cranky old dude

Borrowing on kenkayak's idea, I thought I would start this thread and see where it leads to...if anywhere. I know there's a commuting forum but thought I'd just try this out with 50+'ers. The assumption is that a commute means biking at least part way to and from work.

I've always felt strange posting my commutes on the Did You Ride Today thread as most of us post our recreational and training rides there. I know that several 50+ folks do commute by bike on a somewhat regular basis. If nobody posts I'll know it was another bad idea.

So how 'bout it. Did you commute today?




I'll start. (big suprise there)

Yes I did commute today. It was a hot 4.5 mile ride in mostly sunshine. 82*F with winds out of the SSW @ 10mph...right in my face!

It's been an early Spring around here. I worked 16 days in March and commuted every one of them as well as all three days so far this month.


19 consecutive commutes.

tsl

You should probably join us over on BikeJournal for the Commuter Cycling Century Challenge. The goal is 100 days of commuting in a year. Your 19 would put you right about mid-pack already.

I have 56 to date in 2010, for a 100% record thus far.

As for the number of consecutive commutes, I'd have to do some research. I can easily come up with 221 in 2008, 241 in 2009 for a total of 518 including 2010. But there's also 2007 and 2006 where I didn't keep separate track of commutes. I could go back and add 'em up. But I know the last time I didn't bike to work was one day in mid-July 2006, and that was the only day I haven't since I bought my first bike on March 29, 2006.

Now, I did not commute today since it wasn't a workday. Instead, I rode with the club. We did 18 miles around the residential streets of East Irondequoit. Mainly a social ride since for many of us it was the first club ride of the year. Average speed was a whopping 13.4. And we came across some kids selling lemonade. Seventeen thirsty cyclists gave 'em a good start on their college fund. (Or more likely, their Wii fund.)

DnvrFox

Am I going to have to unretire so that I can participate in this thread?

I did ride to the store and back. According to my wife, that is now my "work."

Does that count?

cranky old dude

Goodness! If DnvrFox wants to rejoin the workforce so he can participate, then maybe it is a good idea!

I should think that retirees can use errands as commutes. Especially since your wife calls it "Your Work".

cranky old dude

O.K. I rounded out the night by taking the long way home. I did a 20 mile loop around Greece over to Braddocks Bay and then rode along the shore of Lake Ontario.

I was fortunate enough to witness the sunrise over the lake.

Easter Morning sunrise over Lake Ontario........





Total miles for the round trip commute was 24.99.

capejohn

Yesterday when this post was started was the first Saturday I worked this year. It was also the day I moved my commute from 5 to 11 miles. I drive part way.

I had every intention of doing the same on this working Easter Sunday, but got biten by the lazy bug and slept in.

I will be spending the nextthree days in Vermont and may bring my bike. I'm not sure yet. But I will be back to commuting on Thursday.

The caveat. Hopefully I'll only be here for a month. I expect to retire before the first of May. Yet another reason to celebrate May Day.

After my retirement my first order of duty is to fly to Boulder and spend a week or two riding out there. Training for the summer tour ya know.

Happy Easter.

JoeMan

I commute when I can. Next week looks generally poor. Cold, rainy and in the mid 50s. There is a nice 3.5 mile long grade early in my commute route. I usually am riding a bit before official dawn. However, even though there is a decent shoulder I avoid it in the rain due to lower driver visibility and truck spray.

Randy Bosma

Since the weather was favorable in the Chicago area, I made Good Friday my try-biking-to-work-day (traffic was predictably lighter than normal).
The 6:30 AM inbound ride was 19 minutes for the 5.1 miles; weather: 58 and a 4mph tailwind. One-word description upon arrival: Sweet.
Returned home at 3 PM into a 12mph headwind with gusts to 25, and much warmer- 77. That took 38 minutes. One word description upon dismounting: Aaaahhhhhhhooooooowwwwww.
Yeah, I'll give it a try again. Riding in work clothes is, uh...., different. Good thing its short.

Q: Should I log this as one ride, or two?

hunyak

April 3rd was my first commute of the season.
26 miles round trip is a nice distance, not too long, not too short.

overthehillmedi

I haven't commuted to work since three years ago today! This time then I was sipping my third celebratory Scotch,think I'll have one in honour of that anniversary. (since they don't have a Scotch dohickey)

Jim from Boston

Usually I do go into work on my bike on Saturdays, as a year round commuter, but this Saturday due to family activities I did my first non-commuting bike ride of this year (I did drive in later. ). Today is Monday AM and I plan to do my 14 mile commute at 5:30 AM. It's 58 degrees here in Boston.

cranky old dude

Worked nights last night and did commute....

Rode in at 04:00 p.m. ; it was 60*F and sunny, winds 2mph out of the West. I logged 4.57 miles.

