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

2020! The “How was your commute?” thread!

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.

2020! The “How was your commute?” thread!

Old 03-17-20, 07:11 AM
  #326  
Tundra_Man 
The Fat Guy In The Back
 
Tundra_Man's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Sioux Falls, SD
Posts: 2,527

Bikes: '81 Panasonic Sport, '02 Giant Boulder SE, '08 Felt S32, '10 Diamondback Insight RS, '10 Windsor Clockwork, '15 Kestrel Evoke 3.0, '19 Salsa Mukluk

Mentioned: 91 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 319 Post(s)
Liked 165 Times in 110 Posts
Originally Posted by wphamilton
It's now "work from home" for the duration. Offices aren't "closed" locally but already in London, NY, California, and more continuing, We are "instructed to work from home", so it's no more bike commuting for a while
I decided that if I were to get the mandate to work from home, I'd probably ride to the office and back every morning before I started just to be ornery (and to keep my fitness up.)
__________________
Visit me at the Tundra Man Workshop
Tundra_Man is offline  
Likes For Tundra_Man:
Old 03-17-20, 10:11 AM
  #327  
pdlamb
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: northern Deep South
Posts: 8,844

Bikes: Fuji Touring, Novara Randonee

Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2575 Post(s)
Liked 1,900 Times in 1,192 Posts
Strange ride today; so overcast and rainy, but warm, that it was like early morning April showers. But traffic was so light it was like going in the week between Christmas and New Years (only warmer!).

I was out yesterday, so I missed the policy change: senior management permission required to come into the facility. I think I'll slip through for today, and take a metric crap-load of work home for the rest of the week. It's really strange, though: as far as social isolation goes, being one of maybe six people on my floor (and three are janitors) I'm more isolated than I'll be working from home!
pdlamb is offline  
Old 03-17-20, 10:34 AM
  #328  
Darth Lefty 
Disco Infiltrator
 
Darth Lefty's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Folsom CA
Posts: 13,775

Bikes: Stormchaser, Paramount, Tilt, Samba tandem

Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3126 Post(s)
Liked 2,102 Times in 1,366 Posts
They haven't spiked us here yet. Honestly they seem to be behind the curve, they haven't done anything new since Friday. I have one thing I absolutely need to do here today before they kick us all out.

Clear sunny morning after three days of rain. Chilly (by local standards) and the MTB trails were muddy puddles in the dips so I mostly avoided them. Traffic on the street was light but present... but I saw no one else riding. A nice fat turkey was herding his harem by the MUP. The vultures were in the treetops drying themselves out - a ghoulish spectacle, like the old Russian flag's eagle. They choose the redwood trees which are about 35yo like my neighborhood and pretty tall.

This photo is not mine, it came from https://turkeyvulturesunning.weebly....ackground.html

__________________
Genesis 49:16-17
Darth Lefty is offline  
Old 03-17-20, 10:54 AM
  #329  
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
First day of work from home. I'm thinking I'll go for a ride each afternoon, or at least that's what I was telling myself on the way home yesterday. Today's motivation is not matching yesterday's
__________________
I'm slow, go around
arsprod is offline  
Old 03-17-20, 06:03 PM
  #330  
Darth Lefty 
Disco Infiltrator
 
Darth Lefty's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Folsom CA
Posts: 13,775

Bikes: Stormchaser, Paramount, Tilt, Samba tandem

Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3126 Post(s)
Liked 2,102 Times in 1,366 Posts
Headed home early due to daycare situation (lack thereof). Lots of adolescents riding bikes on the MUP about 2pm
__________________
Genesis 49:16-17
Darth Lefty is offline  
Old 03-18-20, 04:34 AM
  #331  
essiemyra
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Merrimac , MA
Posts: 1,358
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 76 Post(s)
Liked 117 Times in 80 Posts
This morning's commute had a near hit. The guy in a red small sedan took a left turn directly in front of me. Had I not braked and come to a full stop I would have been hit. Since I had mittens on there was no way to give the guy a proper thank-you(middle finger). The guy behind him just shook his head in what I assume is amazement. The temp was a cool 32 degrees with no clouds , and the moon small but very present.
essiemyra is offline  
Old 03-18-20, 07:33 AM
  #332  
Tundra_Man 
The Fat Guy In The Back
 
