2013!! How Was your Commute Today?
#4051
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2013!! How Was your Commute Today?
9 degrees, but the winds were calm. I ride with safety glasses, but I'm thinking of getting some goggles on these really cold days.
#4052
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Location: Alpharetta, GA
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I rode in today mainly to make sure everything was stable at work - as a software engineer I get antsy if I'm not staying on top of systems I've designed. Typical Georgia winter morning, above freezing, damp, encountering more deer than people on the forest path. I'll probably come in tomorrow also, and that's it for the year with 234 days commuting. I never missed a day (or was even late) due to weather or health or mechanical, so it's been a good year.
#4053
tougher than a boiled owl
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Quite the same here but we didn't lose electrical power in my area. Still too much ice for a bike commute.
My last ride of 2013 as took place on the 17th of december, hoping 2014 will be good for me and my bike
Happy new year to all of you. It's a pleasure to read from all of you every morning.
My last ride of 2013 as took place on the 17th of december, hoping 2014 will be good for me and my bike
Happy new year to all of you. It's a pleasure to read from all of you every morning.
#4054
Senior Member
A nice ride in today at just under 40f. Lots of bums wandering the streets; it almost looked like The Walking Dead. What a great last commute of the year!
#4055
ouate de phoque
I remember very well. In St-Césaire some parts of the village were out of power for more than a month, we were in the worst area of it. But for me its good memories: I spent 3 weeks not working (garage closed for lack of electricity) helping out family and neighboors getting wathever they needed from food to fire wood. Helping other is always very rewarding.
#4057
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Happy New Year everyone! Mods...time for that 2014 thread.
Temps just around 32F/0C....some police/fire activity forced a slight detour but otherwise the last inbound commute of 2013 was a pleasant one.
Temps just around 32F/0C....some police/fire activity forced a slight detour but otherwise the last inbound commute of 2013 was a pleasant one.
#4059
recumbent bike advocate
Join Date: Sep 2008
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Final commute of the year. Didn't ride yesterday as it was raining first thing in the morning, but did get on my bike this morning for the commute to work. 60 degrees with a 10mph wind from the NNE, and (of course) I was headed NE for the trip. Took about 30 minutes, very light traffic, and no fuss. When I got into work today, I went through my daytimer and found that I commuted on the bike 45 times this past year, out of 223 days worked. I EXPECTED to do a lot more than that, but this has been one of the wettest years on record and I have a perfectly good car, to drive on days when the forecast calls for an 80% chance of rain. I vow to do better next year, and bike twice as many times as I did this year.
Tractor Tom in Okeechobee, FL
Tractor Tom in Okeechobee, FL
#4060
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I have a confession to make. I had enough vacation leave to take off today but decided to work this morning so I could get one final ride and top 5,000 miles bike commuting for the year. Our on-line time system was down over the weekend, so I didn't realize that I had enough vacation left to take off an entire extra day until I checked our records yesterday. Since I was so close to reaching my 5K goal for the year, I decided to just come into work for the morning.
I really messed up my vacation planning this year and ended up taking off 3 weeks in November and December, with cold and lousy weather much of that time. One of my goals for 2014 will be to plan some bike trips and make better use of my leave. What threw me off this year is that my employer gave us an extra week of leave in lieu of pay, plus I passed the 15-year mark, which gave me another week -- so I had two extra weeks of vacation but didn't take off enough time while the weather was still nice. Despite that, I topped 9,000 total miles cycling for the first time even though I didn't take a bike tour for the first time in a number of years. I won't let that happen next year and already have at least two trips planned.
I really messed up my vacation planning this year and ended up taking off 3 weeks in November and December, with cold and lousy weather much of that time. One of my goals for 2014 will be to plan some bike trips and make better use of my leave. What threw me off this year is that my employer gave us an extra week of leave in lieu of pay, plus I passed the 15-year mark, which gave me another week -- so I had two extra weeks of vacation but didn't take off enough time while the weather was still nice. Despite that, I topped 9,000 total miles cycling for the first time even though I didn't take a bike tour for the first time in a number of years. I won't let that happen next year and already have at least two trips planned.
#4061
Senior Member
I have a confession to make. I had enough vacation leave to take off today but decided to work this morning so I could get one final ride and top 5,000 miles bike commuting for the year. Our on-line time system was down over the weekend, so I didn't realize that I had enough vacation left to take off an entire extra day until I checked our records yesterday. Since I was so close to reaching my 5K goal for the year, I decided to just come into work for the morning.
