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I started trying to bike commute in February, but COVID has had me working from home most days. I've done enough riding since then though that I feel pretty good about doing it every day whenever my regular schedule starts back. We have decent bike infrastructure here, but there's still lots of stupid poo poo like the crossing signal button that I have to dismount to push.
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Jul 27, 2020 18:52
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| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 06:12 |
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XIII posted:One of the few small perks of still working from my office is that I still get to ride to/from my office. this is my sole consolation about going back to work soon. otoh all the streets are going to be packed with campus reopening, so I lose my spacious empty streets.
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Aug 6, 2020 03:34
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XIII posted:From what I've observed (having ridden to work every day since all this started), they're largely back to normal anyway Probably in most places, but I work on a college campus and live directly next to it, so the streets I'm riding change significantly once the students move back. I think I'm going to have to shift my commute to earlier in the morning just so that I'll have a chance to get on the street.
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Aug 6, 2020 04:35
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XIII posted:I work on a large campus that's shared by three colleges and live across town next to a fourth, separate college, so HA Can I move there We have a seriously impressive bus system here, but thousands of students still commute by car every morning, clogging up the roads. Just a solid wall of cars driven by people who are hungover and late for class.
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Aug 6, 2020 15:49
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I try to treat pedestrians the way I'd want a car to treat me.
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Aug 13, 2020 01:54
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TobinHatesYou posted:Is this a pedestrian That is a force of nature.
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Aug 13, 2020 16:01
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OK, tell me how to make this work in the rain. It rained non-stop for a month when I first tried to start bike commuting in February. It was dry all summer while I was quarantined. Now I'm back at work and it's raining every day again. Fenders, rain jacket, what else? Hat?
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Aug 26, 2020 21:24
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Thanks all, good ideas. My commute is only 2 miles, and I have some freedom to set up a fan and change clothes. I'll look into shoe covers and some of the other things. I'd like to avoid fenders if I can just because it seems like a big addition to the bike for only two miles, but idk
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Aug 26, 2020 23:52
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The reddit page is fairly popular: https://old.reddit.com/r/bikecommuting/
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Sep 15, 2020 14:04
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I can't imagine biking in jeans. Denim is so uncomfortable.
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Sep 22, 2020 14:18
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I just wear regular pants that are softer than jeans 
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Sep 22, 2020 15:54
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my bikes have obnoxiously large bullhorns and I fully expect to snag them on something one day
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Oct 2, 2020 18:53
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Will my throat ever adjust to biking in cold weather or am I just going to have a cough forever? I have a buff for really cold weather, but I'd rather not wear it on slightly cold days if I could be building up some tolerance instead.
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Oct 6, 2020 15:00
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I guess I'll find out either way. I've always had cold-weather asthma, but somehow biking hasn't triggered it. I gave myself some sort of upper-respiratory infection from riding in the cold last winter, but I think the buff will prevent that this year.
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Oct 6, 2020 20:03
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I'm very much a mouth breather, during both exertion and normal conditions. I think this is why I keep getting a cough.
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Oct 6, 2020 23:08
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First commute with my new trunk bag. Much nicer than a backpack!
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Jan 4, 2021 17:21
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(bonus MTB that I don't feel like moving)
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Jan 4, 2021 17:40
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Ha, yes, after I rode in this morning I promised myself that I'd finally get around to adjusting that. It's not really uncomfortable, which is probably why I keep forgetting. And that's just where the rack mounts on this frame, idk 
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Jan 4, 2021 19:09
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Well I've used it twice and like it so far. I wouldn't necessarily have sprung for such a nice one, but it was a gift, so I'll take it. I tried using a single pannier for a while, but the imbalance was annoying when I had a heavy load. My backpack was a pretty small cycling pack and really didn't bother me in the heat, but it couldn't carry a lot and was an extra thing to keep track of. Also the bag is waterproof and the pack is not. I think a double pannier setup might be better if you're carrying more stuff though.
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Jan 6, 2021 03:03
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I have a wall-leaning one from Delta that always looks like it's going to fall down, but it's surprisingly sturdy. It's been a lifesaver in my cramped apartments over the years.
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Jan 7, 2021 02:20
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kimbo305 posted:Refreshing and positive thread about someone getting into bike commuting: I can second her point about how road modifications for the pandemic helped a lot. I was already doing a mediocre job commuting by bike before it started, but then we had several months of very depressed car traffic where I was able to get much more comfortable riding on roads. When the cars showed back up I was starting/stopping faster, knew which traffic lights detected bikes, etc. It's a really daunting habit to pick up when you're not good at it, infrastructure doesn't support it, and the road's packed with cars.
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Feb 23, 2021 18:27
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KozmoNaut posted:I've never really considered cycling to be complicated or intimidating, but she brought up some good thoughts in that regard. Growing up in a cycling-positive environment is a privilege. I think most people are intimidated by how incredibly dangerous it is, plus how strenuous it can be. The thing that scared me the most getting started was the busy street I have to cross to exit my neighborhood that is supposed to be 35 mph but in practice is a free-for-all with very few gaps in traffic. There are also very few level streets here. My whole commute is hills.
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Feb 23, 2021 21:04
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American car culture is every bit as psychotic as it sounds. I think one of the reasons people have trouble sharing the road is because their trucks and SUVs are simply too large to pass a bike.
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Feb 23, 2021 22:07
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Good point. From what I can tell it's twice as dangerous as a car (https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/166/2/212/98784), and our traffic accident rates are like 6x the rate of a lot of European countries, so maybe not "dangerous" but much worse than it should be? You're at least forced into a lot of unsafe road situations with our lovely road infrastructure.
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Feb 24, 2021 02:52
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ExecuDork posted:Also, my office is a cave in the basement and I never interact with other humans. I'm so lonely.... lol same, pal. They should just stop putting basements in academic buildings. One perk though is that I can walk my bike straight to my office!
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May 11, 2021 03:03
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You gotta include at least one sick jump to make it realistic
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Jun 8, 2021 14:20
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I think a kid would be interested in all the things you see and experience during a bike ride that you don't during a car ride. Like nodding at another cyclist, stopping for some geese in the path, meeting people at an intersection, hurrying to beat the rain, etc.
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Jun 8, 2021 15:41
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Mine is only 2 miles, but it's all hills. There isn't a single moment that I'm not pumping up a hill or flying down one the entire way.
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May 19, 2022 14:22
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It's ridiculous that anyone would be expected to commute in conditions like that unless they're "essential" workers
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Nov 21, 2022 13:51
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If anything the problem is how hot buildings are after a ride. I have to wear layers that I can strip off once I get to the office.
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Dec 24, 2022 16:31
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Is there any reason everyone doesn't use one of those? It looks like it would keep your chain much cleaner.
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Oct 18, 2023 15:24
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How does it affect gearing?
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Oct 18, 2023 15:30
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Oh. My commute is pretty easy but I don't think I could do it without gear shifting. It isn't flat for even a second.
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Oct 18, 2023 15:51
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| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 06:12 |
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How do I protect my poor mucus membranes from the cold? I have some wool buffs and a couple of cycling face masks, but none of them are good. The buffs fall off my nose, and the masks are cumbersome; one has earloops that get tangled in my helmet, and the other is bulky. I also have a balaclava but that flattens my hair.
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Dec 7, 2023 16:00
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