Aeneas

The air was tense this AM on the ride in, but nothing particular happened. ASPHUNDAH (or something like that) was doing some tree work and had my bike lane (the only one on my commute) blocked, so I moved over and controlled the lane as I past the crew. Just as I was moving back right a dingbat felt I had been holding him up by controlling the lane, so he crossed the yellow line and red lined his engine until he had past me. He stopped at the light 200 yards ahead... dingbat! A couple minutes later, I was coming up behind a guy jogging to school at the university I attend/ work. Thing was he was jogging at a good clip with a backpack with traffic, so his back was too me... not wanting to buzz him, a couple rings of the bell elicited a wave from him and I pedaled past. Shortly thereafter, I made the second of my 4 lefts and started up a short hill. Got blown past by a roadie, he waved, I channeled Yehuda and rang the bell... dunno if he heard me!
The ride home was less fun, and I experienced what I'm calling bike rage for the first time. I got buzzed and revved by a stooge on a crotch rocket. My instinctive response was to yell at him, dunno if he heard me, and I didn't feel any better. Then about a mile later, I signaled that I needed to merge to the left, (there is a right turn only lane) and checked behind me, all clear, started to move left. As I'm about there, a scumb bag in an old school Explorer crosses the yellow to my left and speeds into the left turn lane. I yelled an angry "Dude!" at him, but I'm certain he couldn't hear me over the crappy classic rock blasting out the windows. Again, justice was served as he sat at the light waiting for the green arrow, just as long as I waited in line to go straight.
Today was the first time I really got pissed that the drivers here were not just being bad drivers but were messing with me specifically because I was on a bike. Nothing was accomplished by them startling or aggressively passing me. In fact, it was more wasteful than anything. No one got to work or home faster and my normally enjoyable ride wasn't.
Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

Intheloonybin

TY girljen.

We got it to eat and drink tonight. That is a good sign!

BTW... The weather for walk/ride to work day was awesome today.

I have NEVER seen so many people out biking as there were this afternoon on the way home!

Curious to find out if anyone did so because of my email to our campus late last week...

knatchwa

Great to dream and to put the action behind the words great news.

knatchwa

As far as the commute, beautiful, wonderful weather, absolutely awesome biking weather, A short run but an enjoyable one looking forward to tommorow.

trombone

Could not get clipped in on the way home tonight. Every junction I just fumbled as I pulled away. evry single time. Every trackstand I attempted just wobbled around for a few seconds before I had to put my foot down (I'm not great at it, but can usually do OK for a short while). One of those days, I guess.

Other thing is that there really do seem to be loads of cyclists around at the moment. It's a good thing, of course! I just wonder where they have all come from - at the time when a high profile road-rage incident involving some olympic cyclists prompted the minister for roads to say that cyclists on the roads at rush hour 'weren't helpful'. It's as if all the latent cyclists out there have got on their bikes to show him. Good stuff!

jpdesjar

Great ride in, thought there was rain in the forecast but it looks like the showers will be happening on the weekend. My legs felt strong this morning too even though I biked yesterday and ran 3 miles. I practiced some backward circles on my bike too and managed to pull one and a half rotations, pretty exciting. I wanted to try backwards circles all night.

vtjim

WET! First rain commute in quite a while, actually. I saw 2 cyclists going the other way (one guy was going fishing), and two runners going my way. MUP population density: 0.8 persons per mile.

ctoddrun

Don't think it was him - he takes Precinct Line to the end of the road where it intersects Davis. Nice to know there are others of us in the area, though - there are a few at work, but I almost never see anyone on my ride...

ctoddrun

Back to commuting after a week off. Left Thursday with the wife (kids stayed home with Grandma!) for a long weekend trip to the Outer Banks. Dodging thunderstorms in TX for the last few weeks, and landed right in the middle of tornado alley for vacation - who knew?

DW and I rented a couple cruisers on Saturday and put in about 12 miles traveling between the LBS where we rented and the various attractions close-in to the B&B where we stayed. Had a good time, but I gotta tell ya, my posterior is not a big fan of the cruiser saddle!

Then drove to DC on Sunday to visit some old friends before flying home on Monday evening - y'all out there got some serious rain! Kudos to the folks I saw commuting on bikes in the middle of all that!

Got home Monday night, drove in Tuesday with the bike in the truck to do my normal Tuesday/Wedsneday ride routing, only to be foiled by work and weather here. Long day on Tuesday meant driving was the better option (first day back from vacation always sux...) and heavy rain for the first part of the day yesterday confirmed that decision.

So last night's ride home was my first commute in a week. Felt pretty good, traffic was friendly, and the wind cooperated (very light and not in my face...) for the first time in a while. Had a couple adjustment issues with the RD, but 5 minutes on the stand in the garage took care of that.

Rode in this morning in gray, overcast, north wind (headwind, of course!) but felt great. Planned to take it easy, but couldn't keep from pushing hard for some reason. Made good time, had no driver issues, and then realized I forgot my towel. Nothing like a shower with paper towels to dry off!

