Today was my first commute with new bike lights - and the first time I've ridden at "night" after the time change - love it! It sounds like everyone so far has had great weather - and here on Long Island, NY, I'd say today was an ideal bike day, mild winds, 45-52ish degrees.

right hooked, no contact, at last 0.2 mile commute today. i did hit her driver side rear w/my right fist, she looked startled. i don't get it, how, or why someone would follow/through with such assinine manuvers (spx2), but that's what seems to happen from "perfect" rides, sometimes!
going to write a letter to her after this post, to give tomorrow.

Had my first ride home in the dark this evening, and I loved it too. For most of the way I had the company of other commuters--another first, and I'm not sure why we were all out at the same time for once. I was happy for the company on the MUP. I've heard about a few muggings and it was nice to not be alone.

There's something almost magical about biking in the twilight. Even in traffic, things seem somehow quieter ('course, I'm not in NYC).

oh, so that's why the ride home was like it was. just checked the weather page - -2C projected for later tonight, and already down to +1 while i was on my way home. good day to bring out last year's balaclava, which as it happens,i did do this morning. all the same, i was cold by the time i got to the bridge in my wool socks, balaclava and gloves. this early in the winter, just tights under my rain/wind pants isn't enough.

nice ride, both ways. definitely cold, which does have the advantage of keeping the sweat levels down. i'm just glad it wasn't raining as well.

great commute today. perfect weather and had a nice ride home with my wife. awfully nice to ride along the river and chat in the cool fall evening air.

55F! Warm! 2nd day with the Hakkas and a couple of minutes faster. Took a shower, ate breakfast and I'm new! :D

GreenAnvil

The time change and my late start had the sun rising over the river for me today. HOW COOL IS THAT?? Oops I didn't mean to hit the caps lock key - must have been my sub-conscious. :)

It's supposed to get colder as the day goes on (cold front coming in), but it was 58 this morning, a slight breeze, and peeerfect for riding. I wish we had more days like this. :D

Took a detour on the way in to work to check out a commercial property for rent near my neighborhood, and befriended a very nice dumpster kitty who then followed me for half a block.

The usual. Had to do a zig zag around a cab cutting into my lane whether I was there or not. Swooped around his front bumper, zigged left, then right around the cab in front of him.

Nice sunrise. Almost blinding at one place where I'm riding into the sun. :)

The time change and the warm temps we've had have me all screwed up. I was comfortable when I started out but too warm about half way to work. http://users.telenet.be/eforum/emoticons4u/mad/158.gif Slid the arm warmers down (like the pros ;)) and unzipped my vest and jersey.

Nothing big. Same old same old.
A cold front came in last night when I exited the bus up north. Added a few items and rode home.
The interesting thing is that my leg's temp tolerance for shorts has dropped to 38F from 50F last year. However, 38F is too cold for fingerless gloves. :p
This morning was 24F. 9 degrees off of the average winter low and the coldest this season so far for me. Everything worked like a charm. Still, my neck was cold and I will need to pick up a neck gaiter soon (or a scarf).

Left the house 10 minutes earler than usual. Weather guy on TV said it was 49 in ATL. So I figured it was about 45 for my ride. Well, that was the warmest 45 I have ridden in. 20 minutes into the ride, I'm sweating like a pig. Now I'm going to be way over dressed for the 75 they are saying for this afternoon. On the bright side, the office is supposed to close down early this afternoon. I may just tack on another 5-10 miles even if I am dressed wrong for it.

I have the same issue with weather persons in denver. They can barely predict the future and are inept at the present. I went to target and purchased a $10 digital thermostat and stuck the sensor out the window. Much much better.

Low 40Fs this morning. Soul-crushing headwind. I managed to reel in a woman on an MTB. She had a rack with a bag and panniers. I didn't want to pass her in the wind, so I stayed several yards back so as not to make her nervous. Someone came out on the MUP behind us but we outran the person, if you want to call it "outrunning." :o

I wore gloves but my hands got too hot after a while. Oh well.

Only -12 today, and the snow on the roads has packed down substantially. A middle-aged gentleman didn't feel like waiting for traffic [i.e. my wife and I] to clear out of the way, so he pulled out onto the wrong side of the road and went around us. Since we were at the top of a hill, I coasted down behind him, then went into the lane beside him at the bottom. I turned around at the light and gave him a big wave and smile. He looked grumpy, but his passenger seemed amused.

