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2014!! How was your commute today?

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2014!! How was your commute today?

Old 02-18-14, 08:36 PM
  #426  
PatrickGSR94
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Wow... wow... just, wow. Fastest ride/commute ever going home today. PR on one segment and my 2nd fastest time on the other one. Highest top speed ever. I've ridden this same route with tail winds before (15-20 MPH at my back today) but I've never been this fast. First time breaking the 15 MPH average mark. I tried to make the 15.5 miles in under 60 minutes, but just barely missed it at 61 minutes moving time.

I think the new wheels had something to do with it.

Cloudy but temps in the upper 60's. Long sleeve jersey and shorts had me sweating like crazy.

https://app.strava.com/activities/114339468

Last edited by PatrickGSR94; 02-18-14 at 08:41 PM.
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Old 02-19-14, 05:30 AM
  #427  
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36F 2C spring finally starting to break through...I think we get another cold blast next week but hopefully the snow is gone for good after this week.
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Old 02-19-14, 06:24 AM
  #428  
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I was slow getting out the door this morning, I couldn't find one of my lightweight 'summer' gloves.
Once I hit the street it was quick. The streets were wet, so I slowed in the corners but otherwise great ride.. oh and warm 62°F
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Old 02-19-14, 06:52 AM
  #429  
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bought a new bike jacket against the cold. worth every penny! now winter commuting is even more fun :-)
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Old 02-19-14, 08:21 AM
  #430  
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Best commute of the year, 50°F with wet roads but no rain. Start my new job in a couple of weeks so my commute will go from 5 miles each way to 8. Already have my new routes planned out and did a trial run yesterday.
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Old 02-19-14, 08:40 AM
  #431  
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First commute in a week, I gave too much credit to the weatherman monday and yesterday but we didn't have half the forecasted snow. So today I took my bike, we're suposed to get 1-3 cm of snow but I took a chance anyway.
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Old 02-19-14, 08:49 AM
  #432  
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First commute in nearly two weeks, I had given up for most of February due to the cold. Thought my heart was going to explode in the first 3 miles, but darn it felt good to be out again.
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Old 02-19-14, 08:56 AM
  #433  
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First commute since January. Nice start, if a little cold. Turned into a miserable cold wet ride once it started raining. My legs weren't nearly as tired as I thought they'd be, although I was staying in lower gears.

About 100 feet from the office, I wiped out on a patch of ice in the alley and banged my head pretty good. I think I was paying too much attention to the oncoming car and completely missed that I was riding over ice. I didn't black out or anything, but I'm definitely having minor memory issues. The impact seems to have trigged a migraine as well, although that could just be the stress of being cold and falling.

On the bright side, the weather should be sunny and warmer coming home; high in the low 40s.
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Old 02-19-14, 09:04 AM
  #434  
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Ouch man, get better. Probably need to replace that helmet, too.

Forecast for tomorrow includes strong storms and 25-35 MPH winds. So most likely no riding tomorrow.
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Old 02-19-14, 09:12 AM
  #435  
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Shorts and jersey weather here, felt like Spring!
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Old 02-19-14, 09:15 AM
  #436  
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Great commute! 20F and saw a beautiful sunrise. I actually added some extra miles on my way in and I didn't want to stop. We are suppose to get up to 38F this afternoon, whoohoo! Of course we're suppose to get clobbered by more snow tonight and tomorrow and then back in the cellar (below -0F) for another week. I hope this cold stuff comes to an end soon, it's getting old.
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Old 02-19-14, 09:18 AM
  #437  
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Below freezing but the roads were bare. I haven't been biking to work for 5 weeks (vacation and working out of town where I walked to work), so it was over due. Made good time, too. Empty roads at 4 am are a thing of beauty.
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Old 02-19-14, 09:59 AM
  #438  
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Back on the bike after business travel kept me in a car Monday and Tuesday. One of these days I may take the bike to Tijuana. Rail and trolley to San Ysidro, bike eight miles to Otay, lock it at a pay lot in view of the attendant that is starting to recognize me. (Next to the half dozen or so Wally's that are left there unlocked). Then walk over "la linea" and grab a cab to the plant.

