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How was the commute today?

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Old 10-17-08, 12:11 AM
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Yum!

On the way home. Hot. Uphill. Gnats. Blech.
How many calories in a gnat?
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Old 10-17-08, 05:30 AM
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Originally Posted by slloth
I feel your pain. I work on the road all day so I have to deal with every kind of situation. Best thing to do is just treat it like bad weather or a flat tire. It's just part of the adventure.
Good advice. Hot heads like me would be good to remember it.
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Old 10-17-08, 06:10 AM
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just didn't wanna this morning.. maybe it was the 3 hours of sleep... but did it anyway, and now glad I did... somedays you have to ignore your body...
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Old 10-17-08, 06:19 AM
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Originally Posted by martybucs
On the way home. Hot. Uphill. Gnats. Blech.
How many calories in a gnat?
Hey, it's an extra protein boost. Besides, better to eat one than get it stuck in your eye.

My ride to work was probably the last ride on my current bike. Yesterday, I bought a Surly Long Haul Trucker. Today, I pay it off and maybe take delivery. If not, I'll get it tomorrow. Either way, my next ride to work is on Sunday, and it'll be on my new bike!! YAY!!

As for the ride itself, it was good. I never thought I would consider 45 degrees 'nice' weather, but it sure felt good this morning.
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Old 10-17-08, 06:22 AM
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It was COLD this morning north of Detroit along 18 mile. in the 40's. I need to get shoe covers.
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Old 10-17-08, 06:46 AM
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I pedaled home last night, then to a Sonic for a burger and cheesesticks and pedaled home.

I pedaled to work this morning. Nothing exciting to report...Just the way I like it.
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Old 10-17-08, 07:11 AM
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new bike!

Originally Posted by girljen
My ride to work was probably the last ride on my current bike. Yesterday, I bought a Surly Long Haul Trucker. Today, I pay it off and maybe take delivery. If not, I'll get it tomorrow. Either way, my next ride to work is on Sunday, and it'll be on my new bike!! YAY!!.
Congratulations on your new bike. You've earned it! At some point I am going to reward myself with a more commuter-friendly frame, but my current bike is so sweet that I hate to part with it and I can't seem to make up my mind between several makes/models.

I had a strange commute yesterday -- in the dark both ways. It is almost always dark on my morning commute during the cooler months, but the ride home is usually in daylight. However, I had to work a particularly long day yesterday, 7 am to 10 pm, so I was totally in the dark both ways. Riding home in the dark was very different but it was very warm (75F). Didn't get home until after 11 pm so I had to drink a beer and chill out for a while before hitting the sack.
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Old 10-17-08, 07:12 AM
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Last night's ride home was uneventful, but my quads were burning mad at me. When I got home, I stretched, took a shower, and rubbed my legs with Tiger Balm. It must have done some good, because my legs felt better and the muscles looser. The temp 69° and the humidity 99%; felt like a sauna out side. It's supposed to rain today, and I have a meeting at our Gulfport campus (EcoReps) this afternoon; I'll probably be the only one riding a bike there.
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Old 10-17-08, 08:10 AM
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it was a wet ride home last night but an enjoyable one...this morning was clear and brisk and sunny just how i like it
 
Old 10-17-08, 08:19 AM
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My legs were not fully there, but it was a good ride. Got all the green lights, not much wind, and the weather was nice.
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Old 10-17-08, 08:25 AM
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Nothing exciting this morning. 39 degrees, sounds cold but I'm getting very used to it now. I saw a strange site yesterday on my way home. I'm riding along the parkway which has no sidewalks and I see this guy cross country skiing on the grass beside the parkway. I did a double take on this one just to make sure I wasn't seeing things. He must have been doing some serious training.
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Old 10-17-08, 08:38 AM
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Hey wow, I had another commuter enter the road about halfway down my commute on lonely rural roads, at 5:30 AM!!!! I rarely see other cyclists, CERTAINLY not in the dark. He was lit up OK; I'm guessing he had an LD1000 half constant, half strobe. Or something like that. He didn't have on a reflective vest though; I can see that makes a HUGE difference, because the construction workers I see at night sometimes are MUCH more visible than he was.

I dropped back my effort a little, he was making pretty good time and I hate getting into races. Near the end he made a light that I didn't.

It was nice to see another commuter though; very rare around here except on the nicest summer days, and even then only one or two a few days a week.

The temps were 35*F this morning, with frost in low-lying areas.
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Old 10-17-08, 08:40 AM
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Waved it off the last two days. Woke up late this morning, stayed up last last three nights in a row. Off my game, still aching from race injuries.
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Old 10-17-08, 10:07 AM
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Warm! 50s, and now it's even sunny.
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Old 10-17-08, 10:24 AM
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Some guy swerved into the bike lane this morning to turn right, he stopped right in front of me, slight bit of room on the right between the construction cones that were also in the bike lane *doh*, i braked and started to swerve, but it looked like he was going to mash the gas and go for it, but then he braked again, so ended up hitting his car a little... It was slow because I was in the process of stopping, so no damage to either of us, maybe some tire rubber on his white prius.. but that's better than me being hurt or dead

Other than that, not a bad ride, but I was feeling slower than usual.

