knucklesandwich

Around 22F this morning- had a fast ride in. Was dying for a balaclava for the first mile, not so much after that.
Crisp, clear, minimal wind. If I bike tomorrow, I'll end January at 50% of my commutes by bike. By far the lowest percentage since I really got into the bike commuting last April. I'm still at 70%+ of all workdays since that time.

TxBiker

Wet, but warming up. Today was only 43 degrees for the ride it, but a steady rain. My new arkel tail rider bag is SWEET! as well as the new windproof, waterproof gloves. It was rather enjoyable this time. Also...glad to be riding again. I had to take a few months off due to a motorcycle wreck that banged up my right knee pretty bad. Nothing like commuting again....I sure missed those 26 miles (roundtrip).

Chris

pinkrobe

I was challenged by a geared scofflaw on the way home last night. I was feeling tired already, so I drafted off him for a while. Then he shot across a 4-lane road and I had to work to catch him. Then he blew through a stop sign going uphill and got away from me. Obviously, I need more wattage...

Today, we had 60 km/h winds @ around -3C. Not bad, but the windchill was considerable.

jyossarian

That's cool. I've seen them made on the fly using a hanger and duct tape.

TRaffic Jammer

Thanks man, I need a fork crown mounted forward deflector i'm getting too much sprayback on me for my liking, possible lengthening of the downtube one as well.

JohnnyOTS

Had a series of rather uneventful commutes recently, although this morning's had a few wrinkles. It was warm enough that I swapped out the coat for the windbreaker, and of course the 10% change of rain meant it rained a bit. Nothing too bad, fortunately. Then at the 12 mile mark of my 20 mile commute, my front tire started hissing and spitting slime. Fortunately this was one of the stretches that has streetlights (I much prefer not having to hold a flashlight while doing repairs), so I parked under one and assessed the damage - hole in the tire (where the slime was leaking out) and the hissing was a few inches away (where, presumably, the hole in the tube was.)

*Sigh*

So I got out the tools, pulled the front wheel, etc, etc, and sure enough there was a small gash in my tube - big enough that the slime couldn't plug it, but small enough that the tube was still repairable. Now, I love the slime tubes I've got. My morning commute involves a few miles of unpaved shoulder with a good supply of goatheads and nasty sharp objects, and my rate of flats and slow leaks dropped dramatically once I got them. (Even the tire liners didn't make as much of a difference.) But man, are those things messy when they get a bigger hole. Anyway, patched the tube (after a lot of cleanup), checked the tire and liner twice for whatever caused the hole (no sign of it - probably a piece of glass from the broken beer bottles in the bike lane earlier in the commute) put everything back together and wisely checked along both sides of the tire to make sure the tube wasn't pinched under it anywhere. And for once, it was! So I shoved it back in place with a tire lever and avoided the pinch flat. Happy me. ^_^ Aired it up, and it was uneventful from there on out. Here's hoping for more boring commutes.

HardyWeinberg

Beautiful morning. Bike lanes swept!

Relaxer

24 degrees in our nation's capital this morning. I have a stomach flu (stayed home yesterday) and so contemplated just driving in, but that would involve such hassle, as would taking the metro, so just cleared my mind and jumped on the bike. Glad I did too because I never once thought about being sick while riding. But as soon as I got off my bike, I felt like I got bum-rushed by all the delayed sickness and now I feel awful.

caloso

Sigh. My 2007 resolution to not confront JAMs didn't even make it to February.

About a mile from my house, there's a section where the street narrows significantly and then dead-ends into a T intersection with a stop sign. It's typical morning neighborhood traffic -- folks going to work and dropping kids at the elementary school and a fair number of dog walkers and runners on the path that rings the park.

Obviously not a good spot for a 35 mile an hour pass and stop sign running.

But that's what the guy in the 90-something Toyota Tacoma with the camper shell did. And I don't know why it made me so angry. So I followed him. I was on my race bike and I knew that he'd eventually run into a series of lights towards Broadway. And I caught him easily at X St. And I knew I had almost the entire red light cycle. So I tapped on his window and said, "Hey, listen. If you're going to drive past the park where I play with my kids I would appreciate it if you'd drive more safely."

And the driver said. "Oh, I'm so sorry. Yes, I see what you're saying and I was wrong. I'll drive safely, legally, and courteously from now on. That was a momentary slip, and I appreciate your pointing it out to me.






































No. Not really. What he actually said involved a lot more bile and spittle, some words beginning with F, oh and a threat to get out and to rip me off my bicycle and beat me with it. So I ignored that, kept my eyes locked on his, and said "Look. I don't know why you're so angry and impatient. I am asking you nicely to please drive through my neighborhood more carefully."

Ah, and this is where I knew that he had submitted: He muttered "You're lucky my wife is here."

And then the light turned green and he tried to squeal his tires but he couldn't get them to spin and he kind of bounced through the intersection. I followed him through and memorized his license plate in case he tried to run me over. In the next block he slowed down, maybe thinking I'd ride by, but I wouldn't be suckered into that. So I rode behind him at 4 mph for half a block and then finally he took off.

Fun morning.

Itsjustb

caloso, points to you for letting him off the hook when he said, "You're lucky my wife is here." I would have been very tempted to say, "Your wife APPROVES of that kind of driving?" Or, even better, "You're lucky MY wife ISN'T here."

Oh, I just thought of another! When he was doing 4 mph down the road, catch up to him again and say, "See? THIS is how you should drive through busy residential neighborhoods! I knew you'd get it!"

caloso

Genius. I wish I'd said it.

