1. Some members were not receiving emails sent from XJbikes.com. For example: "Forgot your password?" function to reset your password would not send email to some members. I believe this has been resolved now. Please use "Contact Us" form (see page footer link) if you still have email issues. SnoSheriff

    Hello Guest. You have limited privileges and you can't "SEARCH" the forums. Please "Log In" or "Sign Up" for additional functionality. Click HERE to proceed.

musing on commuting

Discussion in 'Hangout Lounge' started by Ltdave, Aug 13, 2009.

  1. Ltdave

    Ltdave Member

    Messages:
    996
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    16
    Location:
    as far east as you can get in michigan 43.027407,
    when gas prices whacked my wallet last year i thought about using the seca for commuting. my wreck put a quick end to that...

    this year, ive messed with the bikes on and off and didnt start commuting with it seriously, although today was my 3rd time to work with it...

    the backstory on my ride is 14 miles of a back road, followed by 37 miles of interstate and then 4 miles of 'city' streets...

    going to work in the morning its been in the 60s lately which is pretty cold for me. ive got a great textile jacket thats plenty warm but i have to remove the liner for the ride home when its 80+. one more thing to prep for...

    the interstate has been under repair for the last couple of years and they are replacing a lot of the potholed and cold patches with new grooved concrete. i wasnt able to avoid some of the crap roadway yesterday and i thought certainly i would have been better off with a dual sport if not a full out dirt bike...

    the traffic is nice and light in the morning which i like but its awfully dark and takes a lot of work paying attention to the road. the afternoons are nice and bright but the heat is building and while i dont mind the cagers so much but my goodness the wind turbulence from all of them make for one hairy ride. that and the rising winds, nearly blew me off the road!

    anyway, none of this really matters much in the big picture but i just thought i would discuss it. its ALMOST enough to make me want to quit using it as my work transportation...
     
  2. FastMaxim82

    FastMaxim82 Member

    Messages:
    168
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    16
    Location:
    Tarentum, north of pittsburgh, pa
    i think the same things sometimes, it's cold enough in the morning to need leather and then 90 in the afternoon. plus they started patching the roads which leaves holes cut in them at different spots for days at a time. most days the ride is great and well worth it. but just sometimes it's easier to take the car(plus being an 81 she needs some attention too!)
     
  3. Desinger_Mike

    Desinger_Mike Member

    Messages:
    900
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    16
    Location:
    Eastern Pennsylvania
    I'm pretty lucky to have a nice ride.
    About 10 minutes on quiet back roads, and about 25 minutes of interstate and then 3 blocks of city streets.

    I have a couple alternatives to the interstate that are more fun if I'm not in a hurry.
    Temperature change is a bit of a challenge. Long sleeve tee shirt over the work polo and the liner in the mesh jacket....and down to the polo and mesh for the ride home.

    The windshield is very helpful
    The roads are also pretty well lined with trees and I've gotten used to the turbulence from the traffic (the windshield helps a lot with that)

    The biggest problem is I can't pick up the kids with the bike so I have to stop at home and grab the car and head back to school about 2 miles down the road.
     
  4. wizard

    wizard Active Member

    Messages:
    5,282
    Likes Received:
    26
    Trophy Points:
    38
    Location:
    DEVON ENGLAND
    Riding should be fun, Lt, if it aint, don't do it. Wiz.
     
  5. Wyldman

    Wyldman Member

    Messages:
    174
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    16
    What Wiz said. I commuted to work for YEARs on various bikes. Now I just want to enjoy the ride and not worry about rush hour traffic.
     
  6. Ltdave

    Ltdave Member

    Messages:
    996
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    16
    Location:
    as far east as you can get in michigan 43.027407,
    what goes through my mind EVERYDAY is this scene from Mad Max where Goose is haulin' the mail on his kawasaki and the rear axle (or something in that vicinity) locks up or fails and he goes flying through the air and breaks a leg...

    it would be REALLY crappy to have something like that happen on the interstate at 70mph...
     
  7. maz43

    maz43 Member

    Messages:
    238
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    16
    Location:
    Detroit area
    My commute is a mere 2 miles and I ride the bike unless rain dictates otherwise. I enjoy commuting with the XJ and have little traffic to deal with.
    I like the pre dawn ride into work the most. Nice cool weather, no cars and lots of stars.
    The road as of late is one of the worst studies in failed patching of potholes in the county but I still enjoy the ride.
     
  8. Ltdave

    Ltdave Member

    Messages:
    996
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    16
    Location:
    as far east as you can get in michigan 43.027407,
    hey Maz...

    where do you commute? i HATE the 'repairs' to east 696 just before the I94 interchange. the patchwork is so bad i cant stay on the seat...

    i do 94 to 696 to mound to 8 mile...
     
  9. SecaRob

    SecaRob Member

    Messages:
    510
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    16
    Location:
    Cincinnati, Ohio
    Wiz, if I ever make it to Australia can I buy you a beer or three?
     
  10. Hillsy

    Hillsy Member

    Messages:
    634
    Likes Received:
    12
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    Australia
    I've been using my XT500 for my work commute.
    About a 20 mile round trip.
    Doesn't matter if the roads are bumpy or gravelly - and the loud(ish) pipe helps the cagers hear me coming :wink:
     
  11. bigfitz52

    bigfitz52 Well-Known Member Premium Member

    Messages:
    21,283
    Likes Received:
    418
    Trophy Points:
    83
    Location:
    Rural SE Michigan 60 miles N of Motown
    You should check out the ramp from NB I-75 to EB Davison if you want to talk gnarly, and then Davison east of there...

