Good ride to work and home .It feel like it getting colder out . Had a good day at work . I hope the rest of the week goes as well . Have a good nite .

Not working today but almost had a head-on with a kamikaze squirrel while pulling the trail-a-bike. The squirrel caved at the last second but my kid's scream sent me about 10 feet off the seat.

I didn't ride this morning because I didn't go to work. I took the day off to do some painting. I also needed to replace an inner tube on my bike. In 20 years of riding I have never had a tube fail at the valve stem. Since the beginning of summer I have had 3 tubes tear at the point were the valve stem joins the tube. I thought maybe it was a rim problem but it has happened on two different bikes. Only once did it happen while I was riding, the other two happened while the bike was parked. I am wondering if there is a manufacturing problem. Is anyone else having this problem?

Today was vicious headwind day in Las Vegas, we get some very strong winds here. I was slowed to about ten mph average after numerous gusts that seemed to slow me to a stop. It was a hard ride anyway after my weekend of debauchery. Of course, the ride home was not only downhill as it always is, but also with that great headwind in reverse. My average went up to 18mph. I was keeping up with traffic in some spots. Oh, and hardly anyone tried to kill me, except for a guy who doesn't understand taking turns at 4-way stops. I saw him coming, so I got close but stayed out of danger. He waved to me as he passed, what's that all about? (Stupid, not evil?)
Adam

Update (9/28): This sounds like a cliché grandpa talking, but my commute today was into the wind BOTH ways. I think I need to move to the other side of town.

Maiko is an "apprentice" Geisha. It takes many years to reach the status of Geisha.
Steve.
Sorry, just noticed it was answered.

wonderful ride home tonight, did about half the ride with a co-worker, and it was so nice to ride and talk with someone. made the riding so much easier. and i really hope to do it again soon.

aside from that, all is well.

Very nice ride this morning. It's actually a little cooler in the mornings here now. Not much traffic at all and that helped me set my new record. Too bad it will be hot with a bunch of traffic for the ride home.

Busy ride home last night, LOTS of other folks on bikes. Fair-weather cyclists, didn't see you out there on Monday in the rain! :D

This morning's commute was very interesting. First, today is the first day for the arm warmers. I considered them yesterday, but wisely left them at home (too warm in the end). The temp this morning looked quite a bit colder, so out they came. It was definitely a good move. This is probably my favorite riding weather, so I was happy. :)

About a half mile from home, I was passed by a guy in full team kit on a beautiful bike, wearing a backpack. I noticed his kit bore the marking of CTS ("Carmichael Training Systems") so I held pace and asked if he had a CTS coach. The fella informed me that in fact he rides for the CTS team! (no doubt, he looked to be in phenomenal condition) This is a bit of a coincidence, as this week I started reading Carmichael's *cough* advertisement *cough* book, "The Ultimate Ride". So the guy pulls away but I catch him at the next light and we chat a bit more. He asks about my folder and I ask about his bike. I think that he was pleasantly surprised that I recognized the frame as being and old Team 7-11 Eddy Merckx (apparently he recently rebuilt it with an 8-speed DA grouppo). It's nice to know that not everybody out there has Arrogant Roadie Syndrome(TM).

Off he went and inspired I was. I had a very fast ride, only partly assisted by a tailwind (~4mph). I was so filled with bonhomie that when crossing the West Side Highway at W44th, I offerred a thirsty-looking runner (who had stopped to stretch) a shot from my water bottle which he gratefully accepted.

There was, however, one blip on the otherwise great commute. On W4$th, about to enter Times Square, a taxi zoomed ahead of me (he had been completely behind me) and attempted a right hook. Stupid SOB driver would have caused a crash if I wasn't ready for it (I always assume it's going to happen). I lustily cursed him out and attempted to give his taxi a nice dent but he was too fast. I'm sure his passenger saw and heard what happened so I hope the chump driver didn't get much of a tip. Anyway, I rather enjoyed the experience in a sick sort of way because, being ready for the right hook, there was never a mortal danger in play. :D

What a day!

Great commute this a.m. - temps were a bit chilly, so I threw on a windbreaker. Looking forward to some real cold (could be months away...)

