I've been commuting for a year now, but I feel like a new commuter now, having installed a basket on the front of my bike. That was supposed to hold my laptop, but the laptop goes on the rear rack in several layers of padding instead. This morning I had a large-ish package to return to Amazon by way of the UPS Store so into the basket it went along with my clean(ish) clothes for work. I felt very European. :) It was a good ride. I had cars to trip the traffic lights for me all the way out of my neighborhood, for a change. One lady pulled up behind me and, just as the light was changing, asked me if my bicycle was a racer. I don't know what my Giant Cypress does on its own time but it doesn't race when I'm on it. I told her it was a hybrid. She wanted to keep talking but that light is only like 10 seconds if you don't hit the pedestrian button.
Got to work (law school) at lunchtime (I teach in the evening) with students everywhere. I prefer not to go amongst'em in my lycra--I can see them averting their eyes from my middle-aged bulk and varicose veins--but so it goes. The ladies room was closed for cleaning when I got to it so I'm still waiting to get into my Clark Kent duds.:rolleyes:

The cycling gods were in a weird mood today! First day cycling/commuting after 5 days off in Montreal and a 20 lb backpack with all my crap on my back.

Took the 18.5 mile route in, was in misery! Slow, sluggish, painful, wind in my face. Finally made it to work worried about what the afternoon will hold for me.

Ah, but the way home, a near empty back pack, wind to my back or slightly a cross wind, staying between 20 and 30mph pretty much the whole way home! Ended up taking the long route of 20.5 miles and was so happy! My first non-head-wind commute home!! WHEE!!

Weird good times......

:D

Last nights ride home was a very wet one, the kind of wet that fills up your shoes so your toes can swim kind of wet. O and the ride was it was all up hill. Two car passed both of the cars gave me and them self enough room, to bring warm fuzz's upon me. :hug: I pasted on the riding today as we have had nothing but rain all day and now into the night. Looks as if the rain will be with us until the end of the week give or take.

Well that's it for the Black Mountain report..

Peace,
All

Dang, I usually get in the lane to cross the largest intersection on my commute. I was going to do so today, when in my rear view mirror I saw a huge dump truck coming down the hill behind me! :eek: I would have had no problem with a normal car there, but I did not expect this! I tried to hit the "gas" and get through the intersection on the "fog line". The right turner ahead appeared to be waiting. The dumper actually slowed and didn't pass me until I cleared the intersection and was 100% back in the shoulder, but he hit the gas immediately thereafter and I was absolutely enveloped in a huge cloud of substantial black deisel exhaust! Talk about bad timing...

Yeah, my toes were swimming in that storm. it felt good except for the headwind the last 8 miles. I felt like a slug on ludes

Cold again today! Thermometer on the deck read about 45. Hands were almost numb when I got to work. But the ride was very pleasant once the body warned up. Looks to be a beautiful sunny day!

Dark as usual. Really peaceful. The mornings aren't so hot anymore so I get to work fresh. The only problem is the two dogs who always try to ambush me at the corner of my block as I head out. They don't really worry me since they loose interest after I turn and begin chasing them. A human on a bicycle can be suprisingly fast!
Ernest

The past week has been stiff headwinds on the way home. I am beginning to wonder if it's the hurricane's in the south mucking up the westerlies. Eitherway, it makes the ride home a challenge.

This morning was a nice ride. Took it very easy. was almost late. :-)

It was cool this morning, uneventful, but man I was just not motivated. I think I hit the first 8 red lights which kind of screwed up my timing because I hit this PIA hill right after that and had no speed going into it. Then I played "catch ya" with a bus for a few blocks until I hit the down side of the hill and lost him.

