My Morning Commute

[bentbike33]

@DrP 142437 wrote:

Canada Geese are like tourists when it comes to trails and bike bells.

They both wander aimless on and off the trail, often just standing on it. If they hear bike bells, they haven’t a clue as to what they mean. A few will look towards the sound, but still not understand what it means. Then will move at the last second and sometimes hiss at you in the process.

I have been trying to train them by frantically ringing my bell whenever any are near the trail on the theory that many of them are more or less permanent residents. This morning, between Memorial Bridge and Humpback Bridge there were about 2 tour-bus loads milling about the MVT staking out prime fireworks viewing locations. None crossed my path as I rode through with bell ringing.

Geese, that is.

[bentbike33]

@consularrider 142449 wrote:

They seem to respond better to you honking at them than to the sound of a bike bell (or an “on your left” call). Get a bugle klaxon type horn.

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Tourists AND geese respond better, or just geese?

[consularrider]

@bentbike33 142458 wrote:

Tourists AND geese respond better, or just geese?

I’m confused, aren’t they more or less the same thing?

[lordofthemark]

After not commuting due to a combination of clothing positioning issues, synagogue commitments, and a bad cold, I finally got to ride in this AM, which pleased me much. Saw FFG on the way in. Weather was good. Construction on Maine was pretty bad, and there were more construction issues east of South Cap.

[huskerdont]

@lordofthemark 142471 wrote:

After not commuting due to a combination of clothing positioning issues.

? Semi-permanent wedgie?

[DrP]

@consularrider 142449 wrote:

They seem to respond better to you honking at them than to the sound of a bike bell (or an “on your left” call).

Sounds like I need to practice my goose honk sound. That might work for the geese and surprise the tourists enough to pay attention a little better.

[lordofthemark]

@huskerdont 142473 wrote:

? Semi-permanent wedgie?

Ha ha. Lack of any business suitable clothes in the office Monday AM. I don’t like stuffing a suit in my backpack.

[huskerdont]

Got it. I used to have to do that too when I wore suits. With business casual, I find I can bike every day.

[GovernorSilver]

Now that you guys mention it, I saw two guys riding on the MVT yesterday evening in dress shirt, pants, and necktie – one pedaling hard and the other kind of taking it easy.

[consularrider]

@GovernorSilver 142480 wrote:

Now that you guys mention it, I saw two guys riding on the MVT yesterday evening in dress shirt, pants, and necktie – one pedaling hard and the other kind of taking it easy.

Mormon missionaries?

[GovernorSilver]

@consularrider 142482 wrote:

Mormon missionaries?

If they were, they weren’t on the same team. One passed me and receded further and further into the distance.

The other I passed at a different point of my commute. At first I thought it was the same guy then I realized the bike was different.

[huskerdont]

You see folks riding in suits often enough downtown, often on bikeshares, but on the trail it is rare. Encouraging.

[dasgeh]

@huskerdont 142485 wrote:

You see folks riding in suits often enough downtown, often on bikeshares, but on the trail it is rare. Encouraging.

I’d say I see about one a day on the trails.

[LhasaCM]

@dasgeh 142488 wrote:

I’d say I see about one a day on the trails.

I’m usually shirt and tie in the morning on the MBT (downhill) but I change into shorts and a t-shirt before going home (uphill, and with an extra 40 lbs that doesn’t like to pedal…)

[huskerdont]

@dasgeh 142488 wrote:

I’d say I see about one a day on the trails.

Maybe it’s an MVT thing or the time of day I ride. I go in at dark-thirty and don’t recall ever seeing a suited rider toiling up the Custis in the afternoon. (Now I’ll start seeing them all the time, natch.)

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