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How was the commute today?

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Old 02-05-08 | 06:54 AM
  #22876  
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From: Raleigh, NC

Bikes: Waterford RST-22, Bob Jackson World Tour, Ritchey Breakaway Cross, Soma Saga, De Bernardi SL, Specialized Sequoia

Nice commute this morning except for the headwind most of the way. It was the warmest morning in quite some time, low about 50F, so I dressed much lighter. Still overdressed and was pretty sweaty by the time I got to work. I rode one of my better road bikes (Merckx Corsa) since I won't have a bunch of layers to peel off in the afternoon. It was fun, and my average speed was about 1 mph faster than usual, even with the wind. I didn't have room to carry a lunch so will have to go out to eat later or drink a shake in my office.

Trying to decide whether to ride tomorrow as a front is expected to move through, with showers and possible thunderstorms. If it's raining in the morning, I'll definitely drive, but I might try my luck otherwise. We have been in a very bad, persistent drought, and most of the time when they predict rain lately it either never materializes or we get just a few little sprinkles.
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Old 02-05-08 | 08:26 AM
  #22877  
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From: Durham, NC

Bikes: Cannondale Synapse 5c, Scattante XRL

Uneventful ride this morning, same conditions as tarwheel reported. There was a little fog towards the end of my ride, but it has really rolled in since I arrived at work--I can barely see out my window.

My wife commutes by car (she brings our daughter to day care). This morning she reported something that, sadly, is much too common for us cyclists. She was slowing to make a left into day care with her left turn signal on when the driver behind her accelerated and passed her on the left in the oncoming lane. If she had started her turn a half-second earlier she'd have another car in the driver's side of her car. Fewking idiots.
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Old 02-05-08 | 08:39 AM
  #22878  
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From: Twin Cities, MN

Bikes: 1987 Denti w dura ace (road)/ "cheap" Jamis (mtn)

It snowed yesterday, so it was snowy/slushy last night and this morning.

Have to second the "idiots" thought. Had people passing closer than normal and one guy hauled --- to pass me on a narrow parkway road.

Felt great this morning though. Was haulin tail myself- even in the snow.

Glad to hear your wife didn't crash! Maybe it's a full moon or something?
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Old 02-05-08 | 09:13 AM
  #22879  
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From: Cowtown, AB

Bikes: Titus El Guapo, Misfit diSSent, Cervelo Soloist Carbon, Wabi Lightning, et al.

Much warmer today! A balmy -11C with no wind to speak of.
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Old 02-05-08 | 09:43 AM
  #22880  
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15F with 4 inches of snow. Plus, it was lightly snowing on the way in! My goodness that was fun.
I missed the train I intended to take and rode around for a few extra miles while I waited for the next one.
Met another rider on the train and chatted for quite a while. Both of us where having a blast in the snow.
This is what riding is all about...fun.
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Old 02-05-08 | 09:59 AM
  #22881  
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From: Toronto, ON
Originally Posted by Itsjustb
My wife commutes by car (she brings our daughter to day care). This morning she reported something that, sadly, is much too common for us cyclists. She was slowing to make a left into day care with her left turn signal on when the driver behind her accelerated and passed her on the left in the oncoming lane. If she had started her turn a half-second earlier she'd have another car in the driver's side of her car. Fewking idiots.
Good God. It's dumb enough to do that with cyclists, but at least a lot of people aren't used to cyclists and don't know how to react to them. But how incomprehensibly moronic do you have to be to do that to another car?! Apparently, still smart enough to get a DL...
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Old 02-05-08 | 10:01 AM
  #22882  
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Originally Posted by chephy
G But how incomprehensibly moronic do you have to be to do that to another car?! Apparently, still smart enough to get a DL...