Rode home at 05:30 a.m.; pre-dawn and it was 52*F with 7mph winds out of the SSW (tail winds ). I logged 5.92 miles

Total round trip mileage was 10.49 miles.

I tend to vary my route depending on my mood, schedule, and level of fatigue. So far I managed to commute every work day since the beginning of March. I hope April goes as well as March did!

20 consecutive commutes

Bud Bent

Today was my first work day since the thread started, and I didn't ride in today. Yesterday morning at 8:00 am, I finished a 243 mile fleche, and just decided to take a day off the bike, today.

Artkansas 

Yes I did. About 9.6 miles. And I saw the Governor when I cut through the KMart parking lot.

Consularrider

This is also my first work day since this thread started and like tsl I am a year round commuter and enjoy the BJ CCCC. I've been doing this since my assignment in Rosslyn started in September 2007 and have only missed about 10 commuting opportunities in that time (I'm four days short of my 500th bike commute). My direct commute is 10 miles round trip, but most days I extend that to at least 25 miles. This morning's 42nd commuting day of the year was my first of the year in shorts, although I did wear arm warmers with my short sleeved shirt.

tsl

#57 today.

It doesn't happen often, but coming home tonight I got my @$$ handed to me by a kid on a single-speed. And I was working on a new personal-best speed at the time.

Humility—I gots some.

Bud Bent

I finally got a commute ride in this week. Monday, I was tired from my fleche. Yesterday, I had a doctor appointment in the morning, so I drove.

This morning, it was 66 degrees with a howling south wind, which is a tailwind on my ride in to work. However, halfway to work, I hit the front that was coming in, and fought a strong headwind the rest of the way. It was 71 degrees with a strong northwest wind as I rode home.

Because my commute is 25 miles round trip, and the fact that I do long randonneuring rides on some weekend days, I don't try to ride to work every day. I've commuted by bike 37 times so far this year.

oldster

My "commute" is to go to the club and play 3 cushion billiards,( there should be folks old enough to know what that is, on this forum)...Have done the 19 miles twice in the last week...
Bud

Bud Bent

My ride to work is the one thing I think I'll miss about working when I retire. I've been debating about a daily (or at least frequent) ride to take its place. I do like hanging out at a bike shop that's about 3 miles closer than my job. Maybe I'll just make a ride to it my regular ride when I'm done with work commuting.

bobbycorno

Did my first (and probably only) commute of the week today. Between music rehearsals, snow, ice, lack of sleep, and driving over "the hill" tomorrow for a brevet on Sat, it's shaping up as a tough week for riding. H-e-doublehockeysticks, it's been a tough winter for commuting. And yeah, it still IS winter here, regardless of what the calendar says. 33f this morning with a forecast high of 40. I like to say we have three seasons here in the high desert: summer, winter and WHAT?!?!?

SP
Bend, OR

unixpro

I commute almost every day. Recently, I've been slacking and only doing 4 days/week, but it'll pick up when the weather gets warmer. We've had some nasty winds around here recently, and I really, really hate a headwind.

Anyway, the commute is 18 miles each way, so a total of 36/day. There's also about 1/2 mile of climbing each day, with the majority of that being on a triple set of hills over a period of about 6 miles.

AzTallRider

Yes. I only drive to work if I have an out-of-office appointment during the day, which I've unfortunately had a bunch of lately :-/

Weather is warming up here in Phoenix, so the morning long sleeve shirt was off, and a visor on, for the first time this spring.

brewer45

Rode to work with Stoker Malkin on our singles. Continued for a total of just over 14 miles. I used the MyTracks app on my 'droid. It's pretty nifty and lets you upload the info to google maps. You can see my route here and if you click on the "Track 5 (end)" link, you can see the stats.

Cheers!

HiYoSilver

Today was ride #32 for the year. Felt strange to be riding without a 10-20 mph head wind. Don't think I'll need a balaclava again until the fall, also have put away the headlight. The local roads this year are the worst they have been in 5 years. Tons of potholes. It's warming up so starting to see some cyclists start to begin riding again. During the cold months usually only see three other cyclists from time to time.

oilman_15106

Yesterday I did with the nice weather. Fair weather commute only for me. Goal of 1 or 2 commutes by bike per week until the snow flys.

Going to start a new post but I might get my answer here: So I took a new route to work and back. Here is the dilemma, the route in total is 7 miles shorter. Great you say, not so fast. There is a section of half paved half dirt half gravel for about 2 miles.(4 miles total) The other issue is there is a killer hill on the return leg. It would be a hoot going down but there is a set of RR tracks at the bottom which goes to the above mentioned crummy road within 25 feet so you can not be flying.

So which route would you faithful commuters take. 1. Longer, fewer hills 41 miles round trip or 2. Shorter with a really bad road and a 3/4 mile steep hill 33.5 miles rt? By the way I just use a standard road bike with a compact crank for this ride.