How was the commute today?
08-04-08 | 09:16 AM
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Southern Orange County
Bikes: Specialized Crossroads Sport
So glad I live in southern CA and only have to tackle hills. Not very much wind/rain or bugs. This morning went well. Still on my once a week commute until I see how my body handles Pilates on the off days.
Lesson learned from last week: do not bring the computer home. It's down hill all the way, except for the last 15 mins of an hour ride. then it's all up hill and seems steeper than on the way in.
I think I've got the time to come in right...few cars and the people who are on the road tend to move into the left hand lane. Other riders still startle me (because they come up FAST), but I'm learning to listen for the "Stay right!".
This could become addicting....
Lesson learned from last week: do not bring the computer home. It's down hill all the way, except for the last 15 mins of an hour ride. then it's all up hill and seems steeper than on the way in.
I think I've got the time to come in right...few cars and the people who are on the road tend to move into the left hand lane. Other riders still startle me (because they come up FAST), but I'm learning to listen for the "Stay right!".
This could become addicting....
08-04-08 | 09:46 AM
Belt drive!
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,614
Likes: 0
From: Burlington, Vermont
Bikes: 2011 Trek Soho DLX
Reasonably quick this morning. Light tailwind. I passed a couple of cyclists. Saw a couple more going the other way. It seemed like it might rain but it didn't. Now it's sunny. Might take the long way home (through woods/farmland/etc...)
08-04-08 | 10:41 AM
Nerd
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 450
Likes: 0
From: Wheat Ridge, CO
Bikes: K2 T-9 Crosswind
Forgot my sunglasses on a day that the temp and humidity is perfect for gnats. Took one to the eye and caught a couple in my eyelashes. Fixed that issue and then was riding along and felt a bit of tickling inside my helmet. While riding I took my helmet off and found a wasp on the inside of it. My solution was to hang my helmet on the side of my drops letting the annoying bugger fly off when he felt like it.
I guess this was my tour de bugs.
I guess this was my tour de bugs.
Ick ick ick ick ick.You always have the most interesting commutes!
08-04-08 | 10:48 AM
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 40,863
Likes: 3,115
From: Sacramento, California, USA
Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur
Nice morning. Good legs, cool breeze, bright sunshine. A good way to start the week.
08-04-08 | 10:57 AM
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 991
Likes: 0
From: Durham, NC
Bikes: Cannondale Synapse 5c, Scattante XRL
Haven't posted to (or even read) BF for the last few weeks as work's been crazy. Finally slowed down today and I'm catching back up.
My commutes must not have been too bad as I don't remember anything important. Only thing to report was buying a new helmet Saturday.
My commutes must not have been too bad as I don't remember anything important. Only thing to report was buying a new helmet Saturday.
08-04-08 | 11:36 AM
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 107
Likes: 0
From: Picnic Point
Bikes: 17 Salsa Cutthroat, 08 Trek Madone 5.2 Pro, 09 Salsa Fargo
Yesterday, while heading to work at about 5:00 am, it was still dark. I was on the Burke Gilman trail in Seattle and I could see something in the middle of it up ahead. As I got closer, I thought it looked human. I started thinking "I hope this isn't a dead person". (That sounds kind of morbid, now that I see that in writing, I know.) When I get right up to it, I see it's a couple of teenagers going at it, making out! I said WTF and they seemed more surprised than I did and scurried off as I pedaled away. Made me laugh!
08-04-08 | 11:39 AM
Bronx <-> Midtown Commute
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 150
Likes: 0
From: Riverdale, NYC
Bikes: 2008 Specialized Sirrus
Good trip down the greenway with my kids, but then we got detoured because of construction and I stopped paying attention to the cross streets. Ended up leaving the greenway at 16th instead of 26th, so my brilliant decision was to see if there was a good way up to 26th on the sidewalks.
There sort of is (the sidewalks on 19th are pretty deserted), but 6th Avenue itself is not a good place for sidewalk riding, no matter how careful. I was the very model of considerate commuting, but then I let some bozo snarling at me about how I was killing my kids get to me, and stopped to snarl back at him.
Other than that, it was a nice trip, in the 70s, and we saw the little red lighthouse, a big boat with a little tugboat helping it, and a lot of helicopters. I'm looking less forward to the trip home, when it'll be in the mid-80s.
