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

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

Postby bychosis » Thu Apr 26, 2018 9:19 am

Lots of pedestrian traffic this morning. Had to slow or use the bell a lot more than usual. How dare they use the sharepath when I want to get to work :lol:

Also bagged a CCR point this morning. Bike ahead as I entered the path. Turned out to be an e-bike, must have been legal and limited to 25km/h because he was easy to pass and escape at my normal speed of 26-27km/h. Points still count, because e-bike.
bychosis (bahy-koh-sis): A mental disorder of delusions indicating impaired contact with a reality of no bicycles.

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

Postby Tequestra » Fri Apr 27, 2018 1:19 pm

Any week when ANZAC Day falls on a Wednesday comes standard with a 5-day weekend after Tuesday afternoon at the end of the last 4-days off, and I can hear it in the traffic outside even now as I write at quarter to eleven Friday morning. The reason that Australia is The Lucky Country is because Australia is also The Lazy Country, and I knew this Friday was an extra special supa-sized certified unofficial public holiday before I even reached the first giveway sign before The Big Hill this morning.

No traffic around. I could hear the song of the wind in the trees and the little birdies tweeting away to each other about how nice and quiet it was this Friday morning with none of those neandertals rampaging around in their personal coal-fired power-stations making so much blasted noise. It was like a country town early Sunday morning. So much for the protestant work ethic - shame they just got sued out of business so we cant blame them anymore. At least the greenies will be happy that every employable comrade received an extra four(4) days annual leave this year because Wednesday happened to be the 25th of April.

It was great for old rusted-out cyclists too, and I google warned me that there was a 14 km/h SE tailwind to help up The Big Hill and 28km/h was the lowest speed on the climb, which was 2km/h better than last time, but mostly because of that favourable wind, I'd say. After three rides in a row last Fri-Sun, the fitness does seem to last and the feeling in th lungs and legs were back to something resemblent of the olden days of youth when the cardio-vascular system did what God intended. Today was just The Short Hop ride, I'd guess a whopping 3km total.

Short but sweet, except for the few Sunday Drivers that did swoop by too close when they had an open dual carriageway to effortlessly meander over the lane marker to use the empty right lane, but preferred to try the same old worn-out intimidation trick and go as close to me as they felt they could risk it to make that self-righteous and all important political statement, because THEY pay for the roads and those cyclists don't have to! :cry:

The first was a gunmetal HJ80 landcruiser that ripped past around a long left-hand sweeper at around 80 in a 60 zone, leaning to the right through the lights with about 6" between my mirror and theirs, so God only knows how far apart out tyres were. That was the sole problem on the way to the shops. Then on the way back there were two small hatchback type things, silver & blue, that went by at a bit over the limit and rather than straddle the lane marker when there was nothing else around, they insisted on remaining entirely in the left lane as they passed me, leaving around 18" or so, which is no great drama. Just rude. I guess it was too much bother to wear out their indicator stalk if they did straddle the line, to risk hitting some lonely old pushbike when there's no one around to see who it was on an unofficial Sunday morning.

I told you this was the lazy country. Have a good weekend.
Viva le Tour Electrique' !!!

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

Postby Lizzy » Fri Apr 27, 2018 3:46 pm

Did not feel at all like riding home last night but got in to the swing of it well enough once I got started.

Insane concentration of bugs emanating from the drainage sumps alongside the freeway north of Leederville the past couple of days. Had to suck air in through my teeth, even just nose-breathing I was near snorting the things. Ptooey! Could see them swarming in great shape-shifting whorls around the lights over the sportsball oval and the streetlights. Bigger than average midges too, could hear them pinging off my glasses and helmet. Kept deciding to stop and relocate my Buff headscarf down over my nose and mouth Michael Jackson style, but each time kept thinking "surely that's the last of them" , and repeat ...
“Lexa”: 2012 Trek Lexa S; "Hannelore": 2019 Kalkhoff, "Teal Cecile" Reid traino shuttle

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

Postby bychosis » Fri Apr 27, 2018 5:03 pm

1st half of the commute: I hate southerlies. Southerly = strong headwind.
2nd half of the commute: I love southerlies. Southerly = KOM for segment.
bychosis (bahy-koh-sis): A mental disorder of delusions indicating impaired contact with a reality of no bicycles.