Tundra_Man's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Sioux Falls, SD
Posts: 2,527

Bikes: '81 Panasonic Sport, '02 Giant Boulder SE, '08 Felt S32, '10 Diamondback Insight RS, '10 Windsor Clockwork, '15 Kestrel Evoke 3.0, '19 Salsa Mukluk

Mentioned: 91 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 319 Post(s)
Liked 165 Times in 110 Posts
Originally Posted by essiemyra
This morning's commute had a near hit. The guy in a red small sedan took a left turn directly in front of me. Had I not braked and come to a full stop I would have been hit. Since I had mittens on there was no way to give the guy a proper thank-you(middle finger). The guy behind him just shook his head in what I assume is amazement. The temp was a cool 32 degrees with no clouds , and the moon small but very present.
First off, I'm glad you're OK.

Second, I'm glad you used the term "near hit." I've never understood the term "near miss." To me, a near miss would have me lying on the ground after an impact with bystanders saying, "Wow! That truck nearly missed him!"
__________________
Visit me at the Tundra Man Workshop
Tundra_Man is offline  
Likes For Tundra_Man:
Old 03-18-20, 08:41 AM
  #333  
esmith2039
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Kansas City, KS
Posts: 665
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 55 Post(s)
Liked 6 Times in 5 Posts
Rain and almost 50. Was perfect in my rain suit though, well except my shoes and hands. Going to see if I can order something today it's looking like a really wet spring!
esmith2039 is offline  
Old 03-18-20, 08:58 AM
  #334  
HardyWeinberg
GATC
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: south Puget Sound
Posts: 8,728
Mentioned: 29 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 464 Post(s)
Liked 49 Times in 27 Posts
29F. Rush hour is less frantic these days but not vacant, for sure.
HardyWeinberg is offline  
Old 03-18-20, 10:55 AM
  #335  
Darth Lefty 
Disco Infiltrator
 
Darth Lefty's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Folsom CA
Posts: 13,775

Bikes: Stormchaser, Paramount, Tilt, Samba tandem

Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3126 Post(s)
Liked 2,102 Times in 1,366 Posts
I found this about near-miss.

World Wide Words: Near miss
__________________
Genesis 49:16-17
Darth Lefty is offline  
Likes For Darth Lefty:
Old 03-18-20, 01:42 PM
  #336  
phtomita
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Redmond, WA
Posts: 836

Bikes: '86 Nishiki Tri-A, '84 Centurion PT15, '03 Litespeed Firenze

Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 242 Post(s)
Liked 176 Times in 110 Posts
Since there is no such thing as commute anymore (wow) for me and for a while, I am instead taking a loop around early morning so I do some exercise.
Today was cold when left at 31F and did a hilly 24 miles to a place I've never been before. Tomorrow I am planning on a 22 mile lake loop.
phtomita is offline  
Old 03-18-20, 06:55 PM
  #337  
wipekitty
vespertine member
 
wipekitty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Land of Angora, Turkey
Posts: 2,476

Bikes: Yes

Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 687 Post(s)
Liked 220 Times in 163 Posts
I sort of commuted this evening.

We're allowed at work through the end of this week to pick up research materials that we ordered before everything closed down. One of mine came in, so it was a good excuse for a ride.

It was kind of odd to cycle around town in the evening, with most of the restaurants and bars shut down (take-out only now in NC). There seemed to be a bunch of college kids out wandering around.
wipekitty is offline  
Old 03-18-20, 09:40 PM
  #338  
madpogue 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Madison, WI USA
Posts: 6,872
Mentioned: 50 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2350 Post(s)
Liked 1,727 Times in 1,179 Posts
I've had to be in the office all week. City is ramping up to allow a LOT of admin staff to telework (that's what the kids are calling it these days....), and my team has been recruited to help set up laptops for VPN access, etc. We're going out to the woodshed, re-habbing some nearly C&V laptops that in some cases don't even have a battery that will hold a charge. That assignment should wrap up tomorrow, at which point we're being strongly encouraged to telework ourselves. Most of the team will be. I'm playing it by ear, I figure with only a few other people in the office, social distancing won't be a challenge. Plus, we're mostly in separate offices anyway. I do use the commute as a chance to be outside, and get some physical activity. I may just elect to telework and then ride on my own.

