2012 - How Was the Commute Today?
#1901
Super Moderator
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,805
Likes: 868
From: Greenwood Indiana
Bikes: Surly Crosscheck
I am not sure exactly what the temp was, but I should have worn my light jacket or a long sleeve Tshirt, kinda chilly. And a bit of a breeze. Nice ride in.
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Good Night Chesty, Wherever You Are
Good Night Chesty, Wherever You Are
#1902
Arsenal FC
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 226
Likes: 0
From: Surrey, England
Bikes: Cube Peloton, Cube MTB 29r
Woke up late so had to rush in, best commute time yet. All this after the most miles I've ever done in 7 days so feeling pretty good, was a good indicator of improvement.
#1903
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
From: Orlando FL
Bikes: 3 spd fixie with SA S3X hub, Torker KB2 with SA 2SC 2 speed kick back hub!
Last night didn't ride home because of lightning.
This morning biked 17 miles to work then ran 3 miles.
This morning biked 17 miles to work then ran 3 miles.
#1904
Senior Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 8,896
Likes: 7
From: Raleigh, NC
Bikes: Waterford RST-22, Bob Jackson World Tour, Ritchey Breakaway Cross, Soma Saga, De Bernardi SL, Specialized Sequoia
Cold front came through NC yesterday so we will finally get a break from the warm, muggy weather we've been having. It was still humid this morning from all the moisture left over from rain the past couple of days, but this afternoon is supposed to be a big relief. I'm batching it the next few days with my wife and daughter out of town, so it looks like pizza and beer for dinner. Yes!
#1905
GATC

Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 8,839
Likes: 183
From: south Puget Sound
I spent most of my morning furiously redoing my rear derailer trying to get the road bike back to 'reliable' for today's surprise sunny day, but it was the front derailer that betrayed me; at some point, the bolt holding the cage together went missing and the outer arm bent out and snagged my crank arm. That was a surprise! But I could bend it back out of the way and leave the chain on the big ring.
Thinking about just removing the FD for the ride home, don't want any more surprise bends on the cage to reach out and grab anything.
Thinking about just removing the FD for the ride home, don't want any more surprise bends on the cage to reach out and grab anything.
#1906
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 3,082
Likes: 24
From: Southern CaliFORNIA.
Bikes: KHS Alite 500, Trek 7.2 FX , Masi Partenza, Masi Fixed Special, Masi Cran Criterium
Personal best speed wise for the five mile commute in. Endomondo gave me an average speed of just a hair under 15mph, but that number is always a little on the low side. This was with a headwind battering me for the first two miles.
#1907
Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 40,863
Likes: 3,115
From: Sacramento, California, USA
Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur
Hoping to do the Wednesday night hammerfest after work, so I rode the race bike and brought bibs and jersey in my bag. Please, please, please let no one schedule a late afternoon meeting!
#1908
Banned
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 8,543
Likes: 41
From: England / CPH
Bikes: 2010 Cube Acid / 2013 Mango FGSS
off to hit the pub and watch Germany knock Holland out of EURO 2012.
#1909
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 766
Likes: 0
From: Columbia, Maryland
Bikes: Trek 820 mtb, A no name red steel pipe bike, my commuter
Holland did not look good against the Danes, so I don't think that they will survive Germany either.
It was a good ride in at 67f (19c). Just beautiful weather this week.
It was a good ride in at 67f (19c). Just beautiful weather this week.
#1910
Belt drive!
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,614
Likes: 0
From: Burlington, Vermont
Bikes: 2011 Trek Soho DLX
A pleasant 54F/12C. Sunny. No wind. I took roads. Seemed like there was more traffic than usual but everyone behaved, as usual.
#1911
The south end of the greenway was clogged with some kind of high school jogging club, but after that cleared out it was a fast ride. It strikes me as a little weird that the ratio appeared to be over 6-1 female to male. What's wrong with young men today, missing out on that?
#1912
Senior Member
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
I had another early shift today and got out at about 5:50 am, later than ideal for being ready for work at 6:45. I was sporting a new bike toy: a handlebar mounted mp3 player/speaker. Not sure how that plays as far as biker etiquette goes but it's a safe way to incorporate music into the commute, and I figure it can't be any more of a nuisance than a car that is blasting music -- You hear it for a moment then it goes away with the car/bike. And the volume wasn't really loud enough for anyone but me to hear it. The Hendrix long jam version of "Stone Free" from "Band of Gypsys - Live at the Fillmore East" goes great with a bike ride : )
Since I didn't get out early enough I took the shorter 10.5 mile route which has a little over two miles on streets. I was riding along when a driver coming the opposite direction threw something at me. Not sure what it was, but it was in many pieces and made a fairly loud popping noise when it landed. Nothing hit me but it's another reminder that cyclists have to deal with indiscriminate and impotent hostility from random gutless motorists. And in case anyone was wondering, the music was quiet at that moment so I can confidently declare the bike speaker did not inspire it (even if the music was louder the driver wouldn't have heard it). That aside it was another nice ride in and a great way to get the day started.
Since I didn't get out early enough I took the shorter 10.5 mile route which has a little over two miles on streets. I was riding along when a driver coming the opposite direction threw something at me. Not sure what it was, but it was in many pieces and made a fairly loud popping noise when it landed. Nothing hit me but it's another reminder that cyclists have to deal with indiscriminate and impotent hostility from random gutless motorists. And in case anyone was wondering, the music was quiet at that moment so I can confidently declare the bike speaker did not inspire it (even if the music was louder the driver wouldn't have heard it). That aside it was another nice ride in and a great way to get the day started.
#1913
GATC

Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 8,839
Likes: 183
From: south Puget Sound
54F, gray but dry.
Nice 1x commute while waiting for a new FD to come in the mail.
Nice 1x commute while waiting for a new FD to come in the mail.
#1914
Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 40,863
Likes: 3,115
From: Sacramento, California, USA
Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur
Saw quite a few other commuters this morning, including a stylishly dressed woman in a sundress. I noticed she was wearing flats but had fancy heeled sandals sticking out of her pannier. Way to go, CycleChicGirl!
#1915
just ride
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 485
Likes: 0
From: North Idaho
Bikes: '15 Scott Speedster 20
Wonderful morning ride in warm fog. Left early, so no real pressure to go fast. Work went great and then on the way home I decided to take a detour - a nice 4 mile side trip which included an extremely steep hill. Barely made it over that thing! Got a flat tire but managed to replace the tube and limp home. Overall an... interesting day.
#1916
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 595
Likes: 0
From: US
Toward the end of my commute, some stinking ass in the left lane decided to drastically slow down then proceed in the right lane just cutting me off and just crawls like a turtle killing my momentum. He didn't need to turn right at all. In fact, at the traffic light ahead he got back in the left lane. I think he was just being an ass. Yesterday I saw two salmons, and both, yes both, were listening to iPods with their white iPod earbuds. I screamed at both of them that they're on the wrong side of the road. One smiled. The other nodded his head. I doubt they heard me, and these were separate cases. On the way back home, it was 70. It felt pretty good.
#1917
Senior Member

Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 1,648
Likes: 1,466
From: Merrimac , MA
It was a very nice commute in today, the temp was in the 48f degrees, which is chilly but with a long sleeve shirt I was fine. I didn't want to wear a jacket as who needs extra stuff in their bag on the way home. Anyway the commute was quiet which I like time to enjoy the scenery.
#1918
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 766
Likes: 0
From: Columbia, Maryland
Bikes: Trek 820 mtb, A no name red steel pipe bike, my commuter
Just another beautiful morning with good temps to match 68f (20c). Coming in later the traffic was heavier, but well behaved.
#1919
Pretty nice ride in today. It seemed a little breezy, nothing too arduous, but I felt like I was working a little harder today.
I finally figured out why my new IGH was skipping gears sometimes...the stupid in-line barrel adjuster on the shifter cable keeps loosening (i.e., shortening the housing). I think I need to swap it out with one that clicks every quarter turn. In the meantime, I might just immobilize it with some PVC tape.
I finally figured out why my new IGH was skipping gears sometimes...the stupid in-line barrel adjuster on the shifter cable keeps loosening (i.e., shortening the housing). I think I need to swap it out with one that clicks every quarter turn. In the meantime, I might just immobilize it with some PVC tape.
#1920
Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 40,863
Likes: 3,115
From: Sacramento, California, USA
Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur
No commute today: took a "professional development day." But got some riding in by taking the kids to the BMX park while my wife is working.
#1921
Unpleasant surprise last night: I had a broken spoke which I evidently hadn't noticed for several days probably. I didn't have a spare so I cut it in half and rigged up a splint with a section of brake cable for the commute today. Hopefully it will hold up until I can get to a shop tomorrow.
#1922
Full Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 311
Likes: 128
From: Prince Edward Island, Canada
Bikes: '23 Devinci Hatchet Carbon Apex1 '19 Norco Bigfoot 6.1 ,'12 Motobecane Turino (killed by dog crash), '12 Trek 3700 Disc
Wind was in my face the whole way to work, 20 km/h gusting to 40. I wanted to die - not fair to do to a noob. lol The same wind was at least partly at my back on the way home so I turned in my fastest time of 31 minutes averaging just under 30km/h for my 16km run. And my legs (and butt!) don't hurt, so I'm improving.
#1923
Senior Member
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
I did the 14 mile route both ways today (less than a mile on streets). I've done the long ride back more than the long ride to because I don't need to worry about being reaching the destination on time, but today on the way back I particularly felt drained of energy at times. I rode at a pretty mild pace much of the way. Oddly I was never passed up by speedster roadies, which usually happens a few times a ride for me. I saw many of them going the opposite direction, but none going my way. I actually wound up passing several very slow moving cyclists. There was a bit of a wind to my face but it wasn't one of the worst I've faced. Something seemed a bit spooky about not seeing roadies going my way... like they all knew something us Freds didn't. I got back home without figuring it out though.
#1924
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 458
Likes: 0
From: Durham, NC
Bikes: LHT + FreeRadical
Best commute in a few weeks. Stopped in at the local bakery to grab a donut for after the ride, then hustled up so that i could catch a bus for the last 3 miles at sub-highway speeds. got to work early and beat the rain.
the donut was amazing too.
the donut was amazing too.
#1925
Super Moderator
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,805
Likes: 868
From: Greenwood Indiana
Bikes: Surly Crosscheck
Warm and a bit windy. Nice ride, seen another commuter on a MTB. As nice as going to work on Monday morning could be.
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Good Night Chesty, Wherever You Are
Good Night Chesty, Wherever You Are





