* jack *

check your PM's capejohn. DCC is my LBS and I have the 411 on the RTP.

Hickabod

Oh what a wonderful commute today. It being Mother's Day, I opted to cook my Mom a steak instead of getting her a boring card or another knick-knack to collect dust. Not to mention, she loves a steak. My brother and his family came over as well. To be honest my brother did more of the grilling but he seemed to be enjoying himself. It was also his daughter's 15th birthday, so I imagine he might need a treat himself.

So back to the commute. I needed something to store the groceries for the ride and luckily I found a shopping basket (I promise I didn't steal it. It was something the ex-wife brought into the house/relationship... )and strapped it to the rack. I rode past the market I frequent to go to one with a better selection of steaks. It was only a couple of extra miles but the weather was so nice that I would have ridden a few more miles if better steaks were available.

With my basket full of goodies, I scoot on over to Mom's and begin preparing the food. We had a great time and I had nice long conversation with my nephew, which is a rare treat because he's a quiet one.

The ride home was slow from my fuel tank being full to capacity. With the basket still tied to the rack, I filled it up with some neglected computer parts and hauled them to a friend. Now I'm going to drink a beer with him and quit being so rude, hogging his computer and all.

jeff-o

Awesome ride! Just warm enough for shorts and a T-shirt, but not hot enough to sweat. Riding on newly inflated tires (they were at 60 psi before!! ughughugh) made all the difference. Also, these new Specialized Body Geometry gloves are pretty nice, they seem to actually work. I climed that second, largest hill at a relatively (for me) fast 14 km/h.

I'd been off my bike since wednesday when I took a bit of a tumble and scraped up my elbow, but I've got a gruesome scab to show off at work now.

balto charlie

Great ride, great weather, high 40'sF going to 70'sF for the PM ride. Pollen count is high and coating my car. Car died on the way to mom's yesterday, wish I had ridden my bike.

Grasschopper

Just a perfect morning. 50* bright sunshine and dry...not too many cars either. Seem to be fighting a war with the local school buses though...I haven't been hit yet...does that mean I am winning?

vtjim

47F this morning. I decided to wear shorts for the first time this year. It was cloudy but no rain. Little bugs are out flying around in swarms, making me glad I got clear-lensed riding glasses.

DerekU2

pretty cool out, and it was drizzly/misty off and on through my 12 mile commute. Got to try out some of the new gear I bought at the big REI sale this weekend - rack, bike shorts. The Bike shorts made the commute much more comfortable. I still have no Trunk or Panniers for the rack, so I just bungie'd my backpack to the rack. Unfortunately it was a bit shifty and even fell off once.

The uphill nature of my commute is becomming less of an issue, so I must be getting stronger. Can't wait to ride home!

bcritch

Today was my eighth commute and it was a warm morning and good ride. I think I need to lube my chain when I get home as it was not shifting all that smooth. Last Friday I got my first flat about a mile from home, so just pushed it. Had a nice piece of green glass - Heineken, I imagine? At least now I can say I have changed a flat.

pharmboyrx

First commute today. Its wasn't a real commute since I was only going to school to drop some stuff off at the office, but I wanted to see how long it took. So a solid 12 miles later I feel refreshed and ready for a nice evening.

I've been reading in this forum how to ride in traffic and I think I got the basics. I had to take the left turn lane sometimes, but no cars gave me trouble. I did almost get hit by someone leaving the parking lot to the local quikstop (I was in the right lane bike path) but I slammed on the brakes and stared him down and he let me go.

All in all I'd say I enjoyed it and I can't wait to commute to school every day this semester.

On another note, I see bike shorts in my near future.

caloso

Really nice ride in this morning. Unfortunately, we seem to be having a severe weather warning. I think I may have to wait a bit before heading home.

spidercyclist

Good ride to work and home . The only bad thing is the warm weather bring out all the nuts . Have a good nite .

dfw

The weather was excellent today in Big D metroplex. Perfect in the morning and a bit warm coming home, but nothing to complain about. There was a wreck on the main road I use for my commute and the traffic was insane. I buzzed along on the shoulder at full speed past everyone. I was so happy not to be in a cage. It was a real rush passing hoards of cars doing 35mph downhill. I averaged 14.7 mph on the way to work which is typical for me both ways because I get slowed down navigating the route through the airport. I was so pumped on the way home I brought the daily average up to 16.2 mph. All I kept thinking about was how it must have felt for the cagers to see a guy on a bike pass them at a high rate of speed and keep going until he was out of sight. Today was payback for all the big metal beasts and boy did it feel good.

ridealot

Good ride in this morning. Tempature right around 60F. The high today is supposed to get up to 83F with a chance of scattered thunderstorms. The rest of the week is supposed to be like today weather wise.

vtjim

I totally geeked out this morning and rode to work with a GPS antenna attached to my helmet and the GPS unit in my jacket pocket. Now I need to load it into the computer and make a map.

