First day riding in this week. Monday was really foggy, so I drove. Tuesday was pouring rain, so I drove. Today is really foggy too, but I went ahead and biked in anyhow. Visibility didn't seem all that bad. I could see the vehicle tail lights a good 1/4 mile ahead of me at any rate. Hopefully they could see my blinky and headlights from a similar distance. Sounds like we're back to the hot and humid weather pattern again. Still patiently awaiting September's cooler weather.

I was about two-tenths of a mile from my house yesterday when huge rain drops started falling. I went all anaerobic on myself and broke the 25MPH speed limit to my driveway. :) Just missed a huge downpour. Apparently there was a microburst down on the MUP. Several fallen trees and branches in a localized area.

This morning was a nice ride. A bit humid, but not too hot. Mild headwind. No attractive scenery of the female variety like yesterday. :(

Nice, cool, a slight breeze. The morning ride is always nice because there's so little traffic.
I may get hammered by storms on the way home though. Wooo:)

Had a nice foggy ride to work this morning. Forgot my water bottle but didn't realize for over half a mile so I didn't go back to get it. Monday on my way home I almost got right hooked by a woman in a minivan. She passed me right before her right turn and must have realized I was flying up beside her since she stopped at the intersection before turning to let me pass her on the right! I yelled to her you better stop as I went by and then she peeled out. If she hadn't stopped I would have followed her to get her plate and report her to the local traffic hotline. Reached my goal of 200 miles this month :)

I had a guy sit on my wheel pretty much from 125th down to Canal St on the Greenway. As I turned onto Canal, he yelled over "You set a nice pace!!"

I didn't tell him the half of it. My right brifter is shot and needs replacement, it's on order at the LBS. I have been riding the past couple of days in the smallest cog. My 27 speed is now a 3 speed- Low, Medium, and High.

I had a guy sit on my wheel yesterday, but he was on rollerblades and thanked me for the draft when he pulled out of the park.

For today's commute, lots of racing to beat cars to gaps before they could close them off, lots of cars making turns from the inner right/left lanes (illegal) and some shooting the gaps between crossing peds.

When I got to work, I had a nice 10 minute conversation about my bike and places to ride w/ the mailman for my office bldg. He asked about my bike because he'd seen before that the builder (IRO) was from Staten Island (says so on the headbadge) where he lived. Turns out he rides mtb trails in Staten Island, although they're rapidly being lost to development, and NJ.

I've had way too many eventfull commutes lately.
Mon: lady runs a red light. Fortunately, I was paying attention and stopped while crossing the intersection. She went by in the left lane going east. I was crossing the east bound right lane in the intersection.
When I exited the bus in my northern suburb on the way home I was greeted by the nastiest storm in some time. Seeing lightning within 5 miles, I hightailed it home. At one point I went anerobic and hit 30 mph on my touring bike on a flat road. I pulled a 15 min ride in about 8. ugh
Tue: Almost right hooked by a female college student in a jeep. 1 mile later almost right hooked by a 30 year old male in a BMW.
Wed: Nothing bad....yet. I was watching a racer in washington park and noticed how high his knees where coming up. Decided to try it and ended up riding about 3 miles an hr faster. Managed to hit my elbow with my knee while reaching for my water bottle. D'oh! I can't seem to pace myself with this technique. I believe it brings my quads fully into the pedal stroke, drastically increasing my speed from 17mph to 20 mph.

Just an ordinary commute today -- warm, humid, and uneventful.

Well, at least I made it to 3,500 miles without a flat. Walked out to the bike last night to go home and it was sitting on the rim. A microfine piece of wire snuck through the kevlar and got the tube. It was tough getting it out of the tire. I think I may have to add tweezers to the tool kit.

