EKW in DC

Quite a sticky ride in this morning. Temp around eighty degrees already with a dew point over seventy. Slight tailwind was the only thing that was a plus about the ride in. Saw lots of the same familiar faces I see so many mornings on the trail. Funny how many of the same faces you see almost every day when you ride at a certain time...

Made another deposit in the bike karma account this morning... just the standard offer of help/supplies to a fellow cyclist fixing a flat on the side of the trail, but I like to keep the good karma up when I can, even if I'm running a couple minutes late to work. I think he may even have been on a black Surly LHT, like mine, but I am not entirely sure.

caloso

I found an almost brand new Planet Bike blinky on the street this morning, about 10 yards past a RR crossing. I posted a note on craigslist. Hopefully, the owner will see it and claim it.

treadtread

I have a busy intersection right outside my apartment's exit. I have to cross like a pedestrian there, and then hit the bike lane. Today, I pressed the button and the light went white. Before I could react, one lady in the right lane (who didn't even want to turn right) honked at me and waved me to cross. Grr. Didn't react though. Later on the MUP, got an extremely angry glare from a lady who was walking her dog, letting her kid run across the path without paying any attention to what he was doing, and talking at the phone at the same time. My crime? I called out "On your left" before I passed her.

Wheels2Lab

Was out biking early in Chicago trying to catch the train when the drizzle became rain and then pouring rain. Sky was very dark and winds were up to 40 mph. Then there was lightning. I pedaled real slow and around puddles in the street. Had to get on some sidewalks since the drainage was too bad. Most terrifying ~ 7 mile ride ever but at least I made it though. Some lady offered me a towel on the train, and I saw a young girl riding holding an umbrella over her head on my commute into work. I should've just worn my bathing suit and some goggles.

Bearhawker

Last 2 days I made records run into work... both times I averaged more than 30km/h and did my 16km route in under 30 minutes. Coming home... different story. I'm not loving the headwind thing. lol

Today the weather rolled in ahead of schedule - headwinds 45 gusting to 60, 15mm rain and a thunderstorm. The wife was in town anyway so I decided to take her up on her offer of a ride home.

I didn't ask for help so it doesn't count as a chickening-out, right?

E.S.

I only rode to work today but the morning was chilly!! I did it in good time. Only event was when I dropped a bottle while trying to put it back in the cage about a mile before town. No harm done though.

M.R.Serecka

windy this morning. rode washington to the junction station and then continued out to west windsor community park. crossed paths with what i assume was the same deer twice. the temperature is very comfy. rode ten miles before gettin on train. hope to do ten more before work on the other side. having two bikes, one at either end of my commute is working very well. building up to riding 30 some odd miles down 27 friday afternoon. from rahway to princeton.

fletchh

A nice morning with not humidity and a warm temp at 73f (23c). These are the good mornings and they are far and few between.

dcb23

My sentiments exactly...a picture perfect ride in.

vtjim

63F/17C, with a pesky headwind. My legs feel a little cement-like this morning. I've been running a lot lately. My wife and I just completed "couch to 5K" but we're still running every other day. I think maybe I need a couple of "rest days" where I don't run or ride. Luckily the bus is air conditioned.

Also, I had to dodge debris from a bad wreck that happened after I passed through the intersection yesterday. Some a-hole driving at a high rate of speed, passing cars (city streets), head-on collision, several parked cars struck. It's amazing that no one got hurt.

Feel free to rubberneck:
https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/a...nclick_check=1

essiemyra

The temps were cool with no humidity today and uneventful. What a nice ride in for my first ride this week.

tarwheel 

I debated driving yesterday due to forecasts for possible severe thunderstorms, but decided to ride because the forecasters here are notoriously bad at predicting rain. This time they were right, and I just barely escaped the worst of it. Some coworkers tipped me off to the storms brewing mid-afternoon, and a quick check of the radar showed that I might avoid it if I left right away. So I headed home early with loud thunder already starting downtown. Hit some patches of light showers and gusty winds on the way home, but nothing serious. Apparently the storm really slammed downtown and south of town, so it was good that left when I did -- although I could have waited out the storm and left work late as well.

This morning's ride was great as the storms ushered in a cold front, and it was cooler and less humid today. The nice weather is only supposed to last one day, however, and highs are supposed to reach 100 the next two days. Yuck.

wphamilton

The Georgia Clean Air Campaign was out front of the offices this morning, giving out donuts, travel mugs and raffle tickets. I think it's "Clean Commute Day" or something like that. As I'm still the lone bicycle commuter around here thought it was kind of neat.

CptjohnC

I decided that I need a rest day today, so I took metro. Now I'm missing my ride. I wish there was an easy way to ride one way and metro the other, but the rules against bikes on metro during rush hour make it all but impossible. Perhaps I need a folder... N+1.

