Yesterday was a good reminder to me about how driving can be much more of a hassle that bike commuting. I drove because my daughter needed a ride somewhere and it also happened to be pouring rain all day. When I got downtown, I pulled in behind a pickup truck to park along the curb where I normally do when driving. The truck driver apparently was just dropping someone off, but for some inexplicable reason he started backing up, which was odd because he had a lot of free spaces in front of his truck. My car was already turned off with the parking brake on, so I didn't have time to move but I repeatedly honked my horn. The driver apparently didn't hear me and backed his truck into the front of my VW, putting a dent in the front fender where his trailer hitch hit it. The trucker accepted responsibility for the collision and his insurance company will pay for the repairs, but that also means I will probably miss several more days of bike commuting. I had to drive today so I can drop off my car at the repair shop and will have to make arrangements to pick it up in a few days.

Oh well, at least the damage wasn't bad and nobody was hurt. Since I had to drive today, I stopped at the gym on the way to work and lifted weights and rode a spin bike for 45 minutes. That was my commute.

Heavy overcast but thinned out and brightened up along the ride. It was cooler than I thought, the radio said it was 14C/57F but it turned out to be 11C/51F. However, I was fine once I warmed up on the first 6km/4mi.

The radio is forecasting rain and thundershowers this afternoon, the weather site says mostly sunny and no rain until tomorrow (but a downpour is forecast for tomorrow). Let's see who is correct, I'm hoping for the weather site so I can clean and oil my chain tonight.

I forgot to mention that this is my favourite time of year for bike commuting because my office is on the university property and with the start of the new school year, there is massive congestion during the morning and afternoon commutes that I just sail past.

Yeek!

Nice! I hope I have that effect on people too. Hopefully he continues to ride.

I found the same thing true now that I have lost 35 or so it does not take much to get me chilled. I have been riding sometimes in the shade with a nice breeze in the summer and found myself with chill bumps.

1. that is what my commute would have been if I had ridden. (i drove... again)
2. that is so funny that you used the porta potty on your commute. so funny. thanks for the laugh

Sorry to hear about your car and my commute this morning was similiar It was a 25 minute run of 3.09 miles on the treadmill and some weight lifting as well. It felt good to weight lift. I hope to ride the next two days. I am really wishing my new tire was in though. It is getting darker out there now a days.

:thumb: Glad it's not just me. It's funny too, because I typically "run hot" even when just sitting, but these days I'm reaching for extra layers as my own layers continue to melt :)

Oh ... and I've OFTEN stopped in a porta potty on my rides home in particular. I drink a lot water during the days, especially in the afternoons, so I'm going all the time. Even if I go right before I start my commute, there've been times when I've had to stop.

Nice ride this morning, got to see the full "super moon" setting from about 0600 to 0700. I've never seen a full moon like that in the early morning, so that was pretty cool. It's barely visible just above the trees in the 2nd pic.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.n...2a0bc53e56b0d9

I haven't had to do this (yet?) but thanks for the idea. Even though I drink ~1.5L/48oz of water at work on an average day (plus another ~0.25L/8oz on my commutes), I don't need to search for a rest stop along the way. On my rides out to camp (3+hrs, 72km/45mi), I'll drink about 3L/96oz on the route and will need to find a tree to mark after about 2hrs (50km) on the road (highway) with about 2L/64oz in me.

I am in Calgary and luckily the snow did not stick to the roads. I usually ride my road bike this time of year, but as luck would have it my nipple on my spoke fell into my hub and I did not have time to change it so I rode my suspension mtb. Glad I did, it was slow, but it made for a safe ride as well. Full rain gear on and I was comfortable. The ride home was fun, I was totally covered in wet snow when I got home.

Chilly commute this morning, spotted the new guy en route riding on the wrong side of the road again, still mashing away in the big ring, but at least he's riding.

A refreshing 85, now time to dry out...

I had a great ride home last night. Felt good and everything was working. I have to call a local cab company on a driver doing stupid, dangerous and illegal things. Remember buddy there is your number on the car.


