In my experience, the Brooks leather requires a cover in inclement leather. The Brooks saddle cover is overpriced, various knockoffs are economical, work well and are easy to stuff into pack or pannier.

I switched to Selle Anatomica and their "watershed leather" saddle; no cover required. :-)

This morning was beautiful: 36F and sunny.

I passed by a long row of cars at a stop light. One of drivers was planning a right turn and slaunched her sedan over into the bike lane, forcing me to thread between her mirror and the curb. My left handlebar-end barely clipped the cover on her mirror (which was quite loose for some reason) and it fell off. I thought to stop and retrieve the cover for her, but the light was turning green, and I was in harm's way if I stopped, so I proceeded on.

It's been raining for about a week and I've been enjoying it! Decent fenders make all the diff.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-d...925_190017.jpg


Last night one of my two headlights fell off my bars and rolled off into the ditch somewhere - I suspect the part that mates with the mount broke... I didn't go after it - that's one of the reasons I have two headlights - that and I can aim them in different spots - but these PB Blaze things just aren't that good and with only one I could barely see anything on the MUP.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-L...0417140818.jpg


So when I got home I went to the bike store and got a NR Lumina 750 and put it on - wow, can't wait for tonight's commute.


On the way in this morning, I broke my toe strap - cheap piece of cr@p... here it is when it was new. I think it just got rotten from the wet weather, maybe got abraded in the pedal slot or something. No fun riding a fixed gear without foot retention... especially when you forget that you don't have foot retention.


https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-U...525141428b.jpg


So it looks like I'll be making another trip to the bike store tonight.

[MENTION=68015]DiabloScott[/MENTION]. Bike stores love commuters I figure. We frequently lose or break something. And I never buy just one thing when I go in. I hope to get my tires tonight and my bank account hopes that is all I come out with.

The ride was nice this morning, I dropped off my son and made my way to work. I actively decided to take the sidewalk on the bridge rather than the road in doing so one old man ran the red light, but I was already through the intersection and the pedestrian was safe also. Then I have to go past a McDonald's, home depot and Starbucks and a woman doesn't even look as she pulls out. She turned into the same complex as the woman pulled out in front on me last night, the car behind me even blew their horn at her.

These were all at low speed on mostly dry road and I wear all neon yellow, reflective vest, front flasher and a suppossed 900 lumen light. No excuse to miss me in the middle in the drive lane.

A fellow cyclist told me I had an awesome bike suit. And a another driver gave me a big smile and wave in their mirror

My son is awesome.

This morning he said he wants to get an tandem ice mountain racing bike.

good commute this AM: uneventful.

Kids know best: tandem ice mountain racing bikes are awesome.

Yikes! Going up the right side of stopped cars is quite dangerous! But you should also know that making a right turn from nearest the curb is required in all states except Oregon. So unless she was using the bike lane to pass other cars on the right side (undertake), then she was in the right. And that's also why bike lanes are dangerous at intersections and their approaches.

Excellent comments! In this case the driver was situated in the bike lane, but several cars back from the intersection. The problem with this location is that cars my advance straight through the intersection from the right lane *or* turn right, so the bicyclist who slides to the left of the first lane of traffic may need to cross back through advancing drivers to return to the bike lane. Reconstruction is upcoming that will hopefully address these problems somewhat.

I have found if you get to the front before the green most drivers are amenable to let me assert my right to the lane until I can safely move over.

This being said I have one stretch where there is a wide single lane that eventually turns into a right turn lane which only one or two cars out of twenty or thirty use, most cars go straight. I stick in the right lane and pay close attention, maybe once every two weeks someones pulls out but I go cautiously and it is not an issue. yet. Since the oncoming traffic is usually heavy and most cars are right on the yellow line I feel more unsafe on the left than on the rights with a lane width and some to myself.

Nice rides today. On the bridge on the way home I got behind a girl with a nice derriere and then my front brake cable snapped loose on the downhill, sending me into a rear wheel skid. Good thing I wasn't following too closely... :p

[MENTION=311713]Mr. Hairy Legs[/MENTION] That can be a bit hairy on the bridge. (The pun was not intended and only noticed on the proof read.) I was wondering if you were going to BCIT as I meandered over the Knight St bridge.

It never seems to be raining that hard when I ride. But when I got to my son's daycare his seat well was soaked.

