Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Commuting
Reload this Page >

2013!! How Was your Commute Today?

Search
Notices
Commuting Bicycle commuting is easier than you think, before you know it, you'll be hooked. Learn the tips, hints, equipment, safety requirements for safely riding your bike to work.

2013!! How Was your Commute Today?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 09-09-13, 07:27 AM
  #2801  
baron von trail 
Senior Member
 
baron von trail's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 3,509

Bikes: 3 good used ones

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 83 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Great ride, made good time. The temp was up. So, I didn't need a jacket or any layers. Traffic was a bit heavy on the road I take before getting to the MUP. Must be the school crowd getting in full swing.
baron von trail is offline  
Old 09-09-13, 07:33 AM
  #2802  
tarwheel 
Senior Member
 
tarwheel's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 8,896

Bikes: Waterford RST-22, Bob Jackson World Tour, Ritchey Breakaway Cross, Soma Saga, De Bernardi SL, Specialized Sequoia

Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 196 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times in 4 Posts
We are hitting the sweet spot for bike-commuting weather in NC -- mild temperatures, low humidity, no rain. I was tempted to drive today because I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon, but couldn't pass up riding on such a nice day, plus it gives me an excuse to take the afternoon off with sick leave. My legs felt great and I had a fast commute.
tarwheel is offline  
Old 09-09-13, 07:38 AM
  #2803  
droy45
tougher than a boiled owl
 
droy45's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Rocky Coast of Maine
Posts: 1,125

Bikes: Fetish Cycles Fixation / Fuji S12S / Gary Fisher MTB / Raleigh Grand Prix / Ross Professional / Kent comfort cruiser

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
A cool 39 degF this morning made for a nice ride in. I added a few layers and used my beanie under my helmet for the first time since last spring. I made good time this morning 1hour 15min., felt strong and the traffic was light.
droy45 is offline  
Old 09-09-13, 08:07 AM
  #2804  
dramiscram
ouate de phoque
 
dramiscram's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: La Prairie, Qc, Canada
Posts: 1,781

Bikes: Bianchi, Nakamura,Opus

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Cold morning at 5° celcius but very sunny. Nice ride
dramiscram is offline  
Old 09-09-13, 08:40 AM
  #2805  
FenderTL5
Senior Member
 
FenderTL5's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Nashville TN
Posts: 794

Bikes: Trek 7.3FX, Diamondback Edgewood hybrid, KHS Montana

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
warm, muggy, extremely humid. I was sweating while checking air-pressure and packing the pannier this morning.
Sky was clear, I even saw stars, as I pushed the bike out of the garage to the front of the house this morning.

I felt the first raindrop about 4 miles from home, then was rained on steadily for the next 8 miles.
A couple miles from work it tapered off to a sprinkle.

It wasn't a bad ride, and the last two miles almost allowed me to dry out. So the rain only kept me cool.
Only one idiot motorist, same area where I encounter most of them. Oh well, you just deal wid'it.
FenderTL5 is offline  
Old 09-09-13, 08:54 AM
  #2806  
wphamilton
Senior Member
 
wphamilton's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Alpharetta, GA
Posts: 15,280

Bikes: Nashbar Road

Mentioned: 71 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2934 Post(s)
Liked 341 Times in 228 Posts
Still high 60's here in the morning, around 90 afternoons. It's been dry lately, ever since I put fenders on.
wphamilton is offline  
Old 09-09-13, 09:15 AM
  #2807  
deanp
On the big ring
 
deanp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Lenexa, Ks
Posts: 851

Bikes: Trek 1100, Litespeed Catalyst

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Warmish and muggy, but clear. It was 77 degrees at 530 this morning, not much to look forward to, going the mid-90's and kind of windy this afternoon.
deanp is offline  
Old 09-09-13, 09:31 AM
  #2808  
groovestew
Senior Member
 
groovestew's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Edmonton, AB
Posts: 1,688
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 60 Post(s)
Liked 43 Times in 33 Posts
After a few weeks of pretty much riding exclusively fixed, I opted for the road bike this morning. It was looking a little forlorn.
groovestew is offline  
Old 09-09-13, 11:53 AM
  #2809  
dramiscram
ouate de phoque
 
dramiscram's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: La Prairie, Qc, Canada
Posts: 1,781

Bikes: Bianchi, Nakamura,Opus

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by wphamilton
It's been dry lately, ever since I put fenders on.
dramiscram is offline  
Old 09-09-13, 04:32 PM
  #2810  
costelde
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Aurora CO
Posts: 24