Yesterday was apparently idiot day here in the Nation's Capital. Cars, pedestrians, other cyclist, you name it, stupidity seemed to be the name of the game. Apparently, though, I was no exception. I'll begin with my confession: I was turning right from a bike lane on a major road on to a neighborhood street at a pretty good clip (about/over 18 MPH) which meant I was using the whole lane. No impact on motorists, as none were turning the same way from the road I was on, but I looked back just to be sure. I'm meandering to my lane position (still moving along, but not hurrying to get to my preferred spot in the lane) when I hear "On you left"... you could have knocked me over with a feather. I apologized to the faster rider whose right of way I had been impeding. I had already had one 'on your left' incident where I didn't move over as fast as I felt I should have but that was on a wooden bridge where I eschew any sudden moves.

On the other idiocy moves, top rank goes to the tourist who ignored my bell. repeatedly. And ignored his family members who were advising him to move over. I admit, though, I didn't do pedestrian/cyclist relations any favor when I hit the AirZound after repeat bell ring #4 -- at which point I was about level with his left ear. I had several cars decide that the bike lane was the right place to sit while waiting for folks to meet them or something, as well as several veer into the bike lane to get around traffic turning left. Without checking. Fortunately, I anticipated all of these boneheaded maneuvers. I think I preferred it when it was incredibly hot and the pedestrians stayed indoors. The cyclist incidents were, admittedly, all rental bikes - with top marks to the pair who decided that they would each ride in extremely wobbly fashion on the opposite side of the (admittedly, wide) stretch of the national mall to avoid the pedestrians who were clogging the center.

Rant over.

RGNY

very nice, 52F, no wind, low humdity. just about perfect. first morning on my alternate all road (as opposed to usual mix of road/gravel/dirt) route. added two miles and an extra hill climb. love getting a workout in before the office and before breakfast. makes me appreciate that first meal/coffee all the more.

steed for the day was the Pake Rumrunner set up as a singlespeed w/ 48:16.

only glitch was at the one intersection on the ride where "right on red" means cars -might- slow down to see if there's oncoming traffic. and in my case, even if there is, try to bully me into stopping so they can go even though i have the green... :/

DocsDad

Commuted to work on my Trek 4300 today. Awesome sunrise this morning but the ride home will be near 100F so it will be water and patience. 60 mile round trip. I only do it once or twice per month as I ride a lot at night too.

HardyWeinberg

50F and sunny, generally awesome

Bluish Green

It was warm and muggy, but I managed to set a new personal time record because there was no wind and it was my first commute this week.

Once I got to work, though, I had a mildly bad surprise. I normally change in the restroom and use the one large stall that is big enough to turn around in. Well, somebody was in there answering nature's call. For quite a while. I ended up ducking into a vacant supervisor's office and changing there. I blocked the door with a chair so no one would come in and see me nude (or worse yet, wearing spandex bike shorts).

Overall, I can't complain because my employer supports biking to work and even provides an ancient playground-style bike rack out front. Having to share a change room with poopers occasionally stinks, though.

EKW in DC

Thank dog for the cooler temps and drier weather this morning. Don't know if it was the baby waking up at an ungodly early hour or what, but I couldn't really take advantage of the nicer weather. My legs felt dead this morning, and the headwind didn't help matters. It wasn't a vicious headwind, but it was enough. Still a much more pleasant commute. Heat's back on for tomorrow, but I want to savor this day while I can.

I will be taking it easy on the way home, though. I gave blood art lunch and that means no strenuous exercise. Guess I've been commuting a while when I deem my seven-plus mile ride home not to be strenuous exercise... when I started riding a few years ago, it would have been.

treadtread

Today was actually a really slow, but fun commute to work. The wife came with me all the way to office, and then headed back. We came so slow that I didn't even sweat much - but since my office isn't far, the extra time taken wasn't much.

Bearhawker

actually didn't have a headwind thew whole way home and made a record run... took more than a minute and a half off a 10km stretch that normally kills me.

Rothaí

It's been a terrible summer of daily rain in Ireland.....but today (well, from afternoon on, working nights this week) was sunny. I really envy all those carefree commuters everywhere else on the planet to-ing and fro-ing under a warm sun !!
Anyway, today was pleasant so I shouldn't complain too much !

fletchh

Yes, riding in the warm sun is nice, but when it gets into the 100s f (40s c), it is diffcult to get a good gulp of air going up a hill. Although, riding in rain every is annoying, as it is difficult to get everything dried for the next day. This morning is nice at 70c (21c), and this afternoon is supposed to be brutal again.

essiemyra

I had a nice ride in this morning it was warm enough for a tank-shirt, and I found when I was leaving this morning that I had lost my back reflector on the way home yesterday. My older brother also saw me riding to work so he stopped and we chatted for a few minutes. That was a nice surprise this morning. they are predicting bad thunderstorms for later today. I will keep an eye on the weather today.

dcb23

Here comes the heat again! I actually had another ride heading up out of the garage with me this morning...first time that's ever happened to me at my building.

Odd Find: A bag of herbs someone dropped in my office's parking garage this morning.

Odd find Edit: It's my fellow bike commuter's bag of herbs!