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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.
 
#8,741 ·
Thing I've found though, is that the longer the winter goes on, the less drivers give a sh*t about anyone but themselves (even worse than normal) so I'm getting closer drive-bys, sprayed with slush more and am generally feeling a little more scared on the bike. It's not a nice feeling. To counter that though, everyone at work thinks I'm even more nuts than before. Which is kind of cool. :D

I'm appreciating my studs more every day too. Y'all be safe out there!
I find they drivers are good for about two days after a snow storm....then they lose it and try to run you around....they seem to get it back after a week...and then things are normal till the next storm hits...

Heads up.
 
#8,744 ·
Rodar, yup, lots of greenbelt trails through and around Anchorage.
That's one of the things I love most about this town! I work for a company who contracts me out to other businesses throughout the city so I end up working at a lot of locations. In the three years I've been here, I've been able to complete between 90 and 95% of my daily commuting without ever leaving greenbelt trail. The remainder is a mix of multiuse roadside trail and roadways.

It certainly makes for a great way to start and end the day. What's also really neat about A-Town is that I can leave my house and hit a mix of paved mutliuse, dirt double track, and some amazing single track all within two miles. I've not once had to drive to a trail head and I still haven't gotten bored with or discovered all of the trails available to me. Add to that winter, when a whole host of new riding opportunities spring up due to the social trails that the dedicated fatties blaze each year. I've found some amazing riding just blocks from my house. Challenging and fun. It's a great biking town.
 
#8,745 ·
Everyone needs a fatbike. Like a Tonka truck. Only better.

Nothing special about this AM's commute, other than that I came in a bit later than usual and had some good trail to ride. The muni was out in force grooming with fresh cord and the skiers were likewise out in force, eating it up before it got too much traffic on it.

A great day to ride.
 
#8,747 ·
About an hour after I posted yesterday I emerged from my cave to see it had started snowing again, heavily. Ride home was interesting to say the least. BUt the commute this morning was even more exciting - all the road snot from last night's commmute turned to ice chunk. One road I take was basically a solid sheet of ice with a liberal scattering of gravel for traction but that didn't help the poor dude who hit another car and went into the ditch. Should be bare and wet though by the time I get out of this joint. Or slick with an ice glaze. It's all about the adventure. :cool:
 
#8,748 ·
It was in the 40's today but felt about like 37 according to my weather app. Anyhow, It wasn't that bad until I loaded my panniers down. This created more surface area and made for an interesting ride during strong wind gust.
 
#8,749 ·
We have been dumped on by snow the last couple days. Everyone is complaining about their commutes in the cars, but it has been a blast commuting in the snow on my Moonlander. My commute is only about 6 miles, but with a little work I can stretch it out as long as possible and still open the store on time.

Towards the end of this video I go through a flooded tunnel getting my feet WET and ended up wearing iced shoes into the store.

 
#8,752 ·
It was much nicer. I went tubeless on my Carve and dropped 5lbs in weight off the wheels. My bike is now easier to climb and will push the 42/11 gears much nicer. It is amazing how much dropping a few lbs on your wheels makes your bike seem quicker on the climbs. BTW it was in the low 30's but dry.

Mark
 
#8,753 ·
Yesterday was super icy from freezing rain. Today, with the sun still down, it is 55F and pouring down rain. Tonight, 12F and flurries. This warm front did a number, but we still have snow. With the washed off roads, I am going to ride the Ute. First time I've ridden any bike other than the fatty since I bought it.

Brown Musical instrument accessory String instrument accessory Musical instrument String instrument
 
#8,754 ·
We've got the same whacky weather. 52F here and very very windy. I'd say it was windier today than it was for Hurricane Sandy. When I was going fully against it it took me about 5 min to go a mile downhill. I was glad my bike was heavy for the side gusts.

Does everybody have a fatbike but me? Actually, once this freezes up the trails are going to be like ice highways for the studded tire bikes.
 
#8,757 ·
It was over 70F early Wednesday morning before the storms hit around 4am. This morning it was windy and snowing. It sounds like everyone is having crazy weather. I was happy to ride in the snow. Rain sucks.

Oh, and I don't have a fatbike. I probably won't be getting a new bike any time soon either, since I have a baby on the way...
 
#8,758 ·
^^ Congrats on the baby on the way! Those are fun times (in retrospect... not that the preganancy support team job is the greatest :lol: )


Freak ride this morning... I saw no deer. Not a one. This is very odd.
 
#8,759 ·
Congratulations, sOck! When is your stork due? Will that be a first for you?

I went tubeless on my Carve and dropped 5lbs in weight off the wheels. My bike is now easier to climb and will push the 42/11 gears much nicer. It is amazing how much dropping a few lbs on your wheels makes your bike seem quicker on the climbs.
5 pounds? Must have had some seriously heavy tubes! Yeah, it`s nice to suddenly find yourself lighter.

almost didn`t happen.
first bridge I tried:
vicinity of the second:
Where is that? It looks a bit on the wet side, to say the least.

We've got the same whacky weather. 52F here and very very windy.
Does everybody have a fatbike but me?
That`s wacky, allright. It sounds like about a 100 degree shift- sorry about the wind.
I`ll have a fat bike just as soon as I find one with a 1 inch threaded headset.
 
#8,760 ·
Good ride this AM. 27F when I left the house and light freezing rain that stopped before I got to the end of my block. Quite a few skiers out now that we've gotten some good snow and the temps aren't so cold. Not that I mind sharing the trails, but it'd be nice if they'd yield some of it to oncoming traffic. Anyway. Any ride's a good ride, right?
 
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