I took Fairmount/Aldine/Adams today for a change. I needed to go by a bike shop and get a new tube. In the process I noticed that the new sharrows on Adams from 30th St to Texas St are in the door zone, further out from the center of the roadway than before and the sharrows east of there.

It was average, a pretty normal commute. I found a flashlight in the bike lane on San Marcos Blvd a little after 3am by Home Depot. If it's anyone's on here by chance, let me know.

Very relaxing. Plenty of sights to see (the sunset, ocean, surfers, blooming spring flowers, the low tide, and more) then all of a sudden I was in north county for a quick ride home.

It is probably thinking the same about you :face-devil-grin:

Or maybe it hopes you will pick it up a notch so it can shift into second...

rides home lately have been pretty sweet... well, at least until after the stadium path, then everyone's an asshole. but before that last leg, pretty sweet! spring has definitely sprung... lots of beautiful bird songs to keep me company, tons of flowers & tall grass, sunsets over the base, and almost warm enough to ditch the hoodie. pretty soon i will have daylight for the whole ride! only bad thing, the bugs are back in force! but the bright side is they are dumb. out of 100 that aim for my mouth only about 2 get in. the rest bounce off my face or get stuck in my eyes/glasses...

I was riding north on San Diego Ave on my way home this evening. I went left at the fork onto Congress because I wanted to go to Pacific Highway to get to Mission Bay to hit the new bike bridge. Some idiot in a dark Prius, California license #6RPJ814 crosses the double yellow to pass, even though there are sharrows there, and it's super narrow, and I was going 24mph in a 25mph zone (checked the GPS data when I got home just to make sure). I yelled at him that he was breaking the law. He slammed on the brakes, so I had to as well. He came to a stop on top of this sharrow marker and stuck his head out the window and yelled at me that he's a cyclist and that I make all cyclists look bad. I yelled at him to read CVC 21202(a)(2) which lets me go left and (a)(3) which let me take up the whole lane there, not to mention the sharrow markers. He claimed that I was riding provocatively. How is riding in a straight line down the middle of the lane, signalling a turn at a fork, going 1mph under the posted maximum speed limit, in any way provocative?

The ignorance of anti-cyclists is exceeded only by their incredible stupidity.

He violated CVC 21650 (must drive on the right side of the roadway), CVC 21460 (driving to the left of a solid double yellow) and 21461 (obey all signs: posted speed limit in this case) while I was obeying all laws. I would guess he was in his 50's, but it was hard to tell. He turned left at the stop sign. If he had simply obeyed the law and stayed behind me, it would have cost him maybe 2 seconds vs. if I had never been there at all. Instead he wasted nearly a minute in a yelling match with me.

Back from the East Coast (the wrong coast? :face-monkey:) and my first commute this morning was very pleasant. I did not, however, expect it to be so, uhm, wet. I actually pulled out the rain cover of my back pack to make sure that the constant drizzle wouldn't get to my stuff. It was pretty good regardless: 58 degrees at 5:30 am - not bad at all!

It was misting at the top of the hill, but the weather app said "no rain" so I rode anyway. The mist stopped at the bottom of the hill so I didn't get that wet, typical pattern here.

Anyway, what do we have to complain about?



Now THAT'S dedication. Note the hub dynamo and sealed drivetrain.

I used to do that all the time back in Munich. Riding in fresh snow is actually quite fun. It's when it melts and gets all slushy when the fun stops.

I have turned into such a weather wimp here. But now that we are a one car household I have to return to my old ways...

batmick:I used to do that all the time back in Munich. Riding in fresh snow is actually quite fun. It's when it melts and gets all slushy when the fun stops.

I have turned into such a weather wimp here. But now that we are a one car household I have to return to my old ways...

I used to do that as well back in Toronto. Riding in fresh snow feels very crunchy under 700x28C tires.

Freezing low humidity weather didn't bother me at all but I turned into a WARM WHIMP living in San Diego since 2004.

Thank heavens for wool sweaters from the thrift store.

Loved the ride in today. And then it got funny!

