Nice ride in. Clear and cool. 40F at 5:30 when I hit the road. Broke out the full finger gloves. Didn't really need them but it was nice to start with warm fingers.
Experimenting with panniers on the front only. Bought a front lowrider rack. After 1 1/2 commutes (33 miles), I'm not pleased. A friend highly recommended it. If I was touring I would use them in addition to the rear pannier. But when I'm only using one I will keep it in the rear.
Steve

Last night I found amazing speed coming out of me. I averaged between 23 and 28 mph uphill all the way home. I am the power !!!!!... Um, pay no attention to the tailwind behind the curtain.... I am the great and powerful Paul!..... Pay no attention to that insignificant 20+MPH tailwind, it had nothing to do with it! It was all me me me!!!! AAAAUGHH. Still, it was quite a rush cruising home at that speed. Cars were passing me at a sensible speed instead of the usual whoosh! I had a guy on a BMX bike riding the wrong way with no lights cussed me out because I moved out into the road to use the left turn lane. It was almost funny. I would have laughed if it hadn't of been getting dark and the neighborhood would have been a little better. Anyway, the morning commute was nice, still wished I would have had a tailwind like I had last night!

Last two mornings I've met up with a guy from my building to ride before work. I've always been a solo flyer and it's a nice change of pace to have someone to chat with. We rode for an hour before having to head into the office. Time just flies by.

Nice weather here in Sacto. 48F and clear at 6:15am. Might rain tonight, though.

Good ride in overall except for an incident with another idiot ... bike rider. I tell you, I have more troubles with bikes and motorcycles than cars any day.

I have to navigate a narrow two-lane underpass that ranks as #1 on the most dangerous list. I pace myself with the traffic flow and take the rightmost lane. Pretty standard procedure. I usually do 25-30 MPH through the underpass so I don't bother people too much.

So, Mr Road Racer Lance Lookalike sees me pacing (or should have) and still barrels through, forcing me to slow and ultimately stop just as I was about to take the lane.

No SUV ever did that to me.

Took a nice leisurely ride in this morning. Took photos of my commute. I will post them this evening. Gorgeous weather. I felt real good. The Trek 520 keeps me a happy commuter.

Wasn't much in the mood to hammer this morning, so I went at leisure pace. I found that the scenery can be quite picturesque here in the Northwest. I wonder why I never seem to notice it when I ride? Anyway, I don't plan to become too lax. . . I just don't have the nature to stroll every ride - but I'll be sure to relax my pace every once in a while and just enjoy the surroundings.

Andy!
It wasn't me. The only cyclists I pass are going the other direction.
I think I know where you are talking about. 1st under 101. I was commuting up to Trimble & Junction last week and went that way a few times. If it was at 17(880), I don't know that one.
Be safe!
Steve

Hey SBeach, no, it's Lafayette, heading north, a little north of El Camino. That's my morning route during the school months when I get dropped off at my daughter's school. The road dips under railroad lines there and the bridge is one of those old concrete, hugely-built railway underpasses.

My going home route is the one you mentioned ... 1st and 101. It's a little tight there, too. The Lafayette one is worse in that there is absolutely no space to maneuver.

AH!
I know that one too. The place that always has a puddle at the bottom. You definately need to take the lane. That is a very dangerous spot mixed with rushed, lunatic drivers. Be careful.
Years ago I used to commute to work on Walsh & Lafayette. Alternate routes down Coleman or around the airport might work.
One time for kicks, southbound I took the pedestrian RR crossing up and over the tracks. It seemed like it took 5 minutes to cross the tracks. Not a good setup for pedestrians.
Later
Steve

Commute to Southport to continue my search for a new job (I don't think it will be long now). Very nice day, coupled with some of the stupidest idiots I've ever encountered. Surfers Paradise once held the title of the idiot capital of the known universe, but I think Southport has stolen it.

Great Commute. Kept up some good speed. Felt great. I got in an extra 10 miles on the way home.

I posted photos of this morning's commute here

Sailguy,

What strikes me about your photos is the almost complete lack of car traffic in your photos. Is this normal for your commute?

John

To be fair, there are cars. The "leaving the congestion" pic, usually is littered with trucks heading up to the quarry. The traffic is generally light. I also left a bit early (photos taken ~8am) to have time to take the pics. About 20 minutes later and the streets fill up (except up in the hills).

