My most amusing tip over:
Yesterday on the way home I was entering the cherry creek trail around downing.
This is a decent downward ramp that connects with the trail at a T. I looked to my left and right. Then started going. I noticed another cyclist coming at me from my left and hit the brakes while unclipping. I was a wee bit too far over to the right and my unclipped foot came down on the grass except for the fact that it was a foot or two lower than the path. Consequently, I ended up jumping off my bike. No wounds. No scratches to the bike. It did make me chuckle.

This morning:
The 4th flat with my expensive new front tire. Even with a tire liner and a slime tube! bleh
I hereby declare that the Panaracer tserve for messenger is junk. I plan on putting my old vittoria tire with exposed threads on when I get home. My old vittorias had all of 1 flat in 4000 miles. This new tire may have 800 with 5 flats. Piece o crap. Time to order new vittorias. The heck with trying new tires.

Also, had a lady in a chevy Avalanche try to back out of her driveway into me on a residential street.
I anticipated what she was going to do and was in the left lane shortly before she backed out and made a wide turn. She was behind me at the light and I turned around, shook my head, and lifted my hands in a WTF type gesture. Strangely enough she asked me what she was doing wrong. "Nothing right now but you tried to back up into me out of your driveway". No response. Anyhow, due to my flat issues I was trying to keep from annoying myself and let it go.

I came in too early to catch the sunrise, and it was chillier than I had anticipated. On the plus side, I identified all the squeaks and rattles on my bike last night and fixed them. It was a nice, quiet ride in.

Hi, I'm a DC downtown commuter too, maybe we'll pass each other some morning. I totally know what you're saying about these ridiculous drivers. I am always thinking what you posted -- is getting to work five seconds faster really that important? I also want to shake, rattle and roll all those pedestrians who walk blindly into the street (often on cell phone) and then get outraged at me when I just barely miss hitting them.

I will say that I am planning on it getting significantly colder than it was yesterday and today. Both mornings were in the high 30s/low 40s, and my experience is that we'll have many mornings in the 20s, some in the teens, and (if we're lucky, but I'm weird that way) possibly some in the single digits. DC is funny that way. I've lived here 15 years and have experienced winters where it gets to below zero and where it barely drops below 32 degrees. What I've found is that the real cold temperatures don't come until January and February, even March. I think I was wearing shorts past Thanksgiving last year, and finally had to switch to winter pants just before Christmas. I have a photo taken of myself leaving for work on Dec. 11 of last year, and I'm wearing shorts a t-shirt. It was an oddly warm day that day, but we'll keep getting those until after the new year, and then the real chill sets in.

The ride flowed like water. New pavement makes the commute feel so much better. My times are about the same, but much less jarring. Plus it seemed I had a lower number of morons to deal w/ in the bus lane.

A blustery day in the Hundred Acre Wood. But I am feeling pretty good about my bike handling skills after wrestling the Bomber through a gusty crosswind with a full payload.

Beautiful. Day off from kid duty so I could head in early. I'm the first person here! And it was at least 10F cooler, leaving ~90 min earlier than usual. If I didn't know better I'd swear I saw freezing fog in some hollows on the way.

46F on the way back home, a little windy but otherwise very nice. Sun breaking through the clouds and a break from all the rain was a welcome sight. Covered the route 6 min faster. A nice ride to end the day.

GreenAnvil

Slow ride home w/ lots of lane splitting. There's no getting around it on Park Ave. Traffic just moves too slow up to 57th St. I can't complain though because it was so relaxing.

Had a great commute today. This morning it was 45d and light wind with the chance of 30 to 40 mph tail wind going home this afternoon. About 15 min before I left work the flags were hanging limp. (ba humbug) By the time I got out to my bike the wind had picked up to about 15 to 20 and what a great ride home.

Datajunkie you must have had to fight it all the way home. Riding south out of Wash Park and down Franklin St I was thinking to myself zoom zoom zoom. The one good thing about winter riding for me is the wind is usally calm in the mornings and out of the NW in the afternoon when the winter storms roll in and i get to go SE

It has not been that bad lately. At least the wind isn't pushing me over yet :p
I just sit in the drops and chug along. There was a decent 20mph headwind one day and somehow I managed 17mph for a while.
Yes, the opposite direction would be much better :)

total of about a 28 mile round trip today. Had a student matinee performance in one location then off to teach two classes then met up with my wife on the bike path for the ride home. A chilly headwind on the ride home but a beautiful night.

the ride in the a.m. is all urban streets with school buses, city buses, trucks and tons of cars the ride home is along the river on the bike path. It's like two different worlds. Can't beat the bike path for the relaxation factor and scenery but those city streets sure do get me there quick and keep me on my toes.

I was on duty yesterday, so I didn't come home last night ==> no commute this morning.

This afternoon was pretty decent, though about 5F colder than the other day, probably ~50F. Slight side-wind for most of my trip, but not enough that I really had to work to correct. Traffic was medium, and no one tried to run me off the road today! I'm beginning to feel more comfortable on the road, after 2 and a half weeks of commuting. I think some of the cagers are getting used to seeing me between 6:30AM and 7:15AM and between 3:30PM and 4:15PM. I keep seeing the same few cars daily.

Tomorrow morning I plan on commuting on my "new" Miyata One Ten. I've put about 30 miles on it since Sunday trying to get used to a road bike, and I've decided that I'll be brave tomorrow. Fortunately it's on 27" wheels, so tubes were cheap ($2ish each) and they are Schrader valves so my pump for my MTB will work with the road bike. Unfortunately I'm only rolling with 12 gears in the Miyata, compared to the 24 on my MTB. Hopefully a higher flat & downhill speed can combine with lower rolling resistance to make for a quicker commute, and hopefully I don't die without my extra-easy gears on the hills!