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

Postby Tequestra » Sun Apr 29, 2018 12:55 pm

Good Morning and Happy (official) Sunday everybody! Going to The Beach, The Whole Beach, and Nothing But The Beach is a bit of a long bow to draw into the category of commuting if there is even the tiniest weeniest smidgeon of pleasure in water sports entertained in any shape or form whatsoever, so luckily there was a strong offshore gale blowing from the north-east this morning, and the 4km ride was absolutely No Fun At All! None! Not a bit!

Zilch! Zero! Well, maybe a little bit with the tailwind up the Big Hill but nevertheless mainly Medicinal purposes with a capital M and not much fun intended. The murky brown salt water is partially good for healing the skin on the legs, so quite alikened to a trip to the chemist, which does qualify as a genuine commute even if you do enjoy being questioned by the big pharma gestapo for some reason or other.

Half the distance to The Beach is a dual-carriageway main road up The Big Hill, and then the lights, and then the other half is a bike path through the bush down the hill to the carpark, and that is where the most action was this morning. There was not even a single car passed me on the road, but a few at the lights, and then not a single pedestrian after the lights all the way down the hill on the bike path, again with a tailwind, but still not that much fun because there are plenty of small trees along the bike path and I am always wary of the possibility of a length of wire strung across these kinds of paths in the early mornings after a Saturday night ... okay, paranoid, but it's all part of the overall awareness of sentient old age.

At the car park it was a lot of delinquent fun, because all the Sunday drivers toddling around trying to physically relate to the real world from inside their metal cages seem to be brainwashed into almost stopping completely over the long, gentle speed humps, and it is a major embarrassment to have to watch these ignoramuses in their pathetic attempts at motor vehicle operation, to think that they passed the same driving test that competent drivers have to pass to obtain an Australian drivers' license sends a shiver down my spine and a tear to my eye, but it's okay. It's okay because I have a motor too! So I just coasted past them, through all their slow-motion needlessness and paid no heed whatsoever to the courteous pre-warning kind of inter-vehicular harmony I have been advocating for the past month or two. No way, too bad suckers! Outta my way! Cos I got a motor too!

Nobody is going to get their little 4x4 jalopy between me and the salt water on a Sunday when I am on a mission of medicinal meaningfulness because now I have a Big Truck and I can justify anything I want to now and the only laws that matters are Newton's Laws, because I am bigger than a landcruiser, HA! My truck is even bigger than a Cadillac, so there! Now you have been warned, landcruiser drivers, y'unnerstand?

You be nice to cyclists commuting on the highways and big trucks will be nice to you back.
Good Karma brings you Good Truckma, got it?
Viva le Tour Electrique' !!!

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

Postby Lizzy » Mon Apr 30, 2018 12:33 pm

Yesterday would have been a pretty epic beach day, Tequestra!

Couldn't complain too bitterly this morning - northerly winds and a dolphin-baby sighting just south of Canning Bridge. I think mum was trying to teach baby how to catch fish by corralling against the sea wall - baby was more interested in jumping over the waves and doing little belly-whackers. Totes adorbs! :mrgreen:
“Lexa”: 2012 Trek Lexa S; "Hannelore": 2019 Kalkhoff, "Teal Cecile" Reid traino shuttle

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cancan64
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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby cancan64 » Wed May 02, 2018 10:25 am

Bloody puncture yesterday morning... first one in ages but only had a 18-23 tube for the 32c tyre ... was fun pumping away with sore shoulder but finally back on the road... then sitting at lights to enter a bike lane an ebike passed me as the lights went green so I jumped behind him... was sitting on 43km/hr before the back tyre went flat again, 25km from first puncture...only had 1 spare so 5km walk to work... nice weather here but now needing lights to and from work
“Some say he isn’t machine washable, and all his potted plants are called ‘Steve’.

