Arcticbiker, I am extremely jealous. I did a hiking trip to Denali 9 years ago and would love to get back to Alaska sometime soon. To be able to commute within sight of The Mountain would be exquisite (for a few months of the year anyway).

Commute stuff: didn't ride yesterday as I worked from home. Took a different route today as my wife forgot to bring cereal for the baby to day care. Although the route was longer, it sure felt like I was moving faster, and my computer seems to back that up--raised my average speed from 17.5 to 17.7 in just that one trip.

From school to district office.

Time: 44min.
Mileage: 5.3mi round trip
Average (adjusted): 11.2mph
Temperature: 103-109F!@!@! of South Carolina Heat

I went to my new school ready to get things ready. However, they are waxing the floor and the school is closed down. Well, but I got the bike on the rack, so there we go.

It's mostly residential neighborhood and the ride is very pleasant. In fact, I happened to stop by a decently good-looking co-worker cladded in full bikini at her house.

Beside the heat, it was a good commute.

This was yesterdays commute...

http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL277.../270418832.jpg


...which is pretty much what it looked like this morning as well. But, I got better (grippier) pedals so it was cool.

I had a 20+ mph headwind on the way home tonight, in fact evey night this week and it doesn't half make it hard work, especially with hills to climb. I don't think I'm very aerodynamic.

Every time you think you have it tough, someone comes along with a tougher story. I can't think of a bigger obstacle than a bull Moose blocking a trail, unless it was an Alaskan brown bear.

Fortunately, the only animals I have to contend with on my commute is squirrels, but they have been like Kamikazis lately. I can't believe I haven't hit one yet.

The forecasted high today is 103 with a heat index over 110. It was 81 degrees at my house at 6 a.m. Despite my better judgment, I decided to bike to work today anyway. I'm curious to see what riding in that kind of heat will be like. I've ridden in temperatures close to 100 before, but not over. I'll take it slow and easy.

Coming to work this morning the roads were wet about half the route. Apparently a little thunderstorm came through during the night. I just put some Raceblade fenders on my bike the other day, so this was the first time they've gotten any use. They seemed to keep my feet dry, but I was totally soaked from sweat by the time I was halfway to work anyway.

:rolleyes: Nice.

My commute today was the Tour de Champlain. Less than a mile from home, a guy on a hybrid turned in front of me at an intersection (3-way stop, no hazard), we exchanged hellos, and then I started following him. Almost immediately after, someone else came out of another side street on a road bike and took off at a good clip.

We entered the MUP shortly after that, and it was on! I stayed several yards behind the hybrid at 17-18MPH while the roadie was pretty much dropping us. After 2 miles, I saw the roadie pull off onto a street. However, when we got to the intersection, he was waiting there. We kept going, and the roadie pulled out behind us. I thought he was going to try to catch us, but we dropped him handily. Maybe he blew up.

Hybrid guy made a u-turn about a mile after that, so I was all alone again. By that point I was so energized that I reeled in a trail regular, passed her, then reeled in some other guy and passed him up a hill before a red light.

The commute was...Fast... :)

Yesterday, on the ride home, some guy on a roadie with aero bars pulled out behind me and tried to reel me in. I denied him. I only had 3/4 of a mile to go, so I poured the coal on and never let him get closer. We were cruising over 20MPH. He was down in the drops bouncing trying to catch me. It was all pretty funny, because my knobby tires were singing away and my trunk bag was full. Hopefully he was suitably impressed. :o

There was a cargie today that i was forced to blast. It was unfortunate. There aren't tons of bike commuter in Nashville yet, but there are some. I was here, where bike lanes give way to a high velocity roundabout for bit. There was hardly any traffic, so when another cyclist pulled beside me to converse, I took one of 2 southbound lanes. Some chump in a ugly 1990s t-bird pulls up behind me, honks, and as i get over (which I shouldn't have), he points out the bike lane to me. (Clearly a former if not present segregationist.) I oblige him with 100dB of gratitude and remind him that he is driving on a public road.

Ah, the serenity of a wonderful morning commute.

Got to work today and checked the bike computer.

Trip Distance = 16.00
Ride Time = 1:00:00

Weird. When people ask about my commute, I tell them its about 16 miles and about an hour, but never did I expect to hit those numbers down to the second an hundreth of a mile.

Time to go buy lottery tickets.

Yesterday on the way home it was hottttttttt. The boys and I were passed by a rough looking guy on a BMX.

This morning it had rained and it was cooler. There is a chance for more rain and T-storms the rest of the day, we need the rain. If we don't get more rain, I figure it'll be hot and humid by the time I get off work.

Rider down! My hand really hurts.
 

I fell today. It started raining while I was riding and I hit a flat smooth manhole cover while I was turning left and I went down, right in the middle of an intersection. Some scrapes on my knee and shins and my hand really hurts but otherwise I'm OK.

