Looks like no commuting for me for a few days: a stupid 2-year-old knocked over my bike and another headlight smashed. :mad:

I think I will buy a cheap Walmart one to tide me over till my LBS manages to get hold of the new 5-LED cateye...their supplier has them on backorder, they were more popular than expected. Sigh....

oooh, a little chilly today - maybe autumn has finally arrived in the DC area - must have been in the 40s - time to search for my warm clothes - great ride though.....

For the first morning since May, it felt like something other than summer here in DC. 52 F (12 C), clear skies, a 14 mph wind out of the NE. Not yet jacket weather, but heading there, I love experiencing the change of the seasons.

Paul

I'm having one of thoese days that seems like a Monday where everything that can go wrong is.
The commute was nice though. It's getting cold but I was well bundled up. I dropped my headphones and had to search in the dark with my headlamp to find it on the street.
And I had my first close call. A car full of high-schoolers tried to roll through a stop sign but then suddendly saw me. I slammed on my brakes and was able to stop in time. The car panicked and decided to finish running through the stop sign and almost hit a truck.
I really wish they would raise the drivers age from the age of 15 here.

Nice ride in. Through a logistical snag I ended up riding my roadie in today from home (20 miles). It was dark, dark, dark when I left and my roadie's not outfitted with all the snazzy lights ... just a "be seen" flasher on the front and the obligatory flasher in the back. Still, the first part of my trip is very quiet and there was no danger. Great ride overall.

My wife got up and went to work out. I thought about getting up early and making my commute long. I did not. My dog stayed on her bed and I opened my eyes to discover it was 7:58 am.....Doh, I guess I better go to work.

Ride in was foggy and cool. I passed at least 100 cars on my way.....Poor bastards. Every once in a while, one of them is me.

Peace :cool:

Ditto :)

Pretty good commute today with the added bonus that on the way home , I passed the Electricians who were fixing the lights on a path I use.

It's been pitch black and very difficult to see.

Finally got to ride into work today, after being out of town since last Thursday. It's amazing how quickly your endurance erodes. Still a good ride, but a little warm. The highs are near 90F for the next few days... Oh well. I think the bike had missed me!

It looks like mine was was one of the warmer rides, is it was in the 50's F here this morning. Good rides, both to and from work both days. Yesterday I took the "back route," and turned my normally 3.75 mile ride into a 10 miler, for about 14 total miles. Today, I simply came back home, but enjoyed the ride very much.

Our Fall has not yet resulted in many leaves falling. The days are considerably shorter though, with the sun low. Yesterday it was out, and I wore my safety/sun glasses for the return ride. 'Saw a lot of people out in one of the community parks, and lots of kid's soccor is being played. I stopped yesterday to watch, and I think it's more entertaining to watch these pretty young players than the World Cup, as where the ball goes is much more unpredictable. One of the side-advantages cycling affords us is the ability to simply stop and enjoy spontatious happenings, a soccor game, kids playing in the street, or the boy who was being towed on his skateboard by his dog yesterday. Cars go too quickly to really see, observe, and of course in a car you cannot hear, or smell, what's happening around you either. But on a bicycle, it's all there for the takin' in.

John

I got to ride in after all. :)

I stopped at Wally World during my errand-runing today, but couldn;t bring myself to pay 10-14 dollars for one of their cheap-looking lights. I got some epoxy, though, and managed to glue my headlight together well enough so that it works.

Major headwinds going in, which died before I went home.:mad: Apart from that, it was a great day--bright, sunny, not too cold.

Ride home was fast. I had a run of good luck with the stop lights. So much so that I practically didn't stop until about halfway through the commute (10 miles).

Had a lovely ride in this morning. After hearing on the radio that it was going to be windy, I think it was actually all right. Course, that probably means headwinds for later! :)

My mind was wandering (as it has a tendancy to do whilst cycling), and as I thought everyday I cross the Ouse (the river I cross, about 4 miles in) I realised how much that sounded like everyday I sing the blues. I think I managed a couple of verses too before my mind wandered off again!

