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

[Jangari]

Had a pretty !! BAN ME NOW FOR SWEARING !! commute last Thursday evening. Riding home from Melbourne CBD along Rathdowne in the peak. Bikes all going about 35kph, cars basically stopped. I'm going quite close to the wheel in front as it's windy, and then some can a few lengths in front starts doing something, the bikes begin braking, then the guy in front of me brakes quite abruptly, I clip his wheel, just enough to throw myself off balance, and I come off entirely, landing right on my left hand.

I thought I was alright, just a bit sore, but my hand ain't taking any weight. The bike in front stopped as did the car to check on me, but it was no one's fault but mine for going too close to the guy in front, so they check I'm 'alright' and then leave. I walk with my bike and my wrist taped up in electrical tape (courtesy of the driver) to Melbourne uni to drop my bike in my office, then on to RMH emergency, mainly because I didn't know if there were any closer medical centres.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I'd broken the distal head of my radius in two, so an entire inch-wide knuckle of my wrist completely snapped off. They kept on telling me that it was one of the worst breaks they seen, but was quite fixable. They had to force the bones back into position on the night, for which the anaesthetic didn't work well enough: I was meant to be out completely but was awake. Then surgery to attach two plates, one from either side, on Friday evening.

Woke up after surgery feeling pretty out of it, and slept quite well that night, and woke up yesterday morning feeling alright, apart from a slightly sore and useless left arm.

Got home finally at 3:30 pm Saturday, a mere 45 hours after leaving the city.

[michael_w]

Strewth! I hope your arm heals well, that sounds nasty

[jasonc]

Strewth! I hope your arm heals well, that sounds nasty

+1

[Jangari]

Yeah, in good spirits and doing pretty well. In fact they were surprised at my recovery from surgery. I only had morphine for a few hours after waking up and that was it. Down to nothing but panadol after that. I'm advised to ride in the drops from now on, such will be the reduced motion and strength of my wrist. But i reckon I'll make a pretty good, quick recovery.

[kb]

I did see the amusing sight of a possum being blown across the road though..

Do you have footage of that to share?

Nope but I'm thinking a camera might not be a bad idea.

Friday evening's suburban wildlife encounter was a rat running across Belmore rd near the aquatic center Mont Albert. Almost didn't see that one and could have been nasty at 45kph downhill.

[TailWind]

Friday afternoon was still very windy, and had me questioning my sanity while I wearily battled my way north into a headwind.
All forgotten this morning with a fresh pair of legs, and I hit the road at a chilly 3C. Roads and paths were damp, but no rain into the Melbourne CBD.

[limbot]

Bit cold this morning but school holidays down here in Tassie meant less traffic on the road. Managed to get the bike up to 70.2 kmh coming down a hill where I'm normally held up with traffic... :p

[Hamster]

My commute this morning was totally routine until I heard a fiendish noise coming up from behind, shortly afterwards I was passed by a vaguely bicycle shaped object, the type of object one sees abandoned beside charity bins and in creeks. Said object proceeded to pass me and then to continue along, soon to be lost from sight in its own smoke screen. I’m left wondering how long it will be before this object either shakes itself apart or the constabulary catch sight of it, either way it isn’t long for this world.

Apart from that I am pleased to report that the silk undergloves that I bought through eBay seem to be doing the trick. However, the real test will be on a colder morning as 12.9 degrees isn’t much of a test.

[jasonc]

Apart from that I am pleased to report that the silk undergloves that I bought through eBay seem to be doing the trick. However, the real test will be on a colder morning as 12.9 degrees isn’t much of a test.

put em away for next year. winter is over.

[Summernight]

It was very slippery on the MYT this morning - I slipped while I was jogging on the Gipps St bridge. But I know about that issue and had already done the journey in the other direction just prior so had the hand near the railing ready to grab. I was surprised it was so slippery given it was a bit warmer than it has been but I heard that some areas of the outskirts of Melbourne were getting black ice this morning and accidents galore on the roads in the north-west so it makes sense.

I didn't have the legs this morning for the ride into work. I slotted in behind my arch nemesis and she had good legs to carry her along so I didn't bother passing her. She then thrashes everyone on the hill and got the lights. Lucky. I rode past her in the CBD as she was waiting to turn right so I guess it is swings and roundabouts. I also had a considerate motorist let me in as I'd chosen the left lane and got stuck behind left turning cars. That was nice.

I'm really noticing the creak in the back wheel now and there is a creak in the pedal area (which we all know could be anything) in the big ring on a particular point in the revolution. A bit annoying as the bike just went in for a service. The new wheelset should be arriving tomorrow, so I can at least fix that issue.

[Hamster]

Apart from that I am pleased to report that the silk undergloves that I bought through eBay seem to be doing the trick. However, the real test will be on a colder morning as 12.9 degrees isn’t much of a test.

put em away for next year. winter is over.

Having lived in Qld now for almost 20 years my idea of cold has become somewhat modified, to the extent that anything in single digits is considered to be cold. I take my beanie and two pairs of gloves off to those hardy souls who commute on a daily basis in places like Canberra, Melbourne, Hobart and all other places on the edge of Antarctica. Well done chaps, well done indeed.

