Despite a holiday (Victoria Day) I did commute today to do my usual volunteer dog walking at the Humane Society. It was a beautiful commute - hardly any cars on the roads at all! And in the evening instead of heading home I met up with my bf and we rode to the Ashbridges Bay park where there were firework displays. It was quite amazing. There was a whole large sandy beach there full of people and all over the place fireworks were going off before the official event even started! I've never seen so many 'folk' firework displays in one place. It was slightly unnerving, with all those things going off all around ya! But then the big thing started and it was amazing - one of the best locations I've ever watched fireworks from. They were going off right above our heads. And unlike it usually is, nobody was blocking anyone's view, there were no real "best" spots - it was great no matter where you watched it from. A very nice atmosphere. :)

Then we quickly rode back before the cagers even managed to get back into their cars to drive away. The path along the lake was full of pedestrians (people walking to their cars parked at a plaza about a mile away), but the usually awful Lakeshore Blvd. was closed to cars for some of the way and had very light traffic for a bit more, because it was feeding off a narrow parking lot exit. A cluster of bikes occupied the whole right lane - felt like a critical mass ride. :) Past the plaza the traffic thickened but the MUP became empty again as pedestrians turned into cagers at that point. Getting out by bike definitely was the fastest and most convenient way to do it. I don't really understand people who drive to those events. Trying to get out of there at the same time as everyone else is a huge PITA. I know; my parents do these things with strange regularity and I used to get dragged along.

short commute over to Cambridge and back today. nice weather though and the bike path is being repaved in some places- thank goodness and the MDC.

Good ride in this am. 64F, light winds, and cloudy. I was a scofflaw and rode on the Durham Freeway for ~ 1 mile. I've always wanted to try that to see how much shorter it was. Its only about 1/4 mile shorter, but eliminates 3 stoplights for me. Too much gravel and debris on the shoulder though, and since the freeway has rumble strips, I was forced to ride on the far right of the shoulder where the debris was at its worst. Oh well, at least I gave it a try (and didn't get caught). Might save it for the occasional day when I'm trying to get to work faster.

D'oh! :D

Nice commute for me. Low 40Fs, glorious high pressure overhead, making for blue skies and no wind. I reeled in a commuter in work clothes on a hybrid, then felt guilty for reeling him in. :o

I found out what was making a ticking sound on my back wheel. It wasn't the derailleur. It was the wheel reflector. :rolleyes: I "adjusted it" the other day and I guess it was too tight against some neighboring spokes. I stopped MUP-side and slid it inward as an experiment, and the sound went away.

Cool then warm. It was like I rolled closer to the equator or something. I started yanking my arm warmers off and sweat was pouring off me.

I'm digging the early sunrise.

Chilly start so I wore a lite jacket. Regretted that move after about 10 minutes.
Otherwise a normal commute.

On my way home last night I scared a woman in a van so much that she stopped in the middle of the road for about 20 seconds. I was coming down a hill at about 25mph and she was backing out of her driveway onto the road. I know she didn't see me coming so I yelled which must have scared her since she stopped right in the middle of the road blocking both lanes. I zipped around the front of her van so she could see me and kept going. She sat there for a bit before going again even though a truck was behind her.
This morning was an average commute, had a decent headwind to contend with which slowed me down but not bad other than that. Gotta make a trip to the post office later this morning.

she was probably thinking "gosh I coulda killed him!" when just a second before, it had been just another boring morning. Maybe she'll pay more attention now...

My commute was GREAT. I love this college town when it's empty. and it's still nice and cool and beautiful -

this is the first real spring Texas has ever had!
:D

What's up with the lefties these days? Came to first signal right buy my house just as it was turning yellow. Gave it a mash to scoot through at the same time the lefty decided he was going to blow through as well. Grabbed up the brakes and stopped so he could pass. I know he saw me, so I smiled when I gave him the bird as he whipped passed. He replied with the palm up, "I'm an idiot", shrug. In fact, I think he was.

The rest of the ride was awesome. With the added exercise benefit of a 25mph headwind. I'm fairly sure that will spin around the other way for the trip home.

Got to bust out some bonus miles tonight. The GF is out of town and I'm way behind in training. Ride the Rockies in 3.5 weeks.

First time this year...
 

Finally! The stars aligned (well, really, our family's schedule aligned), and I was able to ride in to work today. Had an embarassing problem that delayed my start, I had forgotten the combination to my cable lock! Arggggh! I finally remembered it, but got out the door about 20 minutes later than I wanted to. (In retrospect, i'm glad I checked...)

I made most of the lights, rode hard, and was hyper quick in the locker room, so I still got to work on time. (Okay, I cheated, I didn't break out the electric razor until I had a spare moment at my desk, but nobody noticed.):rolleyes:

Not a bad commute, but the roads definitely suffered over the winter, they're rather rougher than they were last fall.

I'm really looking forward to the ride home, which is on a MUP for most of the way. (I don't take the MUP in the morning because it's longer, but I don't ride the streets going home because there's more traffic at 5:30 PM than at 5:30 AM.)

Anyway, a good ride to be the first one since turning 48.

Keep at it! by the middle of summer, you'll be stompin' those hills flat.:D

First day back on the bike after 2 sick days (Friday/Monday). The ride itself felt great--the legs were rested and ready to go. But now the throat crud is back with a vengeance, coughing, sore throat, headache. I hate being sick.

Close One
 

whoa!

Had my first taste of a very deliberate right hook yesterday. I was stopped a traffic light dead center of the lane first in line. A crappy tan caravan that was waiting behind me drove around me (on the left) crossing the double line to take a right on red.

