Got buzzed by a jacked up pick up this morning. I was stopped at a light in the #2 lane (there is a one block section of this road without bike lanes) and he pulled up behind me. Crossed the intersection once the light turned green and moved into the bike lane when it started back up. The guy floored it and swerved over toward the bike lane. Fortunately, I had enough room to avoid his mirror. Gotta love these guys that get behind you then are pi$$ed off you are in front of them.

Unlike the other DC area guys, I rode in after the rain stopped this morning. Wet or damp pavement, but nothing falling. Looking forward to riding home in shorts and a short-sleeved jersey. Supposed to be well into the 60s F (~20 C).

I was jealous of the people riding in the other direction last night heading home, since that meant they had a twenty mile per hour tailwind. Temps comfortable though and the ride was otherwise nice.

Rain ended just before I left for work this morning around 7. That meant wet roads and trails, but no precip on the way in. Enjoyed a vivid pink sunrise veiled by clouds in the east and clearing cloudless skies to the north and west. If I granny been in a little bit of a rush to get to work I would have stopped to dig out my phone and snap a photo of the sunrise.

Yeah I get a few knuckleheads that play that game with me in town, and sometimes even when I am on the bypass with a wide shoulder to ride on. How am I in their way when I am on the shoulder??

Opened the garage door at 6.30 and saw a wall of mist / fog. Almost went to change and take the metal box, but didn't. Once I rode through the weather / it cleared up I took some nice photos. https://www.dropbox.com/gallery/5992...eb12/?h=f84b60

Nice and warm at 50F, trip home will be almost 70F. Have already planned a detour to get a beer! This is the second commute this week of 46 miles round trip!

Good thing I had this bag to keep my back clean.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6...a831bb3d_z.jpg
That's the stuff that made it past the fender.

Sorry, late post. Been busy this morning. Like gevad, I missed the morning rain the other DC commuters hit this morning. A little wet pavement was all I saw. Temps in the low 50's were very pleasant. Hard to believe its February with these temps. Will be even harder to believe on the way home when its in the mid 60's and I'm wearing shorts. Good times.

The ride in was 38 degrees and wonderful. But, coming home, when I caught the bus to go from downtown to where I lock my bike the bus broke down! So I walked to my house (only 30 minutes, the house was closer than the bike) and now I'm going to drive the car over to pick up the bicycle. I'll start over tomorrow! Hahahahahaha

Rode in today and it was warm and nice but rain clouds moving in and big drops of rain- and I didn't bring my rain gear!

As I swung east to the bike path the wind came up behind me and I realized I was going to out run the rain. Great ride in and felt terrific. Tonight on the way home I come out of my building and it's still warm and nice. Then I see a student of mine, who just rode in from Cambridge and he says he'd heard the skies were about to open up and pour down on us. "Shoot!", I thought, a ride home in the rain. Sure enough, as predicted, big warm rain drops started falling and off I went. But as I got on the bike path, now heading west, and as I'm riding along the skies cleared and it was a dry warm ride home.

Another warm morning at 49F (9C). I heard a bird singing in the trees at 5:10, and this is very odd in the winter. I suppose he is just confused and has a right to be.

Fletch, I rode in with a colleague this am and she was mentioning how she's heard birds lately.

Nice warm ride light rain.

Bonus commute for me today. I had planned to drive because it was supposed to rain all morning, but the front passed through quickly during the night and the showers were all gone by the time I got up. The roads were still wet, but that's what fenders are for. Temps were very warm again in the mid-50s, but a stiff headwind made it a tough ride.

Heavy traffic this morning, unseasonably warm, just around freezing. Second day in a row riding the snow tires, but little ice except on limestone portion of bike path. Quite a work out last night coming home on path, and yesterdays tracks frozen in the limestone this morning. Two flocks of geese heading North. Don't know much about groundhogs, but the geese are squaking spring has spring.

My guess is that the knobby tires take about 30% more energy to roll. I'll have to measure it some day.

Had one interesting moment. It was very damp, and I had no stops for first ten miles. Finally at a light I find I had no brakes, and was getting close to entering the busy intersection. Hate it when that happens. Brakes caught as I was crossing the crosswalk.

Great ride in this morning - finally a little chilly but the roads are bone dry. Time to swap out my studded front tire - or at least buy a second front wheel so the swap is easier.

B

-3C this morning, it felt warm so I didn't even bother bringing my pannier with my extra clothes. I was stiff most of the way in this morning. I seem worse off commuting 2 days a week this semester than I was commuting 5 in the fall.

