fixed.rider

My significant other did the first hour of her 3 hr training ride this morning w/ my commute, so I had a little company on my usual boring commute. Quote of the morning from her at around 640am, "you do this everyday!?!" =) Weather is a little funny right now, 37F in the morn, but the sun is out by the time I am at the office, so warms up nicely. Tough to pick out clothes. I do love the cool morning commutes!

marqueemoon

The Burke-Gilman (MUP) was un-rideable and the sidewalk leading to the Fremont bridge crossing (it's this or riding on wet/icy steel grating) was like a skating rink. 3/4 of the way to work my rear tire flatted. Walking the rest of the way was faster/warmer than trying to fix it. Now I have a project for my lunch hour. When I got to work I realized I had forgotten my wallet and keys in my rush to get appropriately bundled up. I had hoped to pick up some Mr. Tuffys at the shop down the street to throw in. So much for that plan. At least I have a pump and 2 extra tubes and packed a lunch and coffee.

I'm the only person in my group who actually made it in today. Everyone else drives or takes the bus. Go me!

HardyWeinberg

Yesterday am was snowy and icy. Last night, rain and slush, Today was just snow on ice, nothing actually falliing. I did switch to 2" knobbies from 1.5" transworld cities on Sunday, so I've been having fun plowing through piles of debris, seeking traction, that I usually avoid for fear of punctures.

I like the 2" knobbies, makes me feel 6" taller. Maybe look at some Big Apples for when the weather is better (next week hopefully)

I like the idea of living where things fall apart w/ *any* amount of snow. Seems like a more sensible response than piling into the SUV and wiping out somewhere 'cause darn it that's what we do in cold places.

marqueemoon

Yeah. Things fall apart here but people still try to drive in this stuff.

This snow happened immediately after I switched from 700x40 tires to 700x28 on my Cross Check. Probably not such a bad thing though. The fenders would have clogged badly if I had left the 40s on there. The 700x28s have seen better days though. I might spring for some Schwalbe Marathon 700x32s this weekend. Need to get some mudflaps on this bike too.

HardyWeinberg

I had to raise my fenders, front and back. In the back it was just rearranging the stays, but in the front I had to raise the fender above the arch it was bolted to and then zip tie it to the top of the fork so it came through above the v-brake. So that fender is now attached only by zip ties, top and bottom (no eyelets on the suspension fork). So far so good, though.

We used to live on Sand Point Way in Seattle, one time there was a big snow storm and an SUV slid off Sand Point in front of the National Archives building, basically across from our front window, and a couple of TV news people filmed it and then played it back all day as a symbol of the chaos unleashed...

Mr_H

Good thing: I topped 1000 miles for 3 months. Woooo!

Bad thing: Chain broke in teh middle of an intersection, nearly getting me run over. The nerve of the chain....unfortantly it was short, and I could not locate the pin. I was only 1 block from the bike store though, so I went there and had them repair it for me...as well as put on a new rear derailuer (it's been needing replacing).

Broke the front fender this morning and the chain this evening.....not having a good record today. I think I'll stay in

Two Buck Chuck

Very cool ride home--I was in a pack of eight commuters, all riding at the same pace down the Mt. Vernon Trail. It just happened we all bunched up at the 14th St. bridge and kept together until the Four Mile Run split. From there, it was five of us into Alexandria. Anyone on the forum part of this group tonight?

