My Morning Commute

[CPTJohnC]

I think I need to spend more time learning where the nearest bike docks are for my CaBi adventures. This morning I got to my usual dock and it was full. I rode to the next closest one I know of, and it had a slot open. Eureka? not so fast. The open slot is a broken slot. Spotcycle to the rescue, and I found another nearby station with several open ports, at a cost of an extra 10 minutes, and ~1 mile of riding. Oh, and it was a mite warm this morning. I might have to reconsider riding in my work clothes, even just the couple of miles from metro to my office.

[dasgeh]

It was gorgeous this morning, though a bit windy on the late shift

[TwoWheelsDC]

Took the bus and felt no shame…I have plenty of Rule 5/9 cred.

[consularrider]

So who left their shower running this morning. Come on, you’re wasting a lot of water, and you better shut your freezer door before tomorrow morning’s commute!

[Geoff]

@TwoWheelsDC 82453 wrote:

Took the bus and felt no shame…I have plenty of Rule 5/9 cred.

Same here – only I took a Metro train.
Whether to ride or take an alternative in weather like this is a personal decision based on length of commute, how you feel, what else you have going on that day, options available, and… and…

But lemme ask a question. I avoid riding in heavy rain if possible, but I’m ready for it if caught. But thunderstorms: I don’t like the options of (1) continuing while sitting on a lightning rod, vs. (2) hunkering down under a bridge for an unknown period.

What do people do about thunderstorms?

[consularrider]

@Geoff 82460 wrote:

… What do people do about thunderstorms?

Ride, I’ve had a good life.

[vvill]

@Geoff 82460 wrote:

But lemme ask a question. I avoid riding in heavy rain if possible, but I’m ready for it if caught. But thunderstorms: I don’t like the options of (1) continuing while sitting on a lightning rod, vs. (2) hunkering down under a bridge for an unknown period.

What do people do about thunderstorms?

I watch the weather closely – if I can’t find a gap in the weather to ride I’ll take other methods of transportation. A thunderstorm is definitely not the sort of weather I want to be riding in. I usually ride my folding bike on these sorts of days – you can take it on Metro at any time of day (although not all Metro employees know this!), and I keep full fenders on it.

[mikoglaces]

@Geoff 82460 wrote:

Same here – only I took a Metro train.

What do people do about thunderstorms?

I commute every day rain or shine. I pay attention to the forecast and wait out thunderstorms. They usually don’t last long. They tend to come late afternoon/early evening, meaning I may hbe stuck at work for 1/2 – 1 hr. I have rarely been caught in one.

[cyclingfool]

@Geoff 82460 wrote:

What do people do about thunderstorms?

@consularrider 82464 wrote:

Ride, I’ve had a good life.

Ride in the drops… makes you that much lower.

Seriously, though, I tend not to worry too much either. If it seems really bad, I’ll wait at work a few extra minutes. Only once in my five years of commuting did I actually stop… that being for a couple minutes under one of the 14th Street bridge spans (395) over the MVT, and even then only for a couple minutes until the thunder seemed a little further away.

[consularrider]

@cyclingfool 82474 wrote:

Ride in the drops… makes you that much lower.

Seriously, though, I tend not to worry too much either. If it seems really bad, I’ll wait at work a few extra minutes. Only once in my five years of commuting did I actually stop… that being for a couple minutes under one of the 14th Street bridge spans (395) over the MVT, and even then only for a couple minutes until the thunder seemed a little further away.

My reply was only partially tongue-in-cheek. We really don’t get all that much lightning and thunder in the immediate DC area (hey, I’m a midwestern boy and those thunderstorms make the DC area ones look like a tempest in a teapot) so it only comes up for me a couple of commuting days a year. I’ve always wondered about riding along under the powerlines on the W&OD during a storm.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@TwoWheelsDC 82453 wrote:

Took the bus and felt no shame…I have plenty of Rule 5/9 cred.

As far as you know. Today you have zero cred.

[Tim Kelley]

@ShawnoftheDread 82488 wrote:

As far as you know. Today you have zero cred.

The three year old went on the bike to daycare this morning. She commented at least twice just how brave she was.

Just saying…

[ShawnoftheDread]

@Tim Kelley 82489 wrote:

The three year old went on the bike to daycare this morning. She commented at least twice just how brave she was.

Just saying…

Exactly. TwoWheels can only aspire to toddler-level rule 9 cred.

[hozn]

@vvill 82468 wrote:

I watch the weather closely – if I can’t find a gap in the weather to ride I’ll take other methods of transportation. A thunderstorm is definitely not the sort of weather I want to be riding in. I usually ride my folding bike on these sorts of days – you can take it on Metro at any time of day (although not all Metro employees know this!), and I keep full fenders on it.

Yeah, if there’s lightning out, I drive home. There have been very few times over the past years where this has happened, but it does happen. If it was just me, I’d ride, but my wife would rather I not for the sake of familial responsibility (and she’d rather I not tow the kid home through thunderstorms either). Sometimes the responsible choice is less fun.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@ShawnoftheDread 82491 wrote:

Exactly. TwoWheels can only aspire to toddler-level rule 9 cred.

I believe in setting realistic goals.

[Author]

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