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

Postby caneye » Wed May 02, 2018 3:49 pm

Snapped a spoke last week. Tied the broken spoke to the adjacent one and continued commuting. Waiting to get replacement spoke from LBS. Haven't had the time to make the trip. Life is getting in the way.

Snapped another spoke yesterday. That means twice in a week. Not good. Unfortunately the CX bike uses disc brakes and I only have a single set of road disk-brake wheels.

Park the CX bike aside and used the old cro-moly roadie instead.

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

Postby adsjax » Wed May 02, 2018 8:58 pm

Long time reader of this thread but first time poster.
During my 15km afternoon commute yesterday i was hit by a driver who "didn't see me" going through a roundabout. Luckily i was pushed onto the center of the roundabout but my bike went under his car and is a write off. I love my daily commute but am seriously thinking about if it's worth it.

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

Postby jasonc » Thu May 03, 2018 8:19 am

Scary adsjax. Sadly most of us run cameras as drivers either dgaf or don't look. Defensive riding is the way to go - assume they either haven't seen you or are out to kill you. Hope you get back on the road soon

With Winter coming I've been looking for my winter gear but couldn't find it. I finally found it last night in a bag with my punctured tubes. No idea what i was thinking putting them there

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AndreB1972
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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby AndreB1972 » Thu May 03, 2018 10:42 am

jasonc wrote:With Winter coming I've been looking for my winter gear but couldn't find it. I finally found it last night in a bag with my punctured tubes. No idea what i was thinking putting them there
In Brisbane winter gear is about as useful as punctured tubes :D

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

Postby Lizzy » Thu May 03, 2018 11:53 am

Swimming training is Wednesday nights. Thursday mornings are haaaaard. I hit a wall at Stirling, felt better at Glendalough, got the train which turned out be a false economy of effort due to construction detours. Meh.
“Lexa”: 2012 Trek Lexa S; "Hannelore": 2019 Kalkhoff, "Teal Cecile" Reid traino shuttle

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

Postby jasonc » Thu May 03, 2018 12:08 pm

AndreB1972 wrote:
jasonc wrote:With Winter coming I've been looking for my winter gear but couldn't find it. I finally found it last night in a bag with my punctured tubes. No idea what i was thinking putting them there
In Brisbane winter gear is about as useful as punctured tubes :D
toe covers and gilet. i have big feet and suffer when my feet are cold
i get zero at my place in the morning

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cancan64
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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby cancan64 » Fri May 04, 2018 10:46 am

We have had 5c mornings for the last 2 days... started off with a light wind jacket but not cold enough for it yet... I have arm warmers somewhere but cant find them... a weekend job.... may have to check the box with tubes and puncture stuff
“Some say he isn’t machine washable, and all his potted plants are called ‘Steve’.

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

Postby jasonc » Fri May 04, 2018 12:19 pm

cancan64 wrote:We have had 5c mornings for the last 2 days... started off with a light wind jacket but not cold enough for it yet... I have arm warmers somewhere but cant find them... a weekend job.... may have to check the box with tubes and puncture stuff
if they are in there, i apologise

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

Postby g-boaf » Sat May 05, 2018 8:41 pm

I had a commute home from my new office the other day (official opening of the brand new building). Pretty stunning it must be said. Bicycle facilities are frankly awesome, even towels are provided. Amazing.

Equally nice getting home in 30 minutes, despite making a detour to the shops. Not a bike commute, but still fantastic. 8)

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

Postby caneye » Mon May 07, 2018 10:36 am

g-boaf wrote:I had a commute home from my new office the other day (official opening of the brand new building). Pretty stunning it must be said. Bicycle facilities are frankly awesome, even towels are provided. Amazing.
sounds fantastic. showers, lockers, etc .. ?
is your employer the only tenant of the building or is it shared facilities?

