three hours of sleep, cooler thankfully and I replaced the bike computer for the fixed gear since I'm using it to commute on this summer. I hit 31mph downhill at one point! Averaged 16.4mph for 20 miles. Good enough for me and my pannier laden commuter! I'd love to step up to about 80 gear inches but I don't think I'd make it up the 1 mile hill to work...without heaving anyway.

I just now got home. I had class, and left work late.

On the way home, I smelled some very strong cologne, mixed with spilled beer. I looked over and saw a small house with every single light on, and the driveway and front yard littered with cars. There was a party going on, and someone was trying desperately to get laid. It was funny.

Other than that, the ride was uneventful and mellow. I took it way slow because I'm overdressed (a turtleneck is awesome for an air-conditioned building, not so much for a bike ride), and just enjoyed being outside.

coldfeet - Sounds like a couple of Prius drivers I've come across. I swear some of them are jealous that we are using less gas than them!

My wife had me get some of those baggy bike shorts with the bike shorts built in. I felt like my tires were coming off the rims and couldn't get comfy the whole commute. I like regular shorts or pants and my B17. Now she has two pairs of those shorts. The pair she got from me is bigger though.

Had a nice, non-stop ride in this morning in continuing cooler weather. We have a brilliant weather pattern in place for most of this week, it appears (brilliant anytime really, but particularly for August). Lows in the lower 60sF (15-18C) and highs around 80F (26C) or a bit above.

I, too, am thinking autumn. I have some leave time I need to use and am contemplating a tour somewhere. If I can cobble together some kind of touring rig, I'll see what I can manage. Right now I'm thinking maybe Skyline Drive/Blue Ridge Parkway in late October (during the week when the road won't look like the Beltway in rush hour with all the leaf-galkers). Or maybe take Amtrak up to the end of the line in Maine--up the coast to Acadia and maybe loop over to the White Mtns and back to Portland. Dunno yet--so many miles and so little time...

Yeah, yeah, I know. Wrong forum. So sue me. :D

Just about perfect ride in this AM. 57F, clear skies, saw a few meteors from the Perseid meteor shower. Also saw a group of 3 people commuting together at ~ 6:15. Never seen a commuting paceline in these parts before. Sadly, I wasn't able to talk to them as they were stopped at a T intersection waiting for traffic to clear. I saw in my mirror that they did turn my direction though. Hope to see them again.

Another great ride in Raleigh. We don't often get weather this cool in August. I wore a t-shirt under my jersey for the first time in quite a while, and should have worn my long-fingered gloves. I saw lots of joggers and walkers but only one other bike commuter. The Olympics seem to be having the same effect as New Year's Day -- we'll see a lot of people out exercising for a few weeks, and then they'll go back to sleeping late.

Little cool this morning, but I don't notice it much when I am riding. Was a nice ride. Played with my seat angle a smidgen just to see if I liked it, mixed thoughts, probably change it back.

On the last part of my commute a giant semi was behind me. I was going to let him pass, but we kept coming up to red lights, and I always take the lane at lights, just for safety. The highway overpass is the last part of my commute, usually I take a quarter mile detour to go over the highway where there is no merging lanes, but I forgot to take that left and had to go over it. The semi was going to merge on the highway, so he didn't pass me because he wouldn't have time. So I start hammering on my bike up the overpass and as he speed up to merge he looked over, smiled and gave me a thumbs up for sprinting up the hill for him.

If only everyone was like that.

Damp like yesterday. Overcast and in the low 60s. Bit of a tailwind, which was nice. Saw some other cyclists. Ran into a bike-commuting co-worker at the light near work.

cg1985 - That trucker was a professional. He's probably seen a lot, and enough to know when someone is making an effort and has there witts, as opposed to so many brainless wonders wandering the roads.

It rained my whole ride in. Last night after my ride home I adjusted my rear derailer and cable, and both brake calipers. I was for it this morning. Now I need to adjust my front derailer. My new custom built (by me) bike rack which carries tools and tubes slipped down a little and the screws underneath rubbed against my tires making a whining sound. I thought I wrecked a bearing or something. All it needed was a tug to pull the compression clamps on the fork up a little higher. I guess I have to keep an eye on those. They stayed up but I haven't checked them since I installed it. I think once a day before my ride should be fine. My left knee felt a little weird. I wonder if it was the cold rain.

Anybody wear tights that cover their knees?

It was chilly! (58 degrees counts as chilly for me)

Other than the fact that my little ears got cold, though, it was a mellow and pleasant commute. There was nothing particularly remarkable about it, it was just a nice ride. I like it when that happens.

