Ok ride in this morning in the rain. Disaster going home. Raining hard, discovered I had a flat when leaving the office, no patch kit, and no helpful bike-repair guys on the street (as you often find here). Waited 45 minutes for a cab, stuck the bike in the back, proceeded to get stuck in traffic. Got home, realised I didn't have any food.

Yup, that sucked.

Sticky. Reeled in a woman. Passed her. Caught up to a bent rider who was following a Fred with a milk crate on a rack. Passed both of them. Saw some riders going the other way. Seems like there are more riders out now that it's uncomfortably hot and humid.

Today's ride home might be interesting. Chance of severe thunder storms. 70MPH winds (please let them be at my back) and hail. Hail is why I wear a helmet.

Well mostly my commutes are trouble free but today within my first 2 miles I had two close calls with motorists one that wasn't paying attention and one that just didn't care because her car was bigger than my bike. But about 5 miles later I was cought by a fellow commuter with some encouraging words that gave me the encouragment I needed and let me get on his rear wheel for a few minutes before I cought up thanked him and had a quick chat before letting him draft before we parted ways. CRAPPY start....GREAT ending Nothing like an encouraging commute when you need it!!!

One of the nicest commutes ever. The weather was a perfect 65 and sunny. I rode a gear higher than normal. A cab driver that was passing me slowed down to tell me I was averaging 21 mph (that was only because I was coming off a hill). Some roadies passed me and I drafted them for a good while (didn't even have to change gears.) I collided with an idiot jogger (turned left perpendicular to the path without looking) but no one was hurt. At that point I was feeling so good, it didn't even phase me.

good ride, not too warm, there was actually a slight breeze so i didn't arrive at work too sweaty...took a few laps around the building to cool off without helmet and backpack on...felt good
i have discovered a clicking sound and i am not sure where it is coming from, going to investigate this tonight when i get home...i have a feeling it is the chain, got a little gunked up last week biking in some wet weather

Great ride in this morning. A woman driver stoped for me when i was comming off a field and into a road. It's kind've illegal and she had the row so i waved her on but she insisted... so i went.
The weather this morning is almost perfect for riding, 10c with very little wind.

The ride home last night was hot - thermometer hit 101 based on the heat coming up from the asphalt. I almost got taken out by a teenage bimbo when she caught up to me at a stop sign and turned right without stopping, while talking on her cell phone.

Ride in this morning was a bit sticky - mid 70's again and high humidity. The ride home will be like last night's, temps in the upper 90's and humid - heat index up around 108 or something like that. It took me an hour and a half to stop dripping after the ride yesterday (no AC, no pool).

Wonderful morning. Mid 70s with a pleasant breeze. I am so tired this morning for some reason. I kept yawning the whole way. But a very nice ride.

Very nice ride on the way in today. I had the good fortune of happening upon a "Bicycle Commuter Station" operated by the Chicagoland Bike Federation as part of Bike to Work week. So I enjoyed a free cup of coffee, picked up a new map, and entered a raffle. C'mon, daddy needs a new bike computer.

[edit--OK, whose going to push us over 1000 pages?]

50F, misty, forgot my raincoat but didn't really need it for much other than a windbreaker. No rush to change clothes at work, need to take off in a bit for MD appt. Hmm. Look at that rain starting up... Then change for lunch I guess.

Doing my part to get us to 1000...

Uneventful ride in this morning., My neighbor rode in with me. He's about 19 and in Army ROTC, wants to get in (even) better shape so he's going to ride with me in the mornings. He's a good young man.

Etiquette question: there are several stretches of my route where I take the lane when riding alone (narrow lanes with curbs and gutter pans, right turn only lanes, etc.). I know one of the major complaints from drivers is when cyclists ride 2 (or more) abreast. But if I was taking the lane anyway, should it matter that sometimes he rides alongside me? I'd be taking the full lane anyway.

I mean...I know that, but I worry that drivers will look at the situation and assume we're taking the full lane just because we want to ride side-by-side. Of course some here will probably say I shouldn't care what the drivers think.

I stopped by the LBS on the way home yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to find the place packed with all types of cyclists: commuters, racers, Dad and kids, fixie hipsters. I overheard a guy telling one of shop staff that he and his wife met in a carpool and now wanted to start bike commuting together.

