<-----Envious ;)

Wind. I don't like wind. Swirly, gusty, blustery. I felt like a flag in the middle of a hurricane today. I couldn't even walk right when I finally arrived, about 10 minutes later than usual. Oh well, at least it was a good workout. :)

And it's getting a bit nippy here in PHX. I may have go with the long pants and long-sleeved shirt for tomorrow's commute. Oh well, it's about time and it won't be for too long. In the blink of an eye we'll be riding buck naked in that legendary desert heat.

long day today again. rode in to do a student matinee performance, then rode about 5 miles to teach, then 5 miles back again for a 7:30p performance then rode home at 11:30p. total round trip today was 32 miles. this on top of my present schedule is a challenge.

I'll sleep good tonight. Thought I'd lost my keys on the ride home tonight and fortunately I was wrong.

Holy crap. I'm taking the cage today. I DO NOT like arriving at work soaking wet.

I did the same thing RonH. Bike would have been quicker though. People in the ATL can't drive when its wet.

I caged it today too RonH. Are we wimps or what?

My excuse is that I plan to ride a metric century tomorrow and was planning to drive today anyway. I even reworked my commutes to still get three days in this week.

That's easy to do on a trike. ;)

Well, except for the ride home yesterday. Halfway through a busy intersection, my chain broke! I had to coast/wheelchair it the rest of the way, with the chain dragging several feet behind me. G** D*** that's embarrasing. I'm not sure exactly how it happened, because the chain was actually stuck between the low gear on the r. der. and the spokes. Whether that was the cause of the break or the result of it, I have no idea. It took me a few mins to fix at the side of the road and I was on my way.

What sucks is that up to that point, I was having a really good run; I managed to hit 50 on a straight section where I usually top out at 40, and was set to arrive home in record time (for fall, anyway). Ah well.

40 degrees, bit of wind, overcast, and a sprinkle. It's really dark out when I start coming in and the sky is overcast....I think I need to adjust my front headlight (doesn't shine out as far as I want it to).
At least the cars have been nice this week, no one trying to hit me. :)

Rode the bike. Arrived at work soaking wet. :( Realized that water had leaked into my left pannier and spent 5 minutes holding my slacks up to the hand dryer in the men's restroom.

Yesterday's ride home was the usual zig-zag affair that included taking a whole lane w/ a pedicab until he got stuck in traffic. I asked him how business was and he said it was ok, but that it would pick up later in the evening.

No commute today
VPN'd into the network
And working from home

So true! :(

I don't think we're wimps. Rain + cool temps = I feel a cold coming on.


Two of my co-workers almost always ride when it's raining, regardless of the temperature. They come in completely soaked and spend the first 30-45 minutes looking for newspapers to stuff into their shoes, dry socks, a place to hang their rain gear and anything that got wet so it can drip dry, and drying off from head to toe. Not a pretty sight and not a good way to start the work day.

Ice Ride!
Yesterdays storm partially melted due to the ground being warm and then the temps dropped into the 20s.
So much ice! After falling twice on the way to the bus (4 mile ride) and walking 1 of the miles due to horrid traction I took the bus all the way to work. I'm not going to kill or wound myself while riding a bike. I did manage to bruise the heck out of my left palm. Plus, I found a use for sidewalks. In locations where the sidewalk and the street were icy I took to the sidewalk. I find falling on a sidewalk slightly less stressful than falling in the street in traffic. Gee I wonder why.
Anyhow, it is supposed to be 60 F when I leave work. Perfect for my new mileage reversed commute.
Before: ride straight to work and ride halfway home to a bus. 45 miles
In sub freezing temps: take the bus halfway in the morning and ride straight home in the afternoon. It is much easier to stay warm that way. Duh.

2nd commute on the winter beater MTB. Weather was 25F, no precipitation. Left home, got far enough away to get warmed up (maybe 2 miles) and realized I forgot the pump! :( It was beyond my "normal" point-of-no-return, but on a 25+ mile (one-way) commute I figured Murphy's Law held more sway than probabilty would allow... so back I go for the pump. Dropped a jersey at home since I was already sweating.

Total commute time: 2 hours 40 minutes, including forgot-the-pump-house-whipped. Total distance (est-no computer on this bike yet): 25 miles + go back for the pump (2?) + (MUP distance > driving distance).

My two new cold weather commuting favorites are work-provided dorky looking clear wrap around over-the-eyeglasses safety glasses. Bingo, no more eye-wateringly cold wind in the eyes. The second is a pair of
Nashbar neoprene gloves (and poly liners). Windproof and warm, despite getting too sweaty.