Ellie

My ride home last night was one of my best ever! I modified the first 2/3 of my route in order to avoid a dirt trail that my road bike doesn't like too well. I was delighted to find that the roads I chose were well-paved, less hilly, and had very light traffic, a major improvement over my old route.

There are only two difficulties with this route, though. At one point, there's a poorly-designed intersection across a minor highway. (I got off the bike and walked because I didn't undersand the traffic flow; now that I understand it, I will try it on my bike.) At another point, I have to merge onto a busy 4-lane road and then immediately turn left across all 4 lanes of traffic.

Alas, I have to drive the car for the next few days. Hopefully I'll be back on the bike Friday!

Tim

Woke up this morning feeling groggy and lazy, I forced myself into the shower, then ate breakfast and dressed in my winter bike clothes, I loaded the bike and went out into the 33 degree morning air to start my ride into work. Along the way I learned that, I should have worn my warmer shoe covers, warmer hat and fleece under my windbreaker. The ride was slow and easy with light traffic, I heard willdlife in the tree line along the road most of the way in but saw none. When i got to work I felt better and am glad I rode in instead of being weak and driving the truck.

Tim, I ride in the dark most of the year, I spent a fortune on cheap lights and batteries, I tried the rechargable batteries for a while but they were a pain also, they don't seem to last as long as regular batteries. Three years ago i bought a nightride classic light set with tail light, it's the best thing I've ever done. It's bright, the battery never goes dead and it only takes 1.5 hours to fully recharge. I labored over the expense for a long time, if you are a regular commuter and your commute is in the dark, it's the best money you will spend. The light truely lights your way, if you wreck one set of wheels due to poor lighting causing you to run in a large hole, or crashing because of poor visibility, you will more than pay for the light set.

A beautiful sunny ride home last evening, I think I'll try and leave work on time today to catch a little more sun. It is getting low in the sky, long shadows early.
This morning's temp 7C, 45F - just shorts and long sleeve t-shirt today, a little chilly the first couple of blocks, ok after that. Stayed on the roads today, (almost zinged another cat on the bike path yesterday) uneventful (didn't fall off my bike today) but still interesting 12 km ride.
I found out later that there was a casualty from yesterday's fall off my bike in front of my neighbor's house - my cell phone must have fallen off my belt when I hit the ground, I didn't notice until I got to work. I called my phone, a construction worker answered - It had been driven over by a car or two, still works but is all mushed up - I guess I'll have to get a new one.

Beautiful ride in this morning. Temp was in the 60s (F). I seemed to be following Hansel and Gretal for a few miles though. Instead of bread they left a trail of nails and wood screws in the bike lane (bet those birds won't eat those!). I had a wonderful tailwind most of the way which was really nice because I have been off of the bike for 4 days (not by choice mind you, I have just been very busy and most of my errands were way beyond my ability to ride that far). Hit a lot of lights after an 8 mile section of passing all of them.

A strong head wind on my morning commute this morning turned a 15 minute commute into 18 minutes, it might not sound much but boy that wind was strong.

On the way home ran over some glass and made a mess of my tyre, it cut clean through the tyre and thread inside.

I've tried to patch it up but when I inflate the tyre it just gapes open:( .

So to get me to work tomorrow I've put the spare tyre I had on, pity it's a front tyre, which means I have a front tyre on the front and back wheel.

The weather here could not be more pleasant. With my office's seasonal slowdown, I'm not kiling myself to get in early so I'm enjoying the ride. I think tomorrow I'm going to stop for an espresso at a cafe I pass by everyday. Life is good.

I'd like to leave early enough to get in an extra 10-20 on the way to work but I hate to have to put the pup out while it's still dark. I suppose she'd survive but those big brown eyes just kill me.

Going long on the way home isn't an option this week, either, what with the Giants game starting at 5:20pm California time.

