7-23-10

It is a day late, but there was beer to be drunk last night. Not much of a commute to speak of, no close calls, etc. But I did see the easiest way to turn a full suspension mountain bike into a hardtail. All it takes is a cresent wrench. See the picture. If you don't understand, look at where the rack is connected.....to the seat post quick release and the rear axle. If you look really close, you can see he has turned out the dial on his rear suspension to be really soft. He probably can't figure out why it isn't working. Ha!

7-22-10

All of the excitement of my commute happened on the way home today. It started right away, as soon as I climbed on my bike. As I left the parking garage with my bike, there was a large panel truck blocking the view of oncoming traffic. I slowly started out when a bus came into view from behind the panel truck. I guess that is one way to get the adrenaline going early. I cruised down Lloyd Blvd and only one car buzzed me. It was looking like a good ride home. I crossed the Steel Bridge and picked up a nice tailwind to head down Naito Parkway. I waited at the stoplight by Skidmore fountain. Once the light changed, I felt turbo charged. Cruising down the bike lane, one car rolled through the crosswalk to give me a bit of a rush, then one asshole comes so far through the crosswalk that I had to swerve into the lane of traffic. I loudly exclaimed that he had crainial rectal inversion (aka head up his .....). At the time I was cruising about 25-30 mph. Just after that intersection, there is a weird jog in the bike lane. I was going too fast to cut over from the vehicle lane to the bike lane and make the jog, so I just stayed in the vehicle lane. There was a lady coming down the off ramp from the bridge in a green Mini, and refused to either speed up or slow down. I then had to step on it to get around her to get back on the bike lane. At this point I decided that I should just get on the train, I seemed to be pushing my luck. On the way up to Pioneer Square to get on, three different pedestrians decided to cross against the light right in front of me. Ugh! I follow the rules, what is the deal?!? I got on the train and it was stopped for about 10 minutes while paramedics attended to someone on the sidewalk and blocked the train. Jammed in the train, people still tried to get on at each stop. The driver would announce over the PA that there were trains stacked up behind him, but the kept getting on. It was like a train in Japan. I was glad to get off and enjoy the tailwind some more on the way home.

7-21-10

Today started out fairly normal. I caught the blue train, and had to deal with the Creep. He is just one weird dude. The ride through downtown was fast, I hit all of the lights just right. Up over the bridge and go to work in record time.

The way home was a bit more interesting. Just before crossing the river, I did get the compliment that I had a nice ass. It did come from a girl that was late teens early twenties. I am flattered that I got the compliment, but it was a bit creepy from a girl so young....compared to me. While trying to cross the Steel Bridge, there was a large group of kids who decided that they didn't have to yield to bikes. They just completely blocked the bridge heading west. People heading east even had problems getting by these idiots. Finally got back up to speed on Naito and hit the lights just right. I headed up SW Jefferson hitting on all lights except one. Once I got started, I passed the park blocks and had an idiot cross against the light. He told me to f**k off when I commented to him that crossing against the light was a good way to die. Of course I did this powering through the intersection to hit the rest of the lights green. I got down to my stop, and had to wait....a long time. Something held the trains up and I knew the first one would be packed. It was. The second one was right behind it. I rode it to the Beaverton Transit Station, and had a leisurely 3-1/2 mile ride home, still hitting all the lights just right.

7-20-10

No post from yesterday. It was a fairly normal commute in, and I left work yesterday morning to take care of my sick son, so I didn't have any issues commuting. Today started out interesting. It was fairly cool for mid July, it was in the 40's when I left home today. No issues on the first part of my commute, it has become fairly routine. I then got to Portland, and had an idiot roar past me in an SUV only to jam on the brakes for the red light. He did this at every light. I guess that I am just glad I'm not paying for his gas and brakes! The rest of the ride was uneventful.

The way home wasn't too bad. I got out of work right at 3, and hustled down to the bridge like I usually do. Luckily, the slow guy in front of me on the bridge was going fast enough that I made it across just before they did a bridge lift. It usually adds 15 minutes or so to my commute if I get caught on a bridge lift. I pushed it a bit to get through downtown in time to make the blue train. I knew that if there was a bridge lift, the blue train might be the only train I could get on for about 20 minutes or so. I didn't want to wait, and got lucky with the train. Got on the blue train and had a leisurely ride from where I got off to home. Overall, a very nice day.

7-16-10

Today started out normal. It was a bit cooler than I expected, but not bad. It was a quick ride the to MAX and got there just as the blue train showed up. You tend to see the same people on the same trains in the same seats day after day. On the blue train there is a guy, who I haven't figured out a nickname for yet, that always gives me the creeps. He always sits by the front of the train in the seats by the bike hangers. Today was no different, he stared at me for quite some time. I finally got a chance to sit down, and for one stop thought I wouldn't have anyone sitting next to me. Wrong! The creep had a person he knew sit down next to him, which would have been fine. 15 seconds after leaving the stop, she decides to sit next to me, and talk loudly to the creep. I was so happy to get off the train. I rode up the hill, as usual. Going down I was hitting the lights perfect for the first half. About half way down, I got a car that rode my back wheel, so I increased my speed and screwed up my light timing. Partially blew through a red light......oops! Once I got to Burnside it was a quiet and uneventful ride.

