I read that article in the Contra Costa paper. Very nice. You're a fine spokesperson for bike commuting.

I'm in the office today (Saturday) and I rode my new beater: 80s vintage Specialized Hardrock that I picked up for $40 from a neighbor's garage sale. I bought for the main purpose of pulling my twins' Chariot and riding the packed trails near Lake Tahoe. I'll get a picture up when my new digicam arrives. It looks like absolute crap (surface rust is competing with the Miami Vice paint scheme) but it is in perfectly pristine mechanical condition. Biopace chain rings, Shimano LX 7spd indexed RD. All it needed was a little washing, tightening, and lubing. Just like the Millenium Falcon: she may not look like much but she's got it where it counts. Best bike deal I've gotten in a long time.

Todays commute was good. A bit cold because it rained last night. It is warming up it looks like so I should have a good commute home. Its only 11am though so who knows.

Hey! that beater is my commuter bike too! Except mine must be a little newer because it has 8 speeds in the back. And mine has a more subtle paint job--dark silver with black. I bought it in "never-been-ridden" cherry condition for $100 at a pawn shop. Now, after three years and 20,000 miles, it doesn't look cherry any more. But I've never had major problems with it and it's fun and easy to ride.

The commute home last night was 42F degrees, but clear for the first time in more than a week. I remembered my gloves, so I didn't freeze this time. In fact, I rode an extra 10 miles just to stretch my legs after working all evening. Now I have 5 days off, I'm up north and I'll be riding the old Fuji road bike instead of the Hardrock.

Yesterday I rode home in the rain. When I got home I noticed one of the gutters (eaves troughs for you Canadians) on the house was overflowing. I figured, "What the heck", and got out the ladder. Climbed up there in the rain and cleaned it out. Hey I was already wet. Might as well get some work done.

Had a nice slow ride to work this morning. Spent the entire day out in the sun yesterday at an autocross event and was very tired by the time I got home. A little cloudy this morning but warm, already in the mid 60s. Should be a nice day, high 70s later on for the ride home.

Rough ride in this morning since I'm still feeling the effects of staying out til the sun came up at my buddy's wedding on Saturday...
Friday night's ride home was nice and quick, except for the loopy hippie chick doing circles on the bikepath in her old school roller skates, not looking at anyone. Got to test the full stopping power of my bike on the wet path, as she finally snapped out of it and moved out of the way after the THIRD time I yelled coming through/ on your left/ Excuse me! Me and a bike heading the other way just looked at each other and shook our heads.

Windy!!!

40F degrees, overcast, and a quartering tailwind. Hey at least it wasn't raining!

I've been seeing some Northern Flickers (birds) lately. Google Images

51F when I left in a t-shirt and pants. Lots of traffic lately making it difficult to get a good speed cuz there were no clear lanes and even splitting the lanes was slow going. Legs felt tired and crampy since yesterday, but still a felt fine on the ride.

Nice, again.

I saw a skunk shuffling across the road in front of me, about a block away. I very rarely see them, even though we smell them at home almost nightly during the summer. I didn't smell it until I was about 3 blocks past it. Odd.

And I almost cried when I swung past my favorite coffee shop, because I forgot to pack breakfast (subconscious?) and it was closed. I was only a minute early, but there was no one in sight within, so I picked up a smoothie. Wah!

Cool, slow ride this morning, no dramas to speak of. I rode a Century yesterday so I was just looking to make it to work.

its always a great feeling to ride by these...

why must there be a strong headwind no matter which way I face today! why!!

Really felt the extra weight of the laptop this morning. Tires were a bit squishy and slow, too. Wore the messenger bag instead of the backpack--a mistake in retrospect after I see the angry red mark on my shoulder after carrying all that weight. Rained hard last night, but this morning was nice.

I meant to fill up on air this morning on the way in at a service station (our area seems to now have a law requiring free air/water for customers' cars). Pulled in to the service station, noted the coin slots on the air, and thought I was out of luck. Then I saw the sign that said that it was free for customers, just let the attendant know and they'll get it working.

"Great!", I thought, "I can get my tires topped off!"
"...oh, wait--I'm not a 'customer', am I?..."
[checks the 3.50ish gas prices] "Ouch! And it's a damn good thing, too!"

Rode the rest of the way perfectly happy with my squishy 38's.

It rained all last night and hasn't let up yet. Rain is awesome! The big water stripe up my hind end is not awesome though so I am going to go next door to Bike and Hike and get me some fenders on my lunch break. I am glad it was warm rain too.

Can't wait till the ride home.

No commutefor me today. I rode in the Santa Fe Century on Sunday, and just didn't feel up to riding this morning. Maybe tomorrow.

Had 29mph sustained wind (46mph peak) riding in this late AM. Big temp drop too, it was 104F yesterday and only 83F at 11am when I rode in. The stiff wind made for some mashing on my fixed 75 gear inches.

Al

LMAO!!!!

After a week of minimal riding, I was well-nigh ready to get back on my bike again. Since school's over, I don't really have a regular commute at the moment (someone want to hire me?), but I did have an appointment.

So despite the misgivings of those around me, I biked it. A roundtrip distance of some 18 miles (according to GoogleMaps Pedometer), all along the Charles River (Newton to Cambridge), and it was the longest I've ever biked roundtrip, and it felt absolutely *amazing*. It might not seem like much to a lot of people on this board, I guess, but it was for me, and I really felt incredibly confident and fast and strong -- like I could take on the world. The scenery was beautiful and the bugs weren't too thick . Just a great day, and I love my bike to pieces. (so to speak).

--Badger, maybe overconfident

I was humbled during my morning commute today when I heard the diesel of an 18 wheeler approaching behind me. In my mirror I could see he wasn't merging left (4 lane, curbed road) and just ahead was a bike-unfriendly iron sewer plate. The kind of plate where the slots run parallel to the direction I'm headed.

It was one of those 'no time to react - keep the balance' moments, and of course, I survived without incident. Maybe a little shook up.

But otherwise, a great commute!

33F here Al but sunny all day and it's supposed to be warmer now. No commute because I'm on my monthly mini-vacation.

Grr, so on my lunchbreak I went and bought fenders because the ride in was great with water slinging up into my face and the stripe up my back. Now the sun is out and it is bright and warm... meh, go figure.

No worrkes Nykon, your money didn't go to waste!

24 to 34 mph headwinds all the way home, what's not to love?

I just checked your forecast,
looks like you'll get to use your new fenders