LenX

Wow! What a great forum. I’ve been reading a lot of heartening stuff from all the commuters, and so I thought I’d post this: today marks 130 round-trips to work and back on my bike. At 21.5 miles per round-trip, that amounts to almost 2,800 miles that I didn’t spend in a car.
The weather here in the northern suburbs of Chicago hit 50 degrees, and even though it rained on my way in, it was so warm it felt like spring.
Why, I wonder, aren’t more people commuting by bike?

tokolosh

uneventful both ways, except that i part-bussed home again. yeah, call me a sunshine soldier. got a happy-christmas hug from my biking security buddy, who's off to the philippines for a month with his family. ready for four days off, me.

buzzman

that, my friend, is the question I ask myself almost daily as I watch the line of anxious, stressed out drivers while I ride in bliss next to them.

capejohn

Did you ever use the name Coffee per chance?

IchbinJay

capejohn, I live on the Cape/South Shore, how's commuting in your neck of the woods?

dynodonn

The commute to work was great with a 25mph tailwind, and warm temps (Low 50's). Coming back was good as well, with the exception of the last two miles when I got caught in a major downpour with only my raincoat on. I was debating whether to put on my rain pants, but didn't. No problem, it was only two miles.

scottmorrison99

Rain bike and back up bike down for repairs, so I rode the road bike in even though rain was predicted. The rain never materialized, so I had a fast ride both ways. Anyone have a suggestion for good gloves for temps from 20-40F?

capejohn

I live near New Bedford and work in Taunton. I drive to the Galleria Mall and ride the remaining 10 miles through the city of Taunton to work. I did a picture blog HERE

chephy

Nice pictures, capejohn. Pretty ride.

ModoVincere

Fun ride in this morning. A little chilly, but nothing too bad. I got a little crazy and did some curb hopping since I was basically the only one on the road at the time. Then, when I got to work, I discovered that my blinky broke off sometime this morning. I guess it couldn't take the curb hopping.
So...I hitched a ride from a co-worker at lunch just now, and now I'm the proud owner of a planet bike super flash. Going to go set it up after I get some more reports run for the boss.

bikebuddha 

Wow, what a ride today. I guess this was what life would be like post peak oil. I was passed by only about a dozen cars between home and work. It was chilly and a little windy but I didn't care. I had the whole road to myself.

DataJunkie

Unless a miracle thaw occurs I am done for this year. My last ride was 1 week ago the day before the storm hit. After several thaws my housing development is still buried in wet slushy snow. If they had only plowed the path by my home I would be set. bleh! Going to hit the gym tomorrow (maybe).
This is annoying.

bikedaddy

I'm in the same boat DataJunkie

My last commute was Dec 19 and I'm afraid that has become my last commute of the year. I could make it out my hood but I just don't feel safe with these narrow steets and disappearing lanes. Also with another big storm on the way I'm just going to wait until next year... hopefully my right lanes and bikes paths will be thawed by then. I got some new panniers today so I'm stoked... no more backpack!

BTW... Anyone else in this snowy mess notice how drivers no longer seem to think stop signs apply when there are 4 foot piles of snow along the roadways? If anything you would think they would be more cautious but it seems as though they say to themselves...'Well here is a big pile of snow I can't see over so I'm just going to floor it! Thats the ticket!' Anyway...

DataJunkie

Yes.
Stop signs, stop lights for right turns, and many other basic traffic rules have gone out the window.
I've even seen drivers park slightly to the right of the center of a residential street.
That and all the idiots that will not shovel their sidewalk. Makes taking the kid and\or dog for a walk very annoying. It is understanding if the person is elderly but many are just plain lazy.
My new cycling clothes and equipment is just going to have to wait.

marqueemoon

Another rainy commute. What a ****ing shock.

tomg

SWEET!
both ways are a challange but getting better! extra distance is not so much an issue now; getting into the swing
SOLO. still don't see any other commuters (bicycle). there are signs of roadies (bannana peels), but i have not seen any cyclists during the 2 hours on the road, daily!
still loner in s nj!

bikebuddha 

Well yesterday was nice. Today it was back to normal including one guy who passed me going at least 70!

ModoVincere

Again nice ride in. Left the house later than normal and commuted in slower than normal. I wish I had worn a scarf or neck gaiter since it was about 35F and going downhill at 25-30mph creates a pretty good wind chill. Also, I had one idiot in an explorer yell something as he went by. What the hell is it with people in explorers and Jeep Cherokees?

Relaxer

Due to vacation, hadn't done my commute in almost a week and it was surprisingly challenging this morning. And it's not like I was a lump over the holiday -- I took two 35-mile rides over the last 6 days -- but I felt like I was going uphill in a wind the whole way in.

dynodonn

Another good ride to work yesterday, a storm was making it's way through our area and I had a 20 to 45 mph tailwind. The return trip home started out great, calm and with no rain, but quickly soured when a carload of teenagers decided to use me as a target for their new CO2 pellet gun. I was fortunate to have on several layers of thick foul weather gear, the pellets were made of some sort of wax or soap, and I was not hit in the face. The rest of the ride I was on Defcon 1, constantly checking the mirror and the road far ahead. The teens spotted me a second time, but I was able to advert them for the remaining commute home. I immediately notified the local authorties about the incident as soon as I got to my house, but with the local law enforcement stretched thin from budget cuts, I doubt much action was taken.

gizem310

It finally rained last night here in SoCal! In my morning commute, the air smelled soo good and everything looked clean for a change.

HardyWeinberg

Nice ride in today. Lots of sun. No mountain, though. Good eagle-watching. 4 days off has done a lot for my legs, whew. May take a lunchtime ride tomorrow so they don't get cocky, esp. w/ another 4 day weekend coming up.

buzzman

nice ride into the South End today- didn't have to work but met up with a friend for lunch. The bike was loaded with Christmas gifts for him and his family but they were flying back to LA so I ended up having to carry them home and mail them to him in LA because their luggage was overflowing. Then did errands on the bike piling on some cool miles in areas I seldom ride. Took some great hidden back streets. Then whipped back down to BU on the bike to meet my wife on the bike path to ride home with her.

We had our first day with relatively cold temperatures but really nothing comparatively speaking to past years or to those of you in other northern (or more northern climes). People every where I went kept asking me how the riding was "on a day like this."- took me a minute to figure out what they meant.

tokolosh

now entered upon the official countdown. i have three months to go on this contract - well, not really, not technically . . . not for another week. still, christmas was some kind of mental watershed, so let the gnawing of the trapped leg and the dreaming of freedom begin.

meanwhile i'm still riding my studded knobbies to and from work every day, and promising myself that if i'm really good, for a treat, i can go sometime and get them properly inflated again. there was frost on the windows of all the parked cars as i came home - stopped and scraped a fingernail along one to make sure - so at least they feel relevant.

Mazaev

Well, rather uneventful the last few days.

Tonight it seems the temperature is finally starting to drop a bit. Rode in with about 40 degrees out tonight wearing a poly-pro base layer, a t-shirt and an EMS windstopper softshell and felt awesome. This is becoming my favorite commute temperature; just the right balance between being hot and cool at the same time.

Actually, I picked up a Brooks b17 last week to replace an entirely too soft, plastic Cloud9 seat I had which is now heavily contributing to the enjoyment of my commute. No break-in needed. I got on this thing and knew I was set within 1 mile or so.

Wow man... that's horrible. Where are ya located? Did you get a plate number?