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2019! The “How was your commute?” thread!

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2019! The “How was your commute?” thread!

Old 07-24-19, 06:46 AM
  #1301  
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It was cool going home last night after some afternoon rains. And this morning was down to 62F. Very nice.
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Old 07-24-19, 07:29 AM
  #1302  
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I drove yesterday because if the rain storms yesterday. I am not sure when it started but the rain gauge at home show 3" of rain. Supposedly was a lot Monday night and all day Tuesday.

this morning it said 63F but I saw a low as 57F which is pretty chilly/ refreshing/ confusing compared to above 70F like last week. High in the low 80s and no rain.

it felt really good to ride in this morning.
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Old 07-24-19, 09:58 AM
  #1303  
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Exulting is the word of the day. Dry and cool, down into the low 60s. What a nice, unexpected change! I took the long way in, including a couple of hills I normally avoid because of traffic. This morning, though, the drivers were polite and waited patiently to pass me! I've called this kind of weather and conditions"bike touring advertising picture" days because these are the kinds of pictures I expect to see on the cover of Adventure Cyclist magazine or a touring brochure.

This is the kind of riding I started bicycling to enjoy. And this is the kind of day I'll ride through the heat, the cold, the humidity, and the rain, to develop and to maintain my physical condition so I can ride longer on days like this.
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Old 07-24-19, 10:18 AM
  #1304  
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After yesterday's MTB ride, today I took the roadie. This is the bike my BIL gave me, a steel 1992-ish mid grade model. It's fast! My time wasn't great because I stopped to make adjustments to the seat and went slow sometimes trying to get the front shifting dialed in. Even in spite of that it was faster than yesterday's MTB ride where I was trying hard all the time.
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Old 07-24-19, 12:04 PM
  #1305  
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I'm glad to read everyone's good news, especially @jade408 and @Darth Lefty's.
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Old 07-24-19, 12:25 PM
  #1306  
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Thanks Tom
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Old 07-24-19, 01:57 PM
  #1307  
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Originally Posted by pdlamb
@robertorolfo, was that Manhattangate picture this morning? I have to admit, I'd never heard of it until this year.
It was one day last week, although I'm not entirely sure which one. I live around there, and these days the sun is more or less setting between the buildings every night.
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Old 07-24-19, 03:36 PM
  #1308  
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How many miles do you guys/gals commute each day?
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Old 07-24-19, 03:45 PM
  #1309  
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Originally Posted by OhioJTrek
How many miles do you guys/gals commute each day?
Member @no motor? did a poll lately:
https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting...r-commute.html

If you look at our annual leaderboard you can see that a few people are doing 40 miles a day year round and have 8000 mile years. But some of us do far less... I've been more like 500 a year lately due to having small kids at home, I could do maybe 1500 if I rode every day all year.
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Old 07-25-19, 07:14 AM
  #1310  
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Consecutive bicycle work commute number 775:

Woke up to hear rain hitting the roof. I decided that I didn't feel like getting soaked by going to go out and do my normal 3 mile walk/run, so I set the alarm for an hour later and went back to sleep.

When I got up it was still raining, but not as heavy. I was originally planning on riding my road bike today, so I had packed a backpack. I moved everything out of the backpack and into my waterproof panniers and took my hybrid with fenders instead. Got a little wet during my ride, but thankfully not completely soaked.

Saw a very large beaver cross the MUP about 100 yards in front of me. Took me a few seconds to figure out what it was. From the size I originally thought it was a dog, but the legs were too short and it was much rounder than a dog. Futher down the trail I also startled a stray cat hunkered down under a railroad bridge.

I was rolling down the street when a guy got out of his car and saw me wearing my USF Cougars shirt (my alma mater) and he hollered, "Go Coo!" I raised my fist in the air and responded with a hearty, "Whoooo!" Another month until the football season starts.
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Old 07-25-19, 07:28 AM
  #1311  
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Originally Posted by OhioJTrek
How many miles do you guys/gals commute each day?
I don't do the mileage leaderboard posts because it's always the same for me, the last 4/5 years: 3650 miles/year commuting. A little under 16 per day, less if I take more surface streets.

For getting a decent ride in, 10-11 miles each way (my commute before I moved closer) was almost ideal. I like my shorter commute though because some days I'm not "riding" - I just want to get home.
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Old 07-25-19, 07:48 AM
  #1312  
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I was singing as I rode off this morning, "Oh what a beautiful mornin'! Oh what a beautiful day! I've got a... beau... ti... ful..." and then I ran out of breath.

It was that kind of a ride. Caught my #1 and #2 longest lights, then dusted a left-turning bus as he got a green and I turned right, all the way into the left turn lane before he cleared the intersection.

I was clicking through cyclecomputer displays and noticed I was about to hit a thousand mark. Watched it closely for 0.7 miles until it turned 54,000, and then traffic lights, streets, and traffic combined to make sure I didn't get to stare at it too long. (The bike is still younger in years than my daughter, the doctor!)

Originally Posted by OhioJTrek
How many miles do you guys/gals commute each day?
19 +20/-1 miles round trip, probably 150 days a year.
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Old 07-25-19, 09:36 AM
  #1313  
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Yesterday's afternoon ride prevented today's... I knocked off early yesterday and took the old, but new-to-me road bike on an hour ride to make sure it was all working and play with the trim. It was mostly ok, needs some work and parts but nothing that prevents riding it.

However it didn't occur to me that it was my fourth regular bike ride in 36 hours after being on the trike for three months. Today I set out and found myself too saddle-sore to consider riding. About five houses down, I turned around and got the truck.
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Old 07-25-19, 01:49 PM
  #1314  
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Up to 41,5°C (105°F) today. Commute felt like survival course :-)
Tour de France racers, respect!
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Old 07-26-19, 07:11 AM
  #1315  
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Originally Posted by OhioJTrek
How many miles do you guys/gals commute each day?
Average about 26 per day, but can be between 22 and 30.