Highlight of the commute was seeing a young kid I call "VC Jr.", I've mentioned him in this thread before. He is a neighborhood kid who rides his bike to elementary school; probably 10-12 yrs old, with excellent bike-handling and traffic-negotiation skills.
He wears his helmet, takes the lane, stops at stopsigns, and signals all his turns. He is my hero... ;)

Good ride home yesterday, got to race a thunderstorm (which actually never reached my house, but it wast still cool). And this morning made record time (I've only been doing this a few days though :) ) Got even with a couple dogs that chased me the other day.. they were sitting in the middle of the road facing the other direction, so I sprinted as fast as I could while they were unawares, and as I zipped by I barked the meanest bark I could muster, little dogs scattered with tails between their legs... ahhh.. vengence. :) (I actually really like dogs, but these little guys are never locked up and always give me a hard time).

Sideways 42 Degree rain today. I'm not sure I have the right gear [or frame of mind]to deal with that.... so I drove. In retrospect, I should have ridden. I feel like my morning is missing something.

As a consolation [and to keep on track for my rideshare payout] I carpooled the cute
one to work. I think I'll have to rustle up some gear for the punk weather.

Don

Beautiful morning for a ride! I felt like I needed a couple more hours of sleep and didn't want to go to work, but I've felt like that since grammar school. Was running a little late so after zig-zagging around some fire trucks around the corner from me, I hammered it the two miles to work and got there 30 seconds earlier than usual. Oh well, it felt good anyways.

I haven't posted for a long time. I've had a great summer and fall so far. Being responsible for four different offices I get allot of extra mileage in. I got 28 miles on Monday, 43 miles Tuesday... ahhhh, working full time and still getting this kind of mileage is heaven. Life is grand.

Uggg...thank goodness for the commute this morning. I was having a rough day when I woke up, just generally annoyed. A lady rolled through a stop sign and made a right turn towards me. I yelled, she slammed on the brakes, and her bumper was literally two inches from my leg. I hate to admit it, but I exploded. Yelled at her, waved my arms, generally caused a ruckus. She looked kind of sheepish and when I yelled "I have the right of way!," she said "of course you do." As I rolled off, I noticed some kids walking to school and a crosswalk lady staring at me. What a loonatic biker. Luckily a few more miles cooled me down before I got to work.

Rain & snow mix for the ride home last night. Temp in the low 40s. I was pushed home by a 15MPH north wind. Was nice to have the wind a my back for the ride home. Was a nice, albeit cold, change.


My first ICE BIKE RIDE of the season.

It was sunny and 27F when I left the house this morning. With the snow/rain from the night before I had worries of icy roads. I was happy to see the snow/rain had stopped and the roads had mostly dried out. I had to navigate only a few ice patches. I'll be glad when my thermal shoe covers come in at the bike shop. ;)

My morning rides are always a pleasure, but never very interesting.

Funny thing happened today, a take a 1mi detour thru a quiet neighborhood, 25mph streets, relatively low traffic. I approached at ~22mph two guys walking side by side in the very middle of the travel lane, backs to me, smoking grass (the air was thick with the smell). Looked me behind me saw a car well back, so I signaled left turn to go around them and passed nicely. Car (merged into opposite lane) then passed them and then shortly after me while I was in center of lane and the driver thru open window yells at me to stay off the street as they passed me at about 30mph. Huh? I was still going 22mph at the time, they speed off probably up to about 40mph in the 25mph zone and I caught up to them at the light and just gave them a stare. Why they yell at me and not the stoned walkers?

Al

Very chilly this morning. I think it might have been in the upper 40's. I've started to let the kids (11 and 9 yr old) ride to school one day per week. I ride with them for now hoping to build up their confidence and skill level so that they can ride by themselves eventually. After I drop them at the school I head to Starbuck's near the school for a coffee and a blueberry scone then to the gym for a workout and then to work.

Very uneventful but nice.

Mike

I was riding down L Street along Capitol Park on the last few blocks of my commute when I noticed a guy on the sidewalk pacing me. It's a wide sidewalk and designated as a bike route, but it's still not particularly safe to ride any faster than 10mph. I was doing 19 at the time and noticed that this guy was struggling to keep up on his full suspension mtb. He was trying to look cool, but I could tell he was laboring. When we got to 12th Street, the light was red and I sat up, but Mr. MTB rode on. Yeah, that's safe.

I should look elsewhere on BF. I bet there's another "I dropped a roadie" thread going.