Flimflam

Had a good but windy ride home - turns out I must've had a tailwind this morning, as I head a helluva headwind going against me eastbound. Had a van pull into my lane briefly (I knew it was going to happen, I could just sense it) before my "whoooooaaaaaaa" in a Glenn Quagmire voice seemed to correct that (or he saw me )
Saw a cyclist (in fact, I'm pretty sure you ALL saw this guy) when on the Bloor bridge, and I'm not kidding, he must be like mechB / 2many'lights' father or something, this guy must've had about 20 lights on the back, including strobe blinkies in amber and blue and a LARGE helping of hi-vis. reflective material on his rear trunk going ride down to ground level. I slowed down and took a photo of the dude from behind, I just had to try and get one
It's a horrible cellphone image, sorry, but hopefully it gets the point over



Had to replace my batteries on my PB 5000x tonight too, I was doing some hi/low + other headlight testing on Chester (very quiet small residential street, but dark in patches) and a couple of turns later found it off, so pulled over and did a switch - glad I bought some cheapo AAs to stuff in my backpack. That stop made me cold due to the sweat, but had a good run after anyway.

37 mins, 13.1 avg.

buzzman

interesting ride home tonight on rain slicked roads.

as I was going through an intersection (with the green light) I habitually looked right and left just to double check that all was okay and this truck is rolling at a modest speed toward the intersection from the right. He looks like he's ready to slow for his red light but at a certain point it seemed he was just not slowing down enough. My head said, "Hey, I've got the light and he must see me (all in orange and reflectorized with plenty of lights) but my gut said, "stop he's going through this light." thank goodness for good habits- looking even though I've got the green and never assuming they see me- and for following my gut and not my stubborn head because this guy blew right through the light at about 25 mph not even touching the brakes.

As I watched him roll by I looked at his face and from his gaze I realized he must have been looking at the traffic light for the next intersection, which was about 150 feet beyond the one I was stopped at and that light was green. I think he saw me coming into the intersection but was probably thinking damn these red light running cyclists I'm not stopping. If he had a moment of realization of his error I sure missed it. Lucky for him no one else was coming through the interesection at the same time.

HardyWeinberg

Ice all the way home. I rode the whole way but for one little ramp from street to MUP that entailed a 120ish degree turn. I could see the tracks actually of other bikes trying it and hitting the fence that kept them from rolling onto the interstate below. My feet were sliding from under me as I walked down it, I kind of had to bodysurf while holding the bike.

Randomus

As expected in late November in the Bay Area, the weather was mild. The entire 5K commute I make feels great in 50F weather.

bikedaddy

Snow on the way home! Lots of fun and very peaceful. Not sure if I'll ride in tomorrow. Depends on how much falls tonight. They are calling for 3-7inches. If it is 3 I'll go. 7 I'm not so sure about.

marqueemoon

I skipped the MUP. Way too icy.

I switched out my tube at work and had just screwed the valve shut when it broke off in my hand. Thankfully I had already pumped up the tire as much as I was going to with my crappy little hand pump so I decided to take my chances. Fortunately it got me home, but now I'm unable to get any more air into it. Sometime tonight I get to stick a pin in my tire on purpose so I can change out the tube for one I can actually get air into.

The funny aspect of all of this is the tube I used was one I found on the way home from work a few months ago. It was just lying there in the road with a tire lever rubber banded to it. So... whoever you are... thanks for getting me home.

scottmorrison99

Cold ride today. Then I read caloso's post and wished for just one no footed commute. Maybe next time. At least the guy in the Nissan truck missed me by 8". As I raised the waterbottle to bounce off his driver's side window, I remembered that it just wasn't worth it and rode home.

GreenAnvil

I felt like I was flying today.

Last night at my workplace's parking lot, a co-worker who is also a rider stopped me and told me about some adjustments I could make to my bike. The seat level was wrong, he said, it needed to be higher. Also told me how to adjust the angle of the seat, etc, etc. Things that I as a new rider don't know yet. We raised the seat about 1.5" and guess what, the ride home was much more comfortable and I shaved off about 3 min off my average time. Once home, I spent more time really tweaking the seat height and angle, checked tire pressure, etc, etc. This morning, I shaved off ANOTHER 2 min off the average time. With the Hakkas which are very slow tires, and about 30 lbs (laptop, clothes, food, etc) in two panniers and a trunk acting as a huge slow-down parachute. And this was after doing my legs workout last night, after which I'm usually sore and tired.