Isn't that an oxymoron?
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Old 02-05-08 | 12:07 PM
  #22883  
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From: Sacramento, California, USA

Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur

05 Feb 6:53 am342982CALM10.00CLR

Cool, calm and beautiful blue skies. Such a nice day that I switched out my heavy commute wheels for my Ksryiums. !Estaba volando!
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Old 02-05-08 | 12:30 PM
  #22884  
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From: Toronto, ON, Canada

Bikes: 70s Leader Precision w/Shimano 600 (road), IRO Rob Roy (Fixed)

Training night tonight, so I rode the fixie in - running 42:17 (66GI) so it's pretty comfortable riding around town. I'm running platforms on it right now, helps in the snow but still scares the nards out of me at times.

Heard on the radio that King was closed right in between where my office is, so I altered my route only to find the blockage was on the street I had detoured via to cut right onto King, not a big deal I circled back and used the sidewalk to get to my office.

Warmer weather makes me happier too, it's said to get all the way up to 6C.
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Old 02-05-08 | 01:33 PM
  #22885  
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Bikes: ANT Club Racer, 2004 Trek 520

Commute yesterday was quiet and easy on the way to work. temperatures were moderate and I thought that I maybe overdressed with my lobster claws as my hands were pretty sweaty and overheated when I got to work.

came in handy on the way home though, as I left at 7:30pm and the temperature had plummeted by then. Rode 20 miles to a bar/nightclub to meet up with some friends, danced until 1AM, rode 6 miles to home then got up at 8 this morning.

Commute today was definitely in 100% recovery mode. Three pints of Guinness have a way of catching up with a person in the morning.
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Old 02-05-08 | 03:26 PM
  #22886  
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From: WesternSlopeCO
Sunny and 75F today!!!! Slightly humid, but hey it's Florida.
Cardinals, Bluebirds, and Mockingbirds were spotted over and over. The Buds on trees are starting to come out again.

It's spring in February!
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Old 02-05-08 | 04:36 PM
  #22887  
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From: Highland Park, NJ, USA

Bikes: "Hildy", a Novara Randonee touring bike; a 16-speed Bike Friday Tikit; and a Specialized Stumpjumper frame-based built-up MTB, now serving as the kid-carrier, grocery-getter.

I stopped to vote in the primary on the way home. One of the poll workers commended me for cycling in visible clothing, and another asked where to get a blinky like the one on my helmet; she jotted down the brand and model to buy one for her husband.
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Old 02-05-08 | 04:53 PM
  #22888  
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From: Upper Midwest USA

Bikes: Roubaix Expert Di2, Jamis Renegade, Surly Disc Trucker, Cervelo P2, CoMotion Tandem

Well...I'm off for home. Weather is warm (upper 20's to low 30's), windy and snowing and its starting to get dark. Should be fun
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Old 02-05-08 | 05:49 PM
  #22889  
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From: Sydney, Australia

Bikes: 80's peugeot. Somewhat knackered. Lovely new Salsa Casseroll singlespeed.

No rain today! Hurrah! It's been very wet lately.

Ride in was OK; rode my new SS which was fun. I think I'm getting a cold though, so don't feel 100%.

The relentless rain seems to have done in the electrics on my other bike though. The rear light filled up with water and stopped working a couple of days ago, despite it being wrapped in plastic. Then the front light gave out. And now the cyclocomputer is playing up. Hmmm. Don't they design these things for wet weather?
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Old 02-05-08 | 06:10 PM
  #22890  
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From: Pittsburgh, PA
Today was my first commute in a week or so and also my first real rain commute. (By "real", I mean that it was significantly raining when I decided to bike in this morning.) It felt great, though I got the usual set of questions from my coworkers about why I'd choose to bike in the rain.

I'm not as hardcore as some of you yet, but I'm working on it.
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Old 02-06-08 | 02:40 AM
  #22891  
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From: Sydney, Australia

Bikes: 80's peugeot. Somewhat knackered. Lovely new Salsa Casseroll singlespeed.

Well done Business810! Riding in the rain can be fun. I should know, I've done enough of it lately!

