A funny thing happened on the way to the forum...
Official commuter thread
- Thread starter LordOpie
- Start date
I have a new found respect for you crazies that ride when it's 30* and lower!!! I rode home last night and back to work this morning and it was COLD!!!! I wore my winter gloves (Axo storm), windbreaker over a polar fleece jersey, windproof tights and my swiftwick merino wool socks, with my beanie under my helmet. My hands were pretty cold (guess I should have put the liners in my gloves afterall) and toes were a little cold, but my core seemed okay. The worst of my ride is the first 1 mile...poor road condition (lots of sand, pot holes and frost heaves) and it's all downhill. But once I got to the flat & started climbing I warmed up a little. How do you prepare for these cold temps?
My first mile is downhill too and that's a tough way to start. Really, it all just comes down to windproof stuff for me. I am using some lobster claw -40 gloves in the winter but my hands still get cold. I have permanent damage to them probably because they are NEVER warm. I have an awesome thermal riding jacket that is my single most favorite cold weather item. I add a balaclava face protector when it is below 25 so that my skin stays soft and supple
Have you ever tried double layered gloves? Made a huge improvement for me this year and my hands have been nice an toasty.My first mile is downhill too and that's a tough way to start. Really, it all just comes down to windproof stuff for me. I am using some lobster claw -40 gloves in the winter but my hands still get cold. I have permanent damage to them probably because they are NEVER warm. I have an awesome thermal riding jacket that is my single most favorite cold weather item. I add a balaclava face protector when it is below 25 so that my skin stays soft and supple
Everything are you sure 
LOL! My core was okay and my feet were a little cold, but my hands were freezing. I thought about the toasties things too, but didn't have any at home. I guess I should have tried my leather snowmobiling gloves?
Seriously, if it works go with it.
best piece of advice out thereSeriously, if it works go with it.
empty roads, geese honking overhead, mixed smells of beer brewing and coffee roasting, sun rising, legs burning
hahahah at those bikes D
D
First commute of 2010 for me. I know, I know, slacker...
I just need to get back into the routine. Might be more difficult if/when I get a 2nd job (hopefully this month). I'm hoping to be able to ride to both.
Oh yeah and a duck almost took me out this morning - I was riding down the canal bank and it jumped out, had to swerve at the last minute. I think it was laughing as I rode away.
I just need to get back into the routine. Might be more difficult if/when I get a 2nd job (hopefully this month). I'm hoping to be able to ride to both.
Oh yeah and a duck almost took me out this morning - I was riding down the canal bank and it jumped out, had to swerve at the last minute. I think it was laughing as I rode away.
19 degrees for my ride in this morning. It hasn't been that cold in awhile so it was a shock to the system. Freezing snot!
Deschutes is DEFINTELY brewing this morning. It smelled like hops and wort all the way to work.
Ho hum, it's another great morning.
Got to try my new rain jacket this morning. Only problem is that it is the only water proof thing I have. Definitely need some waterproof shoe covers...
I bit the bullet a while back and bought a waterproof shell for commuting to work. It's easier than changing your clothes when you arrive.
I had something a little odd today.Was stopped at a set of traffic lights and this van drives past with the back door open but nothing sticking out and I can see some coin bags. Then I hear this 'ching ching' noise which turns out to be cars running over 2 cloth coin bags on the road. So I grab them and stuff them in my backpack and ride to work (tough work since they are very heavy).
Check out the loot when I get in and there is $100 in 10 cent coins and $100 in 20 cent coins. Both bags have the name of the company that dropped them on it so I give them a call and ask them to come and get their money. Not surprisingly the bloke who showed up was very appreciative. I assume that someone got their butt kicked for that.
Check out the loot when I get in and there is $100 in 10 cent coins and $100 in 20 cent coins. Both bags have the name of the company that dropped them on it so I give them a call and ask them to come and get their money. Not surprisingly the bloke who showed up was very appreciative. I assume that someone got their butt kicked for that.
?wtf?
They are lucky someone honest found them!
We have strange foreign money here.
The company who's money it was dropped off a bottle of single malt scotch today. So I got to feel good about myself and get drunk as well!
Where are you?
Beautiful morning for a commute so I grabbed my bike and headed to school. Along the way, I had my first bike/car incident! I am fine and my bike is fine, but it was definitely an eye-opener!!! Going through town, a car backed out of it's driveway right in front of me. Thankfully, I don't trust people so I was going rather slow (there is a convenient store right next the driveway that she backed out of and it's line of sight is totally obstructed by the house). I was able to grab my breaks and landed on the car (I think I tossed my bike to the right enough that it didn't even touch her car). It was an experience for sure! I really thought that I would be more freaked out about riding after something like this, but I checked myself and my bike out completely, rode around the convenient store parking lot a few times to make sure everything worked and headed to on down the road to work. The driver was WAY more freaked out than I was too!
