How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

[Aushiker]

G'day

Okay stole this idea from the Bicycle Victoria forums. The idea is for you to tell us about your commute whether it was today or recently; was it good, bad, ugly, the world fall in, the sun shined and so on.

Lets keep it focused on commutes please, not training rides, group rides etc.

So who is first?

Thanks
Andrew

[ruscook]

nice idea

Well I commuted today and (hoping not to jinx myself), the weather was good (given what it's been in Sydney lately), the roads were only slightly damp! That's nothing special, however I did my best time ever and got a 29.7km/h average for the 34kms! So very happy with that.

Not looking as good for a ride home though (rain is developing yuck )! Will report on that in a couple of hours.

Russ

[goneriding]

The crisp mornings are fantastic at the moment, with the exception of the wet ones. I leave home about 5:45am when it is still dark and am riding as the sun rises. Awesome views over the Sydney CBD and Harbour Bridge from Five Dock and along Canada Bay towards the Gladesville Bridge.

For those of you heading into the Sydney CBD from the West ride Barnstaple St, Five Dock as the Sun rises. Worth the view.

[philip]

The past couple of weeks of commutes for me have been pretty terrible, it seems to have been weeks since I've ridden on a dry road. This morning was no different so I rode my wet weather bike. I took my "medium" route to work that includes quite a lot of hills. I'm fairly quick up the hills and passed a roadie who then tried to keep up with me - so I stepped it up a notch and lost him. There were two sets of traffic lights which I stopped at and he caught up at though - then the hill ended and it's slight downhill from here, I tried to keep the pace up but had no power left and my wet weather bike isn't so suited for flying along > 40km/h. The guy (who looked to be a fair bit bigger than me) passed me at this stage, but I didn't let him get far ahead. There was another hill coming up and I thought it would be interesting to see what happened there, but he turned off and went another way, so that was the end of that. No nice views or anything for me on this route so that's about as interesting as this race^H^H^H^H commute gets. Really looking forward to some better weather!

[gdl_gdl]

I posted this in the WA section earlier today but I think it's just as valid here....(with a few distances added for riders not from Perth)

Checked the weather radar this morning and the green spots looked far away enough to make it to the city. I left Mindarie (4okm from Perth) at 6.10am and had a very easy ride until Warwick (15km from Perth). Then I suddenly sensed a cold front and then the clouds were on top of you. The first spots of rain hit and then at Stirling the heavens opened. I had a 10km lashing from Stirling to the CBD with the odd flash of lightning thrown in for good measure!!!!

Not as unpleasant experience as I thought it would be! (I guess when you're in the middle of it you just get on with the ride!)

Never appreciated a shower so much when I got to work! Major concern is that my bike gear will not dry in time for the return home. (Only spare office clothes at work.)

Not the most fun ride I've had!

Cheers,

Gary

[the dang]

Yesterday on my commute I managed to do a trackstand at a redlight...although it wasnt long until the light turned green! But I was still happy...unfortunately there are not many nice views on my ride to work so thats my highlight.

[eucryphia]

Had a 'blinder' today...

I didn't ride yesterday because the BOM forcast rain I should have known better, I blew another $11 on the bus.

Got away early before 8:00am, the traffic was very light for some reason? The clouds kept it warm; ~6 degrees and I was taking it easy for my knees, so my hands got a bit numb about half way, I picked up the pace along the lake.

A few new meanderthals all over the bike paths, I had to slow down in a few places. Frightened a young magpie in Kingston. Slipped through two orange lights at the end and I had the showers to myself but the hot water was variable.

Classic FM wasn't too bad, not one of my favourite arias on TOT. Emma pressed the wrong button on what was supposed to be a Tchaikovsky(?) number.

All in all a nice day, no kamakazi tour busses or aggro BMW's, and 40mins which is not bad considering I was taking it easy.

[martinjs]

For a change it was cold wet and windy. Not quiet as much as some places but we have finally had over 30mm in the last 2 days. Good for the farmers but bad for cycling but I'm still going.