Over the next couple months it is going to get plenty chilly. My low is 5F in Feb.
Anyhow, yesterday I finally managed to wave with all five fingers at a motorist that annoyed me.
An old lady honked at me while I was sitting at a light waiting for it to change. I was already positioned to the right side of the lane. However, there was no room to pass me. You can't pass cars waiting for a light so no big deal. I turned around and she motions me to the right. Gave a little annoyed smile. Pulled out my cell and took a picture of her license. Don't ask just one of my odd habits and then sat there for the remaining 5 secs it took for the light to change. Rode off and waved.
I still need to work on the less obnoxious part of waving. :p

Wet and a bit chilly until I started working up some steam, then I had to unzip the shell. Legs were a bit chilly as well, but not too bad. Problem is that I am without a car until tomorrow, and I need groceries on the way home tonight, and it is going to be pouring. Looks like I will need to triple bag the panniers.

I got my new bag installed on my bike and TWO.. count em TWO stop signs were removed from my route. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Cool and humid (for Colorado) ride in. Too many (!) bikes on the MUP today.
I think I see Zin coming down the Platte/BearCreek Trail in the mornings. I see a guy that resembles his Avatar anyway. Im thinking he is the only one who 'dips' his lights for oncoming bikes and has bells on his ride somewhere. Really good idea with all the skunks/fox/rabbits out these days.
Almost got taken out by some dumb*** on a MTB who decided to crowd me almost off the path. Got angry and still a bit pissy but I'll write it off to them being asleep and hauling ash from the looks of it...

Off the next two days so I think I'll reasses my forward light situation and go to the road more often. I seem to be the only rider going out of town when everyone else is coming in.

Beautiful morning, cool and breezy - a nice break from Summer in Texas. Really enjoying commuting by the light of my new HID light.

Oh, but the BUGS along the Trinity Trail! Teeny little gnat-critters traveling in big swarms. I haven't seen them this bad since I started commuting three or four years ago. In a lot of places, it's like someone is throwing big double handsful of grits at you as you ride past. When I commuted on a mountain bike, I had a lot more problem getting them in my nose and mouth as well as my eyes. Now on a roadbike, the eyes are the main concern. In the dark, with other people on the path, you have to keep your head up to see everything, and the bugs go right in. I've used some clear, close-fitting safety glasses in the past (as well as a bandana over the nose and mouth in the old days)- time to break those out again.


Rumrunr6, yeah, definitely cover your knees if they're starting to bark. I use some wool knee warmers so I don't have to wear tights or knickers on the warmer return trips. Also, Glucosamine/Chondroitin seems to have a good effect on creaky joints.

Cool morning, feels like Sept/Oct, but what a fantastic day. Nice, slow ride in on my mountain bike. I really need to keep that bike in better shape. I cleaned the mud off the frame last night, but neglected the chain so it was really squeaky. I found some WD40 in my office so that might have to do in a pinch. I was able to limp home with a broken spoke on my comuter bike yesterday. It took about 10-15 minutes longer -- what a great workout when your wheels don't turn! This is my last post for a few weeks - I'm off to a bike trip in Montana next week, followed by a week on the Outer Banks to recover. See everyone in Sept.

Towed my kids to preschool for the first time in about a week--and got to try out my new Grip King pedals. They don't seem extremely grippy (they're not in the same league as my FUNN Soljam Vipers), but they may be good enough for my needs. I'll know for sure after I tackle the nasty hill on the way home.

Other than that... 70ish, fair, geese along the greenway, helicopters landing when we passed the helipad, and found a pretty decent sidewalk route after leaving the greenway.

Less hot than usual. 68F.

My rear rack lost a screw sometime. Noticed it today. Last time I just rooted around my dad's toolkit, found a screw and nut and replaced it. This time I was passing the LBS so dropped by. They charged $5 for parts and labor! That's the first and hopefully last time I pay for labor for my bike. I was hoping they'd just pull a screw from a box and give it to me for free. Oh well. No biggie.

Ride home last night was just after a huge thunderstorm, so I had some flooding to ride through.

65F and humid this AM around 8:00, chances of more T-storms this afternoon.

Seems like this has been the wettest summer we've had in some time.

Nice sunny morning ride.

commuting in and out of Boston
 

77midget - I think we are going to be dry on the way home home! What's your ride? I'm Maynard - West Newton. I take 117 across 128 then use main Street / Route 20 through Waltham and go right on Moody Street in to the back roads of Auburndale and Newton.

Stayed up too late last night, overslept this morning, didn't ride. :(

Really smooth ride in this morning. Traffic volume was very reasonable, and it was cool enough that I didn't get sweaty! Good times...

It was hot yesterday afternoon so I changed back into my jersey and bibs for the ride home. Was riding casually home yesterday when I caught up to a pair of Midtown hipsters. I had to dial it up to 400W and drop them hard just so I wouldn't have to read the "I smoked a roadie" thread in the SS/FG this morning.