How was the commute today?
12-11-08, 02:36 PM
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Terrible week of commuting for me. My kid got a stomach virus Sunday; I had to stay home Monday & Tuesday. I biked to work yesterday, but the weather was supposed to be REALLY crappy today (continuous rain and t-storms) so I drove. First time I've taken the car to work all year, I think.
Back on the bike tomorrow.
Back on the bike tomorrow.
12-11-08, 03:38 PM
Drops small screws
Rode in this morning.
The stomach thing bit me about a hour ago.
Train home tonight.
The stomach thing bit me about a hour ago.
Train home tonight.
12-11-08, 04:22 PM
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Posted this ^^ yesterday. Me and my BIG mouth.
5th snow in my 50 years in NOLA. My Pugsley finally rolled through the white stuff. ( I use it at the beach usually )
NOLA SNOW Video - 2 minutes
https://www.vimeo.com/2500778
5th snow in my 50 years in NOLA. My Pugsley finally rolled through the white stuff. ( I use it at the beach usually )
NOLA SNOW Video - 2 minutes
https://www.vimeo.com/2500778
Last edited by JoeyBike; 12-11-08 at 08:37 PM.
12-11-08, 04:51 PM
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Stay warm, bro.
12-11-08, 05:43 PM
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After about 3 days of strong winds, the weather finally calmed down. This morning was the first ride since before Thanksgiving! I was feeling restless so I took the bike back out this morning. The ride to work was uneventful, just the way I like it. The temp was about 32 degrees and I wore a fleece hoodie and a windbreaker over that and jeans. I was sweating by the time I got to work! The ride home was calm and alot warmer. It felt good to ride again.
Ernest
Ernest
12-11-08, 06:02 PM
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WORST COMMUTE EVER!
Today started off on a bad note, and just got worse and worse with a series of unfortunate events. I woke up at 5:00 AM, an hour and a half earlier than usual. I headed out on my ride in, and it started off ok. The roads were dry after a few weeks of wet weather, and I really wasn't feeling to tired, just a little slower than usual. On the last leg of my commute, about 5 min. from school, I passed the 988 bus as it was picking up passengers. There was a stoplight up ahead, and I got through on the yellow, so it was a while before the bus caught back up to me. On a narrow two lane road, it swung out into oncoming traffic, and tried to pass me. Unfortunately, the driver failed to realize he was driving a slow, long bus, and had to swerve back into my lane before the end of the bus passed me, forcing me onto about 3 in. of shoulder, luckily not onto the mud after that point. This is the third time I have had trouble with this particular route/driver, he previously ran a red, turned wide and almost crushed me, as well as another instance of unsafe passing, that time buzzing me way to close.
On the way home, all is going well save for losing traction on the front wheel going up a steep hill (i saved it right before I fell), until I went to pass a slower cyclist. I moved out of the bike lane, was in the center of the car lane, and a motorist comes roaring by, buzzing both me and the car going the opposite direction.
Then, going down stone way, a long stretch with just enough of an incline for me to keep up with traffic, I am again in the center of the lane, when I see the cab of a small box truck way to close to me, I assume he was trying to pass me, and get into the non existent space between me and the car in front of me. After I looked back and yelled "What the f**k are you doing?" at him while he motioned for me to get over to the right, I accelerated and pulled all the way to the left, about one ft from the yellow line, where I spent the next five min, adrenaline pumping, franticly accelerating and slowing down to keep up with the garbage truck in front of me so the truck driver wouldn't try to get into any small gap I made.
To top it all off I got stuck for ten min. waiting for the Fremont Bridge.
I sorry about the extremely long and badly written post, I'm still shaking from anger/adrenaline, and I really needed to vent.