[ruscook]

nice idea
Well I commuted today. Left home at 550am. Hoping not to jinx myself, the weather was good (given what it's been in Sydney lately), the roads were only slightly damp! That's nothing special, however I did my best time ever and got a 29.7km/h average for the 34kms! So very happy with that.
Not looking as good for a ride home though (rain is developing yuck )! Will report on that in a couple of hours.
Russ

Ended up leaving work about 420pm. Getting out of Liverpool CBD in the traffic is a bit slow more than dangerous. Once on Hoxton Park road I use the Transit Way. Not legal, but with only ONE bus passing me, it's a damn sight safer than riding in the 2 lane main road full of commuting cars wanting to do 70-80km/h. Had a head wind for the 3-4km down here to the M7 cycleway.

Hopped on and did a good pace to just before the first of the 2 hills before Elizabeth Dr. Then the rain hit. Hard enough to sting on the arms and get on both sides of my glasses (prescription so I rarely take them off). Got to Elizabeth Dr about 455 was a bit cold but not freezing, met Mark at 5pm for the rest of the ride home. The cycleway was wet until old Wallgrove road but then dry all the way from there. Did an average pace back to Richmond Rd. Then turned around for the 9km run back to home. Got in cold, but happy about 625pm with 74km on the dial for the day at an average of 28.7km/h. So a longish day but with (for me) a very good average. All up very happy with the commute. Hope the weather improves so I can do it again on Thurs, then fit in a Saturday ride to keep my weekly average (and bike journal) kilometres up

Russ

[casual_cyclist]

I commuted from Perth to Kewdale (9km) this afternoon. The weather was spectacular. Cool but sunny and no noticeable wind. Very enjoyable ride.

[bigfriendlyvegan]

I had to ride into work today, spent about 10 minutes there, turned around and rode home again. Then I rode quite a few errands around and about - hardware store, video store, daughter's dance class, pick up sushi for dinner. ~40k worth of travel.

Problem was I woke up this morning with a horribly stiff neck (not cycling related) and I'm only now starting to feel human. Has anyone ever tried getting into the drops or looking behind you when you can barely move your neck or shoulders?

Strangely, my average speed was up 0.6 km/h today, even with a full load of exams in my panniers. Weather was a nice change.

David

[casual_cyclist]

Has anyone ever tried getting into the drops or looking behind you when you can barely move your neck or shoulders?

Yeah. It's awkward, painful, unbalancing and quite dangerous.

[Aushiker]

G'day

Had my first full night commute today for the season, leaving work after sunset and riding south to Fremantle. Headwind wasn't too bad so should have made a good time but didn't. Nearly got cleaned up at the Brighton Road/West Coast Highway intersection and lost my motivation after that.

I was heading south on West Coast when this dude came up to the intersection and just turned right; no indication, no looking. I literally had to swerve away from him and stomp on the pedals to avoid being cleaned up. I looked back to yell and he was just staring ahead, no evidence of seeing me and he didn't even brake. Scared the living daylights out of me. If I hadn't swerved away I think I would have been clipped at the rear or worse. It was close.

Did my head in for some reason. Ride wasn't too bad up to then, traffic a bit lighter.

Oh no rain.

Regards
Andrew

[lemmiwinks]

I had a moment that made me very, very angry on my commute today It was foggy on the crest and western side of the big hill today for some reason, not super thick, visibility was ok, but foggy all the same. Rolling down towards the roundabout at the bottom at about 50kph I see a car start to nose out of a driveway. I know there's a car a ways back behind me so I assume that he'll give way to them at the very least.

Assumption, as we all know is the mother of all f#ckups. He pulls out (I've already signaled and I'm braking to make a right at the roundabout), I move over and he squeezes me further to the right causing me to move over again. All the while I'm shouting OI! at the drivers window with a "What the f#ck?!" followup. As I pull level with the front right corner of the car he looks up at me through the windscreen with what appeared to be an exceptionally smug little smile on his face (couldn't see eyes due to him wearing sunglasses). He goes left, I go right.

Now, Hanlons Razor and all that, he did have condensation on all windows of the car (too stupid to wind down the drivers side window when he was checking traffic up the hill) and admittedly he was looking into the sun before pulling out of the driveway, but I'm still deeply suspicious there was a healthy dose of deliberation in it.

There, I feel better now. Though I sort of wish I'd hit or kicked the car.

[Aushiker]

G'day lemmiwinks

Glad you made it through okay but. You have to wonder about drivers like this ...