Hey dalmore, where do you cross the river? That would be really dangerous for me if I lived up there; between my two favorite hobbies, fishing and biking, I would never get to work.

Commute this morning was fine. Since I mangled my derailer I'm going to be on the single speed for the rest of this week. It's actually kind of fun, like driving a sports car after being in my "mini-van" so much recently.

Almost destroyed by a dump truck today, ride was going just fine until then (except school buses... why do they always buzz me?). You know where the road goes from asphalt to the concrete drainage ditch? The outside of his tire was ON that divide. He was doing at least 50mph, I was doing about 20. I should be f@cking dead man. Could not catch him, no lights, and I didn't see a tag, and I looked. If it was on purpose, I hope he dies a fiery death.

So then I get to my office, and I've never had a problem before. Now the security guard tells me I can't bring my bike in the building. I don't have a bike lock. He won't let me leave it there, so I'm stuck. Get my boss to come down, and he said, apologetically, that it was policy. Luckly, he's the man, so he found me a bike lock. Hopefully it won't get ganked, I hate leaving my bike outside.

Not in a good mood, although I set a pretty good time on the commuter. Probably due to me really trying to catch the guy in the dump truck. I'll probably be pissed off for the rest of the day. Awesome.

Had my second contact with an auto last night. I was on the left side of the left lane getting ready to fork left right behind a mini-van. We're stopped at a light, the fork is in the middle of the next block. Light goes green and we all go. Mini-van stops suddenly and I skid to the outside of him and procede to break my fall on the side of his van. As soon as I do, he starts going again. So there I am, leaning my back against his moving van, still clipped in, frantically trying to right myself before he moves ahead of me. I don't know how it worked, but I didn't fall and forked off the the left and that was that.

Yesterday, first time riding in a week, because of rain, but wonderful weather- 60 on the way in, 70 on the way home. Came out to only the second flat tire in 5 months of riding.

This morning was 30 degrees colder at 32…got bundled up and apparently left a few minutes late, because I get downtown (KCMO) to where I catch the bus and it is turning the corner in front of me a few blocks away!!! GOLLY GEE! (not actual quote) I only have 4 blocks to catch the bus before it crosses the river and heads north so I am flying down a slight incline. I knew that the driver would let out one person at the coffee plant near the bottom of the hill, but of course he barely pauses to let her out…luckily he sees me flailing my arms wildly and stops to let me on…wheew!

Otherwise, uneventful…
Mike

GTcommuter - I don't actually cross the river but I ride along side of it for about 3/4 a mile along willeo road. If I take azeala drive over to old alabama I can ride along side it for another 3 miles.

There is a popular fishing spot where Jackson's creek joins the river right where I get on Willeo so yea, you'd probably never get to work. ;)

Today is my last day before I get my bicycle back. I can't wait for it need todo 30 miles tommorow.
So I am using my wal-mart bicycle and all these motors were honking at me today. I had some close cagers who don't understand the danger.

Today is Hollow and I am glad I am taking the canal home I have a7 mile journey.

I've been busy for a while..... but I like to check back here occasionally, as I'm still very much the bike commuter.

Its the first ride home (for me) tonight after the shift in daylight saving time. Time to try out the fancy new Cateye Doubleshot that I picked up at the weekend. Should help frighten away those wee ghosties :)

Ed

Very warm, cloudy and dark! This was the first time that I've bike commuted home in almost total darkness. Constant headwind... so I'm there, slowly plodding along with my new Hakkas and my huge panniers catching all that headwind, when all of a sudden... a roadie!!!

He's very close, I can see his front light closing in on me fast! And then (what nerve!) he just dropped me in the most merciless way... I mean, c'mon, he just can't drop me like that, can he? Wait! He just did!!!! He had slicks, drop bars, smaller panniers, going at a pretty good cadence too. So who am I, this rookie, to stand up to him?

I must confess, today was the first time (I've been dropped three times by commuting roadies) that my cyclist ego has been hurt. The guy was like 200 meters ahead of me when I decided to give chase! Forget this spinning thing, I'm going to mash big! Or so I thought... riding with the Hakkas and that constant headwind; it would have been easier to sprint in the deep end of a pool.

I also forgot that today is my legs weight training routine... so I'm wasted. To you roadie, whoever you are, it's true you're my brother-at-arms, but I hate you! :)

Anyway, all in all, another commute in the bag, and to God I'm thankful that I was able to do it.

GreenAnvil