If you plan to commute for long on roads with cars you need to learn this term. A right hook is a term used to discribed a car that passes a biker and then immediately turns right into a parking lot or street, cutting the biker off in the process. It accounts for a number of bike-car collissions. You should learn to anticipate situations where it might happen and what you can do to save your hide when it does.

Here's a helpful link Bikesafe.

Got a late start. Kind of foggy. Pretty cold. The funny thing is, it still beat driving to work!

OMG!

It was 65F this morning. I made a sudden change of plans and ditched everything I did not absolutely need. That left me with a few items in my jersey. Jersey, shorts, helmet, gloves, and shoes. What a wonderful feeling! My commute was speedy even with a decent headwind. I hope it stays in the direction it is coming from since that would make a nice tailwind for the ride home. However, it will switch directions like normal.

Beautiful ride this morning. The boys always like riding bikes to the day care provider. Decent traffic, sunny, no gnats, and very cool - but it will get considerably warmer throughout the day.

Yea, seems that the prevailing winds are always against the direction I'm travelling too.

warm, but soggy today. I can't believe how high the water marks are for Nose Creek. The Bow River is right up there as well. Shoe covers rule, I rode through ankle deep water and my feet are still dry.

It was bike to work day today... so I biked to work just like most other days. There were quite a few others out on their bikes. Was nice to see those bikes getting the spider webs blown off of them. The city offers a few locations that provide free breakfast to riders, but I was too lazy to check it out.

Instead I worked on mounting my helmet cam onto the bike. I plan on shooting some ride videos on the Ride the Rockies tour. Mounted it on the headset tube and it seemed to work out pretty well. I think I'll fabricate a top tube mount as well for a different angle. [Bars in the frame]

The ride home last night was into a huge headwind. I had to pedal to get downhill it was that strong. Really pushed the bike around with the bladed areo spokes when it was a cross wind. Oh well, we're in it for the exercise anyways.

This morning was warm enough for just a t-shirt. No windbreaker necessary. The wind looks to be brewing up now for another fun ride home.

Rainy! I'm glad that I live at the top of a hill. There was flooding all over town, 2 people got hit by lightning and there were multiple house fires. That said, it was a decent ride in. Fenders FTW!

Today's ride in was a little low energy -- lots of aikido in the last week = tired legs. I'm planning on a slow mellow ride home -- this week's commuting is basically to get the crunchies outta my legs.

Brutal headwind going home last night; *just* made it in time for my wife to hand over the kids and take off for her pm gig. Only 2 more of those nights now, then we will be a mostly daylight operation.

This morning, great ride, brisk, sunny, then I found myself locked out of my office. I knew last night I left my thumb drive at work, this morning, nose pressed against the door, I remembered that it was attached to my keys. In the past I would have just gone for some more biking, but w/ my screaming achilles tendons, lately, I just took the time waiting for someone else to show up to stretch and drink water.

I was STUPID and took the bus. An hour and 35 minutes later I squished my way into work, where six people promptly asked in tones of horror if I had ridden my bike. (I don't know where they thought I'd put the dang bike, in my pocket or something? They saw me walk in the door...) If I HAD ridden, I'd have had a dry change of clothes, I'd be warmer, and I wouldn't have had to walk twelve blocks because nobody in this city has any idea how to freaking DRIVE and the crosstown bus line was completely stalled since all the traffic lights were on flashing red.

I moved here to get AWAY from this kind of nonsense.

Well no commute today. I discovered yet another broken spoke. I will stop by the LBS on the way home and get some extra spokes but I'm getting tired of fixing this problem and wonder if I need a new wheel. I ride a Trek 7100 and just have the stock wheels on it. I'm a big guy at 230 so this most likely doesn't help.

Yesterday I alomost ran into a car because I was so tired (sick baby at home). I had thought about asking my wife for a ride and probably should of.

Aka - how to become a passenger door ornament. I've actually followed people into their parking lots and yelled at them as it was so freaking blatent.

Dude! I went to the Pioneer Museum location. It was great! Lots of people. At the end lots of bikers headed for the Santa Fe (?) trail. I tried to keep up with three "hardcore" mountain bikers I met at the event, but I couldn't. So that's a challenge for me to keep working out and getting used to Colorado altitude. I'll try to give those guys a better run for their money next time. Overall, great camaraderie; well organized event.