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Old 10-17-08, 10:43 AM
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Missed last two days, out of town for training for work. But the last day I rode, I cut over to a MUPS in a park, nicer route, and there is this ahole trying to sell what is obviously a stolen bike to anyone who walks by.
Why do I assume it's stolen, too nice of bike for the look of the guy trying to sell it, where he was trying to sell it, and he kept calling the panniers saddle bags and a few other things.
I was going to call it in but being the park was in the city of Buffalo, I knew the cops would never do anything.

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Old 10-17-08, 12:25 PM
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It was warm today - 50 degrees! Actually, I was too warm on the way in and sweated up a storm. Saw a 3-car accident that had apparently taken place just before I got there, at a signalized bike crossing (suspect the bike ahead of me triggered the light to cross and autos were not prepared to stop as usual).

Got honked at for the first time in...years...for doing nothing but riding! Amazing! Heading eastbound on a three lane street downtown. Lane to the right is right turn only, middle lane straight only and left lane straight or left turns. Left turners blocking left lane, I'm in middle lane going straight, and right turn lane was packed with autos/buses waiting to get onto the freeway (it's like this pretty much every single day). Car in front of me (a TransAm no less) was going very slow trying to move into the packed right turn only lane. She moves over and at the same time I hear this loud "honkkkkk!" and a minivan purposefully comes veerrrrrry close to hitting my rear wheel as he moves into the turn lane. WTF? I slowed down and came up to his window and asked, "Was that for ME?" He gesticulated wildly with both hands, tossing his head around and yelled back, I think, "Yes you!" I shrugged and rode off, laughing. It was funny because the TransAm had caused the slowdown, not to mention the CARS and BUSES in the lane and the fact he waited until the LAST SECOND to merge into the turn lane. But you know, it's all the bicyclist's fault.
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Old 10-17-08, 05:59 PM
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Originally Posted by Thomas Brock
I pedaled home last night, then to a Sonic for a burger and cheesesticks and pedaled home.

I pedaled to work this morning. Nothing exciting to report...Just the way I like it.
That is my favorite part about riding. Junk food with out the guilt!
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Old 10-17-08, 06:00 PM
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Originally Posted by ItsJustMe

It was nice to see another commuter though; very rare around here except on the nicest summer days, and even then only one or two a few days a week.
I know exactly how you feel. I leave about 6 Am and most of my commute is rural. I get way to excited when I see another bike which isn't very often.


BTW I like your sig
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Old 10-17-08, 06:17 PM
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It rained during my ride for PT, on the way to work, and back from work. I'm so glad I have a bunch of dry t-shirts and shorts at work and home.
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Old 10-17-08, 06:50 PM
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Followed the same car through two lights this morning. In both cases, the driver pulled so far forward that the sensor either didn't detect her at all or started its countdown to green then reverted to red, presumably concluding that whatever had passed over the sensor had moved on. I had to go push the pedestrian button or we'd both still be there. I actually got her to roll down the window so I could explain the traffic lights to her. Guess her husband usually drives?

mid-80s both ways. Ah, Fall.
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Old 10-17-08, 06:53 PM
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Originally Posted by slloth
That is my favorite part about riding. Junk food with out the guilt!
HA! I still have the guilt...I'm definitely getting in better shape, but it's pretty slow going.

Of course, it's only been two months and, while I haven't had any weight loss, my GF says my legs look better and my waist is getting smaller...Honestly, though, I'd trade the shrinking waist for a shrinking gut
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Old 10-17-08, 07:13 PM
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Interesting one today.

1) Found three random pumpkins in the middle of the woods on the rail trail. No houses anywhere close, and not broken. Hmm. I arranged them and went on my way.

2) Found a poached deer. The season (bow) doesn't start 'till tomorrow, so it's definitely illegal. I found a leg on Wednesday morning, but my HID caught the eyes this morning. The head was cut off with a saw, the antlers were carved off of the head, and the carcass was skinned. I sent pictures to the DEC tip line along with my contact information.

3) Found a T-Mobile Sidekick that had been thrown out of someones car. Still had the SD card, and I also found the battery. The screen was missing, but I taped the battery on and hooked it up to a USB connector. Boom. Pictures of some thug wannabe posing with pursed lips, gold chains, and an argyle sweater. Judging by the looks of his pad, he's still probably at mom and dads. About 30 "Myspace" angle pictures and a Chappelle theme that screams "I'm Rich *****" when the phone is flipped open.
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Old 10-17-08, 07:22 PM
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overall was great in the morning and afternoon.

but at night, i had a little accident, and my rear gear thing got misaligned, so i sit down and took my time to readjust it to be able to go home, else i'll be stranded, it wasn't shifting properly, and missing the gear transfers.

...then a ***** comes over and complains i'm making too much noise

i was like WTF, this is a public place (subway station), not a freaking library, if you want to study in peace and quiet, you shouldn't do it in a subway station anyways.... sigh...

i'll assume she was waiting for a ride from the boyfriend or whatever.

so i resume with my bike adjustment, and got all up and running again shortly after.
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Old 10-17-08, 08:25 PM
  #27975  
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The ride home was HOT.

I'm used to riding to work at 0530, when it's 30 degrees outside; then riding home at 1800, when it's about 50 degrees.

Today, I picked up what was supposed to be a half shift, and ended up leaving at 1300. It was 70 degrees outside. I totally forgot to take off my thermals. Needless to say, I left a trail of clothes behind me as I entered the house.
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