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

User avatar
DavidS
Posts: 3632
Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2010 11:24 pm
Location: Melbourne

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

Postby DavidS » Wed Jul 03, 2013 11:38 pm

Not a bad commute today, getting sick of the strong headwind along the beach in the mornings, but it is nice going home with a big northerly.

Riding home this evening down Beach Rd, bunches of cars on my right, slowing and speeding up. Intersection coming up on the left. Then a guy behind me calls out "passing". I just about jumped out of my skin. Hadn't had a chance to look in the mirror for quite a while as I was concentrating on other things, so I didn't know he was there. In any case I was cruising at about 35, which is fast for me, because of the tailwind, so wasn't thinking of being passed. No harm done but sure surprised me and good of the other rider to call out as it was probably fairly obvious I didn't know he was there.

DS
Allegro T1, Auren Swift :)

User avatar
TailWind
Posts: 1340
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2011 8:02 pm
Location: Munich, Germany

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

Postby TailWind » Thu Jul 04, 2013 7:51 am

Hard work heading back yesterday...the northerly is picking up strength.
This morning was pretty gusty, and it's only going to get worse during the course of the day, if the forecast is to be believed.
Soma Double Cross 2012 - Commuter || Giant CitySpeed (Alfine 8 IGH) - Commuter || Bakfiets Long 2011 - Cargo Bike

Sparx
Posts: 260
Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2012 3:57 pm

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

Postby Sparx » Thu Jul 04, 2013 8:14 am

Beaut morning in Sydney, went up to North Head. Ticked over 5000km for the year commuting.

gretaboy
Posts: 1244
Joined: Tue May 03, 2011 11:23 am
Location: Hunter Valley

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

Postby gretaboy » Thu Jul 04, 2013 8:48 am

Was freezing in the Hunter Valley this morning...my poor tootsies were frozen despite full bootie covers....BUT...it wasnt raining so it was wonderful. Glorious sunrise too.

Had a nice thing happen to me this morning, am about 4 k's from home climbing a small pimple when I see a van parked on the shoulder lights flashing, I think nothing of it and go to pass it. The driver is out of the vehicle and somewhat flags me down so I stop. He was pulled over because he wanted to know if I wanted/needed a lift as he has the van and the bike could go in the back. He said he sees me everyday riding, in the rain, in the cold weather and he sort of wanted to know if I did the cycling because I had to or wanted to. Told me he wondered if I had lost my licence and that is why I ride in all sorts of weather. I told him where I worked and he was a little gob smacked due to the distance..most people are but also because of the actual roads and traffic that I go up against. Said to him the only time I will take a lift is if it is raining and I am walking the bike due to a flat. He laughed.

I do think what some of the motorists think each morning and afternoon when they see me riding. As like most humans, i am a creature of habit...I leave home and work at roughly the same time each day so I should be seeing the same motorists each time.

I just thought it nice that in the dark and very cold morning, this gentlemen bothered to take the time to see if he could help me by offering a lift. There is still hope left in this world.
Image

gretaboy
Posts: 1244
Joined: Tue May 03, 2011 11:23 am
Location: Hunter Valley

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

Postby gretaboy » Thu Jul 04, 2013 8:52 am

Sparx wrote: Ticked over 5000km for the year commuting.
well done on this effort...
Image

jasonc
Posts: 12170
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 3:40 pm
Location: Brisbane

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

Postby jasonc » Thu Jul 04, 2013 9:03 am

gretaboy wrote:
Sparx wrote: Ticked over 5000km for the year commuting.
well done on this effort...
+1

damp commute in. feeling ok

User avatar
michael_w
Posts: 194
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:47 pm
Location: Upwey, Vic

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

Postby michael_w » Thu Jul 04, 2013 9:47 am

jules21 wrote:riding to work this morning and i was keeping an eye out for bidon i'd dropped two mornings earlier. i didn't give it much chance, surely after 2 days someone would have picked it up? anyway there it was - right where i'd jumped a small kerb on my MTB commuter - completely untouched. except another commuter had spotted it and had turned back to collect it. i got to it ahead of him and there was an awkward moment when our eyes met and he said "i was going to grab that" and i said "believe it or not, i dropped it the other day". we had a good chat on the way to work. how about that though - got there with 5 seconds to spare?!
It wasn't on Gardiners Creek Trail was it? There's been one sitting there for the past couple of days (just west of the Tooronga Rd underpass).
Image

User avatar
michael_w
Posts: 194
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:47 pm
Location: Upwey, Vic