38F and light frozen rain, windy. Spinned my way in, took a shower and I'm new!!!

UPS is going to delivery my new Nokian Hakkas 106Ws today! :D

This weekend I'm going for a 70+ mile ride; this will be my first over 50-mile ride ever in my life! Looking forward to it.

GreenAnvil

GTcommuter lead the bike tour of Decatur showing bike improvements and stopping to tell the group about planned and funded projects to make cycling more enjoyable in Decatur.
Kudos GT. :beer:

It's been a while since I posted but I've read consistantly. It's always good to read through the posts from ya'll..I just pulled into work from my commute and thought that this would be the last one. I'm tired and worn and sick of being yelled at, squezed off the road, and clipped, by the inattentive and malicious alike. The past week I've had 4 close calls and though i'm not the world's finest cyclist, I saw them all coming reacted accordingly and still almost came out 2nd best. I just don't know if it's worth it anymore...Sorry to be a downer gang... does anybody else feel like this from time to time?

Yes, I can identify. It doesn't take long driving my normal to get over it though. I get honked out, cut off just as much in my cage and it bothers me way more then. My co-workers all know whether I drove or biked to work - even those in other states. I tend to be grouchy. ;)

On the upside - no grouch today - it was a great ride. :D

Dalmore,
Great stuff...It's true, 2 wheels or 4 cage or no cage, the quantity and quality of cut-offs, honk offs, buzz offs are the same... I guess I just needed to vent with some kindred spirits here...

bmccarthy....I can relate. There are days when I think everyone on the road is an idiot. Thanfully that usually happens on a Friday and then I have the weekend to stay inside and just recuperate.
By Monday, I can deal with the world again. Maybe it would do you some good to take a little time off? Whether it be just from commuting or a real vacation away from it all.
Either way, don't let the mean cagers ruin your life. Commute when you can and if you enjoy it.

Good ride in this morning, it's pretty dark, but the TL1000 and the front light seem to keep me noticed. It was my first ride under 30 degrees this morning, so I tried out this old pull over hoody/neck thing I have (it's just the neck and hood part, not an entire sweatshirt). For 4 miles I was nice and toasty and lovin' it.
For the other four miles, the moisture had built up around my mouth and I started getting cold again.

I think it's time to buy one of those full face masks :) (And some extra lil lights, can never be too careful :b)

My ride was ok but they are starting construction on the first half of my route. That really sucks because the whole first half of my route is Golden Gate Park :( I had to use the sidewalk this morning and I could hardly breathe because of all the dust and deisel fuel exhaust.

I got hipchecked by a doorman opening a taxi door for someone, I squeezed through a tiny space between non-moving cyclist and a cabbie trying to jump the light at a red (I apologized to the cyclist) and another cab almost drove into my back wheel. I also sprinted for about a 1/2 mile because traffic moved well enough and I could thread between the lanes. All this in less than 2 miles. Just another fun commute.

I get frustrated and dejected sometimes with the idiocy demonstrated by cars and pedestrians. But then my vain, arrogant self speaks up and says, Hey! You bike to work! Every day! That is so bad-ass! And the more these people f$%& with you, the harder it gets, the colder it gets, the riskier it gets, the more bad-ass you are! You are so cool! Go you!

And then I'm ready to loop 3-4 miles out of my way, just to get a couple extra miles in.

Wow, what a day yesterday! Got up at 6 a.m., turned in around 1 a.m. Biked 87 km (all purely utilitarian and transportational :p) and spent several hours walking mostly unruly dogs as a volunteer for the Toronto Humane Society shelter. I think I'm gonna take it very easy today... try not to move too much... :D

Biking was great. I had to go to the 'burbs to drop something off, and was wondering how that would turn out since I'm a downtown girl who rarely rides in the 'burbs-like traffic. But to my delight I found a road (Bloor St. west of Hwy 427) that was straight, flat, major (no stop sign or default red light nonsense) but had only two lanes in each direction and very moderate traffic. And it was a very logical road to take: it got me very close to my destination. A little disappointing 'cause riding in heavy traffic builds traffic skills and confidence, but I ain't gonna do it unless I've no other choice. :D

Cycling is not popular in the burbs. I spent quite a while looking for a suitable object to lock my bike to. Saw a total of four cyclists on my whole 'burbs part of the trip, two on the sidewalk, two on the road.

And I also did a bunch of bike path riding. Toronto's Martin Goodman trail along lake Ontario. I find if you're down by the lake already, the path is faster than any street as long as it's not crowded. Fortunately, on a chilly Wednesday afternoon it is about the opposite of crowded. :) Hardly any cyclists on it. Saw three lycra-clad warriors and many guys and gals with panniers and mirrors (one per minute or so). Commuters like near-empty MUPs :).

I'll tell ya though: I am not used to this kind of free uninterrupted riding. Bloor St. and the trail really tired me out! I hit almost no red lights! This means no time to stop and rest - just go, go, go, go. Sure gets the cardio up the way downtown riding never could. :) I remember I had the same sort of feeling on tours I took: "Gee, this country road just rolls on with no intersections anywhere... I've been pedalling without a break for an hour. That's insane! Normally I'm lucky if I can get thirty seconds of uninterrupted pedalling! :D"

My commute was 10 feet down the stairs to the basement. I elected to work from home since I did not feel much like riding in the wet heavy snow. Yes, I'm a wimp but who can blame me when I have the option to work from home.
The wife is at work. My son is at preschool. Just the cat, dog, and me. Life is good. :p