Originally Posted by Bikewolf
Up to 41,5°C (105°F) today. Commute felt like survival course :-)
Tour de France racers, respect!
I took off work yesterday for my wife's birthday. She loves watching Le Tour, so watch we did. Huge climb! Julian Alaphilippe is hanging tough.

It has felt like fall the past couple of mornings with lower temps and dew points below 60F. Love it.

And Happy Friday!
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Old 07-26-19, 08:03 AM
  #1316  
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Another beautiful ride, with one exception. Construction dumpster truck driver seemed convinced that I was going to cut in front of him. For two blocks he was where my visual blind spot would be in the left lane, and revved his big, he-man diesel engine with every one of my pedal strokes (or so it seemed). I timed it right with the light, so when he could drive through the intersection, he decided it might be OK to pass me.

To make up for that, I had a couple cars and a pickup follow me down different streets, waiting until it was safe to pass. I'm not sure why most everyone is so mellow. It could be that it's Friday, it could be next to last weekend before school starts back. But I'll take that mellow and be grateful!
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Old 07-26-19, 08:12 AM
  #1317  
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I rode the velomobile in this morning. I try to ride it at least once a week (I prefer the two wheel recumbent in nice weather).

Traffic was light, as it usually is on fridays, but man, the motor just wasn't really working this morning. :/

I was hoping to get a long ride in after work, but I have a lot of errands to run that require the van, so I'm going almost straight home this evening.
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Old 07-26-19, 08:36 AM
  #1318  
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Not so good, really. I rear-ended a car while commuting to work this morning.

It was my own fault: there was a bus in the bus stop, and I was merging left into second lane to go around it. I matched the speed of cars driving on my left, and as I threw a quick glance over the shoulder to make sure I have enough room between the cars, the car in front of me stopped to a halt, because the bus had started to pull out of the stop into the second lane (the first lane was obstructed by roadworks). I slammed into the car while going something like 30 kph.

Fortunantely I sustained no injuries to speak of, just a couple bruises. My chin is probably turning an interesting colour now, as I banged it pretty good on the car's rear window, but it's covered with beard so no one will notice. Put a small dent on the rear of the car and cracked its bumper with my front wheel. My bike seems to be fine overall - the left bar-end which made the contact is a bit crooked but the front wheel is true and even the fork seems to have survived the crash; I'll inspect it more closely in the evening, but it looks straight and I didn't notice any changes in steering.

Oh well, another lesson learned, I guess. Could be worse, I don 't want to imagine the outcome if the car behind me didn't stop in time.
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Old 07-26-19, 10:40 AM
  #1319  
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Yesterday AM a bug went full kamikaze into my eyeball. I finally dug it out at 3PM. RIP.

My collarbone is 9 weeks post surgery (it got busted into 4pcs) and I got the green light to mountain bike again.
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Old 07-26-19, 12:07 PM
  #1320  
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Originally Posted by subgrade
Not so good, really. I rear-ended a car while commuting to work this morning.

It was my own fault: there was a bus in the bus stop, and I was merging left into second lane to go around it. I matched the speed of cars driving on my left, and as I threw a quick glance over the shoulder to make sure I have enough room between the cars, the car in front of me stopped to a halt, because the bus had started to pull out of the stop into the second lane (the first lane was obstructed by roadworks). I slammed into the car while going something like 30 kph.

Fortunantely I sustained no injuries to speak of, just a couple bruises. My chin is probably turning an interesting colour now, as I banged it pretty good on the car's rear window, but it's covered with beard so no one will notice. Put a small dent on the rear of the car and cracked its bumper with my front wheel. My bike seems to be fine overall - the left bar-end which made the contact is a bit crooked but the front wheel is true and even the fork seems to have survived the crash; I'll inspect it more closely in the evening, but it looks straight and I didn't notice any changes in steering.

Oh well, another lesson learned, I guess. Could be worse, I don 't want to imagine the outcome if the car behind me didn't stop in time.
Sorry to hear about that. My closest call recently was a similar situation: the car (SUV in my case) in front of me stopping short while I was looking behind at traffic in an adjacent lane. Those are always tough situations, especially if the car stopping is doing so unexpectedly (in my case an Uber idiot breaking for no reason, which they are wont to do).
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Old 07-26-19, 01:05 PM
  #1321  
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Cooler temps this morning too!
58F is the lowest i saw on the Garmin. i did not wear a vest it was sorta chilly but I survived
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Old 07-26-19, 03:48 PM
  #1322  
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Originally Posted by noglider
I'm glad to read everyone's good news, especially @jade408 and @Darth Lefty's.
Thanks! So happy to be on the bike commute train! My sleep has been so great this week.
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Old 07-29-19, 06:13 AM
  #1323  
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A very pleasant uneventful commute this am.
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Old 07-29-19, 06:28 AM
  #1324  
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Pretty crazy story @subgrade - glad you and the bike will be okay.

I did not ride today due to some kid taxi duties and needing to leave work early. We're getting back to warmer temps though after fall like mornings last week.
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Old 07-29-19, 07:28 AM
  #1325  
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Mornings are still nice here, but the afternoons are reminding us it's still summer. I left a little bit late for an early meeting, but focused on keeping pressure on the pedals. Minor thing, but one of the quicker commutes I've made this year. And of course took the hill close to the office, because it's shorter, and thoroughly enjoyed the downhill. A few moments of channeling the TdF riders "carving" my way into the parking lot, swung wide into the lane and cut closer to the curb than usual at a blistering 17 mph. -)
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