Beautiful blue sky on the way home. This is the only day I’ll bike to work. I have Good Friday off so I’m biking to Myrtle Beach. The weather forecast is not looking good, rain and wind. At least it won’t be cold. I am mentally preparing for a tough ride. Hopefully it won’t be too bad. Ride on. ☮ Relive ‘Commute AM’ Relive ‘Commute PM’

My black silicone watch band tore so I put on a band that matches my bike. High viz all the things! Another beautiful day in the lowcountry for all outdoor activities. I was on the road at 4:13 AM. Very little traffic at that time in the morning and what traffic there is seems to be a little more laid-back. Did I mention how great the weather is. Good commute. Ride on.

I was mentally prepared to get soaked today. Fortunate timing kept me dry for the most part. The ride to work was quick thanks to a tailwind. The ride home wasn’t too shabby either. Very enjoyable commute. Ride on. ☮ Relive ‘Commute AM’ Relive ‘Commute PM’

Caterpillars, caterpillars everywhere. The insects not the machines. Don’t know why they are on the road but I do my best to avoid them. Today started at 3:30 AM. I was at my desk at 5 AM. Home by 5 PM. Great weather. The rain moves in tomorrow. Ride on. ☮

I was thinking in the shower about bicycle commuting. It takes some effort. Get up 2 hours early to avoid morning traffic Take 2 showers instead of 1 Bicycle 32 miles (this is the good part) Risk life cycling with automobiles Battle the elements: wind, rain, heat, and cold This morning was in the 30’s℉. I thought we were done with the 30’s. Oh well it was almost 70℉ on ride home.

Great weather on the ride home. Love this time of year or heck anytime of year that isn’t winter. Bring on the heat. Ride on. ☮ Relive ‘Commute AM’ Relive ‘Commute PM’

Couple of traffic accidents on Hwy 17-A on the way home. Hope everyone is OK. Ride on. ☮ Relive ‘Commute AM’ Relive ‘Commute PM’

Misty morning and clear afternoon. Pretty good commute if I forget about bubba babbling about getting off the road or end up in pieces. Jeez. 98% of automobile drivers behave properly. About once a day some dude, usually in a truck, has to tell me to get off the road. This time the passenger opened his door on Hwy 17-A and yelled. Stay classy bubba. Oh well. Ride on. ☮

Cool, strong, headwind this morning had me contemplating why I ride my bike to work when I have a perfectly good electric vehicle. The tail/crosswind on the way home made me forget all about the struggle I had 11 hours earlier. Had blast on the ride home. Spliced the slightly interesting video clips together with Kdenlive. Good commute. Ride on. ☮ Relive ‘Commute AM’ Relive ‘Commute PM’

I have named my Priority 600 The Beast. It is big, heavy, and hard to move. Don’t know if it was tired legs, headwind, The Beast or all of those things that made the ride home tough. Regardless, I survived. Ride on. ☮ Relive ‘Commute AM’ Relive ‘Commute PM’

Beautiful weather today made for an enjoyable commute. Except for bubba yelling at me to get off the f’ing road at Black Tom Rd & Hwy 17-A intersection it was a chill ride home. My Anker 10,000mAh battery only lasted about 5 months. I’ve been attempting to charge it for 3 days without luck. The way I mount it on my bike it catches sweat so the connectors are corroded. Probably will buy another and flip it upside down this time.

Chilly start. Temperatures were in the twenties this morning. Super nice this afternoon. Clear blues skies and mild temperatures. This is the second commute on my Priority 600 with Pinion gearbox. While I’m riding the 600 I keep bemoaning the resistance I feel compared to Old Yeller. The commute takes about 5 minutes longer on the 600. I need to get over the added weight and resistance. Riding to lunch and dinner on the 600 is perfect.

Intrigued at the prospect of fewer drivetrain issues I bought a Priority 600 with a Pinion gearbox. Assembled last night and rode to work today. Initial reaction is it is a smooth ride but slow. The rolling resistance with the big 650b tires is noticeable as well as the resistance of the belt drive. At this point I don’t see it replacing Old Yeller. I’m pretty sure I’m going to get rid of the Defy 3 though.

Breaking news. Riding a bike is fun. It is really fun when you have a tailwind. Had a blast on the commute home. Good commute. Ride on. ☮ Relive ‘Commute AM’ Relive ‘Commute PM’

The low temperature on the PM commute (41℉) was cooler than the AM commute (44℉). The wind was kicking all day. Headwind on the AM ride and a tailwind on the way home. Difference of 14 minutes. Always happy with a sub 50 minute commute. 1:02:53 vs 49:04 moving time. Became an East Coast Greenway Alliance member today. I would love to safely cycle from Charleston to Beaufort one day. 🤞

Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (SEWE) started today. I think I’ll stay clear of downtown Charleston tomorrow. Mild winter continues. Another good commute. Another restaurant chain in Summerville, Culver’s. Never eaten at one. Glanced at the menu. Meh. I don’t think I’ll be frequenting Culver’s. Ride on. Relive ‘Commute AM’ Relive ‘Commute PM’

Happy to be riding Old Yeller again. Much more comfortable than the Defy 3. Speaking of which I picked up the Defy 3 from my LBS yesterday. They installed a new drive train and new tires. It now has 28’s instead of 25’s so it should be a little more comfortable. Good commute today. Foggy this morning. Warm and windy on the way home. Ride on. Relive ‘Commute AM’

Another warm day. 75℉ on the ride home with a stiff head wind. Good commute on the Defy 3. Ride on. My LBS called about Old Yeller. The rear brake caliper is weak. They are going to replace it but not with a stock Giant caliper. Parts are ordered. The tech said they might be in tomorrow. I’m betting it will be Monday. These extended maintenance events are frustrating. Relive ‘Commute PM’

Another gorgeous day. Another day without Old Yeller. Good commute on the Defy 3. Ride on. Relive ‘Commute AM’ Relive ‘Commute PM’

Absolutely perfect weather. Highs in the 70’s and clear blue sky. What a way to start the Year of the Pig. I almost ran over a rabbit. One hopped out in front of me on Hwy 17-A. I missed it by inches. I didn’t hear a thud so I assume and hope it got across the highway safely. Good commute. Lets do it again tomorrow. Ride on. Relive ‘Commute PM’

The weather forecast called for rain around 5PM which would have been perfect if I left by 4PM. By lunch time I knew the rain was going to be here sooner than that. I left work a couple hours early to beat the rain. Drizzled most of the way home but no downpour. Stiff headwind accompanied the drizzle. Not one of my best commutes. Thursday’s forecast calls for a low of 28℉.

32℉ this morning. 48℉ and mostly sunny on the way home. Good commute. Called Mike’s Bikes about my creaking steering. They are ordering parts and will call me when they are in to try to minimize my down time. I appreciate that. Relive ‘Commute AM’ Relive ‘Commute PM’

A bit of rain and headwind on the way home but at least it was warm. Good commute. Schedule is off this week due to Monday’s holiday. Tomorrow morning’s forecast is rain with wind gusts of 57 mph so I guess I’ll drive the Bolt EV. Friday is looking good though. Ride on. Relive ‘Commute AM’ Relive ‘Commute PM’

According to my Garmin it was 26℉ this morning and 64℉ on the way home. Guess which segment I enjoyed more? On the way home I was passed, at a high rate of speed, by a couple of dozen police vehicles with sirens blaring. They were mostly Berkeley County Sheriff vehicles. The others were unmarked. I don’t know what was going down but I assume it was pretty serious. Looking forward to the 3 day weekend.

Another overcast chilly January day. Low of 33°F this morning. The traffic lights were not kind this morning. I was stopped by every one of them heading out of Summerville. It is hard to stay warm when you are waiting on traffic signals. Winds were calm which was welcomed. Ride on. Relive ‘Commute AM’ Relive ‘Commute PM’

The heatwave had to end sometime, unfortunately. Garmin registered 30.2°F for the minimum during the morning commute. The sun was shining and a tailwind was blowing on the way home. Pretty good commute for January. Ride on. Relive ‘Commute PM’ Relive ‘Commute AM’

Another great day in the South Carolina Lowcountry. No drama commute. Ride on. Relive ‘Commute PM’

One year ago today we were getting snowed on. It couldn’t be further from that today. Maximum temperature was 70 ℉. Sweet. Left the apartment this morning with two left hand gloves. Didn’t bother to go back. No gloves necessary. The ride home was sloppy. Rained periodically throughout the day. No rain on the way home though. Ride on! Relive ‘Commute AM’

The wind was whipping today nearly knocking me over a few times. Even with an awesome tailwind I can’t snag a KOM. There are Strava 3 segments on the way to work. I am 2nd, 3rd, and 4th on the all time rankings. I thought today I might get my first KOM but I was still 34 seconds slower than the leader on the smaller of the 3 segments. Oh well, the ride to work was a lot of fun.

