NoRacer

For us commuters, check this:

https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/597806-commute-racing.html

maxine

Way to go!! I watched a cyclocross race once in Druid Hill Park; that looked like just about the most fun you can have on two wheels! I read the Bicycling Magazine forums every now and again, and I remember a guy over there, a roadie pro who does some off-season cyclocross, describing 'cross as something like "running around carrying sandbags in a cold, driving rain while repeatedly slamming a ball-peen hammer into your forehead."

I recall some BBC ladies trying to talk me into giving 'cross a try -- they used to do (maybe they still do?) some beginner-type clinic thing at Meadowood Park, I believe. My Airborne is a cyclocross/light touring frame, but I leaned toward the "light touring" end in my accessorizing (most notably, the bar-end shifters and triple chainrings.) I used to have a "real" cyclocross bike (a Jamis Nova), but I never really liked how it fit -- something always seemed inexplicably "off" to me when I was riding that bike. I was fortunately able to sell it.

Regardless of bike, though, I think my knees may no longer be up to such shenanigans.

HC203

Yah, ten, no, two minutes in I was already in the far reaches of my respiratory ability. We've all tried riding a bike through the grass, it just sucks the energy right out of you. I will do it again though, preferably with a real cross bike, or maybe just my mt bike. It has more to do with mtb riding as it's quick off camber turns, up, down, up, down.

greaterbrown

charlie, I didn't buy it yet. Is the copy you're looking at less than $20?
that's all they sell it for on the filmmaker's site.

greaterbrown

Max. I see you're pre-registered up for one of the DC Rand 200k's

joshuaandlauri

Did all you brave souls commute today? I got dressed rain gear and all, started to head out 545ish, saw it pouring down, checked radar and saw reds and yellows. I'm ok riding in light rain or getting caught in a storm, but a lot of rain+darkness+the fact I can barely drive in the rain myself=wake up the wife and catch a ride.

Tommorow they say light rain in the AM, got my fenders on ready to go!

maxine

Yeah, I've been thinking about giving the "sign here, please" thing a try. And since this one is flat, I might actually have a prayer of finishing within the time limit. If there isn't too much headwind, that is . . .

maxine

I hate starting a commute in driving rain; if it's a "reds and yellows" morning I usually won't do it. I don't mind riding in to work knowing that I'm going to get blasted on the way home, though, even if it's going to be dark. (Though I'm much more paranoid and conservative in dark rain.) And I've started weekend rides in downpours, too.

Dunno, it's just something about having to walk into my building sopping wet, knowing that my shoes and clothes are gonna sit in the office with me all day, and still be damp when I have to get dressed to leave . . .

I'd like to ride in tomorrow, but I need to be at my desk by about 6:00 a.m. Not sure I feel like getting up early enough to ride.

NoRacer

Wussy. <j/k>

Of course I rode. I needed something to talk about for the https://www.itsnotarace.org website.

So far, I'm the only one that I've seen that has an FCN (Food Chain Number) of 0 (zero).

[ Food Chain Number Calculator: https://www.itsnotarace.org/fcn-calculator/ ]

NoRacer

I had that problem, but then I got a ceramic heater from our facility people.

The walls of my cubicle are made out of some kind of material that works well with the sticky portion of velcro, so all of my velcro stuff including my raincoat, get hung up on the wall behind a chair. The chair hides the heater. The heater is strategically positioned in a corner so that all of the heat is focused in that portion of my cubicle. By the time I leave, all of my clothing is dry.

maxine

So, your stuff is just . . . like, suspended up against your cubicle walls? That's kinda creepy/cool. Ya know, like you leaning up against the wall, but no you inside the duds.

The heater idea is great, but it would probably take an act of Congress for me to be able to plug one in. I'm getting moved to a different location soon, maybe I can ask as part of the move.

maxine

I took a quick glance at that site, funny stuff!! It appears my FCN is 7, if I did it right. (I assume it has to be based on your commuting bike, or it wouldn't make any sense.) I can't really play along, though, since I almost never see any other bike commuters on my route. The few I have seen have been on the other side of the road.

One time, though, a dude passed me, rather triumphantly, I thought while I was riding on the base. (He and his bike were much skinnier than me and my Trek 520.) He rode onto my facility, too, with me fairly close behind (all vehicles have to stop for an ID checkpoint, so everyone bunches up.) As soon as we took off again, his single small rear pannier promptly fell off. I stopped (single lane road, zero shoulder here, and a lot of car traffic chuting out of the checkpoint); he reattached, we took off again. Fifteen feet down the road, it fell off again. I made some commiserating noises, and then took off past him. Yeah, that's right, my lardass but RELIABLE bike won the day!

NoRacer

Same here. I see no one except at the very beginning of my commute, but they are heading the opposite direction.

Hurray for Max! That should have been worth mega points!

