought she had the right of way turning left as I crossed at a light, sadly not remarkable either.

Summer returned and we hit 83F today so the riding was very nice... have been forced to wear pants because the nights have been so unusually cool and that is just wrong at this time of year.