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12-03-16 | 04:43 PM

#101

Archwhorides

Senior Member

Joined: Sep 2014

Posts: 927

Likes: 87

From: Boston

Bikes: Death machines all

Arlington Heights to Post Office Square Boston

Route: 9 Mile ride both ways

Road conditions / surfaces: 10 minutes spent on paved Minuteman Commuter Bike Path, 30 minutes on paved regional arterial streets, from 2 lands up to 5 lanes

Traffic: Light traffic on the MUP, heavy traffic on roads.

Environment: Pleasant suburban to dense urban.

Hills: Minimal.

Frequency: 4 days/week average

Departure time: 7:30AM

Bike: 2004 BMC Alpenchallenge AC01, hydroformed aluminum frame, 8 speed Shimano IGH, hydraulic disc brakes, fenders.

Cargo: Ortleib Large Office pannier on a rear Tubus Fly rack, tire repair tools, lock (if needed), work clothes, spare glasses

Helmet / Mirror: Helmet and helmet-mounted mirror

Lights: Sparse marker lights, Light and Motion torch, helmet tail-flasher

Destination: 8th story office via freight elevator

Parking: office bike storage room

Cleanup: office shower

Amenities: lockers.

Departure time: 7:30PM

Alternative Transportation: Drive, Bus/subway

Ghost Bikes Passed: Two

__________________
Work is the curse of the drinking classes - Oscar Wilde

Last edited by Archwhorides; 12-03-16 at 04:56 PM.

12-03-16 | 06:06 PM

#102

RunningPirate

Senior Member

Joined: Nov 2009

Posts: 672

Likes: 12

From: SF Penunsula

Bikes: 1970? Dawes Galaxy (cannibalized), 197? Bob Jackson Frankenbike, 1989 Jamis Diablo

Belmont, CA to Sunnyvale, CA
Route: 11 Mile ride am, 5 Mile ride pm

Road conditions / surfaces: 15 minutes on CalTrain, then ~60 on streets ranging from neighborhoods to secondary thoroughfares. Evening is 25 minutes on secondary thoroughfares and 22 minutes on CalTrain, followed by another 7 in neighborhoods

Traffic: Light traffic in neighborhoods, moderate traffic on roads.

Environment: Pleasant suburban to strip malls

Hills: Minimal.

Frequency: 2 days/week average

Departure time: 7:00AM

Bike: 197? Bob Jackson, fixed gear 44/15

Cargo: Clothes in front basket, 15" MBP, iPad and lunch in panniers on narrown Axiom rack

Helmet / Mirror: Helmet, no mirror

Lights: A couple of cheap Amazon LED flashlights that are zip tied to the basket, that generally suck; tail-flasher

Destination: Silicon Valley office park
Parking: Stairwell next to sign that says nothing can be left in the stairwell, per NFPA 1

Cleanup: office shower

Amenities: lockers, soap

Departure time: Between 4:30 and 5:00 PM

Alternative Transportation: Drive,Train and company shuttle

Ghost Bikes Passed: None

12-05-16 | 07:05 AM

#103

JReade

Senior Member

Joined: Sep 2010

Posts: 1,597

Likes: 4

From: Oregon City, OR

Charlotte, NC to Charlotte, NC
Route: 11 Mile ride am, 10 Mile ride pm

Road conditions / surfaces: ~45 minutes on Asphalt or Concrete.

Traffic: Light traffic in the AM, moderate in the PM.

Environment: Industrial to urban downtown.

Hills: A few - 350 ft climbing.

Frequency: 2 days/week average - schedule depending.

Departure time: 6-6:30AM

Bike: 1985 Focus, fredded out.

Cargo: Clothes/lunch in rear panniers, maybe laptop+bag in basket, depending on the day before.

Helmet / Mirror: Helmet, no mirror

Lights: Nite Rider 550 headlight, serfas something or other taillight.

Destination: Nameless faceless office building.

Parking: Bike Rack out Front

Cleanup: Gym 1 mile away

Amenities: lockers, soap

Departure time: Between 5 and 5:30 PM

Alternative Transportation: Drive,bus if I want to get there 2 hours late.

Ghost Bikes Passed: None

12-05-16 | 10:42 AM

#104

kellichou

Pedal Stompin'

Joined: Sep 2016

Posts: 181

Likes: 15

From: Denver, CO

Bikes: 2014 Metrofiets w/EBO e-assist; 2007 Trek 7300; 1986 Peugeot road bike w/downtube shifters

Denver, CO to Littleton, CO
Route: ~6 mi each way

Road conditions / surfaces: ~30 min on concrete and gravel MUP.

