Oh, yeah. State Fair Weather, baby!

Finally was able to bicycle commute to work today. Came to 23.3 miles on the route I took in. But as expected the worst part of the trip is the last 3-5 miles. The roads get worse, the traffic gets worse, the drivers get worse, the crime potential gets worse, total suck city for the last 3-5 miles. I'm playing with some options to detour around the worst of the worst and go through only marginally worse areas, but will still have a couple of major road construction projects going on that block the two primary route options. And different route options would add 5 or more miles each way.

But up until the final few miles it was a nice ride in. The mirror and my glasses fogged up a bit, arms got dew drops on them, bike has all sorts of road dirt on it kicked up from the wet MUP and roadways. Also ran into one detour on the rail to trail MUP that I wasn't expecting which added 10 minutes to the commute during the first half of the ride in. Clocked in 10 minutes late at work, staying late to make up for it. And now it's raining outside, but hopefully it will dry before I head out. Going to explore a different routing option on the way home, only one report of someone getting robbed with a shotgun in the last year on the different route instead of the three or four on the route I took in today.

Maybe I'll just ride the motorcycle tomorrow. Or just bicycle in again, and when I get within 5 miles of work just pull out the cell phone and call in sick and turn around and head home. ;) It would be a real nice ride then. :).

First time posting here, but anyway.......

I've been commuting now for about 3 weeks. Legs are still doing the sore thing. Mainly just my quads, but not too terribly bad.
I don't have a computer on the bike yet to let ya know speeds or actual distance, but according to Google, it's about 7 miles each way. Not that bad, except for this NorCal heat. 110 yesterday and supposed to be 112 today.
Lots of hills in that 7 miles so I get a good workout going either direction. School starts Monday, so I'm curious as to how that's going to effect my travel. I have to go by 4 schools on the way to work without much way to avoid them.

....... at least tomorrow is friday =)

Hot and sunny and with a headwind. I had meetings early so didn't head to the office until after lunch. Usually the wind has switched from the east to the west by then but not today, full-on headwind all the way. I was just drained from the get-go, can't really explain it. At least, that's how I felt. Computer says avg speed wasn't too different.

It was good. About 10 miles into the commute I saw a blinking red light. The strange part was that I was gaining. As I passed this person in the dark I saw myself about six weeks ago (an out of shape guy working like crazy just to make the bike go down the trail). I smiled and said "morning" and kept on going. It was the first time that I passed someone that was not on a little kids bike or off to the side making a cell call.

Not bad at all-the new gearing on my new crankset is much nicer for my rides.

Delayed commute- a friend gave me a ride home last night since I was completely exhausted, then I went in to work and picked up my bike today. It started pouring halfway through my ride, so I pulled on the sidewalk under a tree, pulled out my rain jacket, and put that on. A little old man watching the rain on his porch yelled out at me that it was good to be prepared, and we need the rain so he's gonna enjoy it. Good for him! Good for me, too, it was a fun ride.

goofing off and being stupid makes for an interesting ride. I was pulling the trailer and cut through a parking lot. I clipped a parking block with the left wheel of the trailer and it bounced and tipped onto it's right side. I dragged it that way a few feet before jerking the bike left to flip it back over. I don't know how that worked but it did. I thought for sure it was going to bring me down. Good thing it wasn't loaded at the time.

I'll try to forget I heard about this maneuver, since my trailer has humans in it.

I rode out to Closter this morning--about halfway to Nyack--and saw an old friend. The left turn off 9W down Closter Dock Road is the best hill I've ever ridden down. Between that, the sore legs from the last three days of bike shenanigans, and the 4 hours of sleep last night, it was nice that I have a folding bike small enough for the friend to drive me back up to the main highway in the afternoon.

