I'm getting that down here, too. Except I ride north to work... it's killing me in the mornings, but going home is a blast!

Nice and sunny. Made several lights I usually don't. Woohoo!

3rd day this week commuting to work (23 mile round trip) and 60th for this season. Another cool and spectacular commute this morning. Generated speeds in the low to mid 20s. Normally takes me 25 mins by car and only an additional 10-15 mins by bike. I'm already lamenting the day where snow will end this season.

The problem is, the winds don't really kick up until the afternoon - so I got very little boost on my ride south this morning, but the ride north going home will be hell this afternoon.

I'll probably take the back way home today. a 30-40mph headwind will likely slow me to the point that I won't want to deal with arterial traffic.

yeah, yesterday leaving downtown was killer - the wind whipping through the streets and even once I got out of dtown, it was still bad - headed north of course:notamused: like you said, won't be any better today:notamused:

glad I finally got my Forte Campus pedals back from Performance so I am not riding in this wind with the crappy stock pedals - had to use them for almost 3 weeks and they were driving me absolutely nuts :twitchy:

Hey all,

Long time posting here, my commute is only 1.5miles these days so not much to write about. No car doors this morning so my commute was a success...yay.

Am I officially a cyclist? I rode down the busy main street on my bike to go grab some taco bueno. I mean I braved the lunch hour traffic and lived to tell the tale.

After a year of slacking off and not cycling commuting I commuted today by trike. I have a new route to work which really made the difference. It is a short commute but 90% of it is uphill and my new x-large body resists it.

I am pretty happy and the ride went well.

A few guys actually did hit one during one of the morning group rides. A few guys went to the Hospital...ribs...hands...face all banged up.

Almost got tagged by a d-bag in a new pick-up...didn't even deccelerate.

Rode to preschool this morning with my daughter on the new (to us) trail-a-bike and my son on his little bmx. We take a very mellow route. Unfortunately, it means a lot of stop signs, but work has slowed down so I'm not stressed about getting to the office early. The weather is cool and clear, and we look for trucks and light-rail trains and count the streets.

Really, really, really nice way to start the day.

I just got back from a nice 8 mile ride! :D It was a beautiful 40 minute ride...cool and clear...a couple of good hills to build the leg muscles...plus it was a good way to break in the new bike. Put my new blinkie and headlight on today too!

On a side note...crazy story about the new bike:

I bought a 2008 Marin Muirwoods bike from my LBS yesterday. He put it together for me and it fit well, I rode it and it seemed fine. So I got it and brought it home. This morning when riding to my first job I noticed it was not shifting right. After work I tried to adjust the front derailluer cable tension, but it wasn't working. Then I realized the bottom bracket was completely loose!!!!

So I took it back to the LBS and he said a few choice words...before trying to fix it. An hour and a half later we find out that the frame is no good, the threads inside the frame were completely shot. So for an hour we tried to find another bike that would fit me and that he could stand to lose a few dollars on. Needless to say it was a no go :(

So his assistant goes to the back and happens to find the same model bike that I had bought yesterday, but in a size and a half larger....we thought it would be too big, but he decided to put it together anyway, this time meticulously to make sure nothing was wrong with the frame. When it was all finished and I did the stand over test......it fit perfectly! Not sure how when I was fit for a 19 the day before, but the 20.5 fit even better. He said that it was really strange because when he measured me I should have been a 19.....The Lord works in mysterious ways ;)

Congrats!

Interesting metalchef. Hope second bike will last a little longer. My commute was uneventful and pleasant at about 60 degrees on the morning ride. It was dark, but lights are adequate. First commute all week due to very busy schedule at work and school. Hope next week promises to be more reasonable. Probably have to drive again tomorrow :(.

As I couldn’t help noticing on the grocery run I just got back from. How can you possibly make 17mph wind (gusting to 27mph) more exciting? Put a gallon of milk behind your seat!

Morning ride was awesome weather, but otherwise uneventful. Evening ride was interesting. I got ran off the bike lane by a teenager with no helmet, no shirt, and a bike about 10 times smaller than my 4 year old's bike going the wrong direction. Then about a mile later, I came up behind another helmetless teenager who literally pulled directly in front of an approaching vehicle from behind us. Of course that driver honked, so the punk kid flicked him a bird. Then the driver drove past and the idiot on the bike in front of me (going even slower now) swerved right in front of another car, who also honked at him. I waited for the cars to pass and then I quickly passed this guy and continued on my way. Then, going over the Nickel Bridge, I was confronted by not one, not two, but three other cyclists (which is fine, but new for me, since to this point I've only seen one at most on the bridge besides myself). I have noticed another commuter who lives in my neighborhood. Today was my second time seeing him. He's probably 50ish, rides a commuter, and is waaaaaayyyyy faster than I am. I'm hoping that I can find him one day and chat with him and get some tips.

