I'm all for the steel frames. As you say, the ride quality makes up for the weight on a commute. I figure that having to concentrate hard looking for tiny little bumps would be tiring in itself anyway! I'm a lightweight rider so aluminum bounces me all over the place.

(My commuter is a 1984 Raleigh - lugged chromoly steel and it just *glides*. I love it. Just picked up a mid 80s Japanese steel frame - cromoly frame and manganese-alloy fork - to build up for randonneuring. I commuted on it a couple of days ago but I don't like to be on drop bars in traffic).

Last year I was Lusting after newer components again. I sold my Early 80's Chromo and got a New
Aluminum frame with the new components I hoped for--All I noticed was how light the bike was on the daily commute and how my MPH Average went up right away. I did not notice a change in the bump-on- the-butt factor at all. I have heard lots of riders say they notice that sort of thing, but I did not.

I ride my roadbike (aluminum frame) to work, because I like to go fast. Ideally I'd buy/build a cross bike for communting - but alas, I have yet to plant a money tree in my yard.

I think it's a really individual thing. One rider's springy responsive bike is another's twitchy nightmare ride - and my dignified gliding Raleigh is probably a sluggish tank to someone else! (Vibration through the handlebars is what gets me the most...)

If anyone finds any money tree seeds, send me some please. Even sticking to vintage frames at under $50 each, this hobby is getting expensive!

Riding home yesterday, stopped at a red light. Hear a very loud BANG! echoing off the buildings and coming from the ground right near my rear tire.

Well, that could be a problem. Change the tube, pump it up, notice a big hole in the sidewall of my tire. Found out the dollar bill inside the tire does work pretty well. Rode to a LBS to get new rubber.

He handed me my dollar back and said that he's heard of that but never seen anyone actually do it.

I'm a little upset though. Got charged $10.00 each to install new tires. Had I known that in advance, I would have done my own install in the parking lot.

Woke up to thunder at 5:30AM. Fortunately the rain had stopped by the time I left. Temps in the upper 50Fs. Not a bad ride. Caught & passed one guy on a bike. I see him once in a while. Saw some other cyclists going the other way.

Great weather, fast commute! It's such a nice day I'm headed over to Post Office Park at lunchtime for the free concert.

Dear Cyclist Who Passed on My Right on Brighton Ave,
Hey, good to see another commuter out and about! While I usually stick to the traffic lane, sometimes I too will filter past some cars when it makes sense/preserves momentum. In such cases I would be surprised to find a bike going by on my right (though of course I do try and check), so a little "hey" or something as you pass would be appreciated. Or, passing on the left would be a lot less surprising in general if you can manage.

I flew up to the East side last night on my mountain bike, holding speeds of 25-27mph (hit 28mph max. I think) across the Bloor viaduct - most surprising, I didn't at first understand, but figure I'll steal someone elses line from here "it's not the bike", heh! 29 minutes, a minute slower than my PB on the roadie - both with platforms to boot.

Got the back wheel from the shop yesterday, all true and fixed. Strapped it to the rack, rode east, rode west to home and fitted it ready for today. Must've been the worlds slowest tyre/tube and wheel fitting, I seemed to be in a fog and just bumbled around for about an hour

Rode in on the roadie, holding some nicer speeds on better tyre pressure this time around (low pressures may've been a culprit in my rear wheel damage I suspect) - still got to work in about the same cycling time (16mins).

My (rec) ride to Niagara Falls won't be until tomorrow now, so I get an extra nights rest for my legs (thankful, too - they're starting to feel heavy).

The pannier bungee is still attracted to that road bike back wheel though, so I'm going to have to bungee the bungee away from there.

No rain last night but I did lose another rear blinky light. The mount broke off as I went through an intersection and it flew apart upon hitting the road. I went back and picked up what was left, mostly I just wanted my rechargeable batteries back, and I found both of them.

Ride in this morning was nice and cool (for this time of year anyway). I moved my seat up and I think I put it too high since my legs were burning when I got to work. I will adjust it when I get home tonight since I don't have the correct wrench here to do it.

Still out with a knee injury. Unglorified fall walking on an island

W&OD was super busy in both directions today- commuters, rec riders, etc. Perfect weather. Hoping to get out early enough today to ride further on the way home and pick up some dinner.

T minus 11 weeks til my move, and commute goes from 13mi R/T to 22mi R/T

Good ride. Low humidity-very nice. Taking it easy today since I plan on 50-60 miles tomorrow.

I woke up late and didn't feel like it today. But I hustled and was out the door only 5 min. late. I was going faster than normal to try and make up that 5 min. But 10 min. in I got stuck waiting for a train.

