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-   -   How was the commute today? (https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/7855-how-commute-today.html)

nick burns 12-07-04 08:45 AM

Steady light rain, not too cold. Still wondering what it is about rain that makes drivers act so strangely. I'm sure you all know what I mean.

Got my 7th flat of the year, but like the last one, close enough to work to get there before it was totally flat. Much easier to fix in the relative comfort of my office. It seems like there is so much more glass on the roadways this year, and when it's wet, it's very difficult to see. At least I'm confident that my spare tube, patch kit, and pump are in good order.

cicadashell 12-07-04 08:50 AM


Originally Posted by michaellmn
...two young guys (my bedroom furniture is older than these kids) scream, "sidewalk!"...

[esprit de escalier] you reply back "scrapyard!" [/esprit] i'm glad no collision occurred.

today it is in the mid-forties (fahrenheit) and raining cats and dogs. oh and rather windy at that. for some reason i experimented with wearing rain pants instead of just letting my skin get all wet. certainly it isn't cold; i will probably not wear them on the way home.

Map tester 12-07-04 09:13 AM

Ah, winter in the southland: humid and warm (65°F). Thunderstorms today, hope they are gone before the ride home. Rode with my son ( he on his new bike, Giant Boulder SE) to his school. Life is good!

nick burns 12-07-04 09:19 AM


Originally Posted by michaellmn
two young guys (my bedroom furniture is older than these kids) scream, "sidewalk!". There was a look of anger in the driver's eyes...wow! I simply kept biking - half smiling. A part of me was simply thankful I wasn't run down or shot at.

I just don't get the bikes on sidewalks mentality. Luckily most people where I live accept the fact that bikes use the roadways. I feel for all of you that get harrassed about it.

balto charlie 12-07-04 10:31 AM

Lots of rain this AM. Kinda sucked but it was nice to see the interstates look like parking lots.
Last nights commute was interesting. Had to catch the 5:00 train to meet a buddy. Ride time to train 23 min, gave myself 28 min to ride. However my bike had a rear flat before I started. Immediately went to work fixing flat...6.5 minutes, rode like a beast and pulled into my bike box as the train was unloading passengers. I was sweating like pig, light still on my helmet as I ran into the train. The next train wasn't coming for another 45 min. Sweet. Charlie

Hawkear 12-07-04 11:28 AM

Chilly today, ~44 F. New gloves with full fingers made me super happy this morning.

super-douper 12-07-04 11:31 AM


Originally Posted by Tree Trunk
They found me right after I had patched my punctured tube and left Walgreens. Yep, I made the mistake of bragging to a coworker yesterday at lunch that I hadn't had a flat on my commuter bike for over a year. That also means I hadn't check the patch kit I had in my commuter bag


Originally Posted by nick burns
Got my 7th flat of the year,


Originally Posted by balto charlie
However my bike had a rear flat before I started.

Everybody be careful out there, it's FLAT season!

caloso 12-07-04 11:36 AM

A light rain this morning. Took me 30 seconds to reinstall my SKS Raceblades and I was out the door. I took a fairly circuitous route to work this morning to enjoy the weather and I hope to do the same on the way home tonight.

SaskCyclist 12-07-04 11:41 AM

Unfortunately I did not ride today. Although I did get to work at home for the morning, have breakfast with my family and spend the morning with my 2 year old. It will be a short afternoon in the office so I will take the minivan. I was kinda hoping I could bike given it is -25C this morning. I would kind of like to know what I am made of. I am sure I will have another chance.

jnbacon 12-07-04 01:51 PM


Originally Posted by SaskCyclist
<snip> I was kinda hoping I could bike given it is -25C this morning. I would kind of like to know what I am made of. <snip>

About 60% water, which freezes at 0C. Stay inside! ;) Spoken like a true desert wimp.

SaskCyclist 12-07-04 03:52 PM


Originally Posted by jnbacon
About 60% water, which freezes at 0C. Stay inside! ;) Spoken like a true desert wimp.

