caloso

I did a track stand. But yes, it would seem that your method would be as safe or even safer than sailing up to the line, screeching to a halt, and then going. And with a traffic light, if you coast to the intersection slowly and time it just right, you'll never have to actually stop.

rumrunn6

I find I don't want to be the first one through the intersection. They're all gonna pass me anyway. So now when I stop I stop almost a car or two back from the light.

talleymonster

I also had a close encounter with the 5-0 today. I was merging into the left turn lane. I was about 20 cars deep and I knew that I would never make it to the light before it turned red (normally I own my lane and stay in my spot in line, but if I'm going to miss the light I usually just squeak up to the front. Then I ride wide right in the lane to allow the cars that were in front of me to pass, then I megre back into the flow).
Normally I would have made my way up front. Just as I was about to weave on through, I realize that there was a black and white car next to me with two cops inside.


The rest of the route was pretty normal. 105*, and 15 mph headwinds on the way home, but not too bad.

SDBluefish

Back from vacation, and back on the bike. I have been taking it easy for the last week while we all recovered from jet lag. Now I seem to be back up to speed on my usual commute (and I'm no longer passing out at 6:30 PM). So I decided to mix it up - over the weekend I reclaimed my old hybrid from the neighbor I lent it to 2 years ago (she had ridden it exactly ONCE). Cleaned & lubed, and rode it to work today, 8 miles through the canyon preserve.

Such a pretty ride! But man, that bike is a LOT heavier than my regular commuter.

rumrunn6

talleymonster - you're an animal! 105*?? Holy crap!

SDBluefish - I just bought an old LeTour and am not using my hybrid. My 44 miles round trip is enough of a workout. I miss the better hardware though. Someday I'll get a new road bike.

My commute home 22 miles from Brighton MA to Maynard was OK. I stopped a couple of times. I even ate a snickers bar and drank a Coke soda, OMG! Glad t be home. I'm skipping tomorrow and doing it again Friday.

vtjim

Yikes. I went way up past the University of Vermont (uphill) and met a bunch of friends before they went hashing (running for beer). When they took off, I bombed back down the hill and my front derailleur was shifting all weird. Eventually I looked at the cable and it's all frayed near the point where it's bolted to the derailleur, so it's majorly loose. I decided to leave it in the big ring all the way home. Get it replaced tomorrow.

I'd had some beers, so I was riding slow on the MUP and watching this dude reeling me in from way back. He finally caught and passed me with about 3/4 of a mile of MUP left. I let him go, then decided to reel him in, which I did, but then he stopped.

I got home and realized it's pretty humid. Blech. I think I'm going into a bad mood now. Maybe I need some limoncello.

talleymonster

14 mile round trip. Downhill and dark on the way to work at 3:30am, Uphill and sunny on the way home at 1:00pm

I just keep thinking of a hot-then-cold shower when I get home. It's what drives me!

making

I went weeks with no problems, no honks, no one buzzing or yelling at me. For the last week or so there have been dumb asses everywhere. Why is that? It is always on the ride home. Mornings are beautiful still. hah, there is always tommorrw.

MIKEnDC

ugh. 75 & 75 at 5:15 AM (75F/24C and 75% humidity). PU

Air was so heavy on the way home yesterday afternoon I felt like I suffocating from all the crap in the air. Some bonehead the other day was telling me he doesn't buy all this "climate change crap." My response was unreproducable here (this is a family show, after all)...

making

Nice ride in today. Kinda warm and humid, but still nice.

cg1985

Uggha, It was a bit warm today and for some reason I felt like I was cycling through mud. Maybe I was bonking, but I just felt like such hard work this morning. There was a headwind, more than usual, but nothing outlandish. vOv

Good news is I saw EIGHT other cyclists on the road this morning. EIGHT! 4 going in the same direction! WOW!

I managed to pass all the ones going in the same direction as me, so I must not have been going THAT slow.

