It's monsoon and tornado season in Kansas! I had to wring out every piece of clothing I had on today, and I dipped into my emergency stash of dry shorts and socks.

Had a great commute in this morning. Dry, 50 degrees. Only bummer was that I forgot train fare this morning so I had to ride the whole way into work this morning so I didn't get any cool down before starting work.

Got the roadie roadworthy this weekend, so I rode that in today, will be getting a cyclocomputer for it at lunch time, but the ride in was smooth and quick feeling - except for the 5 minute roadside wait while huge droves of traffic passed by (I was trying to get over 3 lanes of it to make a left, ended up going further up to take the left).

I was careful and definitely noticed the difference with a solid frame (MTB has front fork suspension) and thin tyres, but felt really good to ride it - especially as I was the one who made it work :)

Ug...today's ride wasn't the best. Maybe just a Monday thing. Generally heading to work is better than heading home. I hope it's the opposite today.

Gorgeous ride this morning :D Sunny (though I need better sunglasses, I think), birds yelling their heads off all along the river paths, and the perfect temperature. I made it in 58 minutes without undue effort, my best time yet, and as a bonus I passed the bus I normally would have been on!

Oh yeah, shorts here too, though I did wuss out and had sleeves.

but is it our yearly tease before the June monsoon sets in? What an amazing morning. The forecast rules this week, hope it stays this way.

Hot! It felt humid, and it was, is now misting relentlessly, which I would have actually loved to ride in, but oh well. Now off to drive to meeting 60 miles west.

Hot? In WA? ...... I think my idea of Hot has been skewed by too many 3monther's in the Mohave'

Billy

Stripped down the FG commute bike to Summer Mode: removed the fenders, lights, and saddle bag. Mounted new tires and gave her a wash and wax. That bike looks too nice to ride to work!

Nothing particularly interesting this morning, I had to come directly to work (although I brought a jersey and shorts for the hopefully longer ride home), and the drivers were predictable and courteous. I did notice a couple of other bike commuters today, including a woman on a single-speed mountain bike.

my commute today was: bikeless

my commute tomorrow will be: not so bikeless anymore

I am back!

I had an interesting ride into work today. First I left late and so I was riding pretty hard to make up some time. I was chased by a small furry dog. He was pretty fast. I had to sprint to 25 mph to finally lose him. 10 miles into my 15 mile commute I had 2 spokes break. I had to loosen up the rear brakes so the wheel wouldn't drag on the brake pad. Then I limped the rest of the way into work on a wobbly rear wheel with no brakes. Wouldn't you know that the spokes that broke were on the drive side of the wheel. My wife is so wonderfull, she made a trip to work for me with tools and parts so I could repair my wheel to make the ride home in the morning. I repaired my wheel right on my desk. I will give the wheel a perfect true when I get home in the morning. I can get it really close by using the brake pad as a caliper to use as my reference. Even though I had some challenges today. I would rather ride to work then drive.

Awesome weather. 71 on the return ride. Good times riding with spouse.

WOW do you think the chase had anything to do with the spokes breaknig?

I'm not really sure. The spokes look like the heads popped off. Maybe they were bad quality.

so happy to be a bike commuter today. I had gone all winter in all kinds of weather. Often completely alone on the bike path but not anymore. Hundreds of other people out riding. Bit of a territorial imperative about sharing my ride with so many others but at the bottom line I am thrilled about it.

ended up with about a 30 mile round trip today as I went from one location to another. part of my ride today took me on the Minuteman Bike path, which was mobbed with cyclists of all kinds mixed in with joggers and strollers. It's a relatively wide path and it seemed that people were sharing it responsibly for the most part.

Came home in the dark through quiet neighborhood streets in Arlington, Belmont, Watertown and Waltham. Very cool ride home.

Ride up to the east end to visit my daughter was fun, and the first "long" run on the roadie (now fitted with cyclocomputer). Made it up there in about 34 mins, which isn't too shabby. On the final .25mi of the journey I decided to gun it and see what I could do, managed to sprint to 27mph before having to slow down (flat ground, but smooth surface). Having drops is a godsend in wind, too - being able to have that tucked position is wonderful.
Ride home from there via a stopoff at a buddies place en route, ride home was 35 mins and felt nicely fast - average of 17.2mph routeslip tells me, cyclocomputer tells me 16.7 but either way, it's a lovely ride and I'm probably going to run it for the week and see how I get on. My usual averages for the home journey are around 12-13mph.

