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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 09-28-11 | 06:46 AM
  #4026  
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From: Keller, TX

Bikes: 1985 Trek 400; 1999 Specialized Rock Hopper (rigid, slicks); 2007 Crosscheck

This morning's was the best ride since I started back. Weather was perfect - mid 60's, clear, no noticeable wind. I left a few minutes earlier than normal, and traffic was nearly non-existent. The cars that I did come across were kind. My commute is about 15 miles, half suburban roads, and half pseudo-rural (you know the type - lots of places with acreage and a few animals, but no more than 5 minutes from the conveniences of "city life.") I had to unclip and put a foot down once on the entire ride this morning, not counting my stop to lift the bike up onto a newly paved, not-yet-open road to avoid a tight spot caused by the construction. Not tellin' how I treat the various stop signs along the way, but you can probably figure it out...
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Old 09-28-11 | 07:00 AM
  #4027  
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Originally Posted by ctoddrun
This morning's was the best ride since I started back. Weather was perfect - mid 60's, clear, no noticeable wind. I left a few minutes earlier than normal, and traffic was nearly non-existent. The cars that I did come across were kind. My commute is about 15 miles, half suburban roads, and half pseudo-rural (you know the type - lots of places with acreage and a few animals, but no more than 5 minutes from the conveniences of "city life.") I had to unclip and put a foot down once on the entire ride this morning, not counting my stop to lift the bike up onto a newly paved, not-yet-open road to avoid a tight spot caused by the construction. Not tellin' how I treat the various stop signs along the way, but you can probably figure it out...
There are almost literally no cars on my commute so there are no stop signs; especially if I can't even hear any traffic. But I ride the MUP so the only signs are for bikes and pedestrians, for which there is even less traffic.

Predicted 100 degrees the next 3 days as usual. I don't mind so much as my ride home is all downhill but I'm dreaming of those 85/60 degree days. Well the high for Monday is supposed to be 90 and 80 for a high by next Friday. Then it will be dream riding for most of the next 8 months.
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Old 09-28-11 | 07:39 AM
  #4028  
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From: Twin Cites, MN USA

Bikes: 1987 Trek Elance 400 T

55f, foggy in the low spots. Beautiful day for a bike ride, it's supposed to get up to 77 this afternoon. I'm looking forward to one more ride in short sleeves.
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Old 09-28-11 | 07:45 AM
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From: Monson, MA

Bikes: Catrike Trail Recumbent trike

Great commute this morning at 65F and overcast with little to no wind. It was nice finally not seeing any fog this morning, which meant I was a bit drier when I pulled up. On one of the 4 lane roads that I ride, I saw a taxi cab parked with flashers on in the passing lane going the other way with the driver talking to someone across the road. Just before I passed, the driver got back into his car and drove off.
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Old 09-28-11 | 07:53 AM
  #4030  
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From: Virginia/DC

Bikes: quite a few

I waited for this morning's storm front to pass before leaving and only got a bit of a drizzle on me. Plenty of others out there in the wet on sensible bikes - good to see. Only -ve was I forgot my rear blinkie!
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Old 09-28-11 | 08:14 AM
  #4031  
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From: Chicago

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5th day in a row of this rainy, drizzly, cloudy nonsense here in chicago. i know you PNW guys live with this kind of crap for months on end, but to have a weather system hang over chicago for 5 straight days is extremely rare. the local meteorologists (aka compulsive liars) say that a cold front will finally sweep this system away tomorrow, but with the front comes the possibility of thunderstorms.

sometimes, you just can't win.
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Old 09-28-11 | 09:50 AM
  #4032  
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From: Canada

Bikes: 2009 Trek 520

A little cool for what I was wearing this morning, I should have went with the long sleeve shirt. The afternoon wind is supposed to be 50 gusting to 70km/h, which will make for a slow ride home. I usually take the MUP instead of the road when I have a really strong head wind.

I'd been noticing a creaking noise for quite a while, I thought it was my seat post but it was actually my pre-aged Brooks B17. Tightening the laces nearly elimated the creaking but made the saddle much more firm.

I got my Gatorskin tires yesterday and put them on for this mornings ride. I ordered some Michelin Airstop tubes with the tires. I had never seen bicycle tubes covered in sparkles before.

I'm about 18 commutes from breaking the number of commute rides that I did last year. Last year I had summer classes that I rode to, but this year I didn't. But this year I rode in the winter where last year I didn't.
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Old 09-28-11 | 10:57 AM
  #4033  
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I've been taking mass transit more often recently. I can't stand the new bike lanes in NYC with all the pedestrians swarming in them, dogs, joggers, wheelchairs. Also, increase in the number of bikes causes increase in numbers of wrong-way cyclists and general idiots on bikes. Cyclists are getting bad rap because of ***ing morons running red lights and plowing through pedestrians at intersections. This is causing more aggression towards the cyclists from drivers and pedestrians. In particular pedestrians and joggers who purposely walk/jog in the dedicated bike lane on the Williamsburg Bridge, instead of the pedestrian walkway, and openly look for fights with cyclists.

