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2012 - How Was the Commute Today?

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2012 - How Was the Commute Today?

Old 10-17-12, 04:37 AM
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A quiet ride in and a bit of a chill at 43f (6c). It feels cooler, because it is drier, but the day should warm up a bit.
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Old 10-17-12, 05:31 AM
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It was a cold commute this morning the thermometer read 32f as I rode by it. My fingers were the only thing that felt cold the whole ride. I need warmer gloves or mittens. I saw another rider this morning but he was going the opposite way of me though we did say hi.
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Old 10-17-12, 05:48 AM
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knee and shoulder are still sore from my fall yesterday so i took it real easy this morning. nice thing about cold mornings like this is you know the ride home will be fantastic.
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Old 10-17-12, 05:52 AM
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Originally Posted by fletchh
A quiet ride in and a bit of a chill at 43f (6c). It feels cooler, because it is drier, but the day should warm up a bit.
The low 40's is perfect cruising temperature on a bike - enough of a chill to wake a person up and make them feel alive, but nevertheless very comfortable.
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Old 10-17-12, 05:54 AM
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I needed my hat this morning!
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Old 10-17-12, 06:18 AM
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Very nice. 31F/-1C, no wind. The sun was just coming up. Direct sunlight hadn't gotten to the Burlington shoreline yet but it was lighting up the Adirondack Mountains and the Burlington breakwater, so I stopped to take a picture. I like what the flash did to my spoke reflectors.

Later, downtown, I just missed seeing an accident about a half block ahead of me, but I heard it happen. Hard to tell what happened. From the minor body damage, I'd say a car badly cut a left turn and got clipped by another car making a right turn from the street onto which the left-turner was headed.
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Old 10-17-12, 06:35 AM
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Originally Posted by Mr. Hairy Legs
Nice pic!

I should take the time to take some commuting pics as well...
Thanks! I almost never stop to take a picture, but decided to that morning so I could enter it in the Atlanta Bike to Work photo contest. Here's the link to vote if you're so inclined https://bit.ly/SUWxLL I won't win, there's a guy who had 123 of his closest friends vote for his picture that's not really a commute to work picture, but I'm still having fun.
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Old 10-17-12, 06:36 AM
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Yesterday morning, mid 40's, a little wet... the first 3 mile section of the MUP I ride has a canopy of trees on both sides. About a mile or so in as the sun was just starting to give light I looked up to see the changing leaves giving a multicolored tunnel over the trail - stunning! I thought about taking a picture, for about a millisecond, til I realized I'd actually have to stop to do it!
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Old 10-17-12, 06:46 AM
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Originally Posted by Dwayne
Took a picture at mile 14 of 17 on Friday morning. I'm right at 1000 commuting miles since I started August 8 this year, I should be able to hit 2000 by the end of the year.


Nice pic Dwayne! Like the bike my friend. Looks like a really cool commute!
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Old 10-17-12, 06:52 AM
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Well, feeling better today, but my stomach is still a bit whimpy.

Rode the single speed into work under a awesomely star-filled sky. Not too cool, but just enough to take the heat off.

It won't be long before I will be able to shoot a movie of my ride down Sawmill Dr. It's a canopy of oak trees and is beautiful when it's all in color during the fall...
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Old 10-17-12, 08:06 AM
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5C with winds 50 gusting to 75kph, which made for a quick ride despite the wind being never quite directly behind me. The roads were wet but I managed to make it in between showers. Going home will be slow and possibly wet.

Great ride home yesterday. Despite being grey and cloudy it was 15C with a good tail wind.
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Old 10-17-12, 08:14 AM
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looking forward to when i have to start commuting in the dark. i don't know what it is, but i always feel extra productive when i'm going somewhere and the sun hasn't come up yet.
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Old 10-17-12, 12:39 PM
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I live in Sudbury Ontario, about 4hrs drive north of Toronto. Generally, the temperatures in Sudbury average 5-7C below that of Toronto which is likely because of its size and proximity to Lake Ontario. Most mornings in the fall, I don't see a single bike commuter although I know of a couple who take a nearby route. I was in Toronto yesterday and amazed and somewhat overjoyed to see the number of bike commuters: I almost wanted to buy a bike just to join them. It seemed to me that the difference in numbers was more than just the climate and population, it seemed that it was more a part of the "culture" than here in Sudbury.

Although I didn't bike in today because I arrived home late last night and didn't have sufficient time to organize myself, I am going to continue to bike commute in as long as I can and start in the spring as early as I can and hopefully, encourage others to do the same.
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Old 10-17-12, 01:05 PM
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Originally Posted by jrickards
I live in Sudbury Ontario, about 4hrs drive north of Toronto. Generally, the temperatures in Sudbury average 5-7C below that of Toronto which is likely because of its size and proximity to Lake Ontario. Most mornings in the fall, I don't see a single bike commuter although I know of a couple who take a nearby route. I was in Toronto yesterday and amazed and somewhat overjoyed to see the number of bike commuters: I almost wanted to buy a bike just to join them. It seemed to me that the difference in numbers was more than just the climate and population, it seemed that it was more a part of the "culture" than here in Sudbury.

Although I didn't bike in today because I arrived home late last night and didn't have sufficient time to organize myself, I am going to continue to bike commute in as long as I can and start in the spring as early as I can and hopefully, encourage others to do the same.
Great job! For what it's worth, the organizational aspect gets easier.
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Old 10-17-12, 05:27 PM
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The commute today was AWESOME!!

I just took the long way home (ie, I went the opposite direction of my house to increase mileage): 8.5 miles. It was 4.5 to work, so round trip was THIRTEEN MILES!
That's the longest stretch I think I've ever done at once, and I wasn't dead at the end of it.

It's windy today (17mph gusting to 34!), I'm getting over a cold that had me sleeping literally all day Monday, and I'm sitting here feeling absolutely on top of the world.

my bike!
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Old 10-17-12, 05:51 PM
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This morning was fantastic.

The 20mph headwind all the way home was challenging.
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Old 10-18-12, 04:36 AM
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A chilly ride at 46f (8c). Last day of commuting for this week, although, I have errands, which I will do on my bike tomorrow. It is always nice to break from the same routine and go somewhere else.
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Old 10-18-12, 05:26 AM
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It was a chilly 35f when I rode past the thermometer today, and I wore two pairs of gloves and that did not keep my hands warm. I am able to keep all other parts of me warm, I just can't manage the hands yet. Other than the cold hands the ride was great, starry skies when I leave the house.
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Old 10-18-12, 07:55 AM
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Great ride this morning with cool temps and a nice sunrise. Took my chances and rode despite forecasts calling for possible severe thunderstorms this afternoon. The forecast sounded pretty iffy and our weather guys tend to exaggerate the threat of any rain, so I'm hoping the rain won't materialize or will show up later tonight. However, I'll be keeping a close eye on the radar and if the storms start developing, I plan to head home early. I've got a lot of comp time this week, so taking off early should not be a problem.
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Old 10-18-12, 08:08 AM
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I gambled and won this morning Running late I opted for the traffic route instead of my beloved but soggy Greenway, and I hit one green light after another, maybe 30 seconds waiting at a light in the first 7 miles. Plenty of time left over for a leisurely shower.
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Old 10-18-12, 08:29 AM
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I was forced to try my winterbike for the first time this morning as I broke a spoke on my spare wheel last night, I now have two wheels with broken spoke on my regular bike ( I need to lose some weight). I took about the same time with my winter bike ( and old winterized mtb) than I usualy take with my road bike, I was a bit surprised as I tought that I would be much slower on fat tires but the legs are hurting a bit.
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Old 10-18-12, 08:35 AM
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A bit soggy out this morning but warm (60F). The new fenders I installed are doing the job, I see the spray sent out in front of the bike and can only imagine how wet I would have been without them. Got a nice tailwind the most of the way, which is nice after yesterday's 15-20mph headwind on the way home.
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Old 10-18-12, 10:36 AM
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It was cold on the way in this morning, but dry. I had to pack my rain gear, though, since it's supposed to be raining on the commute home. I'll be going about 22 miles this afternoon, down to Performance Bicycle for one of their free bike maintenance classes. Then another 8 miles home again, so today's total mileage should be close to 35, depending on which route I take.
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Old 10-18-12, 10:41 AM
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Wet and chilly. I need new raingear. Hopefully it will be nicer on the way home, at least the roads should be dry...
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Old 10-18-12, 10:41 AM
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Originally Posted by dramiscram
I was a bit surprised as I tought that I would be much slower on fat tires but the legs are hurting a bit.
One thing that took me a long time to realize, is that different bikes use different muscles. It pays to put in some time on the winter bike before it snows. Otherwise you get the double hit of the snow slowing you down and legs not conditioned to that bike. Starting in late summer I decided to put in a couple mountain bike rides a week. Lately I've been commuting on it at least 50% of the time.


4C with a decent tail / side wind. It was a quick ride but I didn't push too hard. It started getting misty halfway through the ride.

Yesterday's ride home was very slow with wind gusting to 80kph. But at least I missed the rain.
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