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

Postby michael_w » Thu Jul 04, 2013 9:50 am

gretaboy wrote:I just thought it nice that in the dark and very cold morning, this gentlemen bothered to take the time to see if he could help me by offering a lift. There is still hope left in this world.
What a top story. Could have been an axe murderer, but hey you'll never know. Nice to have your faith in humanity restored once in a while
Image

User avatar
Summernight
Posts: 2073
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2012 3:40 pm
Location: Melbourne

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

Postby Summernight » Thu Jul 04, 2013 10:16 am

gretaboy wrote:Had a nice thing happen to me this morning, am about 4 k's from home climbing a small pimple when I see a van parked on the shoulder lights flashing, I think nothing of it and go to pass it. The driver is out of the vehicle and somewhat flags me down so I stop. He was pulled over because he wanted to know if I wanted/needed a lift as he has the van and the bike could go in the back. He said he sees me everyday riding, in the rain, in the cold weather and he sort of wanted to know if I did the cycling because I had to or wanted to. Told me he wondered if I had lost my licence and that is why I ride in all sorts of weather. I told him where I worked and he was a little gob smacked due to the distance..most people are but also because of the actual roads and traffic that I go up against. Said to him the only time I will take a lift is if it is raining and I am walking the bike due to a flat. He laughed.

I do think what some of the motorists think each morning and afternoon when they see me riding. As like most humans, i am a creature of habit...I leave home and work at roughly the same time each day so I should be seeing the same motorists each time.

I just thought it nice that in the dark and very cold morning, this gentlemen bothered to take the time to see if he could help me by offering a lift. There is still hope left in this world.
Good story and nice to hear, although interesting to hear that he assumed you'd lost your licence as the reason you ride your bike. :lol:

Should be an interesting ride home as TailWind said with the forecast gusty winds in excess of 100kph this afternoon. Headwind at the top of the Collins St hill on the way home last night but that died down after it'd humbled me with its ability to make me crawl along at pretty much walking speed.

I went over broken glass that was in the bike lane on the way home and thought I might puncture but the tyres held up. I had a quick 'Oh carp' feeling this morning because I'd got ready and hadn't checked the tyres to see if they'd gone down overnight due to any embedded glass but they seem to have come out of it unscathed. Phew.

Oh, and last Thursday the road maintenance people were laying down the green bicycle stuff on the road in collision prone places. I rode over it on the way home and a piece of the green glass (that's the only thing I can call it) embedded itself in my tyre. Had to pull it out at a light. Makes me wary of any new green patches now.

gretaboy
Posts: 1244
Joined: Tue May 03, 2011 11:23 am
Location: Hunter Valley

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

Postby gretaboy » Thu Jul 04, 2013 1:02 pm

I dont feel so bad now....looking at the BOM I am most likely going to have headwinds of around 28+ k/h going home today

checked the east coast and see melbourne has got northerlies currently sitting at 40+ k/h..makes me feel a little better, not going to make it any easier to ride home though but mentally I will know others are doing it harder lol
Image

jasonc
Posts: 12170
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 3:40 pm
Location: Brisbane

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

Postby jasonc » Thu Jul 04, 2013 1:43 pm

gretaboy wrote:I dont feel so bad now....
I won't mention the tail wind I'll have on the way home

gretaboy
Posts: 1244
Joined: Tue May 03, 2011 11:23 am
Location: Hunter Valley

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

Postby gretaboy » Thu Jul 04, 2013 1:51 pm

jasonc wrote:
gretaboy wrote:I dont feel so bad now....
I won't mention the tail wind I'll have on the way home
so you saying you may get over 20+ k/h on the ride hahahaha
Image

gretaboy
Posts: 1244
Joined: Tue May 03, 2011 11:23 am
Location: Hunter Valley

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

Postby gretaboy » Thu Jul 04, 2013 3:10 pm

gretaboy wrote:I dont feel so bad now....looking at the BOM I am most likely going to have headwinds of around 28+ k/h going home today

checked the east coast and see melbourne has got northerlies currently sitting at 40+ k/h..makes me feel a little better, not going to make it any easier to ride home though but mentally I will know others are doing it harder lol
Furthermore I am really feeling sorry for the melburnites....big rain clouds now hitting that location as well as strong winds...a double whammy

ride safe folks
Image

User avatar
VRE
Posts: 582
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2012 9:14 am
Location: Ringwood North, VIC, Australia

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

Postby VRE » Thu Jul 04, 2013 6:59 pm

gretaboy wrote:
gretaboy wrote:I dont feel so bad now....looking at the BOM I am most likely going to have headwinds of around 28+ k/h going home today

checked the east coast and see melbourne has got northerlies currently sitting at 40+ k/h..makes me feel a little better, not going to make it any easier to ride home though but mentally I will know others are doing it harder lol
Furthermore I am really feeling sorry for the melburnites....big rain clouds now hitting that location as well as strong winds...a double whammy

ride safe folks
It's all good. A big band of rain passed either side of my commute home, by a wide margin, and my commuting route is sheltered from the wind, so that wasn't too bad.

