I had a pretty reasonable ride in today. Not much traffic, but I did have to stop for a pedestrian on my big downhill. This is generally not a big deal, but my front brakes squeal like crazy. I've got 0.25" of toe-in, and they still sound like a freight train with the e-brake on. I was so embarrassed...

Heavy legs this morning after the Tuesday Night River Ride, during which I got shelled like a roasted peanut, thank you very much. But still a pleasant ride in with the tailwind at the end.

Yep, scares people all to hell when they assume you're one of those bozos with non-functioning brakes and a bike that's about to fall apart. :)

I feel so awful that I can't post in this thread... my cold is keeping me at home. My total mileage for May is just a bit over 30 miles so far! If I don't get out on a bike this week, I'll explode!

Honestly, I rather enjoy riding in the rain, as long as it is not too cold. After a certain point you can't get any wetter, anyway.

But then, I was born on the West Coast so it's kind of surprising I don't have webbed feet.

Speaking of such - I saw THE COOLEST thing on my way in this morning. There was a beaver swimming happily along in the river! I have spent years hiking to all kinds of remote areas and never spotted a beaver in the wild; so where do I see one? Right in the middle of Calgary! Craziness. I'd been riding right past its lodge for weeks, thinking it was a mass of flood debris. I also saw a Hooded Merganser, as a bonus.

In other words, a really good morning :) No headwind, light traffic, a nice fast ride AND wildlife sighting. It doesn't get much better!

Hmm, so by his logic, any cars that want to go faster than he is would have the right to run up next to him and push HIM into traffic.

I wonder that about car drivers sometimes, especially the ones that get pissed that I'm ONLY going the speed limit and they want to go 20 over, so I should get the heck out of the way. I'm sure that THEY wouldn't get out of the way for another driver that wanted to go 30 over.

Got buzzed, did the 'fish this big' signal, received the bird, caught JAM at light 500m up the road, hit the pass. window as I passed, he avoided eye contact.

Getting picked up this afternoon for a big rock brewery tour.

Forgot boxers.

That is one of the things I miss not riding those Southern paths any more. However, if you do ride into the late fall/winter be advised, when it starts getting dark down there, good lights are a must. Twice I nearly hit a porcupine south of the bird sanctuary. Both times I saw it when right on top of it, fortunately, it was grubbing around at the edge of the path!:eek:

One time I came upon a fawn, passed by so close I could have stroked it! That was in Carbun Park, the deer there are almost pets. Also rode past a coyote a time or two. We went past in opposite directions about ten feet apart, I gave him a very direct look, as if to say "we're not going to hurt each other, are we?" No worries, they are not a problem for adult humans, if you a little dog with you......

Oh! and keep your eyes peeled for the Pelicans, yes, Pelicans. They often fish just below the weir.

I have seen the Pelicans! They are very cool. Last summer a group of them must have decided the weir was too crowded, so they came up-river and hung around near the Crowchild bridge.

Duly noted re: lights... I'm not usually on the Bow pathway proper, but I bet there are critters in Stanley Park too.

Forget to say, I had one stupid-pedestrian encounter this morning. Two ladies with fake tans, designer sunglasses, and expensive yoga outfits were casually wandering along, side by side on the wrong side of a very busy multi-use path (in other words, they were facing traffic). I actually came to a full stop directly in front of them and they barely glanced at me, then grudgingly moved about 2" to one side. I thanked them, not too sarcastically, and went on my way. I didn't hear any thuds or screams so I assume they made it around the blind corner successfully, but I heard a lot of annoyed bell-ringing. That particular bit of pathway is something of a superhighway for bike commuters coming from Bowness and Parkdale.

Why is that surprising? Aren't beaver meatballs the national dish of Canada? :D (Rick Mercer, yes.)

I've seen a few of them in the natural area I ride through on my commute.

This sounds exactly like the American River Bike Trail.

Headwind in this am, T-Storms out this pm... not looking terribly forward to it, but hopefully the wind will be in the same direction! I had a very nice tailwind all the way home yesterday and I was FLYING!

edit. fiancee called, pleaded me not to ride home in lightning, knowing I would if she didn't tell me not to. So I'm listening to my better sense and leaving my poor bike locked up in the rain.

I had dead legs this morning. It didn't help that I had to buck a head wind the whole way!

Anyone love riding in the rain? ...about to commute home then to Ride of Silence in a severe thunderstorm and I'm actually looking forward to it.