I'm looking forward to this activity again next year.

Oh, I just hit my first 1000 commuting miles yesterday! For some of you that's like a couple of month's riding, but for me it is a MAJOR milestone; I started last summer, and going from 200lbs to 175 (what I weight now) plus this milestone now is a great motivator to keep riding!

GreenAnvil

Sorry to hear that, but you have confirmed I made the right decision this morning.
Was even going to take the long way round on the pathway, then I looked over the
bridge railing at Nose Creek. *!!!!!! ....Lets just say the level was up a little. Which
meant i had to get a little inventive to deal with the road works on McKnight Blvd.
Wait for a break in traffic then cross to the center divider. Need a new rain jacket,
my current one was described as "shower resistant"...... some years ago. The
winter tights did a fair job though, with the cheapo nylon overshoes the bottom
half did WAY better than the top half, didn't expect that. Using Boeshield T9 on
the chain this week after a recommendation, it has been on for about 250km and
what was left still managed to keep the chain squeak free even in this downpour.
I am cautiously impressed. I had to track through some puddles big enough to
drown out a minivan or two, got a very strange look from the guy trying to get his
van started the other side of one puddle. My current bike lacks a rack and has only
vestigial fenders, waiting to get my Xtracycle fitted and didn't want to reassemble
it twice, (Soon, Buglady, Soon!) The other weather "fix" moves a step nearer as
the "new" forks arrived with the disc tabs, finally sent the correct ones this time.

I'm rambling a bit, all alone here this morning and no customers......they must not
feel like driving in this weather

I'm just grumpy today. Weather-induced migraine. Bleh. I think I'm going to go home and look at my bikes.

Congratulations! That's a great milestone.

Perky little tree bending headwind for tonight's ride home.
sigh
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Colorado Springs
Lat: 38.83 Lon: -104.72 Elev: 6201.12
Last Update on Jun 6, 3:54 pm MDT
Haze Blowing Dust and Windy

78°F
(26°C) Humidity: 12 %
Wind Speed: SW 33 G 43 MPH
Barometer: 29.33" (983.9 mb)
Dewpoint: 22°F (-6°C)
Heat Index: 77°F (25°C)
Visibility: 3.00 mi.
More Local Wx: 3 Day History:

Got caught in the rain for about 20 minutes on the return ride.Radar was about an hour behind actual. Just stopped and put on the rain gear. No problem

Rode like a demon for a 1/2 hour, spinning with titanium determination. I went down the hills like a madman, and glided over the flats butterfly smooth. 90f in San Antonio both ways; it was a short errand.

Went slow today. Still a bit sore from putting together our new swimming pool a couple days ago.

Flatted rear tire on the way home last night. No problem though, 10 minutes later I was back on the road with a somewhat spongy tire because my frame pump can only inflate to ~80psi...typically I ride with 120 psi. Still managed a swift 18 mph due to a nice tailwind. Ride in this AM was good. Weather is still very pleasant, though not for long as the dew points are supposed to start climbing. I have a fasted blood draw at 8:15 today, so am going to be ravenous by the time that's over with....already hungry.

Last commute for nearly 2 weeks for me. Heading to Banff, Jasper, Yoho etc for 10 days of hiking, canoeing, horse rides, etc....Hoping all the rains are finished for a while.

Nice ride in today. One foot down for the whole 8 miles. New Brooks B17 maiden voyage this morning. OMG....that thing is very slippery and hard as a rock right now. Still enjoyed the ride.

I wussed out and drove today...the image of sustained headwinds of 25-35mph with gusts up to 50mph just on the way home didn't sit well with me. I needed a "recovery day" and an extra hour of sleep anyhow.

I'll make up for it by going the whole way tomorrow (35mile roundtrip) instead of the biking halfway and carpooling.

The commute home was fine except that I lost one of my new, stainless steel water bottles! I was heading down a large hill (Speedo said 32mph) and hit a bump. Out it flew and I heard it hit the ground and then a resounding CRUNCH!. At the light at the bottom of the hill,the passenger in a Ford Explorer rolled down the window and apologized for squishing it. Oh well no more designer junk for commuting!