Last nigh these two middle age women followed me for a block and just keep laying on their horn. I looked to make sure I wasn't dragging anything, then looked at them, got the usual pleasant hand gestures. I smiled, and kept going, they kept beeping until they finally made their turn.

it was still pretty breezy this morning but not in my face like yesterday...pleasant commute and i spotted a few other people riding as well, not sure if they were commuters or not but i am starting to see the regular people

commuted yesterday and ran five miles after work and my legs felt great this morning...trying to get an appropriate amount of sleep each night, the air is getting drier and cooler which is nice

i walked to work this morning - to reacquaint my feet with my hiking boots for a hike up Mt Washington this Saturday. It took 25 minutes to walk 1.8 miles. I'd rather ride. At least the weather is beautiful though - sunny, cool and dry in central CT.

happy hiking
if i walked to work it would take me an hour and half or so...would be interesting, i have considered running to work

Recovery from an illness combined with rain caused me to bail this morning and take the train in :-( So while I like trains, the commute was sub-optimal.

Still a bit chilly today, but no need for a jacket. My wife had on a jacket and legwarmers. Perhaps I'm missing something?

Definately felt like fall this morning. Didn't break out the jacket but i had on long sleeves and long pants. I was abit cold until i was 3/4 of the way there.

Massive winds on the last ride home... in my favor hehe. Pushed 25 and up the whole way except for the hills and I still did those 15 and up. Made record time but I felt it.

This morning was a bit chilly, so I changed into a cotton t-shirt. I was also fully loaded with my big pannies bringing in 2 weeks of clothes since I didn't hassle with clothes on the weekend like I normally do. I also got dropped by a cutie female. A nice little "good morning" was a pleasant passing warning. My time/speed were snail compared to my normal ride in. But it was enjoyable.

Heaviest ran I've ridden to work in (usually rains in the afternoon here). If I'd been thinking, I'd have packed a second set of clothes. I'm not looking forward to putting on wet clothes to go home.

Foggy.

Light rain when I woke up, but it stopped by the time I left the house. Currently there is lightning, flash flooding, and tornadoes forming on the horizon. Hopefully that all clears up in five hours.

I went past my train stop and got off at the next one, which gave me a longer ride home and a big hill! Traffic makes me faster.

Cool, calm, and clear blue skies. A wonderful morning to ride a bike.

Had a nice day on Monday. My normal 11 miles in, then called for a doctor's appointment and found they could get me in at 10:30. So 10 miles there, 10 more back, then 11 more miles home. 42 miles! 40-50 miles isn't a big deal to me physically, but I didn't wake up that day expecting to get to ride that much!

Nice ride, sprinkly. School (grade 2) starts next week, so about to tack another mile onto my commute riding over w/ the 7 yr old.

Nice ride. Weather is perfect.

Got another flat today. Actually 2. I woke up to find my rear tire flat, but when i removed the tube i couldn't find a hole! So i swapped for a spare tube just in case, but i must have messed up the boot that was protecting the tube from prior damage because 7 miles in I got a flat (tube pinched from that tire damage). I put the mysteriously flat tube from the morning back in the tire and rode to work. It's still full...weird.

Anyway, i resolved to buy GatorSkins (at least for my back tire). I have gotten 6 flats in 450 miles with the stock tires and i will see if those help...

good ride again today.

okay, lil wierdness on the way home. I was enjoying a tail wind and i was making really good time. Nearly home, an suv pulls along beside me and stays there. but... they weren't crowding or intimidating or yelling or honking, nope just driving right beside me. I glace over and see a tough looking guy in the passenger seat and a hot girl driving. i think they just wanted to see what i could do. i was going about 35kph when this started so i sprinted up to 50kph (they followed me all the way). now if i could sustain that i'd be on the tour so i began to slow down and they pulled away... wierd.

Nice ride in today, but the real story was the ride home last night. Excellent!!! 75 deg, sunny, no wind, I flew! I made my best time home!

outstanding

just beat the rain this morning as i picked up my Coffee and Cinnamon Roll. Wondering if it will be rainy this afternoon. Did not bring rain gear. REI isn't far from here, but I'd be pretty soaked by the time I got there.

Wet from last night's rain, and held a constant light rain the entire commute...... i.e. it was a GREAT commute! I love rainy rides!

woot!