Nice sunny ride. Near 50F. I chased down another rider and discovered it was my next-door neighbor. He rides every once in a while. We chatted, climbed a bit of a hill, then diverged to our respective places of employment.

tulip

Nice ride this morning. I discovered as I was pedaling up the hill at the beginning of my ride that I was on the verge of speedy and I didn't even realize it. My legs were fine and I wasn't breathing as hard as I normally do. So I pasted a big stupid smile on my face.

Lots of commuters on bikes today.

balto charlie

shorts and a T shirt today. Ahhh spring.....
Velo: nice to see you pop in, been commuting much??

jeff-o

Another great commute. Cool to start, but of course you warm up once you've been riding a while. I just hope it doesn't rain too much this afternoon, like they're predicting.

I got passed by a dump truck with what seemed like 2' of clearance that was fun. I didn't even get to catch any draft, oh well.

I'm finding that my legs are getting tired before my lungs, which I suppose is good because I can always build muscle in my legs pretty easily.

genel

56 this morning, and only a little headwind. Traffic was heavier then normal and I was really glad to be on the bike. Last fall I added some driveway marker reflectors as out riggers on the back of the rack. THey stick out a few inches. They fell off last friday and today was the first day without them. Seems to me the traffic, especially the trucks, was that much closer. Just a subjective impression, but I wonder if drivers meassure distance from the nearest reflector rather then from my shoulder?

Expecting 20mph headwind this afternoon. Gotta love the midwest.

cicadashell

a spot of rain overnight, but nothing on the ride in. things are really warming up, and it's great to shed some of those clothes. yipee!

billh

Riding through the park this am, saw a roadkilled turtle, freshly killed in the middle of the road, blood, guts still glistening. It was a large creature and the tire had hit it smack dab in the middle so that the large shell was nearly bisected. It reminded me that life is so fragile. "That could be me" with a little bad luck. Roadkill always sobers me up to . . . reality. mortality. death.

Anyway, . . . have a good day!

caloso

Finally got the commute bike built. Back in February, I splurged and upgraded the "A" bike to Dura Ace and I had a box of Ultegra that I meant to put on the commuter. Of course, I tore it down immediately and then the frame sort of sat on the workbench for a couple of months. Then I sent away for some new wheels (Open Pros with Ultegra hubs. Thank you Nashbar!), and screwed up by not realizing that if you order brake cables you also have to order shift cables and that the housing comes separately. And that you can't cut that housing with an ordinary wire cutter.

But it's been a fun project and it's kept me out of the bars and pool halls in the evenings.

Last night I finally put the chain on. I couldn't get the front derailleur to adjust correctly, but screw it, Sacramento's flat and all I need is the middle ring. So I slapped some temporary athletic tape on bars and rode to work this morning.

What a great ride! I don't know if it's the upgraded components or the knowledge that I put them together, but it's never been smoother and quieter. Can't wait to get to ride home tonight.

Hickabod

It was another great commute this morning. I had enough time to go by the store for some grape juice but they were sold out. So on the way to work, I cruised through our plant/facilities, back out another big door and rode up to the other plant next door where they have a better selection of juices. There were many confusing looks in my direction as rode through the plant. I suppose I shouldn't be doing it but I keep my speed at a walking pace while I'm inside.

When I came out of the other plant with my juice, there were a couple of guys standing around my bike. They said they knew it had to belong to someone with extremely long legs since the seat came up to one of the guy's chest. When they saw me coming out with my helmet in hand, they started laughing and one said "Of course, it would be Randall's" (I'm one of the taller folks around here at 6'8"). I've been a "weird" one here before I started riding my bike to work so it's just another feather in my looney cap to them.

billwatson58

Can't wait to ride the 13.3 miles in to work....74 degrees with a bit of a tailwind....hopefully it won't be storming on the way home tonight

OKBiker

Another beautiful day on the bike. Temp was 58 with cloud cover. No rain today, supposed to get up to 90 by mid-day. Probably will only get to mid 80s. Perfect weather. Traffic was low this am. The usual dogs where waiting for me again. This time I was doing 26mph when I hit the "Dog Zone". The three legged one was in the lead, the mean one didn't even make it to the street by the time I had passed through there. Other than that, it was just a bunch of flat snakes and the usual roadkill.

Nothing like commuting, so peacefull and refreshing.

See you on the road!

OKBiker

mtessmer

I had to stop three different times today for three different repairs on my way in this morning... man. Other then that it was a good ride in.