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chicodude

The Spooninator
Mar 28, 2004
1,054
2
Paradise
Couple of notes from the last week:

-When the weather hits 100, I have to put an extra 10 minutes on my time to work, to dry the **** out because I get REALLY sweaty.

-I ride home at 11 PM after work is over, and this means close to no one out. I rode home after 9 yesterday and holy **** it sucked. I hate lots of traffic.

-Since I started commuting two people I work with have started commuting as well. Well, one told me it was her husband that started commuting, But I was the inspiration. :)

-Commuting affects my other riding. I road 40+ the other morning, and the ride to work was no bueno.

-People who yell **** at you when you are riding are the COOLEST PEOPLE EVER!!!11!!1 I want to be their friend, too bad they run red lights when they are waiting at a red and they see me catch up....No fair.
 

Squeak

Get your pork here.
Sep 26, 2001
1,546
0
COlo style
I have started skipping the train ride home and riding it. It ends up making my commute about 26 miles total. Found a sweet way to go, basically avoiding major streets and getting in some dirt trail time.

Rode the CX bike yesterday, 87 degrees at departure time. I really don't do as well in the heat! My Norse heritage showing through I guess. Give me 40 degrees any day. :)
 

Secret Squirrel

There is no Justice!
Dec 21, 2004
8,150
1
Up sh*t creek, without a paddle
Apparently my bike rides mo' betta when I do some maintenance on it once in awhile...who knew. Commute in was rain-less...got another 6 hours hoping the current showers stop...

Nice part is there's almost no one out commuting with me...
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,395
7,780
I ordered ripstop rain pants from REI Outlet last night. Last few rainy commute days have had the suck.
 

Secret Squirrel

There is no Justice!
Dec 21, 2004
8,150
1
Up sh*t creek, without a paddle
Ok...funny story time:

Yesterday, just went for a quick 20 mile out & back...On the way back, had a guy drafting me for about 3 miles or so with a relatively nasty headwind that I was pushing through. Not that I minded, since I need the workout and that's why I was out there...but I digress. So, he's back there just pedal, pedal, pedal, bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, pedal pedal, bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz for 3 miles...then slingshots me on a corner and says, "HEY!!". I take out my earbud and look at him. He, straight faced, says, "Can you slow down? I'm having trouble keeping the draft and I'm not back to my car yet."

My response: "Eat a d*ck." And I dropped his ass in 100 yards.

What kind of dillhole asks someone to slow down so they don't have to work as hard?

Srsly.
 

Konabumm

Konaboner
Jun 13, 2003
4,384
87
Hollywood, Maryland, United States
Day 2 - today is day 2 of my commuting to work. I feel great, it's about a 10 mile commute into work. I do like to take the 20 mile fun ride home ;o)

Last night I picked up some mojito mix and stuffed it into my messenger bag - that was an interesting ride home! HAHA
 

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
It's commute options week this week so hopefully I'll see more people out riding and walking. My calf is healed enough for me to ride to work I think. I took it real easy and slow though...not my usual hammerfest.
 

Secret Squirrel

There is no Justice!
Dec 21, 2004
8,150
1
Up sh*t creek, without a paddle
Stopped by my LBS on Sunday... I picked up a Mavic CXP22 rim laced to a Shimano hub about 3 weeks ago. I've blown 4 spokes in about 600 miles....Yeah, teh sUcKaGe...I digress. I should've known that I'd be disappointed by this choice, but it was a decent deal, and the guys there thought it would do the job...It's no Aksium...that's for sure. C'est la vie....

So I take them the wheel and ask what they can do for me on a handbuilt rear wheel. We settled on a 36 spoke RhynoLite (which, in a 26" form, I actually rode XC on for a year or 2 with no probs...so I hope the 29er version can handle me road riding....) laced to a Shimano hum with 13 gauge spokes....

Prior to that decision, we were actually trying to piece together a 130 spaced 48 spoke tandem wheel ....but the RhynoLite seemed like a decent compromise...as much as I like beef on my bike, that seemed like a little overkill....even if I appear to be 2 people to most peeps out there.

:shocked:
 

stinkyboy

Plastic Santa
Jan 6, 2005
15,187
1
¡Phoenix!
Sticking it out on the commuter plan all summer, despite it getting "warm" here. 10 of the 16 mile ride home has been into 25 mph winds which I grumble about during the ride, but getting home feels great.

 

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
Cold ride in this morning. I had to practice some deep inner breathing to keep myself warm. I refuse to wear long sleeves in summer.
 

EOBF

Monkey
Mar 26, 2005
177
0
Bellingham, WA
My commute is a slightly hilly 5 miler. Low traffic volume and decent space on the shoulder. I am going to try to commute in all weather conditions and get out of the need to always drive.
 