Definitely think I need to get some in-line levers for the top of the drops, though - don't like riding in the drops downtown in traffic due to being seen/being able to see.

I rode in with a sleeveless t-shirt this morning. It was humid (70%) and 60degF. A good ride. No JAMs this morning at all.

50F with an annoying headwind. I saw several cyclists. :) Passed one guy, reeled in the same guy I reeled in yesterday, and then stayed behind him for a nice comfortable pace. We both reeled in and passed the Wilma I passed yesterday. Milk crate. Skiing helmet. :D Not that I'm making fun of her. We're all cyclists after all. Saw 2 or 3 riders going the opposite direction, including the one guy I see almost daily, usually both ways. We always exchange hellos.

I had a dream last night: I was commuting on a 'bent. :eek: Some woman pulled out in front of me and I sucked her bumper down a hill. I think I've been reading BF too much.

Beautiful morning, about 55, light wind. First shorts and tshirt in the morning ride. After being away from the weekend it was nice to get back on the bike:)

Tough ride this Am. A stiff North headwind punished me the entire way, and i'm still fatigued from riding 60 miles on Sunday (in the same winds). The temp was ~50F, but it felt more like 40F and I never warmed up despite fighting the wind. Typically I average mid to high 16 mph. Today it was 14.5. I might get screwed heading home too as the winds are supposed to shift from the North to the East sometime today. Oh well, no problems with any cars, or mechanical difficulties with the bike. So it was still better than driving in.

Yesterday's commute home was brutal. Constant 20-25 mph winds with gusts to 40 mph. I was nearly blown off the road twice and almost into traffic once.

There's a downhill right as I start my commute home. Typically I do about 24 mph on it. Yesterday I was doing 13--and I was pedalling harder than usual. :(

Edit: I must have been typing my post as Ron was typing his. Yeah--same winds.

I haven't actually left on my commute yet, but I was driving (!!!) on my way to the local polling station to vote this morning after dropping my son off at school. I come up to a turn and see an older gentleman (65?) on beach cruiser... He See's me turning and goes to cross the street.... against a red light!!!! He almost became a greasy spot.... and he had the audacity to yell obscenities at the other driver (who was completely in the right).....

Me thinks its idiots like this that give us bad names.....

Billy

'Twas beautiful when I stepped out the back door - 13C to be exact, no wind and not a cloud in the sky. Absolutely lovely! I reeled in a guy on a mtn bike, but declined to give him "the look", 'cause that would be mean. When we got to downtown, traffic was pretty backed up. I missed 2 lights before I said "**** it" and started filtering. There was a fire truck and misc. police about a block away from my building, and they had 3 of 5 lanes blocked off, backing up traffic for 4 blocks. I didn't see a wet spot, so it probably wasn't a jumper. Likely a ped got taken out by an JAM. I just kept filtering until I got to my building.

I wondered why the traffic was so backed up (I go down 11th St to get back onto the river path). I sat through 2 lights before giving up and riding the sidewalk. Bunch of idiot drivers were all over the lane - one practically on the line, the next hugging the curb - so I didn't feel safe "filtering." Gorgeous morning though!

Perfect day today! Traffic much heavier then usual.

Still working on a new route around the intersection that will be closed for the summer. Gota bit lost yesterday and added half an hour and four miles, will try again today.

Well haven't posted in this thread in a bit mostly because my commute has been going smoothly. No issues, nice cagers, lots of gnats swallowed. I did startle a heron in a pond this morning. I love to see those things fly.

Had to take my '83 Toyota beater truck in for inspection today. I KNOW that I could ride faster than that thing drives! :)

(Got to ride home early though. Nice to get one way in.)

I have a couple of potential converts in my office. I was trying to scope out a newbie-friendly route for them this morning. I thought that a split "park and ride" commute might be a good way to ease them into it, so I also had to try to find safe, free, and convenient parking. I'm beginning to think that those are a "pick any two" choice.

Had a great commute. Blue skies, new rims and 26 x 1.5 city tires and a freshly overhaulled drivetrain, shifters & brakes.

1st post.

Been doing a short and easy commute (4m RT) 5 days/week for the last five years, rain or shine.