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How was the commute today? 2011 Edition.

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How was the commute today? 2011 Edition.

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Old 09-27-11 | 05:21 AM
  #4001  
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From: Lexington, KY

Bikes: Surly Cross Check, Surly Long Haul Trucker, Trek FX 7.2

Beautiful morning. 52F/11C and no wind.

A smooth commute, nothing to report really. Just a pleasant ride; a great way to start the morning!
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Old 09-27-11 | 05:42 AM
  #4002  
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From: Burlington, Vermont

Bikes: 2011 Trek Soho DLX

52F/11C, sun coming up, no wind. I got into it with a City Parks & Rec truck driver, of all people. Approaching a red light. I need the left lane to go straight. There's a bunch of glass near the shoulder so I moved left early.

Driver blows his horn and goes around me and we glare at each other. He goes to the right turn lane next to a car in front of me.

His window is partly open so I yell, "Problem?"

He yells, "Yeah you don't need to be riding down the middle of the road like that!"

I said, "Yeah I do, I'm going straight here and there's broken glass over over the road back there."

He yelled something else so I put on my take command of situation voice and said, "Calm down!" He rolls down his window completely and says, "What?" I said, "CALM DOWN, Or I'll have your license!", just to spook him a bit. He says, "Go ahead, take it!", turns right, and leaves.

I gotta be more zen. I considered contacting Parks & Rec, but I guess I'll relax.
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Old 09-27-11 | 06:15 AM
  #4003  
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Ride in was uneventful this morning...perfect temperature, no fog, no wind, the sun started coming up halfway through my ride. The river, which hit historic highs with devastating flooding two weeks ago, looked peaceful and gentle as I rode along it.

On the way home last night there were two bald eagles fishing in the shallows of a the pond on our work campus. I doubt anyone leaving work in a car even noticed.
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Old 09-27-11 | 06:31 AM
  #4004  
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From: NYC

Bikes: Giant Escape 2 Hybrid

Another balmy 70° morning. Decent ride into manhattan. Too many people without lights on their bikes. I will sometimes wave my hand in front of my headlight as if to say, "you need a light".

Coming down york avenue just past new york presbyterian hospital some guy on the opposite side of the avenue heading towards me decides it's a good idea to pull a random u turn with traffic rushing behind him and pulls into both lanes of traffic on my side at such a speed that he can't complete the turn and ends up blocking both lanes sideways and his timing was such that if I hadn't seen him and hit my brakes hard I would have ran right into his passenger door.

I screamed profanity and kept my middle finger up for him as I went around him and continued down the avenue. Forecast shows I may get wet on the ride home, we shall see....
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Old 09-27-11 | 07:01 AM
  #4005  
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From: Sudbury, ON, CA

Bikes: 2012 Kona Sutra, 2002 Look AL 384, 2018 Moose Fat bike

It was comfortably cool with a couple of light sprinkles along the way. However, my legs were tired as if they were still in bed so my commute was slower than normal. It was darker this morning than last week (when I rode in last), especially on a 1km gravel road (no streetlights, no houses) so I had to be more attentive to the road on the highway portion (also, no streetlights). Along the gravel road, I started imagining that there were bears and moose in the woods along the side so I picked up speed a bit (silly me!!!).
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Old 09-27-11 | 07:31 AM
  #4006  
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From: Monson, MA

Bikes: Catrike Trail Recumbent trike

Great, but foggy commute in this morning at 65F with fog and light winds from the NE @ 3mph. I'm kinda getting sick of seeing thick fog just about every single morning now. The worst part was my glasses kept fogging up and I had to wipe them every so often. Is there such a spray or something that prevents this from happening?
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Old 09-27-11 | 08:07 AM
  #4007  
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From: NYC

Bikes: Giant Escape 2 Hybrid

Rain-x? I've heard people use this on their glasses.

Worked great on my last car but since I do not wear glasses I have not used it for that purpose.
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Old 09-27-11 | 09:23 AM
  #4008  
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From: south Puget Sound
55F, plenty wet from yesterday's deluge but no outright precip this morning. It's getting to the time of year where even if I don't need (or want) long pants for the temperature, I'm going to want them just to keep the grit off my legs. Sigh...
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Old 09-27-11 | 09:26 AM
  #4009  
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From: Looney Tunes, IL

Bikes: Wabi Special FG, Raleigh Roper, Nashbar AL-1, Miyata One Hundred, '70 Schwinn Lemonator and More!!

Lower 50's with light to moderate rain. Pleasant.
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Old 09-27-11 | 10:19 AM
  #4010  
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From: Canada

Bikes: 2009 Trek 520

Yesterday's ride home was enjoyable despite the wind, because it was fun to watch the leaves swirling around on the ground.

