Rode in with huge snow flakes that fell like big white feathers from the sky. The ground and pavement was wet with deep puddles, went through one and hit a nice deep pothole that gave me a good shake but no bike damage. Plenty of wind on the ride home. Winter hasn't quite let go yet in New England.

Ride in was a nice steady rain. Had 2 city buses pull out of the transportation yard and straddle the lane divider instead of just getting in the left lane to pass me. They gave me plenty of room, but it just struck me as stupid. I passed them 2 lights later and waved. They had to make a left turn, so why wouldn't they get in the left straight ahead lane two lights back? Idiots. Had a strong (15MPH) headwind coming home. Had a kid try to race me on his bmx, bbye kid. Tomorrow's supposed to be dry both ways. We shall see.:)

My ride home last night was the slowest ever, but fun anyway. 20+ mph winds from the south blew directly in my face for the first 4 miles and the last 3 miles, and kicked me from the side the rest of the way. At one point, cruising along at 28 MPH down a hill, found myself turning into a gust, bike leaning like I was going through a corner, just to keep from slamming the curb. Slowed down after that. Wind is worse today, which would be pretty fun on the way in, but no commute this morning as the wife and I have early dinner commitments this evening and workload won't allow me to bail early today. Better to drive than make us late... Good day, all!

Well, I waited a week until it stopped raining, snowing and just generally being Cold. This morning it was around 0C, with an expected high of 11C in the afternoon. It was tough this morning, as I'm still out of shape. I arrived slightly light-headed with all the blood pressure pounding in my ears.

Hopefully more days of good weather will speed my recovery from Winter Atrophy.

30F and overcast. A woman was walking a big boxer-type dog that, from its body language, thought I was the most incredible and amazing thing it had ever seen. :)

Also along my route is a bicycle tire and tube, both cut through, for some reason, lying on the ground. Strange.

That's all that remains of the last incredible and amazing thing the dog saw.:D

This morning was my first bike commute of the season. 36 degrees, 10-12 mph winds. I had picked up some cold weather gear over the winter and been out a couple of times with it (arm/leg warmers, long sleeved jersey, full length jacket) in 40 degree weather with stronger winds, so I figured I should be ok. And for the most part, I was. The only time I really felt cold was when I was going downhill and gained a lot of speed. And even then, it was only my fingers and toes.

My co-workers haven't seen me biking in since the fall, and some of them have never seen me in my spandex, so the look on their faces this morning was just priceless.

I'm still trying to warm up my toes though.

Theakston, thank you. That's the best laugh I've had in a while.

Ride today was good, despite the fact that I can't turn my head to the right (strained a muscle or something in my upper back/neck last night). My incredulous wife (she should know better by now) said, "You can't turn your head to the right and you're gonna bike anyway?"

"Honey, cyclists have to look to the left." :D

I'm such a smart a$$. It's a wonder she puts up with me.

:D :beer:

hey don,
about the same conditions here in boston this morning. around 35 at 6.30 am but sunny. i always get cold toes so today i put my feet in plastic bags over my socks and dude! it was a freakin' revelation! no more cold feet over an 11 mile ride. try it.:) :beer:

My averages for commuting on a fixie are down from my mtb! About 2-3 mph slower and 1-2 mins. longer to get to work, but oddly, I still get to work at the same time or a little earlier. I think it's the "never stop moving" I do on the fixie vs. "come to a complete stop" on the mtb. Oh well, I'll just have to get faster on the fixie!

No commute today. Called in sick being that it is my birthday. Going to finish tiling my bathroom and hunt down several cds with the money my grandma gave me.

The commute home yesterday was shortened by 15 miles. I met my wife at REI to pick up my fenders. They are a tad difficult to carry while cycling :p
Also, spent my dividend and the gift cert my mother gave me. New cycling shorts and a jersey. Time to shop elsewhere since REI's selection is decreasing. Maybe velowear next.
Crud, went on a tangent again. Bad DJ!

Did 28 miles yesterday, 20 in and 8 to the wifes work from mine. The ride in was great, but I got passed by a guy on a mountain bike. It was during the flat "pace yourself before the hills" section of my ride. I thought about running him down, but decided to let him have his glory. It was short lived as he turned off about a mile later.

The ride home was pretty wild, I ride west, and then north to my wifes work, I had a fullblown headwind for the west section, (wind was blowing towards the east and north...weather site says 26 mph with gusts as high as 38) but then I got a massive tail wind for the north section. It ended up taking me exactly the same amount of time it does when there is little or no wind.

Did 8 miles in this morning, feeling a little tired from yesterday, freakin wind wears me out. That and my wife woke up with a bad dream and I had trouble falling back asleep...

Home sick today. Me no ride. :(

jyossarian,
what size tires ya rockin'? get some 23's if ya don't have 'em already and roll easier. i can't imagine bein' slower than a mtb on the road!:eek: skinny tires dude!! roll on!!:)

I've been rained on every day for a week. I don't know how our PNW brethren deal with it.

LOL. I'm running 28's, but I think it has more to do w/ never stopping on the fixie, even at stoplights where I just roll around slowly so the computer keeps count of all of that. On my mtb, the computer stops recording when the bike stops moving so it'll record a shorter ride time and higher avg. speed. Total trip length according to my watch is about the same or a minute faster on the fixie.

slightly chilly this morning and in the 50's. today was my first commute of the week for various reasons and I was a little tired and somewhat slow but still made decent time in. a driver tried to change lanes and beat me to a light like 8 feet away but ended up having to get back behind me. due to a headwind on the way in I took the trail route. pretty relaxing ride in.

it warmed up to the high 60's in the afternoon so I was able to leave the wind jacket in my locker. got out early and did a short recreational ride before starting out home. the wind changed directions so I got the headwind on the way back too. it slowed me up a lot but I got a decent workout out of it at least. an SUV driver let me into the lane when I signalled instead of gunning it past me, she got a thank you wave for that one. slow but good ride back.

