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-   -   2012 - How Was the Commute Today? (https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/790056-2012-how-commute-today.html)

cccorlew 08-14-12 02:35 PM

I commuted on my new commuter bike to a meeting in the next town. 30 mile round trip, but 2000 feet of climbing with it all in the middle. I was thrilled to have really low gears. Even with the 100 degree return trip, life is good!

And let me post my bike, just because I finally managed to get the fenders on around the disc brakes and I am darn proud of my non-mechanical self.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7275/7...76bc89be_z.jpg
Motobecane Phantom Outlaw commuter bike by ccorlew, on Flickr

Notso_fastLane 08-14-12 03:15 PM

Got my AirZound installed yesterday. The commute in was nice and quiet this morning, so I'm glad I didn't have an opportunity to blast it. :p

There was a patch of fog right over the plant where I work, enough that it started fogging my glasses a bit the last quarter mile or so.

E.S. 08-14-12 03:36 PM

Cold! I should have worn something more than a t-shirt this morning. The sun is coming up later and later every week :(

moxell1 08-14-12 03:59 PM

Short. Got a flat a block from the house and I was running late so jumped in the car (fail). But......provided the perfect excuse to order the slicks and tubes for my Trek 800 and ditch the knobbies.

BassNotBass 08-14-12 09:38 PM

Today I had one of the best commutes that I've had in a long time. On the way home I was feeling really wired (exceptional day at work) and decided to really hammer it home on my crappy Huffy MTB. Got to a long stretch of road with light after light at the intersection of every city block knowing that if I kept up with traffic, I'd hit all of the lights while they were green. Somewhere in the middle I noticed the car in the next lane to the left of me pace me for about a block. I looked over and saw the rough looking dude in the passenger seat roll down the window of the hooptie. I was expecting the usual derogatory remark but instead he yelled, "Yo bubba... 34mph... rock on" (followed by an arm pump enshrouded with prison quality tattoos). I was sucking wind hard but still had an ear to ear grin.

bgilchrist 08-14-12 09:43 PM

Good show.


Mine was better than expected. Got to work sooner, so the crosswind had less effect than I anticipated. Now let's just home the forecasted downpour doesn't materialize tomorrow.

BassNotBass 08-14-12 09:46 PM

That's purdy... really like the discs.

M.R.Serecka 08-15-12 01:50 AM

about 72 degrees and muggy humid enough to catch.
I absolutely cannot physically stand this level of yuck.

The ride it self was good, yet, unnoteworthy. about 17 minutes for roughly 3.8 miles straight commute with no extra miles thrown in despite having had a half hour till my train comes.

acidfast7 08-15-12 02:06 AM

3 Attachment(s)
Oberesbergerstraßenfest on the way home tonight ...


street festival in the trying-very-hard-to-be-trendy part of town (Bornheim)

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=267507

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=267508

Maybe I'll catch a quick ride on this straßnebahn (tram) and it serves the local apple wine and beer (i haven't been on it since i moved here so i should give it a shot)

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=267509

dcb23 08-15-12 03:14 AM

Early early ride in this morning...bonus is deserted streets and smooth sailing ahead.

fletchh 08-15-12 04:26 AM

It was very nice ride in with partly cloudy skies at 69f (21c). The sliver of the moon was very pretty, and every now and then as the clouds would move I would catch a glimpse of the stars in the early morning sky. The 2nd week of august is traditionally my transition back to darkness in the morning, and I have not been disappointed.

making 08-15-12 04:26 AM

This morning was a bit chilly at first, but it is suppose to warm up a bit, to 88F I think. It was not the quite pleasant ride most morning rides are. Lots of traffic, had to dodge a couple of drivers not paying attention, I actually checked my headlight a couple of times to make sure it was on, (I knew it was but I could not figure out why else they would be driving like that.) Anyway, I am at work and eating a nice warm thermos of oatmeal and cup of coffee I brought in. I think it is the first day of school in this area, bet that is why the craziness driving.