Today's ride - the morning "rain" forecast turned out to be snow, so I switched back to the stud-mobile. Just as I left, the snow turned to COLD rain. Turns out the roads and MUP were fine, but the studs were employed anyway. There was a City Engineering "Vactor" truck (aka "honey wagon") parked on the MUP behind a new-ish apartment building, the nozzle poked into some utility cover. Took up most of the path width, and a few staff milling around it. I just went off into the snow-covered grass siding the path, dropped it down a gear, and waved as I went by. Evening ride was in the rain. Traffic of all modes is definitely down.
madpogue is offline  
Old 03-19-20, 09:12 AM
  #339  
HardyWeinberg
GATC
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: south Puget Sound
Posts: 8,728
Mentioned: 29 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 464 Post(s)
Liked 49 Times in 27 Posts
30F, dry. Last sunrise of winter. The office is looking pretty good for social distancing, until they lock the last few of us out of it anyway.

HardyWeinberg is offline  
Old 03-19-20, 04:51 PM
  #340  
Darth Lefty 
Disco Infiltrator
 
Darth Lefty's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Folsom CA
Posts: 13,775

Bikes: Stormchaser, Paramount, Tilt, Samba tandem

Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3126 Post(s)
Liked 2,102 Times in 1,366 Posts
So I did actually sort of have a commute. I am not so good at CAD that I need a doorknob-controller but I'm also not so good at CAD that I can do it without a mouse, which I left on my desk. Also my debit card is missing and its last use was at the snack machine at work, so I had a look around for it, but no luck.

The park was positively crowded, people both walking and biking.

I think I've figured out why my Apple watch is giving such crap GPS readings. If I wear it next to my skin to get heart rate it's under my sweater and does not have line of sight to the sky. But on the other hand my phone never seemed to mind.

__________________
Genesis 49:16-17

Last edited by Darth Lefty; 03-19-20 at 04:59 PM.
Darth Lefty is offline  
Old 03-20-20, 08:05 AM
  #341  
Tundra_Man 
The Fat Guy In The Back
 
Tundra_Man's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Sioux Falls, SD
Posts: 2,527

Bikes: '81 Panasonic Sport, '02 Giant Boulder SE, '08 Felt S32, '10 Diamondback Insight RS, '10 Windsor Clockwork, '15 Kestrel Evoke 3.0, '19 Salsa Mukluk

Mentioned: 91 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 319 Post(s)
Liked 165 Times in 110 Posts
Consecutive bicycle work commute number 920:

Happy 1st day of spring!

We had temps in the 40s yesterday, but it rained all day. Around 5:00 the temp plummeted and the rain turned to snow. Woke up this morning to 13F temps with 2" of fresh snow.

The ride to work was slow and challenging. The heavy rain prior to the snow, combined with the freezing temps and car traffic turned everything into a frozen rutted mess. On top of that I had a 20 mph headwind, which meant I averaged about 6 mph for the commute. Thankfully I left the house early and arrived at my desk right at 8 AM.

I took a couple PSI out of my fat bike tires before I left the garage. Turned out to be a wise move, as the softer tires really improved grip on all the icy and snowy bumps.
__________________
Visit me at the Tundra Man Workshop
Tundra_Man is offline  
Old 03-20-20, 09:04 AM
  #342  
HardyWeinberg
GATC
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: south Puget Sound
Posts: 8,728
Mentioned: 29 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 464 Post(s)
Liked 49 Times in 27 Posts
33F; First sunrise of spring, last bike commute for foreseeable future
HardyWeinberg is offline  
Old 03-20-20, 09:06 AM
  #343  
HardyWeinberg
GATC
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: south Puget Sound
Posts: 8,728
Mentioned: 29 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 464 Post(s)
Liked 49 Times in 27 Posts
I added 10 miles to my ride home yesterday going to pick something up for a coworker who cannot leave the house. Neither the pharmacy nor house were where I thought they were when I offered, but either way I had the time and it was good to stretch my distance
HardyWeinberg is offline  
Old 03-20-20, 01:40 PM
  #344  
noglider 
aka Tom Reingold
 
noglider's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Posts: 40,691

Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem

Mentioned: 510 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7287 Post(s)
Liked 2,362 Times in 1,381 Posts
I've been afraid to check in on this thread. Our last day of in-person classes was March 12. Our first day of online classes was yesterday, March 19. My spouse and I have moved into our weekend home in the rural upstate area. It's peaceful and quiet here, and the air is clean. I've already taken some leisure bike rides, but I need to put some effort into them, because my overall mileage is reduced.
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog

“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author

Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
noglider is offline  
Old 03-20-20, 03:11 PM
  #345  
pdlamb
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: northern Deep South
Posts: 8,844

Bikes: Fuji Touring, Novara Randonee

Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2575 Post(s)
Liked 1,900 Times in 1,192 Posts
I noted elsewhere that my daily commute now involves riding some 20 miles from my garage to my living room office. Return trip is usually by foot. I think I've been more productive without MS Outhouse helpfully pinging me every 10 minutes or so, but it's going to be a stretch to be "productive" by the middle of next week.

Yesterday's commute was over a ridge that was closed for road construction for a while. It's a lot of fun to tag 40 or 45 mph going down the other side. Today I was a bit worried that the threatened thunderstorm would show up early, but I got lucky. It's rather interesting how many other people, and even couples, are outside in the middle of a work day.
pdlamb is offline  
Old 03-20-20, 03:19 PM
  #346  
HardyWeinberg
GATC
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: south Puget Sound
Posts: 8,728
Mentioned: 29 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 464 Post(s)
Liked 49 Times in 27 Posts
Originally Posted by pdlamb
It's rather interesting how many other people, and even couples, are outside in the middle of a work day.
The MUPS were jampacked yesterday, almost entirely with pedestrians but also with more parents leading (or following) straggling lines of grade and pre-schoolers on bikes. Nobody solo, everybody traveling in packs of various widths and depths.
HardyWeinberg is offline  
Old 03-20-20, 03:29 PM
  #347  
phtomita
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Redmond, WA
Posts: 836

Bikes: '86 Nishiki Tri-A, '84 Centurion PT15, '03 Litespeed Firenze

Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 242 Post(s)
Liked 176 Times in 110 Posts
^^^
To avoid afternoon or early evening when it seems people are outside, I am doing my 'commute' rides early in the morning. I see very few people and some cyclists.
phtomita is offline  
Old 03-21-20, 04:06 PM
  #348  
RidingMatthew
Let's Ride!
 
RidingMatthew's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Triad, NC USA
Posts: 2,569

Bikes: --2010 Jamis 650b1-- 2016 Cervelo R2-- 2018 Salsa Journeyman 650B

Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 327 Post(s)
Liked 37 Times in 24 Posts
5 day commuting week

with most of my personal afterwork commitments cancelled yet still working since I am a "critical" line of work apparently. Well at least this moment we are. It will be interesting to see what next week brings.

The weather this week has been gorgeous and tons of people have been "socially distancing" at the basketball court in the park (like 30 people there) 9-12 people and their dogs in the dog park etc. I am not sure but i think they are doing it wrong. I rode to and from work all 5 days this week. It is my highest mileage in a week in a long while. 149.8 miles this week.

Next week looks like it could be soggy. I am not sure if I will ride but am really tempted to depending on the rain predictions.
RidingMatthew is offline  
Old 03-22-20, 10:02 AM
  #349  
noglider 
aka Tom Reingold
 
noglider's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Posts: 40,691

Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem

Mentioned: 510 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7287 Post(s)
Liked 2,362 Times in 1,381 Posts
RidingMatthew, what kind of work do you do? In New York State, most people are not allowed to go to work unless their jobs are designated as essential. Interestingly, bike shops are marked essential. Demand has doubled in New York City.
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog

“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author

Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
noglider is offline  
Likes For noglider:
Old 03-24-20, 10:05 AM
  #350  
esmith2039
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Kansas City, KS
Posts: 665
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 55 Post(s)
Liked 6 Times in 5 Posts
NE wind and spitting rain.. Only a reduction in traffic in a few area otherwise seems to be same regardless of the stay at home order. Made a few of the lights interesting, the KCMO ones never change for bikes and the push buttons rarely work.
esmith2039 is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

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.