And bonus - picked up a SuperFlash at the bike shop in NC (believe it or not, no one close by carries it, and I haven't been willing to pay shipping for an online order just for that...) That thing is awesome!

starla

It was awesome. Probably my favorite commute ever. I am going on a longer route (approx 10 miles instead of 6) that takes me off the highway...didn't feel a bit longer or harder...it was easier if anything because I was not stressing over traffic. Plus part of the ride is on a gravel/dirt road that was so much fun on my MTB.

Cannot WAIT for the ride home! I don't care if it rains!

Jeprox

Bike to Work Day today here in the SFO Bay Area. Obviously, lots of riders than normal. I got myself a couple of musette bags with goodies (bottled water, apple, two energy bars, and pamphlets from the sponsoring bicycle coalition). There were two energizer stations along my route.

HardyWeinberg

late and slow but fine as generally.

deez

I feel like a chump for not riding in today.

Accuweather said it was gonna be thunderstorms by 5pm and I dont leave til 6 so I didn't wanna chance 4 miles home riding a lightning rod. This storm better happen is all i can say.

Unfortunately its supposed to be worse tomorrow...there's a big part of me though who wants to man up for Bike to Work Day regardless of the weather.

caloso

Tons of bikes out on the ARBT this morning, including a group that (my buddy informed me) included the Mayor of Folsom.

Pig_Chaser

I had to take the car in for some work so I put my bike in the trunk. I dropped the car off and cycled to work, obviously taking a differnet route. Unbeknownst to me, the different route took me down a major MUP. I had no idea there were so many cyclists in the city!

amit_shah25 

3rd day this week on bike. Started with a little aggrevation ! Last night when I checked weather, it was gonna rain in the evening. Forecast changed and said it might rain in the morning. That right there ticked me off a bit So loaded up my rain suit, clipped on the fenders, put on my rain shoes. My wife didn't do any of this except just throw the rain suit in her bag. She always leaves before me and then I catch up somewhere on the way (we work at the same place :d) Took me much longer to catch up with her today.

But once I caught up with her, got my rain jacket off (because it didn't rain anyway) after around midway, it was great ! Cloudy but nice weather, heard the birds chirping. Rode a bit slow because with my wife. That gave me a chance to enjoy the ride Fun over all !! I can see why folks here say bicycle commute is addictive !!!

rschulze

On the 25th of last month I was making good time home on a perfect afternoon along the southern california coast. It was shattered by a small sink hole in a new patch of pavement; there was no asphalt missing, no jagged edge to alert me to danger, just a perfectly smooth little sink hole in a 10ft by 20ft patch of pavement.

I was doing about 25 when I entered the hole at which time the bike dropped to zero in about one inch, I hardly slowed at all. Lucky for my bike my face absorbed the initial impact.

Facial abrasions, three cuts in my face, none stitchable but one very close. Road rash everywhere. My right shoulder was dislocated badly, I pulled my arm from it's position behind my back and rotated the arm up over my side. Luckily it just rotated back in for the most part. A broken humerous (spelling?) that radiated up into my shoulder cracking it into six pieces.

Luckily the shoulder position was good enough where they didn't have to pin me back together and I just went in for x-rays every three days to make sure the shoulder stayed put and bone started growing. Today is my first day without the cast. The arm is so sore and weak it's practically useless; I start PT on Monday.

I'll be calling the bike shop right after I post this to get the news on my bike.

Intheloonybin

OMG rschulze!!

Sorry to hear about your crash! I hope you recover quickly!

I'll be on the look-out for holes in the pavement from now on!

You know, there ARE easier ways to get a new bike... You could've had it stolen instead...

Good luck!

ctoddrun

OUCH! Glad to hear you're on the mend! Good luck with PT (ouch again...) and getting the bike back in shape...

starla

Your description gave me chills. Hope you have a speedy and complete recovery.

knatchwa

That is rough I do hope you the best in your recovery, Ride On soon as you can

DanitoLaboy

the wind made me beg for mercy today!!!!!ouch.

bikebuddha 

Steamy, 66F with high humidity. Made me a little sweaty.

jpdesjar

Sunny 55 little wind
The whole week has been awesome for riding, I have been practicing trackstands and backward circles when I get home from work.
I want to do a long ride soon, maybe on Sunday if it doesn't rain too hard.

ctoddrun

Had to skip the ride home last night and cage it - dw was taking Thing1 to the Dr. with Thing2 in tow, and had to follow that up with a trip to get an xray - Thing2 (3 yr old.) was driving her nuts and about to get strangled, so dw called in reinforcements - lucky I had the truck at the office. So loaded up the bike and drove down to run interference...

Ride this morning was great - first time I've left before sun-up in a long time. Forgot how quiet things are at 5:30 a.m. Also forgot how DARK it is - half my route has no street lights whatsoever; my little LED seemed woefully inadequate. Thankfully didn't hit any potholes or other assorted hazards - I JUST missed a dead skunk in the road by about 6 inches. That would have been interesting...