FalconRider54 08-15-12 04:55 AM

Yesterday's morning commute was 11 miles in the rain. Heavy downpour right after leaving home, then steady rain for the balance. Ride home was into the wind, but a sunny, pleasant ride.

aquateen 08-15-12 05:10 AM

great ride in. got here super early, gotta work on my timing a bit. prepared for a very rainy commute on the way home. brought lots of trash bags along with my usual gear.

vtjim 08-15-12 05:49 AM

66F/19C and sunny. 70% chance of rain today so I packed the gear just in case.

tarwheel 08-15-12 05:58 AM

I was very lucky to make it home on my commute yesterday. On the morning leg, my bike suddenly started shifting funny about halfway to work. The problems continued on the way home, with the chain jumping from ring to ring, and cog to cog. I assumed it was a shifter or cable problem, but the cable tension seemed OK. Took it by the bike shop after I got home, and it turns out that my chain was about to go snap. It had a broken link that was barely hanging on, and I'm really surprised that I was able to make it home like that. Fortunately I took it easy and had my first true recovery pace ride in quite a while, which was good for my legs as well.

I've got a great LBS and my mechanic replaced the chain on the spot. The bike shifted perfectly this morning, so all appears to be well again. Now, if I can just make it home without getting caught in the thunderstorms that are supposed to move through this afternoon and evening.

permanentrecord 08-15-12 07:40 AM

Pretty good commute. Weather finally cooled down a bit to be enjoyable -- 75F at 7AM and took my usual route by the Potomac (on the Mount Vernon Trail) across the George Mason Memorial Bridge around the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC and onto Foggy Bottom from there.

Also noticed that a school in Alexandria started today.

permanentrecord 08-15-12 07:42 AM


Originally Posted by aquateen (Post 14607956)
great ride in. got here super early, gotta work on my timing a bit. prepared for a very rainy commute on the way home. brought lots of trash bags along with my usual gear.

Can you give me a couple of hints what you mean by usual gear for rain? Any good posts in this forum I should read? New commuter here...

dramiscram 08-15-12 07:54 AM

light rain, quite refreshing, nice ride in.

aquateen 08-15-12 09:12 AM


Originally Posted by permanentrecord (Post 14608282)
Can you give me a couple of hints what you mean by usual gear for rain? Any good posts in this forum I should read? New commuter here...

Im a new commuter myself. Since its summer I don't wear anything different except a cycling cap to get the water out of my eyes. The trash bags are to keep my work clothes and supplies dry on the way home.

permanentrecord 08-15-12 09:17 AM

Thanks. When I first started commuting I didn't even think I would make it past summer, but now I may as well continue till the cold comes.

Timothy 08-15-12 11:37 AM

Why does an old man on a knobby tired mountain bike move so fast?
Doesn't he know what that does to fragile roady egos?:cry:

groovestew 08-15-12 12:33 PM

Today was my first cycle-commute since last Thursday, and it seems like fall arrived in the meantime. The sun seemed a lot lower in the sky (even though I got a late start) and it was chilly - only 6C/43F!

Pretty low-energy today, so I took it easy, except after I started playing cat-and-mouse with a bus. Idiot driver zoomed past me and just about had to cut me off to pull over to the next stop, so I "droped the hamer" and managed to stay ahead of it thanks to more waiting passengers at subsequent bus stops. But I ran out of steam pretty quickly - don't know if it's because of the chest cold I'm still getting over, or maybe I haven't fully recovered from the 250+ miles (w/ 15,000 ft of climbing) I rode on the weekend. Maybe a combination of the two.

EKW in DC 08-15-12 02:20 PM


Originally Posted by permanentrecord (Post 14608596)
Thanks. When I first started commuting I didn't even think I would make it past summer, but now I may as well continue till the cold comes.

Around here, there's little reason not to ride year-round. It doesn't really get that cold. But that could be just me. YMMV.

A few more rides with the newly installed drop bars under my belt. I'm sure I need to tweak a few things for a little more comfort, but I'm getting more confident with them. Really appreciated the drops this morning with the headwind I had. Makes a bigger coherence than I would have thought. Just a couple more days commuting this week, then I'm off all of next week to visit inn laws in California. Cool Bay area temps, here I come! :-)

curbtender 08-15-12 02:21 PM

Anyone else here feel they need to bend the rules to get noticed? Otherwise it was a good ride..


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