My first commute!!

[adelgadorey]

This week was probably the biggest step since I started riding, I rode to work! I'd been dreaming about this for so long and I finally did it. It was so scary, though! I did all 48 miles down 280, which is actually a lovely freeway that goes through foggy high parts, warm valleys and windswept hills.

One thing that surprised me was the sensory experience… I'd been riding this road every day on a shuttle for almost 5 years and never realized how sharply the temperature and weather conditions change over the course of the commute. I just get on the shuttle and it's cold and windy, and I get off and it's warm and sunny :) I got to feel the whole progression and it was so interesting. An acquaintance had told me the commute down to Silicon Valley was miserable and windy but I actually enjoyed it :)

The scariest part was losing power in the fast lane and having to pull into the left shoulder, between 8 lanes of whooshing rush hour freeway. I still can't figure out how this happened, but even though my trip odometer only read 67 miles I ran out of fuel! I called a friend (thank god for the Scala bluetooth headset, I wouldn't have been able to hear a regular call over all the noise) and after he suggested it, turned the fuel to reserve and the bike started back up. Then I had to merge onto the fast lane from a full stop, running out of shoulder 40 feet ahead, and that was terrifying. I got off the nearest exit to look for fuel and it led right into a heavily wooded residential road, no dice. Some construction workers walked over to the side of the road where I'd stopped to consider my options and brought over a container of gasoline they'd had in their truck, thank goodness! They said they had never seen a girl on a motorcycle before, and were pretty entertained by it :) As I made my way back to a major road, a friggin DEER ran out in front of me on the road, a BIG one!

But I made it to work in one piece and am so excited!!! I still don't know what the fuel deal was. I've been checking the odometer against GPS and it's recording accurately now. The only thing I can think of is that for some reason when my buddy rode my bike on Saturday he may have absentmindedly flipped it to zero when we stopped to get gas for my other bike, the Thruxton, even though the Bonnie didn't get any. Oh well. :yahoo:

[Cyclone67]

I love commuting by bike!! Seems torturous by car, but fun and mostly relaxing on the bike!!!

Glad you got the fuel problem fixed pretty quickly!!! Congrats, I'm glad you found the right bike!!!

Does tour T100 have a name yet??

[chienjouet]

What a great adventure story! Lots of good experiences. It is a great stretch of highway.

[zukilady]

:yahoo:Having all these things happen is how we learn! Glad you kept your cool through it all!

[ImaSoftT]

Great story Adel, I just love hearing about "first" experiences on a bike and this one was exciting. Those construction guys must have been visiting from another planet if they had never seen a girl on a motorcycle before, but it was so nice of them to help you with the gas http://www.twowheelfemales.com/forum/images/smilies/TwoThumbs%20Up.gif , once again it proves you meet the nicest people when you're on a bike. Glad you enjoyed your commute and thanks for sharing it with us.

[KellyVA]

LOVE your new bike~been eyeing those myself lately. :):

Every day you ride to work will be easier and even more enjoyable than the last time. Glad you are having fun riding now. :yahoo:

[Luna Tique]

I am glad you hear you have a bike you are comfortable with and are confident enough to ride.:yahoo:

Running out of gas :redface1: I've done that more times than I care to admit. :lol:

[phoenix63]

Great report, Adel... thanks so much for sharing! I love hearing about "firsts", too. Even a commute to work, on two wheels, is soul-stirring! Good for you!

[ridingAK]

What a first ride to work that was! You are obviously very much at home on your bike now to deal not only with San Francisco traffic but also with running out of gas and a wildlife encounter! Great job! :congrats:

[adelgadorey]

Wow thanks so much for the support everyone!! It's so nice to be able to share little things like this with you :) My boss just called me while I'm on the shuttle and told me my bike was leaking fuel. So I guess that explains what's been happening, and why it was flooded yesterday and wouldn't start.. He's going to grab the tools at my desk and take a look at it... I was planning to ride home today, too :(

[KansasKawboy]

Congrats. on the ride. Bummer about the fuel problem. Kodos to your boss for looking at it for you.