Stay inside any time it is below zero? The fun is just beginning at zero. Nothing is better than a day off when it is -10C with fresh powder. Especially when it is just in time for Christmas. It will really put you in the spirit. I can just hear the sleds whisling down the one hill in Regina. You can watch your kids slide for days on the same go. Next up....lets try downhill biking. I've only seen it done once; but I swear I saw it....really. :D

ollo_ollo 12-07-04 06:20 PM

Had to leave my bike at home yesterday so I could mail the grandkid's Christmas presents. but it was 41F at 6AM today & I rode in to work between showers on very wet roads which left lots of road grime on my bike. The air grew noticeably colder as I proceeded eastwards. Don

ollo_ollo 12-07-04 06:36 PM

"two young guys (my bedroom furniture is older than these kids)"
A perfect description that resonates with me. I still miss our bedroom furniture (that my wife's parents handed down to us when we were new marrieds). We passed it to my son who is very appreciative & hopefully will pass it on to his kids.

John Ridley 12-08-04 06:36 AM

Wow, yesterday was something! Dense fog and drizzle, condensing on my glasses in the dark in the morning, on the way home, 30 MPH headwinds with gusts to 50 MPH. I'll take rain/snow/slush anyday. That was killer, my legs and lungs were screaming (but it felt good when I stopped :) )
A guy in a pickup flagged me down for directions, about 4/5 through my ride. I talked with him for several minutes, as I was really dogged out and he flagged me just before the nastiest hill on the trip.
But no matter how bad the conditions, I feel 300% better the whole day on days when I ride.

clevernamehere 12-08-04 06:36 AM

-20C (-28C wind chill), clear sky, only passed by 3 or 4 cars, stopped to clear the ice off my eyelashes once (gave up on the goggles - need to try something else), toes a bit cool.... hey, maybe I can actually do this ice-biking thing.... then again it could still cool down another 15-20C so who knows!

ridealot 12-08-04 06:59 AM

Good ride in this morning. Tempature was around 43F. Dry and a whole lot less windy then yesterday. The rest of the week should be pretty decent for riding. When I pulled into the garage at work, I noticed that my bike is a mess. It needs a good cleaning and a little lovin!

vtjim 12-08-04 07:02 AM

40F degrees! Very strange season here in Vermont. Last night I stripped my roadie of its lights and moved them to my ratty MTB. The trail has some sloppy ice on it from recent light storms. I need big tires with actual tread on them. :)

I'm ordering studs today I think.

SaskCyclist 12-08-04 10:21 AM


Originally Posted by clevernamehere
-20C (-28C wind chill), clear sky, only passed by 3 or 4 cars, stopped to clear the ice off my eyelashes once (gave up on the goggles - need to try something else), toes a bit cool.... hey, maybe I can actually do this ice-biking thing.... then again it could still cool down another 15-20C so who knows!

Not quite as cold here. Only -15c without any wind. So what do you where on your feet? I find mine are getting cold and it isn't even your typical Saskatchewan winter day yet. It was a perfect commute thought. A light dusting of snow and no wind....

simplygib 12-08-04 10:22 AM

Horizontal rain, 30mph headwinds, soccer moms and little-league dads splashing water on you as they speed by, comatose, in their warm, comfy, musac-playing SUV's. The kind of weather that let's you know you're alive!! Yeah, baby!!

caloso 12-08-04 11:17 AM

Wet and windy. I only wish I'd left the house sooner so I could have taken a longer route.

trekkie820 12-08-04 11:20 AM

Man, I went down HARD a few minutes ago. As I was pulling into the parking lot behind the building that my class is in, I didn't see the gravel on the road. Turned in and touched the front brake, as a standard turn-and-brake, and the front tire slid out, and I slammed the ground. The chain popped off (it's a singlespeed bike), my saddle turned sideways, and my brake hoods have some new damage and one was turned sideways slightly, and I was seeing stars (my chest hit the ground first). OUCH!

Ed Holland 12-08-04 11:45 AM

Sorry to hear about the fall Trekkie. About a year ago I did the same thing in the driveway where I work. Hope the injuries are not too painful and heal fast.

I made my first commute after 2 1/2 weeks holiday and despite the grim grey weather it was really good to get saddled up again. Even more exciting is the prospect that I'll be buying a new frame at the weekend to build up a new bike.

