Quite a cold commute in this morning. I had to leave 15 minutes earlier than usual, around 6:15 am, to take care of logistics. I'm starting this week to bring 5 days worth of clothes every monday so I don't have to have any backpacks or messenger bags until Friday nights commute home. The backpack helped to battle the cold and the roads were nice and empty in twilight. My legs felt unusually strong despite last Saturdays climbing ride. Massages and a hot tub works wonders.

Very liberating ride. Finally installed fenders, rack, trunk bag, and rear blinkie. No more backpack or sweaty back. The trunk barely holds clothing change, rain gear, and knick-knacks. Almost ran over a young rabbit on a fast downhill, hope that never happens.

Chilly ride in this morning. Was 46F with a 15-20 mph headwind. Yeah, my ears were stinging. Time to dig up the full fingered gloves.

It the mornings, I usually pass an older guy walking downhill on the sidewalk as I'm climbing up. The funny thing is that I've seen him like 50 times, and only once was he wearing his shirt. He usually carries it in his hand. Must be walking to work and not wanting it to get sweaty is my guess.
Anyways, this morning I see him coming down the hill this morning with shirt in hand. [46f, remember?] . When I get to him, he says, "what's with the jacket?" I just laughed and waved..it was funny, but I guess you had to be there

I passed a MTB on the side of the MUP, upside down and pointing into the ditch. I turned around and found a man laid out 4' lower in the scrub/brush. After calling 911, one of the growing batch of MUP users got him awake by talking to him in Spanish. By the time the fire truck arrived (and drove off in the wrong direction) the guy walked off with the bike.

TODAY WAS GREAT!! The morning started cruddy with a strong headwind! but the return was great.... I changed my route and went through one of my favorie parks and home a new way! The air was finally nice at 56 degrees or so!! I loved it!

After work my boyfriend and I met in Cabbagetown for supper. I had a bike and he didn't, so I rode home and he took streetcar+subway. I beat him home by 21 minutes, ha ha!

Awesome day!

First commute since moving back into our formerly flooded Hurricane Katrina house in New Orleans. My old commute since the flood was 17 miles each way = 55 minutes on my racer and 1:10 on my ATB.

The "NEW" commute is 4 miles and I cover that in less than 12 minutes on the racer! Pretty much a straight shot too. I am loving it in so many ways.

Still friggin hot. 80+ degrees before sunup. Bleeeck!

Great Day
Had a flat and when i was putting wheel back on my boss stoped in his Lexus to see if i needed help i told him no thanks, i told him this was my third flat this year its a lot quicker than a car flat.

Hot and muggy here in Virginia. Uneventful 18 miles in the dark. Great to be back on the bike after only one day commuting last week.

Well, our local weather forecasters say this week will be the last of the really hot weather in NC. I'll believe when I see it. Yesterday it hit 101, setting another record and the 7th time we've topped 100 this year. The stupid TV forecaster was making excuses for blowing yet another forecast (they had predicted a high of 95) by saying that he thought the thermometer was off at the airport. Yeah, right. This same station has been underestimated the heat all summer.

Despite the heat, I had a nice ride in this morning. It was already 75 degrees at 5:45 am. Supposedly the high temperature will be in the 70s by Thursday or Friday. I'm just hoping it won't top 100 again this afternoon as my ride home is during the hottest part of the day.

Not bad. 60F with a manageable headwind. Saw several cyclists. I passed one, another came onto the MUP behind me but never caught up, and two guys who looked like they should have been fast turned around after I went by and I thought, "Uh oh, it's on", but I dropped them too.

Lots of geese floating around in the lake. Squirrels are getting more care-free too. One darted right where my bike was going to be in half a second but I anticipated that and it was no problem.

Thunder storms later today.

No commute this morning. It is one of my 2 work from home days.
Yesterday the commute was nice and rainy. That and cold.... if you can call the high 40s cold.
It rains so rarely around here I just had to commute.
What a blast but my half arsed rain gear needs some work. Jogging pants and a nike windbreaker do not make the most effective tools. Guess I know what I will be purchasing next.
That and a set of waterproof gloves. Wet cold hands are almost unbearable.
The ride home was in the high 50s and sunny. The strange thing is that I was carrying full panniers both ways and did not notice any slowdown. However, the way in had a nice tailwind.

I got out of bed a whole 10 minutes early today, and it seemed to make a huge difference in the ride. Traffic moved slower and there was less of it. I dropped my seat about 1cm, and that made a difference too. It's basically the same as all my other bikes now - I don't know why I didn't make the change earlier.

Hot and rainy this morning - like riding through a sauna once it stopped actually precipitating. I was glad for my fenders and dry-bag in the pannier. Today is the first time this summer I've actually had to ride through the rain; it's been unusually dry. I felt like I was just crawling the entire time.