Andrew

[lemmiwinks]

Thanks Andrew. I pretty much burnt off most of the anger on the rest of the ride, then I vented to a mate via email (which the post is adapted from) and I felt better. I really want to believe it was stupidity and that I misinterpreted the brief glimpse I got of his facial expression because the alternative doesn't bear thinking about.

[ruscook]

Unfortunately these clowns think because they didn't hit you there's no problem. of course they'll be very sorry if they did hit you - AFTERWARDS..... I think it's just a level of stupidity in the world......Deliberate yes, but only because they literally don't think of the consequences...

Russ

[simonn]

Well, I left home at ~0640 and was at my desk by 07:35, 0-20 minutes quicker than my normal commute.

I was early to make up time for yesterday when I had to leave work early, because I had to get a lift from the only other guy at work who lives in my suburb and public transport to and from work sucks, like two hours plus each way of suckiness.

Why did I need a lift? Well, my left crank arm started slipping of on my morning commute, probably because the previous evening, in the dark, I rode up half a hill on it when it was also slipping thinking my cleat was worn and, thus, a crankset was ruined. Couldn't ride my mtb because I had used cannibalised a crank bolt from it to "repair" my roadie's crank and thought I would stop short of cannibalising one of my mrs bike's.

Bike should be back with new crankset and BB on Friday, thus, the quicker time... I was in my car and missed the worst of rush hour. Bugga.

[Strawburger]

Had a pretty enjoyable commute home last night due to an eager commuter who couldn't wait to get past me. He jostled himeself into a good position at all the traffic lights through Pyrmont (naturally we hit every red), but kept falling behind at the first 50m of each of the take-offs. He finally got past me heading up the incline of anzac bridge and continued to put a heap of effort in. He must have run out of energy trying to stay in front and freewheeled on the decline. I casually rode past him midway down the bridge and didn't see him again for the rest of the ride

It kept me entertained for the duration of the ride.

[Mulger bill]

First wet ride home last night with the new AyUps. Felt like I was back in the ol' Millennium Falcon, all those glowing raindrops whizzing towards me like doppler'd stars.

Shaun

[Aushiker]

He must have run out of energy trying to stay in front and freewheeled on the decline. I casually rode past him midway down the bridge and didn't see him again for the rest of the ride

Don't you love that Done that once or twice ... feels so good

Sometimes the old Ergo 500 can add spice to the ride.

Well done.

Andrew

[Aushiker]

G'day

Got to ride with the wind for a change this afternoon due to late afternoon ride north. Still really didn't make much use of the wind advantage . I think I need a aluminium commuter and to leave the Surly for touring duties; what it was designed for.

Regards
Andrew

[tinhorn]

It was damn wet in Sydney today, and yesterday... and the day before that.

Thankfully they're forecasting decent weather for the weekend/next week here - or else i might have given up on commuting just when i started.

With the sun setting just after 5 i really do need to get some lights as i don't think my Hi Vis cuts it anymore.

[lemmiwinks]

Raining when I got up this morning so I prepared to take the scooter (I don't cycle in the rain). Then, just before I was ready to head out it seemed to have stopped. Hmm, snap decision time. Quickly got changed, packed the bag and headed outside. Sprinkling rain. Too late now!

Grabbed the MTB 'cause it's got mudguards threw the blinky on the seatpost then remembered I didn't have the spare tube (punctured on the way to work on a wet commute a while back and it sucked big time because I didn't have any tools or a spare tube). Back inside to grab that, and then off we go. I'm heading down the street thinking "That's funny, the wind is really blowing my hair around." Doh! Back I go for the helmet.

Only 5 minutes late but nice and dry. Totally worth it.

[njg02]

This morning was good. Second ride on my new recumbent and first commute. Only got off once a/c having trouble starting up hills.
The ride home was a bit longer to get some miles up but I came a gutza. Poor joins in the cycle track that runs parallel with the track. There was a couple of joggers in front so I slowed down. I rang my bell to get their attention and as I was about to change lanes I ended up on my backside. I certainly got their attention! One of my wheels obviously got caught up in the join. Not sure which one because they're both underneath now. Bent brake lever and seat struts. I couple of bruises and sore shoulder. I took a couple of pics of the path to send to the council to see if they can do something before someone else gets hurt. Gingerly on my way again. Oh what fun. Learning to ride all over again.

Neil