Commuting to work by bike

Andrew Wells58 said:See, I told you—you buy way too much gear and barely ride it. 🙂 Now you can't even go out because your bike is too expensive, so where does that leave you? 🙂 You’re basically like a guy chasing a Hollywood starlet in an old movie. Honestly, I'm gonna... yeah, I'm gonna get you... enough talk, let's see some action. 🙂

Look, we love having you hang out here, but until we get a report from a reliable source like unknown that they actually saw you out on a ride, we're just counting you as a "maybe."

What a liar! If nothing else, don't lie, it's just gross. And I'm only a "maybe" if you've actually seen me or not, haha, I know that much. I pedal maybe once or twice a week, which isn't much. But I gotta comment on stuff since I'm reading and picking up useful info anyway. My old bike is fine for commuting, and I don't want to part with this one, so the old one works perfectly for work. I'll figure things out with unknown soon enough. 😛
If we're getting all philosophical, then we're colleagues, except I finished my "work" a long time ago. 🙂
And hey, stop hounding me!

Well, after a seven-year hiatus, I’m finally back in the saddle.🙈 It took me about 25 minutes to cruise down the 3.7 miles gentle slopes from my suburban neighborhood into the heart of Downtown. I won't be heading back home until tomorrow, but honestly, I'm already feeling a little intimidated by those 3.7 miles slight inclines on the way back.. 😬

jadetiger962 said:Not bigger, just higher. 😬

That is how the subconscious works. 🤣

Andrew Wells58 said:I am not sure about the speed of your rocket, but it doesn't look high enough. What matters more is whether you feel resistance, like pumping water from a well, or if it feels effortless, like spinning a sewing machine or a hula hoop. (My analogies might be thirty years out of date, but you get the idea 🙂). You should probably aim for around 50 RPM to start; if not, dial it back.

It is at speed 21. I will watch my RPM. 😁 However, I am fine with going slow—I would rather do that than deal with muscle cramps halfway through. 😁

I need to build up my stamina while the weather is still cool. 😍

Finally kicked off my cycling season today with a ride to campus! It was a super short route, I know—but hey, it counts...
I definitely underdressed today. It was bright and sunny when I left, so I just threw on a long-sleeve shirt, a jacket, and some fingerless gloves. Tomorrow, I'll probably layer a vest under the jacket and swap in some full gloves and a hat—gotta watch those sinuses...

Man, the wind chill today was absolutely brutal... I felt colder than if it were actually sub-zero outside.
I was putting everything I had into my pedals 9.9 miles/h 🙂 just to make any progress, especially with that 16 miles headwind slamming right into me 🙂
most of the time.

Nathan Castillo8 said:I was pedaling with everything I had left 9.9 miles/h 🙂 and about three-quarters of the time I had a 16 miles headwind blowing straight into my face 🙂>

From what I can gather about cycling, it’s always either an uphill climb or a brutal headwind. There is no middle ground.

Dana Reyes5 said:As far as I know about cycling, it's either all uphill or a massive headwind... nothing else exists.

Spot on. 😁 👍

I’m not entirely certain if I’ve landed in the right corner of this forum, but...

Does anyone here ever commute by bike to a major skyscraper—say, something like the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco—or perhaps one of those massive corporate headquarters? I’ve been wondering about the logistics of things. Specifically, is it actually possible to park a bicycle inside the secure parking garage at these kinds of high-end business hubs? And if it is—and I truly hope it is—can one feel reasonably confident regarding security? Is there any real assurance that the garage staff might keep an eye out for bikes, or am I just dreaming?

Thanks so much!

cosmicscout9 said:Just keep your back straight whenever you're doing anything—including riding your bike—and you won't have any issues.

Thanks for the tip, I'll give it a shot, though honestly, I'm pretty sketched out by the whole thing. I spent two months stuck in bed dealing with some brutal pain—I was actually on the verge of needing surgery... so yeah, I am definitely not looking to relive that. Another headache is the lack of secure parking around here, plus I have to lug my bike up to the third floor, which—given the current state of my spine—is basically its own special kind of torture.😕

Dana Reyes5 said:As far as I know about cycling, it's always either an uphill climb or a headwind. There isn't a third option...

