Good to hear you're commuting again, John! Happy trails!

--J

Just had an awesome commute! The scent of the ocean hung heavily in the air with a beautiful north-easterly wind (a decent headwind at last!). A blood-red sunset, which disappeared to give way to a full-moon shimmering on the pacific ocean. Of course, a bit of rain would be nice, but this was pretty darn good. I've also got some sweet home-grown passionfruit to come home to.

Gee, it's hard living in Queensland sometimes!

My ride home last night was wet, to say the least, it rained and rained hard all the way home. I kind of enjoyed it though. This morning was cool with cloudy skys, the air was still so my speed was up to an almost 20mph average for the 18.5 miles. as I pulled into the office I heard the familliar twang of a broken spoke as I hit a pothole with loaded panniers. It's a good thing I carry spares, I'll be set for the ride home.

I pass a musical venue on my commute. Every few days, a big act will come through and the area around this venue is barricaded and guarded by lumbering concert security thugs. Yesterday it was Moby, last week it was Pink. These people aren't letting anyone through for any reason, just as if the vice-president were arriving, thereby sending me into busy intersections and 'the neighborhood of a thousand hills'. I was trying to beat my avg mph record, which surprisingly I did, although I wonder how much more I could have achieved had this inconvenient coincidence not occurred. Obviously, it was all Moby's fault.

I had my first ride to work today on my new wheels. 9.8 miles in the morning humidity. Left home at 5:30a and did not see one other commuter. Ride home should be hotter...oh the joys of summer. It felt great riding, though, and should become a 2-3 time a week activity (when I don't have to pick up the kids...)

Interesting problem Bikes-n-Drums. So far I have not been troubled by musical acts, save the odd drunken busker in Oxford city centre. Occasionally we have visiting dignatories to the University - Bill Clinton was here a couple of years ago - but I have yet to cross paths with any of them yet.

The ride today? Windy and hard work as I was still tired this morning. Only managed 17.5mph average. Looks as if it should be calmer for the return trip however.

Nothing much happening on my commutes lately. Sunday it was still darkish when I went in, and when I came home it was 99 degrees.

Yesterday was nice weather again...I took the long route there and the short one home. Today looks like I'm going to have ideal weather again.

Uneventful ride in today. Took the hilly route again. Tonight I think I conquer some nastier hills.

Cool and nice. No winds. Had to navigate around some boxes that apparently fell off a produce truck.

It's back to being chilly here in San Jose after the couple day hot spell the other week. Even on the afternoon rides I'll wear a light jacket.

A good thing happened to me on the way in today. The light that I always have to hit the crosswalk button on had a car sitting at it as I approached. Even better, the light turned green right when I got there and I didn't miss a beat. I still missed my train by 30 seconds and had to wait another 10 min. for the next one. I've got to stop hitting that snooze button.

Since my double century is now history, I took the skinny 23mm 125psi tires off my cross bike and replaced them with the 35mm 80psi tires (less flats) that were on there before. Felt like I was riding to work with sand in my pockets. What a difference a tire makes. Other than that the ride was smooth and uneventful.

When I got up this morning, I was tired even down into my bones, or so it felt. It seemed like I needed to sleep for a week.
I almost didn't want to ride in.

Danged if I didn't have one of my strongest rides in this morning!
I've felt fantastic all day!

:thumbup:

Beauteous tailwind. Took the relatively scenic way home and tackled the "Hill of Death" at the end of my commute (at mile 20).

Days are getting shorter, aren't they? I noticed different shadows on the way down the Hill of Death.

25 miles in total. Taking a down day tomorrow and playing some hoop. Looking forward to Friday already !!

Today started out great, but ended as a bumber. The commute to work went went fine, but on the way home I began getting a migraine headache, which the visual distortion. When it got bad, about 3/4 mile from home, I got off my bike and walked. Oh well, perhaps too much thoughts about it and not enough just enjoying it. It was, after all, the second day after...

John

I particulary enjoyed saying good morning to the cop handing a speeding ticket to someone he had pulled over on a residential side street this morning.

