Milder, 5C/41F and wet roads but no precipitation. Low of -4C/25F forecast for Friday morning.

High of 78F today, but still a chilly 45F this morning. I'm ready for Summer to leave for good.

lol work trip = lots of food on company dime, yeah? :)

ugh slogging through winds this morning, took 7 minutes longer than yesterday morning. And unfortunately the wind is supposed to shift today giving me more headwinds going home, along with a chance of rain. 60's and cloudy this morning made it seem like it stayed dark for a LONG time, until after 7 AM.

I have a feeling this may be the last day for wearing just bike shorts and jersey, short sleeve anyway, at least for the mornings, until it warms up next Spring. At least after this weekend it will be lighter for most of my morning commute.

65F with steady rain and headwind neither of which bothers me as much as all the leaves on the ground. I'd rather ride on ice than wet leaves!

Going into a second week of no riding :( After a string of flats, I collided with a skateboarder, who was going the wrong way towards a red light. I approached an intersection, had a green, made the turn at a high rate of speed and there he was -- no time for me to do anything. Fortunately, no serious injuries and he's being decent about it and is covering all repairs. So for now, I need to nurse my bruises and wait for the bike to get out of the shop. Bummer. The weather has been beautiful too.

It was sunny and 75 when I left work yesterday ... October 27th and I was riding in shorts and a t-shirt. When I got downtown it was like a warm blanket had been thrown over me (in a good way) and I would feel a warm breeze (headwind and I didn't care) blow over me. It was nearly nirvana given the time of year.

I paused and took a selfie at the Art Museum, and took the scenic route along the lake near downtown, then the back road to avoid traffic, then after that I went left instead of straight and headed back over to the lake, following a quick older guy on a bike who served as a nice rabbit for a long time. Over the highway, down to the lakeshore path, feeling the wind wash over me, pushing hard, feeling a little bit of "hurt" as I pushed harder than I normally would on a ride home.

Up the big hill from the lakeshore then onto the street. The sun really fades fast this time of year but I opted to go past my normal turn off, up the hill to the top, where I turned around and came screaming back down it for possibly the last time this season. Click, click, click into the big gears, pushing hard down the hill, pedaling where I might normally be coasting. Once the speedo clicked 30 mph I sat up and looked to my right, eyeing Lake Michigan. A left at my turn off and then head west til I get home, watching the sunset. I rolled up the driveway as the sun was giving her last full rays to us.

It's been an incredible year of commuting for me. From just a little over 400 miles last year, to nearly 1,700 this year (and I'm not done, I just know it won't be as regular as it has been). I wish I'd have taken a selfie at the beginning of the year, to chart the difference in my face as I've shed 30 pounds.

Just wanted to say thanks to all of you ... for the knowledge you've all shared, your encouragement and documenting your own commutes. I get so much joy from riding a bike, it's really rather ridiculous. I hope you all share that joy.

Very dark and 37F at the start of my 6:30am 10 mi. commute, but still riding without the baklava (aka balaclava). Looking forward to Daylight Saving Time next week for some brighter mornings (at the cost of a darker commute home).

This morning, it was a bit windy, about 68ºF. Drivers seemed a bit less preoccupied, keeping their distance. All in all, a good commute.

Congratulations! Take a look at your drivers license then a mirror and I see the difference of serious weight loss makes. :) Great job on the miles commutted as well.


OH yeah there was less traffic yesterday. I found it was a teacher workday or something. I thought I had just left earlier.
My date night (last night) was canceled due to the sitters and the people paying for our date went out of town. Mrs. let me take the longer way home. 18miles of 70ish degrees. 66 by the time I got home. 29miles yesterday. It sure felt good.

IllClyde, it's been great to watch your progress. I too went from 850 miles (51 rides) in 2013, to 2350 miles (112 rides) in 2014, and have lost about 30 lbs in the process, along with some minor diet changes, and less amplitude with the adult beverages (I hate riding with even a minor hangover). And it IS rather ridiculous that I/we have learned to enjoy (if not rely on) the riding so much.

14 months ago, before I even considered getting back on a bike (maybe since 1995), if you had told me that I would be riding 1000's of miles, 112 days a year (in 8 months really), in 23F and 95F, rain, drizzle, fog, 20 mph head winds, as well as condition myself to ride 65 mile Metric Centuries on back to back Sundays, I would have fallen on the ground laughing at the impossibility of that happening. Now I laugh (for a much different reason) when someone compliments me on my drive and discipline to get out on the road so frequently in those conditions. It's been a really good ride.

[MENTION=232573]ill.clyde[/MENTION] - Fantastic description of why bicycling is awesome. :)

If your drivers license photo is anything like mine, you'd probably also think you've gotten much more handsome too!!

