Excellent ride in! Humidity is building a tad, but I'll take the mid 60's anyday.

Decent commute despite some fatigue and being up waaaay too late watching the Tour and commiserating over the, ah...carnage. I took a slightly different route today -- biking in Boston is like driving in Boston but with a slightly different (and generally greater) set of options; you balance straight-line directness with pain-in-the-butt factors such as construction, constriction and idiocy magnets. Today I bagged the itsy-bitsy streets of the South End in favor of a straight(er) shot on Huntingdon to Stuart Street, and it was great. The traffic coming off the Mass Pike exit adds to the excitement. Oh, and last night going home, I was going down St. James as usual, at the end of a pack of cars, crossing Dartmouth Street with the light, so there was a bunch of cars and then a little gap and then me. Well, the peds all saw the gap and started to march across the crosswalk -- I mean a swarm of them, converging from either side. What did I do? Succumbed to temptation. Screamed, "No brakes! No brakes! Hahahahaha!" Halted 'em in their tracks, and half of 'em were laughing with me. Great moment.

Almost no traffic on the way in today, which is unusual for my commute. I was thinking I missed a memo or something. Then I realized I'd left 10 minutes earlier than usual. I didn't think 10 minutes could make that much difference, but it seemed to. Hmmmm....is 10 minutes more sleep worth the hassle of dealing with more cars? I'll ponder this.

I see the same thing because my start time at work varies. If I ride in at 9, it's mostly a breeze with a sprinkling of really impatient people running late. If I ride in at 8, it's the standard everyone-pushing-and-shoving. If I ride in at 7, I deal with a lot of double-parked trucks finishing up deliveries. Six of one, half dozen of the other, I guess.

I took my stupid pills this morning.

Making a right turn I after a small decline I decided not to slow down at all. Ended up in the oncoming left turn lane nearly running into a car. Oh and then a mile down the road there is an intersection. Often I can't trip the light but there is also traffic turning left from the otherside. They'll get the green arrow but my side won't turn green so oftern I just wait until the left turners are done and I go through despite the red. Well today the green arrow didn't stay green for very long and the cross traffic was migty pissed that I was in their way.


Yes today I was a JAB but I feel stupid enough that I won't happen again for awhile.

Good ride. Not too warm. I'm still doing mixed mode bike/train commuting as I map routes to the train stations. This morning I took probably the most efficient route to the Inman Park MARTA station from East Atlanta (Moreland -> Memorial -> Flat Shoals -> Walthall).

It was a nice fun ride, although I think I'm about ready to switch back to commuting directly into downtown.

Great ride in today.

It was raining. I got soaked. And I had to take a 2 mile detour around a parked train.

Like I said a truly great ride.

The stars really aligned on the ride in today. I made every light on my route, I didn't have to dodge any cars, the bike stopped creaking and I barely got sweaty. My ride home today will involve mojitos on a sunny patio, and I don't work tomorrow. Hmmmm...

<runs out to buy lottery ticket>

EXCELLENT! :D Darn, wish you had a helmet cam...

My commute home was OK yesterday - ran into one JAB who decided to pull up on the far right at one intersection, ooch into the intersection anticipating the light, and make a left turn across my path and that of a motorcyclist (we had both been in the left turn lane proper). Saw the same guy this today as he zoomed through a busy 4 way stop without slowing down. If I see him this afternoon he's getting a piece of my mind. I've *just* got the drivers in my area used to seeing me and not killing me, I don't need some idiot making them all nervous about cyclists again!

Was running late this morning so took the fast route down Elbow Drive. Wheeee! I hit about 40 kph on one of the hills.

I'd bet if you rode that route unloaded once in a while you'd appreciate all the work you're doing :)

I was slow starting today, but got upto pace quickly, had a fastish guy on an MTB keepng with me for a while, he got across a set of lights faster than I, and so at the next lights leading to a steep bridge, I had to dial it up and fly up the hill only to be stopped at a train crossing minutes later, hehe. It was some good training, though and it was all in good fun.

The northern path of Marilyn Bell park (?) is open again, for those that ride the MG trail.

Cool (50sF), misty. Supposed to be 80s and sunny later. Nice break for now.

My 6 yr old is now faster on his razor scooter going to daycamp (same location as his K) than he was on training wheels. He is faster in spurts on his bike (no more training wheels) but sometimes gets in a rut that would make the whole trip take longer. Still leave it up to him which he rides. (when I'm taking him rather than trailering the 2 yr old to her daycare; if I get both, I'm like as not to stuff him into the trailer too). It is fun though, I pick him up probably 4 days out of 5, and if he did not bike or scooter in, I can stop at home, stuff the scooter into a pannier, and bring it for him to ride home with.

