Spring has sprung
 

I had my first sighting of the hibernatory species Commuterus Fairweatherus this morning. I met a new commuter at the locker room and he explained that it was his first commute of the year, since things are warming up.

You know, of course, what this means.... the MUP will be a madhouse this afternoon.

I tuned up the summer commuter tonight--it gets its first run in the morning.

The winter commuter needs to be stripped and overhauled, but that's not going to happen quite yet as I'm still suspicious that we could be in for one more dash of snow.

I would have started riding Monday but we were pretty flooded out with heavy rain. I checked my bike route on my way home to be sure none of it was under water. I'm happy to say it was all clear so I start commuting today.

I took the studs off friday last. Spring is here.

Things are looking good for sure. The mornings are still chancy, but the evening commutes are wuderbar.

Just switched from the studded winter bike to the 23C road bike... free speed!

Ah yes, the sounds of spring...

I actually heard the pawls in my free hub clicking when I was rolling my bike out of the garage. For the last 3.5 months they'd been drowned out by the clatter of the studs.

Clocks turn back one hour on the first weekend of April in Australia. There goes my evening sunlight. On May 1st I'm back in the northern hemisphere, just in time for summer.

:beer:

It was in the upper 50s on the my ride home yesterday, but chilly with the wind. Brrr.

there's no way the OP saw me. I'm not even in the same sta-

i mean...

well yeah

Temps reached into the upper 60's here in the Seattle area yesterday. With the warm temps and sunset at 7:15 yesterday evening, the MUP was packed with bikes going fast, slow and every speed in between. Lot's of squeaking and rubbing of un-lubed and un-tuned bikes was heard. Only a few of us winter die-hards were sporting fenders. While I love it when it warms up and the days get long, a small part of me wishes I had the MUP to myself again like I did all winter long. I think you winter commuters know what I am talking about...:)

No signs of spring here.



Unless you count flowering trees, singing birds, tiny fish in the streams, thunder storms, tornados and snow free roadways. :lol:

I know EXACTLY what you're talking about. I feel the same way. Might have to start taking the alternate route more - it involves more roads, but more roads mean fewer joggers, kids swerving around, er, I meanriding on bikes with training wheels, walkers, etc.

You should rejoice that more people are riding. So they're not as hard core... so what?

More cycling will do this world good.

Yes spring is here, and I'm mostly happy about it. I ran into another species on the way home last night... mosquitoes!

I'm always happy when spring rolls back around. Sure, the MUP is full of people... If I wanna go fast, I'll stick to the roads. If I wanna check out some eye candy, I'll roll down the MUP. :thumb:

Exactly. Some of them may like it so much that they'll keep it up. Be ready come fall with advice for winter commuting.

"There is no such thing as bad weather," as the old Finnish proverb goes, "only inappropriate clothing." (Of course, Helsinki has the highest number of mental health professions relative to the population of any major city. If most of the year it was dark all the time, and so cold you can't poke your nose out of doors without freezing it off, you lived on rye bread and pickeled herring, and spent most of your time listening to Sibelius and reading Evangelical Lutheran theology, you'd be depressed, too!)

Hey -- don't knock Sibelius! And while we're talking about Finns' coping strategies, we shouldn't forget the tango. :)

Yes, I feel it in the air. Spring is here. Weather in the Bay area is forcast at 68 degree. No more excuse to wait. Did my first commute for the year this morning. Time to finally work off last Christmas dinner LOL.

Oh yes, I converted my 2009 Schwinn Le Tour into a commuter bike. You know, rack, lights, comfy saddle ect..... Why? Because I got a Scott CR1 Comp to use as a roadie!!!!!!! :)

Don't get me wrong - I am always happy to see everyone out on their bicycles. But that small part of me is remembering ripping down the MUP in December...no peds, no bikes, no autos to worry about. Ahh, those carefree joyriding days of winter! Of course, I am convieniently forgetting about the 20MPH headwinds and sideways rain part :)

Yeah, what woodway said.

I do rejoice that more people are riding. I love to see LOTS of people riding their bikes. I was simply suggesting that it's easy to get used to having the the MUP all to yourself in the winter time, when no one else is out there. I certainly did.

Oh, come on.... didn't you see me wave? ;)

Yeah... they're bad along the river! I prefer to think of them as gnats, even though I've seen their busted bodies on me and I know better.

now that it is daylight at 7 and mild i will start riding my bike more.
i guess i am a fair weather rider. i do ride all year but very short rides in the cold.
got my fuji 12 speed del rey with new derailleur cables and shifter, an adjustment to the rear hub, and my bottom bracket checked for play. all is ready to go for the bike season.
see you later i am off on my commuter to work

Be on the look out for ones like me who are used to being on the trainer during the winter. We haven't had to do anything like steer for a while.