My mountain bike is begging for some maintenance. The front and rear canti brakes are seizing a bit, there is a bit of play in the front hub, and the rear derailleur cable needs adjustment. My squiggle maneuver for the traffic sensors seems to be working consistently.

32F, sunbreaks. I went to pump up my rear tire, felt a little squirrelly last night, and the valve core blew out. So I grabbed my geared bike off the wall (1st time since I sprained my wrist and couldn't physically lift it last fall) and took off. Nice ride. Slower (hey look, I can shift lower here!)

50°F and very light scattered showers for the ride in this morning. Can't complain. A little bit of fog and low clouds made for nice blurry views of far off structures... Reminded me a bit of an impressionist painting.

Loved the sound of the tires rolling over the wet pavement - hypnotic...

Dang! I was out during lunch and the wind has done a complete 180 and picked up speed since my morning commute. That means I'll be bucking wicked headwinds on both legs of my commute today. This winter has been mild temperature-wise, but the winds are killing me.

That brought them around to be a nice tailwind for me on the way home. Loved it. Sorry it meant headwinds for you. I know I would not have wanted to ride into the winds that were at my back this afternoon!

Awesome here in MN!

Another warmish day--35f on the way in, about 45f on the way home.

On the way to work this morning:

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/j...d/IMG_5212.jpg

Bike rack at work. Look at that Scotchbrite tape glow!

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/j...d/IMG_5214.jpg

Desk ornament:

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/j...d/IMG_5217.jpg

Self portrait with larger desk ornament:

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/j...d/IMG_5223.jpg
On the way home:

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/j...d/IMG_5226.jpg

Great pix, Mercian! Looks like a classic Bottechia Pro. very cool.

My commute was just wonderful. Weather continues to be fabulous- about 40- 45 degrees F. Notched it up a bit pace wise both in and out and it felt great to pump along at a more reasonable pace.

Back to cooler temps, 38 coming in but dry and the sun does appear on the horizon now or at least the first signs of daybreak.

More birds chirping.

Great ride this morning and finally got a break from the headwinds that have been dogging me all week. This was my first 5-day commute week since my commute distance increased to 30 miles RT last fall and it was my highest weekly mileage ever for commuting (152). I also rode 52 last Sunday, so my legs are feeling it on the hills. The weather has been so incredibly mild without much rain this winter, making riding conditions nearly ideal here (except for the wind.) The only thing getting me down is that I forgot the pizza that I had planned to bring for my lunch, but perhaps I should eat something healthier anyway.

Hey Mercian Rider, how about some photos of your Mercian? I am a fan of British bikes and have a Bob Jackson myself.

The best commute in a long, long time-I'm still pumped four hours later. I hit the road pumping hard as I was underdressed and wanted to warm up quick. I thought I'd wear down, slow after a while but, not so. I pumped hard reeling in and passing about 6 other cyclists on the way. I only wore down a bit when I hit 15th Street but, only a little and, I have to slow anyway due to traffic, lights, etc. I'm not sure what brought this on but, I've lost about 11 pounds (since September) and working my legs fairly regularly in the gym as well. I've also really tightened my diet up and eliminated: cokes, candy, processed food and, white pastas/breads, not to mention the elimination of beef, pork and, lamb. In addtion, my legs are more stable and pain free than they've been in years. My goal is to lose another 10 pounds by the Summer. We'll see.

Tarwheel--what models and years are those Brit bikes?

Rode my Mercian Pro for the commute Tuesday. I've owned this bike since I was 14:

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/j...d/IMG_5239.jpg

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/j...d/IMG_0319.jpg

I commute on the Jackson Special Tourist frequently, but it's been set aside on icy days. Apologies to my vintage friends for the fugly stem riser--but my back, neck, and shoulders thank me. Willl replace with nicer looking Nitto in the spring.

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/j...d/IMG_5241.jpg

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/j...d/IMG_5037.jpg

Thanks! As set up it's a Pro, but may have started it's life as a Giro d' Italia. I bought the bare frame and added the Campy NR.

Mercian -- I bought my Bob Jackson World Tour "off the peg" direct from the factory 3 years ago (2009). They let me pick the color and lug linings, but everything else is standard.

27F and sunny, until I hit a wall of pea soup fog closer to work; when there is fog coming off the sound it's usually the 2nd-to-last hill holding it back from the rest of my commute, today it was the very last.

Anyway, it's been so gorgeous that I rode my new road bike, 23mm tires, no fenders or rack, and all. And it was totally awesome!