jrickards

Cool (3C, 37F), very wet (ie drenched) and windy/gusty (33-51kmh, 20-30mph). Of course, there was a headwind for the 2nd half of the ride but on the otherhand, the 1st half has more and steeper hills that I was pushed up so perhaps it wasn't so bad.

Surprised to learn that my rainshell is in fact waterproof but there was a bit of perspiration generated so my jersey was a little damp. Bought some rain booties a couple of months ago, tried them out today, well, they look nice but my feet were soaked so they really didn't provide any protection other than to slow the progress of water into my shoes and socks (I'm not looking forward to putting on cold wet socks and shoes for the ride home this afternoon). My gloves also are soaked and will be the same when I go home, I'll have to go to the LBS and get another pair.

This afternoon's forecast is minimal precipitation and going up to 10C (50F) so I might be able to ditch the shell and just wear my jacket.

smontanaro 

I had an amazing ride in today. The NWS has a gale warning posted for Lake Michigan through 9pm. I got to ride in with that wind. Straight out of the north. I am old, not fast, and wasn't killing myself, but according to Google My Tracks, I hit 26mph on my rather heavy commuter, on the Lakefront trail, somewhere between Fullerton and La Salle (for those of you familiar with Chicago).

The ride home will be a whole 'nuther kettle of fish.

Telly

Unfortunately I have to avoid the beach in the photo since the crime rate has gone through the roof with tens of incidents reported daily; shame since it's across from my home.

On the brighter side, this is my new(ish) three speed which was worth every single penny and has really made my daily commute fun and less stressful and I now use the Corratec for touring where it really shines.

mikhalit

Damn it, one of the worst reasons possible.

arsprod 

+2, I think it's cool that you went to starbucks and not to work!!

No ride yesterday so good to be back in the saddle. Cool (58F) and very wet from last night's storms. More rain likely today, reminds me of a conversation I have with someone at work (who's afraid of weather) - her: what do you do if it rains, me: get wet

dramiscram

Pouring rain for the second half of my commute but I like to ride in the rain. The temperature was 19-20 celcius and the rain was warm. Very nice ride with a BIG tailwind. If the weather forecast is accurate the winds should shift in the afternoon and I should have a BIG tailwind for the ride home, I got my fingers crossed.

Steely Dan

we have the reverse of each other's commutes. i live downtown and work up in evanston.

that 40 knot north wind that carried you down the lakefront was an obnoxiously savage headwind for me all the way up the northside. but i had read the NWS gale warning for the marine forecast so i my inland route (up halsted to clark/chicago ave.) to get a protection from the buildings of the city rather than be exposed full-on to 40 knot gales out on the lakefront.

if this wind holds i should be able to make make the 14.5 mile ride home in about 40 minutes. i'll be hitting 40 mph out on the lakefront trail!!!!!!

AstroEng

No good deed goes unpunished, eh?

groovestew

Yes, I did this yesterday too. Happens usually on Wednesdays when I have a meeting first thing in the morning, and am scrambling to prep for it, so I chuck my backpack under my desk to deal with after the meeting, then forget.

Working from home today, but I still managed an 18 km "commute" on the trails around the river this morning. Lots of other cyclists out this morning. You see a lot more when riding against the general flow of traffic (not salmoning...riding away from downtown instead of towards it).

mtessmer

Sun!!! It's been a week! I'm going to have a pretty hefty headwind for the ride home this afternoon though.

jrickards

Don't forget to hang up your clothes otherwise, this afternoon's commute also is going to be uncomfortable in wet clothes.

missjean

I was wearing my very, very bright neon pink & day-glow green shirt on my Sat evening commute. As I rode past two teenagers hanging out in their yard, one yelled Hi!, and they other yelled "I can't see you." Wise a$$. :-)

groovestew

This afternoon's commute will be walking upstairs!

PatrickGSR94

well shoot, winds today are out of the NNW and I generally head north (and a bit east) for my commute home, so I'll probably have some head winds more or less. But tomorrows winds are supposed to be out of the NE or NNE, and most of my riding is south and west so I should have tail winds pretty much tomorrow morning.

Those north winds keep the temps down, though. Only 80 today and only 75 tomorrow! Should be nice and cool in the morning, probably low 60's.

Mr. Hairy Legs

Windy! I think that may be what screwed up this poor guy:

jvtb

First week seriously commuting...like more than 2 days per week...