Today started off on a bad note, and just got worse and worse with a series of unfortunate events. I woke up at 5:00 AM, an hour and a half earlier than usual. I headed out on my ride in, and it started off ok. The roads were dry after a few weeks of wet weather, and I really wasn't feeling to tired, just a little slower than usual. On the last leg of my commute, about 5 min. from school, I passed the 988 bus as it was picking up passengers. There was a stoplight up ahead, and I got through on the yellow, so it was a while before the bus caught back up to me. On a narrow two lane road, it swung out into oncoming traffic, and tried to pass me. Unfortunately, the driver failed to realize he was driving a slow, long bus, and had to swerve back into my lane before the end of the bus passed me, forcing me onto about 3 in. of shoulder, luckily not onto the mud after that point. This is the third time I have had trouble with this particular route/driver, he previously ran a red, turned wide and almost crushed me, as well as another instance of unsafe passing, that time buzzing me way to close.
On the way home, all is going well save for losing traction on the front wheel going up a steep hill (i saved it right before I fell), until I went to pass a slower cyclist. I moved out of the bike lane, was in the center of the car lane, and a motorist comes roaring by, buzzing both me and the car going the opposite direction.
Then, going down stone way, a long stretch with just enough of an incline for me to keep up with traffic, I am again in the center of the lane, when I see the cab of a small box truck way to close to me, I assume he was trying to pass me, and get into the non existent space between me and the car in front of me. After I looked back and yelled "What the f**k are you doing?" at him while he motioned for me to get over to the right, I accelerated and pulled all the way to the left, about one ft from the yellow line, where I spent the next five min, adrenaline pumping, franticly accelerating and slowing down to keep up with the garbage truck in front of me so the truck driver wouldn't try to get into any small gap I made.
To top it all off I got stuck for ten min. waiting for the Fremont Bridge.
I sorry about the extremely long and badly written post, I'm still shaking from anger/adrenaline, and I really needed to vent.
Last edited by Nick C; 12-11-08 at 06:09 PM.
12-11-08, 07:31 PM
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WORST COMMUTE EVER!
Today started off on a bad note, and just got worse and worse with a series of unfortunate events. I woke up at 5:00 AM, an hour and a half earlier than usual. I headed out on my ride in, and it started off ok. The roads were dry after a few weeks of wet weather, and I really wasn't feeling to tired, just a little slower than usual. On the last leg of my commute, about 5 min. from school, I passed the 988 bus as it was picking up passengers. There was a stoplight up ahead, and I got through on the yellow, so it was a while before the bus caught back up to me. On a narrow two lane road, it swung out into oncoming traffic, and tried to pass me. Unfortunately, the driver failed to realize he was driving a slow, long bus, and had to swerve back into my lane before the end of the bus passed me, forcing me onto about 3 in. of shoulder, luckily not onto the mud after that point. This is the third time I have had trouble with this particular route/driver, he previously ran a red, turned wide and almost crushed me, as well as another instance of unsafe passing, that time buzzing me way to close.
On the way home, all is going well save for losing traction on the front wheel going up a steep hill (i saved it right before I fell), until I went to pass a slower cyclist. I moved out of the bike lane, was in the center of the car lane, and a motorist comes roaring by, buzzing both me and the car going the opposite direction.
Then, going down stone way, a long stretch with just enough of an incline for me to keep up with traffic, I am again in the center of the lane, when I see the cab of a small box truck way to close to me, I assume he was trying to pass me, and get into the non existent space between me and the car in front of me. After I looked back and yelled "What the f**k are you doing?" at him while he motioned for me to get over to the right, I accelerated and pulled all the way to the left, about one ft from the yellow line, where I spent the next five min, adrenaline pumping, franticly accelerating and slowing down to keep up with the garbage truck in front of me so the truck driver wouldn't try to get into any small gap I made.
To top it all off I got stuck for ten min. waiting for the Fremont Bridge.
I sorry about the extremely long and badly written post, I'm still shaking from anger/adrenaline, and I really needed to vent.
Today started off on a bad note, and just got worse and worse with a series of unfortunate events. I woke up at 5:00 AM, an hour and a half earlier than usual. I headed out on my ride in, and it started off ok. The roads were dry after a few weeks of wet weather, and I really wasn't feeling to tired, just a little slower than usual. On the last leg of my commute, about 5 min. from school, I passed the 988 bus as it was picking up passengers. There was a stoplight up ahead, and I got through on the yellow, so it was a while before the bus caught back up to me. On a narrow two lane road, it swung out into oncoming traffic, and tried to pass me. Unfortunately, the driver failed to realize he was driving a slow, long bus, and had to swerve back into my lane before the end of the bus passed me, forcing me onto about 3 in. of shoulder, luckily not onto the mud after that point. This is the third time I have had trouble with this particular route/driver, he previously ran a red, turned wide and almost crushed me, as well as another instance of unsafe passing, that time buzzing me way to close.
