For some reason, my average speed dropped to about 5 mph. The low average speed made for a long 9-mile ride.

The weather was pleasantly cool at about 45 F.

34F/1C with about a 10mph headwind. meh. Conversation with a pedestrian as I was struggling into my (still unfamiliar) eggbeaters in front of my building:

"Man, that's some bright headlights you got there!"

"???" (he was walking up from behind)

"You can see those things for miles!"

"Yeah, that's the idea."

"Do you drive when it rains?"

"I don't drive at all."

"No, I mean do you ride when it's raining out?"

"I ride year 'round."

"Well yor sure in tip-top shape..."

"Workin' on it..."

<sigh>

32 today, black ice everywhere...studs rule!!!

And what the hell is with these aggressive drivers this morning...I swear the worse the driving conditions the dumber they get...I finally took the middle of the damn lane it was getting so riduclus and they still were buzzing me.

Everything was frosty and beautiful this morning. I felt slower than usual, probably due to taking a week off from riding, but I was dressed appropriately for the cold so it was a nice commute anyway. :ride:

Slow! :rolleyes: Headwind plus studded tires and I just had no energy. Some drainage upgrades have the MUP closed for a few days so I had to detour up onto the road. No big deal. Temps in the upper 30sF. Not too bad.

Yesterday's headwind was today's tailwind as the wind shifted from the north to the south. So the ride in was effortless and felt much warmer than yesterday even though it was about 5 degrees cooler (just above freezing this morning). I guess that means I'll be heading into the wind going home, but that should be okay since the high may get up to 70.

Rode in today on the new conti twister cross tires and they work great so far. There was a little ice in certain places so I was taking it a little slow and when I took off from a stop I could feel the back tire slip a little. Yesterday I took them for a test ride through some muddy trails near my house which was a blast, I could ride one trail and then be back on the street for a bit and then jump into another, fixed off road is a good time and a lot of work too.

The ride was generally pleasant but again slower than usual coming home. Knee pain when I mash has me carefully spinning. Frost developed on the knuckles of my fleece gloves; that's so cool! :thumb: (pun unintended but still claimed) :roflmao2:

Well, not entirely pleasant :notamused: :

What is it with cagers being so offended by folks on two wheels? Seriously, I got buzzed as much on the commute home this morning as in the whole of my previous experience. Did they not see the five blinkies out back? Did they not see the commuter yellow shirt and helmet cover? :mad:

And what's with the lady at the polling place (today's runoff day) yelling at me to move my bike away from the front entrance of the school as soon as I get off the bike and before I can get my bearings? :twitchy: The lady's attitude seemed to be that it was my problem that the school didn't have a place to secure a bicycle: (Me) "So, ma'am, I don't see a bike rack up here, do you know if there's one somewhere else on the property?" (Her, with sass) "I don't know, sir, the children don't ride bikes to school." :notamused: (Me) "OK, ma'am, do know of anywhere I can lock my bike up?" (Her, more sass) "No, I don't, sir, I guess it's just your responsibility to lock up your own bike." :wtf: :mad: :crash: Seriously, she's door monitor for the school (making her the default initial information person) and she freaking started the whole thing. To the pricipal's credit, the principal did send another staff member out to say that I could park my bike inside, just outside the polling station room. :thumb:

I seem to have noticed a trend that people drive even worse on polling days than any other day (On Super Tuesday, I got in an argument with a guy that I yelled "HEY" at after he tried to right-hook me).

Alright, I'm going to go to sleep now and enjoy a day (hopefully) free of automated political phone calls for the first time in several months.

brutal ride home last night. 50 km/h headwinds for part of it. snow today and I was too lazy to take the slicks off my bike. And I have a dentist appointment. So I'm being a wuss today.

Gorgeous ride in but the snow's starting to fall, it'll be an interesting ride home.

Denver was 50 and sunny at 6:30 this morning, oh yeah.

This was my first day on the studded front tire. What a joy! 10 deg. F when I left the house this morning. I love riding when there's a crust of snow left on the bike path. I overdressed, though, and was far too warm when I got to work.

Fast and dry(ish) (vs downpour in the dark last night; my gloves dried out 'cause I left them on the waterheater, but my coat, in the kitchen, did not dry out overnight)

Weird. On the way home last night I was overtaken by a pod of ninjas. All riding track bikes, but none of them could execute a trackstand to save his life. Or I assume that's why they had to ride through each red light.

And then this morning on the bike trail I came upon a pair of homeless guys pushing a big mattress--a queen at least--on a little wagon towards the river bottoms. I guess if you're living down by the river you might as well get a good night's sleep.

