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How was the commute today?

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Old 09-11-08 | 06:57 AM
  #27176  
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From: Marfan Syndrome-Clyde-DFW, TX

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Another question that could really have gotten me agitated if I wasn't so understanding.

Strange Lady with an accent that reminded me of my Asian Sensies Wife walked up while I'm locking up my bike
Lady: "How long it take to ride one hour or one and a half?"
Me: "Closer to one and a half in the morning"
Lady: "Too long" at this point she opens the door
Me: "..."
Me after she closes the door in my head : "Only if you don't want to be riding"
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Old 09-11-08 | 07:00 AM
  #27177  
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the morning commute=best
 
Old 09-11-08 | 07:03 AM
  #27178  
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Chilly! About 47F when I left the house, and my hands/arms were cold from bombing down the big hill I live at the top of. I also felt a little weak today. Hoping the ride home is manageable.

On the bright side: I didn't have to shower when I got to work! Also on the bright side: good rock climbing weather!
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Old 09-11-08 | 07:07 AM
  #27179  
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Originally Posted by jgrendel
Chilly! About 47F when I left the house, and my hands/arms were cold from bombing down the big hill I live at the top of. I also felt a little weak today. Hoping the ride home is manageable.

On the bright side: I didn't have to shower when I got to work! Also on the bright side: good rock climbing weather!
yes it was a bit cool this morning and my hands were cold when i arrived at work but it was so dang invigorating...i love the cripsness of fall
i could imagine barrelling down munjoy would be cool...rock climbing eh? good for you
my buddy climbs too, i have always been interested in trying
 
Old 09-11-08 | 07:31 AM
  #27180  
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Wet and warm ride in after a wet and warm ride home last night.

But...A wet ride on the bike is better than a dry ride in a car!
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Old 09-11-08 | 07:36 AM
  #27181  
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Woke up earlier than usual and headed into work earlier than usual. Got hit by a car which was unusual. I'm never going to work early again. Bike's fine and my arm's got a little scrape, but otherwise I'm fine.
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Old 09-11-08 | 07:57 AM
  #27182  
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Nice ride in. Some of the construction that's been driving me nuts and forcing me onton routes i'd rather not take is clearing up. I now have allot of options.
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Old 09-11-08 | 08:15 AM
  #27183  
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Originally Posted by jyossarian
Woke up earlier than usual and headed into work earlier than usual. Got hit by a car which was unusual. I'm never going to work early again. Bike's fine and my arm's got a little scrape, but otherwise I'm fine.
glad you are ok...how did it happen?
 
Old 09-11-08 | 08:29 AM
  #27184  
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Originally Posted by jpdesjar
glad you are ok...how did it happen?
According to the chauffeur, I swerved into him. According to me, I swerved into a car that was in my lane. My lane was the bus lane and he shouldn't have been in there in the first place, especially if he was sucking my wheel. I reminded him of all this and that if I had been in a car, he'd be at fault since he was behind me, tailgating and he rear ended me. Since I'm on a bike, the same rules still apply and he'd still be at fault. I should've gotten his insurance info though so I'm kicking myself about that.
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Old 09-11-08 | 08:44 AM
  #27185  
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Crisp and clear this morning. At the bottom of the big hill, I was in a full tuck trying to make the light. I was 3 car lengths from the intersection, when a 5-series pulled out of the left lane into the right in the middle of the intersection. I braked a little to start with, as I figured the car would keep goiing ahead down the road, but no. The idiot blocked my whole lane so they could make a right turn, then stopped for a pedestrian. I locked up both brakes for a good 5 feet before I could deke around the back of the car. I'm going to start riding with my light on in the morning. This is getting stupid.
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Old 09-11-08 | 10:14 AM
  #27186  
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Took a slightly different route this morning. I'm trying to scout a mellow route through Midtown so I can ride with my kids to their daycare a couple of times a week during the fall. I think I may have an idea on the route, but I noticed there's no place to lock up a bike at the daycare. I'll have to have a word with the president of the board, who just happens to be Mrs. Caloso.

It's nice to know people in high places.
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Old 09-11-08 | 10:26 AM
  #27187  
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Today's commute. West Side Highway at Christopher.

If you don't live in NYC, you probably don't know that this is what the same intersection looked like 7 years ago, minus any but emergency vehicles, plus a lot of smoke where two buildings were missing right there in that skyline.


Last edited by noteon; 09-11-08 at 10:32 AM.
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Old 09-11-08 | 10:39 AM
  #27188  
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Good ride for me this morning, my second day of bike commuting. My first day was last Thursday. I was a little bit more comfortable, but still very alert. I also shaved 5 minutes off of my time from last week, but that doesn't really matter to me since I'm not racing.
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Old 09-11-08 | 10:44 AM
  #27189  
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Keith: Thanks for posting that picture. I worked on the 95th of 2WTC. Very sad feelings today.
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Old 09-11-08 | 11:07 AM
  #27190  
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Originally Posted by death m3tal
Good ride for me this morning, my second day of bike commuting. My first day was last Thursday. I was a little bit more comfortable, but still very alert. I also shaved 5 minutes off of my time from last week, but that doesn't really matter to me since I'm not racing.
Where are you riding at? Commuting at first is very scary in the city, as time goes on you relax and enjoy it a lot more. My fear is relaxing too much. Just keep riding, it gets more fun as time goes on.
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Old 09-11-08 | 11:42 AM
  #27191  
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Got this crazy cutoff move put on me this morning, I was stopping for my parking lot when a guy in old rattletrap crapbox pickup buzzed past me and in front of me to beat me into the lot. Whatever dude.

