GriddleCakes

Nice weather all week, heading into a three day weekend for me. Exception was this morning; an overnight temperature inversion had trapped smoke in the Anchorage bowl from a couple of wildfires burning down south, leaving town thick with smoke, especially here in East Anchorage where my commute starts. I was smart enough to remember to grab my lights, but neglected to grab a face mask or bandana. I tend to go hard on the ride in, averaging between 17 and 21 mph on an empty early morning MUP, depending on how late I'm running. After 25 minutes of moderate to hard breathing, I was start to feel the smoke in my lungs by the time I got to work, and then for the rest of the day; even now, when I breathe deeply, I can feel it. Thankfully I have a few days to recover.

Good looking bike!

No, the reason that the left hand right turn signal exists is to allow motorist to hand signal right turns; it's really difficult to reach out the passenger window and maintain control of the vehicle, and not many of us drive with a chimpanzee sidekick ("Right turn, Clyde").

On a narrow vehicle like a bicycle or motorcycle, sticking your right arm out is actually highly visible to both rearward and forward road users. Seriously, it's super obvious; the only road position that you can't see it from is directly to the left, to which user your signal is unnecessary information. You should give it a try.

FWIW, a number of states and municipalities have written into their statutes that motorcyclists and bicyclists can use right arm signals for right hand turns. Up here the few motorcyclists that hand signal their turns use their right arms for right turns; I've never seen a motorcyclist use the old bent-left-arm signal. I've shared the highway with these guys, and their right turn signals are very obvious, even from the comfortable, mind-numbing depths of my motor vehicle. And ever since I switch over to signaling with my right arm, I've had zero confusion and zero conflict with motorists over my right turns.

dcb23

Simply perfect out there this morning. Sun rising, green, a slight headwind...

bulevardi

No commute today.
I had to run and walk instead.

I tried to get the steering bar of my bike a little higher, and started with screwing that bolt out.
Started boggling... Couldn't get the bolt inside anymore.

Then noticed it was time to leave to catch my train.
Run Forrest, Run !

Hopefully I get this fixed tonight.

wapiti

Cariboo is a beast. Used to live right by Cariboo Park and I found all sorts of ways to not have to ride up Cariboo.

in Kelowna now, my morning commute is about 30 m of climbing. My afternoon commute is about 300 m of climbing. The morning ride is much faster!

joeyduck

I have two routes. My home to work is south on Heather to 37th then I get on Cambie and over to Richmond on the Canada Line pedestrian bridge and east on River Road (with deviation since River Road gets interrupted between Number 5 and 6 roads). I go almost to Number 6 road and Bridgeport. The same destination as when I lived in Burquitlam. The commute home is nearly identical, just reversed, the Cambie hill is nicer I think that Heather and a better ride than getting to Heather along Kent.

My daycare drop is east to Broadway and Slocan along 18th to Fraser and then on 10 ave to Slocan and finally north to Broadway. Then head south on slocan until it meets nanaimo and take that until 57th then Argyle and to the Knight bridge. The way home is over the bridge and up the hill at Argyle to Victoria until 34th and then to Slocan and continue from there.

They are nice and manageable distances and do not get me too tired. The old Burquitlam Richmond commute was just too long and exhausting everyday.

joeyduck

I had a rough start to my ride home last night. I usually make a call going over Knight street bridge to take the road or sidewalk. I rarely take the sidewalk, I find it too narrow, bumpy and sometimes crowded. Well last night I took it and get about 1/3rd of the way across and a guy was holding up a fellow in front of me. By holding us up, he was going a steady 8-10 km/h, even on the downhill. The fellow was slow and really wobbly, so at 1/3rd my pace I just had to wait it out. Then I had a fellow come up behind me ring his bell and it sounded like he was approaching, and fast. So I waved him back and glanced. At the slow speed my glance made me veer, the narrowness made my front pannier scrape the wall and sent me wholly off balance. And down I went. No damage, a little scrape on my brakes, some bruises from my frame. More embarrassed than anything. Got up look behind me there about 6 other cyclists behind me, that makes 8 behind the one slow guy, on a sidewalk barely wide enough for a bike and pedestrian.

When the slow guy finally pulled over, he nearly fell off and down a hill. I was proud of him riding at his low level of ability, but it seemed out of necessity. Though if this is his choice over walking I am glad he wasn't walking.

Finally I got away and off on the normal commute. I did run into the other guy in front of me (not the slow one) on the way home again, after picking my son up. I managed to put about 15 minutes between us from passing him on the bridge, I was impressed by that.

jrickards

All things considered, I'm glad you fell without your son.

joeyduck

My thought exactly. I think I had previously decided I would never take him on that bridge. It is just too narrow.

I should also add at fault was my complacency at the low speed.

tarwheel 

Nice commute this morning with warm temps but high humidity. Legs felt great after taking a rest day. Radar is showing a lot of storms popping up, however, so I might be trying to dodge showers on the trip home.

groovestew

Not technically a commute, but I had a very nice pre-work ride this morning (working from home today). Beautiful riding weather. Days like this give me an opportunity to ride my "nice" bike - the one I'd rather not leave unattended downtown - and also ride some of the nice trails the city has built that are in the opposite direction as my normal commute.

joeyduck

It was a bit rainy, but not too bad. We have been so spoiled this winter with little rain, I feel. I had a nice ride, there was no wind and not many other commuters. I always feel fast in the rain, though I can never confirm it since my computer seems to work sporadically in the speeds between 15 and 35. It does not work outside this range in the rain.

