Good ride, starting in Beach drive in MD to arlington.

I followed a guy on a sweet fixie for a while, i wasnt drafting but just watching him from a distance and keeping his pace.

Those fixed bike are nice. The guy had really good form.

First day back on the bike after a week home sick. It was a very pleasant ride at about 45*F, and it did me a world of good. I still have a cough but I feel human again!

Every time I've been sick for the last 4 years, it's been true that in the last week I didn't ride every day. As long as I was riding daily, if I did get sick, it wasn't bad enough to miss work. The only times I was that sick I had either vacation days or days I drove for some reason within the previous week.

Foggy. First ride sans shades in weeks/months.

Grins on both sides, a shrug from him, and I slowed alongside when he stopped and said, "That's about the politest interchange I've ever had with a truck." We both took off in good moods when the light changed.[/QUOTE]

Hi Noteon,

Great gesture on your part to promote good PR with motorists. I try to nod and wave to motorist's that show courtesy. If motorists could only appreciate that cyclists are really their ally (meaning more gasoline for them) then perhaps they would be more courteous. More courtesy would then lead to the potential for more bike riders and less dependence on energy (perhaps naive but I could only hope). Anyway, thanks for sharing.

Had to take daughter to school this morning so to late to ride, just as well, legs feel like lead and it was pouring. Tomorrow is suppose to be better but then I'm playing hooky on Friday.

Sunny and had a slight headwind again. No sunglasses this morning, I'm out of contact solution, have to pick some up on the way home. That made for some great eye-burning fun. I also felt a lot of resistance in my pedaling, I'm gonna have to check that my brakes aren't rubbing, but I think it was just a slow morning. Gotta stop missing breakfast. At least I still beat the bus.

I love my new UnderArmor shirt. It's a Burnt Orange, looks great out here in the sun, and it's really visible. Light as all heck too. Not quite lycra, but it's great.

Got my cycle computer today...so that is fun. Temps upper 40's low 50's...so had to break out the windbreaker and some pants. Nice ride though. I wish my commute was longer sometimes.

Thanks for the info! What's the crime like in Sacramento? I have a 20 month old daughter and a son on the way...don't want too high of a crime rate..if I can get by with it in Cali.

chilly and headwind, still better than in a car.

i think my ride home today was probably the wettest and i had a blast, my shoes are now stuffed with paper and my pants are drying as well, my brooks was dry as a bone when i got home too, good stuff

as someone here said before any wet ride on a bike is better than a dry ride in a car. WOOT!

this morning was a struggle, but the ride home was great.

Today was great. Felt super strong and fast. Must be because I shaved my legs last night. ;)

Raining and I drove (hangs head in shame). I need to toughen up and let myself get soaked on occasion.

48 degrees this AM, but fine in long sleeve Tshirt layered under a synthetic long sleeve shirt. I'll have to remember that one. When I can cycle the day goes very well. Fall is great.

ride home was COLD. I just bought a windbreaker today, from walmart...I know I know...but it was in the sporting goods section and the guy who works back there is a known cyclist, and he said that is what he wears all winter long and he does fine. Plus it's waterproof and has a hood...plus moisture wicking material inside...for 30 bucks I thought it was a good deal. Anyway my commute is so short that I don't have time to warm up, so it was cold.

My new computer is nice though, says I averaged a speed of 17.1 mph on the way home.

A bit of rain tonight, though not bad. I was almost home, about 3 blocks remaining between me and a hot meal, when the traffic on 5th Ave in Brooklyn was stalled at the bus stop at 9th St. I weaved through the "parking lot", passed a NYPD patrol car, and came up alongside a white minivan with a coupla teens/twentysomethings inside--they were double-parked near the bus stop. The cop realized they were the holdup and started his/her siren. Short bursts, y'know: whoop, whoop, whoop...

As I passed the minivan the driver started to move the vehicle, then I heard the passenger say, "We gotta pick up Eddie!" Driver: "Da WooWooWoo is dere!" and I think to myself "WooWooWoo?"...WTF?

I hope the cop got a good laugh; I sure did...

The first part of my ride is very rural. Pretty much "country". There is a big intersection that I have to turn left at. I usually cross the very wide road and ride in the wrong direction on the big shoulder so I can turn left. I do this because-In this situation it is much safer. The light will never turn green in the turn lane.

This morning I saw another cyclist entering the intersection coming the opposite way. I decided to go for the turn lane so this other rider didn't have a fit. I ended up having to go through a red light anyway.

Either way I'm pissing somebody off. I'd rather piss off a driver than a cyclist.

Here's a trick that will get you home the next time you have a tear in the sidewall (you'll no doubt find this elsewhere in BF).

The dollar boot: Fold a dollar in half twice, or until it's just a bit larger than the hole (you don't leave home without cash, right?). The newer and crisper the bill the better; it needs to be strong. Hold it in place over the hole as you reinstall the tube. Inflate and ride.

I've done it--it works as long as the hole isn't too large. Don't try to ride a century with it. I managed the remaining ten miles or so to my home. And, yes, other denominations will work as well :rolleyes:

50 degree F - little chilly this morning.

Another rabbit ran into my spokes today. Back spokes this time. :(

Low 50s (f) here, too. It's actually the first COLD commute I've had (been riding since late August) and the cheezy fleece pullover I got didn't do much.

I believe I must rethink my cold-weather strategy...

Other than the temps, the ride in was great...Clear skies full of stars.

Coldest morning in NC since last spring, w/ temps in the upper 40sF in Raleigh. I love it. I wore my vest for the first time since spring, and feel much safer since it is so bright (neon green). However, I overdressed a little since I was sweatier than usual when I got to work. Takes a few weeks riding in the cold to get the clothes right.

T. Brock -- Here's some cheap advice on dressing for the cold: Think layers. Get some inexpensive wicking T-shirts (less than $10 at Target) as a base layer under your jersey. Get some arm and leg warmers for the mornings. (Long sleeve jerseys and tights are fine during winter, but usually too hot in the afternoons in NC in spring and fall.) Get a vest, preferably neon green or orange. That vest will become your most valued piece of clothing in the cold. Get some long-finger gloves and wool cycling socks. If you keep riding through the winter (Dec, Jan, Feb), you might want to buy a winter cycling jacket but I would hold off on that until you're sure that you'll keep riding. Finally, do you have good lights? You need strong head and tail lights to ride all winter.

Damn, two days in a row with the freaking car...today's weather forecast was for gale force winds and torrential rain, I didn't need to deal with that and the fact I have to go fix a friends computer after work. But I'm sitting here having bike withdrawal...I want to be riding!!

set a personal best time this am, 31 min for 7.5 miles... I know that's chump change for a lot of you, but expect me to be on your rear wheel soon... :)

I have actually seen a few this year. Sometimes I go a few years without seeing them, but usually when the rodent population is up (rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks) I tend to see a few here in suburbia. Working nights at a nursing home back in the woods has it's benefits. I get to see all kinds of animals in the parking lot.

Moist again. High 40sF. Light tailwind. Didn't see a single cyclist. :(

Geese are migrating.

My last commute day, then vacation for 2 weeks. :thumb:
:beer: