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

[TailWind]

First commute for 2013 this morning. Late start - 6am - quite a novelty having some daylight on the way into the Melbourne CBD...

[Hamster]

Like a heap of others this was my first commute for the year. Completely uneventful except that there was heaps of glass on the road and paths.

I made my target of 7,500 kms for the year and this year I keep the same target but also attempt to include at least 10 rides of 100 kms or more.

I hope everybody here has a wonderful and safe 2013.

[marinmomma]

Back to it today, lovely ride in early with time for a half river loop before a coffee.

Stinking hot this afternoon into a headwind for most of the journey home, enjoying the quieter roads and am avoiding most of the inner suburbs section of the bike path at the moment as its chock full of kids wobbling around on their new Christmas pressies and dogs running everywhere

[bosvit]

Back to it today, lovely ride in early with time for a half river loop before a coffee.

Stinking hot this afternoon into a headwind for most of the journey home, enjoying the quieter roads and am avoiding most of the inner suburbs section of the bike path at the moment as its chock full of kids wobbling around on their new Christmas pressies and dogs running everywhere

Are you turning into a lycra snob?

[Big_Red]

Back to it today, lovely ride in early with time for a half river loop before a coffee.

Stinking hot this afternoon into a headwind for most of the journey home, enjoying the quieter roads and am avoiding most of the inner suburbs section of the bike path at the moment as its chock full of kids wobbling around on their new Christmas pressies and dogs running everywhere

Lol, my 7 year old son was one of them today, with a new 20" 7 sp mtb. I must have told him at least a dozen times to keep a straight line and keep to the left while he faffed around using the gearing. "Hey dad, look at me, i can still pedal in top gear!" was the phrase of the day and he was very chuffed about after ditching the too small 16" single speed Kmart BSO he'd had since he was 4 and getting a decent bike.

[gretaboy]

Ride home yesterday was great due to the morning headwinds still blowing in the same direction...amazing how easy a little wind in the right direction makes your ride feel. Upside, no P plater idiots hassling, must say after mondays incident I was a little jumpy on my ride home.

the ride this morning was an overcast and cool one and when I checked the BOM radar it was showing headwinds for my entire journey with winds at 26k/h for the last half. After yesterdays effort due to headwinds I wasnt looking forward to it. All up the winds were there but nowhere near as bad as the day before. Came across a few riders too which is unusual for me, normally I only see them going in the opposite direction to me.

[TraceyG]

Took the longer way home last night with hubby sharing the work into the headwind.

Then we set up the new GoPro so I could test it out on this morning's commute but wouldn't you know it, I woke up feeling so crappy this morning that I didn't ride. In fact, almost didn't come into work....and the next week is going to be extremely hot! Maybe I will just commute in in the cool of the mornings and then take the train home at night.

[J-Tim]

First 25km commute this morning.... LOVELY!

[Adstar]

First commute of the year - actually first of the century. Exposed to Canberra's Northbourne Ave in the morning and was surprised by the courtesy shown by a couple of buses and drivers. Return trip, exposed to speeding buses, overtaking roadies and even had some abuse from a pedestrian - who thought he was superior to someone on a bike as he was on his way in to Summernats with a couple of his bogan mates - he was on a path and I was on the road but he still felt the need to comment.

Bit over 30km for the day and although i am currently in the hurt locker, hopefully the first of many commutes this year.

[marinmomma]

Back to it today, lovely ride in early with time for a half river loop before a coffee.

Stinking hot this afternoon into a headwind for most of the journey home, enjoying the quieter roads and am avoiding most of the inner suburbs section of the bike path at the moment as its chock full of kids wobbling around on their new Christmas pressies and dogs running everywhere

Are you turning into a lycra snob?

No just can't be bothered at the moment when it's 32 degrees and I'm riding into a headwind....the roads are much quieter so I'm happy to leave the paths to the kids and wobble walkers, once school goes back I will be back to the roads as the same kids will be getting driven to school!

[TailWind]

Late start again this morning, pleasant conditions into the Melb CBD.
This afternoon was a stinker though...forecast was 34C, but my little weather station showed 41C in the shade when I got home after riding into a hot northerly for most of the way. Tomorrow's forecast is for 41C, and I can't even do a multi-hop commute back because my old haunt in Eaglemont is still closed this week

[InTheWoods]

Saw one of these on the way home today:

http://www.boborangebicycles.nl/4_0_bob ... etsen.html

It was bizarre seeing the front wheel turning even though the handlebars were on another part of the bike.

[gretaboy]

seemed like a slow ride in this morning...weather was brilliant however, actually felt like a summers day. Have upped my mornings k's ever so slightly and after 3 days I am feeling it. I would have thought after all the riding I do, my body would be used to it and it wouldnt feel so hard. Will be going home in the small front ring again this arvo..try and take it easy to allow the body to recover and to change things up.

Have noticed of late a lot more bike riders out and about. Last two mornings have come across riders actually going in the same direction as me. Whether this is due to the holiday period or simply summer, most likely both, but it is a change up to the normally desolate mornings I have.

