How was the commute today? 2011 Edition.
04-26-11 | 08:48 AM
#1626
Clyde that Rides
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 309
Likes: 0
From: Long Island, NY
Bikes: 2008 Jamis Aurora,1988 Specialized Hardrock, 1980? Kuwahara Carrera
All-in-all, pleasant. Left a bit earlier than usual. Seemed to get some more close passes and one numbnut went around me (to the right) in a left turn lane, before veering into my lane and turning left. Seems that if I leave before 8:15 or after 8:45, everything's OK, but between 8:15 and 8:45 all the dumbasses who work at the medical park I ride pass are willing to put their, mine and others, lives at risk to open the office at exactly 9AM. However, I don't let these things bother me unless the offenses are particularly egregious.
04-26-11 | 08:57 AM
#1627
Senior Member
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 214
Likes: 0
From: Burnaby BC, Canada
Bikes: Velosport Appalache 15
Wet but warm ride in this morning. Decided to tackle the mountain twice this morning by riding up the West side, down the South, and back up the East side on the gravel. Much easier to make it up those climbs without the trail-a-bike but still ran out of oomph on a pair that exceeded 20%.
04-26-11 | 09:30 AM
#1628
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 485
Likes: 0
From: Monson, MA
Bikes: Catrike Trail Recumbent trike
Foggy but great commute this morning at 52F with no wind. The only issues were that my glasses and mirrors kept fogging up, and I had a pretty difficult time seeing the vehicles that didn't have any lights on at all. There may be rain for the commute home so I brought the rain gear again.
04-26-11 | 09:44 AM
#1629
Old, but not really wise
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 814
Likes: 0
From: Fairfax, VA commuting to Washington DC
Bikes: 2010 Kona Dew Drop (the daily driver),'07 Specialized Roubaix (the sports car), '99 ish Kona NuNu MTB (the SUV), Schwinn High Plains (circa 1992?) (the beater)
Only interesting thing to report was the elliptical bike-thing that passed me on the MUP last evening on the way home - Can't imagine that the guy has great cornering ability, standing up and 'sliding' his feet for motive power. But he was moving out in a straight line.
Also, more cyclists means more mini-pelotons and random wheel sucking going on. Not sure I like this trend, but I did have a nice gentleman who specifically offered to take a pull (after sucking my wheel for a mile or so) :-)
04-26-11 | 11:06 AM
#1631
This bike is cat approved
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,531
Likes: 0
From: Lincoln, NE
Bikes: To many to list...
Ditto :-)
Only interesting thing to report was the elliptical bike-thing that passed me on the MUP last evening on the way home - Can't imagine that the guy has great cornering ability, standing up and 'sliding' his feet for motive power. But he was moving out in a straight line.
Also, more cyclists means more mini-pelotons and random wheel sucking going on. Not sure I like this trend, but I did have a nice gentleman who specifically offered to take a pull (after sucking my wheel for a mile or so) :-)
Only interesting thing to report was the elliptical bike-thing that passed me on the MUP last evening on the way home - Can't imagine that the guy has great cornering ability, standing up and 'sliding' his feet for motive power. But he was moving out in a straight line.
Also, more cyclists means more mini-pelotons and random wheel sucking going on. Not sure I like this trend, but I did have a nice gentleman who specifically offered to take a pull (after sucking my wheel for a mile or so) :-)
https://www.elliptigo.com/
My boss's husband is a part owner of a fitness store here and at the suggestion of a customer that said she would buy one if they stocked them so he ordered 10 or 20 I can't remember which and I think he has almost 10 sold already in just a couple weeks despite the $2500 or so price tag. I guess its great for Tri athletes which makes sense. I need to go try one out just for fun if they still have any.
50 degree and oddly no wind. I really had ride fast to have any chance of getting to work on time and I made it with a new record time of 16 minutes door to door including lockup. My previous known best was 18 minutes. I think some of the credit goes to the Le Tour (really great bike), but I didn't have to stop much at all at intersections which of course makes a big difference.
