i had my folding bike up in the work stand yesterday to finally get a new derailleur installed, and while it was there i decided i'd give it a thorough cleaning to boot.

i needed to ride my folder today because of an after work meet-up with friends, and because of murphy's law there was a foggy misty light drizzle this morning saturating all the roads.

i sure am glad i spent all that time cleaning the bike yesterday

Wet morning, as usual this time of year, but the temps are pretty mild. I managed to get my commute started just after the rain stopped, but the roads were very wet from an overnight downpour.

The temps are around 40F in the mornings, and not much difference in the afternoons. The only downside is that it's right around the transition temp from my 'cold' gloves to my 'really cold' gloves. I opted just for the cold gloves this morning, so my hands were pretty chilled when I got to work. Should be ok for the ride home, though.

Hopefully, it will keep raining all week (weird wish, huh?) so at least the roads don't ice up.

Dense fog and rain this morning. When I left my house this morning at 7:30a it was 60F, not bad for the first week of December... this winter commuting is easy!

Fog, thick at times. I was afraid of that. It rained all last week so the ground was soaked, then the sun came out yesterday afternoon. Perfect conditions for tule fog.

A squirrel fell 25 feet from a tree and hit me in the foot. I had no idea what it was until I looked back and saw it get to its feet and scramble away.

I should add that I rode in wearing a light tee and shorts, and needed to shower upon arrival. Humid and 61F at 8 a.m. on Dec. 3! I am really starting to freak out about the climate.

The icy MUP on my way in this morning:


The afternoon ride was the first time this season I needed my ski goggles, due to a strong cold headwind.

I grew up near Regina, and one thing I don't miss is the wind. Prairie sunrises and sunsets are hard to beat though.

We had freezing rain for a day and half over the weekend, and I promised my spousal companion she could have the car on Monday, so I suppose I should've installed my snow tires on the Torino 76, even if I was planning on picking up a winter beater for most of my winter riding. But I did not install my snow tires. I didn't really notice too much of a lack of traction until the first hill - I thought at first my Alfine hub was slipping somehow, but quickly realized it was my back tire slipping under power. I tried my best to stay in the narrow sporadic tracks of dirt laid down by the road crew. Then when I got to the big downhill at the end of the road, the track of dirt was narrower than my tire, and believing that a slip, even if on ice, is no fun at 60 km/h, I hugged the edge of the road where the ground was showing through and dragged my brakes all the way down - actually the first time I have ever gone down that hill that I did not let the bike coast to terminal velocity.

Temperatures were above freezing all day so I thought some of the ice would have melted. Well, it didn't... or maybe it did - I don't know because it was dark and my feeble little LED headlight did not make it possible to determine on what surface I was riding. And what ice was left was probably slipperier because it was now ice with a layer of melted water running off the top. I managed to ride all the way up the big hill (surprising because I figured my wheel would be slipping), and took it easy on all the downhills, and made it home alive... and that's what it is all about, right? Not dying?

I guess I'm not done yet. It was over 50 this morning, and while the road was wet the sky was blue and it was just a beautiful day. It was about 60 on the way home so I rode in shorts. More of the same for tomorrow, so I'll ride in tomorrow too.

While this sounds great I do worry that I'll soon own beach front property in Brooklyn, especially after Sandy.

Today was the first time I witnessed a cyclist get pulled over by a cop, on my commute home. I had passed the unmarked car several times in busy downtown San Jose. We came to a four way stop, when a cyclist approached from our right and rolled through the stop. I proceeded, and a few seconda later I heard the the siren and looked back to see him getting pulled over.

45F/7C with a very helpful tailwind. Got mixed up again with school bus traffic but I try to time it to minimize the effects. They're not yellow school buses with lights. They're special city buses. Don't need to stop for them.

Yesterday, and today, fast and warm.. Had to shed clothes!!

It's supposed to be nice later today, but this morning it's raining. Bummer. I don't commute in the rain, it just isn't worth it and I don't live in Seattle anymore.

When it starts raining squirrels we all need to start worrying!

Beauty commute this morning for early December ! Great weather out, 11C and not too windy. Took a slight detour to get a picture of the sunrise over Kempenfelt Bay.



Cheers

Yesterday was a decent commute over all, other then nearly being run over by a guy who was turning left, and looking right(at a woman walking across the street). GRRRR

In a word, the ride in was awesome! Even the dogwalker who stepped out in front of me couldn't diminish my joy on the ride in today. This is making up for some of those miserable July days when it cooled off into the 80's.

I hit another small furry - I've dodged them all for years and now two within a week.

On a lighter note I'm having fun with a new gadget. It's a seven inch Android tablet with the Strava app loaded. I can't bring myself to taking the segment leaderboards seriously, but you can set your commute as a private segment which is kind of nifty.

Positively balmy in December. And what a nice warm ride home last night...I need to order a new balaclava and this weather is making me put it off. mb

-12C with a 35kph headwind this afternoon. There was a light dusting of snow which made the ice on the MUP even more slick than yesterday, making for a slow ride. Some of the thinner ice melted in the sun yesterday. A good tailwind forecast for the ride home. Last day of regular classes, just studying and finals left.

There's a Pineapple Express coming in over the Pacific which means that this morning's temperature was 50-ish, which is sort of a weird in-between temperature for me. I wore a polypro baselayer, l/s jersey, and roubaix knickers. After 10 minutes I realized I was overdressed. I probably should have gone with regular bibs and jersey with arm- and knee-warmers.

Also, I yelled at a pedestrian who started crossing the street just as the light was about to change. Made me realize that I've pretty much internalized the timing at that light, and that I've become a grumpy old man.

Nice and mild still here with just the occasional rain shower.

I only saw one other cyclist today.

Almost talked myself into driving this morning, but as usual I was glad that I rode once I got going. Temperatures were very mild in mid-50s with a stiff headwind, so I took it easy. A cold front is coming through today, so I might hit some rain in the afternoon -- which is why I almost drove -- but it's not supposed to be heavy. I was rewarded for my persistence with an incredible sunrise with colors that lasted almost my entire commute.

Unseasonably warm in the mid-50's, expecting rain that didn't come. I'm getting spoiled by the non-winter weather this year.

Still warm here in Washington D.C. area. I had an early commute in on dark, desserted city streets. Strong headwind and very light rain.

Last night commuting home in the dark I must have counted 20 bikes heading across the bridges into Virginia...love to see al thos commuters out!