My ride literally stunk. As in offensive to the olfactory senses. I smelled the dead animals on the road, the horsecrap from the mexican circus I passed, jet fuel from the airport, rotting dumpster juice and that rich and hearty tailpipe aroma of the interstate. I'm not sure why I noticed all these things today.
I also saw the box lid for a hispanic porno tape in the weeds.
And, I passed a motorcycle guy on an imitation Harley with a turtleshell helmet with a spike coming out of the top and he yelled, "Get a real bike!". So I yelled, "No, YOU get a real bike!". Fortunately, he didn't come back to shoot me, like in Easy Rider.

Heyup commuters

In a bid to try and improve my average, I set myself the goal of trying to ride one gear higher than usual, excepting where I need a fast getaway at the lights.

Great ride in, gorgeous sunshine riding up a gear felt good, so I was looking forward to checking out the computer. It said that I had completed a trip of 0.0 miles, in 0:00 minutes, at an average of 0.00 mph, maximum speed 0mph.
This is odd, because I was certainly in a different place to where I started..... and whilst riding it was happily reading speed. Guess I hit the cancel button by accident- it wouldnt be the first time.

Will try again on the way home

Ed

This morning was only 49 degrees here in new england, had to wear a jacket, I gues winter will soon be upon us. Sure seems like summer was awful short this year. It was a nice clear morning with no wind. I just slowly wandered to dunkin d-nuts to pick up a few bagels for later on then wandered the rest for the 18.5 miles to work. The ride was quite enjoyable and relaxing.

Picture this: a guy in his 70's walking down a hill with a white tank top undershirt and white boxers on and brown socks and shoes. Once he spots me climbing up this hill approaching him, he gives a "thumbs up" and shuts one eye while pointing his thumb at me - kind of like he was painting a portrait. As I pass him, he's still got the thumb out and he says something like "You GO you son of a..." and it faded off. This kind of thing is all too common, as I ride a street with 3 "no-tell motels". There's all kinds of interesting urchins lurking about. And all the hookers wave to me everyday. I love the city!

Sounds wild and weird, BnD!

My commutes have been pretty empty of anything worth writing about lately. Wednesday was beautiful weather....yesterday was drizzly. The pedals are clanking again, I found a carpenter's level and a crushed deer skull by the roadside, and one of the library patrons who just found out that I bike to work has started looking at me all buggy-eyed, like I'm a dangerous loony. Hee, hee!

I'll bet you ride by the Claremont Lounge.

A few interesting things transpired on my commute in today. First, I ate a bug. Something that rarely occurs out here in (relatively) bug-free CA. Second, I saw a rabbit. Not your ordinary run-of-the-mill rabbit you see in the fields but one of those lilly-white rabbits used as pets. Around here, I give that rabbit about 5 minutes to live, given that I live in Coyote Valley, and saw the poor bugger along Coyote Creek, on Coyote Road.

Third, I heard a motorist say "I'm sorry" where she did absolutely nothing wrong!!

Breezy, warm ride this morning

I kept the resolve to ride a gear higher for a second day and can certainly feel that my legs have worked harder. No stiffness, though, which is good. Average was about 18.7mph. Not bad for the outward journey.
The weather people "promise" a great weekend, so I hope to get some extra miles in exploring the county.

A good weekend to all,

Ed

Cool 48 degree morning, clear skys and no wind, saw nothing new except a dead skunk on the highway. Cranked along and held my 19 mph average for the 18.5 mile ride. It will be an interesting ride home tonight though, I picked up a three piece 42 pound exhaust system for my daughters car, this brings my total bike weight from the usual 65 pounds to up just over 100. I've got it all tied on and I'm ready to go. This is going to be load test night for the iron horse, actually the load is quite stable, I gave her a test ride and I like it and I'm going give the motorist something to go home and tell the grandchinldren about. I bet my average will be lower.

LOL! My god, everyone knows about that place!

Well, I used to live in Atlanta. I have heard that all the celeb's check it out when they are visiting Atlanta. It's an hilarious experience.