Pretty nice ride in this morning. We got a little snow last night so that means, you guessed it, ice. I wasn't prepared for it and it claimed me less than 50ft from home (back tire decided it wanted to do it's own thing). Only thing to do was hop back up and continue on.

Todo: hit up the LBS.

-Jeff

Students didn't let me go until 10:30 last night (class ended at 9:15) so I didn't really hit the street (after my subway ride) until after 11:30 and then had to detour to run an errand. From there it was foggy all the way home, creating an interesting effect with my brand new headlight. Once I got through all the mysterious construction (not mysterious in the daytime, I suppose, but not my normal route so for me it was just a bunch of cones and temporary bollards popping up everywhere out of the fog) and into the neighborhood it was delightful. No traffic, silent as it gets in LA. Happy to be on my bike.

I didn't commute today in the usually fashion. Today was my day off and today was my wife's first ever commute to work. I am very proud of her. She only works 4 miles from home but this was a huge step for her. So I rode with here to work and I will ride there when she gets off and ride home with her. Family commuting, what better way is there. Tomorrow I will get back to working, see ya'll then.

p.s. By the way I built my son an old Schwinn 10 speed for his commute that he started 2 weeks ago. Now if I could only get my daughter to get riding. Maybe after the 2nd grandchild is born.

... not very well ...
 

... got a cold and didn't get out today. Booo hooo :( Still I'll be better tomorrow, looking forward to the snow we're supposed to be getting! :)

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Whoo! It is freakin' cold out there. The aftn temps were colder than the morning temps. This morning I left and it was 29f or so. The roads had dried off. I looked out at 7am and saw the flurries had stuck to the road. Oh great! I said. I was worried that that stuff was still going to be there at 2pm and I didn't have the snow studs on. But I was sure that the Upper 30d temps would clear the roads for me. Sure enough. But it was still cold out there. Rode home feeling comfortable. The hands got a little cold but I survived. Tom'rw is supposed to be the warmest day of the week. This is what winter commuting is all about.
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I was bad today. At a certain horrible crossing to one of the Port entries, where autos/trucks filter in at a high rate of speed one after the other, I decided to just cross. Usually I use a lighted button crossing but I mis-timed a break in the vehicle line and decided to go further up to the uncontrolled crossing (which is now missing all the "bike/ped crossing" signage in spite of notifying the city several times of the problem). As I pulled up to the crossing, a truck that saw me coming (I heard his engine slow down for a second) decided to go for it and didn't let me cross. After him followed a looooong line of vehicles. So I pointed my headlights in their direction, moving my bars from side to side to signal people that I was standing there trying to cross (I have side lights too). Nothing. I waved. Nothing. I moved forward slightly pantomiming a movement, nothing. I finally just stuck my front tire out there and made like I was going to step out right in front of them. First truck veers quick out of my line of travel. Second truck slams on his brakes with a screech, but couldn't stop in time and had to keep going. Van behind him slams on his brakes and is able to stop, looking shocked and car behind him finally stops. I'm yelling at them the whole time "CROSSING!" It was slightly insane. I wasn't in immediate danger b/c the road is quite wide, but I'm going back to the lighted crossing tomorrow. It was slightly nice to see their shocked faces.

good commute, first day of the season with the Kenda Klondike studded tires, they felt fine, even up the hill, and I forgot how much I like that clicking sound they make on dry pavement.

Lets just say I'll be throwing the winter tyres and studs on for tomorrows adventures in traffic.

today was the first day commuting to my current job. i've commuted to my previous job, but being new, i didn't want to risk being late. today was my late day, so i fgured i'd give it a shot. it was cold out there today, but all-in-all, not bad. i will say that i was a bit scared on the ride home. it was dark of course, and even with my blinkie, and reflectors, some dumb person in a nissan rogue inched up enough to tap my rear tire at an intersection! luckily i was stopped, with a foot on the ground, but i couldn't understand how she couldn't see me?! after i screamed at her, she didn't even appologized, she just stared at me with a terrified look on her face :roflmao2: i rode off, looking for a sidewalk, haha.

Man! 4 inches of snow in 2 hours, the first 2 miles home were a bit stressful...the Marathon Winters were a little shaky in the white stuff where they couldn't get a firm grip. Fishtailed a bit, had to put the foot down once (twisted my knee a bit)...

But once I found some tire tracks, the tires bit in and the last 7 miles were fine.

So notice to self, fresh snow over 2 inches in the morning...don't take bike, in afternoon...ride bike slowly!