Went through all kinds of hoops to get tires/tubes squared away once I got home. Has something to do with schrader areo wheels, with a pretsa spare tube.. 2 tubes, 2 schrader/presta adapter bushings later the bike is ready to roll again at home. Until I hear the fssssssst coming from the kitchen. Sigh {rim tape had uncovered a hole in the double wall rim}

I rigged it this am with some duct-tape-o-rim-liner, but will be redoing tires and rim tape again tonight. I forgot to rotate the back to the front last night anyways, and that needs to be done.

Ride was a nice 60f but 65% humidity... That's pretty high for CO. Seemed slow this am too, but it might have been since I only put 65psi on the DuctTape job.

Saw a couple of other bike commuters on the way in this morning. One department store bike, one retro cruiser, and one old mtb. I waved and said good morning to each. I was able to adjust my rack to avoid hitting my heel on the new panniers, but all I had time to do was loosen the top supports and rotate the rack back from level a few degrees. It's not ideal but it works for now.

My dad talks fondly of his youthful days spent tipping cows in Staten Island.

I had kind of a streak going, when I ride my red bike on the route I did today, of getting scolded by some driver or other for not being on the sidewalk, but that streak got broken today, which was nice.

You must be west or southwest of me, then, based on my morning commute. ;)

I bravely decided that a few sprinkles wouldn't keep me off the road today. And a few sprinkles it were, for the first five minutes. Then it stopped all together and was oppresively warm and humid. I prayed for the sprinkles to return as they, at least, were cooling me off somewhat. Five more minutes of riding in steam and then the clouds opened in answer to my silent prayers. The final five minutes of my commute were in a torrential downpour with raindrops the size of golf balls. Well, OK, maybe not torrential and maybe not golf balls, but I was soaked through by the time I arrived at work. Two of the lab ladies looked shocked to see me trudging around dripping wet. I figure they were just taken aback at how sexy a bicycle commuter looks after having ridden in the rain. (right)

Now, the ride home; if I had waited another fifteen minutes, the great big yellow spot on the weather radar would've moved northeast and I would've only had to endure a steambath ride home. But, patience is not my long suit, so off I went in to the teeth of another storm. I lost count of how many drivers shook their heads in amazement. I saw two other riders. One was a woman in her early 20s (near as I could tell), with a beat old Schwinn, no helmet and an overstuffed backpack mashing down the road in the opposite direction. She was smiling, but not near as broadly as I. She didn't wave back, though. The other rider was a commuter headed perpendicular to my line of travel, riding 'properly' and with a helmet. He was being passed by a long string of cars/trucks/SUVs and was getting a good shower in the process. He did not look happy. I waved at him, but not surprisingly, he kept his head (mostly) down and didn't wave back.

Now that I've had my baptism by rain, can I call myself a 'Real Commuter(tm)(c)(r)'? ;)

The last/first (to work/back home) mile of my commute is on the street, the rest is on the Sammamish River Trail. The road section is no different each day: Some rocks here and there, some glass here and there, but nothing unavoidable. The bike trail is in process of re-paving. Yesterday, the paver crew was still out working on it at 3:30pm and there was about a quarter mile section where everyone had to get off the trail and walk it on the grass until we passed the paving machines and other trucks. The section that was open (and freshly paved) was still kinda soft because the asphalt wasn't setting quick enough due to the heat and humidity. It's going to be really nice when it's done, if the levelling doesn't sink too much due to the slow-setting asphalt. For now, it's kinda stinky and a bummer to need to dismount and walk it around the section(s) they're paving.

I woke up this morning very sore and tired I had attempted to beat my previous commute record which I successfully did a 30 mile top speeed. With bike in hand up the stairs I trudged I heard the rain dancing on the roof zipped up the rain jacket looked down at my bike noticed my faithful comrad had a small dent which astonished me for the fact that this bike is a virgin to being crashed or fallen over. the crunch of stale bread and cold coffee was the 5 star breakfast this morning opened the door the rain was basiclly made everything white I looked down at my accomplice and trusty friend lets have some funn which reminds me of why I ride for the fact that cagers aside there are some moments that are just to funn to pass up like being soaked in mother natures washing machine and the pounding of the pedals and the tyres cutting through the rain this is why I ride

As I was leaving the office, I noticed a woman down the block riding her bike on the sidewalk and two guys having a smoke near me. As the woman passed, one of the smokers said, "Get on the street with that thing!". This is the exact opposite from what I usually read here. Then he mumbled something to his friend about sidewalk riders and knocking them off their bikes.

