Who Commutes on the FJR Daily?

Silver Penguin · Nov 14, 2006

OrangevaleFJR said:
While riding in the city isn't really a relaxed type of ride, it certainly provides a really good transition from work to home. I leave the office at the office and it never intrudes on my riding. Therefore, when I get home I am totally prepared to listen to kids, deal with issues calmly and enjoy life with the wife. Therefore, in a strange way, driving in traffic is a great way to relax and blow out the day's cobwebs.

You said it very well. I'm not a very social person first thing in the morning. The ride to work lets me start my working day in a good mood. Then, the day goes on and the tensions build. What better way to release that tension and unwind, than a gentle ride home?

Since it is dark when I leave work (about 50wks/yr) I pretty much have to ride straight home. In the mornings though, especially those crisp cool days with a spectacular sunrise in the mirrors, it's OH-SO tempting to just miss that off ramp, and the next, and the next. Work? or a trip up PCH and back? Gotta go to work, so I can keep making the bike payments.

Jill

SAFJ-rider · Nov 14, 2006

If I could hook up a coffee sippee cup for the ride to work I would really be happy...but I guess thats what the coffee pot at work is for. I ride about 10mi each way but sometimes FJ just tracks to the long way home...no compliants here my quiet time before the wife, kids and kicking the dog when I get home.

PMC FJRider · Nov 14, 2006

Quote"Since it is dark when I leave work (about 50wks/yr) I pretty much have to ride straight home. In the mornings though, especially those crisp cool days with a spectacular sunrise in the mirrors, it's OH-SO tempting to just miss that off ramp, and the next, and the next. Work? or a trip up PCH and back?Gotta go to work, so I can keep making the bike payments".

I leave for work at about the time all the drunks are leaving the bars (2am). But my 1st, 15 miles are twisty mountain roads, and I count the same 4 cars at almost the exact same spot every morning in these hills. At the end of the day when all the stress has built, and I have had a few close calls on the freeway, the last 15 mi of twisties make everything else just a memory. Its a great way to start & end the day.

DK

RsvlFeej · Nov 15, 2006

I go about 20 miles each way 5 days a week unless rain is forecast during commute hours. More a matter of avoiding California cagers panicking because their windshield wipers are on than any cat-like response to moisture. It's tough enough dodging the

cell-phone using,

coffee-drinking,

putting on their makeup,

reading the newspaper (I sh*t thee not - and not folded up either, the ***** had 2/3 of the windshield obscured),

eating (including cereal, from a bowl),

picking up whatever the heck it is on the passenger side floorboard,

and otherwise distracted, oblivious, or murderous

folks with whom I share the road daily without the bonus of them being hypnotized by the wiper metronome.

MikeRocchio · Nov 15, 2006

Every day rain or shine, 30mi each way! Well 4 days a week anyway, gotta love 4-10s! I must say, splitting lanes down 880, in Northern California, is easier with out the bags.

Silver Penguin · Nov 17, 2006

MikeRocchio said:
Every day rain or shine, 30mi each way! Well 4 days a week anyway, gotta love 4-10s! I must say, splitting lanes down 880, in Northern California, is easier with out the bags.

As a novice lane-splitter, I agree. The bags are about 2" wider each side than the mirrors. I've recently switched to using the top case instead of side bags, for that reason. Gotta have somewhere to leave my helmet, out of sight, when I get to where I'm going.

Last night, I made the mistake of trying to ride in So Cal rush hour traffic. A thirty mile errand took me thirty mins to get there, on the freeway and NINETY mins to get home, WITH lane splitting, on the surface streets. Will check out the freeway, aka parking lot, next time.

Jill