Itsjustb

Must have been "confront the idiot driver" day. On my route there's a stretch of really-poorly-designed road, and sure enough it's where the majority of my confrontations/buzzes/problems occur. There's a concrete median there where a right lane bcomes a RTOL lane, and then the RTOL ends. I take the entire right lane until the lane turns into the RTOL, then I check shoulder and merge when I can (I signal the merge).

Usual routine this morning, I saw a moving truck well back of me and in the left lane, so I signalled and merged. Suddenly I heard the truck's engine race, then the sound of squealing brakes and the truck was right on my tail. The truck passed me (even though there was no room because of the median), and his mirror missed my helmet by less than a foot.

I caught him at the next light, tapped on the passenger window, and gestured for him to give me more room next time. He started screaming and unbuckling his seat belt to come after me (we're at a left turn light with cars behind him; moron). The light changed, I pulled away, and he went on.

jeff-o

My commute today was.... cold...

acroy

ahhh, back on the bike.
I had to drive yesterday since i had lasik over the weekend, dr said to give it a couple days. I HATE commuting by car.
The bike felt great. I felt fat and slow!

gendasza

Tons of frost in Seattle today... I was coming down 15th Ave from Capitol Hill and skidded out just past Galer. Thankfully, I had my helmet - it suffered a dent.

Yeah bikes!
Boo frost!

robsuniverse

My hats off to all that ride in the cold and rain. You are brave and incredible. Bike riders are or should be the kings of the road. My ride was in a liitle bit of a mist and temps in the 50's. Traffic was a little tough on the way home but I made it safe and sound. This afternoon a ride to run some errands was a head wind and mist, but it wasn't bad at all. I love my bike and the riding.
No pain, no gain, do what you like to do and never give up. Most of all Have fun!

MrROG

Temp 10c easy riding in Blighty.Great to pass queues of cars on my commute to and from work today. On my journey home I had the longest ever wait at a red light at a busy junction. I still made record time to get home to take my son out to athletics training. Dig deep!

o-dog

cold this morning but not nearly as cold as yesterday. left my parents' house (where I stayed the night before) a little later than I wanted to so I did the first part of the commute as expeditiously as possible given the road conditions. stopped by my bike locker to pick up my lock and then proceeded the rest of the way into work. a lady I passed on the path after saying "on your left" said thanks then something else under her breath. I guess it wasn't well wishes. other than that, it was a good, and invigorating ride in.

got out a little early. put my bike lock in the locker again on the way back and also took a detour up and down the Paint Branch before heading home through some tough crosswinds. passed a homeless-looking person sitting off to the side of the path who positively stunk of the wacky tabacky. snow flurries started coming down as I was getting off the path but they went away after a few minutes. good ride back.

chephy

Congrats on the lasik. I'm always a little envious to hear about people brave enough to do the surgery and get great eyesight back. Glasses are such an annoyance! *sigh*

bikedaddy

Well today was another excellent commuting day!

On the way in I encountred some city workers put gravel and salt on the bike trail. They warned me that the underpass was a 'glacier'. I was already aware of this but thought it was great they warned me. I actually didn't dismount and was able to stay up over the glacier due to all the stuff they put down.

On the way home approaching the underpass from the opposite direction an approaching jogger warned me of the 'glacier' ahead. Again thought this was very kind. Then as I was about to go from the MUP to road some guy on a road bike yelled something at me ... it was friendly... just not sure what it was. Maybe 'it is really cold' or 'keep on going'. I just waved.

The reason I write all this is that for the past month I have had little to no interaction with anyone besides cars (and a couple racoons) due to the cold and snow. While I certainly enjoyed everyone's friendliness today I somewhat dread when more bikes and pedestrians come out in the spring. I like being one of only a few out there...

buzzman

rode in and home via Beacon St and the urban road route- no bike path.

I'm crawling along these days at what feels like a snails pace even on the road.

Temp this am about 12F. This evening about 18F.

Unlike the path most of what I can report of the road/street ride is of interactions with motorists. I actually had two positive ones. One a big black pick up truck that gave me plenty of room passing after having had to wait for a while to get by me on Beacon and the other a cabbie that saw me signal to cross over Beacon on the way home and slowed way down and indicated to me that he'd wait as I diagonaled my way across the road.

I got buzzed a couple of times too but I've long since forgotten why or how.

FidelCastrovich

Cr**********p!
I had a stinginess-related accident today. Well, not exactly accident. More like an incident. My rear tire blew up on me, as i was going up a hill, about a mile from work.
And why did it blow up, you ask? Because i was too cheap and didn't follow my mechanic's suggestion to replace the tire as it's worn out.

AGH!
Moral - take care of your tires! And don't stinge out!

knucklesandwich

Couldn't bike in today, because I have two meetings away from the office that need driving to. On the bright side, I am super tired today, but only b/c I was up til after midnight putting together my 2nd bike, a singlespeed (dinglespeed, really) MTB. Should be done tonight/tomorrow in time to burn off some calories ahead of the Super Bowl!

luckysnafu

Another cold and windy ride to work this morning. All was well until the last 1/4 mile when I almost got hit head on by some idiot who couldn't stay in his lane around a turn. He had his car practically the whole way in my lane. I yelled and pointed at him and he jerked his car out of my way. I guess the southerners here really can't deal with the cold weather...which brings me to tomorrow's forecast of snow/sleet/freezing rain. I can't wait to see what is in store for tomorrow's ride

Wulfheir

yesterday afterwork i thru my bike in a co-workers truck bed, and we went to a rink to play shinny with other workmates. it's roughly the same distance from home as our workplace. so i'm calling that a round commute. besides, i didn't wanna be late for the game.

it was windy as all hell though, 50km/hr gusting to 80!