I am curious to see how the bike to work week crowd in Vancouver turns out next week.

The other day I booked a mobile tune up with a shop truck in town for Monday. I am excited; they come to my work, service what I won't and are on their way. All of this for only a small price premium and high savings in inconvenience.

HydroG33r 

I'm sad to be missing Vancouver BTWW, but the sadness is mitigated by two things:

1. I will not have to deal with the increased proportion of people who don't know how to ride courteously, and
2. I'll be at a conference in Chile. Winter there is still better than summer here :-)

joeyduck

Agreed. No sympathy for the conference in Chile, need a sherpa?

I am not looking forward to the 10th ave commute with all those in category 1. But I have no fears about the north south one, they will probably stay off the main roads.

Though BTWW may find me looking for a new route home from daycare.

It was a great commute home today. Watched a parallel parking fender bender, with the woman in the parked car too. I just waited, the victim checked the damage and decided she was not going to report it or worry. Otherwise I was a witness for her, she did not want my info though. The parking car ended up with a nice gouge, I guess she hit the parked cars license plate and scraped her bumper.

Got to the boy and get him saddled up and putzed along, our coasting speed is 20 km per hour, pretty quick I think. We even ran into some friends and their new born; it was nice to see them out and about. They were looking good for having a toddler and newborn.

Got home only to find other friends were waiting for us to bring the sushi. Great commute and night!

mgw4jc

Did a bonus "commute" today. On my normal route I pass an open space area with some mountain biking and hiking trails. It is only 4 miles away from home. So I biked there this morning, did some trail running and biked back. I saw several other recreational riders out too. A nice cool morning for a ride & run.

Panza

Decided to commute on my carbon road bike today. An older man and his son on mountain bikes were waiting at a crosswalk with me. As we finished crossing, the man told his son "Look at his bike, I bet you those things fly." So I gave a good take off back onto the road in a low cadence gear to make things look easy and I sprinted off to prove him right for his son. It made my day. : )!

esmith2039

Not bad my leg muscles healed a bit over the weekend. A bit wet starting out.. defiantly was humid out. Was 62 at the top of the hills and 68 in the bottoms. Typically it's the opposite. May pour on the way home.

jrickards

A beautiful, mild morning of 13C/55F with a forecast for 27C/81F this afternoon, it's going to be hot. Sunny and mid-20s (~75F) highs for the rest of the week.

Hopslam

Just returned to commuting . I love working Sundays & holidays . 55 degrees morning 80 on way home . The road was all mine in the mourning . No traffic NONE : )

Cheers : )

joeyduck

It was nice this morning. My legs were well rested and the rain let up.

I had a close call with a pedestrian though. A short lady came out from between two cars and did not look my way. I swerved to go behind her, but she heard my brake squeal and stopped with a back step right in my way. I stopped okay and gave her a curt look both ways and don't stop in the middle of the road. I biked by a few bike to work week stations. One station was giving massages, I hope they are there on the way home!

My bike is being serviced by a mobile crew right now. He comfirmed my thought my rims are shot. Try to build them on my own or get them built. The prediciment. I am mechanically inclined, have a great attention to detail and can keep my attention on the task. Therefore I can do it, it will take me longer than I want to have my bike down and I will want to have them checked out after. Or just pay.

Anyone have suggestions? I am good with details and my attention. Is wheel building as bad once you get started?

timvan_78

Bike to work week here. I took 10th instead of Lamey's Mill and passed 6 commuter stations (a few were just setting up).

LOL: It's quite possible to have a calorie-positive commute with all the snacks they hand out. Should I drive to work so I don't gain weight? jk.

SpiderDad

Coffee and blueberry scone at Adanac and Commercial! I may have to alter by commute tomorrow to find more freebies...

wapiti

Wheel building is pretty easy, just take your time. I do it when a hockey game is on.

no riding for me today, fighting a horrid cold and my wife wouldn't let me ride this morning. Went to the clinic today, got a scrip for something to help me sleep instead of cough ... back on the pedals tomorrow.

virre

First commute, or well half commute (i.e I am at work today) in a long time (About as long as from my last post to this forum).

And from that time I acctually changed my job, so it was kind of a new tour, and my 25 Kgs more was certanliy making an impact on the ride. But I did somehow get to work as the second person on my team. I did go off the bike for portions, mostly due to traffic, so it was once when there was a big garbage truck that was blocking almost the full street in town and when I passed the crossing that have most accidents in this town I decided to be a pedrestian and use the redlighted crossing instead of try to bike in high-traffic.
Also I had to cary the bike up a few stairs because thats one of the ways that I think will be the qucikest to work.

(Thats really one of the main issues, what way to take to work when I get to the lake that is part of this towns build-up.

motoboy

Beautiful ride in today. It is getting warmer and more humid, but was still a blast.

dcb23

Back on the commute after a long holiday weekend. 72F / 22C humid, light wind, light skies, runners all over the bike lanes...grrrr.