50F, pea soup fog

Rode into a spectacular sunrise this morning.

Still working out some kinks with the front lights. Vibration broke off a wire at a connector. Other pair still working though.

Nice easy ride on the long route to work today. Feeling very happy that my FR305 is working again and in one piece! And I'm amazed at how dark the Brunette river trail is at 5:30 in the morning! I think I've found a new route of that top half of the mountain, but I need to make sure the last bit is passable on my skinny tires. Too many mountain bikers mapping their routes on the mountain.

Pretty good ride home last night and a decent ride in today. The wind, of course, shifted directions, so it was a headwind last night and a headwind this AM. At least it's cooler!

Left crank arm came loose again on the ride in this morning. Tightened it back up, but this is not the first this has happened. The crankset was off a donor bike at the co-op and was installed less than a month ago after I managed to bend some a couple chainrings on my old crankset. Obviously the replacement was not the best crankset. Luckily, last night, before this even happened this morning, I found out my friend had tracked down an STX RC crankset in very good condition I can use. I plan to get that put on tonight!

That'll be one more upgrade off the list for the LHT build. Seems my current frame is really just a functional repository now for a lot of parts I plan on putting on a different frame soon!

commuted via bus on mon for the first time in months. was feeling lazy and there was a light rain. 3 mile trip, painfully slow. I feel sorry for the peeps who do it every day, it was depressing.

Nerve-wracking at first, but ultimately very satisfying commute today: rode with the kids to their school. It's only a mile and a half away, so it would be an ideal distance, even for 6 year olds, except that none of the route choices is particularly bike-friendly. The most direct route takes us over a RR overpass and past a very busy entrance to the local junior college. Instead, we picked a longer route that took us through a commercial area first. It was calmer than I thought so we'll probably take that route again tomorrow.

Pretty good commute at 78F and sunny with winds from the SSW @ 8mph. Was a little bit better with the shifting and the clipless pedals on the way home.

Hi everyone! It's my first post in my second week of commuting by bike. A bit cooler this morning and I think big rain coming tomorrow.

I just finally had enough of DC's metro...what a depressing way to start each day. I'm making my way down from the East end of Capitol Hill, down the mall, finishing up in the Foggy Bottom area of downtown. About 4 miles one way. It's been an amazing experience, I'm seeing a whole new side to the morning (different from what I see when I run really early) and I am also realizing how many other bike commuters there are and how many, too many, cars there are. Well that's my story!

Worked a 2pm to 10pm shift today and left early because of an impending storm and I'll be starting a vacation too. The ride in was very nice if a little warm and the ride home was even nicer. We are supposed to get heavy rain tonight and I'm happy to say I arrived home before it started. Upper 70's on the way in and 70f when I returned, very nice conditions.

well riding never ceases to amaze me, and its because of the people you meet riding. i had a great ride to work only because im starting to get better at climbing hills. the road home was the best because i took about a 2 mile detour to stop and see my grandma and on the way i met a fellow commuter who let me draft him going up a pretty nice hill. i stopped at the bank and then went to our local health food store earth fare and met the same guy and we talked about each other's bikes, it was a good time haha but yea GO BIKING!

Darn Semi-truck pulled out in front of me without looking. He turned right onto the street I was riding on, I was going around 26mph so had to go into the left lane to avoid him. Gave him an eyefull of gestures and some choice shouts when he finally decided to look back at the road. Oh well, good thing I was alert.

On my ride home yesterday I saw an owl - it was on the side of the path and took flight when I approached on my bike. Made my day!

About to head out into pouring rain...

A second day of pouring rain this week. Today was worse than Monday, as I left a lake in the shower area. Nothing will dry before I leave, so another day of riding out in wet clothes, and maybe I will be lucky and the rain will have stopped. The rain is still warm and I love riding without gloves and it is still that warm. Hopefully, no flats going home like on Monday.

Sweet. Welcome. I hear you on the Metro. I lived down there for 8 years and commuted on it for 2 or 3 of them. Sometimes it wears thin.

