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

dramiscram 06-05-12 07:26 AM

Lot of headwind this morning, took me 1h 18 min to ride 30.5 kms usually do it in 1h 05 min. Good news is if the wind keep up the ride home will be easier tonight. Apart from the wind the weather was really nice, sunny but cool. Perfect ride.

wphamilton 06-05-12 07:46 AM

Again, no one else out riding. Granted there are storms rolling through but I don't recall ever not seeing at least one other rider in two days, even in the miserable wet and cold winter days. Then a guy in a Brinks truck offered me a ride - it's just a little warm drizzle that actually felt pretty good. Strange.

troyWI 06-05-12 12:28 PM

60~ degrees, and perfect weather. Sun, only slight 7 mph wind from the SW, it was perfect.

tarwheel 06-05-12 01:35 PM

Got a rare break this morning with a tailwind all the way to work. My legs were very tired but I still made great time, which was nice because I left late. Will pay for it this afternoon with a headwind heading home but I'll just take it easy. We have been having Goldilocks weather lately -- not too hot, not too cold -- but I'm still not seeing any other bike commuters.

psychicandroid 06-05-12 02:59 PM

Was a nice calm ride in today, and had a tail wind part way home which turned into a headwind when I got over the pedestrian path. Stopped and voted and passed a few commuters, including a man with an excellent beard.

Rimmer 06-05-12 05:41 PM

Strong winds, slightly wet roads, nice and cool while pedaling with strong smooth revolutions. I've been using higher gears lately especially today instead of the usual spinning. I may be sore tomorrow. I dislike when motorists follow me for long periods of time, and several have done that today. They do that on narrow roads. When I wave them to pass me, they finally decide to then pass. While riding, I was checking out my legs.

curbtender 06-05-12 06:05 PM

"While riding, I was checking out my legs." Maybe that's what those cars behind you were doing too...

asmac 06-05-12 06:38 PM

Beautiful morning but had a close call when a car clipped my mirror. Quite a surprise and I'm grateful for the few inches that saved my bacon.

wphamilton 06-05-12 06:52 PM

Had a "rabbit" to chase today, the best kind - he sprints out of saddle when you get close (about 50 feet in this case) so you can gradually reel him in again. Without ever having to pass. We kept that up for about 7 miles.

bugly64 06-05-12 07:54 PM

The wind made my 13 mile commute really challenging today. I felt like I peddled twice the distance. Oh, and I voted on the way home.

locolobo13 06-05-12 09:49 PM

On the way home a "salmon" ran a red light right in front of me. The light was green for me so I was building up steam. Fortunately I saw him coming and slowed down. He didn't even look! What's the old phrase, "Think of it as evolution in action."

HardyWeinberg 06-05-12 10:00 PM

Got back to the office around 7:20 pm from all-day meeting blech. Really nice sunny ride home, contrasting the downpour for the 7 hrs I spent driving to/from this meeting. Could not spot Venus in the sun.

yep202 06-06-12 12:08 AM

This morning at 1:30AM was a bit chilly for shorts and a t-shirt. But I enjoied not having lots of traffic. A couple weeks ago about the same time a thunder storm was rolling in with no wind and no rain but lighting going off in the sky around me. Its was a pretty cool ride in. Also this morning a fire hidrent* broke outside my work with water spraying out so I rode thought about 3-4 inchs of water but had a nice ride.

fletchh 06-06-12 04:29 AM

A bit chilly this morning at 51f (11C). A clear sky, and I need to check to see what is on the radar for today. My seat sled broke on one side yesterday. I know that I will have to replace the seat sooner or later, but it is only 2 1/2 years old. So tape and wire will hold it in place until I get online and get another one.

vtjim 06-06-12 06:16 AM

52F/11C, sunny, no wind. Very pleasant. I decided to take the lakeside MUP. Almost crashed due to a woman going the other way. She was... Well, she was beautiful. Very distracting. :p (Okay I didn't really almost crash.)