User avatar
Mulger bill
Super Mod
Super Mod
Posts: 29060
Joined: Sun Sep 24, 2006 2:41 pm
Location: Sunbury Vic

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

Postby Mulger bill » Thu Jul 04, 2013 7:58 pm

Apart from the crosswind over the Maribyrnong on Dynon road bridge pushing me almost into the right lane a few times, magnificent. Felt strong and had time enough to spare for a brew from Cafe Villanova. Roasting time made it a huge olfactory bonus 8)
...whatever the road rules, self-preservation is the absolute priority for a cyclist when mixing it with motorised traffic.
London Boy 29/12/2011

User avatar
DavidS
Posts: 3632
Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2010 11:24 pm
Location: Melbourne

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

Postby DavidS » Thu Jul 04, 2013 10:54 pm

Hell of a wind today. It has been strong all week but today was worse. I normally ride along the beach but needed to get to work on time so rode inland today. Ride home was nice with a huge tailwind. I go a bit further than I need to and then ride back. Tonight I tried to ride back into the wind but it was just silly so headed away from the beach a bit earlier. I'll have to assess the situation in the morning and work out what to do.

DS
Allegro T1, Auren Swift :)

User avatar
VRE
Posts: 582
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2012 9:14 am
Location: Ringwood North, VIC, Australia

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

Postby VRE » Fri Jul 05, 2013 7:25 am

Well that was more exercise than usual. The headwind added 10 minutes to my commute. I still enjoyed it as usual, although I keep wondering why the motorists on Maroondah Highway have to act like such d###heads towards cyclists. I wasn't holding any of them up.

User avatar
TailWind
Posts: 1340
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2011 8:02 pm
Location: Munich, Germany

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

Postby TailWind » Fri Jul 05, 2013 8:36 am

Killer headwind yesterday afternoon for most of the 41km back home, plus I did the hilly route via MYT/Greensborough/Bundoora to add to the pain. I was pretty knackered by the time I got home, and took about 20 minutes longer than usual.
Windy this morning too, WNW, which meant a hammering along Heidelberg Rd riding into the Melbourne CBD. More of the same this afternoon.

Happy Friday! :D
Soma Double Cross 2012 - Commuter || Giant CitySpeed (Alfine 8 IGH) - Commuter || Bakfiets Long 2011 - Cargo Bike

jasonc
Posts: 12170
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 3:40 pm
Location: Brisbane

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

Postby jasonc » Fri Jul 05, 2013 8:38 am

knackered myself with the fast guys today
had a moment at 40+km/h when I put the power down there was a gab between the concrete and bitumen. the rear side-stepped :shock:

gretaboy
Posts: 1244
Joined: Tue May 03, 2011 11:23 am
Location: Hunter Valley

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

Postby gretaboy » Fri Jul 05, 2013 8:53 am

Ride home yesterday was a simple plug away affair..it took an extra 15 or so minutes. Might be another effort again this afternoon..oh well it is friday.

Had a moment also on the ride home...going over a bridge, no path to use, just the tiniest of shoulders which is covered in rocks and debris of all kinds. Near the top of the bridge and wam, something goes up the back of my front tyre and the crud racer mudguard makes a big noise. I look down and the mudguard is totally detached from the "arms" and is angled across the tyre. Slowly go down the other side of the bridge as there is simply not enough room to dismount on the bridge, and pull over to check the guard. Luckily the design of the guard worked as it should, the screws to hold the arms onto the guard are still present, so I put everything in place and hope for the best. If I couldnt have put it all back together, like humpty dumpty, then I was in a world of trouble with 15 odd k's to go before home. Life got in the way once home and I forgot to check the guard, but it held up ok on this mornings ride, will have a better look over the weekend when the bike gets a total makeover.