Glad you are ok!
Smooth new pavement for a lot of my ride to work, ahhhhhh.
Smooth new pavement for a lot of my ride to work, ahhhhhh.
Why is it , when Ever I get caught in the rain on the ride home the next morning I seam to have a Flat tire ?
SO I rode my HardTail in today. I haven't ridden that in in a while . and discovered the trail I take ( when I use my Hardtail, road Bike stays on road ) , they had done aBunch of trail Work on. Bench Cut a Zig zag up a really steep ( read: walk ) section , but they made the turns too tight , raked most of it , cleanup all the dead fall. it was quite nice.
SO I rode my HardTail in today. I haven't ridden that in in a while . and discovered the trail I take ( when I use my Hardtail, road Bike stays on road ) , they had done aBunch of trail Work on. Bench Cut a Zig zag up a really steep ( read: walk ) section , but they made the turns too tight , raked most of it , cleanup all the dead fall. it was quite nice.
Sunshine for my ride in this morning! coffee in hand I successfully made it with no spill
Raining again this morning so I bailed 
I just can't get motivated to ride into work in the rain.
Heidi...I'm impressed. There's no way I could ride to work with my coffee in hand!
I just can't get motivated to ride into work in the rain.Heidi...I'm impressed. There's no way I could ride to work with my coffee in hand!
Well, I didn't fill it all the way full so it's cheating I guess.Raining again this morning so I bailed
Heidi...I'm impressed. There's no way I could ride to work with my coffee in hand!
It was a tough ride to work this morning after racing all day yesterday. I actually considered driving the scooter to work but with the sun shining and birds chirping, I slow pedaled out of the garage and kept on going. My legs really hurt.
I was going to race yesterday and I bailed last minute. How was it? Fun? Was the turn out very good?
The turnout was great! There were around 50 solo men, 8 solo women, 20 coed 2 person teams, not sure how many 2 man teams, and a bunch of 3 person teams. I'm sure it will be back next year. The course was very fun - around 6 miles with 500' climbing per lap. Definitely not a roadie course because there were some tech parts that I would rocket past people on.
I was going to race yesterday and I bailed last minute. How was it? Fun? Was the turn out very good?
Beautiful morning for my commute, and I too brought my coffee along for the ride (though mine was iced and in a waterbottle).
Another beautiful commute in this morning and I got to see a mamma deer steadying her very newly born fawn too 
Ride home is going to be hot so I am looking forward to a post-ride dip in the pool!
Ride home is going to be hot so I am looking forward to a post-ride dip in the pool!
Score! really nice morning here too.Another beautiful commute in this morning and I got to see a mamma deer steadying her very newly born fawn too
Hi,
going to be biking it a lot and in mostly flat wet N FL.
I cannot decide if I should tame my XC bike down and use it
or just sell it to DH once again (Not rode in 2 years straight) with another rider and just get a roadie bike or geared beach bike.
It's a 2001 Trek VRX med frame. The Sunringle Shin Exfoliators have to go for sure!The seat, dirt tires, cane creek & bombers have to go for daily rider use too.
It's weight is not too bad, the Rolfs are still sound even after many drops and root catches. And it was my baby. But I was never much one for city riding before so it may be to heavy for a commuter. Not like I am gonna race again.
Any tame bobless forks out there in mind? Or should I let her go and get a road bike?
going to be biking it a lot and in mostly flat wet N FL.
I cannot decide if I should tame my XC bike down and use it
or just sell it to DH once again (Not rode in 2 years straight) with another rider and just get a roadie bike or geared beach bike.
It's a 2001 Trek VRX med frame. The Sunringle Shin Exfoliators have to go for sure!The seat, dirt tires, cane creek & bombers have to go for daily rider use too.
It's weight is not too bad, the Rolfs are still sound even after many drops and root catches. And it was my baby. But I was never much one for city riding before so it may be to heavy for a commuter. Not like I am gonna race again.
Any tame bobless forks out there in mind? Or should I let her go and get a road bike?
How long of a commute is it? You might be able to keep your current set-up for fun rides and get a used commuter/roadie.
If you care about your current setup I wouldn't use it for commuting. I was using my training bike for commuting in varied weather for 2 years and the additional wet/rain would wear things out quicker. Now I use a simple, cheap, single speed.
<edit> BTW, I'm in the same boat as you with bikes...I have a DH bike I literally haven't touched in 2 years and I'm finally getting to the point of selling it. I've kept it with the thought that I might want to race/ride DH again some day and I finally realized that I'm a cross freak and it probably won't happen.