Just me and the 7 yr old this morning, 1st time this week dropping only 1 kid. Leave work early this evening to bring the 3 yr old to her swim class at the Y.
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Old 09-11-08 | 11:43 AM
  #27192  
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I ride from the south side of Richmond, VA into Downtown. The toughest spots are in Chesterfield County part of the ride, where the county in their lack of wisdom years ago made 10 foot lanes and no shoulders. Almost immediately when I pass into the city limits, I hit bike lanes or at least wide shoulders. The only place where I get off the road is to cross from my neigborhood into an adjacenet neighborhood to avoid a very tough, narrow lane hill and then again when I cross the James River (I use the sidewalk for that) because I am just too nervous about the traffic on the bridge with no space for me. For those of you familiar, I ride over the Nichol Bridge by Byrd Park.
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Old 09-11-08 | 12:06 PM
  #27193  
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Originally Posted by JoeSoMD
Keith: Thanks for posting that picture. I worked on the 95th of 2WTC. Very sad feelings today.
I didn't lose anyone, but it's a generally upsetting day here.
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Old 09-11-08 | 12:22 PM
  #27194  
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From: Sandy Eggo

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Today was a great ride in. Nice and cool here these days in the morning. Had a couple weeks off the bike and after 4 straight commute days, I'm finally getting back up to speed. First couple days back on the bike were SO frustrating. I felt like I was on day one again! Ordered some fenders for the upcoming "weather", as much weather as we get here in the Eggo, anyway.
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Old 09-11-08 | 12:34 PM
  #27195  
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Originally Posted by jpdesjar
yes it was a bit cool this morning and my hands were cold when i arrived at work but it was so dang invigorating...i love the cripsness of fall
i could imagine barrelling down munjoy would be cool...rock climbing eh? good for you
my buddy climbs too, i have always been interested in trying
I love fall too; best time of year.

For me, riding a bike is purely functional/environmental. Climbing keeps me sane.
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Old 09-11-08 | 12:46 PM
  #27196  
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Lost my front blinky, today. Deployed the jacket today, bit on the cooler side. Saw a whole lot of commuters, passing and being passed. Strangely, only two of us locked up, today. Other bike commuters, where you at?
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Old 09-11-08 | 02:05 PM
  #27197  
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Originally Posted by pinkrobe
Crisp and clear this morning. At the bottom of the big hill, I was in a full tuck trying to make the light. I was 3 car lengths from the intersection, when a 5-series pulled out of the left lane into the right in the middle of the intersection. I braked a little to start with, as I figured the car would keep goiing ahead down the road, but no. The idiot blocked my whole lane so they could make a right turn, then stopped for a pedestrian. I locked up both brakes for a good 5 feet before I could deke around the back of the car. I'm going to start riding with my light on in the morning. This is getting stupid.

yeah, got my lights on now as well.

My poor knees are still giving me grief, not used to daily riding after a 3 week layoff (really wore myself out doing the Transrockies last month) the ride home yesterday was a bit congested, still looking for different options there.
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Old 09-11-08 | 06:57 PM
  #27198  
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really nice ride in this morning. amazing how quiet the bike path is after Labor Day.

Met a friend over in Cambridge tonight and was impressed by the improvements to Mass Ave.. The construction around Central Sq. is completed. Nice smooth pavement and shiny new bike lanes.

Rode bike lanes all over with him and finally hooked back up to the bike path (Cambridge side) and rode home.

Very pleasant.
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Old 09-11-08 | 06:59 PM
  #27199  
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rained on me half way home. still very nice.
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Old 09-11-08 | 08:08 PM
  #27200  
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Today was a mixed day but a good day to ride. It was gorgeous out and I was just getting over three days of hay fever and an acute sinus headache. I started out not wanting to ride but knew if I rode I'd feel much better. Today I was also testing out my old/new back pack. This is one of those day packs that hikers wear. It was pretty heavy and unfortunately when I started out I loaded it up wrong and it kept hitting the back of my helmet. I stopped, fixed it and kept going. I also was trying out a new rear wheel. The original rear wheel failed after 16 months. Something wrong in the bearings or cluster ratchet mechanism. The new wheel rides like a dream and is silent.

The ride itself went well, at first I thought it might be a bit chilly (I like it hot) as it was only in the upper 60's. But after a while it was nice. As I crossed Rt 9 in Marlboro, NJ I approached a cemetery. It's one of the many that were busy after 9/11/2001 (today's ride was on 9/11). I hadn't forgotten, there was one lady visiting a grave. I was surprised not to see more people there but maybe it was too early in the day.

I remember 9/10/2001, I had ridden out to the Hoffbraugh House in the Atlantic Highlands. I stopped to look on the towers and the NYC skyline. I love the NYC skyline, my grandfather, uncle and father were Iron Workers. My Uncle worked on the towers and I loved to look at the towers (I are an engineer). I always stop to take a look at the NYC skyline when I ride by the Hoffbrough House. 9/10/2001 was a nicely warm day, a good day to ride. I also remember the day after, 9/11, it started out like today. I won't forget but I was still glad I was riding today, that I could ride. As I said it was a good day to ride.
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