My Morning Commute

[Emm]

@jrenaut 112275 wrote:

This is pretty common for a new bike – new cables need to stretch a bit then get readjusted. Most shops will tell you to come back in a month for a first tune-up after you’ve broken the cables in.

That said, it could still be that Raleigh puts crappy cables on that bike. If that’s the case, tthhhhppfffttt to Raleigh.

Good to know. Since its an IGH it’s impossible for me to actually see what is going on…But I can sure feel it! I’ll bring it to the shop this or next weekend, depending on how it handles in tomorrow’s rain.

[Phatboing]

My hypothesis of “if I wear spring clothing maybe I’ll fool the weather into getting warm” has been debunked. Boo.

Did get some low-five double trouble today, though.

[DismalScientist]

@Emm 112273 wrote:

When I bought the bike I saw a review or two that mentioned this issue, but they all said switching the cable connected to the IGH for a higher quality one fixed the problem.

This sounds like a load of crap. Of course when they switched to a “better” cable, it fixed the problem. Part of the installation involves correctly adjusting the cable. Just turn the adjuster barrel at the shifting pod and the problem should soon fix itself.

[consularrider]

@Phatboing 112277 wrote:

My hypothesis of “if I wear spring clothing maybe I’ll fool the weather into getting warm” has been debunked. Boo.

Did get some low-five double trouble today, though.

Just think, you’ll probably be fine for your evening commute.

[brendan]

Had to wait for the delivery guy to drop off the wedding rings this A.M., so that was a *nice* delay before starting out…

…but I still felt it was safest to re-install the barmitts for this morning’s ride, just in case I hit heavy sub-40 degrees rain while heading west. However, I only got a little sprinkle on the ride. Fingers crossed that today’s the last barmitts day…until next winter, anyway.

B

[dplasters]

Lovely.

[Phatboing]

… was frabalicious.

First, coffee club. Then, an impromptu extended commute, where I encountered the nicest human in a minivan – she let me merge right ahead of her, and stayed behind me until we parted ways. Then, my first sustained non-trivial downhill on the fixie.

Then, surviving the potholed downhill hell of Jones Branch, still fixed. AND THEN, my first proper trackstand (it wasn’t a very long trackstand, but it was very legit).

And I made it to work before everything turned grey, even.

[mstone]

For some strange reason, all of the ridiculously long car-activated lights on my commute were green as I approached and didn’t turn yellow just before I got to the intersection. I was a little freaked out by the third one.

[Powerful Pete]

Fantastic commute. Had to leave very late due to some contractors visiting the house (why is is so expensive to cut down trees?).

Got to ride in right after the rain, very pleasant. Oh, and first bib shorts commute of the year. Felt wonderful, although staring at pasty white hairy legs reminds me of how much work needs to get done before I return to shaven, sleek bronzed leg god status.

Ok, a lot, lot, lot, lot of work.

[jrenaut]

I got to stop at the kids’ school for my older daughter’s Publishing Party. When I arrived a few minutes after my wife and kids, one of the teachers who helps with curb lane car dropoff looked at me and my bike and said, “You rode the other bike today”, rather than the usual when I come on the Xtracycle with the kids. I found that amusing, though as I write it, I can’t imagine that anyone else will.

Anyway, I was at school just long enough to ride the last 2 miles to work in the rain. I did not bring any rain gear. Good thing it’s not too cold.

[vern]

Police monitorning IOD this morn in an unmarked brown van…issuing a ticket as I rolled through around 8 a.m.

Co-workers thought it was such a big deal that I rode my bike in the rain this morning that two of them took my picture when I walked into the office.

[Powerful Pete]

Fitting that on the day of the BAFS Happy Hour we have a slight reminder of our last three months of riding.

[Steve O]

@Powerful Pete 112464 wrote:

Fitting that on the day of the BAFS Happy Hour we have a slight reminder of our last three months of riding.

Or cruel.

[jrenaut]

@Powerful Pete 112464 wrote:

Fitting that on the day of the BAFS Happy Hour we have a slight reminder of our last three months of riding.

Rule 9!

One other brave kid hauler at school this morning. And one of the dads who I recognize but don’t know stopped to ask me about cargo bikes. He wants to get one this summer, so I told him to grab me with any questions.

[worktheweb]

I had a police officer (who appeared to be federal) in an unmarked minivan (!) give a siren blip and chastise me for not being in a bike lane (that was blocked about half a block prior by a thicket of about 7 tour buses). He said that I should have waited behind the busses (which were unloading with hazards on). I told him “as I’m sure you know, the lanes are there for my use, but I’m not required by law to use them” and went on to say I wasn’t in them because I had to get around all the busses behind us, not to mention that I was riding to a (long) red light. I said “I’m not trying to be a bad guy here.” after which he backed down, and I wished him a good day. I am very glad it didn’t escalate.

This is one of my biggest fears with the proliferation of bike lanes (protected or otherwise), today I was on the right side of the law. How long until a law is passed making bike lane use mandatory? Don’t get me wrong, I like and use the lanes often, but sometimes they’re just not the best option. Sometimes I wonder if we’re building and painting ourselves into second class citizenship.

[Author]

Posts