There sort of is (the sidewalks on 19th are pretty deserted), but 6th Avenue itself is not a good place for sidewalk riding, no matter how careful. I was the very model of considerate commuting, but then I let some bozo snarling at me about how I was killing my kids get to me, and stopped to snarl back at him.
Other than that, it was a nice trip, in the 70s, and we saw the little red lighthouse, a big boat with a little tugboat helping it, and a lot of helicopters. I'm looking less forward to the trip home, when it'll be in the mid-80s.
08-04-08 | 02:01 PM
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
From: foothills near Sacramento, CA
Bikes: trek fx
Traffic even lighter than usual (and the usual is pretty darn light!) this morning. Saw a couple other cyclists going the other way, grinding uphill as I was sailing down Trailed a dump-truck downhill for a bit, felt like I was being sandblasted - note-to-self: lay back from dump-trucks! 
Trailed a dump-truck downhill for a bit, felt like I was being sandblasted - note-to-self: lay back from dump-trucks!
08-04-08 | 02:45 PM
lol
I have been going out of my way to make them less interesting as of late. Apparently the wasp had a different idea in mind.
I need to solve my crashing \ almost getting hit issues before I get hurt again. Plus, I want my first 10,000 mile year next year. That will be a tad difficult if I spend it in the hospital repeatedly.
I have been going out of my way to make them less interesting as of late. Apparently the wasp had a different idea in mind.
I need to solve my crashing \ almost getting hit issues before I get hurt again. Plus, I want my first 10,000 mile year next year. That will be a tad difficult if I spend it in the hospital repeatedly.
08-04-08 | 04:02 PM
Contrapuntal
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 161
Likes: 0
From: San Diego, CA
Had to drive this AM, alas, but threw my beater on the back of the car so I can ride thru the canyon going home. It's a nice perk being able to leave the car in the lot here at work. 
08-04-08 | 04:20 PM
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
Today's Commute
I had a great commute today - very mild weather for August in Northern Virginia. I installed clipless pedals on the LHT on Saturday and am kicking myself for not having gone clipless sooner.
08-04-08 | 04:22 PM
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 381
Likes: 0
From: West Central FL
Bikes: Specialized, Felt, Surly, Masi,Giant
Nice on the way in nice and wet on the way home.
08-04-08 | 04:25 PM
just over the next hill
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 543
Likes: 0
From: Kansas City MO
Bikes: Bianchi Volpe 2006 Fuji Tahoe
Today was the first day with the air feeling warm on the way into work. But I still enjoyed it. Today just missed 100. It got up to a high of 99 today. It was 86 at 6Am.
__________________
Enjoy the ride.
Bianchi Volpe 2006; Fuji Tahoe 1990
Enjoy the ride.
Bianchi Volpe 2006; Fuji Tahoe 1990
08-04-08 | 05:58 PM
Drops small screws
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 2,608
Likes: 9
From: NYC Metro Area
Bikes: Soma Grand Randonneur, modified Xootr Swift, Trek 1000SL with broken brifter from running it into a hotel porte-cochère
Or wait... that may have been when I was putting the chain back on.
Either way--how cool!
Last edited by noteon; 08-04-08 at 06:06 PM.
08-04-08 | 06:05 PM
Emeritus...a second time?
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 310
Likes: 0
Commute was great. Nice easy morning ride. 101 in the afternoon, but overcast. It's about to rain now. I'm glad I beat the rain home....I have no rain gear.
My afternoon commute is always harder, but It's getting pretty easy now.
My afternoon commute is always harder, but It's getting pretty easy now.
08-04-08 | 07:07 PM
Senior Lurker
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
From: Chicago suburbs
Bikes: Trek 7100
Hot and humid and bit chance for t storms. I have a 20 minute ride to the gym where I swim for 20-30 minutes before heading to the office. My boss is an avid cyclist, so before leaving I sent him a link to the doppler radar showing the front moving in. In short, he said "go for it". Halfway through my swim I could see the sky turn almost black.
To make a long story short, I avoided the storm, but had to wait it out for 20 minutes or so at the gym before the final leg.
A bad day on the bike is better than a good day driving, IMO.