There is a third option. How can you say there isn't? You've got hills and headwind 🙂

🙂 I mean, obviously, the wind is pretty much always blowing right in your face 🙂

but man, the way it was howling yesterday afternoon... it just wasn't a vibe for riding. At one point, I could barely even crawl at 9.9 miles/h, but then the second I turned my direction, I was hitting 35 and the wind was basically shoving me from behind in gusts.

coppergardener said:I'm not entirely sure if I'm asking this in the right spot, but...

Does anyone here ever bike over to the Salesforce Tower or some other big corporate high-rise downtown? I’m trying to figure out if these kinds of office garages actually have space to park a bike. And more importantly, can you feel relatively safe about it? Like, would the garage staff actually keep an eye on things?

Thanks!

They actually have dedicated bike racks there, and the whole area is covered by security cameras. As for how secure it really is... well, whenever I ride to work, I leave my bike under the cameras near a little coffee shop. Still, I usually make it a point to buy a latte from the barista just so they’ll keep a casual eye on the area for me. It’s all about those small connections, right?😉

So, I decided to bike to work for the first time today. 3.1 miles It took me about 12 minutes to get there, and honestly, I barely even broke a sweat keeping up that pace. How? Well, I live up on a hill, so my commute is basically just one long downhill stretch—about an 880-foot drop. It was actually pretty sweet and fast. 🙂 Plus, part of the route is just a doubletrack, which, as a die-hard Mountain Dew fan, is right up my alley. 🙂 We'll see how the ride home treats me. 🙂

granitemaker16 said:Here we go...🙂 Let's see how the commute from the office turns out. 🙂

Based on your signature, you aren't exactly thrilled about this.😁

Drove down a main stretch in Chicago around 5 PM the other day. Traffic was crawling at basically bike speed, but some idiot behind me kept laying on his horn because he clearly thinks cyclists don't belong on the road.

The road layout is garbage—you can't even stay in the right lane because it's a dedicated bus lane, and if you're riding in that lane, no car can pass you since there's a solid line on the left. Plus, the lane is so wide a bike takes up half the space.

Guy finally swerved around me on the bus lane, honking like a maniac, just to sit at a red light 30 meters ahead.

There’s no way he’s passing on the solid line—he stays right of center. Once you see there isn't a streetcar for at least a mile behind you, just hop over onto the tracks to let them pass—then head back to your lane once they're gone or if a trolley shows up. It shouldn't be an issue.

Forget about how illegal that riding style is—because if it applies to cars, it applies to cyclists too. I’m more interested in how someone with a single headlight is supposed to merge into a streetcar lane without getting caught in the tracks...
@ruggedtiger66/">@@ruggedtiger66, I hope you gave him a wave while you were passing him at the light. Personally, I always flash them a huge, ear-to-ear grin, acting like we're old pals. 🙂

Oh, one more thing: which side do you guys usually pass cars on when you're stuck in traffic?

I have shaved 5 to 6 minutes off my commute. 🙂
Now, my trip takes exactly 4.0 miles 40 minutes.
I identified where I lose at least 5 minutes: obeying traffic lights.
It turns out a crowd of drivers travels at roughly my speed, yet they blow through red lights and gain a massive advantage. Meanwhile, I wait patiently for the light to turn green.

To be more precise, I could reach my destination in about 30 minutes if I simply ignored the rules. 🙂

Man, I’m seriously trying to figure out how to dodge as many red lights as possible, plus those crappy "speed bumps" they put in everywhere that just force you to slam on the brakes.

I need to scout out the route from the outskirts over toward the suburbs. If I go from Vegas down to the industrial district, there are only like 3 or 4 stoplights. If I can just cut around the main intersections by heading past the new hospital near the golf course, I could probably cut down the number of stops way down. I guess the only question is whether a heavy truck can actually make it through that path.

I’ve got some work to get through 1.6 miles

It usually takes me about 8 or 9 minutes when I'm trekking, though on one occasion I tried pushing myself with some jerky and managed to clock it at 6 minutes 😍