If I get really brave I will take the bike down, but that will take a lot more scouting. https://goo.gl/maps/2GdbO

Last edited by CommuteCommando; 02-19-14 at 10:05 AM.
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Old 02-19-14, 11:00 AM
  #439  
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38F this morning - wow! The fair weather commuters are coming out - easily recognizable by their unwillingness to say good morning
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Old 02-19-14, 12:09 PM
  #440  
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Was nearly left-hooked in the bikelane this morning. I think I actually rubbed my front wheel on the car's rear panel but managed to keep it up right. Was quite agitated and told the driver to use his blinker next time so people have some effing idea where he's going. I am calmer now.
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Old 02-19-14, 12:36 PM
  #441  
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@PatrickGSR94: Thanks for the well-wishes. The helmet isn't cracked at all, so I think it's fine. My head hit the ground last after my elbow and shoulder. The confusion from earlier this morning is gone, but looking on the web it seems like I had a Grade 1 concussion.
@caloso: Glad you escaped without collision. I'm having trouble picturing a left hook in the bike lane. Could you elaborate?
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Old 02-19-14, 12:39 PM
  #442  
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Probably an oncoming car trying to turn left in front of him, maybe? Or a bike lane on the left side of a one-way street.
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Old 02-19-14, 01:30 PM
  #443  
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Patrick wins the prize. One way street, two motor lanes with a bike lane on each side.
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Old 02-19-14, 02:25 PM
  #444  
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Dark, raining mixed with snow, 36 degrees F. It was my first ride of this month, and I've been getting out of shape. I chose sweating in my rain gear over getting wet from the rain, and that worked out OK. Right now the sun outside is tormenting me by making me hope for a nicer ride home. At least it should be daylight for part of it.
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Old 02-19-14, 03:04 PM
  #445  
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Yesterday was cold (just above freezing) and wet (raining a lot) headwind both ways, and dark. It was still good to ride again, though, now that my stomache has recovered...

This AM was nice: clear, with some patches of black ice. I didn't slip, but a fellow commuter went down--no damage though.
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Old 02-19-14, 03:22 PM
  #446  
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Rode about 3 Km to the elderly care home where my mom is staying this week (need a break here at the house!), gave her some papers to sign, and then rode about 4 Km / 100m ascent to the bank/supermarket. Did the shopping, and rode back home, thankfully mostly downhill.

It's rather stressful, as the trip is through the main highway that goes through town - wide shoulder, but cars and big trucks passing by. All of my house, the care home, and the supermarket are in the kinds of suburbs that connect to the highway, but don't have smaller connections between themselves (goddamn city planners! or the lack thereof!). So one *must* take the highway.

There is a particularly irksome spot by a government office which is on the side of the highway. There's a pedestrian overpass, an important bus stop, a taxi stand, all in the same place. Think "everyone stops wherever the hell they want", and you have to weave through buses, taxis, clueless pedestrians, food carts...

Every morning there are some sporty cyclists on that highway, training for something, and a few "invisible" commuters. So today I guess I was the fancy dude with the helmet and panniers.

(Am I the only smug **** who has an ear-to-ear grin when the good baguettes stick out of the panniers...?)
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Old 02-19-14, 09:26 PM
  #447  
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First commute by bike in along while. Hit some black ice on the Brooklyn Bridge and landed flat on my ass. Got to class and realized that my messenger bag was covered in road slush. Also what idiot decided to only shoves the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge path on the south side?
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Old 02-19-14, 10:39 PM
  #448  
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Originally Posted by PatrickGSR94
Wow... wow... just, wow. Fastest ride/commute ever going home today. PR on one segment and my 2nd fastest time on the other one. Highest top speed ever. I've ridden this same route with tail winds before (15-20 MPH at my back today) but I've never been this fast. First time breaking the 15 MPH average mark. I tried to make the 15.5 miles in under 60 minutes, but just barely missed it at 61 minutes moving time.

I think the new wheels had something to do with it.



Cloudy but temps in the upper 60's. Long sleeve jersey and shorts had me sweating like crazy.

https://app.strava.com/activities/114339468
I remember my first 15+ average commute (9 mi) Great feeling, and it gets better as you keep getting faster. I just did another. https://www.strava.com/activities/114607078
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Old 02-20-14, 05:50 AM
  #449  
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41F 5C, no wind at all...I shed my outer layer and balaclava and wore lighter gloves. Amazing how much more I can see and hear without my goggles too!
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Old 02-20-14, 08:16 AM
  #450  
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Roads were a bit icy/slotchy this morning, -5° celcius with a big cross Wind.
The legs felt weak at the end of the ride, not riding a lot so far this winter...
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