I couldn't be any happier and amazed at the same time how little adjustments here and there can make up for more efficient and comfortable rides. That was an eye opener and I'll be sure to pay more attention to these details from now on.

BTW, very WARM (almost early-Fall like), in the upper 50's (F); supposed to get into the 60's (F) today!!!!! Yay!

GreenAnvil

heywood

Great ride to & from my Commuter Train station.

It is the little adjustments/proper inflation that can make all the difference in the world.

Looking forward to the first snow..

substructure

Fog was horrible. Legs were horrible. Cleat on my right shoe kept coming loose after stopping to tighten it. I rode in the foggy dark for at least 30 of my 43 mile ride in today. Going through the mountain pass something - something huge - was running in the woods beside me and I couldn't tell what it was. First time, in a long time, I felt like a kid running home after watching a horror movie at a friend's house. Cars couldn’t see me too good. I could tell because they’d swerve around me on occasion. Yes, I’m lit and blinking and reflective, but the fog was that thick. Thank the Lord I made it safely.

Tomorrow is supposed to be worse so I’m driving.

GreenAnvil

BigFoot? It would take me like a week to recover from something like that, and I'd start carrying a stick or somethin'.

GreenAnvil

ax0n

Yah, the difference that tire pressure and seat adjustments made on my Sorrento were insane. The slicks were at about 65 PSI, and the seat was a tad too low when I test-rode it. When I went to pick it up, the manager was giving it a full tune-up. The tires were pumped up to 85 PSI, and he fitted the bike to me (handlebars and seat) before telling me to take it for another spin. Completely. Different. Bike. Period.

ax0n

Holy carp... I'm starting to feel the effects of yesterday's tumble. Yesterday, my knee felt kind of out of whack and stiff. This morning, I can't stand on my left leg alone (as in, putting pants on or tying shoes while standing up... my usual way of doing things)

Also, the left side of my back near the bottom of my rib cage is all sorts of tweaked, and my left wrist is really stiff. Yes, the bike went out from under (and kind of in front of) me, landing me pretty hard on the left side. I was going about 25 when it happened.

Ugh.

Despite the carnage, I still rode in today. I put the knobbies on last night, which was a Good Thing™. Between my weak knee, the knobbies, and the different gearing on my knobby wheelset, my already craptastic 11.8-12.3MPH average speed dropped to 8.0.

It was raining again this morning, and was slicker than ever. At least I managed to say helmet side up this time. It's supposed to drop a good way below freezing sometime today and we'll possibly have the chance of flurries or an ice storm. I packed warm clothes for the ride home, it should be a blast. Too bad I have to ride gently for the next few days until I get back to 100%.

idcruiserman

14F on the ride in this morning, but very little wind. I wore the balaclava for the first time. It got wet from all my steamy breathing, and I had big pieces of ice hanging off it . Cross bike brifter is broken, so I rode the R2000. So much lighter.

DataJunkie

Argh! Only a few inches of snow with a bit of ice. No plowing at all!
Freaking snow bike had an issue so I took the car to the park-n-ride. Then I forgot my bus fare and decided rather than drive 4 miles home that I would drive to work. MISTAKE! The highway was a mess and filled with idiot drivers that had no clue how to drive in the snow. 90 minutes to drive 30 miles to work. ugh!
Should have worked from home...stupid stupid stupid.
Tomorrow should be -2F with a few more inches of snow expected between now and then. I think I may take my own advice and work from home. bleh

* jack *

Steamy. Thick fog and temps near 60°F for the ride in.

substructure

+1 here in Gastonia, NC. Freaky Scoobie Doo type fog.

GTcommuter

Dang, this is some nice weather we're having. So nice to be riding in light weight clothes in nearly December. I just wish that it would be warm and light after 6pm so that I can go take some pictures at the neat old junkyard that I just found.