On the way home, all is going well save for losing traction on the front wheel going up a steep hill (i saved it right before I fell), until I went to pass a slower cyclist. I moved out of the bike lane, was in the center of the car lane, and a motorist comes roaring by, buzzing both me and the car going the opposite direction.
Then, going down stone way, a long stretch with just enough of an incline for me to keep up with traffic, I am again in the center of the lane, when I see the cab of a small box truck way to close to me, I assume he was trying to pass me, and get into the non existent space between me and the car in front of me. After I looked back and yelled "What the f**k are you doing?" at him while he motioned for me to get over to the right, I accelerated and pulled all the way to the left, about one ft from the yellow line, where I spent the next five min, adrenaline pumping, franticly accelerating and slowing down to keep up with the garbage truck in front of me so the truck driver wouldn't try to get into any small gap I made.
To top it all off I got stuck for ten min. waiting for the Fremont Bridge.
I sorry about the extremely long and badly written post, I'm still shaking from anger/adrenaline, and I really needed to vent.
Be safe out there.........
12-11-08, 08:17 PM
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Cold, wet, and very very slick! It has been snowing for the past two hours, maybe an inch or two on the ground. I don't have knobby tires on my commuter yet, because it doesn't snow often, and I don't want to sacrifice speed on dry days. Anyway I came around a curve, going maybe 7mph and my front tire washed out, but I didn't go down, I counter steered and feathered the brakes, the bike straightened and I continued through the curve. It all happened very quickly and it was really just natural, I didn't have time to think about it. So that got me thinking that maybe I am a better rider than I give myself credit for sometimes.
Beautiful ride home otherwise. I am going to get some knobbies soon and ride in the snow often...I really like it.
Beautiful ride home otherwise. I am going to get some knobbies soon and ride in the snow often...I really like it.
12-11-08, 08:31 PM
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Sucked. As if two flats on the way in weren't enough, (seperate punctures), some dirtbag at work stole two PB Superflashes off my bike, which was in the breakroom, as it has been for some three years of commutes without any problems. My boss is bringing it up in the morning meeting tomorrow, along with the fact that not only is this is a firing offense, it is dangerous if I ride home without a taillight. I happened to have another taillight at work so I made it home safe but angry. If only u lock justice were legal in such cases.
12-11-08, 09:32 PM
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My first commute (due to illness) since a week ago. 40F and steady rain. My new showers pass jacket/hood and custom rain proof tights worked great. I wasn't 100% dry but was as comfortable as a 65F dry ride. I forgot my camelback with tools/pump but fortunately did not need them.
The most hassle was the fogging and rain coating my glasses.
The most hassle was the fogging and rain coating my glasses.
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See my Hyperlite 411 it's the photo model on OutRiderUSA web page
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12-11-08, 09:57 PM
SERENITY NOW!!!
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Riding the subway yesterday was enough to make me ride in the rain and sleet today. That's how sucky the subway ride was.
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12-11-08, 11:05 PM
----
cold and wet- super rain on the way in this morning.
cold and wet- super rain on the way home tonight.
didn't see many other bike riders today- just a couple of joggers on the MUP.
cold and wet- super rain on the way home tonight.
didn't see many other bike riders today- just a couple of joggers on the MUP.
12-11-08, 11:10 PM
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Gorgeous weather today - temps in the 50s and 60s. One of the most beautiful sunsets in weeks as I started for home - I kept it in my rearview as much as I could and stopped a couple of times just to turn around and gaze. And then a big ol full moon in front of me for the rest of the ride. MUP quiet and dark, all to myself. Ye Gods I love San Diego!
12-12-08, 10:54 AM
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Great ride, 60's and rain.
12-12-08, 11:44 AM
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Nick C - your experience of yesterday mimics mine going home yesterday, except mine was all uphill. Serious crazies out there (full moon, yes?) frantically speeding to get no where.
