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-   -   2014!! How was your commute today? (https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=928265)

PatrickGSR94 01-02-14 06:54 AM

2014!! How was your commute today?
 
Well since it's already the 2nd I guess I'll go ahead and do this one.

Happy 2014! I was off work yesterday and we had some nice weather, but was busy with stuff so didn't get any riding in. Oh well. My next commute opportunity is Tuesday but they're saying morning lows in the lower teens, and I just don't think I'm equipped for riding 15 miles in that cold. So I'm not sure when my next commute will be.

What about you? :D

Tractortom 01-02-14 08:07 AM

First Commute of the year. Actually, my wife and I were on the recumbents (she rides a Terratrike Rover and I was on my Bacchetta Belladare ) yesterday for a 'first day' ride down to the coffee shop for coffee and a breakfast sandwich. The weather was kind of overcast and smelled of rain, so we didn't add to the ride.

This morning I was up at 6 and got on the Belladare at 7 for a commute to work. It was about 65 degrees and still, with a heavy fog, and by the time I completed the 7.8 mile commute I was pretty well wet. When I ride in the fog, my glasses get so I can't see through them, so I find myself pulling my helmet down so the visor is close to my eyes, and then pulling the glasses down a bit and looking over them. That way I can still use the mirror on my glasses, but don't have to look through them.

Very light traffic, no trouble, did have a semi make a close pass as I rode north on Hwy 441 towards my office, but no worries.
Feels good to make that first bike commute of the new year. Will be in the car tomorrow for a couple reasons.

Tractor Tom in Okeechobee, FL

tdsherman325 01-02-14 08:16 AM

24 degrees out but fortunately not windy. There wasn't a whole lot of traffic out which was nice.

I rode the Schwinn this morning - been thinking about alternating between it and the Raleigh. I can't decide which one I like better.

spivonious 01-02-14 08:24 AM

Didn't ride in today because of the snow forecast. I went out to start my car and it was dead. I guess I haven't driven it in a while! :lol: I had to have my wife drive me in with her car. I'd love to ride tomorrow, but I'm a bit wary of the forecast high temperature of 15F with 25-30mph winds.

JPinWI 01-02-14 08:24 AM

0 degrees, plenty of snow, head (North) wind but I didn't mind since I was in a van carpooling with a couple of coworkers. :lol:

FenderTL5 01-02-14 08:40 AM

43°F and raining when I left the house.
I rode 3 miles to the MTA stop, then rode another 1/2 mile to the office once downtown.
The temps are supposed to drop, into the teens by tonight, with snow mid-day.

My mirror was broken off the handlebar when I got off the MTA.

arsprod 01-02-14 09:08 AM

1 Attachment(s)
First ride of 2014 and one of the hardest in recent memory. In fact in sucked! 19F and about 4" of snow overnight. That's usually not a bad thing but the mup wasn't cleared at all and the streets weren't much better. Since the temps were low and it was fresh it's the kind of snow that's ride-able, but just barely. My normal hour winter ride took 1:45, some of which was walking. I actually stopped to take a picture - more to rest than get a pic. I'm not taking this as an omen for the year!!
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=357619

mconlonx 01-02-14 09:48 AM

Southern ME commute to NE MA through Seacoast NH. 15degF, 2" of snow on the ground, snow still falling at a good clip, plows and salt trucks not even out yet.

Wife drove me to the bus station (could have rode, but didn't). On the bus looking out the windows there were more than a dozen cars spun off the highway. Dusted the snow off the bike and pedaled into work.

Dang. Soupy stuff at the shoulders and no idea where the edge of the road actually was had me riding in the right tire track cleared by cars. Meant that cars had to pass over snowy roadway to pass me, but f' 'em.

Only 3 mi biking each way today, but all the hallmarks of an adventure. First '14 bike commute in the bag on the second day of the year, this is already more commuting than I did last January.