IllClyde, it's been great to watch your progress. I too went from 850 miles (51 rides) in 2013, to 2350 miles (112 rides) in 2014, and have lost about 30 lbs in the process, along with some minor diet changes, and less amplitude with the adult beverages (I hate riding with even a minor hangover). And it IS rather ridiculous that I/we have learned to enjoy (if not rely on) the riding so much.

14 months ago, before I even considered getting back on a bike (maybe since 1995), if you had told me that I would be riding 1000's of miles, 112 days a year (in 8 months really), in 23F and 95F, rain, drizzle, fog, 20 mph head winds, as well as condition myself to ride 65 mile Metric Centuries on back to back Sundays, I would have fallen on the ground laughing at the impossibility of that happening. Now I laugh (for a much different reason) when someone compliments me on my drive and discipline to get out on the road so frequently in those conditions. It's been a really good ride.

This morning was a nice commute, but I really need to take a few minutes and adjust my rear derailleur. It has really gone out of adjustment in the last few weeks with the rainy season and cable stretch. It is such a simple task that just needs to be done and I just have to spend five minutes in the rain to do it. I already bike in the rain.

The ride was nice this morning. It was uneventful. I think that rain has scared away some new commuters already for the bike to work week. I think that it is a tough season to draw people from their routines to the fear of cycling in the rain.
[MENTION=232573]ill.clyde[/MENTION] That is a great accomplishment, thumbs up.

DST ends Sunday morning at 2 AM, actually. We're going back to Standard Time, even though Standard Time now lasts barely more than 4 months.

This AM started with darkness and heavy rain which quickly tapered to steady rain, then light rain, then nothing.

(There are always less BTWW commuter stations in the autumn, than in the spring BTWW.)
Good job illclyde!!

Had rain move through in the early afternoon, which quit before I left the office, but streets will still plenty wet. Had a few sprinkles on the way but that was it. Not quite as fast as yesterday since less wind. No problems at all.

Very good. Decided to try a new and longer route today. Very lovely, going to continue with the new route.

[MENTION=232573]ill.clyde[/MENTION], very impressive work! As many others have mentioned, I too have taken a lot of inspiration from this forum in general and you in particular. Last year I started commuting in June and rode about 800 miles; this year I'm at 1400 and counting, which is really only 6.5 months as I was out of the country for a total of 3.5 months of this year so far. Max weight loss was about 55 lbs; now closer to 45 lbs (put on some weight in September while out of town at a northern mining camp with no healthy food and no exercise).

Wish I could say the same... yesterday afternoon, had a guy tuck in behind me without saying a word, and proceeded to draft me for nearly 5km (3 miles) across East Vancouver. At least him being on my ass drove me to set a couple PR's for myself... sort of a reverse rabbit. Anyways, about a block or two before we hit a big hill, he FLIES past me (no thank you or anything) and up the hill with fresh legs while I'm grinding it out after pushing hard across town. On the lower grade climb above the hill (Central Park in Burnaby), I pass him again, but then he tucks in behind me for another km before turning off without so much as a thank you or a "have a nice day". People.

This morning I got involved in a commuter race across town at like 6:30am. Guy flew threw a red light on 10th Ave @ Commercial while I was waiting for it to change. After the light changed I kept pace with him, and though he had probably a 30 second lead, I passed him like he was standing still climbing up 10th from Clark to Fraser (another PR for me on that segment, BTW - thanks buddy!). At Fraser, waiting for the light, buddy catches up to me (seemed like 30 seconds behind me), but then flies through another red light there. I kept passing him between every major intersection, then he kept blowing through red lights to pass me. He must be compensating for all the extra room in his cycling tights.

Cool (5C/41F) with a bit of spray in the air (felt like small wet snowflakes). It is going to get colder over the next couple of days though.

Mild temps but stiff headwind riding to work this morning. A cold front is expected to arrive later in the day, and hopefully I will make it home this afternoon before the showers arrive. The forecasts are all over the place regarding the timing of its arrival.

Missed two days of commuting due to a stomach bug, which sucked because the weather was ideal for riding on Monday and Tuesday. This may end up being my lowest mileage week of the year because my wife and I are going out of town this weekend with no bikes. Yikes!

Does that mean you're no longer ill.clyde, maybe ill.stick?! When I left the house this morning it was 41F. When I got to work it was 39F - what's up with that! I forgot to charge my light and it was fun to watch it dim inversely proportionally to the sunrise

Upper 50s today, so I'm back to a t-shirt and shorts. I'm ready for the seasons to make up their minds and stick with one temperature.

I'm looking forward to DST ending next week so I don't have to wake up in the dark. Who else thinks DST is pointless?

Nah ... I'm still firmly in the clyde camp. 6'3" and a football player's build (played two years in college) ... so I'll likely never lose the clyde part of me. :)

I have, however, lost the "ill" part ... moving from Illinois to Wisconsin last year :D

58degrees when i left. Possible showers tonight. i hope I am not riding in them.