Nice and cool. See: https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/342536-passed-while-speeding.html for more

Nice the first 3 + miles with a headwind and about 60 degrees. Then it started raining, so I quick pulled in behind a closed fast food place and put a couple layers of grocery bags over my clothes, but the rain stopped by the time I finished and got my stuff back in the panniers. The remaining 8 or 9 miles was very pleasant except for battling a fairly stiff breeze. Even enjoyed hammering up the big hill a gear lower than usual with the headwind.

Tomorrow is supposed to be in the 40s so I will need to hunt my light weight gloves.

Nasty I got all the unpleasant weather events the past 3 commutes. The way home last night It poured on me most of the way and I got soaked. This morning it was chilly ~50 F. Now it is really windy and I will have a 30mph headwind all the way home.

My commute this morning was very pleasant. It was around 60 F and I am noticing the great advantage of not having anything extra on my bike or myself since I left all 5 days worth of everything at work yesterday. Its like a weekend ride Monda to Friday. Very satisfying.

I left around 6:15 this morning and I only saw 2 other commuters on my way to work. Its not that cold yet but it is getting darker in the morning. I kept looking behind me to see any of my usual co-commuter but there was no one in sight. BEAUTIFUL.

Ugh, I dread the day when it starts getting windy on my commutes. Hills I can handle. They end somewhere near the top. Wind on the other hand doesn't end until you get home. I guess look at it as a character builder.

cruised into work on my new (old) rampar single speed conversion the last couple of days. It's been ever so much fun, way less work than the mountain bike, which would leave me out of breath and sweaty when I get to the office.

pics here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/joeymac...n/photostream/

I'm back in Boston- after having been in NYC for much of the summer.

I miss NYC. My Boston commute is great in that it's a little longer- about 11 miles each way but man the Boston drivers absolutely suck in comparison. NYC is great because bikes- and there are a lot more of them now than ever- are just part of city traffic- from push carts to pedicabs and horse and buggies.

On the first commute of the week a driver almost wipes out 3 cyclists and 2 pedestrians (in a crosswalk) as he jams into an intersection on the red and attempts a right turn without stopping. I give him the hairy eyeball and he responds with: "What, WHAT, WHAT?!! I MADE A MISTAKE! F---- YOU! I SEE YOU ON YOUR STUPID BIKES!"

Had it happened in NYC I think the cyclists and pedestrians would have banded together to kick the guys a**.

Welcome home.

Got a good soaking on the way home at night. After 11 hours at work (yes I'm crazy) I'm happily on my way home when it starts to sprinkle. No problem, little water hasn't hurt me yet and the front fender will keep my shoes dry. A few minutes later it's getting heavier, no problem. Ten minutes after that I'm in the middle of a freaking thunderstorm with nice cross winds that want to push me into traffic and it feels like someone is hitting my head and face with a stick. (it's raindrops plus wind plus my speed = ouch).

I was completely soaked, other than my shirt which under the jacket I wear was almost completely dry. All other clothing however I had to wring out in the garage.

My panniers held everything nice and dry. They are officially NOT waterproof and not marketed as such but a little tent waterproofing spray did wonders (thanks Jeffo).

The clothes inside which I hadn't even thought about until I got home as I was too busy squinting and taking a beating in the cold rain, came out of the bag nice and dry .

This morning was peaceful by comparison. Strong headwind and getting cold out there. Sweatted a little in my new kayaking gloves - first time I wore them and wish I had them yesterday.

Wish that wind kept up until 5 or 6 tonight so it could push me all the way home. Bets it changes directions

Cold ride, in the 50's. Made good time. Only my second ride of the new school year, but I'll ride again either tomorrow or Friday.

No ride in today. I got rear-ended on the MUP by a guy on a Mafac last night when I slowed to avoid passing some peds with a stroller at the same time as an oncoming bike. I'd passed the Mafac some time before and didn't know he'd sped up to ride my wheel - he was at least 75 yards back last time I'd looked. Rear wheel's tacoed, derailleur hanger's bent, bar tape shredded.

47f, bright sun, and no wind. Still wearing summer gear so I was a bit cold. Having a tough time typing this. TIme to find the fall/winter gear. Sun directly in eyes in the morning now.

The construction crew is just about finished with the Gilmer Rd bridge, and let me sneak across, Cuts out about half mile, and about keeps me off the state route, much safer.

In town, a van sped out to the right to pass between traffic and me in the parking lane. Caught me completely by surprise, and missed me by inches. I'm uysually more to the left, but there were no parked cars today. Really don't understand it. No matter how many fast starts, and quick passes you're not going to go anywhere durinig rush hour around here.

First commute since last Wed. Rode the MS150 over the weekend and my legs are suprisingly still dead tired. This morning (I hope) was the last warm humid start to the day for us here in RTP. 76F with 68 F dew point. A cold front made its way through overnight and it's only supposed to get into the 80's for a high today...finally!! Looking forward to some cooler temps.