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

[michael_w]

Third commute this week! That's an equal record for me. Lovely ride from Box Hill, down Mt Albert Rd, Burke Rd, Burwood Rd, Powers Rd to Swan St then onto the Yarra Blvd before joining the Gardiners Creek Trail.

I'm enjoying the change of scenery as I'm currently on a 3 month secondment at St Kilda Rd. Gardiners Creek Trail sure beats Whitehorse Rd

I'm contemplating riding all the way home to Upwey this afternoon via Gardiners Creek Trail, Waverley Rail Trail and then through Ferntree Gully. Lovely day for a ride.

[clackers]

Ice in the bidon again, today. Melbourne going for nine days in a row of March thirty degree days.

[michael_w]

Third commute this week! That's an equal record for me. Lovely ride from Box Hill, down Mt Albert Rd, Burke Rd, Burwood Rd, Powers Rd to Swan St then onto the Yarra Blvd before joining the Gardiners Creek Trail.

I'm enjoying the change of scenery as I'm currently on a 3 month secondment at St Kilda Rd. Gardiners Creek Trail sure beats Whitehorse Rd

I'm contemplating riding all the way home to Upwey this afternoon via Gardiners Creek Trail, Waverley Rail Trail and then through Ferntree Gully. Lovely day for a ride.

Did it! A bit slower than anticipated being the first time on this route, but 2h 20m for 45km is a start Lovely afternoon for it. Not too hot, just needed to keep hydrated

[jasonc]

spent hours cleaning both my bikes on the weekend. then of course at about 2am this morning, rain. so I now have one dirty bike.

[BrisVegas]

spent hours cleaning both my bikes on the weekend. then of course at about 2am this morning, rain. so I now have one dirty bike.

ahh, so it's your fault! I washed my car yesterday and figured it was me, but I was wrong.

riverlooped & commuted with the kids this morning. Picked up some glass and flatted at one point. Not happy with how thin my Rubino Pros have gotten in less than 2,000km. I'll have to get a new tyre today.

[Comedian]

spent hours cleaning both my bikes on the weekend. then of course at about 2am this morning, rain. so I now have one dirty bike.

Seriously... That was never going to end well.

For me I enjoyed what was a dry commute.

[Kenzo]

Had a bus cut in on me this morning - twice. Both times on sections where there were two lanes for him to use. The second time there was clear intent to get close.
So - at the next set of lights I just pull up in front of him again and just look directly at his face... (sunnies on) just looking directly at him for the entire lights cycle. He was definitely starting to feel uncomfortable. Moments like these I wish I could show an A4 size picture of my wife and kids to wave in front of idiots like that. Rego 209 ESL - a Hino - shame there was no bus company logo or I'd be reporting the fool.
Then approaching a green light with cars stuck waiting for traffic to move.. a car from the far right lane turns left across the stopped traffic passing about three metres in front of me... just one or two seconds later and I would have been splatted..
A hundred metres later now back on the bike path a chicane sees a rider coming downhill toward me on the wrong side of the path... forcing me off to the side... at least this guy apologised.
Looking forward to the ride home as I seem to have got the 'nasty three' incidents out of the way... should be plain sailing from here right?

[clydesmcdale]

Took off this morning got a few funny looks as I approached the start of Mt Gravatt climb. Stopped to adjust my helmet. Found I had no helmet, turned around and went home. Restart. Dry at least.

[jasonc]

Took off this morning got a few funny looks as I approached the start of Mt Gravatt climb. Stopped to adjust my helmet. Found I had no helmet, turned around and went home. Restart. Dry at least.

Don't feel bad. I forgot my gloves, keys, money, go card etc etc. I'm doing well today

[Hamster]

My ride this morning was lovely, a bit of a headwind but warn, sunny and most importantly dry. The path through the Boondall Wetlands is drying nicely and if the weather holds even the puddles will be gone in a couple of days time.

Friday night was however somewhat different. I stopped beside a guy at the level crossing in Bilsen Road, he commented that it would be nice to have a dry ride home at long last. Hamster glanced at the sky and agreed fully expecting a dry ride. The rain gods must have been listening for while I was crossing the bridge to Redcliffe the heavens opened. Perhaps I should just harden-up but rain with a 40kph wind behind it hurts.

The previous night along the Deagon Deviation bike path I was overtaken by a woman, so Hamster sets off in pursuit. I gain a little and lose a little but really get no closer and probably losing ground. Then I caught her – she had a flat tyre. Anyway I do the gentlemanly thing and stop and offer to assist. Then we both realize that we know each other and as her puncture repairing skills exceed mine, my contribution is restricted to providing additional light and escorting her back to Redcliffe in case of a second flat.

All things considered, cycling beats commuting by cage hands down.

[jasonc]

stopped to help a guy on the way home (near the mount ommaney roundabout). he couldn't work out what was wrong. anyway, turned out he'd lost a derailleur jockey wheel.

chucked it in one of the larger gears on the back to provide a bit of tension and send him on his way with "don't change gears". he had about 4 kms to go

[TailWind]

Labour day in Vic yesterday, so no commutes. Back into it this morning though.
Almost rode into the middle of a huge spiderweb strung across the the path between some trees on the Darebin Creek Trail in the dark. Saw it very late in my lights, managed to duck and swerve and only collect one of the connecting threads, not the center that had an object in it, presumably the web's owner. Needless to say I had creepy crawly sensations all over my skin for the remainer of the ride...