Eitherway. pretty warm. around 70, with about 90% humidity. Which probably also made it feel slow.

tarwheel 

Had my first flat while commuting the other day in 16 months of bike commuting. I've had a couple of other flats during that time that were slow leaks that happened while my bike was sitting in the garage overnight, but never during a ride.

Decided to drive today because I was really dragging on my commute yesterday. I had ridden 8 out of the past 9 days and my legs were feeling tired and my energy levels low. It's also been very hot and humid, so I guess my body just needs some recovery time. Good excuse to go kayaking tonight after work! I've started paddling this summer, and it seems to be the perfect recovery exercise. It gets my heart rate up, but uses a very different set of muscles than cycling. It's also a very pleasant thing to do on a hot summer day.

vtjim

I thought I was going to get soaked, but the rain stopped shortly before I left. Had to ride in my outer ring due to a frayed, barely serviceable front derailleur cable. I didn't want to snap it and have to ride in the granny gear.

I caught the guy from my town again. I didn't know he was ahead of me. He just sort of materialized at an intersection. We exchanged nods. Then I rode around in a couple of circles trying to get into my middle ring so I could do a hill climb without crossing the chain. Success.

Having the LBS put a new cable on today.

hnsq

this morning I found out that a neighbor also bikes to work, but is recovering from a broken elbow, so I haven't seen him since I moved to my new place. I was almost doored by a cop getting out of his car without looking. He yelled at me when I swerved to go around. Then I got to work and found my building actually put in a bike rack! There are only two of us biking in right now, but hopefully this encourages more to try it

rlrct

Humid this morning (misty) and I needed to push it to get to work in time for a group fitness class. I was drenched by the time I got in. Felt good to push hard, though.

electrafreak

the commute today was good. it is always good. any day you start on your bike is better than a day you start in a damned car.

harleyfrog

No commute this morning. I don't have the proper hardware (nuts and bolt) to put my blinkie back on and there's an 80% chance of thunder storms this afternoon, and I'm not riding in the middle of that without a blinkie. Got a trip planned for Home Depot this weekend anyways to get hardware to build me a pair of bucket panniers; just a couple more items to add to the shopping list.

Pig_Chaser

Rode home in the rain yesterday. I waited for it to abate to no avail so i set off. Funnest commute of the year... i was soaked but then i was riding home to a hot shower and fresh change of clothes so it didn't matter.

Ride in this morning was pretty nice, albeit abit cold. 5C on my house thermometer (which tends to be on the high side). I made a pair of hasty arm warmers by cutting the sleeves off an undershirt. They worked awesome except they fell down a few times. An elastic will fix that.

pinkrobe

It was brisk on the way in. I actually needed a jacket. Other than that, traffic volume is already down in advance of the long weekend.

RazorWind

I was feeling spicy this morning, so I decided not to shave and rode the Cervelo. I shaved 90 seconds off my time from yesterday and feel like a God right now. :cool:

ISaacG

Warm but not too bad. I woke up late and took it easy on the way down.

I bought a lock at Urbane to replace my old Bick pen style ULock.
https://www.onguardlock.com/lockviewe...k&model=5015TC

+1

I still can't figure out how to trackstand...

rumrunn6

Last night some driver blocked my way and stuck his nose out into traffic and when I stopped he wondered if he should go or not. Duh!

rumrunn6

harleyfrog - Have fun building the new mount. Here are some pics of my rear strobe mount.

harleyfrog

rumrunn6, Thanks and cool pics. I might just make it easy on myself and buy a couple P-clamps and a length of 1" PVC pipe and attach it to my rack, that way I have room to "expand" for future blinkies (like, two PB Superflashes ). Also want to order a 10"x24" sheet of red reflective "tape" for the bucket panniers I'm building; later I'll add a blinkie to each one (that way I'll have passive and active lighting). There will be no way an overtaking driver could miss me then.

Ka_Jun

Last night I rode through the most rain I've ever had to. It was slightly more warm than cool, like a cleansing rain. Panniers & contents are drying out in the cube today. This morning, way humid.