Traffic: Light traffic in the AM, moderate in the PM.

Environment: Suburban MUP

Hills: A few, none too terrible.

Frequency: 4-5 days per week

Departure time: 5:30am

Bike: 2006 Trek 7300, with racks, fenders.

Cargo: clothes and lunch in backpack, sometimes a tote bag bungeed to rear rack. I really want to get a trunk bag and panniers, preferably Ortlieb High-Vis.

Helmet / Mirror: Cheap Giro helmet with a Take-a-Look mirror zip-tied to the visor.

Lights: Shark 500 USB light for the front, 2 red blinkies: RoadID and Shark USB.

Destination: Nameless faceless office building.

Parking: Supplies storage area inside building.

Cleanup: Locker room shower in building

Amenities: shower, closet to store supplies

Departure time: 3-4pm

Alternative Transportation: Drive

Ghost Bikes Passed: None, although there is a memorial bench to a cyclist who was killed on the MUP.

12-07-16 | 10:02 AM

#105

Jim from Boston

Thread Starter

Senior Member

Joined: May 2008

Posts: 7,381

Likes: 219

Thanks to @Archwhorides for bumping up this thread, and to the subsequent posters. I read them all, and it's interesting to try and visualize your routes and conditions. I note that apparently Archwhorides did add Ghost Bicycles Passed as a feature of the routes.

FYA, see this recent post on the Fifty-Plus Forum,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

...BTW, FYA, @B. Carfree, and other subscribers, this post appeared just this morning on the Fifty-Plus thread,

Quote:

Originally Posted by hefeweizen

The 50 Best Bike Cities of 2016 | Bicycling

Cambridge, MA was ranked 8th; Boston, 17th

; and Eugene OR, 18th

12-07-16 | 10:15 AM

#106

Abe_Froman

Senior Member

Joined: Aug 2016

Posts: 2,524

Likes: 57

From: Chicago

Bikes: Marin Four Corners, 1960's Schwinn Racer in middle of restoration, mid 70s Motobecane Grand Touring, various other heaps.

Chicago/Jefferson Park neighborhood -> Winnetka, IL

Route: 12 miles each way
Road conditions / surfaces: 15 minutes MUP, 25 minutes quiet local streets, 10 minutes busier arterial streets

Traffic: pretty light the entire way except for a couple spots.

Environment: blue collar urban to ritzy suburban

Hills: do 2 overpasses count as hills?

Frequency: 3 days/week

Departure time: 7:45AM

Bike: 2011 Marin 4 Corners, 90's Trek 850 on icky salty snowy days

Cargo: rack/panniers with tools, lunch, random other things.

Helmet / Mirror: helmet yes, mirror no

Lights: Cygolite Metro 550, battery powered LED Christmas Lights. Yes they are glorious.

Destination: Winnetka, IL
Parking: indoors

Cleanup: change in bathroom

Amenities: lockers.

Departure time: 6:00 PM

Alternative Transportation: none. Call wife if I get attacked by wild dogs and left for dead.

Ghost Bikes Passed: none

12-07-16 | 10:35 AM

#107

Hermes1

Senior Member

Joined: Nov 2015

Posts: 415

Likes: 0

From: Black Hills, SD

Bikes: Montague Para Trooper High line

Title

Route:…. Within City of Phoenix, AZ. Usual route 8-miles each way. Time permitted, up to 12-miles each way

Road conditions / surfaces:…. Mostly flat with slight grade changes. To work mostly flat with a gradual downhill. To home reverse.

Traffic:…. Mostly light city traffic to work in early AM and a bit heavier going home.

Environment:…. Varied large city

Hills:…. Gradual nothing significant

Frequency:…. daily or at least 3x per week

Departure time:…. to work 5:45AM or so

Bike:…. Touring

Bike name:.… Trek 520

Cargo:…. 2-Ortlieb rear panniers with a change of clothes & stuff I may need in one. My lunch bag and any extra clothing or clothing accessories I may need.

Illumination (to see and be seen):.... Dinotte head & tail lights.

Helmet / Mirror:…. Giro Atmos II

Destination:

Parking:…. Bike locker

Cleanup:…. Sponge bath in office bathroom. Also showers are available.