Bikes: Specialized Sexteur Expert Disc

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Another morning commute in the 60's. Very nice. Good chance of getting rained on going home. Temps finally cooling off.
costelde is offline  
Old 09-10-13, 05:12 AM
  #2811  
essiemyra
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Merrimac , MA
Posts: 1,364
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 76 Post(s)
Liked 136 Times in 84 Posts
The temp was 53 f degrees, when I rode through town, it was a nice ride in though not as uneventful as usual. There was a part where I could smell and hear the skunk, but I could not see him. It seemed about five minutes I was smelling the skunk, hoping he had not sprayed me as I thought that it was a while where I could still smell him. He had not, finally the smell dissipated.
essiemyra is offline  
Old 09-10-13, 05:30 AM
  #2812  
dcb23
Senior Member
 
dcb23's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Alexandria, VA
Posts: 1,264
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 14 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Smooth ride in, plenty of bike commuters out.
dcb23 is offline  
Old 09-10-13, 06:01 AM
  #2813  
droy45
tougher than a boiled owl
 
droy45's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Rocky Coast of Maine
Posts: 1,125

Bikes: Fetish Cycles Fixation / Fuji S12S / Gary Fisher MTB / Raleigh Grand Prix / Ross Professional / Kent comfort cruiser

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Nice morning out, more traffic today though. The temperatures were just perfect last night but that 20 mph headwind right off the ocean for 15 miles made it rough all the way home. It took me 1 1/2 hours to get there and the sun was setting. Rain is on the way for today.
droy45 is offline  
Old 09-10-13, 06:19 AM
  #2814  
tarwheel 
Senior Member
 
tarwheel's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 8,896

Bikes: Waterford RST-22, Bob Jackson World Tour, Ritchey Breakaway Cross, Soma Saga, De Bernardi SL, Specialized Sequoia

Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 196 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times in 4 Posts
The weather is warmer this week than it was the entire month of August, but I'm not complaining because our hot water is not working again in my office building. Actually, the building managers are doing "annual maintenance" on the boiler and told us last week we would have not hot water for the next two weeks. So, I'm having to take cold showers when I get to work in the morning. It has been so warm in the mornings (low to mid-70s) that cold water doesn't feel so bad after you get over the initial shock. It also helps me quit sweating afterwards.
tarwheel is offline  
Old 09-10-13, 06:38 AM
  #2815  
joyota
Senior Member
 
joyota's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 192

Bikes: 1998 Nishiki Blazer, 2004 Trek 4500, 2014 Salsa Fargo 3

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Ugh...75° and humid at 6am is such a disappointment when yesterday it was 59°. The ride home should be awesome. 94's the high. Yippee!

And yet somehow, it's still better than driving!
joyota is offline  
Old 09-10-13, 06:49 AM
  #2816  
baron von trail 
Senior Member
 
baron von trail's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 3,509

Bikes: 3 good used ones

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 83 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Had a bit of a saving moment this AM. While putting air in my tires, I noticed an odd stain about the size of a nickel on the rear one. Being ever cautious about the condition of my tires, I took a closer look. That was no stain. Those were fibers. After shining a light on the situation, I could see that the tire was worn along the entire circumference. That part wan't a show stopper, but that patch where there was absolutely no rubber had me concerned enough to put off the commute until I bought me a new tire.

Since I'd be hitting the local LBS, I did a quick look see and noticed that my rear brake pads were worn down past the point of what I consider reasonable. Odd thing is I checked both the tires and the brakes about a week ago and figured they had a few hundred miles left. 50-mile daily commutes tend to put the miles on fast.
baron von trail is offline  
Old 09-10-13, 06:56 AM
  #2817  
jrickards
Senior Member
 
jrickards's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Sudbury, ON, CA
Posts: 2,647

Bikes: 2012 Kona Sutra, 2002 Look AL 384, 2018 Moose Fat bike

Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 133 Post(s)
Liked 6 Times in 5 Posts
Wet from thick fog but mild, 15C (60F).
jrickards is offline  
Old 09-10-13, 07:14 AM
  #2818  
dramiscram
ouate de phoque
 
dramiscram's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: La Prairie, Qc, Canada
Posts: 1,781

Bikes: Bianchi, Nakamura,Opus

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Pouring rain all the way to work. The rain was warm with a nice tailwind so it was a great ride.