+1 here, reading this thread is part of my morning ritual. Hope someone is planning to start the 2014 version?!
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#4062
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Well I was so close to topping 2,500 miles for this, my first year of commuting (only just started in May). Unfortunately today was my first ride in 3 solid weeks due to some respiratory crap I've been fighting plus I was off all last week. When I get home tonight I'll be at 2,486 miles for the year, and I simply don't have time to ride an extra 15 miles to get over 2,500. Oh well. Maybe next year I can top 3,000 miles.
This morning set a new record for coldest ride for me, 23° according to my bike computer. Toes were still like ice blocks and thighs were getting numb so I still need to make some changes.
This morning set a new record for coldest ride for me, 23° according to my bike computer. Toes were still like ice blocks and thighs were getting numb so I still need to make some changes.
#4063
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I did the same thing as tarwheel, blowing off a vacation day that is, but I had a different excuse than a mileage goal - my commute mileage being way down this year anyway, only 3900 miles. For today I can only say "cold", mainly because I didn't want to mess with a jacket. A coworker following me out yesterday evening, and we commented about the blast of cold air as the outside door opened. Then she was literally stunned when she saw me prepping the bike at the rack just outside. She asked the usual questions, how far, how often, aren't you going to freeze (I only had on a jersey since it was no colder than about 45°!) and a new one, how do you keep from getting colds. After three years here, people still have the idea that it must be an ordeal.
This has been a really good year for commuting despite the lower miles traveled. I moved in May which shortened the distance to 7.5 miles, just about ideal in terms of convenience although I miss the longer ride sometimes. I've had zero mechanical issues with my bike built two years ago January, with I guess about 12000 miles on it total. No injuries or even little falls this year, not a single problem with any motorist that I can recall anyway. Yet plenty of adventures.
My commuting reports are getting a little repetitive but I'll still look in from time to time and for now I'll just wish everyone "happy trails" for 2014!
This has been a really good year for commuting despite the lower miles traveled. I moved in May which shortened the distance to 7.5 miles, just about ideal in terms of convenience although I miss the longer ride sometimes. I've had zero mechanical issues with my bike built two years ago January, with I guess about 12000 miles on it total. No injuries or even little falls this year, not a single problem with any motorist that I can recall anyway. Yet plenty of adventures.
My commuting reports are getting a little repetitive but I'll still look in from time to time and for now I'll just wish everyone "happy trails" for 2014!
#4064
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Well last commute in this morning for 2013it was 21F when I left the house. No traffic to speak of.
Forecast for the rest of the week looks like the snow tires are going back on. As for vaction versus
miles, if they want to pay me to stay home, fine by me.
Forecast for the rest of the week looks like the snow tires are going back on. As for vaction versus
miles, if they want to pay me to stay home, fine by me.
#4065
aka Tom Reingold
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I rode to a client today, about 5 miles each way. It's cold and windy out. The ride made me very sleepy.
I've seen bumper stickers that say, "A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work." My attitude about cycling is similar. If all I can do is take a couple of short trips in challenging weather, I'll do it gratefully. It still puts me in a good mood.
I've seen bumper stickers that say, "A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work." My attitude about cycling is similar. If all I can do is take a couple of short trips in challenging weather, I'll do it gratefully. It still puts me in a good mood.
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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.
#4066
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Boss let us off work early yesterday, so I had the pleasure of riding home in daylight, 50+ degrees with warm sunshine. I still wore tights over bike shorts but only a jersey. Absolutely glorious ride. I took some roundabout ways near home which added a couple of miles. I actually rode 17.5 miles faster than it took me to go 15.5 miles yesterday morning when it was freezing.
I also did did a couple of errands by bike during work which added another 3 miles or so. I had a few other undocumented rides like that this year, so while I had 2,488 documented miles on Strava, I'm still calling it over 2,500 for 2013.
I also did did a couple of errands by bike during work which added another 3 miles or so. I had a few other undocumented rides like that this year, so while I had 2,488 documented miles on Strava, I'm still calling it over 2,500 for 2013.
#4068
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43°F and raining when I left the house.
I rode 3 miles to the MTA stop, then rode another 1/2 mile to the office once downtown.
The temps are supposed to drop, into the teens by tonight, with snow mid-day.
My mirror was broken off the handlebar when I got off the MTA.
I rode 3 miles to the MTA stop, then rode another 1/2 mile to the office once downtown.
The temps are supposed to drop, into the teens by tonight, with snow mid-day.
My mirror was broken off the handlebar when I got off the MTA.