hosehead

Today it snowed, but I rode anyway. It's not supposed to snow in May! Who's responsible for this? I want answers!

AndrewP

On Wednesday I had to be at work early so I left home 5:15. Great ride - no traffic, sun just coming up, following wind. I thought I would have a nice ride home in the afternoon before the rush hour, but I had to wait for a software delivery. I didnt leave till 6:30. The wind had increased, so instead of climbing over the Jacques Cartier bridge into a head wind, I took the gound level route, crossing the seaway at the St Lambert lock. My luck - the Federal Hunter (registered in Hong Kong) was going through, I had to wait 35 mins. I didnt get home till 8:45.

LittleBigMan

Hosehead, you are!

My parents live in Estes Park, Colorado, where it has snowed (snown?) in the summer at times. By afternoon, all the snow had melted and about 70 deg.



Anyway, my commute this morning was great! The weather was perfectly "cool," winds fairly calm. Seems like I hit almost every green light! The two red lights I remember gave me a chance to drink some OJ and fiddle with my gear.

blwyn

Beautiful ride in this morning with a nice tailwind. Special treat on the way home. Due to heavy Memorial Weekend traffic I passed a teen in his hot car (his chick setting next to him, the stereo blasting) four different times over a 2 mile stretch. Long lines at each of the lights so I'd go by him while he waited. I waved the last 2 times. When he could finally pass me for good on a clear stretch he gunned it. Its hard to be cool when your being passed by a bicycle every few blocks!

mrfix

Mornin All
It's a shorts and jersey day in new england, I hated to stop when I got to work ths morning, the temperature is just about perfect, the sky was clear and the geese that usually block route 20 were in the water. I can't wait for the ride home, I just may get lost for a couple of hours.

mrfix

mornin
Aaaaahhhhh the value of fenders, The roads were wet from the night rain, there was a lot of sand on the roads that gets picked up by the wet tires. The fenders kept it all where it belongs. All in all it was a very pleasant ride in, the air was warm with high humidity, I kept my speed to about 16 mph and enjoyed the ride. I may get wet this afternoon on the way home.

Jean Beetham Smith 

This morning was great, overcast but bright, perfect temperature and I finally had time to stop & take a picture of the pink ladyslipper orchids blooming along the road. Shortly after that I encountered a snapping turtle crossing the road to lay her eggs, so I got her picture too. Even had a chance to talk to one of the Audubon researchers. Great ride. This evening was a "get lost" night, turned the 8.5 miles into 18. Also a good ride.

Inkwolf

What a sense of security bike commuting can give!

The brake shoes wore out on my car (metal on metal! Aak!) and I had to take it in to be fixed. In my pre-bike days, this would have involved a lot of trying to figure out a convenient time to drop it off, or trying to figure out how to kill a day while the mechanic worked, or imposing on family and neighbors for rides. Instead, I just tossed the bike in the back, dropped the car off at the mechanic's, pedalled the three blocks to work, and pedalled home. Rode the bike in to work the next day, picking up my car on the way.

Not that I've cared much for the riding conditions lately--warm, humid and vast amounts of insects. Still, could be worse.

Richard D

Best ride in this week so far. Took the back roads and up a hill that runs along woods that once formed part of a large estate, the woods are fringed with lavender coloured Rhododendrons (sp?) that are currently in full bloom. Nice warm and sunny, but with a slight cooling wind that was only a headwind for about a third of the trip. Made the trip in a record 1hr 5mins despite a few traffic problems coming into Canterbury.

Richard

mrfix

Great ride in this morning, heavy thick clouds and quite humid, no rain though. I thnik mom nature is saving that for the ride home. A small deer ran across the street in front of me as turned onto the highway, I startled her and she startled me. Got sprinkled 4 times this morning, I often wonder if the people that have lawn sprinklers really know where they actually spray water, most do a great job of watering the street. I go by these places day after day all summer long and they never change. I have to believe that the sprinkling goes on in the early morning and the owners never know.

Rich Clark

Last night I had a stupid fall, got my tire caught in some trolley tracks on the detour I have to take because they *still* haven't resurfaced the torn-up stretch of my primary route!

Just some bruises and abrasions on my left elbow and a sore left hip, and the incredible embarrassment of tripping over my own feet, so to speak, in the middle of a crowded urban street.

So this morning's ride was especially welcome, a chance to work out the kinks and the stiffness. The thick morning fog burned off as I rode, and it got sunny for a while until the humidity closed back in and the skies went gray again.

And I saw a road crew starting work on the resurfacing job. There is hope.

I feel much better now.

RichC

mrfix

Sorry to hear about your mishap Rich.

LittleBigMan

It could be a whole lot worse!

Inky, I love it.

LittleBigMan

There's nothing wrong with you, Rich!

mrfix

Mornin fellow crankers
Well, I had a great, dry ride home last night, a little humid but nice. The ride in this morning was about as pleasant as it gets, I took the back country roads, about 15.67 miles in all, 60% of which are steep, long winded hills, my bike weight when I left the house totaled 54.5 pounds with my gear, ride time was 54.5 minutes with an average speed of 17.1 mph. The sky was overcast with thick clouds, the air was still and there was very little traffic, looks like I may get wet on the way home. Oh well, the bridgestone and I could use a good cleaning.

Rich Clark

Ha! You're right, I didn't realize how crazy that would sound to a non-cyclist until you pointed it out.

The cure for a bad ride is a good ride. Looked at another way, if having a bad ride means you have to go ride again, how could it have been a bad ride? Any ride that generates another ride is a good ride. So there are no bad rides.

My head hurts. Time to ride.