Love and bikes. Two great things that go great together....

Didn't get to this morning. The roads were still wet from the rain last night and since I don't have fenders (yet) I didn't want to throw whatever mud might be on the road on my bike. Its a 50% chance it will rain tonight so I won't be riding to my other job either. :/

The ride home yesterday was pretty nice. Mid-70's with a breeze. I buried myself to catch a friend of mine just before I pull off the trail. He needs to slow down.

Ride in this morning was warmer than yesterday with some cross winds. The ride home should be interesting. 90's with a 25-30mph headwind.

[QUOTE=Itsjustb;6853770]

Etiquette question: there are several stretches of my route where I take the lane when riding alone (narrow lanes with curbs and gutter pans, right turn only lanes, etc.). I know one of the major complaints from drivers is when cyclists ride 2 (or more) abreast. But if I was taking the lane anyway, should it matter that sometimes he rides alongside me? I'd be taking the full lane anyway.
QUOTE]

Shouldn't make a difference of course cuz you're in the same position regardless of whether there's one rider or two. Having said that though, I'm sure some knuckleheaded driver will take offense because you guys are "hogging" his/her road..."Don't you cyclists know how to share the road? "

Nice and cool, misty again. More cars than usual on the streets along my route, mostly apparently trying to get to the US Open (shiny Lexuses with USGA license frames). Saw a big beautiful snake on the lagoon path. I think it was a king snake - brownish red & yellow bands - probably about 4 feet long. Tried to take a picture but it moved off into the bushes before I could get my phone out.

This morning I hit a car!

Coming into a (rare, in my city) roundabout, I slowed to accommodate a car already in the circle.

Good thing -- because as she was leaving the roundabout, the motorist ... stops. Dead stop.

I tried to stop, too, but skidded into the rear bumper from an angle. In the slow-motion view that you get during an accident, I saw the front tire of my bike squeeze flat ... followed by flattening of the rim itself!

I had no idea it could do that.

Rim popped right back, no damage done. No damage to the car, either, or to me -- just got a black mark on my knee from when it hit my right handlebar.

Driver appeared befuddled. Indicated (through the rolled-up windows -- she wouldn't lower them) that she wanted to go to the gas station and was in the wrong lane ... so she just stopped.

Good thing I was, one, going slowly, and, two, not driving a truck!

I pay close attention, but she caught me by surprise. I don't tailgate cars, but because she was in the circle and I was coming in from a side street, I got closer than I should have.

It is hard to share the road with an unpredictable "stop anywhere" driver.

pretty much perfect - a little break form the grinding wind.

Severe thunderstorm warnings. Left work early, road was decently 'empty' too.

We only have tornado watches here... Haven't left yet, but the sky keeps getting darker..... And it's moving in from the direction I'm heading...

Not bad, I guess. Moderate head wind going in. Vicious tail wind coming back. Flat tire about a mile or two from home. Decided to walk, wasn't sure I could get the tire off and didn't feel like wasting a CO2 cartridge when I was close enough to walk. Good thing I did, I still can't get the tire off...

70F, Absolutly no wind, mostly sunny. Decided to add 3 miles, that felt great so I added another 3... Then I figured I better get home before I would have to deal with a ration of $#!^ from my wife! 21 miles in all.

I was considering switching from my messenger back to rack and panniers, but I think you've just cured me of that itch!

I got stung today, too. 3 miles into the 15 mile ride, a bee I never saw hit me in the neck below my right ear - guess he got a bit rattled by the helmet strap, and laid into me as I was reaching up to brush the unknown nuisance from my neck. Unknown no longer...

Rides were great today... Had to drive the last couple days due to commitments with family, so have been missing it. Weather FINALLY cooled down yesterday afternoon - went from 90 to 70 in about 15 minutes - and the winds chilled out a bit, too. 70 and slightly breezy for the ride in this morning (it's been 80+ at 6:30 a.m. the last couple weeks) and 90 with a mild headwind on the way home. A bit warm, but a far cry better than the 98 from last week...

1000 pages of commutes!

Working from home this morning. May venture in later.

I still recommend the panniers. When it's near 100F and humid, you're gonna sweat just looking at the thermometer.