[Comedian]

First commute after 3.5 weeks of holiday for me.

[westab]

Great weather for the commute this morning - but two flats on the way in GRRRRRRRRRRR

Can't wait for the school holidays to end and the glass to be cleaned up. Look forward to riding tomorrow.

[find_bruce]

First commute after 3.5 weeks of holiday for me.

You've been away ?? Thought it had gone quiet around here

[TailWind]

Reasonable conditions in Melbourne yesterday afternoon for the ride back. Needed to stop of at my brother's place to help him with some tech stuff, so got back later than usual.
Cold this morning, but calm and dry, so a good ride into the Melbourne CBD.

[Summernight]

I was prepared for the cold and had a good time riding in this morning. Didn't seem to sweat at all due to the cold, which was handy when getting changed at work.

I spoke to a lady last night from my office building who also commutes regularly - she rides a lovely pink and white Pinarello as her commuter and we've said hello to each other a few times (she says I'm the only one she sees riding from the office building, even though there are a few other bicycles locked up at the bike racks). She told me a story about being at her last job (at a different building) and that this old building had a bicycle cage and she rode a grandma-type bicycle (one you wouldn't look twice at) to that work as her commuter bicycle.

She was heading to the cage one night after work when she heard a "NOOOO!". All the bicycles in the cage had been stolen... All except her ugly grandma bike.

The scream had come from a man who had just started a new job working at that building that morning and had had an accident with tram lines on the way into work so had road rash all down his side... His bike had apparently come out of the accident with the tram tracks unscathed but now had been stolen whilst he had been working. What a story. Hope it wasn't anyone on here.

[oxonabike]

Commuting in Cairns has been a mixed bag over the past couple of weeks. From absolutely delightful bright sunny days, to near cyclonic conditions we have been experiencing over the past couple of days. The sunny days come with 10 or 11 degree mornings which for us northern sooks has us searching for our non existent layers, full fingered gloves etc. The current winds we are experiencing are great for the commute in, but horrid for the trip home. Requires some cunning route strategies to get as much protection as possible.

Got a bum clenching close pass by a sugar truck this morning, a video of which will feature in Moron Motorists thread once it finishes uploading to you chewb.

[TraceyG]

At minus two degrees and fog so thick I couldn't see my own fingertips - I piked out on commuting this morning. Better luck (conditions) tomorrow.

[CXCommuter]

Beautiful conditions over here in Perth (cold but not windy), but about to come to an end according to BOM with showers expected today and over the next week and counting, of course the commuter is in the shop for it's annual warranty service (yep 1 year and 9,00km later), needed a new BB and headset bearings from the wet weather riding so got held up, hoping to pick up this evening. Good riding lately, not too many idiots around (car or bike).

[__PG__]

My eyes were watering a few times in the cold this morning. Great weather otherwise.

[Comedian]

First commute after 3.5 weeks of holiday for me.

You've been away ?? Thought it had gone quiet around here

Sorry, yes - your luck just ran out.

Nice commute for me this morning over the mountain.

[TailWind]

Nice afternoon yesterday in Melbourne for the ride back. Did the MYT route via Greensborough, and picked up an MTB'er on the gravel section between Burke and Banksia. He stuck to my wheel tenaciously all the way to the split in the MYT near Rosanna.
This morning was pretty cold, around 1.5C at 4am, so I layered up nicely and wasn't too uncomfortable. Inadvertently set my light to the highest setting and had a bit of a shock when it started flashing red at me about an hour in. Set it down one notch and it went blue again and lasted for the remainder of the ride.

[jasonc]

extended ride abandoned with wet roads. so a load lugger again for me

[CXCommuter]

Miserable ride home last night- gusty headwind, wet roads and occasional shower- felt better when I got home and it absolutely dumped on and off for the next couple of hours. Need the commuter back from the shop, apparently of the two items ordered from the same supplier at the same time (BB and Headset) only the headset arrived, up to COB yesterday!!
Don't like the sound of SRAM Red being ground into oblivion by sand and mud (SRAM Rival sounds much cheaper when being ground into oblivion)

[Summernight]

Lovely cold morning this morning - the Gipps St bridge had the usual slippery frost on it (not as slippery as Monday though) and the Kew side of the Walmer St bridge also had its covering of frost. Was ready for the cold on the ride into work and had a good time pootling along. Last night on the way home my tyres ran over two stones or something and then flicked them out to the sides. The crack that made as they were flicked out was quite loud. I thought that my tyres had gone! But no, all good. Although maybe not so good for whatever the rocks hit on the sides of the road...

The bike is now in the shop getting its wheelset replaced (after a service two weeks ago revealed that the freehub was about to die at any time on the current wheelset and the specific freehub the wheelset had couldn't be sourced by the LBS) - it should be interesting to see what the bike and the old freehub look like when I get the bike and the old wheelset back.

I'm looking forward to riding the new wheels (Pro-Lite Merano) on the way home tonight!

EDIT: Forgot to mention the cyclist in front of me on the Cecil Walker bicycle on Collins St this morning - his brakes were LOUD. Sounded like they needed a checkover as the screaming goat type noises coming from them when engaged were turning the heads of cyclists and pedestrians alike.