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Official commuter thread

Secret Squirrel

Secret Squirrel

There is no Justice!
Dec 21, 2004
8,150
1
Up sh*t creek, without a paddle
LordOpie said:
Squirrel, I just don't see how you can live in such a variable weather location and not have all the layers/gear necessary for whatever is thrown at you.

If you're going to commute bro, you have to drop the coin?
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Ah....there lies the great squirrel connundrum...

My moe-nay is "better spent" elsewhere IMHO...

Last year was my first year commuting. I went from mid-April through September sometime I think. I decided that today was going to be my first day of the year...what a day.

I should go for booties and some pants that shed water instead of adding 10 lbs of picked up water weight...but I'm not that worried about it.

I'm just going to suck it up. Just thought I contribute to the commuter thread.



Just for reference, I'm this guy:

Bought a dirt cheap (compared to every other commuter I see) rig, no fenders, baggy shorts, cut-off sleeve jersey that says "Mule-Train" on it, with the iPod blaring Social Distortion all the way.

You should see some of the looks I get when the weather gets nice around here and all the lawyers decide to bring out their $8,000 Lance replica (bike and skinsuit) just to get buzzed by a ghetto-rigged fat guy in baggy junk.
 
Toshi

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
40,164
9,061
my commute the next two weeks sucks.

today was from seattle to redmond, from the west side of lake washington to the east side. note that there are two bridges spanning it, and the one that's closest to me and my destination has no pedestrian or bike access.

moral of the story: i was going to have to take a bus. but my resolve failed this morning and i drove my car into the park and ride (located at I-5 at the level of "greenlake" on the map). took over 2 hours to get home thanks to commuting at non-standard hours when the commuter buses don't run, tho. suck.



starting on wednesday i'll have an even longer commute, 42.5 miles from my house to the childrens' hospital in tacoma:



although i don't think biking will be a part of my commute it still will be as environmentally sound and as conducive to sleeping on the way as possible:

leave house at 4:50 AM, walk 0.3 mi to bus stop
catch bus to the downtown transit tunnel at 4:57 AM, arriving at 5:37 AM
walk 0.2 mi to the commuter rail station
catch 6:10 AM commuter rail to tacoma dome, arriving at 7:10 AM
catch free light rail from tacoma dome to downtown tacoma (runs every 20 minutes until 8 AM, then every 10 minutes)
walk ~1 mile to the hospital

(alternately i could take 3 buses total and have more time flexibility, but the train is a much smoother ride... choices, choices)
 
A

aktallguy

Monkey
Aug 31, 2006
117
0
Puget Sound, WA
What do you do to move around so much? That'd be killer. Props on taking the alternative transport options though. I'd look at taking the bus for the rainy days, but it takes me 20 min on the bike and 50 min on the bus. :-O
 
Toshi

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
40,164
9,061
aktallguy said:
What do you do to move around so much? That'd be killer. Props on taking the alternative transport options though. I'd look at taking the bus for the rainy days, but it takes me 20 min on the bike and 50 min on the bus. :-O
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i'm a 4th year med student at UW. today i was at Group Health Eastside. the rest of this two week block i'll be at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital in Tacoma. (in past years my schooling has taken me to jackson, wyoming, fairbanks, alaska, and sundry unsavory places in idaho :D)
 
LordOpie

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
Have I mentioned how much i fvcking HATE buses?

Another one tried to 'right hook' me so i flipped him off, then 100 yards up the road where he had to stop, he pulled to the left side of the lane knowing I couldn't squeeze by on the right cuz of pedestrians so he made it as hard as possible for me to pass on the left.

Fvcking c0ckmunchers.
 
Heidi

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
LordOpie said:
Have I mentioned how much i fvcking HATE buses?

Another one tried to 'right hook' me so i flipped him off, then 100 yards up the road where he had to stop, he pulled to the left side of the lane knowing I couldn't squeeze by on the right cuz of pedestrians so he made it as hard as possible for me to pass on the left.

