Posted my commute in the commuter bike pictures thread today, I'm definiely getting old & not given to paying attention to details!

Hey y'all, checking in after a long gap between posts ... but not commuting ... still commuting 2-3 times a week.

On to my 7th year of commuting year round. The Bay Area's weather tends to make such commuting a relatively easy thing.

Still have made no contact with any cars though I've had my share of close calls. Still doing the 20-mile-each-way commute although I've recently moved into a new building with no showers. This has fouled-up my plan. I usually ride home more now and work in longer rides with hills to compensate.

My trusty Trek 520 (touring bike) now has about 5700 miles on it. Still going strong. I still have my ever-present blinking front and rear lights.

Be safe out there, gang, and always keep an eye out for the right-hook!!!

Andy

Great ride in and back today, although that dang headwind going both ways mystifies me still. It was so strong on the way home, it felt like I was carrying a second bike with me. The weather is staying warm, so that is a good thing, especially since my car died on the highway yesterday! Guess I am a full-time commuter no matter what the weather for the next week or so!
Kat

Congrats!!!

43F & 73F & wonderfully dark this morning!

Good ride in to work and fast ride home after along hard day. Wish I had more time to ride . Nice day . Thanks .

Bad journey in today (in the hated tin box, have to go visit some grown-ups this afternoon so it's a suit & tie day) but last night's journey home was great. Quiet roads, cool, raining, dark - so first use of my Lupine headlamp - not a breath of wind (unusual for a town on the coast) and legs that felt they could go on for ever. 10 minutes off the normal time for 10 miles.

A first fo me....Not one that I am relishing!

A boil on the Bum, least thats what I think it is, very uncomfortable sitting on the Saddle so spent most of the last couple of rides to work standing on the pedals.

Think I may resort to using the bus, for a while, till it clears up...

Anyone know how long these things usually persist for and what may have caused it in the first place......

How big is it? I'd say it's just a saddle sore at this point. I get quite a few of them, I guess it's the humid climate. They usually only last for a few days or so. I'm pretty much used to them now, although I don't seem to get as many as I used to.

Pretty good commute this morning. A little windy but not tot bad. It was warmer then I thought it would be too. Should of left the tights and long sleeve jersey at home. Supposed to be a good day weather wise.

Oh yeah, I broke the 2000 mile mark for bike commute miles today!

The mornings are getting crips in KCMO. I like these days. Soon, though, I won't be able to catch the sunrise. But, soon it will snow! (I hope) I have some studded snow tires I made 3 years ago. I ALWAYS ride into work on the first snow (if during the week). It just adds to the many marks I get from my co-workers who think " that guy is freaking nuts!" I like it

ridealot, nice going on the 2000 mile mark. !

Crisp! 42F / 5C I need to buy more cold weather gear, my ears and toes were cold. On a more personal note, I could use some tights with wind proof material in the groin area… wee little whilly was purple when I was done riding!

I was 0.1 mph off my “no wind” personal best this morning! The air was absolutely still, not a cloud in the sky, and the magnificently bright moon faded the stars in half of the sky. It was a good “wake up” .

Congratulations on the wedding Lucky!

The ride home yesterday was awesome… I took a new route home that led through some of the most attractive residential parts of Austin, Texas. I saw two families of deer grazing through some flower beds which I thought was rather humorous. The weather was wonderful at 76 degrees no wind or humidity. There were many people out for their evening walk, run, or ride and very few cars. The hills were numerous and challenging. Several times I found myself dropping the chain down into the granny gear. The quads still ache this morning… I'll have to hit it again on Wednesday. Everyone have a good day.

Still under the exercise high, so I figured I'd post yet another message in this topic.

For the 3rd day in a row I had to carry stuff in my trailer, with the wind in my face. It makes for such an intense commute to work. When I get here I'm so happy that I did it, and I feel that much more independent from cars..

I saw someone in his pickup truck this morning, stopped by the cops for a ticket. I couldn't help but smile and wave @ him.

Another cool crisp ride (4C or about 40F for the rest of the world)...but today I was "dropped" by a guy wearing jeans and riding a bike older than me. I am new to this but I think "dropped" is the right word for getting passed when you don't expect it. It's all good though. I got to work and a coworker commented on it being a little cool for biking. He will also likely be cold all day whereas I am energized.

Have a great day...

I spent all yesterday afternoon mentally preparing myself for an epic after-work ride to the Units' house 40 miles north of Sac'to. I was going to be racing the sun so it was going to be like a 40 mile TT. I'd ridden up there once before but the roads are lonely and spotilly paved so I brought myself an extra tube and patch kit. But I forgot my pump. D'oh!

