Public transport reliability is like so many other statistical & reputational things in life: the bus home can be (mostly) on time for years, but that one time that two buses were cancelled leaving me wondering exactly how I was going to get home & now I'm super anxious months later.
Bike commute: One benefit of a cold, wet ride is that it makes me happy to be warm, dry, and sipping a hot cup of tea in the office.
*wolverine claws popping out noise*
Bike commute: Felt spunky so I took a route with a short, steep uphill. There was a walker at the start. Her headlamp was brighter than mine and she was fast! I had to push harder than I'd planned to avoid the shame of being passed by someone on foot.
First 2 buses home cancelled. Pinning my hopes on bus number 3. Not a good public transportation day.
Bike commute: Got in a literal rat race this morning. Dark on First St in downtown San Jose. I notice a small shape quartering from my left, a rat running full out. I brake a little so we don't intersect. Poor thing is so panicked it can't hop the curb to escape. I decide the most humane thing is to accelerate. Turns out a sprinting rat can do about 11mph/18kph.
Bike commute: First ride since the crash. Some stiffness, but everything (bike & body) ran well. Didn't push it but still took the route with the steepest short climb just for kicks & still feeling fortunate. Thanks to everyone for your support!
My first crash in a long time. I'm OK & the bike is OK. Moderate speed in a dark parking lot. Didn't see the parking stop on end + target fixation on a ramp. My front wheel stopped & I Supermanned over the handlebars. 10 minutes of damage assessment & cleaning up the yard sale & I rode the last 0.6mi/1km to work. Thank goodness for showers & a well stocked first aid station. Currently floating on 400mg of ibuprofen & feeling lucky it wasn't worse.
Bike commute: Found a new route that's ~50% trail. Fewer cars, about the same unhoused folks standing in the dark mumbling or laying across the trail, and more wildlife. This morning I surprised a momma fox & her pre-teen kit and swerved to avoid a snake warming itself on the asphalt.
Bike commute: Summer means I get to see some light on my ride.
Bike commute: One of the favorite scenes this time of year. The jacaranda trees are in full bloom and splashing the street with color.
Bike commute: For a couple years the ridership on my subsidized public express bus home has been sparse. I've worried about its viability.
No worries today. All seats full. Bike rack full plus 2 more inside. Let's go!
The moon competing with streetlights and winning. Felt the need to post a pic from my commute after wallowing in a bit of social-media envy from folks posting idyllic shots of green fields and bucolic vistas. I love my rides, but they aren't photogenic.
Bike commute: I ride with toe clips & street shoes for reasons. All toe-clip pedals are garbage. The latest set started creaking in less than 25m/40km and, like parents with dementia, they're not going to get better with time.
Next thing: really good SPD pedals with decent bearings & clip-in platforms.
Dodging goats on my commute to work this morning.
Bike commute:
Forecast temp at destination 51F/10.6C
Actual temp when I left 48F/8.9C
Temp by the time I got there 38F/3.3C
Good thing I wore my extra undershirt. Frickin' brrr.
Life can be pretty good sometimes, lounging at the bus stop after a productive day, a mild spring breeze tousling the trees.
Bike commute: I feel sorry for the little bugs hovering on-station doing their little buggy business and then I come out of nowhere with my blazing headlight and plough into them.
The moths that flitter crazily on my front wheel for 20+ meters and then smack into my face… not so much.
Bike commute: A guy shouted "Where's the bird sanctuary?" earnestly at me. He was standing against a streetlight so I didn't see him in the dark and my guard was down in affluent Los Altos. Scared the poop out of me. I surprised myself by shouting back "I'm sorry, I don't think there is one around here."
Bike commute: Very little motor traffic when I'm on the road. I noticed that I reflexively check my mirror whenever an oncoming car approaches. Why?
I figure that the light and noise from the oncoming car masks any overtaking traffic and I "watch my six" out of paranoia/experience.
I wonder what other unconscious habits I've developed.
I just found this, which underscores how NZ towns and cities are currently a bit broken.
"A 2016 study conducted by AUT concluded that 96 per cent of children would prefer to walk or cycle to school; however, data from the Ministry of Transport shows that the number of 5–12-year-olds walking to school decreased from 42 per cent in 1989 to 29 per cent in 2014."
https://gazette.education.govt.nz/articles/the-school-commute-on-foot/
Bike commute: A fast food joint on my ride advertises a 24-hour drive-through window. The smell of flame-broiled burgers at 3am is 🤢 .
Sometimes the universe hands you a win: First commute after recovering from some annoying injuries. Got a nice stiff tail wind all the way in. Felt like I was flying.
As a homeowner, I appreciate that my city allows me to pile unlimited yard waste on the street for collection.
As a cyclist, I hate the painted bicycle gutter full of grass clippings and pruned greenery.
This morning's commute was a Cavalcade of Careful Drivers:
1: Oncoming minivan who dimmed their high-beams.
2: Oncoming sedan who flashed me through the 4-way stop to turn behind me.
3: Parallel work van who slowed to turn behind me instead of racing ahead and turning into me.
I wish I had more than a quick wave to let them know how much I appreciate their thoughtfulness.