Things I've learnt from commuting

[cat-i]

One thing I miss due to now working from home is my commute!

 

I'm in two minds about that.

We've been working from home 2 weeks, and then in to office 2 weeks.

 

Love the commutes on mornings like today - The Jakaranda-purple streets washed clean after the weekend storms. But love the convenience of working from home!

[The Ouzo]

I'm in two minds about that.

We've been working from home 2 weeks, and then in to office 2 weeks.

 

Love the commutes on mornings like today - The Jakaranda-purple streets washed clean after the weekend storms. But love the convenience of working from home!

you've bumped up you mileage rather nicely last week.

Looks like I'll be taking this week off if the weather report is to be believed.

[TNT1]

One thing I miss due to now working from home is my commute!

But, working from home you can ride further...

[cat-i]

you've bumped up you mileage rather nicely last week.

Looks like I'll be taking this week off if the weather report is to be believed.

 

My husband is trying to fit he whole year into the last few weeks ... so we entered BielieMielie in less than 2 weeks, and the weekend after that, Sani stagger trailrun ... after 6 months of doing very little, I will have to either run or cycle into the office to cram in all the last minute training I can get - nevermind the weather.

[The Ouzo]

Check your battery levels on your lights, and make sure they are on.

 

I've been a little lax with checking the battery levels on the lights now that its lighter when I ride and they are thus only on flashing mode.

Also been lazy checking that the rear lights switches on when I turn the front light on.

 

On the commute this morning I was noticing cars were a little closer than normal, at the next traffic light I checked and the rear light was off. Battery flat.

 

Its currently on charge for the commute home.

[Bateleur1]

Check your battery levels on your lights, and make sure they are on.

 

I've been a little lax with checking the battery levels on the lights now that its lighter when I ride and they are thus only on flashing mode.

Also been lazy checking that the rear lights switches on when I turn the front light on.

 

On the commute this morning I was noticing cars were a little closer than normal, at the next traffic light I checked and the rear light was off. Battery flat.

 

Its currently on charge for the commute home.

 

In the last couple on weeks on my commutes I had extra batteries and even a extra light for emergency in my backpack.  It was simply just too much of a risk to ride dark and I had a roughly 5 km stretch through a forest with absolutely no light, no street lamps, no cars.  Without a light you will not even see you hand in front of you at night.

[Hairy]

In the last couple on weeks on my commutes I had extra batteries and even a extra light for emergency in my backpack.  It was simply just too much of a risk to ride dark and I had a roughly 5 km stretch through a forest with absolutely no light, no street lamps, no cars.  Without a light you will not even see you hand in front of you at night.

That sounds like a nice ride to do

[Bateleur1]

That sounds like a nice ride to do

 

In summer sure.  But commuting on an almost daily basis in -4 that stretch had its moments where it could feel like an eternity.  You can only see what is lit and it is almost like a present if you happen to see the red led light of another cyclist a kilometer or two ahead of you.

[Hairy]

In summer sure.  But commuting on an almost daily basis in -4 that stretch had its moments where it could feel like an eternity.  You can only see what is lit and it is almost like a present if you happen to see the red led light of another cyclist a kilometer or two ahead of you.

Sounds to me like you are getting soft 

[Bateleur1]

Sounds to me like you are getting soft old 

 

Fixed

[DJR]

Dark lonely forests can be intimidating places to be alone. I grew up in the open country where even on a dark moon night, you can still see something by the starlight and I understand that feeling of unease when alone in the forest at night. Of course, I'm not afraid..........but it's just that my spidey sense malfunctions and keep telling me that there are things when there is nothing.

[Bateleur1]

Dark lonely forests can be intimidating places to be alone. I grew up in the open country where even on a dark moon night, you can still see something by the starlight and I understand that feeling of unease when alone in the forest at night. Of course, I'm not afraid..........but it's just that my spidey sense malfunctions and keep telling me that there are things when there is nothing.

 

On one of my commutes home in early winter, the battery on the bike light started warning me halfway through the commute that it is running low.  Now you have to remember when I started my commute at 17:00 in the "afternoon", it was already dark.  It is fine to ride through Munich wrt to being able to see where you ride but you must have the light on so that cars and everybody else could see you.  As you exit Munich it is also still fairly alright up until the halfway mark when you go "off the beaten track" and start riding on the roads that are not really used by cars. You also got to remember that battery performance goes to the dogs in cold weather. So as I was going through this forest I was getting worried if this light will hold till I get home.  I did a test to see how dark it really is and if I can actually see "some" of the road.  Did I mention it was new moon?  When I switched that light off it was pitch black dark.  You could see nothing.  You would not even be able to walk nevermind ride a bike.  The light went back on straight away and I just hoped that it would last till I reach the outskirts of my town ... which it did.  Bought a new light after that.

[ChrisF]

On one of my commutes home in early winter, the battery on the bike light started warning me halfway through the commute that it is running low.  Now you have to remember when I started my commute at 17:00 in the "afternoon", it was already dark.  It is fine to ride through Munich wrt to being able to see where you ride but you must have the light on so that cars and everybody else could see you.  As you exit Munich it is also still fairly alright up until the halfway mark when you go "off the beaten track" and start riding on the roads that are not really used by cars. You also got to remember that battery performance goes to the dogs in cold weather. So as I was going through this forest I was getting worried if this light will hold till I get home.  I did a test to see how dark it really is and if I can actually see "some" of the road.  Did I mention it was new moon?  When I switched that light off it was pitch black dark.  You could see nothing.  You would not even be able to walk nevermind ride a bike.  The light went back on straight away and I just hoped that it would last till I reach the outskirts of my town ... which it did.  Bought a new light after that.

 

Reading this I am getting cold shivers thinking back to my first night ride.

 

Helped a kid at the start ... who then did not start .... I gave chase at the fast dissapearing lights, but never caught up to the group.  Got lost .... thankfully another gent got lost as well .... we had to figure out new routes to get back to the start.  By not it was properly dark !!  I could see nothing but the spot of light in front of me .... and the light kept on shifting down each time I went over bumps ....

 

 

 

Oops, sorry, back to lights and commuting ....

 

The light on my commuter has a green LED for the first 20 or 30 minutes after charging, this LED then goes amber for a VERY long time ..... learnt the hard way that when it goes red you have less than 10 minutes before darkness .....  Now it gets charged after every couple of rides.

 

 

I have a very small light on my MTB, which is used on tar sections to the trails ... then switched off while on the trails.  Only forgot to switch it off once.    The battery last just more than 3 hours !!

[Hairy]

Dark lonely forests can be intimidating places to be alone. I grew up in the open country where even on a dark moon night, you can still see something by the starlight and I understand that feeling of unease when alone in the forest at night. Of course, I'm not afraid..........but it's just that my spidey sense malfunctions and keep telling me that there are things when there is nothing.

I grew up walking dark city streets at night.... it is not the spiders your spidey senses are warning about that should concern you ... there are worse monsters out there.

[cat-i]

Ok, so we back at work, but work will be working from home... So there goes any commuting miles

 

I overestimated by ability to get up for a morning-commute when it's pouring outside. It's so much easier in the afternoons - got to get home.

 

So Hairy, even though you wont be cycling for a while, I haven't caught you like I hoped, and now heading for work-from-home the next 2 weeks.

 

Will try again next month!

[DR ◣◢]

I grew up walking dark city streets at night.... it is not the spiders your spidey senses are warning about that should concern you ... there are worse monsters out there.

You mean, you?