jrickards

We're not professional athletes, there are lots of things we do and don't do that prevent us from attaining consistent peak performance every day. You're out there on your bike, that's great!

Allycat24

Humid and misty after yesterday's rain. It is going to be hot today - I'm loving it! However, I'm not so in love with my commuting bike anymore. I'm still recovering from cubital tunnel surgery on my left elbow (and doing well) but still getting too much road vibration from the Marin, plus I'm starting to feel same symptoms in my right arm. I don't have these problems on my road bike (Trek 5000), which is a perfect fit. So I plan to do some bike shopping this weekend for a new commuter bike. My husband wants me to get a touring bike but I have yet to find a touring bike made just for women so who knows what I'll end up with. I'm definitely going back to drop bars - the flat bar doesn't give me enough hand positions.

RidingMatthew

I RODE TODAY> I had to get back in the saddle after a week off. PTO before the long weekend. It was a good ride. Thought I rode fast then realized that i started my stopwatch after riding for a bit.

Still felt good pulling into the parking lot.... 62 and pretty humid. still rode in arm and knee warmers. This evening will be a different story.

ZManT

Wet!!

Rocky Ford

Ended up on the deck yesterday, first crash in a few years just a skinned knee ,my ortlieb pannier saved my bacon and wasn't worse for wear. The Surly LHT isn't a virgin anymore.

PatrickGSR94

unfortunately haven't commuted since Friday morning. Haven't been on a bike at all since then, actually. Wanted to commute yesterday afternoon and this morning, but needed to take the car home to diagnose some cooling system issues, so I'm planning to commute Thursday/Friday.

dramiscram

What happened?

Be safe!

Darth Lefty 

The ride was easy, undramatic. Maybe I took it too easy, almost late for 8am Oracle training. FD out of adjustment for some reason, chain zinging 3x6th to 3x8th gear. The FD is new, the cable is old, maybe it slipped in the clamp? But it seems like it's the limit screw for some reason.

making

I am just damn glad to make it home.

GeneO 

Great. Was supposed to be thunderstorms today, but it turned out to be a nice day. Trails were wet and tire suck in the morning from last nights rain.

Almost got run over but it was great anyhow. I turned right than was about to immediately turn left into a parking lot and signaled, but glanced behind me and a car had been passing me in the opposite traffic lane around the right turn! If I hadn't looked back I would have been toast.

noglider 

I don't have a job yet, but I've been doing shopping by bike lately. A week ago, I went to two supermarkets and the pet shop, and my load included a 30-pound bag of dog food. I use a kiddie trailer to haul stuff.

I also cycled out to my chorus rehearsal on Sunday night, 21 miles each way. Going out it was scenic and fragrant but also very hilly and head-windy. I really hauled butt but only averaged 14 mph. Coming back was more peaceful but slow. I love the lights on my bike. I feel very secure with them. My average speed was very slow, but I wasn't pushing it. Then I discovered that I broke a spoke on the way home, which explains a bit of my slow speed. Gotta rebuild this wheel soon. It has broken four spokes now.

dramiscram

Details? You know we're curious...