Now I"m really huffing and puffing trying to make up time. I was doing 2-3 mph faster than I normal. I was now ahead of my normal schedule because the cute oriental chick I see when I pass a certain bus stop was half a block away. Then I hit another train. 20 min. later my muscles are cold, I"m yawning and thinking of back tracking a block and getting on the bus. Doh... not enough money on me for the bus.

So I got going again and finally warmed up and made great time on the home stretch. 30 min. later than I like, but I feel good. Better than yesterday when I was seriously thinking of quitting the whole commute thing and buying a bus pass.

No commute for me today. Got a head/throat cold from my kid (day care: a government program to innoculate America's youth against biological warfare), plus feeling extremely sore from Ultimate tryouts held Wednesday night. Why IS the second day always worse?

Ultimate fighting? You da man! I figure second day, third, hell.. next 30 days would be the worst.
Ultimate frisbee? Not quite as manly, but fun none the less. *high five*

Had to leave the bike outside for a while to drip dry last night. Rode home after the daily storms , but there was still quite a bit of water on the roads and such. Took the easy ride home since the bike doesn't have fenders. Was kind of nice actually not to be wasted from blazing all the way home.

This morning was another glorious ride. Weather was nice and cool and the cars were fairly well behaved. Seems like the later I leave the better the drivers are. Or the less impatient they are anyways. Between 6 and 730 they are in a big time rush to get somewhere. I'm thinking the weather may actually hold up today.. we'll see what 4:00 brings

Caught the Green Wave and a Tail Wind. Doesn't get much better than that

DOMS: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, the bane of athletes and weekend warriors. No known cure other than patience and time. Usually peaks on Days 2 & 3...

There is a cure.... Conditioning....Otherwise known as being sore ALL THE TIME!

Dropped by a folder

I was riding to a LBS after work to check out a Cannondale Synapse I'm eyeing up. Took a route I normally avoid because of the riduolous hill on a portion of it. I saw a fellow corporate worker bee on a folder up ahead and I soon passed him easily on my mighty 700c equiped steed. The hill starts somewhat gentle with a 4%+ grade, my speed frops off and I see my folder freind regaining the gap behind me. The grade increases another couple of degrees to 8%-ish and the folder is right on my wheel, we slow even more because of the long line of cages queing up to negoitiate a narrow tunnel, but he's still on my wheel as we go through the choke point. The grade now increases again to about an even 10% and I'm in trouble big time. [EDIT: toporoute say 12.3% for 1/3 mile] The happy folder dude picks now to engage me in conversation - something about the weather, nothing about how tough the hill is, or how high do we think our heart rates are - no, just some small talk about how today is less hot than yesterday. I gasp out an attempt at pleasantries - I am seconds from my melt down point (I suck at steep hills - its a package deal split between my legs and my cardio/pulmanary systrem) and sure enough, its time for me to take my customary mid steep hill break and I pull over and unclip. Folder Fred just cruises on by like its all just a Sunday noodle ride down by the beach.

I curse him....

Later I seek solace in thinking that his folder must have some wicked low gear, that or he had the benefit of youth and years on his folder practicing just for this day....

Today was nice both ways. I was a little stiff going in because of last night's group ride. On the way home I tried to keep my cadence above 100 as much as I could. I was paced twice by drivers who were looking at their speedometers, and then at me, smiling. Must have been going pretty good on the SS. I was sprinting from lights to get my heart rare up. I saw another rider on a road bike in old T-mobile kit. Waved back at me on my commuter ss. Not all roadies are jerks. I should know, my alter ego is one.

about yesterday:

1. My disk brakes saved my life today. Didnt see a stop light that was red. A car was coming off the expressway and I didnt see it untill the last second. I slammed my brakes and was feet from hitting that car. I would have been blasted to the next state if he hit me. That made me slow down

2. Took a swing at a car that cut me off in the bike lane. I need to work on my temper

other than that, it was a great day

Interesting ride home tonight. Five or Six young guys on bikes tried to cut me off around 11:15PM on Frederick Douglass headed towards Macombs. I was running 20-21MPH in the big ring as a livery came up in the left lane preventing them from blocking both lanes. I was able to jump on the the livery's bumper and blow by them. A little hairy clearing the closest guy and getting on the bumper without just slamming into the side of the car or taking young nimrod out. Cut it pretty fine. Not too anxious about it as it seemed like kid stuff, but; it sure was nice to be cooking along at a pretty good clip at the time, not to mention the timely arrival of that livery. Oh, and my rear blinkie, a Cateye TL1000, was malfunctioning. Found this out after covering 150 blocks. Used my helmet back up the rest of the way home. Not sure if I should change my route up or not.

whats a livery?

Delivery Van?