[jasonc]

dry/wet/dry commute resulting in a dirty bike again.

[BrisVegas]

After the first couple of months of this year, I totally understand why people have a rain/commute bike with mudguards and heavy wheels and strong tyres etc..

I picked up a MAxxis ReFuse tyre on the way home last night, so hopefully it copes with all the crud and glass around the place a bit better. Looks like I'm finally getting a replacement Deep V back wheel, so I can give back the white Bontrager rim I've been borrowing. White bladed spokes! Say What were they thinking?

[Lizzy]

Nice cool weather & nice riding for the past couple of days. Detoured past the folks' the other day, starting to feel way more betterer on the new bike. Lower back is protesting a bit though - combination of shaking it out religiously (been busted in strange positions on the floor by early-rising colleagues once or twice ), wheat bag, etc. Hopefully just a period of adjustment.

[clydesmcdale]

Nice dry fast reverse half loop from Yeronga this morning. Then caught car stupidity at UQ, before pressing on again. Good morning ride all up.

[find_bruce]

Pretty uneventful commute for me. Not so for some poor bloke on the Anzac bridge - when I stopped to see if he needed help, the bottom of his chain was at 90° Unsurprisingly it wouldn't go through the jockey wheels. I quickly concluded that nothing I had was going to help him & continued on my way, while he made the walk of shame.

[Summernight]

Uneventful commute, apart from it being hot. I like the extra public holiday Monday off, although my muscles are protesting (possibly because I did an extra day of horse-riding instead).

Had a truck driver stop at the lights in the Melbourne CBD (they'd turned red for us) and ask what that square thing on my handlebars was (the GoPro video camera). He was quite funny (he called himself a 'knucklehead') and he realised very quickly what purpose it served (I of course helped him along by saying I tender the evidence of any stupid drivers to the Police, but of course he would NEVER be one of them, would he? ). We had a good chat and now two more truckies (he had a passenger as well) are aware that cyclists are using cameras to film people doing stupid things and that there might be consequences if they don't 'look bike'.

Of course, they then let me go first when the light went green. I didn't realise why until halfway into the intersection - they didn't want to be on camera if they did anything stupid.

Also had the bicycle police out near Treasury - three of them sitting near the tram stop probably pulling cyclists over for no helmet or for passing a tram disgorging passengers (illegal to do).

[TailWind]

Hot in Melbourne for the trek home. Was overtaken by a cargo bike around the outside of a bend on the path at Fairfield Park , but, in my defense, it had electric assist!

Very warm this morning, still 27C at 4am. First decent tailwind into the CBD in a while, and I promptly improved on my best time for the Darebin Creek Trail route by 7 minutes.

[jasonc]

dry/wet/dry commute - half of mt coot-tha wet, the other half dry. bizarre

[BrisVegas]

dry/wet/dry commute - have of mt coot-tha wet, the other half dry. bizarre

supposed to be sunny on Friday!

I made your mistake and cleaned my bike last night. Just enough water around to get crap all over it again this morning. Still, it was a nice morning for a river loop and commute to school with kids etc..

[Summernight]

Hot in Melbourne for the trek home. Was overtaken by a cargo bike around the outside of a bend on the path at Fairfield Park , but, in my defense, it had electric assist!

Very warm this morning, still 27C at 4am. First decent tailwind into the CBD in a while, and I promptly improved on my best time for the Darebin Creek Trail route by 7 minutes.

Almost caught an e-assist bicycle lady yesterday afternoon - she wasn't even pedalling and the thing was going 25kph or more into the headwind! She was taunting me with her lack of pedalling and I thought I should pass her just because.
Just as I was about to prepare to CCR scalp her she turned right into the commission flats. Darn. And it was hot, hot, hot. Almost had a retching session on a downhill section (downhill, for crying out loud!!). I always seem to feel a bit sick after riding in hot temperatures - okay when riding, but as soon as I get off, bam.

It was a headwind into the city for me this morning, but I don't really mind headwinds on the way in - more annoying on the way home. Couldn't stop sweating all the way from my morning run, through the cold shower and all the way through my ride to work. Only stopped once I got to my desk and could gulp down lots of water.

To the friendly cyclist who says a cheery hello every morning we meet (usually around the Collingwood Children's Farm) when I'm running - you make my day brighter. Although I have no idea how you can ride in a full length green jumper in this temperature.

[Hamster]

It was an uneventful commute for me this morning from Redcliffe to Northgate through the Boondall Wetlands .

It will be several more weeks before I'm comfortable with the increased distance but so far so good.

[jasonc]

stopped to help a guy on the way home (near the mount ommaney roundabout). he couldn't work out what was wrong. anyway, turned out he'd lost a derailleur jockey wheel.

chucked it in one of the larger gears on the back to provide a bit of tension and send him on his way with "don't change gears". he had about 4 kms to go

guess what I found on the way home tonight:



oh. fricken headwind

[TailWind]

Stopped at the LBS in Ivanhoe yesterday to pick up brake pads, but they hadn't arrived yet. Not a totally wasted trip because I stopped off at my old local a bit further down the road.
Looked at the radar this morning, appeared reasonably clear. Opened garage door, stepped out into light rain. Stripped off one layer and put on spray jacket....a little warm at 15C, but the light rain and drizzle persisted for most of the 30km ride into the Melbourne CBD. Took it easy on the wet paths and roads.