The ride home was the usual mess of traffic with lots of zig zagging across 5-6 lanes of traffic. Sometimes, the bike feels like an extension of my body, like today.

I am experimenting with routes these days 'cause there is construction on my main route, and some variety is needed anyway. I suddenly realized how well I knew the roads I usually take and how much that helps me with biking on them.

I'm starting to learn that crappy Sora components and rough streets don't mix. If I take one of my three available routes home, it takes me over some horrible uneven streets (I've seen backcountry dirt roads in better shape), and it never fails, my junk Sora rear derailleur ends up out of whack and I have to do some on the bike adjustments. I'm also beginning to wonder what the point of resurfacing roads is when no effort is put into filling in ruts and potholes. Is this because I live in a city that's bankrupt, or is this the same everywhere? (I won't even ask why the rough streets aren't repaved, since they run through one of the poorer sections of town.)

6.5 mph coming up the hill to home, pulling the trailer w/ 65# of kids, 20# of salmon and ice, and a 6-pack of beer. I left the tupperware from lunch at work today. I choose to leisurely spin up the wide sidewalk rather than muscle through the traffic lane.

Have been commuting for the last 3 years, but have just recently found this site, lovin' it.

Did a 20km loop this morning on the new bike (Scott, Sub 20 Classic), came home, and took the beater into work for another 10km. (Recently had a bike stolen, so the new bike isn't going to work) Nice ride, a bit humid. Ride home (10km) - headwind, hot and humid.

Little 'game' I play - for each rider I pass +1, if I get passed -1. Today's score: +4 (didn't get passed).

Going to add another 10km or so to the morning ride tomorrow morning. :)

I headed in to the office 45 minutes early today. Traffic was not really lighter - just different. It was more "flowy". Riding home is going to be a byatch - I was at a golf tourney all day and people kept buying rounds. I won a nice bottle of wine as a draw prize, so it was all worth it. Still, during the game, I kept thinking, "This course would be so sweet if I had my mtn bike!"

love to ride I bet you could do some xtracycle mod up to cary golf bags

Cracked the 2000km mark since jan 1!

pinkrobe: must've been crazy hot on the course today! and humid!

Wet.

Ride home last night, I think I got close to heat exhaustion-was stopped at a stoplight in the 90F/humid conditions and started to feel nauseous and dizzy. Decided blacking out on the intersection wasn't a good idea, so took a hard left and very slowly rode up the sidewalk for my last 0.5 miles to get home. Spent a good 30 minutes in the AC in front of a fan until I felt cooled off. I was purposely riding a bit harder yesterday because at 90, it is cooler than it has been recently....lesson learned...Take it easy in the heat!
Very humid and sweaty ride in this AM. unremarkable excepting the carpet company van that nearly T-Boned when at a stop sign (he stopped and looked, but apparently didn't see me despite my headlights and reflective gear). No harm done though, he did a quick stop and I hard braked and swung to the right, so even if he had kept coming he would have missed me. Ride home looks to be very hot and humid, and/or getting dumped on from a rain shower.

Very sticky ride in this morning. Didn't forget my water bottle today. Had a guy in a pickup truck almost right hook me last night on my way home but at the last minute he just sort of stopped and missed his turn. I saw his turn signal and was already swinging around his left by the time he stopped. I went by his driver's side window and he had this pissed off look on his face like I did something wrong. I kept going and he had to pull over since he missed his turn. He was not happy to say the least but he should have just followed me for 3 seconds till I went by his turn...oh well, they will never learn. Gonna be a hot one later on and there might be some rain/thunderstorms this afternoon.