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

Postby g-boaf » Mon May 07, 2018 10:42 am

caneye wrote:
g-boaf wrote:I had a commute home from my new office the other day (official opening of the brand new building). Pretty stunning it must be said. Bicycle facilities are frankly awesome, even towels are provided. Amazing.
sounds fantastic. showers, lockers, etc .. ?
is your employer the only tenant of the building or is it shared facilities?
The only one, just us. And the building was built just for us.

My old office (which we are still in for a little while longer) is like a dungeon, rabbit warrens of corridors, heavy flourescent lighting, poor natural lighting, the shower/change facilities are third world in comparison.

Compare to the new place with bike racks in a locked enclosure, even the secure lockers/shower/change rooms are inside the locked area. You swipe your tag to get into that area, then swipe again to get into the change rooms. And they are spacious, not cramped. And they are fairly cool and well ventilated inside, again a massive change.
Last edited by g-boaf on Mon May 07, 2018 10:49 am, edited 1 time in total.

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cancan64
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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby cancan64 » Mon May 07, 2018 10:48 am

jasonc wrote:if they are in there, i apologise
They weren't but it was where I kept them... dont know where they are now.

Went to leave this morning and it started raining so put all the wet weather gear on and had a dry run in... front puncture and left phone at home all have made the morning interesting
“Some say he isn’t machine washable, and all his potted plants are called ‘Steve’.

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

Postby Lizzy » Mon May 07, 2018 11:04 am

Felt slow and stiff this morning, but made it in not-worst time.

Experienced one of the perils of riding against peak flow this morning, full emergency stop on the big downhill from Parliament. Fellow joining the PSP at Mount St looked down for the city-bound types, but didn't look back up for me. Managed to squeak out a plaintive "eey-aaargh" while hanging off the brakes and skidding - no contact and we both continued on our merry way ... ::whew::
“Lexa”: 2012 Trek Lexa S; "Hannelore": 2019 Kalkhoff, "Teal Cecile" Reid traino shuttle

apollo95
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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby apollo95 » Mon May 07, 2018 2:04 pm

Long time no post for me here, but still been enjoying commuting pretty much every work day!
Cold wet and windy last Friday morning on way to work, but still moving quicker than the crap traffic on the Monash Freakway!
Friday evening commute was bit windy, but all good!
Monday morning 07/5 was very headwindy and more of a recovery effort !

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cancan64
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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby cancan64 » Tue May 08, 2018 10:16 am

So Friday heading home, last part is a nice downhill with a right turn near the end which is on a blind corner... going down I get to speed limit, then indicate to turn then apply brakes in case a car is coming up but this idiot ignored all and just passed me... lucky I wssnt indicating to turn into a driveway or a car was coming up... I guess if you can afford a half a million dollar car you can afford not to give a rats about anyone else
“Some say he isn’t machine washable, and all his potted plants are called ‘Steve’.

apollo95
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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby apollo95 » Tue May 08, 2018 11:54 am

cancan64 wrote:So Friday heading home, last part is a nice downhill with a right turn near the end which is on a blind corner... going down I get to speed limit, then indicate to turn then apply brakes in case a car is coming up but this idiot ignored all and just passed me... lucky I wssnt indicating to turn into a driveway or a car was coming up... I guess if you can afford a half a million dollar car you can afford not to give a rats about anyone else
Looks to be a winker in a Bently Continental Coupe that over took you there!
Typical high roller who think they own the road!
Kuffwit!

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

Postby bychosis » Tue May 08, 2018 2:00 pm

This morning the weather was great again. Cool, Crisp and calm. I decided to turn left instead of right and enjoyed a little extra commute time, despite that I should have gone straight to work. The left turn was encouraged by the rider heading in the other direction, someone to chase. No CCR points due to his ranking, but none the less a good workout on the fixed gear. Plenty of other riders to catch up to and pass too. It's a busy time of year on the sharepath!
bychosis (bahy-koh-sis): A mental disorder of delusions indicating impaired contact with a reality of no bicycles.

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

Postby caneye » Wed May 09, 2018 12:34 pm

Gotta say .. loving the sunny, cool, crisp morning commutes!

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