RichC

Jean Beetham Smith 

Yesterday was one of my rare week-end rides. It was really incredible to see so many cyclists. Most days commuting I see 2, once I saw 6; yesterday I lost count after 32. Admittedly, this was a longer ride than my usual commute, but about the same as my weekly total milage, so I saw at least 3 times as many cyclists as normal. I was on a 3 hours to turnaround ride on my newest bike, and the first ride that I felt I actually would need my Christmas gift hydration pak. I rode from Norwood thru Concord to Carlisle, returning by way of Walden Pond and the DeCordova Museum. Most of the way I was on totally unfamiliar roads chosen from a Rubel bike map. It was a great ride. I saw an Eastern Bluebird along the Sudbury river, a car that had been converted into a fish sculpture parked in amongst all of the cars around a canoe put-in, got chased by some goose parents worried about their not so small goslings, and ate my lunch watching Phoebe's feeding their recent fledges. I did the 70 mile round trip in 5 hrs 25 minutes. I had to take a couple of breaks to eat on the return, and noticed that I was drinking a lot more on the return than outbound, and I struggled a lot more than I should have with some of the hills on the return, but it was an awesome, satisfying ride. A change of pace is good!

mrfix

Mornin
I think winter is back in new england, I left the house this morning with a wind jacket and gloves, 48 degrees in June. I think I need to move. The morning was clear and the sun was beautiful as it came up in front of me. there was a light head wind and the usual wild life was moving about. I'm looking forward to the ride home.

mrfix

Cold this morning, feels like december, had to break out the tights and cold weather gloves and skull cap. Summer is really holding off this year. The sky was clear and the air still, not much traffic, the ride in was at a slow easy pace. I averaged 16.1 mph and took 1 hour and 21 minutes to get here. Although cold the ride was very relaxing, a bit warmer woud be nice. I picked up a set of egg beater pedals last night, I thought I'd give em a try, They are an interesting design and I like the 4 sided entry. I'll post my impression of them after riding them a bit.

Inkwolf

Today when I started out, there was plenty of wet in the air, but not quite rain. No wind--the ride in was uneventful.

By the time I went home, it was raining--my first commute in the rain! I was very glad for the nylon rain jacket I keep in my pannier, and the spare headlight batteries!

All in all, it was an enjoyable ride, though there seemed to be a lot more cars on the highway than normal. Once I got off the highway, I was alone. Suddenly I heard a rustling in the grass on the side of the road. I thought, "That must be an animal, wonder if I'll see it" just as a rabbit (maybe) ran out right under me! It was caught for a moment between my front wheel and my pedalling foot--then it skittered away. I don't think I actually ran over it and I hope it wasn't hurt. It was getting dark (and my glasses were wet) and by the time I looked back, it was gone. I'm pretty sure it was a rabbit, though. Felt like a plump lil rascal, too.

IowaParamedic

Today was exciting.

I left the house at the usual time, hearing thunder in the background. When I arrived at the trail, the lightening was beginning and it looked like a storm coming in. But I could see around the storm and it looked clear to the south, where I was traveling.

I decided that today was not the day for commute, so I headed home. I looked at the radar, and it appear the storm was moving around my county. I noticed there was no more lightening and it looked to be clearing.

I had plenty of time, so I went for it. I was quite anxious and kept looking at the storm building over my shoulder. I still thought I was ahead of the storm, and wouldn't get wet. Pedal on!

As I reached Iowa City, I could see lightening again. Very beautiful ground strikes, but they were further north than the start of my quest. But once I reach Iowa City, it is just 10 more minutes of riding.

I made it and was dry! Heavy rain started just 20 minutes later.

mrfix

Oh baby
I went outside this morning at 5:00 looked up and saw dark broken clouds, I decided to ride in anyway, I mean how hard can it really rain. I took the usual route and moved along just a tad quiker than my normal pace. As I rode into my place of employment I thought I felt the lawn sprinklers for the property next door start as I went by. Well it sprinkled for about 5 seconds and the sky opened up. It rained a tremendouse amount in a short time, the drops were large and I got soaked in the last half mile I rode to my office. Oh well, she won, (Mother Nature that is), I must say, it felt refreshing, I didn't mind at all, the air temp was a warm 67 degrees and I always pack everything in plastic bags inside my panniers, I've learned that over the years, Thank god for fenders, they protect the drive train and keep the bike clean. Although I like cleaning my bike and polishing the clean lines of the Shimano Dura-Ace crankset, so, I guess there's always a reward for a dirty wet ride. Man I get excited thinkin about it.

PaulH

Last week, my U lock popped off the bungee that holds it to the frame (those holders do not work with aluminium frames), and took out two spokes. My normal bike is now in the shop, and I am riding my"back-up" bike -- an old Specialized Crossroads. Those fenderless wheels are a strange sight, there is no rack, and I have to wear rubber bands around my trousers cuffs. The front derailleur only works on two gears, the seat is held together with duct tape, and the handlebar grips are worn and sticky. Not the most pleasant thing to ride, but less of a hassle than driving in DC traffic. All, in all, I rather enjoyed this warm, sunny morning.

I wrapped my raingear over the handlebars, as I am prepared, but I would rather it not rain during my commute. With luck, the rains will hold off until the return of my regular bike.

Paul

Kevin S

Got a close-up, almost arial, view of a squirrel running flat out as he passed less than 2 feet in front of my front wheel. Hope I don't see that again soon.

Found an empty cubical and a co-operative manager a couple of weeks ago. My cable lock just reaches around the desktop and top tube. Yeah!

Kevin S.

Andy Dreisch

Yesterday: 20 miles to work. 20 miles from work. Had the customary afternoon seabreeze tailwind going home. Clocked speeds at 20-25 MPH most of the way. Lights were the only thing that slows you down!!

This morning managed another 20 miles to work. Busy this p.m. so probably will do it again tomorrow a.m.

Average every other day.

San Jose is a great place to bike-commute.