I rode to work, 15 miles each way, on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday - I even rode an extra 5 miles each way after work to the store on Monday and Wednesday, no car use at all. Drove today, but going to do all bike again tomorrow . It feels great, so empowering.

I'm becoming a better cyclist, too. I learned how to stay on the right gear - I was way too high before. I always pedal, pacing myself, rarely coasting or sprinting. Fitness, using the right gears, and learning the pace my cadence has resulting in me slicing both time and effort from my commute. It's so easy now.

Loving it.

Tomorrow will be my first rainy ride, it is a strong possibility. Just bought my bike cover today.

PatrickGSR94

As suspected, the winds added 9 minutes to my commute home. On Monday it took me 61 minutes, and yesterday it took 70 minutes with the wind coming from the opposite direction.

dcb23

More clouds and mist. Seems like it has been raining for a month. Got caught in a downpour on the way home last night.

Have a safe riding weekend everyone.

Tractortom

Second commute of the week today started good with a few kind words with my next door neighbor who is in his 80's and recovering from back surgery, but getting around well. Then, right down the street, before I even left my neighborhood, the old guy in the white minivan waited for the car coming the other way, and then backed out into me on the street!!!. I was watching him, and he never even looked my way, so I began to YELL at him (his windows were up) and swung way around him in the oncoming traffic lane and kept going. He pulled up behind me at the intersection leaving the neighborhood, and I turned right and started towards work. A half a mile later, he eases up next to me, running in the on-coming traffic lane, and runs the window down. He's running about 18-20mph, weaving around, and wants to engage me in conversation, to say he is sorry and didn't see me. I told him what he was doing was unsafe and to 'GET AWAY' from me. Then I think I called him a "Crazy F....." and watched him drive way, thankfully in the proper lane. After that, the commute was a fast normal ride, had to get rid of some of that nervous energy from the close call...

Tractor Tom in Okeechobee, FL

tarwheel 

Beautiful morning and the forecast is calling for the first sunny day with low humidity in more than a week. It has rained every day here since last Saturday. I had to drive yesterday due to a doctor's appointment, which was OK since it rained much of the day. Figured my legs would be well-rested this morning but they felt like logs, so I just took it easy riding to work this morning.

smontanaro 

Yesterday's commute home was as tough as I expected. In fact, this morning I went downstairs briefly, and on the way back upstairs my knees told me they didn't want to ride today. I finally thought to start My Tracks in the morning and afternoon. Relevant stats: Morning: 13.5 miles, 15.3 mph avg speed, 25.7 mph peak. Afternoon: 14.2 miles, 11.4 mph avg speed, 19.6 mph peak. The stretch on the lakefront trail was like one continuous uphill grind going home.

wphamilton

Perfect morning, sun shining high-60's and almost completely dry. Legs are finally recovered from the century ride on Sunday, all is good in my world.

PatrickGSR94

Much cooler this morning, in the 50's. Luckily I had a mostly tail wind for most of the commute back in. Time was only 2 minutes off my Monday afternoon commute with tail wind.

I think wow 14.5 miles in 61 minutes is pretty good! Then I see a friend's Strava where he did 22 miles yesterday morning in 63 minutes (on city streets, not rural roads like me) and I'm like DANG IT! Slow as fack!

JPinWI

Beautiful Morning for a ride...cold though 36 degrees...I broke out my mittens. Biked an extra 3 miles to the World's Largest Brat Fest in Madison, WI and scored a couple of free brats for biking thru. Courtesy of Saris Bike Group. No better feeling than biking past a long line of cars waiting in the brat thru...and then getting a free brat just for biking. :-)

Telly

From this point on very little will change on my daily commutes since summer weather in Athens is usually very predictable... heat, traffic, pollution, zombie pedestrians and car drivers, and did i mention the heat?

Hoards of people will be heading down to the coastal section by foot, public transport and cars and will make my commute 10x more dangerous than it usually is, especially in the afternoons/early evening where the now well-cooked zombies will be staggering around with headphones and beach gear in hand occupying 110% of the sidewalk and around 20-30% of the road (sidewalks were drastically reduced so the tram lines could pass in the 2004 Olympics!).

On the bright side... more than half of the occupying zombies will be bikini clad young women which is nice if you're a single male in his late 40's like me!