Cheers,

Ed

vtjim 12-08-04 01:30 PM

Hey I just realized! Today through Sunday is the earliest sunset of the season! (Where I live, anyway.) After this, I get more and more light for my evening commute. Summer is coming! :p

4:12PM according to my chart. Sunrise, however, keeps getting later and later until the end of the month.

Tree Trunk 12-08-04 02:19 PM

Oh man, sounds painful Trekkie! Nice to see you can still type, though (kidding, just kidding).

Forgot to check to make sure my patch on the rear inner tube held from Monday night. It was flat this morning. I pumped it up and grabbed an old tube from the stash of 10-15 old tubes I have in the garage. The tire went flat after I got to work. Unfortunately, the old tube I grabbed this morning was an old Schraeder I kept for my wife's bike. The new patch I put on the existing tube has held since I repaired it this morning, though.

It sure would be nice to see the sun. The weather has been mild in Chicagoland and has been pleasant to ride in, despite yesterday's rain.

bmccarthy 12-08-04 07:25 PM

Yikes trekkie, hope all is well. I went down last night pouring rain, 30 mph winds, lights on blinking like a renegade Christmas tree, a delightful( truley she was after she hit me) young-older lady pulled out into traffic, I tried to stop, and the next I knew I was on my face on the side of the road gazing at some wet muddy leaves. I was fine, bike was fine, poor young older lady was extremely kind and genuinely concerned.I'm a lucky man...
Strange though,..I rode the rails this morning letting my thigh recover some, not planning on riding home. I have my fiance's MTB in the back of the warehouse and decide to take it home. Much too small for me, it feels like a glorified Big Wheel. Slow ride home, Knees kicking me in the chin, upright riding postition and it all felt great. It ain't the bike but the ride--(atleast for today)

ollo_ollo 12-08-04 07:49 PM

41 F with intense rain showers at 6AM today. Had a quiet ride in through medium dense traffic. There were only a few impatient drivers rushing to get to their freeway commute. At lunchtime, it was clearing up & sunny so I rode my new Torelli back & enjoyed the sunshine. Then by 3:30 PM, we had lots of sunshine with blue sky all around. Only negative was all the dirty water on the road which got my bike really dirty & left a dark spot on my backside since I was only wearing my rain top. Stopped by the LBS to see if they had any word on the fenders we are trying to get (Honjo aluminum or Giles Berthaud SS) but looks like it will be awhile. They had a nice pair of yellow Planet Bike "Freddy Fenders" but only in the wider mountain bike & hybrid sizes. Just have to ride one of my bikes that has fenders & try to be patient I guess. Don

spidercyclist 12-08-04 11:48 PM

Nice ride in and home . Rode the ss today . Had some real bad weather yesterday ,so I did not ride yesterday .
But hopefully I can ride the rest of the week .
Have a good nite .

ridealot 12-09-04 06:59 AM

Ride home was not that fun. The weather was great, but the traffic was horrible. There was the normal amount of traffic, but it seemed that drivers yesterday were more in a hurry to get home yesterday then normal. Plenty of people passed me barely giving me any room, had three people pull right out in front of me, and had a few people yell at me. The ride home sucked.

The ride in this morning went much better.

clevernamehere 12-09-04 07:50 AM


Originally Posted by SaskCyclist
Not quite as cold here. Only -15c without any wind. So what do you where on your feet? I find mine are getting cold and it isn't even your typical Saskatchewan winter day yet. It was a perfect commute thought. A light dusting of snow and no wind....

Good question - this is my first year attempting winter biking, so I'm still learning.

I've just been wearing my old hiking boots (circa 1981) the last few days. They have no insulation, just leather. I wear them with 2 or 3 pairs of socks depending on the temperature. Typically I wear a pair of thin synthetic socks, then a pair of cotton sport socks, then a thick pair of wool/synthetic blend socks. At -18 to 22 my toes are starting to get a bit cold at about the 3/4-way point of my 11.5km ride. If I had to ride another 1/2 hour or so, I'd probably need to stop somewere to warm up.

I'll need to find a better solution before it gets really cold.

cicadashell 12-09-04 09:01 AM

upper 30s and cloudy. not exciting, just how i like it.


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