Hot ride in today, but it was still a pleasant change after having to take the car in monday and ride cramped up in airplanes yesterday. The temperature was already in th 80s at 7:00. I am ready for fall to arrive when it finishes it's sweet time in coming! I had a much heavier load this morning and found I took around 10 minutes longer than usual. I figure I just got a longer workout so it was not a total loss (I think 4 days off the bike may have had something to do with it as well). Anyway, all in all it was a pleasant ride in even though I dropped a water bottle just around the corner from my house and had to go back to refill!

Good commute today! It was a little drizzly which made it cool for once. I didn't feel very strong so I rode at an easy pace.
I've got a really bad saddle sore that's causiong my butt some serious angst.

Due to circumstances I realized that if I didn't get home immediately I was going to be accidentally locked out. So I just pounded out 7 or 8 miles as if my feet were on fire. I made it in the nick of time, but that was one thigh-pumping nightmare I don't want to repeat anytime soon.

I took the Road bike to work today, which meant a detour on the way to work but it meant that I had to navigate a large Roundabout.

On the way home it was dark and it's definitly getting colder, still that gave me enough reason to go for the record and scraped 3 seconds off it. and if it wasn't for those two bloody red lights I would have smashed it.

Still that's just an added incentive for the next time I try.

The ride this morning was perfect, except that I had an long delay. I stopped to watch a flock of 14 turkeys chowing on the acorns that have been showering down on me the last week. So I guess that it was a perfect + ride.

This morning was not as drizzly as yesterday morning. I hint of clouds made for a red sunrise, and it was 51 degrees out, so me fingers felt it a bit. But the morning commute was great! At noon I came home for lunch, jumped a black cat on the bike path, ate lunch with my wife (she's on the late shift tonight, and so was home), then went back to work. After work, I rode home, had a quick supper, then rode to church to practice in the choir for the first time. Coming back, it was dark but I had good lighting.

All the time, for the first time, I listened to the radio. I had lashed the radio to the back of my bike and turned it on. On the ride to work, I didn't hear much because of traffic noise. I turned it up a bit, and it was much better. I have a small radio, and used twine to lash it onto my bike rack (no earphones!). It definately made the commute a bit nicer, listening to music. On the way back to work from lunch, I came upon a walker on the bike path, and she knew I was there from the radio. When I finally said, "Passing on the right," she replied with a "Thank you." Made me feel good about the radio, as it looks a bit weird to me.

Tomorrow, I'm switching bicycles to my Schwinn. I used the Trek 1420 today, and for the past two weeks. It's a great bike, but my son Brian got new handlebars for his birthday, and I now have his old ones. Mine on the Trek are a bit narrow, and so I'll trade. I put new tape on the Schwinn, and now it has "candystriping" red and white tape. It looks snazzy.

John

I had two different rides. Last night I rode my new Trek 1000 home. This morning I rode my old Raleigh in again. (The saddles are sore in different places - I prefer the Trek saddle, but needed to rest the old seat bones!) I hadn't realised that the differences in set up were that big! My Raleigh felt all scrunched up after the Trek with the seat angled backwards, but it's the right angle for the ride. Now I want a sign for the back of the Raleigh - "My other bike's a Trek"!!

14 miles, 55 minutes on both bikes. Bit slow, but it's the first time I've done the whole way in a while.

Ellie

Nice sunny autumn morning today. I had to delay my ride into work because I needed to pick up a paper at the university library, and they don't open until 9. This also gave me the opportunity for another 1/2 hour in bed

There was STILL busy traffic after I re-started the journey at 9:30ish. What is with all these cars:confused: Fortunately, most of the bad traffic is in the opposite direction, so I can breeze past them with a big grin.

Cheers,

Ed

Nice, still, clear 54 degree morning for me, Traffic was light and rode in without incident. nothing exciting to look at, just another great ride to work, the place I go to wait to ride home.

My primary commuting bike is still in the shop, so rode my oldest daughters Specialized Hard Rock in. Took a little getting used to the Grip Shifts. The bike is heavier than my Trek and has very large MTB bike tires, which made for a lot more work than my IRC Metros. Puppy and I made it safe and sound, and it sure beat driving the car. Hopefully I daughter will not miss her bike today.

Patched my first tire in 20 years today. I usually carry a spare tube and use it instead of the patch kit by choice. I used my spare tube last night because of another flat I got yesterday (it doesn't ran but it poors!). I found a bit of shade and did the repair. I was very glad I had everything to do the job! This morning was a lot cooler than yesterday morning. If it weren't for the flat I would have likely set a record for myself as I was averaging 19+ mph. But alas, I suppose things like this happen. It is just nice to be back on the bike, even with the flats (btw, I changed the tire too last night so it wasn't the tire, just bad luck I guess). I had the gauranteed tube protectors in too so I guess I have some free tubes coming, woohoo!

It was rainy today, but still a nice ride. The roads I have to take are so bad I've decided to start using my MTB instead. I got some Specialized Nimbus slick tyres and the bottom of the line Sigma Sport computer today at work.

The rain hit me hard this morning. Gusty headwinds were just too much for me so I pulled into the train station and took the train the rest of the way. On the way home, I rode in single speed mode. I just chose a gear that I use the most on flats and left it there for the whole ride. The last mile was hard but I might just convert to single speed if I can keep it up for awhile. I might not have use of my legs in the morning but it was worth the experience.