PatrickGSR94 01-02-14 10:13 AM


Originally Posted by arsprod (Post 16375345)
First ride of 2014 and one of the hardest in recent memory. In fact in sucked! 19F and about 4" of snow overnight. That's usually not a bad thing but the mup wasn't cleared at all and the streets weren't much better. Since the temps were low and it was fresh it's the kind of snow that's ride-able, but just barely. My normal hour winter ride took 1:45, some of which was walking. I actually stopped to take a picture - more to rest than get a pic. I'm not taking this as an omen for the year!!
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=357619

haha love the gas price sticker! :thumb:

arsprod 01-02-14 10:14 AM


Originally Posted by PatrickGSR94 (Post 16375543)
haha love the gas price sticker! :thumb:

thanks! I'm amazed by how many people don't get it

PatrickGSR94 01-02-14 10:18 AM

yeah I was gonna say it would be better if it actually said $0.00 0/10, but the 9/10 should make it a bit more obvious what it is.

timvan_78 01-02-14 10:27 AM

Today was my first full bike commute since late November (very hard BMX crash & also laser eye surgery).

Dark and 7 deg C, Light mist...turned to light rain...turned to full-on rain.

The body held up OK. Good to be back on the commuter!

rumrunn6 01-02-14 10:43 AM

waiting for the northeast boyz to chime in. this morning looked OK but tomorrow morning is gonna be a whole 'nother story ...

spivonious 01-02-14 11:11 AM

Those of you riding in the snow - be safe out there! Car drivers around here tend to be overly confident in their all-wheel drive and anti-lock brakes when the white stuff is on the roads.

rumrunn6 01-02-14 12:10 PM

1 Attachment(s)
and visibility isn't so great

Bluish Green 01-02-14 12:21 PM

I made the commute this morning, but it was one of the rougher rides I've done. It was surprising how bad the streets were.

It could have been worse, though. 14F and 4 inches of fresh snow, in all variations from pristine, untouched snow on unplowed streets to car-trafficked slop, to piled higher in inopportune spot locations that made for fun little surprises.

It was more work pedaling, which is okay since I need the workout anyways. The sliding around wasn't so bad on its own. The doing of all of that out in traffic with cars was what made it more stressful.

CommuteCommando 01-02-14 12:52 PM

Good weather for day one of my "commute by bike every working day of 2014" pledge. Temps in the high 40's. Left my headlight plugged into the charger at home, other wise no mishaps.

dscheidt 01-02-14 05:43 PM

Delightfully free of cars! The snow in Chicago seems to have scared everyone, and there were almost no cars on any of the roads I ride. Got to ride past several people trying to get their cars out of where they'd been plowed in, always fun.

Tomorrow looks to be awful, though. I don't think they're going to get everything plowed before it gets really cold, and I expect to have nasty ice ruts all over.

thelazywon 01-02-14 05:47 PM

68 degrees and beautiful. Pretty much like every other morning. Looks like a huge piece of rain coming in for the next 2 days. I'll probably ride the bus tomorrow.

droy45 01-02-14 07:02 PM

Oh, not so good. Still not riding, wind chill is 29 deg. below 0 right now and more snow again. I am not kidding around, more snow again, really?. We are knee deep in it now. I thought I left that all behind me when I moved a few years ago. Not the case at least this year. I took the bike out for little jaunt on New Years Day and the gears froze up immediately and then I couldn't shift anymore. Had to give it up.

downwinded 01-02-14 07:08 PM


Originally Posted by PatrickGSR94 (Post 16375543)
haha love the gas price sticker! :thumb:

+1:lol:

Lynardo 01-03-14 12:08 AM

-25c / -13f (-37c / -34f windchill) - overcast. All hail merino wool!

mister 01-03-14 12:54 AM

It was a nice first ride of the year. I cleaned up my bike last night since my boss was coming to visit and I keep my bike in my office. With all the traffic, I'm guessing that everyone came back from their vacations today. I also saw a lot more drivers on their cell phones tonight.

dcb23 01-03-14 06:23 AM

One of the toughest commutes in my three years of commuting: 18F/-8C, brutal cross winds actually had me wobbling on the bike for a bit, and the wet heavy snow from last night is all frozen solid.

We came out of this pretty easy here in DC with maybe 3 inches but the cold is something to deal with. My co-commuter was pulling into the office garage as I came up and we both had a laugn at ourselves for being out in this weather.

FenderTL5 01-03-14 06:36 AM

13°F with 7 mph wind this morning in Nashville. We had flurries on/off yesterday so there was a skiff of snow next to curbs.


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