The game is not thought out properly:

If you pass someone who looks like they have a lower FCN than you, then you should get negative points making you a 'bigger fish' and increasing your status, but when you pass someone who looks like they have a higher FCN, then you should get no points.

If you get passed by someone who looks like they have a higher FCN (i.e., small fish/lower status), then you should get positive points making your FCN more positive and lowering your status. They, of course, would get negative points, thus increasing their status.

But, this is based on the premise that every commuter is playing the Silly Commuter Racing (SCR) game. Of course, the underlying truth of this is that #itsnotarace.

NoRacer

No, it's all hanging on the wall via velcro or reshapened paper clip or from a cubicle wall coat hanger.

The CamelBak, helmet, bib shorts and jersey (once dry) hang off of plastic coat hangers that straddle the wall, like this:

greaterbrown

This guy is obviously posting to promote his own stuff, HOWEVER some of it is pretty damn funny.
https://www.bikeforums.net/winter-cycling/598303-winter-cycling-apparel-some-crazy-designs.html

balto charlie

Where do you hang you boxers

Yesterday no today yes. My knee is FU so bailed yesterday. Today was a little squishy

$15(shipped), not such a great deal if the main site sells for 20

balto charlie

I checked out the game. Since I almost never see anyone it wouldn't be worth my effort. The only time I see people is along Rolling rd on dry and warm Tuesday mornings, a small roadie group passes me . Occasionally I hop on the end for a free ride to the train. I was an 8 for my touring bike and a 10 for my 2nd bike(mnt w/ mudflaps) My mudflap is barely hanging on so i bet I could get an extra points for that.

NoRacer

Commando under the bib shorts--no boxers.

My work clothing is in a locker in another area of the building. I change in a restroom, then drag the wet stuff to my office to dry.

NoRacer

I just play to let others know that there are some FCN 0's and -1s out there. We seem to be rare in the commuter population.

balto charlie

Silly of me to think you wear boxers with an FCN -1(shaving, roadie kit) .... freeballing would only be normal

You are right, I NEVER see roadies commuting, then again how would I know? I guess seeing a roadie w/ lights in bad weather would indicate a commuter...I never see that. I seldom see ANY bike commuters in the 'burbs.

joshuaandlauri

I think the BBC has a jogging club too. They all must have recieved emails about the slight rain and cancelled their inner harbor jogs. The inner harbor was a ghost town this morning, no joggers, no dog walkers just me.



Well I'm a 5 on the racing commute thing
4-roadie hairy legs
1-baggies for commuting
0-backpack
0-helmet
0-clipless

I also braved the rain today, by 6am the major downpours (reds,yellows) were pass us. got wet but thats ok, little warm in the jacket by the time I got to work my sleeves were up and jacket wide open. Ride home was very nice.

In the AM I see 1 commuter (I assume cause he has a front light) we pass daily in canton by captain james, the in the PM, I always pass a guy riding a terps bike from performace going the same way but on the sidewalk on the other side of the street around holabird.

Some other people but nothing consistant.

NoRacer

Wrightville Bridge across the Susquehanna:



My 300K ( https://tinyurl.com/ybldeua <- map) became a double century+ due to missing a couple of cues.

17 hour outing (3am to 8pm) - 13 hours 52 minutes of riding.

I have to sort out BiM. Battery died on the last leg, so I need to figure out how to reconstruct everything, plus I saved in increments.

Man, River Rd kicked my ass! The one on the north side of the river is nothing like the one on the south side of Holtwood Rd. Way more climbing than I anticipated. It really slowed me down.

greaterbrown

Excellent work dude. I'm truly jealous. -GB

NoRacer

Thanks, GB. It was tough. I had to be very conservative with battery power for lights.

I'm running a 400 lumen DiNotte on a 2x2 cell lithium ion battery and an 800 lumen DiNotte on a 4x2 (?) cell lithium ion battery. By the time I reached Rt 40 heading home (at about Edgewood) the 400 lumen's battery was dead and the 800's warning light was on.

The DiNotte 140 lumen tail light lasted the entire ride on 4 AA lithium ion batteries that I purchased on Friday.

So, here's the poop:

https://bimactive.com/ba/journal/post/10783/27717 - Part 1
https://bimactive.com/ba/journal/post/10783/27718 - Part 2
https://bimactive.com/ba/journal/post/10783/27719 - Part 3
https://bimactive.com/ba/journal/post/10783/27720 - Part 4
https://bimactive.com/ba/journal/post/10783/27721 - Part 5
https://bimactive.com/ba/journal/post/10783/27722 - Part 6


Here's the ride stats:
And, this is just a picture from BiM regarding the ride stats where the numbers above were derived (click the thumbnail picture to see the stats):



I'm taking today off. Wish I had a beer. Alas, there's none in the house. Might have to break into the tequila.

greaterbrown

Read the elevation column for the last 16 miles of this part.
Sheesh.