FYI...don't know if it is the case, but, most cars cycle the a/c on and off when running the windshield defogger...I know on nights when it gets into the 50's (when it was 70+ the day before) you need to run the windshield defogger to be able to see in the morning due to all the dew dude. (play on words intended )

Hooray!!

When you have questions or encounter issues - lots of good resources here.

Congrats again - hope you find it as much fun as I do.

Welcome to the Happy Healthy Commuting Mother F*ckers (HHCMF) club. We're a bike gang that likes to bravely ride to work while wild eyed cagers suffering from caffeine/nicotine/premium gas withdrawals careen wildly around us chasing demons only they can see. Keep up the good work!

So my ride home last night included a trip to Brooklyn for pizza, beer and good conversation before heading home at 11 pm in a slight drizzle. I had to assure my friends from college that I still had a job and was not, in fact, a bike messenger despite my appearance.

Thanks for the support, everyone. I've been working my way up to this for a while, riding around the neighborhood and one evening test ride to work. I've been reading these forums religiously, and have gained much useful information.

The first half of my ride is nice and peaceful, with neighborhood streets and gentle hills. The second half is through an industrial park, with lots of large trucks, fast-moving cars and steep hills. I've been using this website to track my routes (https://www.usatf.org/routes/map/index.asp), and I think I have found a couple of cut-thoughs that will save me a couple of hills and some time on busier roads.

That's the only nice thing about riding through the industrial park: lots of adjacent parking lots and back-way cut-throughs. Louisville isn't a great town for bike commuting, but with a little creativity and a lot of attention to my surroundings, I think it will be fun.

haven't commuted in 2 weeks because of commitments a hour away after work, and a campus that is far away I know I can ride it except for I am afraid of the country roads in the winter I could easly become someones speed bump no one would know or care. Last night I finished getting everything tightened, and checked over. While riding my head set came loose again argh even after the screw drive, and mallet method I might need to get this thing faced? then the seat was loose so I stood up the whole way in turns out even though I was carrying 25 lbs more then ever I beat my record of 15 minutes more work for me

I just realized that this might have been referring to the car, i.e. a convertable. But, I don't remember noticing that it was a convertable, thought I might just not have noticed...

Yea, jacksoncooper!

Bravo! I just got a friend to come in as a consultant at work with the enticement that it would give him a bike ride twice a week- he's never been a bike commuter and only just getting going on the bike but he is loving it. He's very happy to get his 16 miles round trip one or two days a week. It's so much fun to watch as someone gets hooked on the bike commute thing. Welcome to the club, pretty soon it'll feel strange when you don't ride in at least once a week.

I don't mean to nitpick here, as I am certain no disrespect was intended towards bike messengers by your post but, and I'm sure you'd agree, being a bike messenger is very much a job- and a respectable one at that. I would be proud to be mistaken for one and I have a sneaking suspicion you relished the thought.

Thank God it's Friday... Too many hours this week. Seems like the only time away from the desk has been on the bike headed to and from this madness. Thank you bicycle for helping me keep a shard of my sanity.

Ride home last night was dark, cool and refreshing. However, the aroma of skunk was hanging in the air through the rural neighborhood. I know he was out there somewhere, but could only see in the light pool ahead of me. Much less traffic when going home later at night. Very refreshing after a day at the grind.

This morning was another early one. Sun was just hitting the front range as I pulled into the office. Farily peaceful that early. Cant wait to get out of here. The deadline I've been pushing all week is at 5 today, so come heck or highwater I'm headed to the Tequila zone shortly after.

Today I caved and went for long sleeves. May have been a bit premature though, extra-super-duper sweaty at work right now.

After a 3-year sabbatical to help raise my son, I'm back at a professional job in downtown DC. Criteria in picking where I would work was, 1) Can I bike there? and 2) Is there a shower close by, and 3) Is there a good place to park my bike (commuter bike is a 2005 Cannondale Bad Boy Ultra).