Amenities:…. Shelf in office to hang kit, place helmet and shoes

Departure time:…. 3:30Pm

Alternative Transportation:…. Drive or bus

12-07-16 | 01:18 PM

#108

Rick@OCRR

www.ocrebels.com

Joined: Aug 2006

Posts: 6,186

Likes: 8

From: Los Angeles area

Bikes: Several bikes, Road, Mountain, Commute, etc.

Title: South Whittier to Southeast Los Angeles

Route:…. 19 miles RT: Leffingwell south to left on Carmenita, right on Rosecrans, right on Studebaker, left on Imperial Hwy, left on Hoxie to Los Angeles Metro Green Line Norwalk station. 11 mi. - 16 minute train ride (.75 each way with my senior TAP card).

Road conditions / surfaces:…. Pretty decent pavement, no bike lanes.

Traffic:…. Light in the morning, heavier in the afternoon. Lots of semi-trucks but well behaved.

Environment:…. Totally urban, lots of strip malls, some urban residential streets. Have to watch for opening car doors but overall enough room (except going under the 5 freeway - Very tight there so I take the lane).

Hills:…. Almost none on the way to work, a couple of fun climbs on the way home (that I could skip but I like climbs).

Frequency:…. Four days a week during the winter (Daylight Wasting Time), Three days in the summer (Daylight Saving Time). Have club rides on Tues. and Thur. evenings so have to drive those days to make it to Irvine in time for the rides. Count my RT commutes; today is # 629.

Departure time:…. 5:00 AM - 5:10 AM depending on how quick I get ready in the morning

Bike:…. Generic Taiwan lugged chrome-moly steel frame with aluminum fork. 1 x 8 mostly Shimano 105 drive-train.

Bike name:.… The Black Bike (since it is painted black)

Cargo:…. Delta seat-post mount rack with Topeak large trunk-bag.

Illumination (to see and be seen):.... Front: Hub generator head-light + small front flasher. Rear: One flasher on the back of the trunk bag, another on the left seat-stay and still another on the back of my helmet. Pedal reflectors plus reflective leg-bands.

Helmet / Mirror:…. Rudy Project helmet, Take-A-Look glasses mirror

Destination: El Segundo Blvd. commercial warehouse area, Los Angeles.

Parking:…. In my office by my desk

Cleanup:…. Restroom clean up only

Amenities:…. Fridge and coffee machine

Departure time:…. 3:00 PM Slightly different route home with 1/2 mile of MUP (Coyote Creek Trail).

Alternative Transportation:…. drive 2006 Honda Insight.

Yesterday's Commute on Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/794674287

12-07-16 | 03:14 PM

#109

Currmudge

Senior Member

Joined: Dec 2016

Posts: 163

Likes: 0

Route:….

Road conditions / surfaces:…. Side streets, sidewalks

Traffic:…. Usually minimal

Environment:….light urban

Hills:….couple small ones

Frequency:….almost daily

Departure time:….30 min. prior to start of shift

Bike:….

Bike name:.…Kona Coiler

Cargo:….courier bag on back, two seatbags, nightly groceries in carried bags

Illumination (to see and be seen):....Cree headlight, flashing tali light

Helmet / Mirror:….in search of mirror for left grip area, helmet-free

Destination:

Parking:….inside the building

Cleanup:….occasional

Amenities:….??

Departure time:….ASAP after shift

Alternative Transportation:….city bus (hazardous surface conditions)

12-07-16 | 04:05 PM

#110

Tiniest jorts

Junior Member

Joined: Jun 2016

Posts: 20

Likes: 0

From: Austin

Austin, TX - central to downtown

Route: 4.8 mile ride am, 5 mile ride pm

Road conditions / surfaces: ~20 minutes on asphalt. Small neighborhood streets but mostly bike lane, 1/2 mi protected, thin and patchy otherwise.

Traffic: Light traffic in the AM, pretty heavy/stop-and-go left hook wonderland in the PM.

Environment: Urban

Hills: Nothing big -- ~275 ft diff

Frequency: 5 days/week

Departure time: 7-7:30AM

Bike: 2010 Felt hybrid, with drop bars and 1x10 bar-end friction (42x11-34). Fenders mounted during rainy times.

Cargo: T-shirt/underwear/socks/coffee/lunch in small daypack

Helmet / Mirror: Helmet

Lights: Cygolite Metro 400 headlight; Hotshot SL taillight; bits of reflective tape

Destination:

Parking: Bike rack by office building entry

Cleanup: None; change in office

Amenities: n/a -- bike shop two blocks away has day bike storage and showers

Departure time: 5:02 pm

Alternative Transportation: Straight-shot bus route; car