Commute in was good today, I woke up late (it's getting cold and that makes it hard for me to get out of bed) but left the house only 15 minutes behind my usual time. Pushed it real hard on the way to work and got here only 5 minutes behind schedule. just took a real fast shower (I'm super lucky to have showers at work...my job rules) was just a few minutes late to my office when all was said and done. Commuting is getting real nice, a lot less crowded now that it's started getting colder, all the wannabe's are quitting for the winter :-) just about cold enough to break out my jacket...

Ride home should be interesting, just checked the forcast, and it says wind speeds of 40 mph at the air port...just a few miles from me :-) hope it's blowing with me!

I've had a similar thing happen before myself (minus the stoned walkers) but I think about 90% of people in cars just don't know jack about bikes, period. They don't know the laws, our rights, nothing...I had a guy in a full size pickup almost clip me from behind (I was actually doing the speed limit of 25 mph at the time) and then cuss at ME to get off the road. When he came to the next stop light (wich I know to be a very long light) about 100 feet later, I pulled along side of him till i was just ahead, got his attention, then dismounted, and then mooned him! I never looked back to see his reaction, i just got back on and road home. It made my day, especially since I was about to turn off that road anyway and I got to just laugh to myself all the way home.

mine was nice today- actually sunny and not too hot, but a bit humid.
I just wish I could do it more regularly so I can get up the hill in the Presidio w/o having to stop. Looking forward to the ride home today- and getting killed by the hill on the way out of sausalito! Wheeeeeee!

Went the short way to work again today. The "up and over route" I was clipping along down this little hill before getting to the bottom of the big hill when all at once I am in a fog bank and can't see anything...then I figure it out...duh, my glasses are steamed up. I pulled them down on the end of my nose and ride looking over them. (What a dork!)
I now have this 1/4 mile long, pretty steep hill in front of me, and so I gear down and up I go. I get just about to the top and I see this little old lady in her house coat getting her morning paper out of the box. I say good morning and she asks me, "Did you just ride all the way up that hill?"
"Yes, I did." I say.
She says, with some enthusiasm, "Good for you, young man!"
Which makes me feel real good, since I am almost 50.
It's little things like that, that make biking worth it...don't ya think?!?

What an ugly route you have. How do you stand to even look at that putrid view?

My commute home was quick since I had to take my car to get an oil change. When I got home, my neighbor held the door open in the lobby and said, "It's great that you ride!" Yes, it is!

that would give me the perma-grin for at least a day.

haven't commuted at all this week, since it seems like god did get me for last week's foolishment. the lurking Disease came down with full force on sunday evening and got me sent home again halfway through monday. i'm so sick of myself, i just got home from doing a couple of slight-uphill miles to the grocery store. may have been a mistake, but i wanted to see:

a) what it's like to bike in the dark
b) what it's like to bike in the rain
c) whether i'm better
d) whether i'm better enough to commute again tomorrow.

seemed like a good idea, but it may have been an awful mistake. it seems like some part of me would rather be really sick than slightly sick. i just hate this feeling-slightly-awful thing that leaves you conscious enough to be frustrated with the whole deal. but even if it was a mistake, at least i did find out some of the biking stuff i wanted to know. rain's a lot colder when you get a good windchill going, i learned that much.

Very windy ride today , but still a good ride to work and home . Have a good nite .

Nice cool ride in this morning. I have been seeing more bikers out on the roads lately, I usually pass a couple every day. It's nice to know others are out there riding to work as well.

I hope you get to feeling better real soon...I know, it's no fun being sick. :)

Had to be on the keyborad at 5:30 this am, so I left the house at 4:45. The city was like a ghost town... was able to ride no hands down the middle of the 6 lane with not cars to worry about.
Weather.com called for 32 this morning so I dressed in my ski shell, hood, nylon sweats, and windproof fleece gloves. Turns out the temp was 44 and I stuffed all that crap into the pack just before the last 2mile climb. Stupid weather.com....DOH!

The ride is so much better that early....1 hour later and the streets are a zoo. The best part is that I'll get out of here at 2:30. That should be a better ride than the 5:00 crowd.

Y'know how some mornings it just feels grrrrreat to ride in? This was one of those mornings for me.

The lighting was odd, almost like a rainbow was somewhere.