Thought more than once about driving to work but saddled up. I’m glad I did. Another good commute in the books. Relive ‘Commute AM’

Nothing like a bike ride to relieve work place stress. The ride home was just what the doctor ordered. Ride on. Relive ‘Commute AM’

Wet and chilly (34°F) ride to work. Dry and sunny ride home. I was on the road by 4:46 AM. Waking up so early is tough but totally worth missing rush hour traffic. So much safer and less stressful. Ride on. Relive ‘Commute AM’ Relive ‘Commute PM’

There was a down power line across Hwy 17-A this morning. Firemen secured the area. I took a detour onto Horseshoe Rd. On the commute home I got a work alarm had to deal with. Not a very smooth commute either way. Oh well. The weather was good. Relive ‘Commute PM’ Relive ‘Commute AM’

Garmin computer reported a low of 27°F and an average of 29°F on the commute this morning. I believe it. I did not enjoy the AM ride. The PM ride was much better. The temperatures are on the rise over the new few days but unfortunately so is the chance of rain. Relive ‘Commute AM’ Relive ‘Commute PM’

Garmin computer reported a low of 32°F on the commute this morning. I kinda doubt that. I’m thinking it was mid to upper 30’s. Average temperature on the way home was 41°F. Thursday morning is forecasted to be in the upper 20’s. We’ll see if I brave that commute. Relive ‘Commute AM’ Relive ‘Commute PM’

Moncks Corner put out there Christmas decorations just in time for Thanksgiving. Commute was good. Traffic was a smidgen lighter due to the upcoming holiday. I have a 4 day weekend. Too bad the best weather day is Thanksgiving day. I’ll squeeze in some miles between the rain showers. New lighter colored carpet was installed in my place of employment. I purchased a mat for my office where I park my bike in the bikehand.

This must be what riding a penny-farthing feels like. My new bike fit has me higher and more upright. Felt like my quadriceps were working harder today. So far, so good. Windy day. Head wind on the way to work and tail wind on the way home. 16.4 MPH vs 21.3 MPH. Enjoyed the ride home 100 times more than the ride to work. There was rain to our northwest and offshore but not a drop in Moncks Corner or Summerville.

Mild temperatures. Winds kicking as a cold front approaches. Good commute. Relive ‘Commute AM’ Relive ‘Commute PM’

42.8°F to start the day and 64.4°F at the finish. Good commute. Ride on. Relive ‘Commute AM’ Relive ‘Commute PM’

Low temperature this morning was 41.0 °F. I donned my Gore jacket, Gore gloves, and Five Ten MTB shoes. All good. Looking forward to rolling into the weekend. Tomorrow is looking like a rainy day. Saturday and Sunday should be rain free. Ride on. Relive ‘Commute AM’

Nothing special about today’s commute. I was feeling cool air blowing into my shoe this morning. I guess it about time for some new ones. I have some Five Ten MTB bike shoes that have a nice hard sole but they are heavy. I may give them another try. Relive ‘Commute AM’ Relive ‘Commute PM’

Cold front was rolling in this morning. Headwinds blow. The commute home was sweet. Wind assisted personal best of 44:24 moving time and an average speed 21.9 mi/h. Relive ‘Commute AM’ Relive ‘Commute PM’

Maximum temperature on the commute home was 84.2 °F according to Garmin. I think it was closer to 90 °F. All I know for sure is the weather is awesome for mid October. More of this please! Relive ‘Commute AM’

Thursday tropical storm Michael was passing to the west of us. I contemplated riding to perhaps get a tail wind assisted KOM but I came to my senses. I drove my EV to work yesterday and cycled today. 55.4 °F was the low temperature during my AM commute. I don’t like what is coming. I don’t like it at all. I rather sweat than freeze any day. It won’t be long before the Gore jacket and gloves are needed.

Fender bender at Carnes Crossroads intersection caused a traffic jam for what seemed like more than a mile on Hwy 17-A. Good day to be on two wheels. Relive ‘Commute AM’

Nice weather. Productive week at work so far. Two good commutes and 64 miles logged. Looking forward to the weekend. Not sure where I’m riding but I’m riding. Upgraded my Garmin 520 to version 12.80. It wiped out my settings. Most importantly my sensors. I had to set the sensors up again. Software upgrades should not wipe out user settings. First world problems. Rock on! Relive ‘Commute AM’

For what I assume was for Fire Prevention Week Whitesville FD was hanging old glory above Hwy 17-A on the Moncks Corner side of Carnes Crossroads. Thank-you fire fighters! Glad I was riding my bike. Automobile traffic was a CF. Good commute. Relive ‘Commute AM’ Relive ‘Commute PM’

Good temperatures, sunny skies, and tolerable traffic make for a good commute.

