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How was your commute today?

3M views 28K replies 753 participants last post by  cyclingdutchman 
#1 ·
Well how was it?

Mine was good... hadn't been able to ride at all for the 10 days leading up to today, so it was a bit harder to get into the groove.

Forgot my battery pack for my big light, so I had to ride the last 5 miles on pothole ridden bikelanes with a little flasher.

Got honked at when I was as far right as I could be without getting doored.

All in all, it was a good commute... I ride alongside two different freeways (on a bike path) and get to see the traffic backed up for miles... People feverishly trying to type out their morning emails on their blackberry or looking ragged from sitting in traffic. Then I break away from the bike path and the traffic, and it all looks like a rat race in my rearview mirror.
 
#6,642 ·
Perttime- Glad to see you back! Hope the new job works out well and best wishes to Lola :)

I was taking it real slow to make sure it was a recovery day from yesterday's Cross Bike Epic Journey.
So I`m not the only one who wonders what the Googlemaps folks were smoking when they route people around like that? Out of curiosity, werre you following the general purpose routes or bike routes? Impossible roads aside, it looks like a great ride, though undoubtedly a lot of work! What new pump did you try out?
Squirrels are hilarious, they cuss me out pretty good on a daily basis. I'm not sure whom startles whom more...
Had a large hawk drop a squirrel directly in front of our car yesterday on a road trip. Don`t know if the squirrel was already dead or not, but I swerved to miss it and the Volvo wagon in my rearview mirror didn`t swerve. Not a good day for that poor squirrel. And I`m impressed by the cargo capacity of a large Redtail.

Very windy today which is actually kind of nice because it cooled us down about 10 degrees and blew out the smoke from a fire going on south of Tahoe. On the downside, the wind made for a very slow home stretch on the road ride I took this morning (and into the afternoon). Part of why it took so long was that I bumped into a lone cycle tourist and stopped to BS with her for over an hour at a convenience store. She`s between rotations at the US study base at McMurdo Station, Antarctica- would have loved to keep grilling her with questions for another hour.
 
#6,643 ·
So I`m not the only one who wonders what the Googlemaps folks were smoking when they route people around like that? Out of curiosity, werre you following the general purpose routes or bike routes? Impossible roads aside, it looks like a great ride, though undoubtedly a lot of work! What new pump did you try out?
They were driving directions. It wouldn't take you there unless you modified the route, but still...This was not even a trail.

Nashbar All-Rounder
Not bad for $12. It's a little bigger and heavier than other mini pumps but you can' get a tire pumped up without needing a nap after and the pressure gauge is a plus.

I bet that hawk was pissed that he lost his squirrel.

Super humid commute. Stopped for a swim.
 
#6,647 ·
Wow, first morning in a bit where I have had wind, let alone a head wind on the way in? Seriously getting tired of this climate/atmospheric/whatever change we are having here. Normally we get MAYBE a month of bad wind and then get a few days here and there but this has been almost everyday of 10-15mph BASE winds. Actually considering buying a motorcycle to commute on a few days a week aside from biking (though the moto is more for errand running than anything, thus I would not have to steal the car from the wife).

But in better news it looks like I might have a tail wind for the ride home!! YEAH!!!!
Oh and found out (the hard way) I can make it here in under 20 minutes of moving time! Woke up this morning at 6:20 and rolled into the front door at 7:01, that is with shower, deoderant, hair, dressing, grabbing pack, and making coffee. Ride on STRAVA said it was almost 21 minutes flat but that was with two major stoplights that are almost 3 minutes a piece.
 
#6,648 ·
It was hot and humid 96F on the way home. I saw a bit of lightning. It was kind of strange because there were storm clouds, but some some of the lightning bolts were coming from smaller clouds surrounded by blue sky. There was quite a bit of lightning before the rain arrived, but by then, I was already home.
 
#6,651 ·
T-storms last night made for an exciting first 4 miles, pedaled like crazy, didn't get "barb"-b-q 'd by lightning, but nearly drowned on the downhill. Later at 9 p.m. a terrified wet dog showed up on my deck and wanted in. Spent today trying to track down his people, but no luck yet. I'm in VT & he only has a 2007 Tennessee rabies tag. Signs up, reports to police, animal control & humane society, but zero calls. :(
 
#6,653 ·
not much to say, breaking in the new gears.
put on a 48 tooth Rotor ring, 11-27 cogset (might be ultegra? I dunno), and an ultegra flat-bar shifter (it's a silver-painted rapidfire) and this sweet ancient dura-ace der.
so far so good, if wholly incongruous. :D

looking at a 1400Km tour in september, we'll see.
I think for that I'll toss on a 11-32 cogset, and then an xtr rear d to handle the chain pick-up.
 
#6,658 ·
not much to say, breaking in the new gears.
put on a 48 tooth Rotor ring, 11-27 cogset (might be ultegra? I dunno), and an ultegra flat-bar shifter (it's a silver-painted rapidfire) and this sweet ancient dura-ace der.
so far so good, if wholly incongruous. :D

looking at a 1400Km tour in september, we'll see.
I think for that I'll toss on a 11-32 cogset, and then an xtr rear d to handle the chain pick-up.
Just about there I am 46-32-22 11-34
 
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