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How was the commute today?

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Old 07-26-08, 07:39 PM
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Originally Posted by making
The opposite direction seemed more appropriate this AM. I will go the other way all week next week. 450 a month is crazy.Did you just retire or something?
Nope, not retired. I'm 25 and working my way through school. My hours got cut at work so I no longer have insurance. I was paying 50% of the premium anyway. I could pay for it out of pocket, but that would be all but 30 of my 2 week paycheck and the coverage changed so it's not worth it.

I graduate next May though and I am sure I'll manage until then.
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Old 07-26-08, 07:53 PM
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Originally Posted by StokerPoker
Nope, not retired. I'm 25 and working my way through school. My hours got cut at work so I no longer have insurance. I was paying 50% of the premium anyway. I could pay for it out of pocket, but that would be all but 30 of my 2 week paycheck and the coverage changed so it's not worth it.

I graduate next May though and I am sure I'll manage until then.
I had a hard enough time getting through school and did not have any bills medical or otherwise. May will be here before you know it. Good luck.
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Old 07-26-08, 08:08 PM
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Originally Posted by making
I had a hard enough time getting through school and did not have any bills medical or otherwise. May will be here before you know it. Good luck.
Thanks. I'm lucky enough to have some great friends and a wonderful family. While they may not be able to help with finances, they are very supportive.
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Old 07-27-08, 06:32 AM
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I got new panniers, the kind that attach with giant zip ties (Detours Uptown). I don't like them as much as my old ones, they're smaller and they're just not the same. But that's okay. The ride itself was awesome, though. I wish I could have just kept going for a few miles until the sun came up.
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Old 07-27-08, 08:14 PM
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The ride home was very nice. It was hot, but there was a patch of fluffy gray cloud cover overhead. It was like someone put up a canopy right over my route. How thoughtful!
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Old 07-27-08, 09:22 PM
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Originally Posted by girljen
The ride home was very nice. It was hot, but there was a patch of fluffy gray cloud cover overhead. It was like someone put up a canopy right over my route. How thoughtful!
Looks like you are the only one working/commuting this Sunday...
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Old 07-28-08, 03:10 AM
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Cold, windy and wet ride home. Not very nice weather at all.

Also a very odd thing happened; I was approaching a pedestrian crossing, and could see a pedestrian about to cross. I slowed down, in case I needed to stop. They also slowed down whilst walking across(!), until eventually they stopped right in front of me in the middle of the road. I consequently came to a halt a few feet back from the crossing.

The pedestrian turned to me - it was an older woman.
'You have to stop!' she barked at me. 'It's a pedestrian crossing'.
Me:- 'Madam, I am stopped.'
Mad old woman:- 'Only just! You cyclists have to obey the rules of the road as well, you know'.
Me:- 'That's what I am doing, Madam'.

After this little exchange, the mad old woman stomped off, and I continued on my way.

All very odd!
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Old 07-28-08, 06:13 AM
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Originally Posted by ISaacG
Looks like you are the only one working/commuting this Sunday...
Working Sunday is cool. It's always the mellowest day of my week.

The ride in today was very nice! I wish I could have kept going. We're getting back into perfect riding weather...cool but not cold, light before the sun comes up, no wind...amazing. And it was quiet, too! I love that.
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Old 07-28-08, 06:26 AM
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Was a bit tired this morning, Rode a lot this weekend, and rode in a race as well.

Was going to take it easy.

Until...

Another commuter passed me! RAEC TIEM.

He was actually in reall good shape. He was riding a Raliegh, not as old as some of the Fixie-rebuilds I see from the old ten speeds, but not brand new. Most of the time I encounter riders and they either don't try and keep up, or they just fail. This guy was quick. I was actually starting to be thankful when he finally turned off my route 5 miles later.

Oh well. Good to get the heart pumping first thing monday morning.

It was about the same as usual. A little humidity, relatively cool. Will be in the mid 80's today.
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Old 07-28-08, 06:31 AM
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nice ride in this morning. should have a more normal week and ride everyday like I am used to. The past two weeks have been really on again, off again for various reasons.

I need to get new pedals - my Forte Campus pedals with my cleats are making very annoying squeaking noises every rotation I make. I think I am going to get bigger platforms that way I can wear anything on my feet I want to.
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Old 07-28-08, 06:42 AM
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Foggy and cool. I wish I had put tights on over my bike shorts.
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Old 07-28-08, 06:51 AM
  #26112  
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Sick three-year-old, so I got a little less than four hours of sleep. Subway today.
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Old 07-28-08, 07:06 AM
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Yard work and bike maintenance Sat day, bowling and beers with wife and friends sat night, house cleaning all day sunday w/ a 6 mile bagel run on the bike, all on top of a 130 mile week last week (a lot for me)....MY LEGS ARE KILLING!!!