Nailed all three and am about 3 weeks into it. It's only about 5 miles, but it's through downtown DC traffic, which is challenging. Only bummer was getting doored last week. Required a couple days at the bike shop, during which time I rode my Trek Madone 5.2, which was fun until day #3 when I got a flat and had to walk it about 15 blocks. Not too surprising, considering DC roads. Fortunately, I got my BB back that night and so am back on the saddle, feeling good (and watching those doors -- been doored 3 times in less than a year; in each case, it's been a passenger trying to hop out while the car is stopped in traffic)

The ride in today was perfect. Nice and cool, only got sweaty on the last mile of my 8 mile commute. TOday was my first bike commute in nearly a year and a half. I tried it a little in spring of 2005 and it was a b***h of a commute for me then. A physical a couple of months later revealed that I was anemic, and a massive gastrointestinal hemmorrhage a few months after that revealed why I was anemic. I've spent the last 11 months recuperating and finally felt safe trying again. I've also made some changes in child care arrangements that should make it easier for me to bike commute more often.

The ride home will be interesting to experience, as it's more uphill than the ride in. Shouldn't be too bad though.

Happy Healthy Commuting Mother F*ckers (HHCMF)

I'm in for a T-shirt if they're ever made.

I think they've got them and I hear reports they are stylin'.

You be the judge

NO WAY!

I gotta have one.

I just re-read my post and I could see how my post made it seem like messengering wasn't a job or at least wasn't a respectable job. No disrespect was intended. Rather what I meant was I had to assure my friends that I was still a faceless, non-descript member of the corporate world.

paging egglplant jeff...

I thought that's what you meant.

since last order, my brother, dad and 2 co-workers have started bike commuting, they might be in for shirts.

They look mighty fine to me. Though I'm sure they are even more attractive adorning the svelte figures of a daily bike commuter as opposed to tacked to a grey fabric bulletin board with push pins.

In the meantime, it would have been nice to have them for my commute today in Boston as it was the kind of grey overcast day that makes bright orange and yellow stand out and proclaim, "I am here!"

My lime and orange HHCMF shirts appear to reflect enough light that when I'm entering my apartment and the lights are off, the light from the hallway reflects onto the walls in my apt. and makes me think I left my blinkie on.

The grey fabric bulletin board shows the mark of a true commuter: cheap, and resourceful

The block with the Hostess factory on my route is popular with hookers and their clients.

gotta watch those parking lots. i've had some of my closest calls going through them, because they're fun. i'd start to relax subconsciously, thinking 'ahhhhh . . . no traffic.' you could easily be more responsible than me though.

you got that part right! congrats and welcome.


yesterday was a very neat day. if i weren't car-free right now for reasons outside my control (something more than the choke is wrong with the car, and i'm too lazy to do anything about finding out what), i would have driven, but i'm glad i didn't. having the big ring back is making such a difference to the fun: it feels like i'm actually riding a bike, as opposed to just waving my feet in circles for some other reason. an 18-wheel trucker surprised me and made me laugh by seeing me coming towards his onramp about the same time that i saw him and being stopped behind the zebra line by the time i got there. i had a bit of a double-take moment when i realised he wasn't where i'd expected he'd be, and i think he was laughing too. i'm getting fond of truckers. they seem to have more friendliness and humour than most of the drivers out there. and yeah, yet another vote for the acid-green hhcmf coat. i think he saw me from 500 metres away.

intended to take it easy just because a couple of unbroken weeks in a row is a lot for feeble me. and i truly expected that i'd take the bus home at least part of the way. la la; didn't do it. counter-intuitive but so long as i'm not mashing really hard, the higher resistance from the bigger ring actually seems to be a bit easier on me than the frantic spinning. it's absolutely and completely more fun. it was full dark by the time i came home, and so nice. clear and cool. i know there are times coming at me when the dark will just seem all-encompassing and much worse than it needs to be. but this wasn't one of those times.

Temp in the low 60s this morning - that won't last much longer. Bright and sunny. Smooth riding. Feeling a lazy Monday morning.. Did 7.55mi in 0:30:05. Better than no exercise at all.