Tomorrow is October and it still feels like summer. Lots and lots of rain coming. Came as close as ever to ending the life of a squirrel. I'm sure my front tire brushed its tail.

Annual Public Service Announcement for Newbies: Leaves, especially wet leaves, can be as slick as ice. Be careful!

Yes, DC has many cyclists commuting, and there a decent number of paths. Maybe, they will get around to bike lanes throughout the city.

Welcome to the herd! I commuted by metro for a few years before I started bike commuting last year, so I know exactly where you're coming from on that. I, too, am glad I've made the switch, even on days like today... when the rain comes down in buckets, and my feet are still a little wet well over an hour after getting to work (of all days to forget to throw in a change of socks!!!) Looks like after today's rain, though, we're in for the nicest strecth of commuting weather since sometime in the spring, I'd imagine... 50s AM and 60s-70s PM for as far out as the NWS can see.

dcb23, crossing the Hill and then coming down to Foggy Bottom should be a nice ride. Enjoy the scenery. I think sometimes it's easy for us DC area folk to take for granted that we're riding past sites daily that people spend good money on vacations for to come see. I know I'm often guilty of that... i.e., Jefferson Memorial... meh, see it twice a day. White House/Washington Monument/WWII Memorial? Ditto.

Of course that's another of the perks of the bike commute. You actually see some of that stuff and not just the pitch black tunnels of the metro.

Welcome, dcb23. It's always great to know more people are taking up cycle commuting.

Pleasant ride in today, but a bit chillier than the last few days at 4C/39C. Seemed a little breezy heading north, too. Saw a couple other cyclists out in the 'burbs this morning, which is rare.

Woke up to unexpected rain this morning. Also decided not to let it stop me from riding to work even though I haven't installed my fenders yet. It was a light rain and stopped about 30 min into my commute. My jacket was a little damp and my legs had a little road splatter on them but it was really no big deal. I'd bagged my electronics in my pannier just in case it rained harder. Looks like it scared away some of the other commuters. Definitely saw a lot fewer out today.

On they way home yesterday, I tried out a different route. Normally I take some back streets, head through a park and then travel through neighborhoods on the east side of downtown. So I tried just heading right down Peachtree St. all the way through midtown and downtown to Edgewood, then took a left. Peachtree was actually fine. The only weirdness I had was a bus that wouldn't pass me on the right, even though I moved over one lane to the left so he could do so. Edgewood is a hot mess though. More steel plates and loose gravel than pavement. I might try this again, but cut over sooner, like on JW Dobbs.

50F, grey

It suddenly takes me 10 more minutes to get to work. I had a great ride, a bit cool because the weather guy said it was 54 and it was really 47. I feel good and had a nice ride, just slow. The rides home have not slowed down much, might even be faster.

Had a good ride in for my 20km. Weather was cooler than it looked. 1x9 chain derailed going over train tracks. I'm thinking a chain keeper\guard might be needed as I run over those same tracks everyday. Been slower on the commute in everyday this week for some reason. Otherwise, nice and I love riding compared to driving in or taking transit.

Rode in with the kids again. I think I may try to rearrange my schedule so I can do this the rest of the fall semester.

Now is when the morning commutes are especially rewarding.
Temps are perfect and the colors are becoming more prevailing. Us Minnesotans are privliged with some very good riding weather right now.
The challenge of course is the expected layering that we will be doing in a couple months.

With the recent flooding had the opportunity to alter the standard route and it proved a bigger challenge than desired but the preceding weeks of riding had me prepared. Yes, I am new to commuting and loving it.

Hooked up the TAB and brought my son to Daycare on the way to work this morning. Passed another father/son team on their TAB heading West as I came onto Wayburne. That put a smile on my face! Heading up Burnaby Mountain Parkway I caught another commuter and decided to take it easy and hang back behind her. The TAB makes me a little long and passes are harder.

Overall a nice ride. I think my son was cold, so I'll have to bundle him up more or put him in a higher gear so he can work on the flats.