The warm weather has made the cagers crazy too. I got cut off by one who couldn't be bothered to be stuck in traffic so from a standstill, he jumped in the bus lane as I sped up the lane causing me to swerve to avoid him. After I got home, I spent over an hour re-parking my car for tomorrow, then hit Central Park where I made the connection of bridle paths and cross bikes. Put the two together and you have instant fun! And not a whole lot of manure either!

no commutes today (vac x) so upped miles to 17dst. 2 rants:
1) 18 wheeler (usually predictable drivers) passed me on a no pass zone and cut back in early due to "another driver cut me off". i confronted him at the stop, he stated to be "sorry" for the cut-off.
2) on the way back from local market to get milk/eggs/cheese (and 4lb oranges) i almost got side-hit by a driver (on the cell phone) who stated he "did not see me because of the sun glare" (B/S) at another stop lite!
both were about 1 mile from my house. the rest of the riding today was nice!

Ride both ways was great. Nice to be riding home before the sun sets now. Wife picked me up a pamphlet (DMV 909) at the DMV that states that:" When moving slower than the normal traffic speed, Stay near the right edge of the road, except:
a.When passing another bicycle or vehicle.
b. When getting ready to turn left.
c. When passing a parked car or to avoid other objects.
d. When on a one way road, two lanes or wider. Then bicyclists may ride either near the left or right side."

They want me to ride on the edge of the road? Can anyone tell me if this is the law in California, instead of the sensible "as far right as practible"? If this is the law, I'm going to keep breaking it. Riding on the right "edge" of the road would get me killed quick.

best in a while - the train ride portion of my commute was cut short by some poor guy jumping in front of a train further up the track. Soo....instead of waiting for the track to clear, me and about 15 other guys jumped off the bike-car and made a hodgepodge commuter paceline on the road parallel to the tracks. As we passed major intersections, a few people would turn off and wave goodbye. I was like an hour late to work, long before my workmates who who ride the train, but don't ride bikes (and thus had to wait for the tracks to clear). Additionally, I showed up to work having had an hour-long ride on the first sunny day in weeks!

glad someone thought that was worthy of a double-take. it's a tradition: buy new bike, fall off new bike. reason i ran into it? a sort of huhthatlookslikeagiraffe'skneecapbutsurelynotincanadawaitisthattendonsiseeyeahithinksoaaaarrrgghh!!! kind of trance. mornings ain't my best time of day.

so how bad is it to keep riding on a slightly warped wheel?

wednesday i couldn't ride because we got the expected 16 hours notice of first baseball practice way the hell out in god's armpit. kid took everything-a-ballplayer-needs (i hope) plus a map to school in his backpack, and i drove the car and went by after work to pick him up with gatorade. but today i rode; nothing was gonna stop me. rode to work, worked, rode home, fed cat, got in car, went and got kid. 16 is too old for moms to lurk around practices anyway.

oooooo, the new bike is nice! actually, it's hard to tell how much of it is the bike. nah, it's not hard. it's the bike. i'm really even more out of shape than i was at the end of the last contract, but still getting there was 5 minutes faster than my respectable morning times and 10+ faster than the best i ever remember on the way home. i can get this one up the horrible hill without even touching the smallest cog. suddenly the word 'spin' makes official sense.

new job has a bike cage with racks in the parking lot, and showers with lockers for-cyclists-only. so now i can go around saying i'm a frood who knows where his towel is, and be telling the truth. there was no aggravation at all about getting set up, except for the disconcertment from the team lead i asked about it. i must be hardcore :D i got the name of the guy who handles it and sent an email, and he came round with keys and blarney and navigational ideas within half an hour. AND trucking down the long hallway towards the coffee machine i stopped to admire someone's norco-bike poster on a cubicle wall (it's a reflex now: see bike, stop and drool) and discovered another bike-to-work freak who is also another GIRL. yowsers.

rode home today in the rush hour. that was sure fun. yesterday in my car i timed the same trip, or sections of it at least. in the car: 4 minutes minimum to get around the cloverleaf and onto the bridge. on the bike . . . well, it doesn't compare. and it's FUN to slide by those cars.

tomorrow i have to go downtown by 8:30 to talk to lawyers. i promise nothing, but i'm thinking that maybe i'll ride into town, then put the bike on the bus that goes to the bridge and carry on from that point. hmmm.

ps songs: sabu visits the twin cities alone, john prine; the homeless do not seem to drink in here, michael marra

good steady ride in with a touch of wind in my face but not as bad as earlier in the week.

Rode home late at night. The Charles River black as ink. The air still and quiet. Lots of rats running across the bikeway. Further west the rats turn into large gray rabbits and nesting pairs of Canadian geese- much more tolerable companions on a midnight ride home. I felt like Paul Revere.

It was a challenging week. I was glad for the bike rides to give it some perspective.

I've been off the bike this entire week and am feeling pretty guilty about it. First, I called in "slick" on Monday (needed a mental health day) then, I decided that a few days off the bike would be good for all my little aches and pains, and thirdly, I'm in the middle of moving parts from one frame to another and don't want to: a) rush things, or b) ride my roadie or mountain bikes to work. I'm downsizing from a 60 cm Cross Check to a 58 cm. I was just a little too stretched out and decided to get a new, pearl green Cross Check which arrived sans fork (hopefully it'll be here today or tomorrow). So I've divided my commute between Metro and driving (only one day). Anyway, I think the break has been good although I'm really looking forward to my return to the bike next week.

Anyone interested in buying a used (in good shape) blood red Surly Cross Check in a 60 cm size (fork too)?