04-26-11 | 12:25 PM
#1632
Guest
Posts: n/a
Upper 60s here in Philly and plenty of sunshine. This was my first bike commute to work since October 2009 (I had gotten laid off and spent a year doing consulting work, where my commute to the coffee shop was 100 yards from my house). I got my new job in November 2010 and rode the bike for the first time this morning. I commute from Mount Airy to Center City and was thinking about maybe driving halfway and picking up the bike path on Kelly Drive, but I decided to just do the whole 11 miles door-to-door. It was fanTAStic to be back on the bike again. Hopefully I'll feel the same way after the uphill commute home tonight
04-26-11 | 06:56 PM
#1634
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 485
Likes: 0
From: Monson, MA
Bikes: Catrike Trail Recumbent trike
Hot, humid, and windy commute this afternoon at 82F and sunny with winds from the S @ 16mph gusting to 27mph. The wind made it a slow ride home, which was ok. Saw 3 other cyclists out riding while on Rt 20.
04-26-11 | 07:19 PM
#1636
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 108
Likes: 0
From: Long Island, New York
Bikes: 04 Stumpjumper FSR Expert Disc, 10 Marin San Rafael
I'm really getting much stronger, the first few rides where torture just to get home. This morning I was barely breathing heavy when I got to work, my speed is up couple of times I saw the speedo hit 17mph. On the way home I was enjoying how quite being on a bike is.
04-26-11 | 08:20 PM
#1637
Thread Starter
You gonna eat that?
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 14,917
Likes: 543
From: Fort Worth, Texas Church of Hopeful Uncertainty
Bikes: 1966 Raleigh DL-1 Tourist, 1973 Schwinn Varsity, 1983 Raleigh Marathon, 1994 Nishiki Sport XRS
From Crystal City there are really two routes. I'd just use the Mount Vernon Trail and 14th St Bridge all thing being equal. It's cool to see all the things going on at the airport, and the planes come in low for landing over Gravelly Point. Also, there are good views of the DC "skyline" from across the Potomac as you head north along the trail from the airport to the 14th St Bridge, which empties out right next to the Jefferson. The alternate I used today is nice in its own way, especially for its view of the Pentagon and its surroundings, riding not too far from Arlington Cemetery and then the view of the Lincoln Memorial as you cross the Memorial Bridge, but the Old Jeff. Davis Hwy is a pathetic excuse for a paved street. I've mapped out both routes from near Crystal City metro to the Mall going both ways. Here are the links.
Along MVT: https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...&z=14&lci=bike
Alternate I took today: https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...&z=14&lci=bike
I'd offer to meet up with you as a fellow BFer and ride over together to show you the routes, but sadly my riding time is generally limited to my commuting miles.
Hope the map helps, though. You might want to compare this map to the latest map of CaBi station locations to find the closest place to either river crossing to trade in your bike and/or hop onto a new one to avoid the extra cost of having a bike out for 30+ minutes.
If you want variety, I'd perhaps recommend doing a loop and going up one way and back the other?
Along MVT: https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...&z=14&lci=bike
Alternate I took today: https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...&z=14&lci=bike
I'd offer to meet up with you as a fellow BFer and ride over together to show you the routes, but sadly my riding time is generally limited to my commuting miles.
Hope the map helps, though. You might want to compare this map to the latest map of CaBi station locations to find the closest place to either river crossing to trade in your bike and/or hop onto a new one to avoid the extra cost of having a bike out for 30+ minutes. If you want variety, I'd perhaps recommend doing a loop and going up one way and back the other?
__________________
I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by bragi 
"However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
04-26-11 | 08:23 PM
#1638
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 13,767
Likes: 3,937
From: Louisville, KY
The way in was fine, but on the way home it looked like someone had kicked my FD or something hard as it was turned so much that the end of it was against my seat tube. Oddly, it was still very tight and I had to loosen the allen bolt (glad I had my multitool with me) to turnit back as best as I could (glad I'm just friction shifting the front and don't need precision adjustment). Still had to handle my chain and then had black fingers the whole way home. Need to wipe the chain down.
04-26-11 | 08:25 PM
#1639
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,053
Likes: 0
From: Alexandria, VA
Bikes: Trek 830 Mountain Track Drop bar conversion
Ride home was OK with the exception of the sustained 15-20 mph headwind for 7 miles. Running a gear or two lower than I normally would most of the way. Just didn't have it in me to push much harder. Neither did others apparently, as I was only passed by a couple people in full team kit on road bikes. Just checked and it should be a sweet tailwind on the way in tomorrow at least, so that's a plus.
Seeing mention for tomorrow afternoon on the NWS hourly graph of something I am less than enthused about... HEAT INDEX. Yick.