Too many idiots on both sides.
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Old 09-28-11 | 12:32 PM
  #4034  
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From: Kirkland, WA

Bikes: 2010 Cannondale Synapse Carbon 5, ~2006 Specialized Sequoia, 1999 Specialized Rockhopper

The most exciting part of the commute today was when I almost got run over from behind by a car which pulled into McDonald's about 100 yards later. It reminded me of a similar incident last summer. The only difference was last summer the car was on its way to church on a Sunday morning. I guess sometimes the quest for a hot fatty breakfast and/or spiritual enlightenment can outweigh the personal safety of others.
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Old 09-28-11 | 03:46 PM
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I sideswiped a van with my pannier this morning.

I saw one car door another on the way home. Or maybe it was the other way around. Picture two cars next to each other, one a half length ahead of the other. Dude steps off the curb, crosses in front of the car on the right, opens the passenger door of the car on the left and leaves the door open while he takes a million years to get in. Driver on the right decides he can't wait for the slowpoke so he steers around the open door, and almost, but not quite misses it. Bumper snags the door and the door starts to bend back slowly. Meanwhile, the slowpoke sees this, but instead of making any motions, gestures or yelling something, he just watches. Eventually, the door bends back enough for the car to get around it, then pops back. Meanwhile, I'm stuck behind these two morons, enjoying the display of stupidity.
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Old 09-28-11 | 04:33 PM
  #4036  
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From: East Metro Atlanta, GA, USA

Bikes: Giant Sedona (Mid 90's), Giant Seek 2, Greenspeed Anura

Not a bad ride. Warm enough to give me a mild heat headache.

Should be comfortably cool when I head home.
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Old 09-28-11 | 04:37 PM
  #4037  
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From: YEG

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Warm, sunny, and 40 kmh / 25mph winds... and me pulling a trailer to boot.
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Old 09-28-11 | 04:51 PM
  #4038  
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From: Keller, TX

Bikes: 1985 Trek 400; 1999 Specialized Rock Hopper (rigid, slicks); 2007 Crosscheck

Originally Posted by ctoddrun
This morning's was the best ride since I started back. Weather was perfect - mid 60's, clear, no noticeable wind. I left a few minutes earlier than normal, and traffic was nearly non-existent. The cars that I did come across were kind. My commute is about 15 miles, half suburban roads, and half pseudo-rural (you know the type - lots of places with acreage and a few animals, but no more than 5 minutes from the conveniences of "city life.") I had to unclip and put a foot down once on the entire ride this morning, not counting my stop to lift the bike up onto a newly paved, not-yet-open road to avoid a tight spot caused by the construction. Not tellin' how I treat the various stop signs along the way, but you can probably figure it out...
I forgot to add that I arrived at the office this morning to find that I had left both my socks and my towel at home. So I spent the day in my cycling socks and dress shoes, and got to enjoy toweling off with paper towels after my shower. No serious problem there, but it was frustrating at first.
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Old 09-28-11 | 05:58 PM
  #4039  
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From: Long Island, NY

Bikes: 2008 Jamis Aurora,1988 Specialized Hardrock, 1980? Kuwahara Carrera

Got to put my backup plan into action today. Just as I arrived at work, the rear axle sheared when I was jumping a curb leaving my rear wheel unusable. One of the few good things about working where I do is that within walking distance is a bike shop, so after work I walked over there with the axle. They didn't have a replacement with the correct threading, so back I walked, just in time to grab my bags from my office and make it to the bus stop with 1 minute to spare. Bus was on time and dropped me off 5 blocks from my house. While the ride in was great, the bus ride and walk home took 15 minutes longer than cycling, and I got to see all the bus people.
In the 3 years I've been commuting by bike (on and off), this was only the second time I couldn't ride home due to mechanical failure. One other time, I stayed very late, until 1 AM and asked a coworker to drop me off at home.
Hope the humidity drops some time soon!
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Old 09-28-11 | 06:00 PM
  #4040  
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From: East Metro Atlanta, GA, USA

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Originally Posted by dygituljunky
Not a bad ride. Warm enough to give me a mild heat headache.