Just ordered some rain gear from Penn Cycle. Good price on decent gear.
https://penncycle.com/itemdetails.cfm...4&catalogId=39
To make a long story short, I avoided the storm, but had to wait it out for 20 minutes or so at the gym before the final leg.
A bad day on the bike is better than a good day driving, IMO.
Just ordered some rain gear from Penn Cycle. Good price on decent gear.
https://penncycle.com/itemdetails.cfm...4&catalogId=39
08-04-08 | 07:27 PM
Bronx <-> Midtown Commute
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 150
Likes: 0
From: Riverdale, NYC
Bikes: 2008 Specialized Sirrus
In other news, i had a crappy headwind on the way home. Took me an extra 6 minutes.
08-04-08 | 07:57 PM
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,211
Likes: 1
From: south jersey
20.7 miles total, 87 minutes of some of the best part of my day!
had alittle "flash-back" this am of riding in the California Cascades, with cooler temp and smells......
anyway, good day!
thanks for asking!
had alittle "flash-back" this am of riding in the California Cascades, with cooler temp and smells......
anyway, good day!
thanks for asking!
08-04-08 | 08:36 PM
Drops small screws
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 2,608
Likes: 9
From: NYC Metro Area
Bikes: Soma Grand Randonneur, modified Xootr Swift, Trek 1000SL with broken brifter from running it into a hotel porte-cochère
That's too funny. I was kind of proud of myself for remembering I had some in the trailer with the spare diapers.
It's always a headwind home. I don't understand why. Something to do with looking at the emperor in a former life, I guess.
08-05-08 | 04:53 AM
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 103
Likes: 0
From: Vienna-not Austria
Bikes: Motobecane Fixed Gear, Giant OCR 2, Gary Fisher Sugar 4, Cannondale F 500
Fast ride this morning due to a mild tailwind. Hit every green light coming down Clarendon between the Clarendon and Rosslyn metros in Arlington. My 10.8 mi. ride was 38:35. New PR!
08-05-08 | 05:10 AM
Rim crusher
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 290
Likes: 0
From: Raleigh, NC
Sweaty, uneventful ride in- Dew point of 71F. Code orange ozone alert. Supposed to hit 99F this afternoon....ick. Supposed to get some cooler temps, lower humidity for the weekend though.
08-05-08 | 05:49 AM
Belt drive!
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,614
Likes: 0
From: Burlington, Vermont
Bikes: 2011 Trek Soho DLX
For me: Low 60sF and overcast. No wind. My ride was fast. I pushed a little bit and caught a guy on a road bike. I stayed a respectful distance behind him but he kept turning his head to see where I was. I felt guilty.
Eventually he left the MUP.The number of cyclists I'm seeing every day seems to be increasing.
08-05-08 | 06:23 AM
Bromptoneer
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,942
Likes: 0
From: Brooklyn, NY
Bikes: Brompton S2L
Wet ride in Columbus, OH today.... plus, I'm still tired from my epic ride on Sunday. So, tough one, overall. Good ride though, good time, good speed, just wet and very achy.
08-05-08 | 06:50 AM
Nerd
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 450
Likes: 0
From: Wheat Ridge, CO
Bikes: K2 T-9 Crosswind
Some rides are idyllic, even poetic, tributes to the relationship between human and machine. Last night was NOT one of them. It was dark (left work at 2200 due to a class), there was traffic, and all I could think about was how much sleep I was missing out on.
This morning, though, reminded me why I ride my bike. The weather was perfect. The sun was thinking about coming up but hadn't made its appearance yet. There was no traffic, except for a few conveniently-located cars to trip the lights for me.
This morning, though, reminded me why I ride my bike. The weather was perfect. The sun was thinking about coming up but hadn't made its appearance yet. There was no traffic, except for a few conveniently-located cars to trip the lights for me.
08-05-08 | 07:15 AM
Guest
Posts: n/a
my head still feels a bit stuffed up but i had a good ride just the same...getting really good at holding trackstands at lights so i don't have to get back into the clips when i take off
it was a bit cool this morning so i wore a jacket but then i got warm quickly...my chain was quiet and the tension was just right
it was a bit cool this morning so i wore a jacket but then i got warm quickly...my chain was quiet and the tension was just right