Pedal along pedal along pedal along...then look over into a yard to see this thing chasing me that looks like a dog body with a flowerpot for a head. I had to do a double-take...it was a dog with a flowerpot for a head! No face whatsoever. I had to stop the bike to take it all in. It was standing there looking at me through the hole in the bottom of the flowerpot. I thought it may be stuck on his head so I yelled "Hey you", and then the flowerpot fell off, then he ran off. What a wierd day.

Ride in this morning was a little sweaty, 18C and very humid.
Wimped out for the way home and drove my work truck (on call starting tomorrow) - The weather is hot 27C, gusty & windy and smoggy!!
No more commuting for a week, I'll have to go MTBing and roading as much as I can for the next week!
One thing I've learned, I enjoy riding the bike home a lot more than driving home - driving seems like such a waste of time, riding doesn't.

Wahahaa! Glad to hear there's always something new to see! Still grounded due to sinus problems, but I'll be trying a recreational ride tomorrow, if it doesn't rain too much.

If I had experianced that I would start to wonder if it was flashbacks I was promised back in the '70's

I had several great rides today. At sun-up I was on headed for work, not a cloud in the sky. At noon, I came home for lunch (I'm 3.7 miles from work), then rode back to work. After work, I rode to a gathering place for the Portland Wheelman. They had a 20 mile ride planned, and I went along. I was using my old Schwinn LeTour, with panniers, etc., and they had racing bikes. I stayed with them, despite the two loaves of heavy bread in my bike's bags, the very heavy bike, and having already gone several miles commuting. But then my cell phone rang; I stopped, and it was an important business call (at ~6:20 PM). I never got back together with the group, although I was within about a hundred yards of the slowest person until she went out-of-sight and I had to figure out the route. But it was very, very enjoyable. The roads were not hardly used, and through a rural area I was not familiar with. Then the full moon rose over the horizon as I was pedaling back to the gathering point. What a nice way to end the commuting day.

John

Why is ego such a stupid thing?

I've taken to running home on Fridays (leaving the bike locked at work and pick it up in the car Sundays). So I like to make my Friday commute nice and leisurely.

But today there were 3 guys ahead of me on various stages of the ride. They were riding a bit slower than me, but I couldn't just slowly amble past them. Once I pass another cyclist I have to give it heaps to leave them behind.

I was plumb tuckered out! What an idiot!

Stew

Nice day, rode the bridgstone, what more could I say, it just doesn't get any better.

Well this morning makes 4 flats in 3 days. I am getting tired of but skilled at fixing flats now. I tore a sidewall in the process and need to purchase a new tire this weekend. I am thinking of going back to cheap tires. My last cheap tire never got flats like this. Anyway, last night I am riding along at 21 mph and I start to pass this guy, he is not a biker guy but a bike commuter because of necessity guy, and I cruise by him thinking, "cool, I made it without getting hit by a car" (He was a good cyclist though as most of the people in his situation use the sidewalks). Feeling pretty good about myself I continued to pull ahead about 100 yds and then I nailed a rock with my back tire and the (recently becoming) all to familiar sound of air coming out of the back tire starts. So I pull the bike off the road and set it up against the nearest building, and the guy that just passed me comes ambling by and and gives me the "look". The look that says "If you weren't in such a hurry to get around you wouldn't be sitting there trying to fix a flat now silly biker guy". Anyway, I found myself laughing at myself for taking myself way to seriously. I had a nice shady spot to change the tire, the temperature was not too hot, and the afternoon was just coming to an end. It wasn't altogether a bad experience (after the humiliation part of course )

Well, this is only my second commute of the week. My Wed night basketball game and the need for a rest day on Tues and Wed morning is throwing my commuting schedule off a little. I also had something going on last night, so I couldn't ride yesterday either. This is a real bummer because a nice bike ride the day after the b-ball game is very therapeutic.

Anyway, I started today in the dark at a little after six after dropping off my daughter. I took a different route through the town of Willow Glen which is a nice area. I can do this because traffic is lighter at that time. (It'd be a madhouse at my normal time.) It's nice to go on a different course whenever possible.

I held back some because my knee was bothering me just a little (from b-ball). Kept the speed around 17-18 instead of the 20-22 range. Cut through Santa Clara University, which is always a nice ride, just as the sun was coming up.

Overall, it was one of those rides that make it all worthwhile!!

I probably shouldn't say anything to change my luck, but....
My tires are about 8 years old and came with the bike. They are centre rib knobbies, have minor cracks in the sidewalls and I've never had a flat with them. I rode about 600km commuting in the last 2 months, no air loss. I've pumped them up to 60psi (says 45 psi on the tires) and had no problems. I'm reluctant to change to smoother tires because I've had such good luck with these!

Like anybody cares, but I had a short ride into work today. Fall is in the air. It was foggy and cool. I do feel sorry for you folks who're starting to "smell" snow, we just have to deal with the never ending rain.

Yes I have webbed feet, just like my dog.

Ride home was superb. Went on a route that I haven't done in a while after leaving work a bit early

It was hot today and I love the heat !!! Won't be long before I look back on this as possibly the last hot ride of the season.

Anyway, a great 25 mile ride with a good hill climb to finish. The hill climb was easier than before ... mountain biking has realy helped!!