making

Oh sorry it was just a crazy ride home. The first really close call was about 3 miles into my ride home. I was on a wide improved separate bike trail with octangular blocks and all those cool bike lane logos. I was riding in front of a building not really fast but fast enough. Suddenly a guy on a bicycle with a baby strapped on his chest and 2 toddlers in a trailer just appeared out of no where from my right. He had no idea I was there and did not even look when pulling out, but he was not really a threat, just a distraction as it turns out as I was plenty far enough back to miss him. I was distracted looking at his trailer and rig and stuff and the alley from which he came to my right, I ride that trail every day and had not even noticed that little alley I was thinking a car could come out of there someday. Suddenly as I was coming up to it a Lexus flew into that little alley from my left. It was a classic hook. It was all I could do to keep from hitting her. I was sideways across the bike lane and she just slammed on her brakes and froze. This really did not shake me up at all, I been riding for years . I said the S*** word in kinda a conversational tone as I came to a stop right up to, but not touching, her passenger door. She was really freaked out and I was as close as if I was in her passenger seat, I just said "It's ok lady, just go ahead." She smiled real nice, and kinda waved and drove into the alley. A couple of lights down the street a guy straight up right hooked me, no idea I was there, I made a hard right and just missed him. Again, all in a ride home, not really close enough to shake me up. About 5 miles later I was about 3 miles from home on a very busy 4 lane with a parallel street down what was my right hand side of the road. It is two lanes wide. There was a stop sign there with a red van sitting at it. so it was 2 lanes and 2 stop signs away. I was not worried and was going about 15 mph at the time. Suddenly as I was about half way across the crossroad she gave it the gas. Now this is a long straight stretch of road with no obstructions and I am dead center the bike lane just tooling along. She comes straight at me just flying. I really dont know how she missed me, when I realized what was happening I stood on the pedal and just aimed at making it even with the curb. Somehow I did. About that time, as she was sideways the two lanes she slammed on her brakes, I think that is when she seen me. she sat there across the lanes of traffic for a minute or two then started up the same side of the road I was on, two lanes over, barely going as fast as I was. By this time more cars were coming and a lane of cars was between us or I would have gotten off the road in case she was going to try it again. As she got up beside me, I could see she was very, very old, she definitely should not be driving. I think she sat back there waiting for a clear patch on the big street and just gunned it and took off. It is terrible to take an old persons license but she is dangerous. Anyway I got home alive. A couple years ago when it was really hot I started getting right hooked alot, just out of the blue. I would be sitting at a light and the car beside me would just turn. I realized what it was, or at least I think. It was really hot so my calfs would start cramping up by the time I made it home. I started pulling over to the curb so I didn't have to extend my foot so far. So a driver would look over, see me by the curb with my foot on it and just think I was not going to move. I quit doing it and I dont think anything like that happened for a long time. Today, I cant think of anything I did, I think it was all out of my control.

Mr. Hairy Legs

Fun commutes in the rain today. I got some good footage for Traffic Slayer 2 :-)

dramiscram

Look like it was crazy all right! You got more action and hazards in one commute then I got in the last three years.

Glad you made it home in one piece.

Sixty Fiver

It was a little damp...

wapiti

Pouring rain in the afternoon. Too late, just have to buck up and ride on home.

dcb23

71F/22C and humid...later than usual start this morning. Many runners out, a few more bikes than usual, and lots of cyclists out for training runs.

At one intersection a bunch of us we rewaiting for a light change when a bike soming from the other side just went through the red...middle of the lane his gears slip (he was an older gentleman not going fast at all)...we all collectively gasped but he made it across.

I am more and more convinced of the need for us to stop at reds and resit the urge to cut through the light.

essiemyra

The temp was 61f when I left this morning with partly cloudy skies. The ride in was nice. The ride home should be warm as the temps are headed up into the 80'sf with humidity this afternoon.

jrickards

A beautiful sunny 13C (55F) morning ride in. I decided to try to beat my previous time for this year and did it with flying colours. Still haven't beat last year's record but I'm getting closer. This afternoon promises to be a nice one too but thundershowers tomorrow, I'll have to think about biking tomorrow.

dramiscram

My all time record was last october during the Sandy storm with a 90 kmh tailwind so I don't really hope to ever break it.

Nice sunny and humid morning at 25 celcius . low wind.

Allycat24

Low 70s, moderate humidity - delightful weather. Fairly fast ride in. I was going to complain about the peloton on the bike trail this morning but after reading MAKING's post, I'll just be happy with my ride in.

RidingMatthew

This was my second day back in the saddle after a week of no riding and not much working out either. My legs are tired but I am seriously thinking about riding tomorrow too. It would be my first 3day week and that is pretty exciting.

Rocky Ford

Went into a wet slimy corner that I have ridden thru all month just a momentary lapse of attention

groovestew

Speak for yourself! Okay, I'm no professional athlete, but I can dream, right?

Did you get caught in one of those deluges yesterday? It was crazy raining at the time I would normally leave work, but I waited it out (had to get something done for the boss anyway) and just had to contend with a few sprinkles.

Working from home today, but got out for an 18 km morning ride. 10C/50F, no wind, but humid and foggy in the valley, so it felt significantly colder than the same temps yesterday. Nice ride.