I think I'll have to go to the walk in clinic in the mall and get a splint.

Winter76, sorry to hear about the fall. I'm happy to say that wet manhole covers are one of the (many) dangers BF alerted me to before I learned the hard way. Heal well.

As reported by tarwheel, today's NC commute was hot and humid. Even better...after my commute home tonight I have Ultimate frisbee practice. Hydrate or die.

Set my PR for hottest commute yesterday. I saturated with water beforehand and felt fresh. Was fine at first then after 20 miles or so I felt inexplicably crappy. Then I realized, now might be the appropriate time to have a sports drink on hand. I've always shunned them because of the ridiculous amount of sugar, and the fact that you are usually more likely to see a NASCAR fan or chubby kid in an arcade drinking one than a serious athlete. But OK, 36 miles in 105+F heat index, I could see maybe having a little something extra. So long as I still have good ole H2O to dump on my head.

Brilliant!

First commute on the new trekking bars....feels like a whole new bike!

Dark and cloudy today. Plus, everybody got back from vacation today and all decided to drive in. Oy!

First commute to the new location. Its been over 10 months and the old commute was 7 miles. I rode with my daughter to her first day of school. She's not old enough to be embarrassed of her old man. I continued to work for a 16 mile ride.

Mine was pure awesomeness. 26 miles, the first 10 into the wind and then 16 with a sweet tailwind. Lots of birds: egrets, blue herons, red tailed hawks, blackbirds, sparrows.

Nice.

I have been having some awesome (though rather hot) commutes lately that I forgot to celebrate 2 years of commuting. Aug 1 was the start of my third year commuting. And what a way to kick it off......heat advisories! Just to post a quick figure, in 2 yrs, I have biked 8000 miles! This year will be my best yet with almost 3000 miles to date!

I have learned quite a lot and have been most thankful to the newbie sticky thread in here!

Enjoy and ride safe!

txbiker

My record for the number of moose in one trip is 9. Also both black and brown bear are occasionally on the trail. What a place!

It's a great place to live and cycle. Denali will be out all week and the riding is great. If you want a cool bike trip, check out the Fireweed 400 website!

Got up early to commute in. Thunder, Lightning, Wind, and heavy rain.
No commute today! :(

By quiting time it was sunny and hot. Sigh!

Hello Forum

I have been away for a while because of computer problems but I'm Back.

I am still commuting to work everyday and man it is hot.

Some of the rides I make and very cool though.

Take a look at my You Tube channel to see all my latest videos of my rides.

Here is a link to one of them. Hope you enjoy it.

My latest ride to the store.

We had a thunderstorm very early this morning. It cleared up by the time I was out of the shower, so I figured I would put my new fenders to the test, and really wanted the ride anyway. I got in to the office right on time, and found out that the whole transit system was a disaster; the subways were barely moving at all. I never would have made it in if I hadn't taken my bike. When everyone else finally got there, between one and three hours late, boy did I gloat. :)

The ride in was nice this morning...still raining though. I really need to get a rain jacket. A fender wouldn't be a bad idea either.

Anyways, I leave around 0500 every morning, so the traffic is usually pretty sparse. Seems more people had places to go this morning, there were a bunch of cars out. The weather is calling for tomorrow to be cloudy but no rain...we'll see.

Yesterday's ride home was brutal, the temp hovered near 100 but the humidity was, fortunately, not bad. I was fairly well hydrated and left my helmet and gloves at work, anything I could do to keep cool. I did a couple of laps around the parking deck to loosen up a little then climbed the ramp, right into the oven. My face puckered like a prune, eyes squinting, they stayed that way for half the ride. I took it easy, saw only one other cyclist whom I drafted for a while, and really started dragging near the end. Once I got home I drank my Endurox while taking a cold shower, I was pretty wasted for a good hour or so after.

This morning's ride was a little cooler but more humid. I had to use 3 wet wipes to clean off instead of the usual one. Feel pretty good now and am optimistic that today will be somewhat cooler.

great commute first one on the new kona

Nice ride today. Mid 50Fs, low humidity, and a very light tailwind. I was determined to avoid the impromptu bike racing that has plagued me over the last 3 days. :o I promised I'd stay at or below 15MPH the whole ride in, and just be relaxed. About a mile after I left, I caught an older woman on a hybrid going almost exactly 15MPH, so I stayed behind her. She was pretty fit. Seemed to be commuting too. One roadie passed us. I had to fight the urge to chase. :rolleyes:

And something exploded! :eek: The power cables alongside the MUP were slapping and then I heard a really loud BRRRRRRRRRRRRRAP! The cables were swaying for a good half mile after that. Maybe a tree fell on them in the woods. It seemed to scare the woman I was following.