Grant Ford wrote Morning Trek for me in return for a small donation towards his writing projects. I’m happy with my return on investment. It captures some of the joys of cycling. #Morning Trek A breath of cool air, the smell of pavement entrance and entice the morning senses with freedom from the daily enslavement of cars and trucks and motorized fences. With the strength of will, the body exerts upon the gears of destiny and fate to consume the miles combustion preverts; you breathe the clean air, your spirit to sate.

It was pouring down rain around 4 AM. I went back to sleep and when I awoke at 5 AM the rain had stopped. I checked RadarScope. There were storms to the south and to the north but nothing between Summerville and Moncks Corner so I stuck to my plan. The road was wet but not a drop of rain fell on me. RadarScope is awesome. Good ride to work. A couple of hours later my back tire went flat.

Traffic was light with Hurricane Florence heading towards the southeastern and mid-Atlantic United States. I wish the traffic was this light everyday. The cover photo for today’s log was taken on the way back from dinner. It is I-26 exit 199 with all lanes heading west to Columbia SC. Lane reversals started at noon September 11, 2018.

Biked to work just one day this week due to me being a light weight after my Labor Day century ride. I’ll get two commutes next week. ☮

There was a fatal automobile accident at the Black Tom Rd and Hwy 17-A intersection this morning. Rest in ☮. I reached the scene about 20 minutes afterwards. The police had the intersection taped off. All traffic was diverted. I was able to cycle around the barrier and get to work. My Topeak backloader bag was not strapped as tight as it should have been and sounded like a frog for most of the AM commute.

Good work commute. Already dreaming about where I’ll ride over the upcoming Labor Day holiday three day weekend. Relive ‘Commute AM’ Relive ‘Commute PM’

Cycling yields quality spirits. I am happy with the way the photo in front of Watkins Package Store developed. 📷 It was a split decision to take a photo here. So much so I almost wipe out when I turned off the road into a sand mound. Crisis averted and photo snapped. Up at 5 AM and pedaling by 5:21 AM. Had a head wind on the way to work and a tail on the way home.

Made it to work in 46 minutes thanks to a tail wind. The wind didn’t shift during the day so I had a stiff head wind on the way home. The wind giveth and taketh away. I haven’t commuted on the bike lately in lieu of evening rides. This commute was a little different in that I carried my clothes to work in my Topeak Backloader bag. Normally I store clothes in my office when I drive the EV.

The Garmin 520 recorded 59°F as the low temperature. That is crazy low for July. I almost needed my arm warmers. High temperature on the ride home was 86℉ which was pleasant. I must admit waking up before 5 AM to beat the traffic is getting old. Still waiting on a road to connect to Black Tom Rd that may provide a safer and later ride.

Rode the bicycle to work since I dropped off my Chevy Bolt EV yesterday for scheduled maintenance. Left work a little after 3PM and cycled to Rick Hendrick Chevrolet in Charleston to pick up the Bolt. There was a heat advisory and a headwind. The Garmin recorded 100.4 °F as the high and 94.0 °F as the average. Not sure what the humidity was but it was high. I faced a headwind today which I guess is fair since I had a tailwind yesterday.

Gloomy overcast day. No sun but no rain either. Had a bit of a tailwind on the way home giving me a decent moving time of 47:29.

Good ride into work in under 50 minutes moving time. Always pleased with sub 50 minute rides. The ride home had a rain delay. Planned to leave work at 4 PM but a shower popped up and rained pretty hard. Worked for another hour. The road was steaming for the first few miles and all dry the rest of the way home. After showering I cycled over to Taco Bell for some black bean burritos.

Long day. Woke up at 4:00 AM and was on the road by 5:00 AM. Left the office around 5:20 PM. My bike has a clicking squeaky noise. I’m guessing it is from the saddle. Took the saddle off and removed a good bit of dirt. Hopefully that was cause. Temperatures are on the way up. It was approaching 90 ℉. May 2018 was the wettest month ever in Charleston SC.