    I used to take M19 down to I-94 and then 94 into the city but that freeway is simply NUTS at times.

    I've been taking M53 down to 18 mile, jogging over to Mound, taking that down to 8 mile and then jogging west to 75 for the run into downtown. Even with M53 under construction, it's quicker than the 94 run most days.

    And I have the same experience; inbound in the morning is a lot more "fun" than outbound in the heat of the afternoon. I just take a relaxed approach, or take "unpopular" surface streets instead; sometimes I'll just take Jefferson up out of the city all the way to where it runs into Selfridge, or run all the way up Gratiot.

    All that being said, I'll be saddling up for another fun-filled DEEtroit commute in about a half an hour... it still beats driving the car.
     
  12. KrS14

    KrS14 Active Member

    Messages:
    1,642
    Likes Received:
    9
    Trophy Points:
    38
    Location:
    St Marys, Ontario
    I ride 45km one way to work, no 400 series, all back roads pretty much, it's a nice drive :) i find it takes me 50 or so minutes to get to work hahah
     
  13. SLKid

    SLKid Active Member

    Messages:
    1,471
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    Location:
    Troy, Va (Charlottesville)
    I'll take a helmet cam with me one day when I ride into work. Ya'll would love it! Its 8 miles of back roads and .7 miles of in small town driving. My commute is relaxing at all points and times. and if there is construction or traffic or mowing, whatever I can take another road cause I know my home like inside of my nose. i mean Back of hand :)
    Its really beautiful. And if I feel like waking up 15 min extra early i'll take the back back way into work and stop by 711 for a cup of coffee and a donut.
    -Chris
     
  14. xj650ss

    xj650ss Member

    Messages:
    588
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    16
    Location:
    Calgary, Alberta
    I am caging it for the most part due to the weather and my bike and car getting about the same milage!! (sadly its not because the car is so good!) bike is only getting 25 mpg right now, but my ride to work isn't bad and a bigger tank bag or some saddle bags would make the process a little easier
    Shaun
     
  15. Ltdave

    Ltdave Member

    Messages:
    996
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    16
    Location:
    as far east as you can get in michigan 43.027407,
    A) i hate work and leave about 5 minutes past 4am...

    B) i hate work and dont want to spend a minute longer in detroit with 'baggage' such as lunch cooler or such and the commute is ALREADY over an hour. im just ready to be home at that point...

    one of the guys i work with, who rode with us sunday (on the black zrx. you two (Big Fitz) went over the map some) said he likes to shoot up gratiot but hes in macomb. id have to cut back east on some crappy road like 59, or metro parkway (AAAAARrrrrrrggh!) to get back to 'my side' of the city if you will. after being on the go for 10 hours im not up for any longer ride or more traffic...
     
  16. maz43

    maz43 Member

    Messages:
    238
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    16
    Location:
    Detroit area
    I696 is definitely a mess out that way.
    My commute is the 2 mile stretch of 9 mile between John r and Ryan.
    It's like dodging a minefield driving down that stretch between Dequindre and Ryan.
    The north I75 service drive north of 9 1/2 mile is also so bad I will not drive it.
     
  17. kontiki

    kontiki Member

    Messages:
    398
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    16
    Location:
    Columbia, SC
    I ride whenever the weather report is calling for 30% or less chance of rain, that's pretty much at least 50% of the time.

    I have a 12 mile commute on back roads with minimal traffic.
     
  18. bigfitz52

    bigfitz52 Well-Known Member Premium Member

    Messages:
    21,283
    Likes Received:
    418
    Trophy Points:
    83
    Location:
    Rural SE Michigan 60 miles N of Motown
    NO KIDDING! I went that way after the bridge melted but before 75 reopened to look at the charred remains and I couldn't believe that stretch. Like 1945 Berlin or something.

    I still say Davison EB from NB 75 is brutal though, check it out one day for yourself.

    TODAY, however, in spite of the nearly 90* temps in the city was quite enjoyable. Let me just say that the creative ventilation solution a young secretary whose car isn't air conditioned might arrive at is very pleasant indeed.

    Bike ran great, morning and return. (I love my XJ.)
     
  19. Ltdave

    Ltdave Member

    Messages:
    996
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    16
    Location:
    as far east as you can get in michigan 43.027407,
    thats what ive been doing all week...

    i was going to ride today but my back was aching when i got up this morning and pretty tired. i thought being alive at the end of the day beat being a 'riding iron-man' who died as the bike ran into a cement retaining wall or into traffic someplace...
     
  20. jdpesz

    jdpesz Member

    Messages:
    487
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    Stanwood, Wa
    I have a very pleasent 14 mile backroad commute, and I ride whenever weather permits. The bag set on my bike is great, I can carry everything I need, and I can even make room for a bag or two of groceries in the tailbag if I wear my gear.
     
  21. Wyldman

    Wyldman Member

    Messages:
    174
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    16
    I actually have a great commute, 8 miles of I-35 and then 13 miles of 4 lane through Texas Hill Country. Only reason I haven't used WM more is due to the fact I still need to put new tires on it.
     

Share This Page