Almost didn't do it. Then it started to rain. WOOHOO. 11 miles in a nice little drizzle. Tried to wear my ugly rain jacket but that only lasted two miles. Too dang hot don't know why I have that thing.
Nice ride and I met the new bicycle commute today. So now there are two of us course he wears his work cloths and no helmet and uses a cable lock I could cut with a pair of nail clippers but he commutes by bike and that is what counts.

Congrats vtjim

I was tired this morning, still rode in just took it easy (or so I thought) - arrived in the same time though.

Cool morning and fast ride to work. Traffic was still backed up, but they left me some room to lanesplit and get around them.

Yesterday at lunch, I noticed a guy eyeing my bike. When I went to unlock, he started asking me about fixed gear bikes and I gave him a quick lowdown (fun, makes you strong like bull, simple). I was a little surprised because this guy was probably in his 50's. Hope we got another convert.

Congrats vtjim!

My commute:


Fender $16
Awesome yellow tinted glasses $20

....

Miniature hairdryer and Paul Mitchel "Quick Slip" styling cream ... PRICELESS!



Oh yeah - got caught in a nice downpour! Nothing like walking out of the house, setting your helmet into a puddle on the picnic table and load up the now wet bike.

hehe, even better is to go through a street that's under construction and ride through what you think are just puddles - and then realize as you lurch forward that it is a deep giant hole just filled with water. I luve my mtb!

Nothing too unusual this morning - great weather, great ride.

Yesterday getting home though was interesting. The traffic was backed up for maybe 1/2 mile. I had to use the sidewalk for a bit as a school bus was blocking the entire lane right to the curb in front of me. Got back on the road and passed several dozen cars . Stopped at a red light and helped a lost cager with directions (didn't even have to roll down my window). After the red light, zooming down hill (about 40k just coasting) a recycle truck decided to put his wheel on the white line seperating MY lane from everyone else. Guess where that put HIS mirror? Yep, right in the middle of my lane at about head level. Bastid. Getting an air horn soon. A couple dozen more cars passed and we come to the source of the problem (for drivers anyway). Two cars decided to bump into each other on a busy on/off ramp. Had to ride over some bits of plastic (hoping for no flat) as I flew by them. After that it was back to normal.

Someone told me about that stretch of road about an hour later, how it's backed up and hardly moving, with people doing u turns to get away from it... guess what I saw was just the beginning... silly drivers. Would have been even better if I got there a little later. I would have passed hundreds of stopped cars. I'll be sure to whistle a merry little tune next time

Apparently, I ride a lot faster than I think I do. My wife had her bike computer going today, and clocked us at 34 km/h on the flats, just cruising along. Coasting down the hill, she says we hit 68, but I doubt it. I think 48 is more realistic. I took a reading one time with my Garmin Edge, so I'll check that. Other than that, the ride in was a balmy 12C and calm with brilliant sunshine. Nice.

Another "great weather, great ride" here. The air had that impossibly clear look this morning. I'm a morning person anyway, which is not to say that I'm perky, but I just find it to be a very beautiful, enjoyable time of the day. I think I gotta go by the lbs, though, and get a fit opinion -- I'm starting to get a little soreness at the point where the sartorius muscle attaches on the inside of my left knee, and it's definitely biking that does it. Maybe more quad stretching is in order -- quad stretches should help with that.

First wet ride, woohoo! Wishing I had extra shoes though, live and learn. Went to an eye check-up first, arrived soaked lol. The eye Doc, who was a fit and healthy kinda guy, says he won't ride a bike after the people he sees day to day. He says people who couldn't see you sitting in that chair will get up out of his office and against his recommendation get in their cars and drive off.

Rode to work with pupils dilated from the check-up, forgot sunglasses, so it was a squinty ride. At least the rain stopped.

Hot and windy on the way home yesterday - I felt like a raisin by the time I got home! Definitely should have stowed an extra water bottle somewhere.

This morning was beautiful. Lots of other commuters out on the paths, and when I got to work, was greeted by TWO co-workers who had biked in for the first time ever

Flowers, good point! 11 for us tomorrow. Grill at home, no babysitter available. Go out Saturday. Congrats vtj!

Wife drove today, so took kids, I sprinted the whole way (best I can, which is not as well as 2 months ago before travel and injury started chipping away at me).

Another b-e-a-u-tiful commute here too. And, as an added bonus, I met another commuter this morning. He was even going my way! We chatted waiting for a light, then we both took off. Different riding styles for us though--I ride an mtb, he was on a roadie; I take the lane for parts of the stretch we did together, while he rode the fog line; I stop at red lights and (generally) wait in line with traffic, he stopped at the red and went when it was clear. Still it was very cool to ride with someone for a little bit.