Seeing mention for tomorrow afternoon on the NWS hourly graph of something I am less than enthused about... HEAT INDEX. Yick.
04-26-11 | 08:26 PM
#1640
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,053
Likes: 0
From: Alexandria, VA
Bikes: Trek 830 Mountain Track Drop bar conversion
04-26-11 | 09:23 PM
#1641
Thread Starter
You gonna eat that?
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 14,917
Likes: 543
From: Fort Worth, Texas Church of Hopeful Uncertainty
Bikes: 1966 Raleigh DL-1 Tourist, 1973 Schwinn Varsity, 1983 Raleigh Marathon, 1994 Nishiki Sport XRS
Thanks for the directions, EKW 
__________________
I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
04-26-11 | 09:47 PM
#1643
Not safe for work
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,123
Likes: 8
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Bikes: KHS Town and Country 100 & Jamis Durango Femme 1.0
Rainy and mild in the way in. Foggy and a touch humid on the way home. Still need to wear light weight fleece gloves in the evening but probably not for much longer.
04-26-11 | 09:52 PM
#1645
Old, but not really wise
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 814
Likes: 0
From: Fairfax, VA commuting to Washington DC
Bikes: 2010 Kona Dew Drop (the daily driver),'07 Specialized Roubaix (the sports car), '99 ish Kona NuNu MTB (the SUV), Schwinn High Plains (circa 1992?) (the beater)
Was the elliptiacal bike one of these?
https://www.elliptigo.com/
https://www.elliptigo.com/
Took one of the 'long' ways home tonight, including more hills. Felt good! Only problem was that it really revealed that my rear brakes need help (after a self inflicted problem involving not being careful while cleaning after a rainy, dirty ride, as I inadvertently sprayed the brakes with lubricant after cleaning). But that's just an excuse to get some more free adjustments (it's been about 500 miles since the last time it was in the shop) so I dropped it off tonight. This means I'll probably be riding the MTB the rest of the week, so I guess I'll learn a bit more about patience :-)
04-27-11 | 06:43 AM
#1647
Seņior Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 13,748
Likes: 10
From: Michigan
Bikes: Windsor Fens, Giant Seek 0 (2014, Alfine 8 + discs)
Thunderstorms that thankfully let up to a light drizzle before I left today. Had a T intersection pull-out directly at me, I was emergency turning so couldn't hit the AirZound but I yelled and wound up pushing off his front bumper (minivan). I probably scared the hell out of him. It really didn't bother me, no significant contact so I just recovered and kept going. He sat there for a long time and caught up to me a half mile later, paced me and was quite apologetic, it turned out to be someone I knew. I just smiled and said "yeah, OK."
I really don't expect much out of car drivers, and I don't get mad at them any more than I get mad at the rain. They just are what they are, and getting mad at them just makes them dig in their heels and decide YOU were wrong. I figure just letting it go and let them think about their own actions are as likely to cause them to change as yelling and screaming.
For whatever reason that didn't even get my pulse up, and it was a very nice ride in the rain anyway.
I really don't expect much out of car drivers, and I don't get mad at them any more than I get mad at the rain. They just are what they are, and getting mad at them just makes them dig in their heels and decide YOU were wrong. I figure just letting it go and let them think about their own actions are as likely to cause them to change as yelling and screaming.
For whatever reason that didn't even get my pulse up, and it was a very nice ride in the rain anyway.
__________________
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
04-27-11 | 06:51 AM
#1649
On a Mission from God
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,009
Likes: 5
From: Thibodaux, LA
Bikes: '10 Surly LHT, Rat-rod Klunker, '82 Peugeot PH12 Centennial
Had a good ride in this morning on the new Surly LHT... massive tailwinds of around 25MPH, I had to stop and tighten a few bolts and still made it to work early.
04-27-11 | 07:25 AM
#1650
Senior Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 8,896
Likes: 7
From: Raleigh, NC
Bikes: Waterford RST-22, Bob Jackson World Tour, Ritchey Breakaway Cross, Soma Saga, De Bernardi SL, Specialized Sequoia
Didn't bother to watch the weather forecast on TV when I got up as I had watched it last night. I should have checked the radar. It started raining as soon as I left my neighborhood, but fortunately it was just sprinkles and light drizzle. The headwind was more of an issue, with a stiff S wind for the third day in a row.