After the MUP I have about 4.5 blocks to my office, but my usual street was all jammed up with cars as far as I could see ahead. Sigh. With no other alternative except to turn around, I got on the sidewalk to the next intersection where I made a left to get off the jammed road. After that it was smooth sailing.

tarwheel 06-06-12 06:23 AM

Faked out by the radar this morning. When I got up at 5 am, the radar showed a huge band of showers moving across the state and quickly approaching our area. I used that as an excuse to sleep in, and decided to drive today. However, the showers never materialized, and when I watched the weather forecast on TV, the meteorologist said the storms would dissipate as they approached our area. Usually our forecasters are terrible about predicting rain, but they made a rare right call this morning. Oh well, my legs needed a break one day this week anyway as I have been racking up the miles lately.

Trek_geek 06-06-12 07:48 AM

A beautiful, long sleeve jersey, 57° morning.... BUT
Another 3 track morning.
Monday and today, as the Fredericksburg VRE train approaches my station, (Franconia/Springfield) the conductor comes on the PA and announces that we were arriving on the 3 track, not the normal platform. As all bicycles are required to be in the front or northern most car, 3 track, a short platform means I have to pull my Ortleib panniers and push my bike back 2 cars to detrain. I found lifting my front wheel makes it a little easier, but I still bump a lot of elbows and shoulders as I go down the aisle. Ever polite as my mother taught me, I say excuse me and sorry, but Monday I got *****ed out my a guy standing in the aisle when he said "where do you want me to go?". At least one guy this morning got up from his seat and opened the door for me into the exit vestibule.
The adventures of a public transportation and bicycle commuter.

CptjohnC 06-06-12 07:48 AM

Amazing weather; just right for t-shirt and shorts with minimal sweating (for me). No major incidents involving damage to me or the bike. That's about the end of the good news, though.

Oh, I shouldn't complain. The first 15 miles were basically fine, and normal. But I had a woman who was standing on the side of the Custis finish whatever she was doing and step onto the path right in front of me without even glancing first. Then I had a rider slow rather excessively and unexpectedly because there were pedestrians (admittedly, this would not have been a big deal if I hadn't let myself drift up too close because he/she was going so slowly...)

Then, I couldn't catch a break once I got into DC: they're screwing with the path between the Lincoln Memorial and the WWII Memorial, heading to the Washington Monument. No big deal, right? Just head up to Independence avenue, and ride there. Except they're doing tree work, so they had the path closed there, too. salmon for a couple hundred yards, since no cars go that way anyhow. Of course, the mall is a wreck because they're setting up for the folk life festival, so every other transit is a detour (which sometimes seem to circle into each other).

Work my way over to E Street. Trucks and cars blocking everything, everywhere (okay, slight exaggeration... but really) and I hit just about every red light. Oh, and I noticed (For the first time?) a sewer grate in the middle of the bike lane that is turned in exactly the wrong direction. Ugh!

Trek_geek 06-06-12 07:53 AM


Originally Posted by CptjohnC (Post 14320295)
....Work my way over to E Street. Trucks and cars blocking everything, everywhere (okay, slight exaggeration... but really) and I hit just about every red light. Oh, and I noticed (For the first time?) a sewer grate in the middle of the bike lane that is turned in exactly the wrong direction. Ugh!

And this is in the 4th best bicycle city in the Nation???

ChrisM2097 06-06-12 08:11 AM

52º, calm & clear. Light traffic. Saw about 6 or 7 other cyclists on my 10 mile commute.

RT 06-06-12 08:28 AM

No wind, 50ºF, goathead. At least it was a slow leak that was not discovered until getting to work. Added patched tube to collection at work.

SkippyX 06-06-12 08:32 AM

Warm - around 80 degrees. Got a good sweat on.

Nearly caught a right hook.

I was approaching an intersection. I was in a bike lane. The light was red. As I approached it turned green. I make a habit of checking out turn signals on cars as I approach intersections. I was right about even w/ the back door of an SUV when she decided to turn right, right in front of me. I grabbed a fistful of brakes and managed to stay upright and not collide w/ her. I doubt she even knows how close it was. I doubt she even knows I was there.

2" miss - tops.

Made pretty good time, though.

Sixty Fiver 06-06-12 08:52 AM

I might get a little damp on my way in the shop... mind you... today's commute is only 32 steps from my back door.

dramiscram 06-06-12 08:53 AM

Sunny, cool, windy, nice ride

Rimmer 06-06-12 09:42 AM


Originally Posted by curbtender (Post 14318383)
"While riding, I was checking out my legs." Maybe that's what those cars behind you were doing too...

Oh, stop it.
*blushing*


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