Just before the entrance to Torrey Pines Park, along the parking by the beach, yet another big SUV pulls across the bike lanes ahead (without signaling, of course) and starts cruising in the search for that parking spot as close to the entrance as possible. There is a lot of car traffic on my left and she just keeps rolling, oblivious to everything around her. When the lanes get narrow and she pulls more and more into the bike lane is when I am there to pass so I tap her car with my flat hand to make her aware of my presence. I pass and think nothing more of it.
As I roll into the State Park I suddenly hear a honk and see her in my mirror. Oh nice, a stalker! I keep going and she keeps following and honking. After a while I have enough and I let her pull along and she yells at me how it is illegal to hit her car and that she will call the police. When I say that it is also illegal to block the bike lane she says that she was only looking for a parking spot. Duh! So her convenience trumps my safety, it seems.

I tell her to call the police and that I have everything on my helmet cam. And she does! I keep rolling, though. No time to waste on idiots like that. She rolls alongside me, windows down and 911 on speakerphone. Unfortunately I only hear part of the conversation but apparently it did not go so well for her. I heard her say that I hit her car when she was in the bike lane looking for a spot. I yell over "without signalling" just to add to the mood. Then the operator asks her "so you were blocking the bike lane?" and a bit later "and you are following him?". Guess they did not want to send SWAT today because halfway up the hill she turns around. No response to my friendly wave. Oh well, guess you can't please everyone. :face-devil-grin:

I am saving this clip just in case. Too funny. But also scary to imagine how people like that think. Clearly bikes are second class citizens to her.

Every now and then I'll run across someone that will be doing something illegal or, in my eyes, plain stupid. My blood does boil and I always want to act like what batmick described: hit their car or something similar. I remember my motorcycle buddies talking about kicking side mirrors and what not after being cut-off by a cager. Then I remember that even though I would love to "teach them a lesson" (wrong premise, to begin with, I admit...but we're only humans after all), I am at a disadvantage and will ALWAYS get the short end of the stick if the offender gets it in his/her mind to teach *me* a lesson. Lately I tend to get pissed, try to regain my self-control and let it go. I probably would have slowed down to a crawl until she found her parking spot or I would have just managed to squeeze by and maybe glared at her. That would have been about it.
I wonder if I was a guy if I'd act differently. :face-devil-grin:

batmick:

gavilan:Every now and then I'll run across someone that will be doing something illegal or, in my eyes, plain stupid. My blood does boil and I always want to act like what batmick described: hit their car or something similar. I remember my motorcycle buddies talking about kicking side mirrors and what not after being cut-off by a cager. Then I remember that even though I would love to "teach them a lesson" (wrong premise, to begin with, I admit...but we're only humans after all), I am at a disadvantage and will ALWAYS get the short end of the stick if the offender gets it in his/her mind to teach *me* a lesson. Lately I tend to get pissed, try to regain my self-control and let it go. I probably would have slowed down to a crawl until she found her parking spot or I would have just managed to squeeze by and maybe glared at her. That would have been about it.
I wonder if I was a guy if I'd act differently. :face-devil-grin:

I guess you are right but on the other hand that just enables people like her.
And it is not like I damaged her car. A tap with the flat hand makes a lot of noise inside but does no damage at all. I don't do mirrors or dents. I was just afraid that she'd swerve over just as I was passing because she was clearly not seeing anything around her.
But I admit, at 6'4", 200lbs. with the genetic burden of having a Y, my threshold for aggression is probably different from yours.

I understand about the enabling part and I agree. I wish these people did not do what they do! I also understand you didn't damage her car - the analogy to my motorcycle friends and their, uhm, explosiveness (heh) just came to mind. I am not on the small side for a girl, but I do lack that Y. I also don't do confrontations well in general. It's probably a matter of gender and personality.
Nothing more to add other than a maternal (I know, I know) "just be careful out there". :)

markphilips:I would love to see that video clip on YT. It would be a good example to share to my friends and other netizens. There was one time I lost it when Gena and I were riding on Paseo del Norte in Car Country in Carlsbad when a retired couple floored their SUV to pass us yelling get off the road. We eventually caught up to them at the stop light. I grabbed and flicked a penny up the roof of their SUV. What ensued next is that they followed us into the parking lot. On our bikes were able to weave in an out of other cars in the parking lot to loose them eventually. My heart still pound in anger thinking about it. On the other hand, my wife reminded me if it was worth it? When will motorist learn to "YIELD TO LIFE?"

Once again, drivers are cowards.

Maybe it's time for some key-grabbing/tossing? (no, don't do that).