Good ride mostly. At my terror intersection I started off from a stop and misclipped in my right leg.. Lucky for me because the dang beemer decided to blow the sign from the second perpindicular lane. I was able to take the closer lane a few seconds and then proceed across the highway. Still haven't found what happened to the poor guy who got run down at the same intersection this past sunday. With there was another road.

Cool and easy. I rode in wearing my office clothes so I took it very easy--I don't think I ever exceeded 16mph. Tonight we're going to some friends' house for dinner and a TdF viewing. Should be fun.

They're still broadcasting it? Who's left? :rolleyes:

Yeah, I know. We'll probably flip between the TdF and the Giants game. Can't get enough of them dopers.

Rode home last night like my ass was on fire. Don't know why I do that, but I sure was toasted when I rolled into the patio.

Ride was a bit rough this morning, but it was from my own doing. Stayed up till 1 or so playing cards. The alarm started going off at 6:30. I finally got up just before 8 and staggered toward the bike. I made it in fine, but my body was dishing out the punishment for being bad.

A nap would be good right about now.

Didn't ride today. Weather Channel said it was gonna be thunderstorms today and tomorrow. Rode in with my girlfriend (she works a block from my job, and we used to ride in together, but I hate the commute by car as it's on highway with terrible traffic, crappy drivers, stress, etc.). Haven't seen one raindrop fall. Really wish I had taken the bike, as now I have the ride home in 5:00 traffic to look forward to.

Garbage.


I really have got to get some waterproof gear (panniers, etc...) so rain will not keep me off the bike. I really want to get set up with rain gear for the bike, but since I commute on a MTB and I have ideas about a road bike from time to time, I don't wanna make the investment. I need to just bite the bullet and go shopping.

Joey

Epic commute today. Everything clicked, as it somehow does from time to time. A reminder that it is worth it.

Commute home was good. I actually went a route I take when I want to add a bit of distance.

I don't know what the deal is but central Texas has been hit with a deluge as of late. Today (and yesterday) I got soaked coming and going. Added time to my ride each way (~15 minutes of actual ride time) and I had to stop for a bit on the way home due to the downpour (and for some coffee). Yesterday I wiped it on the way home and rashed my thigh and knee but I didn't have any issues today. On the way in was the worst of the raining, and it's weird to be going uphill on a flooded street and have my feet dip into the water on the downstroke.

Rode in an hour early this morning. It was cooler (32C/91.4F 70% humidity) than usual (36C/96.8F plus humidity), but still had me longing for winter. Traffic seems a bit less crazy at 7:45 than 8:45. Need to get a new helmet this weekend... the plastic straps have snapped :(. Hope to get some longer rides in, too... the Jamis is looking at me longingly! :D

Hotterer and stickierer than yesterday. :p Made worse by the face that I was toying with some dude on a hybrid. He came out onto the MUP right behind me so I droped the hamer :) and noticed he was falling back but not as quickly as most people do. I kept the speed up for about 3 miles, rounded a bend where he couldn't see me, and bolted up into a dirt single track that I knew came out further down the MUP. I came back to the MUP and the guy was a couple hundred yards ahead now, so I chased him down but then sat 50 yards back. He may have had a full pannier, but I've got a draggy rear disk brake and knobby tires!

TGIF!

Very nice commute. I think I stretched the "as far to the right as practicable" law coming over the Moreland Ave bridge at I-20 though. I'm accustomed to cars backing up to the edge of the bridge, so I habitually swing out into the left lane and fall behind the cars. This time I changed lanes and realized there were no cars in front of me, and traffic was moving at the speed limit, so I got the exhileration of cars passing me on the right at speed. Not particularly scary but a bit disorienting.

Other than a jacket, it's cheap, simple and easy. I personally have a goretex jacket I had from my military days which I use - in summer, unless it's particularly terrible and I'm prepared, I usually just get wet - but once it cools down, I'd want that jacket on for sure.

Any backpack/pannier can be waterproofed by using grocery bags to line and/or pack the contents in. Heck, the amount of bags I have collected at home I could double wrap everything to be super sure.

I was to go on a bikepool thing this morning, but another participant couldn't make it, so I ended up riding alone - was fun, lots of bikes to pass/say Hi to. Critical Mass tonight which I might just roll with for a bit, it's always entertaining from my past 2 experiences.

Now at 1280miles (not all commuting, I would hazard 800-850 as being commuter miles.) pretty proud of that.

Great ride in this morning...felt really strong too.
Lighter than normal traffic (I think a lot of people are trying to get one last vacation in before school starts up) and the temps were perfect.