There's no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothing.

I'm very glad that I rode in this morning. I was a bit wet but still warm and comfortable. I quickly changed into the dry clothes in my bag. And I'll be riding downtown in the rain for CM also.

It turned out not to be as wet as it looked this morning in Savannah. I don't have any proper rain gear and my commute is short, so I wore a cheap Lands End rain jacket. That kept me dry in the light drizzle. I expect a little more precip on the way home.

It was crazy windy on the way in this morning. Even after just 5 miles, legs and lungs were burning trying to fight through the wind. Just hope it stays the same direction so I have a nice tailwind on the way home.

Something's in the air, it's probably the north wind we've been having this week, but I've received middle fingers from cagers on both the ride home last night and the ride in this morning. I'll admit that in both situations my actions, although perfectly legal and safe, required these drivers to yield to me and [gasp] wait at least 10 seconds longer than otherwise.

On the way home last night I was transitioning from the bike lane to the center of the motor lane to make a left turn. A middle aged woman with blond hair and a red face gave me the finger. Nice example for the kids in the backseat, ma'am.

This morning, a guy pulled out in front of me from a side street, causing me to lock up both wheels in an emergency skid. I'm still going a bit sideways when I see his finger come up. I thought about giving chase, but decided to let go and let God, as it were.

Oh, and then there was the wrongway cyclist on H Street. And not your typical Wrongway Riegel, this guy was probably late 50's, on a nice roadbike with a hi-viz jacket, helmet, and light. All indicators that he ought to know better. I held my position and he went to the sidewalk. As we passed, I yelled "RIGHT SIDE!"

Sheesh. I should be glad just to arrive in one piece.

A little ice on the path made for some excitement but otherwise a perfectly clear cool morning so I took the fixed-gear in. Picked up 3/$1.00 donuts at King Soopers. Then noticed a clicking in the crank which turned into a clunking. Aarrgh, the bottom bracket cup (drive-side, old school) is loose. Now, do I ride it home that way or call for the vehicular pick-up?

What clothes do you wear for tornadoes? :p

Great ride in DC this morning. When I went out to get the paper, it felt almost warm-ish out, but a call to Verizon weather said it was 43, which is consistent with the week. Nice and dry, and I left early enough to find lots of gaps in the traffic.
I can honestly say it's probably been weeks since my foot has touched the ground on the commute. It just doesn't happen, and when I does, I remember it, and am shamed.

short commute, first one on the train with a bike for me. No hassles once on got on the streets - thank goodness. Reading all the cold weather here and it's a beautiful day in the Bay Area. Oh, probably a mile commute from the train station to my office.

FYI - I commuted last year with my MTB for a couple of months in the city of San Francisco until my project ended - probably a 5-6mi commute. Landed a new project in the Peninsula and bought a mini DT just to make this commute. You know, it's a fun and easy bike to ride.

I'm thinking a habit like the Flying Nun 60s tv show. ;)

Gingham dress, ruby slippers.

Today marks 4 weeks in a row of bike commuting 5 days a week. The right gear and no car have made this a very easy transition.

No commute today; I took the day off from work.

GreenAnvil

Good & bad commute this morning. Good because I was very fast, beating my best time by over 3 minutes, including getting pulled over for speeding & lane splitting, and picking up my blinkie that jumped ship (that was the bad part). Fortunately I got a warning from the cop, she just said to not greatly exceed the speed of traffic, and to not split the lane. My blinkie also survived it's crash landing without a scratch. Not bad for a Wal-Mart special... ;)

My ride home was even better. I bested my best by over 5 minutes, didn't hit a single red light, and saw my wife while I was riding up to the apartment. :)

Commuting on a roadie >> commuting on a MTB. However, the MTB is still going to be the foul-weather commuter.

A bit crusty on the bike path today (Frozen slush). Temps. in the single digits.
Could be worse.

On the way home a closed-bed Pick-up truck pulled onto the wide shoulder ahead and the driver got out and waited for me. I was asking if I could help him when I realized it was my next door neighbor. He offered a lift for the 12 miles left on my ride home. Even if I had not been tired from work it would have been rude to turn him down. We had a nice chat on the way home.

Nice ride both ways. I'm working all weekend,so I am looking forward to Sunday's commute. For some reason, that's always an extra fun day.

Wonderful ride home. 55F and sunny with clear but occasionally wet pavement. I still find it strange to be riding with snow on the ground and it being so warm. You have to love Colorado.
I did manage a my 28 mile commute home in 1:45 total ride time with a set of fully loaded panniers. yay!