Seriously, I was actually all dressed to drive in, but decided to go for it. It was a bit painful, but I made it in decent time. It is a nice morning out, and the roads were dry enough after the deluge last night that there was no tire spray

The selling point on riding w/ the pain was that I cannot bike-commute Wed or thursday since I need to be at other facilities one day, and NY on another day, so that is a car day. Tomorrow, I might be able to do it but I also have a meeting at another building that day.
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Old 07-28-08, 07:08 AM
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The ride in seemed harder than usual this morning, but was otherwise uneventful.

Then, I got here, took a shower and realized... ****. I forgot to bring a shirt. Quick decision: Just an undershirt, or put my jersey back on?

So, I'm rocking the wickedly awesome safety yellow today. :cool:
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Old 07-28-08, 07:22 AM
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Didn't ride to work all weekend to give my body time to rest (I really needed it). The ride in today was awesome, not too hot or humid, and I took it easy as to not wear myself out too fast like I was.

One thing I did notice today is that taking it easy, I was still much faster than when I was pushing hard when I started1 1.5 months ago; makes me feel good .
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Old 07-28-08, 08:17 AM
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Beautiful weather today. Coolish. Not to humid (65%). Light traffic.

I was riding in the middle of the left lane (construction/parked vehicles dotting the right lane) right behind another car. There was this taxi behind me. He honked me and when I pulled to the right lane to turn he yelled at me to keep to the side of the road. I felt like cussing him out, but I wasn't interested in getting beaten up...
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Old 07-28-08, 08:25 AM
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Maybe you never had this happen to you as a kid, but I did. I can remember driving on a main four-lane road and being stopped as railroad crossing gates came down. Traffic would line up on either side of the crossing. After 30 seconds or so, a guy in a little yellow railroad work car would toodle past at a slow speed and wave as he went through the crossing. I would think, "We had to stop for that?"

Well, this morning, I was that guy. As I rode my normal route, which cuts through a church parking lot and exits at a stoplight on a main four-lane road, there were no cars on the opposite side of the intersection to trip the light. So, thanks to info my dear wife had found, I stopped on the traffic switch that is about three car lengths back from the intersection in the church lot, where no one could see me. I waited about 30 seconds and listened as the traffic from both directions slowed to a stop. My light turned green and I took off. I had to pedal quickly because the light doesn't stay green very long and I was three car lengths back. As I pumped accross the intersection in my bright yellow shirt on my bike with blinking lights and small wheels (lwb recumbent w/16" front and 20" rear), I knew people are thinking, "We had to stop for that?"

At that moment I was thinking, "I have the power!"

Least ways to say, the ride was good!

Bruce
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Old 07-28-08, 08:25 AM
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'Twas a cool ride in, bordering on refreshing. I was hungry, and so I didn't give'r when I could have. Traffic was so sloooooow, I missed three lights that I always make. Booo!
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Old 07-28-08, 08:32 AM
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2nd day commuting. Good ride this morning. Weather was great.

Although i did get a flat (same place on the tire as my first flat from my first commute), so i patched it without taking off the wheel and i hope the patch will also help to protect the tube from future damage. i also booted it with a small piece of cardboard from a box of raisins. It should be good for a while, but if i get any more flats on that same spot, i'm gonna have to replace the tire, or do a better job with the boot...
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Old 07-28-08, 08:36 AM
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Just not feeling into it this morning.... could've been the vodka, but it's hard to stay mad at the vodka. I'll forgive the vodka, in time. There was one heck of a head/crosswind this morning too, weathernetwork listed it as 20kph but it was totally steady, not gusting. I missed the rain by about 1/2 hour. In fact i have yet to cycle through rain this year, i always seem to miss it or i'm out of town.
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Old 07-28-08, 09:03 AM
  #26121  
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cooler ride in, legs felt strong...felt zippy on the fixed bike this morning
saw a couple of other commuters, they seemed to be in the zone and cruising along too fast to see me or wave but i saw them
 
Old 07-28-08, 09:05 AM
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Well I had been picking up the parts needed to do a fixed gear conversion on my bike. I had a new wheelset cranks, ect. Over the weekend I went on and installed my new front wheel because I broke a spoke in the original one.

Last night I decided to do some checking over my bike. I'm removing the rear derailleur so that I can test fit the rear wheel when for whatever reason the bolt that holds it to the frame broke when I loosened it. gRRRR! I didn't have another bolt so my only choice was to go ahead and convert my bike to a single speed. The rear wheel has a 16t cog and the front is ran on the biggest gear. I was afraid that it would be entirely to hard and I'd be worn out before I got to work. I was surprised even thought it was harder to pedal I think the lightness of the new wheels and the lost weight of the derailler evened it out. It did seem harder to get going but once I got going it wasn't bad at all.
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Old 07-28-08, 09:09 AM
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Slow, cool. Still sore from Saturday's singletrack adventure. Attempted to huck a two foot drop, result, epic fail & injury. Ripped up my right leg, saddle nose bruised my left instep, sore right shoulder. Will have to ease up on the commute this week & break out the Tiger Balm.
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Old 07-28-08, 09:17 AM
  #26124  
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Pretty quick ride in today, cooler but still pretty humid.
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Old 07-28-08, 10:01 AM
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Great! Warm (50sF), blinding sun, fast.
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