:) Well I did my first commute to work today. It was about 40 and overcast- just the weather I like. Its only about 4 miles on 2 lane roads past a couple of schools and a small business park. The ride was going good until a school bus ran me off the road. Of all vehicles I couldnt believe a school bus. Oh well. I put my bike inside the building- not a good idea. I drive a truck so I am out all day making deliveries. I got back in late and the building was locked. I had to call my wife and have her come and pick me up.( she just got off work). I think I will get a walmart special so I can lock it up outside. Well, it can only get better. :thumbup:

Born2mtb, it will get better. Keep with it. Be very visible and very safe. Congratulations on your first day.

Congrats, Born2mtb! Sorry to read of your troubles (hopefully there were passengers on the bus who reported the driver's inattention - let's assume that's what it was).

My ride in this morning was near-perfect. A tad chilly, but that wears off pretty quickly during the one long gradual ascent that begins perhaps a block from our apartment complex. When I ride the bike to work I'm damn-near insufferably chipper for most of the day. For mood enhancement I've found nothing better. A thought: Maybe drug rehabilitation and depression therapy should be augmented with cycling? Silly, but...hmmmm... :p

-Rob

Well, I went out on the porch this morning and waved my arms around with no shirt on, doing my temperature check as I do every morning, I said yep, it's cold. I went in, dressed in shorts and tights, warm wind jacket, heavier socks and shoe covers, heavy insulated gloves and a cap, I finished breakfast and headed out, boy was I off with my reading, I had to make three stops to shed layers, It was around 50 degrees and overcast, I took the long way in and enjoyed the still calm morning, traffic was on the heavy side but who cares, I was on the bike and it was great. Have a great day everyone.

63 F /17 C and raining here in DC. It was dark enough so I flipped my dynamo for lights.

A little warm in my raingear, but that will stop being a problem in a month or two. It looks as if our "endless summer" here has finally come to an end.

Paul

mrfix, I get out of my bed in the morning and say, yep it's cold. Regardless of the temperature. I just feel cold for a first couple of hours. I'd probably die of hypothermia if I tried to measure the temperature outside with no shirt on.

--J

It usually works for me but this morning I was way off. I think it's because I picked up a new set of neoprene shoe covers on the way home yesterday and really wanted to try them out, At 55 degrees they're warm.

Last night I passed up 2 buses! Ok, so the second bus I passed had had an accident 20 minutes before and was backing traffic up, but the first bus was an honest to goodness pass. I must have passed 2 blocks of stopped traffic in front of the accident. It was a good ride. This mornings ride was good as well although less interesting. I got off late and was surprised at the drop in traffic after 9:00. It is nice to be able to ride at 9:00 AM again without sweating my eyeballs out. Well, I guess thats it for me today.

Mrfix - maybe there was a rare eastern chinook wind in between your checking the temp and being out in it! :) I always check the weathernetwork on TV for temperature, but it gives the airport temp which is about 30km southwest of my house, then I head 5km northeast towards Lake Ontario where the weaher is different anyways. Oh well, dressed too warm is easier to fix than dressed too cold!
2 nice rides last eveining and this morning. Still riding the road bike + backpack, got to my home LBS at 10 to 6 last night to look for tires for my commuter, they closed at 5:30. I looked at the work LBS during the day, didn't see any tires I wanted to buy.
Temp was 10 C (50F) this morning, supposed to go up to 18 C today (65F), clear sunny sky. A great day for riding, looking forward to the trip home.

I backed off the speed a little this a.m. and enjoyed riding at something less than a sprint. Did the 13 mile commute in to work. Overall, it was one of those rides that accrues enough benefit so as to overshadow the downsides of bike-commuting, probably for the next couple weeks.

yesterday was just one of those days - got a rear wheel puncture on the way home so had to change that with me resplendent in my flourescent yellow jersey in the middle of Rock Creek Park with a sniper still on the loose

once the puncture was fixed a few miles further on something shattered/exploded near my front wheel - it was getting dark and I have no idea what it was so I just kept pedalling

to top it all off it then started raining.......

....I took the Metro today, not because of the above but because I had some meetings

Commute back to my daughter's school was cool. Watched her field hockey game then left to go mountain biking with my buds, which was excellent.

26 commuting miles for the day + about an hour's MTBing !!