Attachments

$tinkle

Expert on blowing
Feb 12, 2003
14,591
6
Sticking it out on the commuter plan all summer, despite it getting "warm" here. 10 of the 16 mile ride home has been into 25 mph winds which I grumble about during the ride, but getting home feels great.

mcclintock & 202 @ 4:15 today


screw that.
 

Squeak

Get your pork here.
Sep 26, 2001
1,546
0
COlo style
Yesterday I did something dumb. I don't know why it bothers me except that I hate it when bad bikers give us all a bad rap. I was the bad guy yesterday.
I was approaching a stoplight at one of the busiest streets in the Denver Metro. The light turned yellow, and my mind thought "There is no traffic on this side street , and I don not want to go onto the sidewalk and "push the button" to make the light change." So in my best auto driver way I sprinted to beat the light. Well, I was a long ways off and I pretty much ran the light and got honked at. :)

I then proceeded to ride away like I was king S#@$.
 

snakedoc

Chimp
Jun 16, 2008
1
0
hey guys...i haven't rode a bike since about 5th grade. got a Marin Bobcat trail as a gift (it's mostly likely not as nice as what most of you have) and did 6 mi to work this morning. wasn't as bad as i thought!
 

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
hey guys...i haven't rode a bike since about 5th grade. got a Marin Bobcat trail as a gift (it's mostly likely not as nice as what most of you have) and did 6 mi to work this morning. wasn't as bad as i thought!
Sweet, welcome to the super special commuter club!
 

James

Carbon Porn Star
Sep 11, 2001
3,559
0
Danbury, CT
It has become tough to tell the new Bike Commuters Vs. the DWI commuters. I am seeing a bunch more ( ok 5 or 6 ) , one guy even had a brand New Commuter bike . ( skinny tire, flat bars and a Nexus Hub , with not a Spec of dirt on it yet )

I like it
Hahahahaha!
Our mayor was actually a DWI commuter for a while. He had to eat crow in all the papers..
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,395
7,780
i like my newly short commute. 1.8 miles one way most days, albeit uphill. too bad my electric bike's motor is broken at the moment so i have to slog away on the road bike. :D
 

Secret Squirrel

There is no Justice!
Dec 21, 2004
8,150
1
Up sh*t creek, without a paddle
Back on May 9th I pick up a pair of Schwalbe Stelvio 25's.

After 700 miles (Just hit 720 this morning):

- The rear has about 2 dozen visible cuts and slices of varying severity, none have gone through or caused a flat.
- They roll just as fast (if not faster) than my old 23 Conti's.
- They grip in the corners like new velcro gloves on sheep.
- Probably the best 90 bucks I've spent on my bike in a long time.
 

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
isn't that one of the beauties of riding. you can do that and not be a threat to any one but your self .

plus usually by the time I am home I have sweated it all out.
Totally. I wasn't blitzed or anything, just pleasantly buzzed. And yes, my ride home is slightly uphill to really uphill on one part. I sure was thirsty by the time I got home :)
 

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
Totally. I wasn't blitzed or anything, just pleasantly buzzed. And yes, my ride home is slightly uphill to really uphill on one part. I sure was thirsty by the time I got home :)
You need one of these for hydration on the go

 

SuspectDevice

Turbo Monkey
Aug 23, 2002
4,173
380
Roanoke, VA
The Commute keeps getting shorter and shorter... It's only 3 blocks between the house and the shop, but luckily I have to ride a solid 12 minutes to get a burrito.
 

SuspectDevice

Turbo Monkey
Aug 23, 2002
4,173
380
Roanoke, VA
That bookshelf is one of my favorite parts of the office. Biographys on Stalin, Edison, Labor in 20th century America, a History of Hip-Hop... A whole shelf devoted to dystopian and utopian novels and novellas, crime scene photographs from the 30's, and the last 8 years of Dirt.

Plus a bottle of good tequila and a box full of Middleburn cranks.

It makes it hard to go home, when such tangential experiences are available in the office....
 

SilentJ

trail builder
Jun 17, 2002
1,312
0
Calgary AB
isn't that one of the beauties of riding. you can do that and not be a threat to any one but your self .

plus usually by the time I am home I have sweated it all out.
I usually just get drunker on the ride home if we hit the pub after work...lunch time pints usually leave me in the "feeling like ass need another beer before riding my bike home" state.

I was careless with my spit the other day...the dude poaching the windbreak got a pretty good shot. Oh well.
 

CHepler

Monkey
Sep 5, 2005
212
18
One of my patrol officers pulled a guy over on this the other day. Said he built it and another one. This one for long trips and a nicer one for around town. He said he was used to getting stopped and quizzed on it and gladly let the officer snap a few shots.