I had to stop and change gloves on my way to get him. Then my fingers were cold after picking him up. Arghh. This is my miserable biking weather; 3°C and rain. I was warm other than my fingers the last ten minutes.

I felt really good though. A guy yelled some select terms at me when I told him thanks for blocking the intersection. I then had to talk with my son about language choice. I don't want him repeating it at his Christian light daycare.

I'm done with BCIT now until mid-January. The drives this year weren't as bad as last year's for some reason, though I ended up taking Oak yesterday because of a crash.

I wore full winter cycling gloves today and had quite toasty fingers the whole way.

I have the Brooks Saddle cover. Got it for $10 new on eBay. Haven't used it yet. I notice that the way my Brooks B17 supports me changes as it warms up on a ride. I have the saddle tilted forward a bit for this reason. As I ride, the back part accommodates itself to my sit bones and I'm not pitched forward as much. Even with a rain cover, it seems high humidity will change the characteristic of the leather on a ride. From what I read online, it shouldn't shorten the life of the saddle.

I work just off Viking way and the traffic is backed up almost to Vulcan way every night it seems.

I started with my winter gloves but figured I would have to change along the way so I had my paddling gloves handy and got a quick change in at Victoria and 49th.

I think the ten minute stop to get the boy let my gloves cool and soak through, hence the cold fingers.

Threat of rain this morning, but it looked to be scattered and light enough. I rode. I felt a few drops hit my face, but no real rain.

There was a dog on the road though. A rural road with light traffic. I first saw a car that had just passed brake suddenly and swerve to miss him. Then they pulled over presumably to help the dog, but the dog took off running down the road ahead of me in the same direction. I eventually caught up and passed him. I don't know if he was running toward or away from home. A couple of other cars had to slow down to avoid him too.

Otherwise the commute was normal enough.

The thermometer read higher, but it felt colder on the ride home last night.

Nice ride in this morning except for a MGIF pass approaching a red light. Usually I let them go, but I was in a yelly mood so I pulled up next to him, ready to give him a lesson in proper passing. Then I realized it was a trumpet player from a community band I play in, so we ended up just talking about the band and my job situation (company was bought out so my job is pretty much gone this Summer).

Chance of rain this evening. Hopefully I get home before it gets too heavy. I don't mind rain when it's warm out, but it's only going up to 40F, and I have no waterproof clothes.

Totally forgot how 'warm' 30F is, WAY overdressed this morning. Being in MN, I'm sure the weather will adjust quickly to make sure I don't get used to this 'warm' weather.

Missed the last two days because of work stuff, one of which was the last nice day of the year, maybe of the millennia (no exaggeration here!). So of course today is 34F and rain, forecast more rain and then rain. And I love my Brooks saddles (have on 2 bikes) - sometimes cover in the rain sometimes not. When I don't cover them they get wet...

So far the coldest day of this season.
-14°C (~7°F), a bit of wind.
Surprisingly I had dressed up too warm. Had to unzip jacket.
Had a few moments on ice but studs caught the bike pretty quickly.

Stung by a bee this morning - bstrd was in my jacket and I didn't know it. When I was locking up my bike he got me under the arm - through the shirt though so I didn't get the full load but damn it hurts. Squished him through my jacket and he fell out.

I was thankful for the 3degC/rain last night! It melted all the hard packed snow/ice/sludge that has been on some of the MUPs and shoulders that I ride in.

Misty/dreary/drizzle and 4degC this AM--love it!

I'm about to go on a month-long hiatus from commuting (wife's big knee surgery)--hope I don't go mental!

I hope your wife's surgery goes well. At least it isn't summer to give up riding. Make sure she is careful in slippery stuff on crutches. From personal experience it hurts.

The ride this morning was nice. I am dressed perfect for the meander to daycare. But always over dressed for the ride to work.

But I know how lucky we are for riding this season so I am glad that is my worst complaint.

Beautiful ride today in 27F sunny weather. Dialed up the warmth with a down sweater and the insulated Kinco gloves, dialed up traction with the studded tires, just perfect.

Near my office a lady pulled threateningly out of a side street, completely distracted by her cell phone, but I stopped her with a short high-volume bark as I went past :-)

My commutes yesterday made me think of [MENTION=55787]tsl[/MENTION]. I made my first commute to work when the temperature was below freezing, and dropped some books off at the library on the trip home.

:thumb: Good job!