Today was especially fun and adventurous day. Carpooled with my wife this morning; she dropped me off at Carmel Valley Park N Ride, biked along Carmel Valley road to the State Parking Lot, under the PCH bridge, and up the steeper TP hill. In the afternoon, I did the reverse ride and continued to Sorrento Valley Station to catch the 3:09pm train to San Diego. From there I biked to Caffe Italia in Little Italy to get a smoothie to cool off, then I continued my trek to Balboa Park for the Gilbreth Memorial ride to City Hall in downtown. After that I darted back to Santa Fe train station for the 5:27pm train back to Encinitas to meetup with my wife for an evening walk and dinner.


Oh yeah. My trusty personal mobility side kick went with me everywhere and didn't have to lock it up outside.

This morning was fine even if I did have to wear the raingear...it was YESTERDAY that was scary. Brake failure at start of mild descent made me get off bike--but a little too fast and unskilled to do it cleanly. Laid down bike in bike lane of Daley Ctr road, ended up somehow bumping my nose and landing on both knees. I really could use some stuntperson training, because my falling technique sucks.

On south bound Pacific Highway I was going through the ramp mess at Washington, since I didn't feel like going over the bridge. There is a left turn lane onto Washington, a left plus straight lane and a right turn only lane that goes into the airport. I was in the left+straight lane and I hear someone in an SUV behind me. She then suddenly moves in the the left lane and guns it, quickly moves back into my lane in front of me and then guns it through a RED light to make her left turn onto Washington. Is it really that important to be in the outer left turn lane? She probably would have made the green if she had simply moved to the left as soon as possible instead of driving up close to me.

Face first is not good. I've seen some horrific racing injuries caused by that orientation. When I know I'm going down (thinking "here we go again!"), I try to tuck my head to my chest and hold onto the bars. The goal is to land on a shoulder and roll if possible.

I learned how to fall while riding off road. Try it at low speed on a soft lawn or in deep sand with an MTB. Dump the bike over, hold onto the bars, and roll onto your dominant shoulder.

When perfectly executed I can sometimes end up back on my feet again with a victory salute!

When I was T-boned by a car a few years ago I managed to land on the street first to protect my bike. It still has two little scratches, one on the dust cover of the Campy crank arm and another on the dummy brake lever, both on the right side of the bike (front brake only fixed gear path racer).

I don't know, sometimes getting away from the bike can work too. At least on my mountain bike I can recall more than a few near endos where I stepped off/over the front end of the bike into a trot and was barely scathed. But honestly, it seems to me like you'd benefit from bike maintenance training more so than stuntperson training! Get those brakes fixed!

Started to rain as I started my ride back home. Left turn from university to park with all the other turning cars, had a guy make a right turn onto park from across the stteet. He didn't slow down and I had to haul ass to avoid the hit by a foot or two. I'm sure he assumed I ran the light or some shit and I'm the asshole since I'm a mid 20 year old on a fixed gear. Good thing he blindly turned into me to make it one block and make a u turn. Ass. I held my composure and just gave him a diserning look. I wanted to pull up next to him and ask him to look before he turns but decided it wasn't worth the trouble and I just wanted to get home and try out the Shift Beer. Safe travels.

How is Taylor street to ride from the Old Town Transit Center to Camino de la Reina? I may have a meeting there and figured I could just take the Coaster and then ride.

I think it's six of one, half dozen of the other as to whether you take Taylor to Hotel Circle S or Pacific Hwy to the bike path, to Hotel Circle N. Taylor to Hotel Circle S is probably a little more direct.

It was a nice ride in for me today except for some crazy gal on Texas for whom 40mph wasn't fast enough going down the hill and passed me as soon as the road widened and then pulled over quickly to the right in front of me just as she started braking for the backed up traffic at the light near the bottom of the hill. Too bad she couldn't hold up a little more behind me because her impatience placed her car right in the path of a giant loogie I hocked as I neared the bottom of the hill :face-devil-grin:

gavilan:

bikingbill:I'd be coming in via the Coaster, so the map says Taylor is the shorter route.

It's for a possible interview about a game we're working on, with the UT. I figure they might be impressed that I used the bike to get there. Anyway, it's crazy to go get the car and drive there on a Friday afternoon.

Yeah, I totally would do Taylor. I just mentioned Hotel Circle North because I recall Sam seemed to prefer Taylor (and Hotel Circle South). You should be fine!
I am sure they'll be impressed your on a bike *and* a recumbent. It's always a head turner, no? :)

I'm happy that the drivers give it a second look. It's scary fast on descents.