Last edited by dramiscram; 09-10-13 at 10:58 AM. Reason: spelling
dramiscram is offline  
Old 09-10-13, 07:29 AM
  #2819  
spivonious
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Lancaster, PA, USA
Posts: 1,851

Bikes: 2012 Trek Allant, 2016 Bianchi Volpe Disc

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
After enjoying low 70s for a while, I'm not looking forward to today's high of 88. Still beats driving in.

My bottom bracket is making a clicking noise...hopefully it's nothing major. I feel it through the left pedal, but only when pedaling not under load.

Last edited by spivonious; 09-10-13 at 07:34 AM.
spivonious is offline  
Old 09-10-13, 07:49 AM
  #2820  
jrickards
Senior Member
 
jrickards's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Sudbury, ON, CA
Posts: 2,647

Bikes: 2012 Kona Sutra, 2002 Look AL 384, 2018 Moose Fat bike

Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 133 Post(s)
Liked 6 Times in 5 Posts
Originally Posted by spivonious
My bottom bracket is making a clicking noise...hopefully it's nothing major. I feel it through the left pedal, but only when pedaling not under load.
Might it be the pedal? Mine did that when on its last legs.
jrickards is offline  
Old 09-10-13, 07:59 AM
  #2821  
mconlonx
Senior Member
 
mconlonx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,558
Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7148 Post(s)
Liked 134 Times in 92 Posts
I was doing a 38 mi r/t commute... actually still doing that occasionally, but different job means a different commute and commute style.

New job is further away, 45mi o/w by car on the highway, more than that by backroads I'd have to take on a bicycle. So the new routine is bike-bus-bike. Five miles to the bus, three miles on the other end. Got a Birdy folder for the job and it is the perfect bike for this new commute.

Everyone loves a folder, from the BMX posse that hangs out in town "Dude, that bike is way sick!" to the bus drivers who have to manhandle bikes into the under-bus storage. The Birdy is an excellent bike -- not just a great folder, but a bike I look forward to riding, folding or not.

Today was perfect weather, low 60s and partly cloudy. This is the second day I've done this commute and I can see myself doing a lot more of it. A 16 mi r/t commute broken up into four different legs is much, much easier than a 38 mi commute, 19 miles at a time.
mconlonx is offline  
Old 09-10-13, 08:25 AM
  #2822  
spivonious
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Lancaster, PA, USA
Posts: 1,851

Bikes: 2012 Trek Allant, 2016 Bianchi Volpe Disc

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by jrickards
Might it be the pedal? Mine did that when on its last legs.
Perhaps. The bike is less than a year old, with roughly 1500 miles on it, but it does go through a lot of weather.

Last edited by spivonious; 09-10-13 at 08:39 AM.
spivonious is offline  
Old 09-10-13, 08:36 AM
  #2823  
arsprod 
Senior Member
 
arsprod's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Indianapolis
Posts: 2,043

Bikes: Fairdale Weekender Drop, Motobecane 29LTD, Cannondale H400, Basso Coral

Mentioned: 25 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 183 Post(s)
Liked 17 Times in 14 Posts
Hot 'n muggy, supposed to be mid 90's this afternoon so hotter 'n muggier
__________________
I'm slow, go around
arsprod is offline  
Old 09-10-13, 09:56 AM
  #2824  
PatrickGSR94
Senior Member
 
PatrickGSR94's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Memphis TN area
Posts: 7,391

Bikes: 2011 Felt Z85 (road/commuter), 2006 Marin Pine Mountain (utility/commuter E-bike), 1995 KHS Alite 1000 (gravel grinder)

Mentioned: 25 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 676 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 13 Times in 13 Posts
Originally Posted by jrickards
Might it be the pedal? Mine did that when on its last legs.
I just had a click from the left side while under load, turned out to be bearings in the pedal going out. New pedals solved it. The pedals were some old no-name SPD's so it was expected.

I've actually been wishing for warmer afternoon commutes, because I head north and warmer weather usually means a tail wind out of the south.
PatrickGSR94 is offline  
Old 09-10-13, 10:19 AM
  #2825  
caloso
Senior Member
 
caloso's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Posts: 40,865

Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur

Mentioned: 68 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2952 Post(s)
Liked 3,106 Times in 1,417 Posts
Got out early and was able to do a longish detour/training loop that I haven't done in awhile. Got in a solid 2x20' set before reentering suburbia.
caloso is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.