[ridingAK]

A boss that who has the ability and interest to work on your bike is a boss worth keeping!

[2wheelmeaggie]

Adel, congrats on your first commute.:pompom:
I know how BAD the traffic can be, I commute everyday from Sonoma to Sausalito. 280 is a BEAUTIFUL stretch of highway! Good on you to keep a COOL head during your lack of petrol! I also applaud you for taking your first commute on a day that is suppose to rain! :brr: :singingrain: :clapping:
BALLSY!!
Remember to always do a "walk" around your bike checking tires,chain,lights and possible leaks.(there's an acronym for it, I forgot..)
This all makes you a better rider! :D:

[ridingAK]

T — Tires & Wheels
C — Controls
L — Lights
O — Oil
C — Chassis
K — Kickstand

[adelgadorey]

awesome, will do! Yeah, my boss ended up just turning the fuel to OFF and leaving it to the pros, the tow just came to pick it up. I was hoping I could ride it in to the shop but it was just gushing fuel. There was a 10x5 ft puddle of gasoline on the lot, they had to get maintenance in with a bunch of kitty litter to soak it up. I'm hoping it's nothing too serious, maybe just some floats sticking or a fuel line snapped. We'll see I guess :) Thanks again for the words of advice, I know sometimes I'm so caught up in being about to ride that I don't always do the pre-ride checklist :) Learned a lesson with that one for sure.

[Alcyone]

URGH! Nothing like mechanical problems to spoil a first time. Maybe this was the bikes way of telling you that it (he? she? ) didn't want to go to work. It wanted to ride around the mountains and was encouraging you to play hooky ;)

[indianscout]

URGH! Nothing like mechanical problems to spoil a first time. Maybe this was the bikes way of telling you that it (he? she? ) didn't want to go to work. It wanted to ride around the mountains and was encouraging you to play hooky ;)


I disagree. I see it as a test and even though adelgadorey didn't get to ride the bike home, it looks like she passed with flying colors. Good for you adelgadorey!:thumbsup: Everyday on a motorcycle is a learning experience. You experienced a problem and over-came it, challenged yourself and built up your confidence by succeeding. And :thumbsup: to your boss too! Please keep us posted as to why your bike was leaking gas too.

[Astir]

Great job adelgadorey - riding to work is so much fun!! I just love your description of surprise with all the temperature changes. Pretty soon you will have your favorite times of year for different sections of road due to smell as well!

Too bad about the mechanical trouble, but it sounds like you handled it quite well. Hope your bike is a quick easy fix and you start your MC commuting again soon!

:girlpower:

[TW200_CA]

WTG!! :pompom:

And what a lovely commute that is - that whole section of 280 is one of my favorite roads. I think we may just have to head down that way on a fun outing when your Bonnie gets sorted and my new SV seat arrives :D:

[kari-star]

wow! you had a GREAT first commute.
look at all the things you now KNOW you can handle:

* rush hour!
* running out of gas on the highway
* merging back onto highway after an emergency stop
* relying on the kindness of strangers (thanks construction workers!)
* DEER! aaaah!
* something happening to your bike, and you having to get home a different way.

yay!

[Lulu824]

:girlpower::girlpower::clapping:

Well done!

[Pawprint2104]

I know 280 very well. It's one of my favorite bypass freeways to avoid the nightmarish 101. Your first commute was certainly an exciting one. And, you did a great job of managing a less than optimum situation :thumbsup:

Lessons learned about the fuel. I bet that never happens to you again. Those are the best lessons, the ones that you survive and don't cause too much harm. A little inconvenience goes a looooong way for lesson retention. (Don't ask me how I know :redface1: )

Kudos to you.