Beautiful weather this morning, despite legs being knackered, I really enjoyed myself.
Image

User avatar
kb
Posts: 2570
Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2011 3:22 pm

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

Postby kb » Fri Jul 05, 2013 10:16 am

Trip home last night was genuinely scary. Almost went over a few times with sudden crosswind gusts. I did see the amusing sight of a possum being blown across the road though. It was a relief to have a headwind this morning
:-).
Image

User avatar
Summernight
Posts: 2073
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2012 3:40 pm
Location: Melbourne

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

Postby Summernight » Fri Jul 05, 2013 10:54 am

kb wrote:I did see the amusing sight of a possum being blown across the road though.:-).
:shock: Do you have footage of that to share? :P

All this apocalyptic rain that was forecast for last evening and the ominous dark grey clouds I could see through the office window never came so I risked it heading home and didn't bother putting on the wet weather gear. Not a drop of rain. But that wind.... Luckily I only got it for the CBD area and was sheltered by the buildings for the rest. And luckily no bad crosswind gusts at the time I rode.

And then I was waiting at the lights on Albert St at Hoddle St and I'd placed myself on the leftmost part of the bicycle lane (because I'm more than happy for faster cyclists to overtake me on the right) and the light is just about to turn green and up comes a cyclist on my left trying to squeeze between me and the left-turning car (left turn lane is on the left of the straight-ahead bike lane at this intersection) to get to the front (wasn't much space between me and the car and this cyclist also passed the other couple of cyclists who were patiently waiting behind me). What was he thinking? He was being quite pushy. Of course, when the light changed it turned out he wasn't faster than me... :twisted:

Got a face full of wind on the way in this morning for the first bit. Thought I may have under-dressed because of the icy wind but I warmed up around the 1km mark. :) The chain caught as I switched gears going up the one hill. I thought something bad had happened down there but stopped and the release of pressure fixed it up. I'm guessing it just jammed with the gear shift and the uphill pressure on the pedals.

jasonc
Posts: 12170
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 3:40 pm
Location: Brisbane

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

Postby jasonc » Fri Jul 05, 2013 10:09 pm

so after the sufferfest of this morning, I had an interesting commute home. Asked my workmate who also does the Friday morning ride if he was doing a coot-tha on the way home. response "no". ok

so I start riding home. get to land street and there's a nice looking girl struggling with a flat. she'd got the new tube it but couldn't get the last of the bead over the rim (she had michelin tyre lever - the best, so was done quickly). she then tells me if was her first flat and she had to youtube it :shock:
kudos to her.
pumped her tyre back up and was taking off. my workmate comes past. "What speed are you doing coot-tha at?" "10-something"
"ok" was the response
so we go up there and we both do it differently. I smash him up the botanical gardens climb but he starts climbing coot-tha about 20 seconds before I do
I eventually catch and pass him. He starts swearing at me. I get about 30m in front, next thing I know, he's flown past me. grrrr
so I'm putting in an effort but can't get to him. bloody hard way to finish the week.
the difference in our times: 2 seconds.

User avatar
DavidS
Posts: 3632
Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2010 11:24 pm
Location: Melbourne

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

Postby DavidS » Fri Jul 05, 2013 11:57 pm

Yeah that wind this morning was icy. Went sleeveless as usual if it is over about 7 but it was a bit cold. The morning ride was hard, went the usual way, along the beach, and into a very heavy head wind. Might be cold next week but I sure hope we get a break from the wind.

DS
Allegro T1, Auren Swift :)

User avatar
Hamster
Posts: 607
Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2010 3:05 pm
Location: Brisbane

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

Postby Hamster » Sat Jul 06, 2013 12:07 pm

Last night I got to actually use my air zound. I have to report that the effect is brilliant. A car was coming through a give-way sign on my left and had crossed halfway through the parallel parking strip and appeared to be intent upon entering the cycle path. A blast with the air zound resulted in some rapid braking, a torrent of abuse from the motorist and an uninjured Hamster happily peddling away. :D

Apart from that piece of minor excitement I have nothing to report. The rain earlier this week has washed my chain which is now lubricant-free and covered with a good thick layer of crud. I’m guessing that tomorrow it will be bike maintenance time. My carrier is slowly shaking itself to pieces. So far the tail light bracket has fallen off and one of the cross pieces has become detached at one end. Last time I buy a cheap Chinese aluminium carrier, when this one has finally dies I’ll get myself something far more substantial.
It would not be at all strange if history came to the conclusion that the perfection of the bicycle was the greatest achievement of the nineteenth century.

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users