I have a few pics with lots of cars. I will post some to balance things out. I just didn't think they were all that interesting

Nice pics of a nice commute.

I'll have to post mine, but hey who wants to see a river, a castle and some buildings from the 17 and 1800's

If I get chance to borrow the digital camera from work I'll post some commute pictures from Oxford. City of the dreaming spires, and screaming tyres.

A detour on the way home last night ended up with a couple of miles on the ring road when the cycle lane facilities gave out. Interesting!

Cheers,

Ed

Today was my first ride on my new bike (RM Trailhead), it went as follows: Starting out was ok, man is this baby smooooooth. Everything works like a precision watch, lots of squish on the front shock, but nothing I can't get used to. Took a while to get used to the riding position (16inch frame, old one being a 19) and the toe clips. After a few blocks I'm motoring, top gear baby!

So I decide to take a different route where there is more traffic, but no ice. Things are going great until I hit my first red light. I'm trackstanding to keep from having to pull a foot out of the strap. Light turns great, and I'm off... HOOONNNNKKKKKKK! I look to my left and here is some dood in his early 80's Chevy Malibu laying on the horn as I'm holding him up! He nearly hits my as he hammers on the gas to blow past me. I curse obsenities at him, and am now majorly pissed. I keep an eye on him up the road to see where he is going, by now visions of slashing his tires with my swiss are dancing in my head. Alas he continues heading due south out of town.

Wish I would have been cool headed enough to get his tag #, if I had I'd be on the horn to our local "law enforcement".

Hopefully this is not a sign of things to come.

Interesting and educational ride home last night, I learned the metal bridges and studded tires don't mix. The bike did everything except fall down, I made it over the bridge but I found that once you get a fully loaded commuter with studded tires sliding there isn't much you can do but pray. If you fall, it's instant hamburg. What a hair raising experience that was.

Nice ride in. Clouds to the left, clouds to the right, and only got hit by a few drops. I can handle that.
The other day, Monday, I had my first fall on my commute. While riding past a construction sight I saw a small tanker truck trying to get through a gate, but the gate was swinging closed. So as I see his predicament I swing back to hold the gate for him. So the gate is open, he jumps in his truck and starts to move in, I ride up to the gate, stop, put my foot out to hold the gate, he drives in. Well the gate and the wind pushing it didn't think much of me and proceeded to push me over. But the gate did stop as it wasn't strong enough to slide me across the ground. 0 mph, on the ground with my loaded commuter, driver never sees me. I saved his truck from a nice big dent and scratch. I brushed off the dirt, mounted my steed and rode off into the sunset. A 'Good Samaritians' work is never fully appreciated.
Steve

My new rainpants kept me dry and comfortable through the whole 5 mile (8 km) commute.

However, I now have to walk a few blocks to the Metro in order to deliver some documents, and I am totally wimping out. None of my staff have the clearance required to get into the building, so I can't delegate the trip. I'm not sure why riding in the rain is pleasant and walking in it is a drag.

Paul

I did the reverse commute with the gratuitous miles I did last night. Working on cranking out tons of miles for this week. The weather was great. Its getting warmer. I don't need my windbreaker vest in the mornings!

Strong headwind today, with evil looking clouds blowing in it. Only a few drops of rain while I was riding, but plenty of water on the ground. So not bad, hopefully the sky gets itself poured out before the ride home. One thing about these rainy/threatening to rain days- it keeps the amateurs off the bike trail.

Again, another 10 miles extra on the way home. I am trying to close out the BF Challenge before my commute home tomorrow.

I arrived at work covered from head to toe in mud, but grinning from my fantastic commute. It was 45F and foggy and lightly raining most of the way, and I felt full of energy. It's supposed to dry out and get up to around 60F for the ride home. What a great way to start spring!

Tim

Beautiful weather made for a beautiful ride in on this first day of spring. Nothing to report really except that I see the fair weather friends are populating the once-barren biking routes. How these wimps could possibly stay indoors through the brutal San Jose winter (yeah, sure) beats me.

I look forward to riding all the way home or meeting my family somewhere in Willow Glen, maybe, for dinner.

Nice ride. Stopped by the LBS on the way in for a quick tune of the new rig.