The weather website said 10C when I left the house, and 21C now. I think someone typed the numbers in backwards. A dog was barking at me from the passenger window of a truck today. I think he was telling me I belong on the sidewalk
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Old 09-27-11 | 10:27 AM
  #4011  
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From: Crowley, Tx

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Originally Posted by Chalupa102
Great, but foggy commute in this morning at 65F with fog and light winds from the NE @ 3mph. I'm kinda getting sick of seeing thick fog just about every single morning now. The worst part was my glasses kept fogging up and I had to wipe them every so often. Is there such a spray or something that prevents this from happening?
Cat Crap.

I still seemed to be on tired legs from Sunday's 200K this morning. But it was light winds and low 60's this morning, a beautiful morning.
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Old 09-27-11 | 02:39 PM
  #4012  
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From: Monson, MA

Bikes: Catrike Trail Recumbent trike

^ Thanks a lot for that. I'm gonna definitely try it out.

Great commute home this afternoon at 82F and partly cloudy to mostly cloudy to rain with winds varible @ 4mph. Luckly the rain didn't start till I was about 1/2 mile from my house, so I didn't get too wet.
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Old 09-27-11 | 03:17 PM
  #4013  
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From: Alpharetta, GA

Bikes: Nashbar Road

I had a real fright on the MUP this last commute. The bicycle coming towards me (it's a middle-aged guy and a decent bike although I didn't notice what brand) does a kind of bucking motion as his chain skips off - just as we meet I see the rear wheel jumping in the drop-outs! Fortunately he didn't crash or anything. I called out does he need some tools and he says "I don't know" so I stop and walk over. He's trying to lift his bike up to move off the path, and clearly he didn't even realize his wheel was coming off. Long story short I got his chain un-jammed and mounted his wheel, but what really scared me was he didn't have the foggiest idea about any of it. Not even about tightening the quick releases. Just thinking about getting out on a bike that has literally never been checked over still makes me feel queezy. Imagining the front wheel coming off, brakes not working, headset flopping loose.

Be careful on the MUPs out there!
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Old 09-27-11 | 03:47 PM
  #4014  
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From: NOWHERE

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Originally Posted by HardyWeinberg
55F, plenty wet from yesterday's deluge but no outright precip this morning. It's getting to the time of year where even if I don't need (or want) long pants for the temperature, I'm going to want them just to keep the grit off my legs. Sigh...
I was JUST telling someone this yesterday. A bit too warm for leggings but I was wearing my lightest ones just to keep my legs clean. And that's with fenders.

My helmet was still wet this morning. Have to remember to dry it out in the evenings after a rain ride.
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Old 09-27-11 | 06:24 PM
  #4015  
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From: Alexandria, VA
Humid warm rides to work and back so far this week.
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Old 09-27-11 | 07:04 PM
  #4016  
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It doesn't get much better than this! I got the bike back with the new bars today and I was grinning from ear to ear the whole time. This bike is so much fun to ride!







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Old 09-27-11 | 07:28 PM
  #4017  
Igo
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From: Henderson/Las Vegas NV

Bikes: Giant Defy 2

Originally Posted by vtjim
52F/11C, sun coming up, no wind. I got into it with a City Parks & Rec truck driver, of all people. Approaching a red light. I need the left lane to go straight. There's a bunch of glass near the shoulder so I moved left early.

Driver blows his horn and goes around me and we glare at each other. He goes to the right turn lane next to a car in front of me.

His window is partly open so I yell, "Problem?"

He yells, "Yeah you don't need to be riding down the middle of the road like that!"

I said, "Yeah I do, I'm going straight here and there's broken glass over over the road back there."

He yelled something else so I put on my take command of situation voice and said, "Calm down!" He rolls down his window completely and says, "What?" I said, "CALM DOWN, Or I'll have your license!", just to spook him a bit. He says, "Go ahead, take it!", turns right, and leaves.

I gotta be more zen. I considered contacting Parks & Rec, but I guess I'll relax.
And I spent years trying to get in full time with ANY parks system. Couldn't do it. Go figure.
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Old 09-27-11 | 07:35 PM
  #4018  
Igo
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From: Henderson/Las Vegas NV

Bikes: Giant Defy 2

Originally Posted by wphamilton
I had a real fright on the MUP this last commute. The bicycle coming towards me (it's a middle-aged guy and a decent bike although I didn't notice what brand) does a kind of bucking motion as his chain skips off - just as we meet I see the rear wheel jumping in the drop-outs! Fortunately he didn't crash or anything. I called out does he need some tools and he says "I don't know" so I stop and walk over. He's trying to lift his bike up to move off the path, and clearly he didn't even realize his wheel was coming off. Long story short I got his chain un-jammed and mounted his wheel, but what really scared me was he didn't have the foggiest idea about any of it. Not even about tightening the quick releases. Just thinking about getting out on a bike that has literally never been checked over still makes me feel queezy. Imagining the front wheel coming off, brakes not working, headset flopping loose.