Responded in the wrong thread
 

Apparently I read a post in the winter commuting thread but posted my response in this one. I was referring to a poster who wrote that he commuted two hours each way to work and back. My own commute is just three miles, which I finish in 15-20 minutes, depending on how many stoplights catch me.

My commute this morning was fine. Temps in the 50's, sunny, clear, calm, with promise of highs in the 70's in the afternoon. Great day for bicycling.

Today's commute was, uh, interesting. Somehow I was talked into joining a bowling league, which now meets on Wednesday. It started last week, and because I didn't have sufficient lighting up front, I drove the car. This week, however, I had the NiteRider Sol LED, and looked forward to trying it out, so added an extra 6 miles to the commute by riding their after work.

This morning I checked the weather forecast, which listed chance of T-Storms for tonight. My backup plan was to ride home if there was a threat of rain, then drive to the bowling alley. At 4:00, however, I checked the radar for my home town, and there was a light wisp of clouds that looked mostly harmless. I packed the rain gear anyway, and decided to ride the bike.

One of the roads on the way is one lane each direction, and it is a bit of winding road, and is a well known speed trap. (Speed limit is 30 mph). I was moving about 15 mph, and cars are passing when the other lane is clear. However, at one point I notice a car behind me isn't passing. Not sure why since I'm as far to the right as I can be without worrying about go off into the gravel shoulder. I look up and see a cop on the other side of the rode. I guess this guy is afraid of passing me because he'd have to cross a double line (with one set of wheels) to get around me. Personally I don't think the cop would have pulled them over, but I felt compelled to push myself to ride as hard as I could. Once they passed the cop, the cars behind this guy honked, and he finally went around. Of course he couldn't resist telling me to get off the road. :)) I resisted responding, but simply rode on.

At 7:00 we were finished bowling. The people coming in from outside for the next round of league play were pretty wet from running through the parking lot. It was POURING outside!

I called my better half, she said there was lightening at home, but no rain. I'm looking outside and seeing it rain cats and dogs, but no lightening. Anyway, so I donned only the rain jacket, mounted all the lights, and took off in the downpour.

Cars showed respect on the way home. I guess in the pouring rain I didn't look like I was some guy out for a joy ride, eh?

Needless to say this was one of the more interesting commutes so far. A few miles of new roads and traffic to deal with. And I survived. Hopefully the lights and cyclometer survived the downpour.

In short: Another great commute.

ah. now I get it.:o

my commute today was a pleasant ride in on the bike path this morning and home on Comm Ave tonight.

Saw a rock band called Ginger Ninja who tours the US on bicycle.

see my thread

Nice. 50sF. Slight headwind. Saw some deer in our yard before I left. Passed 3 riders. Many more going the other way. High school students, I think. :thumb:

I'm craving a Big Mac. :eek: (I can't remember the last time I had McDonald's...)

yesterday's ride home was a test, ended up breaking the hanger mount on my rear derailleur... which proceded to wrap itself around my rear wheel, damaging the chain and some spokes... called the rescue ride (thanks Wifey!) and went straight to the LBS sold me the bike... took just a few minutes, they changed the chain, derailleur, new wheel, and new cable... lets see if it will be more durable than before..( I ride a Giant FCR2) and of course, it's raining today, so won't get back on the bike 'til tomorrow..

It was raining this morning so I took the car. Maybe after I'm a little bit more seasoned I won't mind riding in the rain.

After you have done it long enough you dont even know what it is doing. I dont know if that is good or not.:)

Nippy ride this morning. I did find some old gloves in the garage, so my hands were warm.

This was my first morning ride with my new lights... and wow, what a difference. I also installed my fenders last night, and the bike made it to work without anything rubbing, so I must have installed them correctly. I didn't need fenders today. There is still some beautiful weather around here.

I had one idiot pass me on the the right while I was taking the lane, but other than that everyone was well-behaved.

This has been a great, great weather week in Portland (no, the other Portland; the one in Maine). Clear, crisp, not too windy. If I could find a place where it was like this all year, I'd move there in a half second.