Worst Commute EVAR!!1!

Did a 50 mile round-trip, off-road commute here in L.A. Fine going in, but coming home I ran right into one of our bi-annual downpours. It consisted of 20 of my return route’s 25 miles being a climb to the top of the Santa Monica Mtns on what was normally a benign fire road but was suddenly a river of mud flowing right at me. My 2 hour commute turned into 4 hours, 3 hours into which I had to call my wife for a ride home, feeling like a failure. First commute DNF ever.

DNF commute. As I wrote in my post about the rain, I did have to “call the wife, ” but that was just a ride I wasn’t equipped for and the worst part is that I know better.

Though ever year in the Fall on group rides, some one bonks, of gets really cold and that’s when you learn who your friends are.

I’ve pushed fellow cyclists home and been pushed.

fall of 1989… flooding in Renton. Rode to work at Raleigh… went through a puddle. Didn’t see the pothole… took a bath.

on the way to work.

Kind of you to push bonked riders on. And I hear you about not being prepared. I consider my rain commute a public service to the drought-stricken residents of Southern California. See, I’m convinced that had I not ridden in that day then the skies would’ve been cloud-free. But since I thumbed my nose at Mom Nature she gave me a spanking and sent me to my room.

Yeah, I remember that winter of endless rain - I also chose to ride through a couple of flooded areas that had some cars stopped, not daring to proceed, and some cars stopped on the far side, disabled by water in the ignition. As I plowed into the water, stranded drivers cheered. Got through the first one fine, had to put a foot down when I lost track of where the road was on the second, which is how I know it was 2 feet deep. Fully submerged both hubs (overhauled the next day), but made it through and home.

Worse than that was starting a 25 mile ride home in rain, with neoprene gloves, only to have the temperature fall halfway through, so that, even though the rain had stopped, my wet gloves started to freeze.

Worst, though, was folding my frame hitting the back of a car abandoned on the shoulder of the highway on the way to work. After putting the lens back in my glasses frames, I was able to look at the reflection of my face in the passenger window of the car. “Hmm…I don’t think I should actually be seeing my cheekbone…how far is it to the hospital?” Walked the last mile and a quarter to work with the bent bike on my shoulder, and the boss took me to the emergency room. He seemed surprised when I came back to work that afternoon, after the stitches were complete.

Worst commute you say?

I once had to ride to work after the assassination of King Dipendra of Nepal. Someone set fire to the bridge outside my house, then threw bricks at me.

I decided that it would be a good time to take a small holiday in the Himalayas to the Himalayas, when I got back someone had turned my bike into scrap metal.

Interestingly enough, commuting in Nepal was normally pretty stress free. Go figure!

Living in Bend Oregon 10 years ago, it had snowed about 8-12 inches. While at work it had turned to slush, then around 4pm started freezing again. The roads were then sheet ice with 12 inch deep ice ruts on the shoulder. Very tough. I think I bailed a few times. Was on a mountain bike, but still a bit tough. The next morning was the same going to work, but by the end of the day it had warmed up and turned to slush once again. Between riding in a foot of slush and getting doused by cars, I was completely drenched - as if I had jumped in a lake - and riding in 35º weather completely soaked is a lot of fun!

Your worst commute is the time you got wet?

John’s Nepal ride tops my worst, which is the time I tried to commute the 25 miles from work to home in the middle of a blizzard across desolate Illinois prairie. On a road bike. With road slicks. The temp was right around zero degrees with about a 20 mph headwind and blowing snow reducing visibility to approximately six inches.

The bike part actually wasn’t too bad — I’m accustomed to riding in snow and on slick — but the cold temps got the best of me after about an hour (remember the 25 mph headwinds reduced my average speed to about 5 mph). I ended up turning around and went back to a friend’s house where I warmed up and called my wife. That’s probably the only time my commute was truly unpleasant. At least I’ve never been intentionally assaulted and been in fear for my life like some people I know. The few collisions with cars I’ve had have only resulted in minor injuries (if any) and minor bike damage.

I’ve ridden through deep water plenty of times, know better than to wear rubber boots. I’ve hit hidden hazards in water and gone down hard. There was also the time I almost got trapped by a fast moving wildfire; I was coughing up black gunk for a week after that.

My worst would have to be heading home on my old fifty pound beach cruiser and having a Hummer pull out in front of me with no time to slam on my brakes. Mostly my fault, for riding on the sidewalk. But I still maintain he should have seen me and my flashing headlight. I wasn’t even going fast.

Broke my left hand and sprained my right wrist, not to mention a knee that was swollen for weeks and a scar on my upper lip where my face broke off his side mirror.

I tried to get my bike going again but my hands wouldn’t work and everyone kept telling me to sit down. Had to have the girl come get me and drive me to the hospital. No more riding for three weeks while I got a new bike and went through physical therapy.

My only DNF so far, but I’m only a few months in!

One time I hit a hole in the road and flipped up and over and landed right on my face. and my face hurt very bad.

I am anxious about turning in my car for a bike. I love my bike and riding. But I am receiving opposition from my peers and family. I need some encouragement or advice for giving up my car payment, insurance and maintence on my car for a simple, fun-loving adventure in bend,or.