Still not back on the bike after a week off due to a conference up in Providence, RI. Had a nice week off from work but missed the bike. I have to drive again tomorrow for a job a few hours away and hope to be back on the bike on Wed. Gonna clean the chain and check everything tonight when I get home.

Not a great commute this morning. Drizzled the whole way in, got buzzed twice, didn't have any milk so skipped breakfast and now I'm hungry. Wah wah wah...

Bright...Ball of light...In sky. So the sun is out this morning, amazingly enough. I'd almost forgotten what it looks like. Temp around 60F. Dead calm wind. I followed a woman-commuter all the way in. Saw some other cyclists here and there. A nice ride. No bunnies this morning though.

Lots and lots of cyclists out there this morning. It is bike to work week in Chicago, and at least some folks are answering the bell. I made a special point to smile and nod to the people who looked like first timers. I was feeling really good about the whole thing until I realized that out of all those bikes, mine was the only one that wouldn't be locked up with a U-lock when I reached my office. DOH! I could picture the lock (right next to the multitool--double doh!) on the shelf where I rest my communter at night. I have a cable lock, but it just discourages wheel thieves. Good thing the Ace Hardware opened at eight!

Walter.

My first commmute ever today... those hills seem a lot shallower in a car. I picked the route with little traffic, but it turned out to have some massive hills... the ones that get you into a low gear and then slowly sap your strength... I need some more gears, I think.

Congrats Rock. Try a few different routes to find a happy medium between traffic, hills, and distance.

Ran late today and faced more traffic than yesterday so I was off by 1.5 min. from yesterday's blazing pace and right about where I usually average for my commute. Faced the usual cager nonsense like right hooks and such.

First workday commute today. Ride was good, even had a positive interaction with a cager in the downtown area. I took the right lane when approaching the stop light, and during my shoulder check I saw the vehicle behind me began signaling for a right turn. I shoulder checked again and pulled to the far left of the lane and waved her past on the right. Got a friendly smile and a thank you. It sure felt good to make it all the way into work without needing my car. I even had my backpack full of my 17" laptop, camera, change of clothes, swimsuit (if I needed to use the public shower), and a towel. All in all a satisfying commute. Can't wait for the ride home.

EDIT: As an added bonus, I didn't crash approaching a stoplight like I did in my trial run this weekend. In fact, that very light was where I let the cager pass. I'm feeling more confident in my breaking, which is making me a lot more confident in VC.

Idiots were everywhere this morning.

First, my wife watched a pickup truck nearly side-swipe a kid on a bicycle (which meant I got a panicked phone call reminding me to be careful).

Second, I had a car pass me on a blind curve (again; drivers insist on passing me on this curve) in the oncoming lane as traffic approached. I could see the oncoming car, the passing driver couldn't.

Then I had this encounter: https://www.bikeforums.net/advocacy-safety/203336-i-wrong-vc-puzzler.html.

And finally, a driver in a pickup took the left turn so wide in front of me (I was behind him at the light) that he was driving in the bike line for a while. I'm certain he did it to intimidate me because I had the "nerve" to pull up to a light behind him.

I bring my bike into my office. There are security cameras at each door is eombdoy tried nabbing my bike from my office, which of course would have to be over my dead body

Gosh. I think of all of the horrible experiences I've had in Houston and San antonio in 2 years can't add up to what you Experienced in one day. Me thinks you need some of that "redneck Texan Hospitality"

Nice ride this morning. I was out the door rather early this morning, since I had packed the night before. Also, I replaced my broken clips/strap with powergrips, and finaly got some new shoes for riding. Made for a much more comfartable ride.

Sorry to hear it. My ride was dry. Still looks crappy outside.

All we had at my house was soy milk. Let's see if I can describe the "taste".

I have a granola bar or Power Gel you can have.


Did you find a good BBQ place? After we parted last Saturday I thought about BBQ all the way home.

Double post!

Nice day to ride, I'm still dragging a little from my weekend madness, but I made it to work more or less on time. I'm really bumed though because I misplaced my expensive rudy project sunglasses sometime between the century on Saturday, and going to a picnick with the inlaws on Sunday. I thought for sure I just set them someplace strange, but i've practically turned my house upside down, and can't find them :-( my wife is the best though, she said if they are really gone, I can buy new ones. Makes me feel pretty guilty though...those puppies were bank!

a champagne moment: i successfully rode in without stopping (okay, stop signs and stop lights). this, after one month of commuting 8 1/2 miles each way. i can happily state that it is now a real *pleasure* to ride, whereas before I dreaded getting on, exhausted, lacking the muscle and endurance needed to plow up those incredibly arduous hills in northwest atlanta.

hooray!

edit: and, to add to that...saturday i received my certification in effective cycling from the atlanta bicycle campaign and lab.

Pretty uneventful.

It was pounding rain with thunder & lightning. The arterial was like riding in a streambed in many places, just plowing through 2-4 inches of running water as it rolled down the street. Trying to stop called for some advance planning, since I can't dry the rims by riding the brakes, when the rims are underwater

Anyway, made it. Now to dry my riding gear.

It was nice. I got out early enough to take a 8 mile detour in the opposite direction of my office before turning around and heading back into town. Cool enough that I needed arm and knee warmers.

That's awesome!!

Nyrome, good to meet you on Saturday. Glad to hear that your kicking a$$ on that commute.

Warm, windy, & sticky. We've had one heck of a wet year here so far. In fact, June is already 2 inches above normal rainfall, and 5 inches over for the year to date. Humidities which normally run well under 30% most of the time have been closer to 80% of late. Wind was out of the SSE this morning which is a bad omen. Our most violent weather comes out of the east here. The ride home could be interesting.

morning was more pleasant than the afternoon.... plus I didn't drink enough water before I left work, and that made it harder. it was 108 degrees on the way home. jumped in the pool when I got home.

ATL reprazent!!!

Good to meet you too. Reading about other people's commutes in 2-3 " of rain and 108 degree temperatures makes my commutte look like a cake walk. Huh. We only get the remnants of a tropical storm and humidity.

thanks. and thanks for the link to the radar. i usually use the wsbtv dopplar. but the one you sent has real time motion added to it for kicks. that's fore-casting, wouldntyaknowit.

It's partly cloudy and breezy in the Sierra Foothills today. On the way in this morning it looked like rain and was a bit chilly. On the way home, patchy clouds and lots of gorgeous blue sky. Since I only live five miles from work, I took an extra two going in and coming home today!