Should be comfortably cool when I head home.
Oh, duh, I forgot to mention that I hit my 2500 km mark on this ride.
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Old 09-28-11 | 07:05 PM
  #4041  
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From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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I had a good chuckle on my commute when I rode past a looooooong line up of cars stopped in traffic. Grinning like a free pedalling maniac not stuck in gridlock is even better when some cager is leaning on the car horn like it's a musical instrument, and it is such a good feeling. I barely managed not to snicker and wave to the caged inmates. But just barely. *snicker*
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Old 09-28-11 | 07:28 PM
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From: Monson, MA

Bikes: Catrike Trail Recumbent trike

74-77F this afternoon and mostly cloudy with headwinds from the ESE @ 4-10mph. I left campus a little later than usually and had to deal with more idiots than usual. On Berkshire Ave, which is a 35mph 4-lane road, a car and a motorcycle blew by me at over 50mph weaving through traffic. The light ahead was red and I'm not sure if they even stopped. Dunno if they were racing or just being stupid, but where's a cop when you need one? There also was a diesel pickup who held back and then floored it going by me so there'd be a trail of black smoke. If I had been in the middle of the road holding him up, I could kinda understand, but I was in the 5-7' wide shoulder and he had no problem passing me. I guess he was just being a jerk for no apparent reason. Besides that, it was a good commute home.
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Old 09-28-11 | 08:41 PM
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Torrential downpour on the way home, the hardest rain on bike so far. That was fun!
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Old 09-29-11 | 04:06 AM
  #4044  
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From: Dublin, Ireland.

Bikes: 2026 Trek Domane SL7 2011 Felt Z4

Nice cycle this morning.....although I don't like that it's dark when leaving for work (05:50) and arriving at work (06:40).....it's so much nicer when it's bright !
Weather's been good last three days, we've had a really miserable summer in Ireland, lots of rain and even cold days.
Lorcán.
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Old 09-29-11 | 04:12 AM
  #4045  
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From: Greenwood Indiana

Bikes: Surly Crosscheck

Roads wet, a little foggy. Temp mid 50's. Wonderful ride.
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Old 09-29-11 | 04:36 AM
  #4046  
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From: Columbia, Maryland

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

A nice warm morning at 69f (21c), and the rain looks to be taking a break, maybe. With record rains the trees overall profile is hanging much lower than I have ever seen. Riding in the morning darkness give me pause for thought. Trees come down so quickly, I just don't want to be around when one does come down. I was coming down a nice hill that goes right at a circle, and the campus police appeared out of nowhere in the circle, so I grabbed my breaks and slowed down. He let me go, but I lost my momentum up the next hill, and that is one of life's little annoyances.
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Old 09-29-11 | 06:03 AM
  #4047  
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From: Burlington, Vermont

Bikes: 2011 Trek Soho DLX

A comfortable 63F/17C, overcast. I wore work clothes but brought cycling clothing as it's supposed to rain later today. Drivers were back to their courteous, non-honking, non-stop-sign-running selves. I noticed a commuter bus coming up behind me and the drivers have always been pretty cool to cyclists, so when I needed the left straight-ahead lane and the light was green, I sprinted hard to make sure I didn't slow down the bus.

Also, I swear I saw a little old lady walking a porcupine.
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Old 09-29-11 | 06:20 AM
  #4048  
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From: Sudbury, ON, CA

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

A warm 15C (60F) morning (warm for us at this time of year) with a slight drizzle at the beginning. For most of the ride, there was more spray from the wheel than from the sky. Forecast for thunder showers on the way home though.

Forecast for a cool 5C (40F) start tomorrow morning, possibly with rain too, so a warm shower at work will be welcome.
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Old 09-29-11 | 06:25 AM
  #4049  
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From: Sudbury, ON, CA

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Originally Posted by vtjim
I noticed a commuter bus coming up behind me and the drivers have always been pretty cool to cyclists,...

Also, I swear I saw a little old lady walking a porcupine.
Bus drivers cools to cyclists? Lady walking a porcupine?

Given that marijuana is harvested at this time of year, perhaps you passed a grow-op!!
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Old 09-29-11 | 06:33 AM
  #4050  
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From: NYC

Bikes: Giant Escape 2 Hybrid

72 degrees, wet road conditions but no rain.

Swung my leg over my bike to get started, realized I forgot my gloves.... decided not to turn around for them.

My rechargeables that run my portable stereo that hangs from my backpack ran out of juice 3/4 of my way to work.

I get to work, pull my bike up on the rack out front only to realize I left my keys at home!

Technically we are not supposed to bring bicycles into the normal pedestrian elevators, and should only bring bikes into the office via the freight elevator. The freight elevator operator usually doesn't arrive until 8 and I arrive at 7....

Thankfully the one doorman that was here let me bring my bike up in a normal elevator.

I wish this building and office were a bit more bike friendly. I would love to not have to park my bike on the rack outside....

https://www.transalt.org/files/campai...ng/FAQ_web.pdf
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