Beautiful afternoon. First no-rain day for a while. :mad: The MUP was crowded but not unreasonably so. I maintained a steady 15-20MPH for most of it. For the last bit, I was following a guy pulling a toddler in a trailer at 15MPH. That's an above-average speed 'round these parts. At one point the child turned and looked at me. I started making s-turns. :D

wonderful today

almost killed twice only

Mine is for cargo only so I can be a little more stupid with it. a few hours before that I bent the axle hauling a filing cabinet. the parking block actually fixed it a little bit :)

Good God, just let it be winter already... :(

The weather in Chicagoland has been perfect this week! Add to that yesterday that I caught every light makes it an absolute perfect day. And to top it all off, the wife and I rode the bikes to a restaurant for dinner. Bliss.

I hope today's commute is as good as yesterday. They should all be that good.

Nice little ride in the rain. Got up to find that it is really pouring rain with lightning. Made last minute adjustments and placed the contents of my messenger bag in plastic bags. Didn't know how weatherproof my new messenger bag was and didn't want to have a wet change of clothes when I got to work. I don't mind riding in the rain, actually love it but didn't care to be in wet/damp clothes all day. All turned out well. My bag is pretty much rainproof and I'm now sitting at my desk in comfy dry clothes.
Ernest

Nice morning for a ride. High-50s. No wind. Didn't see many cyclists but I caught up to a couple riding matching bikes wearing matching gear. Aaawww. :o :D Waited to pass another young woman until we got around a town lawn mower cutting grass next to the MUP. Spooled back up and enjoyed the rest of the ride.

Oh, also, today was bacon day. :mad: First, I smelled bacon as I was riding by the campground next to the MUP. Then I smelled it being cooked by a restaurant near where I work. I probably don't have to tell you folks how good bacon smells when you're zipping along on your bicycles. ;)

yesterday It was really sunny on the way home, big billowy clouds, but none looked like rain clouds, yet, it was sprinkling, the whole way home. I envisioned it was some alien experiment, dropping chemicals on us to see if we'd mutate into super-monsters. It was unsuccessful.

This morning, I felt ill, and tired, but I told myself "shut up and ride" so I got on the bike and made it to work. Feel pretty good. Forgot my underwear. jeebus.

no over heating this morning! Riding in the rain is one of my favorite things, ever. Didn't see the usual commuters this morning...Really nice actually.

lack of sleep from all the thunder but cheerful from the soaking ride in...

Secret Commando Day!!

Forgot my belt. Had to use my emergency backup I keep at work.

Really really good. It's my last of the season. I really felt the difference with a good rear wheel ... finally! I had bought a bogus used one, but had a shop rebuild a new axle while at work yesterday. The ride home was good but in the am I am fresh and stronger I guess and the new wheel just made me even faster! WooHoo! This finishes my first full 5 day work week and by time I get home it will be 170 miles for the week.

My butt hurts a little and my knees will appreciate a few days off. Looking forward to some weekend fall rides WITHOUT TRAFFIC!

See ya guys (& gals)!

Only ride this week, but it was great. Made the first two green lights this morning. :thumb: Had one fail: the light at Big Lake and Pass Road has an induction coil that, I found out this morning, does not pick up a bicycle, even with both wheels over the wire; :mad: need to contact the city about that. Light traffic, but warm (75°) and very humid (92%); glasses were fogged up most of the ride. :notamused:

First rainy ride in sometime. Thank goodness this does not happen often around here. It was a nice change of pace.
The cherry creek bike path was flooding as usual and I had to exit it to the street above (speer blvd). Crossing a sidewalk and ran into an expansion joint. Felt my bike starting to bounce around a bit and hopped off as it started to go down. Ended up standing next to it in the street. Bike crashed but its rider did not. :p
Rode through water up to the middle of my wheel. :eek:
Drenched would be the word of the day.

the sun was out this morning so that made for a beautiful ride...stopped in at the bagel shop on the way to work too which is always a treat...had to listen to a squeaky chain this morning, the ice wax i use doesn't seem to last very long, seems that you have to apply it after every ride...any good lube i should look for?