Felt fine this morning. I was going for a new best on the bridge. But wouldn't you know I ran over some very large chunk of plastic, immediately flatting the rear.I was 1.5km from work but on the bridge and the sidewalk isn't safe to change a tire. So I walked it to work. Three out of four cyclists stopped to all if i was okay.

Got to work changed it quick dug out the offending dinosaur product, booted it and put in a new tube. Fast and dirty and done. First puncture in years.

Lovely ride in this morning. There is nothing like leaving home late and accepting that "yea I'm going to be late to work" to start off a ride :-)

On the plus side, I have noticed a slight change in temperature and humidity, which must signal the season that passes for fall in the south.

Raining cats on the way in... cats and dogs (with occasional other small mammals for good measure) on the way home. Drivers very focused on getting where they had to be no matter who they ran over to get there. Bike path (or at least Anchorage's excuse for one) free as far as the eye can see other than puddles on the way in, and crossing cars everywhere. Unfortunately many inebriate zombies wandering along the path on the way home (it is a problem we have here). Me, grinning ear to ear, riding in a nice rain, happy it is still in the 60s and not colder, very glad to not be stuck in traffic... but wishing I would have worn a hat and more appropriate footwear.

The temp this morning was 59f degrees and cloudy dark skies when I left the house this morning. It was a very nice ride to work!

Nice morning albeit overcast, 15C/60F.

An early morning roadie (with bright flashing front and rear lights no less!!!) passed by me as I was waiting for the lights to turn so I could get onto the highway. He must have been moving because the "natural" turnaround point was 4km away and by the time I reached my turn off from the highway (7km away), he caught up to me (unless it was another fellow with a bright flashing headlight and a blue jersey). We said our "Good Mornings" and he continued along the highway (next exit or turnaround point is 12km away).

Finally a day with no rain in the forecast, so I rode my nicest bike with no fenders. I have hardly commuted on my favorite bike all summer because of the continual threat of storms. It also needed new brakes, which I had replaced at the LBS last week. It is now stopping like a charm, so its one shortcoming has been fixed. It was a fast ride after two days off (unless you count spinning at the gym) and my legs felt great.

I saw some sunglasses in the middle of the road and turned around to pick them up because they looked better than your usual fare. Turns out they were some Oakleys, in decent shape except for a scratch on one lens, probably occurring in the fall. I plan to post a FOUND ad on the local Craigslist because it's the right thing to do, it's good cycling karma and I wear prescription glasses anyway.

Nice ride, perfect temperature, some tailwind.

In the past week I've seen twice now, a young guy riding a BMX-type bike, I think from the local community college to some nearby apartments. Problem is that he rides on the wrong side of the road, under an interstate overpass, past the interstate on-ramp, along the edge of a 5-lane EXTREMELY BUSY arterial (curb and gutter, no shoulder, no sidewalks), cuts through a corner gas station, then heads on up another 5-lane arterial riding along the center turn lane the whole way. Then when he gets to the 3-way stop (I have long since passed him at this point) he then TURNS RIGHT ACROSS 2 LANES OF STRAIGHT TRAFFIC!!

:crash:

So far I've seen him while riding home last Thursday, and again on Monday afternoon driving home. I haven't been in a position to really say anything to him yet.

A comfortable 68F this morning but wicked headwind and ominous looking clouds. We're supposed to get the storms that are flooding the west, but if I have a tailwind going home it's worth it!

Wet. We're having a cold, wet late summer. Glad I have fenders.

Had a meeting early this morning and left later than I should have. So, I pushed it a little. Had a PR on my segment across the Williamsburg Bridge...which is cool.

Cooler but comfortable ride in today. I was dead tired from being up all night, so I had a hard time keeping a reasonable pace line. Luckily I ride so early in the morning that there's no traffic on the roads. I've polished off a pot of coffee since I arrived, so I should be more awake on my to ride home this afternoon.

This mornings commute was nice, the temp was 62f degrees when leaving the house, and dark skies.