I had to drive in today (my once every 6-months have to take an auto) b/c our work holiday party is today and I volunteered to bring my yummy punch which requires lots of containers. Too much for my bike panniers (I tried though!). Now there's the winter storm coming in and if it starts snowing I'm going to really, really want my bike to get through the impending traffic chaos tonight...gah!
I had to drive in today (my once every 6-months have to take an auto) b/c our work holiday party is today and I volunteered to bring my yummy punch which requires lots of containers. Too much for my bike panniers (I tried though!). Now there's the winter storm coming in and if it starts snowing I'm going to really, really want my bike to get through the impending traffic chaos tonight...gah!
12-12-08, 12:02 PM
GATC
Posted this ^^ yesterday. Me and my BIG mouth.
5th snow in my 50 years in NOLA. My Pugsley finally rolled through the white stuff. ( I use it at the beach usually )
NOLA SNOW Video - 2 minutes
https://www.vimeo.com/2500778
5th snow in my 50 years in NOLA. My Pugsley finally rolled through the white stuff. ( I use it at the beach usually )
NOLA SNOW Video - 2 minutes
https://www.vimeo.com/2500778
I have been riding the pug the last 2 days though! Here's a cell phone pic at the bank.
12-12-08, 12:13 PM
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Do you get asked a zillion questions every time you ride that thing in public? I was thinking of starting a Puglsey support group. My favorite question: "Is that a mountain mountain bike? Although, yesterday in the snow and muck, people seemed to get it without further questions. I overheard "Snow tires!!" as I rode along.
12-12-08, 12:25 PM
GATC
Oh yeah it's a big-time conversation starter. Lot of fun.
12-12-08, 01:12 PM
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The fog is back. Hound of the Baskervilles quality fog.
12-12-08, 01:25 PM
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What a nice commute I had this morning. The skies finally cleared after two days of rain, and there was an incredible "moon set" in the sky as I was heading out of my neighborhood. Not only was it a full moon, but incredibly bright with a line of dark clothes from the retreating storms just above it.
It was also nice because my legs were well rested after driving the past two days. We had heavy showers, thunderstorms and tornado watches the past two days, and I decided that I'd skip the biking until things got better.
It was also nice because my legs were well rested after driving the past two days. We had heavy showers, thunderstorms and tornado watches the past two days, and I decided that I'd skip the biking until things got better.
12-12-08, 02:03 PM
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22 f and I can't believe how comfortable it was. We're looking at sub zero temps by next Monday's commute. I'm already thinking about how I'm going to dress and actually looking forward to the challenge.
One more thing, got to try out my new $20 Trustfire on the helmet. Heck of a buy.
One more thing, got to try out my new $20 Trustfire on the helmet. Heck of a buy.
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Last edited by daredevil; 12-12-08 at 03:32 PM.
12-12-08, 04:11 PM
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My commute today was pretty easy. 31f in the morning. A little bit of a 15mph headwind. But I managed OK. 30f this aftn with a few snow squalls thrown in. Had a nice westerly wind pushing me home. I like sitting at a light with the snow falling, and the cagers looking at me like I'm nuts. That is Winter Commuting
12-12-08, 05:26 PM
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Great! Multi-use paths and quiet local streets in the dark.
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12-12-08, 05:43 PM
Drops small screws
The freezing headwind all the way up the Hudson River Greenway was so bad that when I finally turned inland, it actually helped push me up the hill on 181st.
My toes are icy.
My face is windburned.
My Vega headlight is approaching forced retirement age. Couldn't see snot where the morons who designed the bike path lined it up so the cars on the Henry Hudson Parkway shine their headlights directly into your eyeballs.
Good ride. I want a rain jacket that says, on the back, STILL BEATS THE SUBWAY.
My toes are icy.
My face is windburned.
My Vega headlight is approaching forced retirement age. Couldn't see snot where the morons who designed the bike path lined it up so the cars on the Henry Hudson Parkway shine their headlights directly into your eyeballs.
Good ride. I want a rain jacket that says, on the back, STILL BEATS THE SUBWAY.
12-12-08, 05:48 PM
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