[Marx]

Commute home yesterday evening:
Melbourne : Rolling down a shared path from St Kilda Rd off Princess Bridge to the boat houses (on the Yarra), I slowed behind some peds waiting for 2x ladies riding up the path, one got very wigglely , stuck in way too high a gear as she passed the peds in front of me & started to tack across the incline towards me, I was now wheel standing (stopped but still clipped in) waiting for her to pass, & she kinda tacked back the other way a little too late & fell into me, pushing me over a bit with her handlebar as she fell onto the path. Her friend stopped to offer assistance & after I righted myself (didn’t really fall, just put my foot out) I kinda just stood there straddling my bike looking back at her asking if she was alright, she responded (in a mix of I think Spanish & English) she was OK. I took a sec to look for blood or broken bike & pretty much racked off.
That’s not the end of the story though.
I get home, hang up the bike, doff the skid lid & specs, and go into the house for some tap water. I’m at the kitchen sink looking out the window still in bike gear & backpack on my back, my wife behind me in the other room calls out “what happened to you?!”
I casually turn around I tell her about how the lady fell off her bike pretty much right in front of me, but I was alright & it was a hot ride home yada yada yada...
She then walked up to me, reached down & grabbed what felt like the end of a hanging Tshirt, when I realised that half my knicks had been torn off. I rode home pretty much the whole way with my right butt cheek for all to see... and I never even realised!!!


(* the end of the lady’s handlebar or brake lever must‘ve snagged on my knicks as she fell)

[ For those who don't know me - 40yr old rider, commuting on Boardman CXPro 2011, commutes 30kms approx daily, all year round. Melbourne based. Also has proper roadbike for training (ie: Beach Rd, & Warrandyte) & also a dual susp XC for occasional MTB racing].

[gretaboy]

.......She then walked up to me, reached down & grabbed what felt like the end of a hanging Tshirt, when I realised that half my knicks had been torn off. I rode home pretty much the whole way with my right butt cheek for all to see... and I never even realised!!!


(* the end of the lady’s handlebar or brake lever must‘ve snagged on my knicks as she fell)

now that sucks...hopefully the knicks were an old pair as they usually arent cheap to replace with good ones...how you didnt feel the wind in the butt hair is a wonder tho

[Marx]

.......something quite tragic......

now that sucks...hopefully the knicks were an old pair as they usually arent cheap to replace with good ones...how you didnt feel the wind in the butt hair is a wonder tho

http://media.sugoi.com/media/catalog/pr ... BLK_47.png

They may have seen better days, but not the cheapest & they wer a fav of mine....

[TailWind]

Late entry...yep, I rode yesterday. Melbourne was at about 24C when I left for the CBD at 6am, and that was ok...warmer than I'm used to for the ride in, but ok.
The afternoon was a different matter altogether. We were at 35C before noon, and I rode through to my brother's place (24km out of the city) mid-afternoon...around 41C. 60% effort, lots of water.
No peds on the paths, which is quite weird...in the depths of winter, with the rain coming down, there are generally a few hardened walkers and their mutts, and some die-hard joggers. But at these temps, nothing...
Had a nice cool down there, and then headed off back home at 8pm for the last 7km..still at 35C...whew, what a day.
Quick ride to the postoffice this morning to pick up a parcel with some bike kit...Contour mount as well, initial fitting attempts frustrating...not enough real estate on the bars with the center pull brakes.

[ColinOldnCranky]

Perth:

Whew.

Another hot day and, for whatever reason, about 25km into the ride I started to feel a little unwell and the start of a headache and a little deeper breathing. It may have been the early symptoms of heat stroke so I soaked the singlet and wore it on the head, doused my back a few times, took a couple of uncharacteristic breaks and got over the Causeway to my work showers. A bit over five minutes under the cold shower with our industrial strength fan running and I seemed fine.

I wound up having done a tad over 40kms so still a good outcome. Thankfully though tomorrow is my rest day.

[jasonc]

survived my first commute of 2013. got into some CCR with a roadie and lost. Realising it was Monday 3/4 of the way up this rise I thought it was a bad idea and backed off.
He doesn't get any CCR points though as I was on my flat bar

[Sparx]

Great morning for riding in Sydney, cool and overcast. Lost my rear light off my backpack, doh.

[gretaboy]

My ride home friday was a good one. My partner was coming back from spending some time with her father so she met me halfway home and took my backpack off me...it was a novelty for me as I am always lugging something, so with no backpack, no panniers...nothing....I felt like i was floating whilst riding, it was nice. But then...I am going down a hill and I feel one of my water bottles hit my calf....looked down and thought it had popped out of the cage..how wrong was I. The "screws" holding the cage on to the frame had rattled loose, couldnt believe it...nearly lost one of the screws but it got caught in a groove so I was lucky. Screwed them in nice and tight and took a mental note to check everything on a regular basis. Guess it just goes to show how bumpy and rough the roads I ride are.

This morning was overcast but very warm. Had a headwind, again, all the way, but I was glad for it as it kept me relatively cool. Apart from that it was a good ride in.

[goneriding]

First commute of 2013 wasn't particularly notable apart from an extreme lack of enthusiasm over the destination.

[clydesmcdale]

First commute for the year. Get to bike at usual time. Flat front. Quick change after considering putting the carbon on instead, then remember it'd be just as quick to change the tube as the brake pads. First flat in about 6 months.

Usual extended commute, pretty warm but not too bad. Make it to work in the knick of time after the unexpected start.

[Comedian]

Commuted this morning via a gateway bridge loop. A little crazy in parts but still great to be out.

[Rhubarb]

Commuted this morning via a gateway bridge loop. A little crazy in parts but still great to be out.

I'd be interested in the route you took. I'm planning a similar ride soon.

Are you please able to forward a strava ride link or similar? And any comments on changes you'd make to the route next time (sections of road to avoid etc).

Much appreciated.