Be careful on the MUPs out there!
I'm STILL the only one on my MUP...but I got the wheel thing down.
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Old 09-27-11 | 07:37 PM
  #4019  
Igo
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From: Henderson/Las Vegas NV

Bikes: Giant Defy 2

100 coming home as usual but it's going to become the Vegas I love any minute now. It was a great ride coming and going anyway. Always is.
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Old 09-27-11 | 07:42 PM
  #4020  
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Someone broke a glass bottle on the MUP near the high school. Spent 15 minutes picking up the larger pieces and sweeping the tiny fragments to the side. Yes I carry a small brush and plastic bag. Either that or I have to ride through the glass daily.
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Old 09-27-11 | 07:53 PM
  #4021  
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From: Boulder, CO

Bikes: 2011 Fuji Roubaix 1.0, 2003 Ti Merlin Solis, & 1994 Raleigh MT200

Originally Posted by vtjim
52F/11C, sun coming up, no wind. I got into it with a City Parks & Rec truck driver, of all people. Approaching a red light. I need the left lane to go straight. There's a bunch of glass near the shoulder so I moved left early.

Driver blows his horn and goes around me and we glare at each other. He goes to the right turn lane next to a car in front of me.

His window is partly open so I yell, "Problem?"

He yells, "Yeah you don't need to be riding down the middle of the road like that!"

I said, "Yeah I do, I'm going straight here and there's broken glass over over the road back there."

He yelled something else so I put on my take command of situation voice and said, "Calm down!" He rolls down his window completely and says, "What?" I said, "CALM DOWN, Or I'll have your license!", just to spook him a bit. He says, "Go ahead, take it!", turns right, and leaves.

I gotta be more zen. I considered contacting Parks & Rec, but I guess I'll relax.
Great story!

Originally Posted by vtjim
Parks & Rec
GREAT tv show!! One of my favorites!

Last edited by AlphaDogg; 09-27-11 at 08:13 PM.
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Old 09-28-11 | 04:44 AM
  #4022  
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From: Columbia, Maryland

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

A warm ride in at 70F (21C). Lots of traffic this morning, and I always wonder why that happens sometimes, especially in the 5-6am time frame. They are promising rain, and I either got lazy or just tired of the rain, so if it rains, I will be soaked, and my bike will be in it all day.
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Old 09-28-11 | 05:12 AM
  #4023  
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From: Western Florida

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Originally Posted by fletchh
A warm ride in at 70F (21C). Lots of traffic this morning, and I always wonder why that happens sometimes, especially in the 5-6am time frame. They are promising rain, and I either got lazy or just tired of the rain, so if it rains, I will be soaked, and my bike will be in it all day.

Went earlier today than normal and did not have to deal with any cars on the 4.3 miles in. Yesterday, had threee "run-ins" (i.e., two close passes and one woman trying to pass me just before we both came to a stop sign - duh) and dealt with many more cars throughout the ride. The difference was only leaving 30 minutes earlier. I'm going to continue getting up earlier - it is well worth it. In addition, I have an hour in the office alone - to read, drink some coffee, and just reflect on the great ride in. Well, and write in the BF...

Last edited by Ridefreemc; 09-28-11 at 02:23 PM.
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Old 09-28-11 | 05:44 AM
  #4024  
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From: Burlington, Vermont

Bikes: 2011 Trek Soho DLX

Warmer. 65F/18C, light drizzle.

Something must be in the water this week. 4 way stop sign. Residential streets. I stopped for a minivan that's approaching from my right, just to make sure it's going to stop. I have unambiguous right of way. It's slowing down, looks good, so I go. Silly me. Minivan driver stops slowing and rolls about halfway into the intersection before a couple neurons fired enough to notice me. Van's wheels skid for a instant as it jerks to a bouncy stop.

Again, I really want to train myself to become more relaxed in these situations, and just ride. I pointed to the driver's stop sign and mouthed, "Stop!", as I went around the van.
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Old 09-28-11 | 05:45 AM
  #4025  
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From: NYC

Bikes: Giant Escape 2 Hybrid

Intermittent mist became steady mist. A cool 67°, maybe a ten mile an hour wind. Finished locking up my bike and turned around and saw an old college friend who I hadn't seen in ten years. We spoke briefly exchanged numbers and went on our way. Totally unexpected.
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