So, I called my wife and said I wouldn't make it, I'll take a shorter ride around town, and I'll see you back at the house in time for the kids' dinner.

Still, I managed to get in a nice ride down past Freeport, 10 miles into a headwind so I could turn around and breeze back into town turning an easy 24mph with the wind at my back. I love that.

I had a great commute in this morning (a little chipper, 41F), except for the fact that my temporary headlight kept vibrating to the point it only illuminated my front wheel... hmmmm. Straightening that every five minutes got to be anoying (I had it as tight as it would go) I've got to get my main lighting system fixed and back on there tonight. It's a much brighter system. Beautiful sunrise though, so I only needed it halfway. The ride home should be warmer although it's 1:30pm and it's only 62F... it's good though.

The commute was terrific today--a little foggy. Low 60s; slight tail wind. In four years of pretty regular commuting, for the first time today I forgot to bring an article of clothing. But it's not too bad--I'm running around the office with dress shoes and no socks (I started with my bike socks, but that just drew attention to the problem)!

HR (laughingly) says I'm out of compliance with dress code. I say it's the Miami Vice look. At least I have my pants!

54F & mostly clear @ 6AM: Full moon hanging in the western sky, patches of low lying fog in the fields as I rode in to work this morning. Perfect commuting weather & traffic was very sparse. The morning was so nice, I turned in a leave slip & took the afternoon off: time for a nice ride to nowhere in particular. Enjoy the day! Don

The weather was PERFECT!!! No wind, no rain, no clouds and 66F!!!

I donated a pint of blood at noon, followed up by a sensible lunch of 4 tacos at Taco John’s and 30oz of diet coke, and 4 hours later headed for home.

It felt like my speed was down a little… and then I saw the house with a semi in the drive gaining on me!!!!. As he passed me at 55mph I realized that it was a semi pulling a modular home! That made me feel a little better

My speed was down 1mph and I noticed on the last turn that I felt a little wobbly. When I stopped I felt a LOT wobbly. Probably not the best combination of events today.

Don’t bother chastising me… My wife beat you to the punch! Besides, did you read the first sentence!

Madhouse, have you considered platelet donation? You get all the karma points of a whole blood donation and you get to keep your RBCs so there's no aerobic dropoff. I'm scheduled to give a unit of platelets on Thursday before work so I can finish the movie I started last time.

Just took a short walk outside and the weather is absolutely perfect for a bike ride. I can't wait to head home on my trusty carbon fiber steed.

My first post here on this list. I rode home tonight in pouring rain. Strange thing happened about halfway home, I looked down at my front derailer and noticed I had foam on my knees, I was wearing shorts. What the hell! Either my shorts still had soap in them or it was sewage from the creek. The bike path here in D.C. goes along Rock Creek Park and there's signs posted saying that during heavy downpour sewage may be released into creek, so don't go in the water. There was a lot of water splashing up from flooded areas, but hell, I wasn't in the creek. I hope it was just soap.

Another strange thing. About a mile from home I noticed my sterring got stiff. It seemed that the steering stiffened up from the water, strange. I just bought this bike and this is the first time in the rain, I have disc brakes, so maybe something peculiar to them.

Love riding in the rain though.

I work as a phlebotomist at a donor center, and I also give blood and then ride home, so I see it from both sides. You have to be careful when you ride in too hard and then donate. Your body produces liver enzymes when you exercise hard, and that can throw off the tests for hepatitis and liver function. You definitely want to take it nice and easy on your way in. Biking home afterward is fine, as long as you hydrate well BEFORE as well as after donating. Most people who come in to donate don't drink nearly enough before hand. It helps so much with post donation recovery, that I try to make all of my donors drink while they give.

On another note, the commute today was great! I actually met up with two other commuters this morning for the first time! I have only passed one person, and have been passed by two others since starting this almost a month ago, so it was nice to be able to chat with someone else doing the same thing in my neighborhood! They were both so friendly, although one thought my peddling in Tevas was pretty funny. I definitely felt like a rookie, until I found out he had only been doing it a week or so longer than me.

Great weather too. The warm temps and no rain seems to be holding out for an exceptionally long time, and the trees are getting prettier by the day!

Kat

So do I, brother.

No rain for me this morning, but a very humid 22 degrees C, with a big northerly wind that decided to have a go at me. I decided to have a go back this morning -- then I copped every single red light except one (and that I had to sprint to make the orange). Still made it to work on time. Still had a semi-respectable average speed under the circumstances (26km/h with every red light means that in reality, I rode quite a bit faster). Still trying to burn off the endorphin rush almost six hours later!

Nice ride in and home .Rode my ss Today. It was about 75 here. Took the longer way to work . Thanks

Ride in was warm, and the wind picked up on the way, thank the Lord it was at my back!