M. Adam Davis wrote: > On 5/24/07, Neil Cherry wrote: >> While I can't get bus service between where I live and where I work >> I can ride to work (it's only 20 miles). I may miss the reading time >> but I get in the workout I need and the stress relief I need. My new >> problem is that they're changing the design of the roadways. Who >> ever was the design engineer was a lousy one! Two lanes into 1 >> 250 ft after a light. There is no shoulder and a drainage ditch >> to the right. Add to that 50 mph speed limit and 3 large >> home developments and this road way is a nightmare in a car. Add >> me and my bike (I take the lane) and it's a mixture for death. >> My choices for alternate routes is limited (add several miles >> and other heavy road patterns). > > Ouch! I'm pretty lucky in that respect - there are some hairy spots, > but Washtenaw County does put some effort into adding bike lanes > whenever they re-do a road, and many roads (those without curbs) have > nice wide paved shoulders. Most of NJ isn't laid out for transportation, it's a kludge of trails and property borders, old post roads that were Indian paths before that. Bus service tends to be between large cities, NY, Philadelphia and Atlantic City. Except for the northern section and very southern sections NJ seems to run major roadways north/south. getting across these barriers is a major undertaking (safety concerns). Intersections have a mix of confusing lights, multiple lanes, entry and exit points that add to the mix. All this while drivers yack on cell phones (it's illegal but nothing is done about it). I now plan my commutes by time of day, early morning is a good choice as everyone waits until the last minute to get to work. I just leave earlier than most folks to avoid them. The ride home is another story. Everyone leaves as soon as possible which means I have a small window of opportunity to leave and miss the major congestion points at specific times. > Have you tried gatorade powdered mixes? Very inexpensive, comparatively. Actually yes, I like the lemon-lime flavor. I can't get grape because the local supermarket can only get what the warehouse stocks (grrr). I can't drink the orange as it makes me sick. I pick up the liquid in bulk on sale when the price drops to powder levels. I usually water it down for all but the longest rides. I only need Gatorade when I'm training for a big ride (my double century on June 16th) otherwise I can now drink water on my commutes. I use a Camelbak as it's safer in traffic and works great on my centuries into the Pine Barrens (30 miles between stores). Like I said, I'm good at distances. -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry ncherry@linuxha.com http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist