Chris L

I have reason to believe this is post #1,000 in this thread.

Ra!

MediaCreations 

Typical grandstanding from you Chris.

How dare you make a post simply to be the 1000th on the thread.

(If only I'd been just a bit quicker it would have been me. Oh well, I'll have to wait until 2000 rolls around.)

Congratulations on beating me in the final metres of the sprint to be 1000.

Hants Commuter

It was great this morning. Blue skies and the temprature was just warm enough for me to wear the shorts.

Now I remember why I like to cycle to work

MediaCreations 

My ride to work was pretty good ...... but the ride home was amazing. Wonderful conditions with a warm breeze blowing me home.

Ed Holland

Lovely morning for riding to work. I was feeling a little sluggish this morning, but still enjoyed the sunshine.

Cheers,

Ed

tchazzard

Grey skies this morning and up to 1" on fresh snow forecasted by the time my commute rolls around. If only I had know this and not ridden the bike with the slicks on it. Ah well...should be exciting.

Paul L.

I had a rather interesting commute. I pumped up my tires Saturday with a pump that had a gauge on it. As a result I had a much faster ride this morning. Had 2 conversations with people at stop lights. First asked me about my ride and then asked me who pays? I didn't have time to respond to that one, I guess he was insinuating somehow that he paid for my ride, Interesting opinion that. If anything I pay so he can drive (eliminating my truck from the morning stinking vehicle pool). Another lady (who thought I should be scared of SUV's (I beleive she was driving a blazer)) asked if I knew about the Alameda bike route. Now I don't consider myself to be any kind of "Radical" bike activist, but that route with it's stop signs and mistimed stoplights adds 1 half hour each way to my commute. Broadway is a shoulderless busy, nasty avenue for the last 5 miles of my commute, but it is 5 miles I have to do to keep my 18 mile commute reasonable. I told her about proper bicycle safety and how I haven't had any problems but she just shook her head. I have been hitting this road fairly close to rush hour lately since the sun is rising later. Am I pushing it, or am I just getting all flustered over stupid drivers? I see lots of bikers on this stretch of road (get passed by one rocket man going 24 - 25 mph every morning now). There is another viable route that is 3 miles longer but that extra 6 miles a day just puts me over the threshold. What do you think?

Sailguy

Nice intro into the work week. Easy paced ride, good time, nice weather. Rain is forecasted for later in the week. I guess its time to go buy some shoe covers.

Caltrans finally fixed the broken pipe under the road on highway 9. No wet slimy road!

Chris L

I think taking advice on where to ride a commute from people who don't actually ride is like taking a sex-education class taught by a nun (or Brian Harradine). This is essentially the same problem posed by many so-called "bike routes". The designers don't bother to think about the possibility that someone might actually use a bicycle to go somewhere, rather than just throwing it in the back of a car and riding around and around the same 100 metre circle.

Personally, as a commuter, I would be riding the route that gets me to work on time. If I can find a scenic route with less traffic that does that, fine. However, if the so-called "bicycle route" adds an extra half-hour each way to my commute, there is bugger-all hope of me ever using it - irrespective of what some driver who wants "all those bloody bikes off the road and out of my way" thinks.

Chris L

Incidentally, I left my water bottle at work last night. Luckily I had a cooling headwind so the consequences weren't as bad as they might have been. They are saying today will only be 26 degrees C. I'm not convinced (it's 25 now, and it's 5.14am).

tchazzard

I take a route with is 3/4 mile longer than the shortest route. I would not want 3 miles extra, but 3/4 is worth it to avoid two dangerous intersections and a more heavily traveled road which has much higher speed limits and many more side road entrances.

MediaCreations 

There's a cycle way being constructed along the route that I ride to work. It will be an excellent alternative to the road I take.

A few weeks ago I was cycling along when some yobbos yelled out of their car to me to get on the bike path. At that stage the path only ran for a hundred metres or so. They obviously had no idea of their surroundings. If I caught them at the lights I would have let them know that I fully intend to "get on the bike bike path" in 3 or 4 months when there is one.

nebill

Been a while since I posted....mainly 'cause it's been a while since I've been able to ride!
Between rain, snow/ice and a short vacation, I have not been in the saddle for 3 weeks. But, as of today, I am BACK!!!!
Even tho the weather-guesser was wrong and it rained this afteroon, it was great! The old thighs and calves are burnin' tonight, but it is absolutly wonderful!
Now, can't wait for work tomorrow!!!

IowaParamedic

I had my first great experience in the dark and cold. I have finally gotten my winter gear in order. T-shirt, dry weave shirt, 2 sweatshirts, a jacket with a tall collar, and a windbreaker with a hood.

My feet did get cold, and I will have to deal with that problem. I think some booties will be bought this week.

The ride itself was fun. I pretty much stick to the lighted route and multiuse paths. I would rather be on the streets, but the paths are pretty desolate this time of year.

There were a couple of other riders out. That was kinda neat seeing some others out there.

Sailguy

One of those aweful days. I'm learning how to do this, slowly but surely. The sun was going down, it was about as late in the twilight hous as you can get. I ran over a piece of metal on the way home tonight, which blew out my rear tire. A flat, no biggie I thought. I pull out the latex gloves I now bring for the rear flat repair, since messing with the chain is not fun.

I take my tire off, check the tube, and sure enough, a snakebite. Still not a big deal, this has happened a million times before. I reach for my spare tube, and remember, that I left the new spare tube i got on the shelf in the garage. So I then proceeded to patch the tube I do have. Unfortunately the spacing of the holes is not optimal, and one of them is right up against the seam.

Needless to say, after several attempts the patch doesn't take. So I make the phone call home. Ironically, I took the bike rack off the car on friday to try to save some gas for our weekend drive up to Tahoe.

When my wife found me, we stuffed the bike into the car and headed home. I dropped her off and headed to the bike shop to get a replacement tube to make sure I didn't have to deal with this again.

When I test inflated the new tube, it had a hole. Of course the bike shop is now closed. So I will be making a run there tomorrow for an exchange.

The bike is now all ready for tomorrow's commute, I hope the last day of sun before the rain starts is perfect.

Hants Commuter

I consider myself quite lucky in that my commute is in a semi-rural area with no major roads, lower speed limits and a good deal of streetlighting.

I'm also quite an earlybird aiming to be on the road for 6:30 so I miss the worst of the rush hour traffic. Coming home is fun, all the cars are stuck in queues at road junctions so I just scoot down the side to the front of the queue

Chris L

Massive head-wind this morning. One of the strongest I've ever seen. I was even almost blown clean off the bike at one stage! Still good fun though. It dropped off completely at some point during the afternoon. The problem on my ride home was that I had all that chicken during a Melbourne Cup lunch today (incidentally, I cleaned up in the sweepstakes and now I'm $47 richer). The chicken was a big mistake. I really paid for that on the way home.

tnorman

*grumble* Drove the car in this morning. I was all dressed up in my bike outfit and walked outside to find the road was covered in a generous layer of rain. It was 31F and dropping, so I decided not to risk the inevitable patches of black ice and got in the car instead.

It's going to be a long winter...

Tim

chewa

Got up a wee bit later this morning, so no real need for lights, but it was cold so I was well wrapped up.

I have enjoyed my last couple of commutes home, as it has been dark but dry. I love cycling in near silence, my own small world being defined by the reach of my lights, and as I glance down I can see a red flash from one of my two rear lights.

Rattling through the fallen leaves is the only dodgy bit as they are a bit slippy, but if this weather holds, this week will be OK.

Ed Holland

Another damp morning, grey and misty too so I chose to put my lights on for a bit of extra presence on the road. Traffic through the town part of my ride was bad, so I took a very rare detour along some back streets for a change.
With all the autumn leaves and damp muck on the road, the bike has aquired its own "camouflage" and probably a few g extra in weight too!

Cheers,

Ed

tchazzard

I woke this morning to find that we did not get snow as planned and the stars were bright. I headed out just as the sun was rising. It was a balmy 30F with calm air. I reminded me of a late spring day, birds chirping, little patches of black ice, the smell of mud.

Now, from time to time people ask about tire selection. I have two Trek 6500 mountain bikes. I have been riding the one with Michelin Wild Gripper tires for the past few weeks. I needed to do some work on this bike, so switched to the bike with IRC Metros. The Metros are a lighter tire, allow 20 lbs more pressure and have a less aggressive tread. They are more prone to puncture, but may do these tires roll much easier than the Michelins. I shaved 5 minutes off my 8 mile commute under similar weather conditions. I guess I will use the Metros on dry days and the Michelins on nasty days or garbage collection days, when there is always a lot of debris in the bike lane.

Paul L.

Nobody Talked to me this morning, of course I was running late from a flat too, but it was a nice commute this morning. The place I vote at even let me take my bike inside (old folks home) which was nice. Got to try out my new knee warmers. Must say they are a big improvement. Now to see about a pair of arm warmers. Wish I had a country road to commute down. My commute is pretty ugly most of the way. 18 miles of urban sprawl and 1 bombed out downtown area (gets a little dicy when I have to commute at nighttime). Overall a nice crisp commute, just a good morning to be on the bike.

Sailguy

Seemed very cold leaving the house, almost enough to make me put on my windbreaker. Got to the voting booth, about 1/2 mile away, and voted in my bright yellow commuting garb and helmet.
When I got back on the bike the temperature went up by a few degrees or so.

Went and grabbed some coffee and a pastry on the way in. Things were good today, much better than last night. I hope tonight is as good as this morning.

mrfix

The ride this morning was a typical winter like ride to work, temp. was 27 degrees, yesterdays rain left the roads covered with black ice, the benefit was the puddles were hard and the tires stayed dry. The ride was pretty uneventful, the air quite still and the traffic on the heavy side. I did notice the cars sliding around at the intersections but I didn't have any problems. The sun is shining bright this afternoon, the ride home should be pleasant.

Ouch !

Slept late this morning but just managed to get into work on time it was wet windy and dark but still wonderful.
The commute home was wet but still satisfying.