Topic: 30 Kilometre on my bike commute

[Angry Chicken]

10 km ea. way to/from work and another 11 tonight after dropping son off at practice. Quadzilla, you're right.  The new hybrid (I've always thought hybrids are a good compromise for the commute) is perfect.  It"s 6 lb. lighter than the one that I replaced and it makes all the difference.  Car spotting on the commute home was pretty thin, with the most exotic car I saw being a BMW 335i.

I'm sitting here at Starbucks wondering how tommorow's ride's going to feel.I'm probably in the best shape that I've ever been at the start of bike season but... (Or is that "butt"?!)

[dorin]

What's your commuting route?

[Angry Chicken]

What's your commuting route?

Park & Ride in Riverside South; Riverside;  Cross Hunt Club Bridge; North on Prince of Wales; Colonnade Road

[Angry Chicken]

What's your commuting route?

Park & Ride in Riverside South; Riverside;  Cross Hunt Club Bridge; North on Prince of Wales; Colonnade Road

Starting tomorrow (Friday) I'm going to add 4.5 km to my route by going to the park & ride in Manotick at the community centre.  I'm taking it baby step by baby step.  I think I can do the 14.5 km in about 30 minutes for a total 45 minute commute.  60 minutes portal to portal including the necessary shower at my workplace.  I didn't ride to work today because of the high winds and stormy conditions in the forecast.  Again, the length of my ride (now 14.5 km) is no biggy compared to what others are doing, but I think it's kinda cool doing the park & ride thing since riding in 30 km from the country each day is  impractical!

Oh, and I saw a silver Ferrari F430 yesterday.  Very nice.  I thought it was Ray Emery, but it wasn't.  He's noted for renting an orange Lamborghini Murcielago anyway while his infamous white hummer was in the shop for running over yet another senior citizen.  I haven't yet been run over my him but that's probably because I'm not a senior.    I think he's being wooed currently by the Philadelphia Flyers which means us Ottawa citizens will soon be able to breathe a sigh of relief.

[wing]

Emery use to live in Kanata, not sure if he moved.  Saw him a few times at CanadianTire getting fries.

14.5km is pretty long, I live 15km from work, I wouldn't want to bike, especially since I have all these cars to drive!

[mar1990]

Which Hybrid did you get and where?  I'm in the market for a new bike.

[Angry Chicken]

Which Hybrid did you get and where?  I'm in the market for a new bike.

I got an Eclipse hybrid from Peccos Velos in the Byward Market.  It was custom-made for me....seat, handlebars, brakes, gears, crank, forks, wheels, tires, frame....everything!  The price was right and it's the best-fitting bike I've ever had.  Here's a link to my first post (incl. pix)  http://www.canadiandriver.com/forum/index.php/topic,61785.0.html

[huota]

^So how do you like the carbon fibre forks?

[Angry Chicken]

^So how do you like the carbon fibre forks?

Actually, I very *much* like the carbon fibre forks.  They're nice and springy and they contribute to the bike's super light weight. 

[huota]

^So how do you like the carbon fibre forks?

Actually, I very *much* like the carbon fibre forks.  They're nice and springy and they contribute to the bike's super light weight. 

That's good to know, I think cf forks will be a key factor in my next bike purchase.

[stodge]

Ugh that ride across Hunt Club bridge is awful. I drive it every weekday for work and I hate it. I do my best to give cyclists as much room as I can (on that stretch of road in particular) - I think anyone who rides that road has a death wish!!!

[Wolverine]

To and from work rounds 13 km for me, but I have a company car so I have to use it. That's why I started to wake up at 05:30 to spend some quality time riding on my bike.

[safristi]

"Quality time"...............do ya take tha THRRE KIDS on the handlebars down there too.......... ........they are great fer pushing ya UP HILL......

[Angry Chicken]

Ugh that ride across Hunt Club bridge is awful. I drive it every weekday for work and I hate it. I do my best to give cyclists as much room as I can (on that stretch of road in particular) - I think anyone who rides that road has a death wish!!!

Tomorrow I'm starting a new route that will keep me off that cursed bridge.  14.5 km:  Manotick arena park & ride; Bankfield to Prince of Wales; Prince of Wales; Colonnade.  It adds 4.5 km to my trip, mainly because I was finding that at the end of 10 km I was only just getting into a good rhythm. 

Got clipped by a school bus's fender mirror last week.  Very light tap, but I called the bus company to let 'em know that their driver should be a bit more patient and not attempt to squeeze by a bike on a curve in a construction zone with oncoming traffic.  There was no shoulder, so where else was I to go?

[Wolverine]

"Quality time"...............do ya take tha THRRE KIDS on the handlebars down there too.......... ........they are great fer pushing ya UP HILL......

HAhahaahahaahah. Don't know about uphill, but sure they'll be great for pulling downhill, ehehheeh.

[quadzilla]

Got clipped by a school bus's fender mirror last week.  Very light tap, but I called the bus company to let 'em know that their driver should be a bit more patient and not attempt to squeeze by a bike on a curve in a construction zone with oncoming traffic.  There was no shoulder, so where else was I to go?

Glad to see you are still riding and now extending the distance. By the end of summer you will probably find anything under 30kms disappointing. Let me know when you are ready to join my annual 186km ride in Quebec.

I have found school bus drivers to be extremely rude and aggressive. Of course they have nothing on the rednecks in the country that find it necessary to blow their horn and yell out the window while they pass you.

[Wolverine]

The odo on my bike reached 500km in 1 and a half month. I'm trying to do 20km/day and on the weekends it gets past 60km on a trip.

[Angry Chicken]

Well I made it both ways today.  I got soaked to the skin on the way in, in a sudden and apocalyptic rain storm.  The weather forecast said there was a 30% possibility of rain.  I felt 100% soaked so it must've been off!   

The route in to work was 15.6 km according to Google Maps. I had to take a detour on the way home because the perilous, narrow, no-shoulder construction zone which snakes its way out of Manotick to Prince of Wales is one-way.  This added another 1 km to my return trip, so 16.6 km on that leg.  All told, 32.2 km.  Not a bad ride.

Link to my route here:  http://tinyurl.com/p7mpqf  (close enough anyway....no need to know where I work!)

Saw the aftermath of a bike/car collision at the corner of Woodroffe and Prince of Wales on the way home.  Cyclist was sitting on a paved median looking groggy, helmet still on with road raspberries on both legs.  The car involved (late model white Toyota Corolla) looks to have pulled into the cyclist while trying to merge on to Prince of Wales southbound at Woodroffe.  She pulled a U-turn onto the opposite shoulder and looks to have lost her LR wheelcover, which she was collecting out of the ditch as the first-responder firetruck was arriving.  Seems pretty callous.  Collecting your stupid hubcap while buddy's bleeding on the road.