Today was dry on the way home too, although 15 minutes after getting home the rain came down again. Looks like it could be another wet ride tomorrow...
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Old 02-06-08 | 06:37 AM
  #22892  
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From: Portland, OR

Bikes: Bianchi Volpe

My ride's only about a mile, and straight downhill, so it's usually really pleasant and uneventful, even if it is through downtown at rush hour. Always, I'm on the lookout for cars pulling stupid ****e, but today it was a frakkin' pedestrian. Stepped right out in front of me as I was about to blow through an intersection (I had green, obvi). I yelled, she turned and gasped, and then instead of, I don't know, running, or jumping out of the way, she--that's right--stopped dead in her tracks. In MY track, I should say. I will never understand that tendency. Get out of the bloody way! Anyhoo, I had to swerve to miss her, which caused me to narrowly miss being hit by the car coming up behind me on my right. I let out a "geez, lady!" as all this was going down, then cursed like a sailor for the next three blocks.

About to set off up the hill home, now... Aaah, five am when there are no idiots deciding to step into oncoming traffic just for kicks!
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Old 02-06-08 | 07:38 AM
  #22893  
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From: White Bear Lake Mn

Bikes: 88 Schwin Voyageur, 84 Schwinn World Sport, 85 Univega Alpina Uno, 85 Fuji Espree, 09 Novara Strada, 06 Jamis Durango, 03 Specialized Expediton Sport, 09 Surly LHT, 12 Novara Gotham

I'm really beginning to enjoy this warm (relatively) weather!!! +21 F
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Old 02-06-08 | 09:18 AM
  #22894  
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From: Cowtown, AB

Bikes: Titus El Guapo, Misfit diSSent, Cervelo Soloist Carbon, Wabi Lightning, et al.

A chinook is blowing through, so the ride in was fast and easy. Lots of slop on the roads, which clears up by the time we get downtown. Riding home is going to be a pain.
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Old 02-06-08 | 09:31 AM
  #22895  
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From: Durham, NC

Bikes: Cannondale Synapse 5c, Scattante XRL

No ride for me today, I'll work from home instead. Although some authorities are saying it won't be too bad, at least one forecast for the afternoon calls for winds up to 40 mph with thunderstorms, rain, and hail. I'll ride out to the grocery store this morning to lessen my guilt at not riding.
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Old 02-06-08 | 10:15 AM
  #22896  
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From: Fairhaven, MA

Bikes: Motobecane Jubilee Sport, Viner, Raleigh Super Course

I usually don't really log my rides here that often but I have to brag. Yesterday was a beautiful day here in Durham, NC.

70 degrees in my ride home from work...Today looks like more of the same but the weathermen called for high wind gusts and rain so I opted out...I was a bit annoyed cause I wanted to ride this morning. Just converted my old trustie Motobecane commuter to singlespeed so I've been enjoying it even more these days.
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Old 02-06-08 | 10:42 AM
  #22897  
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Bikes: ANT Club Racer, 2004 Trek 520

Fairly heavy rain this morning on the way in. Supposed to turn into ice and snow when I leave this evening. That will be good fun, I expect.

I forgot my work socks at home, and my riding socks are still drying out, so I'm going all 80's Miami Vice style and walking around in loafers with bare feet while hoping that my jeans are low enough to hide the fashion faux pas.
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Old 02-06-08 | 11:10 AM
  #22898  
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From: Calgary

Bikes: 07 Rocky Mtn ETSX-70, 00 Rocky Mountain Hammer (commuter) 98 Lemond Chambery

warm and sloppy this morning. Hell on the drive train, but really nice temperature wise.
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Old 02-06-08 | 11:18 AM
  #22899  
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From: Toronto, ON, Canada

Bikes: 70s Leader Precision w/Shimano 600 (road), IRO Rob Roy (Fixed)

Snoooooooow! Wet and slush/sloppy here too, awful ride in in that regard (got soaked due to no fenders on the fixed gear) but was awesome really, enjoyed it fully!
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Old 02-06-08 | 11:28 AM
  #22900  
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From: San Diego, CA
Beautiful! 40 degrees when I left the house at 7; frost on the lawns and fences (unusual for San Diego!). Saw herons in the lagoon, rabbits on the MUP. Got to the bus stop at exactly the right moment. At my desk in 1 hour flat. 65 degrees now, should be nice for the ride home.
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