Last commute of the year

[jrenaut]

Today is my last one, too – working at home tomorrow because my older daughter’s school is still closed for the break. I don’t have a computer on my bike, but, conservatively, 6.5 miles roundtrip times 5 days a week times 47 weeks (to make up for vacation and work at home days), I come up with 1527.5, which is probably pretty close to the actual number.

[CCrew]

@Greenbelt 12383 wrote:

but turning cold next week. -Jeff

Yeah, I saw the forecast for Tuesday mornings ride. A balmy 20 degrees :p

[Arlingtonrider]

Happy New Year everyone! I’m debating about whether this might be a good time to install a new battery in my computer in order to track next year’s rides without a battery failure.

I did my last real commute of the year on the 22nd, but added a couple of faux roundtrip commutes just for fun – a daytime one and a nighttime one. How many car drivers would want to do that, lol???!

Best wishes to everyone for lots of wonderful and safe rides in the year ahead, and thanks for all the incredibly helpful advice and new friends on the forum this year!

[jrenaut]

BTW, is there a thread for computer discussion/recommendations?

[americancyclo]

@jrenaut 12387 wrote:

BTW, is there a thread for computer discussion/recommendations?

I’ve relied heavily on my old school Cateye Mity 8 for the past seven years. Just upgraded to a wireless GPS computer. It covered all the basics for a long time, but then wanted cadence and HR, then GPS, then mapping, and it kinda snowballed from there. It all depends on what you want the computer to do.

[dbb]

Tomorrow will be my last (for the year).

It looks like I will close the year out with a bit over 2,500 miles on the bike and a bike commute on 92% of the days I came into the office. My office benefited by not having to pay my metro subsidy (and I only had to take metro 14 times!).

My truck will finish with under 1,000 miles in 2011 (and although it gets mediocre mileage, I only had to fuel it up about four times this year).

While my bike mileage has me in a whole different (lesser) league than Dirt and others, I am pretty happy. As a bonus, I got to know a bunch of first rate riders through the forum.

[jrenaut]

@americancyclo 12388 wrote:

It all depends on what you want the computer to do.

Allow me to fully participate in threads such as this one.

[Arlingtonrider]

I have a very basic one purchased a few years ago – a Bontrager Trip 2. It show an odo, per trip odo, speed, average speed, temperature, time trip took, a clock, and probably some other features I don’t use. It’s also easily removable. I slide it out of its holder everytime I park the bike. I’ve been very happy with it.

The only thing I might want to add someday might be a gps system that shows where I am and suggests good bike routes for where I want to go. Do they make those? I should add that there are some pretty advanced computers, esp. for those in serious training. I think those add things like cadence, calories burned etc. Others here can tell you about those. There are also wireless ones, but I think there can be some issues if you ride right next to someone else with a wireless one. Mine is wired, although I like the concept of the wireless ones.

[jrenaut]

I started a new thread so we can stop this threadjacking.

As you were.

[Arlingtonrider]

Excellent. I was just going to suggest that!

[Greenbelt]

Except for the occasional floods, we have had great weather this winter so far. However, that “gale conditions” thing sounds a bit more challenging for next week! (This is a forecast discussion from NOAA’s main weather modeling center: http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/index.shtml )

VERY WINDY AND CHILLY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL
PLAINS INTO THE LAKES REGION AND LOWER OH VALLEY SUNDAY WITH THESE
CONDITIONS PUSHING EASTWARD TO THE EAST COAST MONDAY AND TUESDAY.
THIS IS THE FIRST TRUE ARCTIC OUTBREAK OF WINTER INTO THE EASTERN
HALF OF CONUS. TEMPERATURES WILL BE UP TO 10 OR MORE DEGREES BELOW
AVERAGE WHICH IS NOT UNUSUAL BUT WILL BE IN SHARP CONTRAST TO THE
PRECEDING WARM DECEMBER AND WILL BE VERY NOTICABLE ESPECIALLY WITH
WIDESPREAD WINDY CONDITIONS. LAKE EFFECT SNOWS CAN BE EXPECTED
ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES REGION STARTING FROM WEST TO EAST SUNDAY
WITH DOWNSTREAM SNOW PLUMES REACHING INTO THE HIGHER APPALACHIAN
ELEVATIONS OF PA/MD/WV/VA/NC. GALE CONDITIONS LIKELY ATLANTIC
SEABOARD/BAYS AND SOUNDS MONDAY AND TUESDAY. FREEZING TEMPERATURES
WILL OCCUR AS FAR SOUTH AS THE GULF COAST AND NORTHERN FLORIDA
TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.

[vvill]

I’d guess around 650 mi max. According to my (very) approximate GPS records, I have 215 commuter miles in Sept, 195 in Oct, and 114 in Aug, Nov and Dec combined. I spent much of August out with a broken arm, November out with ‘flu and most of December out of town. I didn’t start commuting really regularly until somewhere in June or July when I got my first road bike.

I hope to commute a lot more in 2012, once spring arrives. Not because of the weather but because I have pre-tax paycheck deductions I set up over a year ago for parking that are use-or-lose. I kept putting off using up the credit (by cycling in) and now I have to drive and park something like 50 days to use it up In lieu of commuting I’m putting my bike on my car and taking lunch rides. I got to experience the thrill of being silently passed by the Hains Pt lunchtime group today for the first time!

However, I am planning to ride in tomorrow (yay!) as traffic should be light and I can work in some Arlington hills on the way home.

[PrintError]

2011 was a good year. Primary commuter bike got hit by a car, driver’s insurance bought me a new roadie. 165 of 165 workdays biked for a total of 3,468 miles. A full thousand less than the last two years because of my new office and short commute, but otherwise not bad.

This was my 3rd consecutive 100% bike-to-work year. 75% in 2008, and literally every day since 22 May 2008.

Here’s to an even better 2012, and year #4!

[dbb]

@PrintError 12400 wrote:

This was my 3rd consecutive 100% bike-to-work year

Way to go! That is something to aim for. Congratulations!

The fact that so many riders are successfully commuting the bulk of the year demonstrates it is something more folks can do with little impact on their lives and commutes.

[mstone]

@Greenbelt 12396 wrote:

Except for the occasional floods, we have had great weather this winter so far. However, that “gale conditions” thing sounds a bit more challenging for next week!

Take advantage of the mid-50s forecast for the next few days!

[Author]

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