Rain and more rain. As of this writing this is second wettest May of all time for Charleston SC. Bring on a dry hot June. I brought my Nvidia Shield to work for a coworker to borrow. I packed it in my Topeak Backloader bicycle bag and it stayed dry. Yay! I was able to cycle to lunch without getting rained. Yay again! The ride home was a soaker but at least the winds were calm and the temperature was a comfortable 69.

Tried a new route on the morning commute. I got off of Hwy 17-A at Gaillard Rd over to Old Hwy 52. Nice change of scenery. It was not quite a mile longer. The afternoon commute got off to a slow start. Before I could work up a sweat I was stopped by not one but two trains. The first freight train was long and slow. Towards the end with just a dozen cars left to pass the crossing a second freight train coming from the opposite direction appeared.

Nice rides to work and back. No uptight automobile drivers. Damp tarmac and a little drizzle on the way home. No worries.

Today was National Bike to Work Day. I usually bike to work on Tuesday and Thursday but I switched this week to Wednesday and Friday to align with BTWD. We had on and off again rain all day. I managed to escape all but a few drops here and there. Pretty nice rides. Below is a snippet of my ride home. I’m not proud of this part of my ride but I just don’t feel like stopping in traffic.

Picked up Old Yeller from Mike’s Bikes yesterday. It has a new rear derailleur, chain, rear tire, and cassette. The ride to work was super smooth. Really glad to have the Giant Anyroad 1 back. It is so much nicer than my backup bike, Giant Defy 3. I can’t recall an average MPH of 20 so I think this was a personal best. There is something motivational about a new drivetrain.

Thursday’s commute was uneventful. I rode to Chipotle for dinner and afterwards rode up Hwy 78. I was going to take N Maple St to the Nexton Parkway but couldn’t find N Maple St. Looked at Google Maps when I got home and realized I should have traveled a few more blocks. I headed back up 17-A and took Holiday Dr to Nexton Parkway instead. Even though I had been on Nexton Parkway many times this was the first time with automobile traffic.

Tuesday’s commute was uneventful. I snapped a photo of The Corner Cafe Bakery in Moncks Corner SC. It recently closed. A Starbucks recently opened and I assume that might have played into The Corner’s decision to close. I had a rare tailwind on the way home which enabled me to break my 50 minute barrier again. Nice!

Wheee - just having fun! Gorgeous weather continues. I didn’t like the way my rear hub was sounding so I dropped off my Giant Anyroad 1 bike at Mike’s Bikes in Mt Pleasant. Asked them to check all the bearings. Hopeful it will be a one day turn around so I can have it for the weekend. If not I’ll be riding my Giant Defy 3 and wishing I was on my Anyroad 1.

Tuesday’s commute had a big temperature swing. According to my Garmin 520 bicycle computer the minimum temperature was 39℉ and the maximum temperature was 82℉. That is a 43℉ swing.

My Thursday commute was dry, comfortable, and uneventful. I got up at 5 AM and was on the road by 5:30 AM. I think I will stick with this schedule. I’d like to sleep an hour later but it is not worth the increased traffic.

Tuesday commute started out wet with mist and a couple of showers. The ride home was dry, unlike my shoes, and partly cloudy. One thing is for sure the traffic is far better at 5:30 AM than at 6:30 AM. The traffic is lighter and a little less frantic. Absolutely worth getting up at 5 AM for.

Had a rare tailwind this morning and it helped me achieve my personal best moving time of 46:59. I also had a little help from a slow moving 18 wheeler.

Contemplating my twice-a-week bicycle commute. It is 16.2 miles between Moncks Corner and Summerville. Most of the ride is on Hwy 17-A which is a busy 4 lane highway. The section from my apartment in Summerville to Cypress Gardens Rd is the busiest section. Cypress Gardens Rd intersection to Moncks Corner is lower traffic and a pleasant ride. Pros 4 hours of exercise a week Green Commute Enjoyable Accomplishing 2 things a once (commute and exercise) Cons Dangerous Abuse from drivers (yelling, honking, revving, close drive by) The benefits are many but sometimes feel that I am being irresponsible to my family and to my employer by risking my life on my bike.

Broke my cheap clear sunglasses before I got out the door. On the ride to work I got honked at once and yelled at once. A passenger in a truck yelled “Get on the sidewalk!”. Yeah, that ain’t happening. 16 miles on a sidewalk would not be fun. We’ve got new pavement on Main St in Moncks Corner SC. So nice. The road was in really bad shape. Love cycling on new tarmac.