Fvcking c0ckmunchers.
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have you ever seen the movie Pedal about messengers? They interview a cabbie who says he purposefully cuts them off and turns in front of them to show them that the roads are for cars and messengers don't own them.
 
LordOpie

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
Heidi said:
have you ever seen the movie Pedal about messengers? They interview a cabbie who says he purposefully cuts them off and turns in front of them to show them that the roads are for cars and messengers don't own them.
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I haven't. I'm guessing it's -- http://imdb.com/title/tt0380622/ ?

I suspect that movie would make me want to punch people, so I might skip it.



TODAY'S COMMUTE HOME:
5pm
Partly Cloudy / Wind
39°F
26°F 10% 16°F 36% From NW 38 mph

Greeaaaat, a 38mph headwind with gusts up to death. Nice.
 
Secret Squirrel

Secret Squirrel

There is no Justice!
Dec 21, 2004
8,150
1
Up sh*t creek, without a paddle
So there I am riding along through the University District (on Wednesday) and all of a sudden there is a rather buxom 22 y.o. running towards me on the trail. It's a nice day out...bout 53 degrees...wind direction NNE ....*BAM* wardrobe malfunction!!!! 8 feet in front of me Popped all the way out of her sports bra....boo ya. I heard guys skidding behind me...Awesome.

This didn't happen to me on my commute this morning...but shortly thereafter...and it's funny...

So there I am taking a shower in our building locker room getting all the funk off so my co-workers can tolerate me....*dink* ??eh?? *WHACK* The shower head breaks off and hits me in the face. WTF?!? The plastic part had fatigued to the point that all it took was the force of the water to make it a projectile. Double Awesome. I'm thinking about an L&I claim against building management...it's about time for some new tires...*chinscratch*.....

That's all from the Squirrel Log for now. More later.
 
Heidi

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
It's dark earlier people, where are your lights? Saw a couple commuters without rear lights this morning. YIKES
 
Heidi

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
LordOpie said:
Why not studded tires?
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Despite popular belief, studded tires are not the answer to ice always. I have crashed with studded tires more than once. :plthumbsdown: That said, I've fallen more times because I've gotten off my bike to walk across a particularly nasty section of ice. YOU CAN'T FRIGGIN WIN!:disgust:
 
LordOpie

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
Which studded tires failed you?

I'm sure I don't have as many ice miles as you, but I do like my Nokian160s. They're not that great in snow tho, can't seem to win, huh?
 
Squeak

Squeak

Get your pork here.
Sep 26, 2001
1,546
0
COlo style
Commuted today from my new digs for the first time! Took longer than I thought, but oh well! :) It was just getting light at about 7 when I left.

Ok so I have a question, now, don't laugh at me...

You ever forget your underwear? :poster_oops:
 
bfrich

bfrich

Monkey
May 30, 2007
393
0
ct
Got on the cross bike and got back into the commuting this week - luckily not many cars at 5:50am but I'll be glad when its light out for the whole ride. Oh and I leave a extra pair of underwear at work - it happens!
 
chicodude

chicodude

The Spooninator
Mar 28, 2004
1,054
2
Paradise
Yeah, so my commuting has begun...I am parking my truck except to drive to school.

My question is....why the cumbersome racks and such, why not just a backpack and call it good?
 
SilentJ

SilentJ

trail builder
Jun 17, 2002
1,312
0
Calgary AB
chicodude said:
Yeah, so my commuting has begun...I am parking my truck except to drive to school.

My question is....why the cumbersome racks and such, why not just a backpack and call it good?
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I just rock a backpack...I think it's 30L or something fairly water resistant. That reminds me, I have to bring some Friday shoes in to work...
 
SilentJ

SilentJ

trail builder
Jun 17, 2002
1,312
0
Calgary AB
First commute of 08 this morning + first ride in my new Sidi's. Took the "short" route as it was cold and I haven't pedalled for more than 45 seconds at a time in several months.

Fingers got cold. Toes got cold.

For you cold weather commuters: How do you deal with the excessive production of nasalatory fluids?
 
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