Friday, September 12, 2014

This week in Bike Commuting: A Cold, 90 mile week

All the weather boffins are saying that El Nino is going to have a major impact on our weather patterns this year and after this week of riding to work, I am starting to believe they might be right!


It's cold enough for shorts and warm enough for long sleeves!


Fifty degrees right now seems a lot colder when it's a lot drier out.  It's still comfortable riding, though.  I did see a roadie on Rt 302 Tuesday morning decked out in full Roadie Mufti!  Tights, gloves, long sleeve or arm warmers, and an ear band?  Yikes, it's not really that cold!  Coming home, I wore a short sleeve because it was nice out and got a 20/10 on Tuesday.


On Wednesday, I rode a 20/20, twenty + miles on the way in and back, although it's getting darker now, earlier.  I rode through town and stopped at the CVS to pick up a prescription and ended up chatting with a friend in the parking lot as it continued to get darker.  The last three miles home, I switched my light from flash to full on.


Friday morning I went with another layer and it made things a lot more comfortable and the morning temperature never climbed above 54 degrees.  On the way home I put on a short sleeve but it was definitely borderline and probably would have been more comfortable riding with a long sleeve.  I had to rush home so my wife could pick up my daughter from Dance Class and I made it home in 36 minutes!  A new record.  Friday was a 10/10 day.  I think this is the most commuting miles I have ridden in one week and the funny thing is, I probably could ride more days now that school is in session and all the kid's activities are now set but I think I am going to stick to Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.


The cyclists you see below popped out in front of me on Tower Road.  I think he was riding a 63 cm frame and still had the seat jacked way up!  I don't how anyone can ride without a spare tube like this guy was but then again the absence of a seat pack or a jersey with back pockets could only mean one thing ...


F-R-E-D

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