Even though I'm from Portland, I really don't like riding in heavy rain. For some reason it always makes me feel much slower than I actually am going. I had a particularly bad experience with rain this past Saturday as I was returning from a 60+ (no computer, just Google Maps) mile ride in the Columbia River Gorge. It had been perfect cycling weather. Overcast, not too cold or hot. Good hill ridin' climate. Anywyas, the first and last 10 or so miles of the ride are a straight, boring shot through Portland's Eastern suburbs (Gresham). Literally RIGHT as I enter the suburbs from the forest and farmland it starts to pour. I was already tired and the rain just sapped my energy. I must have been going about 14 miles per hour by the time I got home. No fenders on this particular bike either, and pretty light rain gear.

Anyways, the weather is currently gorgeous and has been for days, making for a great commute. I did fall for the first time ever (exluding learning to bike and trail riding). And it was my in driveway :eek: :mad: :o

I was practicing trackstands. I did come to the realization that most of my trackstands are not actually stationary, but are really me coasting at a very low speed. I just hope none of the neighbors saw me fall. At least the bike is unharmed. I kept it from actually touching the ground, somehow. So my new bar tape isn't messed up yet:p

First post here. Ride this morning was soaking wet, but the temp. was decent. Actually fairly pleasant all in all until the flat tire two miles from the office.

Hang in there Chep, recover well and you'll be able to ride the whole summer...blow it and you'll be wim'p

It was most delightful coming in this morning. Breakfast in the square for bike commuters. They cooked us "eggs in baskets". Yummy. :)

The traffic was silly, as usual, on the way in. The weather was beautiful, but a bit too warm for a ride into work -- would have loved to just go for a ride. I'm going to start leaving my shirts at work and changing when I get in. I also need to start riding my extended commute more often...it's such a shame to ride for only 10 minutes in the morning.

It's been a nice week with very pleasant weather and minimal traffic conjestion. Found a way to ride the entire way out to work and feel safe. (dangerous section of highway last 5 miles) That moves the round trip commute to just under 30 miles with one fairly ugly 8% grade at the very end the taxes my heart pretty good for just under a mile. I must confess that 3 consecutive days of attacking that hill has left very little in the tank this AM ......the car is looking sooooooooooooo good right now!

Last night, I had my first bike-animal collision. I was riding along a stretch of bike lane, and I came upon a dead possum. I couldn't swerve left because of traffic, and I couldn't swerve right because of some glass, so I just ran over the possum. Besides the bike smelling a little bit, no harm done. At least the possum wasn't alive.

Stiff head wind on the way home last night, and smoky haze from the Georgia fires. Wind shifted over night and a stiff headwind into work too....Major bummer. Forgot my socks too, so am wearing cycling socks today...Thankfully they're gray rather than neon green or some other garish color. Hoping the stiff winds give me a nice push on the way home.

40F, light quartering tailwind, dry but overcast. I was moving along at a decent clip most of the way. Reeled in a woman who stopped right after we left the MUP and asked me how to get to a certain road. I told her she could climb "that hill" (pointing to it, it's big) and turn right, or follow me. She followed me. :p Once we got up to the main road she said she knew where she was and thanked me. My good deed for the day.

Riding home last night, I "Biffed" it.... Caught my front wheel trying to hop over a curb to get to a cross walk.... I havent done that since I was a kid.... Is it just me, or is it darn cold thismorning?

Well I finally did it. I rode in to work on my bike this morning. It was a nice ride, 13 miles on a mixture of roads some busy and others quiet. I got over the hump and now I think I am going to try to ride in 2-3 times a week.

OK, back on the bike for the 2nd ever commute this morning. It was nice taking a couple days off since I've been riding in the evenings. Weather was definitely crisp this morning at a balmy 47 degrees when I left the house, but it was sunny and no wind. I topped off with a wind breaker and a pair of track pants and I was sweating pretty good by the time I got done with my 9 miles. I think I've still got to figure out something better than a back pack for hauling my stuff around. I'll have to go out chasing a seat post rack and a box I can strap to it tonight maybe.

I had my first major dog chase this morning. Some idiot was walking his german shepard without a leash and of course I happened to be zipping down the road. I wasn't sure if I was going to outrun it or run out of road first since I was headed into a construction zone where I've got to go through a parking lot and across a dirt roadbed at a pretty slow pace before I can get back on the street. Luckily he gave up the chase after I put about 75 yards on him and was just getting ready to turn into the lot. Think I should arm myself with some halt spray kept close at hand for the next commute?

I'm really looking forward to the ride home in low 70's weather other than I've got one long steep uphill that will probably kick my butt from here to eternity.

Rick