A little white-tail buck ran next to me for about 500 yards. I think he wanted to get over into the woods, but I was between him and the woods, riding on the MUP. So he started running to get in front of me. He would veer towards me to within about 20 feet, but I was going fast enough to keep up. Eventually, he stepped it up a notch to try to pull ahead to pass in front of me, and I was like, “OK boy, let’s see whatcha got under the antlers!” I kicked the ol’ Diablo bike into the big chain ring and started hammering on my pedals. The deer was right there with me, but not really pulling ahead. His mouth was open and his tongue started hangin’ out as he bounded along beside me. Finally, he stopped and watched me roll by on the ol’ Diablo bike with his tongue lolling out (laughing, or just hot?). I think we both enjoyed the race.

(ol' Diablo is a 1988 Jamis Diablo Mt. Bike with knobbie tires, fenders, rack, panniers, etc. The trip is 12.5 miles and passes through a state park)

Wonderful ride this morning. Heavier cage traffic than normal, but most everyone was polite.

Nice 25 mile run in this Am. It was especially significant since It'll be my last ride into this company.
I start a new job Monday, but the commute will not change much -- just turn right instead of left at the trails end -- though I probably won't ride in during the first few days on new job.
Solstice means the sunlight I've relied on at 6:30 AM will be going away soon. I dread the upcoming need to run with head lights, yuck!!!!
b

My first commute in to work. It was a wonderful morning for riding. The rabbits were out in force and tried to kamikaze into my front tire. I am terribly out of shape and walked most of the hills. Sweat poured off my face. It was bliss.

One good thing about being out of shape and riding to work, 3 people are now thinking about biking in to the office. They see me do it and know they can do it if they just put out the effort.

Welcome, JumboRider! That's awesome.

My ride in today was just fine. I was a little hotter than I'd like, I either need to leave earlier or wear the jersey and bibs.

Well that's an unusual sort of race, huh? Very cool.

Happy Anniversary, vjtim!

I stayed up too late last night and woke up later than I wanted this morning. My other handful of commutes (I'm new), I've left before 6 am. Today it was so late, I was just going to drive--I thought I would end up too hot, riding in at 8:30. I changed my mind at the last minute and rode. So glad I did! Quiet nice ride, not too hot at all. The hardest part of the whole commute was that coming in so late, I had to put my bike up one of the higher racks in the bike closet (it's a wall-mounted rack at eye level, and when there are bikes on either side, it's hard, with my non-lightweight cruiser!).

I am very glad my work has showers, too.

(edited to add: I wasn't worried that it would actually be too hot to ride--obviously, it'll be hotter when I ride home! I was thinking it would be so hot I'd be hot and sweaty for an hour, even after a shower... and not be able to to sit at my desk and deal with co-workers until I'd cooled down.)

Yesterday was 97 degrees on the way. Yeah... I was pouring sweat.

I also went over a speed bump a bit to fast and the hook and snap for my pannier both broke. I managed to rig it to get it home but hopefully can get some replacement pieces for it. Ride in was very nice... saw lots of other cyclists. Next week is bike to work week so I'll be seeing even more.

This morning I was a little late so had to take the direct main road route, which means tackling the construction zone. Had to get up and crank it for a short spell. With the weather as it is, I was glad for having a shower at work. Yesterday I took some time off and used a CarShare vehicle to do some stuff, got stuck in rush hour, am surprised more people don't bike in summer, it was horrible driving, got a bad stiff neck from tension.

This mornings commute was great. I had just gotten my bike back from the shop (New Bottom bracket, cranks, chain rings and pedals) and it's working wonderfully. Hurray! I'm going to take the long way home since it's working so nice.

Way to go!

Keep it up it gets easier..even the hills!

Going up hills is building potential energy that you use on the way down so you do get that effort of climbing (walking or riding) a hill back when you go down it..(from "Apollo 13" you can then 'put Sir Issac Newton in the drivers seat')

Rode to school and work 8 miles one way. My car is in the shop, and my high-vis vest, gloves and helmet were in the car. So, I turned on the rear blinky, dug out an old skater style black helmet, and hoped my yellow reflective backpack would be enough to keep me out of the grill of a vehicle.

You know what, today, I had more 'close calls' than any other day riding. It's gotta be the vest. People were pulling out in front of me left and right, this truck with trailer tried to squeeze me up against a curb. I was getting left hooked like crazy. It was nuts.

I wore the brightest color I had, which was white. The vest definitley makes a difference.

I've been wearing a vest and while I admit it looks entirely uncool, I just can't seem to make myself care. I half-suspect that it makes drivers think I'm new at this, so they stay farther away and watch me closely (kind of like a Student Driver flag on a car, y'know!) but I'll take it.

Glad to hear some confirmation that the vest helps!

Now that's an awesome commuting story!

First post,

Commuted 23 miles in to work today. I wienied out and had my girlfriend pick me up. (It was a high of 112 in az today)

- D