[adelgadorey]

Whew, so I got a call back from the shop, and it looks like my carb vent tube was clogged, and the fuel was backing up into my air intake, air filter and even into the engine case, yuck. They fixed the clogged tube, replaced the soaked air filter and changed the oil. I asked them to take a look at the brakes etc, just a quick once-over to make sure everything was in order.

Around 3PM they gave me a call and said the bike was ready, so my buddy gave me a ride to mountain view, and I unwisely said I would follow his large pickup truck back, even though I knew the way. He's pretty protective of me and is always trying to make things easier. I didn't think about how gross traffic on the 85 was around 4, coming to full stops on the freeway and inching forward, shooting ahead then braking hard as someone changed lanes in front of him. The HOV (-and motorcycle) lane was moving quickly and smoothly but I didn't want to worry him by just pulling away, and I'm sure the people behind me were thinking, wtf is she doing fiddling around in this lane when the other one's empty, but we made it back okay. It was kind of stressful (on top of a stressful day), and this morning I woke up to find someone had stolen the cover off my other bike during the rainstorm, so I decided to leave the Bonnie safely covered at work while I lined up secure off-street monthly parking this weekend. I don't feel safe leaving the nice bike out on the street…at least the Honda's spark plugs were still there. Last time I took the cover off, in the minute it took me to bring it upstairs a crackhead was already trying to detach them ehehe

I'm just happy the bike is all fixed and I can try again Monday, this time coming back!:D:

[Cyclone67]

Glad you got her back!!

[Luna Tique]

Everyday on a motorcycle is a learning experience. You experienced a problem and over-came it, challenged yourself and built up your confidence by succeeding. And :thumbsup: to your boss too! Please keep us posted as to why your bike was leaking gas too.

+1:thumbsup:

[zee]

Wow that's a lot of excitement for a commute! Glad you made it there safely. I hope your return trip on Monday is less stressful and just plain fun.

[ImaSoftT]

http://www.twowheelfemales.com/forum/images/smilies/TwoThumbs%20Up.gif Glad to hear the repairs were minor. Sorry to hear someone swiped your bike cover. Secured parking even though you have to pay monthly rent may turn out to be cheaper than replacing stolen parts all the time. Hope you can find something that is close so you can ride anytime you feel like it.

[phoenix63]

Sorry to hear someone swiped your bike cover. Secured parking even though you have to pay monthly rent may turn out to be cheaper than replacing stolen parts all the time. Hope you can find something that is close so you can ride anytime you feel like it.

This is the number one reason why I'm looking for condos with attached garages when I move. Welllllll.... that and I want the bike protected from the brutal Chicago winters. I can't leave Bebe out in the snow and cold!

:brr:

[VStar]

Wow adel, maybe just once you'll get a regular, ordinary, unevental ride. I am amazed at your poise in handling these unexpected and tricky situations.

[BrnEyzR1]

What a first commute! :)
Glad you're ok and the bike too!

[kamilshka]

Good grief, congratulations for getting through all that!! I do remember the excitement (it wasn't all that long ago!) of getting to use my bike to actually *go* somewhere, rather than just during a lesson or practice. There's something very cool about that, you finally feel like a real biker!

Well done for coping so well with all that, very stressful. Hope you'll be riding to work again soon! :D

[adelgadorey]

Rode home today with no issues and parked the Bonnie in her new secured parking. Hooray!!!! :ecstasy:

[ImaSoftT]

http://www.twowheelfemales.com/forum/images/smilies/TwoThumbs%20Up.gif That's great Adel, now you will be able to relax knowing your Bonnie is safe and secure. And :clapping:for a successful commute, hope you enjoyed the ride.

[indianscout]

I knew you could do it! :yahoo:

But kind of a boring trip this time compared to the last one don't you think? :lol:

[kamilshka]

Woohoo! :D:

[phoenix63]

Way to go, girl... :yahoo:

[TheDove]

wow great story and you made it through a few "nightmares" your first time out. GREAT!!