I spit on his window. Does that make a bad person? I guess my first experience bike rage?

I think I have been temped to do something like that after all the yells and horns etc. but I have never done it. Not sure it is the best way to act. It may only make drivers more angry about bikes. But who knows.

I underdressed today on the ride. I thought I would be working hard enough to keep warm, but to no avail. When I got to work, my feet were freezing. They are finally starting to thaw out after I get some warm socks and oatmeal in me.

It was bright and sunny on the ride in today, which was nice after a long weekend full of crap weather. It's supposed to rain on the way home, but I'm fully fendered and should stay relatively dry.

Congrats Kotts! Great work Kathy! Keep it up :)

My ride in was uneventful, made good time - rolled my eyes at a racer cager who was trying his best to duck/weave through traffic (traffic being held up naturally by streetcars, etc. anyway) - I was crawling to the red light line up because I wanted to stay on the pedals and keep at least SOME momentum, he zipped around into the left lane for that, too. Also at a fellow cyclist who whizzed by on the right to wait at a red and thus going ahead of me (I was waiting in line in the lane). No biggy, he was doing his curb hugging thing regardless of whether I was faster or not.

Thinking I need more PSI in the tubes on the roadie, sometimes I feel the crap road surface a lot more than I want to in that "hard" rim-banging way.

I agree
 

I thought the same thing a few minutes after the ride. Maybe this driver will be more apt to take out his angry tan carvan frustrations on bikers now ... I will try to find more trails to add to my commute

Nasty cold headwind today, but my legs appreciated the return to cycling after 3 days of stomping around in Banff with a 35lb backpack :)

That's impressive!!

Smokey. Wildfires in south georgia have filled the air with the smell of burning trees.

First day commuting with my road bike. I was a bit scared of riding it because the frame's a bit too big for me and there's an uphill on the way. I can *barely* stand over my bike and I know if I ever fall forward on the seat and I don't land on my toes, it's all over for my hoohah.

Luckily I didn't fall over and I made it up the hill even faster than I did with my regular commuter! I know this is a "duh" but, road bikes are fast!

Windy, but pleasant. Left at 6:45 to get in a mellow 20 miles before work. Took a circuitous route through Midtown to the bike trail to check out the detour (the Union Pacific is still cleaning up the toxic debris from the trestle fire in March). Noticed several groups in matching kits, looking like they were out for a training ride. A fair number of commuter types too. Some singlespeeds.

They are all my brothers and sisters...

Yes, yes they are. And fast road bikes are even faster than commuter road bikes. You'll be going fast enough that cars won't be expecting you to be moving that fast.

They will pull out in front thinking they can make it before you get there or cutting in too tight because they think they have passed you already.

Fly like the wind, but dodge the bullets.

+1
I have an old Schwinn commuter with fenders, racks, bags etc. but I have been using my new (old, but recently acquired) road bike the last few days instead. Nice. I cut 7 minutes of my 7 mile ride in, and came in less tired. Definitely better on the hills.
No cargo space though, had to stuff everything in my messenger bag which gets rather bulky.

I saw some lady eating a blow of cereal as she was slowing for a stop light...

She was driving.


I commute on a road bike and this is true. I think it surprises alot of drivers to see me cruising along with them.

I ditched today for the first time in non mountain biking conditions that I can remember. I rode up onto the sidewalk to get off and lock up my bike. I slowed down to look at something, unclipped my left foot, and got off my bike.

Or at least I tried to. I got off the wrong way, forgetting that my right foot was still clipped in. Lots of traffic and one guy at the crosswalk just stared. Actually the guy was friendly. We laughed about it.


The good news is the bike isn't harmed, nor am I . I didn't completely fall over, I just sort of tipped to the side and caught myself with my arm. Nothing but the tires and my arm ever touched the ground.

On the brighter side, I am now officially done with High School classes. So... four-plus more years of school now.

Nice ride in today, but nervous, as I was supposed to meet the coworker who deliberately stepped into my path at the very last second of my Ride To Work Friday, causing an emergency stop and a lot of anguish.
Turns out it was his last day, and he apparently wanted to go out with a bang.
Apologies to his doppleganger.. I did not spread the rumour it was you.
Pleasant ride home, it's better now I'm not on a MTB

Pretty eventful ride home. I'm on the "fast" bike today so of course everybody on their mtn bikes seem to be racing me. One guy huffed and puffed standing on his huffy while he kept looking behind me. I on the other hand just kept pace with him and smiled once. That seemed to piss him off and made him hammer harder. Funny, funny stuff.

Oh, and a white caravan almost t-boned me. My bike the upper part of the T and her van the tail. I was making a left turn on a green arrow and she was merging into the lane. I know she saw me and I was expecting her to slow down as she should. But as I approached I noticed her moving forward still. I swerved and looke at her and she had a surprised look on her face like I just materialized there. I made the "WTF" movement with my lips and rode off. She stayed behind me though I'm only going 16mph, she must have been scared.

I'm trying to imagine a "blow of cereal":D somehow I've constructed a very funny image.

my commute today was a great road ride of 18.5 miles out to Concord. Finished up work at a little after 7p and hopped on the bike and pushed hard enough to get home before sunset (8:02p) If the weather was always this amazing I'd be happy with a 37 mile round trip commute every day.

Great weather Finally! Spouse commuted with me. I 'drop him off' and 'pick him' up. We're running just 1 car now cause he can't quite make it through the hilly first 6 miles,.