On the way home it was a different story. I hit the lights right going to the Steel Bridge. After the lights and before I got on the bridge, I had to stop for two idiots riding side by side on the bike/walk bridge. In another post, I will post pictures and a better description of the bridge. Anyways, I had to stop and do a track stand until these two morons got around the corner and I could go. I said some unkind things under my breath and kept going. I got as far as halfway before I had to do another track stand. This time it was for some girl who though it was ok to pass a pedestrian when someone was coming the other way. I told her thanks for giving me so much room, in a sarcastic tone. I think she was too dumb to get it, she just smiled. Just as I got off the west side of the bridge, I had to do two more track stands for incredibly stupid, egotisitical, moronic, hipsters that had to ride their oh-so-cool single speeds three wide on the walkway. I really wanted to take my bike pump and beat some sense into their tattooed, pierced heads! I refrained, I wouldn't do good in prison. Then, riding down Naito Parkway, in the bike lane, a fat pig in a Mercedes decided that the bike lane was to be used for passing. While grabbing my brakes to keep from being turned into hamburger, I loudly proclaimed his incredible lack of common sense and let everyone in the area know just how dumb he was. I happened to catch up to him at the next stoplight, and he so kindly had his passenger window down. I told him he was a f**king idiot and almost hit me. He wouldn't even look at me. What a fat, out-of-shape piece of crap! After these incidents, I thought it might be best to catch the train at an earlier stop so I didn't kill anyone.

7-15-10

Today was a somewhat usual commute. I had a nice leisurely ride to the MAX station, and hopped on the red train. It was a nice relaxing ride to the Goose Hollow stop. I got off, hopped on my bike and started the rest of my bike commute. I ride over the hill and through downtown Portland before crossing the river. I've found just the right speed to hit all of the lights on the way down, and if I hit my left turn and step on it, I don't have to stop for a light until I get across the bridge. Today, however, it was a bit different. On my way down the hill I got behind someone that slowed me down. I don't like to pass cars on my bike, but I was thinking about it today. I ended up hitting 3 red lights before I even hit the bridge, ugh! That wasn't too bad, I was just relaxing today. I did get behind one guy who decided that he didn't have to use signal lights before crossing from the middle lane to get a parking spot at 5:40am. After leaving a portion of my back tire on the pavement I showed this idiot that he was number 1.......right against his drivers window. The deer in the headlights look that I got confirmed that he had no idea I was there, even though I had my headlight on.

The ride home was generic, but one thing that I encountered just made me laugh. A lady got on the MAX and was standing right behind me. She was wearing some type of perfume that was very strong. I'm not sure who makes it, but it smelled just like the scented urinal cakes in the men's room.

It's always interesting when you deal with people in a public transit system, or while riding a bike. Its a personal experience that you just don't get driving a vehicle.

Well, here is the first post. Today started out as a normal commute. I took it easy and hopped on the red train. For those who do not live in the Portland metro area, we have light rail that has bike hangers on the cars. The red train goes from the Beaverton Transit Center to the Portland International Airport, and the blue train goes from Hillboro to Gresham. At the time of the morning that I am catching the train (or MAX), I can catch either the red or blue line as they come out of where they are kept. You begin to see the same people day after day and get to know them. While I usually do not get into conversation with people on the train, I make observations and give them nicknames. Now, back to today's commute. There is a guy that has the nickname "DICK!". He gets on and off the MAX at the same stops that I do. He has to stand right in front of the doors when the train is arriving, and I like to try to get off first when we get to Goose Hollow. When I first started commuting, I was courteous to other MAX riders, and this guy would always let me get off first. What he has started doing lately is sighing when he sees me waiting to get off the train. Well, today was no different, except that I had to go back to the second car because the first on did not have bike hangers, and I didn't feel like standing. DICK! always wants to ride in the front of the train, so I figured that I had avoided him today. WRONG! He followed me to the second car. Now you can see why I gave him the nickname DICK!

The ride through downtown was normal, with the exception of the old guy that was riding on the sidewalk, ignoring traffic lights. I've seen him before, and have wanted to jam my pump through his front spokes. Riding a bike in a big city is tough enough without stupid people on bikes breaking the law. People see him, and decide to lump me with him as a renegade biker. Anyway, the ride through downtown continued without incident until I got to the Burnside bridge. As I was coasting down the east side, I see another idiot. I had to move over because he was riding against traffic in the bike lane. This level of stupidity goes beyond wanting to jam my pump in his spokes, I want to to clothesline him! I've seen him before, and he gets belligerent when I tell him to get on the right side of the road. He will get hit one of these days, and I will feel no sorrow for him. His idiocy got him into the situation, even though at least one person told him he was wrong. The rest of the ride was uneventful.

The ride home was usual, with the exception of the absolute fool in the SUV at the SW Millikan Way and TV Highway intersection. He had his stereo so loud, it made my ears ring. As he sprayed me with pebbles because he was in a hurry I loudly questioned his parentage and told him to go and procreate himself. Moron!

Background

This blog was created to help understand what an everyday bike commuter goes through. I have been commuting by bike for several months, and entertain my coworkers with my stories. There are other ways that I could communicate this information and stories, but it is a collection of many people, not just me. I keep having very interesting experiences in my daily commute and want to keep all the stories so that others can know what happens and maybe even enlighten those who do not commute by bike.