Commute Time

[Mass_nerder]

Originally Posted by Old Yeller

Does anyone take Elbow drive downtown every morning? We're moving and my wife will be doing that soon enough and I'm wondering what kind of a commute she's looking at.

For comparisons sake right now we're in Mckenzie and she either goes Deerfoot to Blackfoot or through Ogden so it's not like her commute is fantastic right now.

Elbow is pretty busy in the mornings, especially right now, since they're doing construction. I would avoid it for the time being.
Once you get to 4th street, the traffic clears up a little bit though.

[chemgear]

Actually, looks like there was an article about this recently.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/Drivers...496/story.html

When construction begins, the road, which carries 1,900 cars and trucks per hour, will be reduced to two lanes from three. The speed limit will be cut to 80 km/h.

Commuters fear a bottleneck similar to the one that formed last summer when the Calf Robe and Ogden bridge decks on southbound Deerfoot were replaced.

I'm not sure that 1,900 number is correct though . . .

[billybob123]

Originally Posted by chemgear

When construction begins, the road, which carries 1,900 cars and trucks per hour, will be reduced to two lanes from three. The speed limit will be cut to 80 km/h.

Commuters fear a bottleneck similar to the one that formed last summer when the Calf Robe and Ogden bridge decks on southbound Deerfoot were replaced.

When is 52 Street closing? If they close it when this construction is going on, I'd hate to see the commute from the SE.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by billybob123

When is 52 Street closing? If they close it when this construction is going on, I'd hate to see the commute from the SE.

This?

http://www.calgary.ca/portal/server....g+Project+.htm

52 Street S.E. will be closed between 94 Avenue and 106 Avenue S.E. This closure is scheduled to take effect in early August 2011 (weather permitting), and will last for at least 12 months.

Looks like it was originally supposed to be 18 months.

[Matata]

15-20 min a la pinko commie bike. Tough in the winter, but invigorating.

[Locke]

I used to live about 7 or 8 minutes away from work by driving. And the thing that would infuriate me was the traffic, on a non-peak time I could get from work to my home in about 7 minutes, but before and after work that same drive would take 15-20. Drove me nuts.

Now I live 4 minutes away, door to door and I walk to work everyday.

I will say this though, walking to work in the winter, even if its 4 minutes, in -30 or so that is a really, really crappy 4 minutes.

[Bill Bumface]

^Yup. I find myself staying later at my desk in the winter because I'm dreading the 10 minute freezing cold bike ride in the dark.

[kipperfan]

Originally Posted by Locke

I will say this though, walking to work in the winter, even if its 4 minutes, in -30 or so that is a really, really crappy 4 minutes.

I will have to disagree with you here, and my walk each way is about 15 minutes. For quite a few years I lived in the far north and worked downtown which, on cold arse days, usually went as follows: go out to warm up the car, stay out to clean off car, sit in car for 1.5 hours dealing with moron winter drivers every 10 meters only to finally get downtown and struggle to find, or if snowing, get into and out of, a parking spot.

I can only speak for myself, but putting up with a little cold and snow compares not with having to deal with the morons/horrid conditions that consistantly seem to plague Calgary roads. I am more then happy to wear 4-5 layers into the office and bare being cold for a couple minutes to avoid that gong show. Not even mentioning the huge amounts of money I now save daily from no longer having to constantly gas up or pay overinflated inner city parking fees.

[Bunk]

Lower Mount Royal to City Hall.

30 minutes by foot
20 minutes by foot/c-train
5 minutes by car

All depends on the weather.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by kipperfan

I will have to disagree with you here, and my walk each way is about 15 minutes. For quite a few years I lived in the far north and worked downtown which, on cold arse days, usually went as follows: go out to warm up the car, stay out to clean off car, sit in car for 1.5 hours dealing with moron winter drivers every 10 meters only to finally get downtown and struggle to find, or if snowing, get into and out of, a parking spot.

I can only speak for myself, but putting up with a little cold and snow compares not with having to deal with the morons/horrid conditions that consistantly seem to plague Calgary roads. I am more then happy to wear 4-5 layers into the office and bare being cold for a couple minutes to avoid that gong show. Not even mentioning the huge amounts of money I now save daily from no longer having to constantly gas up or pay overinflated inner city parking fees.

Of course, I'd rather walk through a cold hell for 4 minutes than deal with the BS of getting the car there. When its that cold you have to warm up your car for more than 4 minutes! Not to mention I have to make a left hand turn at an uncontrolled intersection on a busy road to even try it.

I'm just saying that while a 4 minute walk sounds great, its not all sunshine and lollipops all the time.

[IliketoPuck]

20 Minutes, both ways on my bike, 40 Minutes total.

Legs of steel, and no annoying traffic for the win.

[IliketoPuck]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

^Yup. I find myself staying later at my desk in the winter because I'm dreading the 10 minute freezing cold bike ride in the dark.

This. The 6-7 am bike ride in the pitch black in the mornings can be pretty exciting too. I took a few headers this winter from hitting a patch of ice that was covered by a nice layer of snow.

[Old Yeller]

Off topic, but since I'll be able to bike to work in the winter this year, where do you guys suggest is the best place to find winter riding gear?

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by Old Yeller

Off topic, but since I'll be able to bike to work in the winter this year, where do you guys suggest is the best place to find winter riding gear?

MEC has everything you could ever need.

I went with:

-2 pairs of gloves, some for kind of warm days, some for freezing days.
-Belaclava
-Toe caps (my shoes are mesh and these keep the heat in on cold days)
-Riding shell (I just put a fleece under it on cold days)
-Pants
-lights, just the cheap flashers

I also bought some Shwalbe Marathon studded tires for winter, and a rear fender, both from the Bike Shop.

My other tip is get an all season helmet. They are the kind that can be used for mountain biking and skiing/snow boarding. You can take the ear flaps off very easily, as well as open up the vents. This makes the warm/cold transitions we get really easy to handle. Ski goggles are a must when it gets ultra cold.

[IliketoPuck]

Pretty much everything Hulkrogan said for gear.

I used my ski helmet and ski goggles for the cold days, make sure you have very light tinted ones, dark tinted goggles give you zero visibility.

If you can't afford the winter tires (they can be a little expensive), I found that letting out a little air from my tires helped. I would also recommend lowering your seat so that it is easier to put your feet down if needed.

Lights are a must, get some whites for the front, reds for the back and if they can flash that is the way to go.

[Bill Bumface]

Beware the brown road slush soup. Good tires will be great on ice, decent on snow, but that slush is death. Every time I'm crossing ruts of that slush downtown I get as much speed as I can, stop pedaling and get my feet in a good position to unclip, and pray.

[IliketoPuck]

^ I had an episode this winter going through an intersection on 8th ave with the slush of death. Halfway through it I was going sideways with only my front wheel pointed in the actual direction. I'm sure I scared the crap out of the lady in her SUV behind me. The biggest thing I've found is that hitting the slush with speed helps, and any curbs/ice/deep snow needs to be taken straight on with no turns. Any change of that angle and the frozen tires slip out and you go flying.

[HOOT]

If I didn't sweat like a ####### I would bike to work all year. I'm jealous!

[Tyler]

I just bought a place in Bridgeland.

Can you walk downtown from there without crossing a highway? How long would that take? Is it sketchy walking along the river in the mornings/after work?

[IliketoPuck]

There is a pedestrian overpass that goes through Prince's Island, but that is a few blocks away from Memorial/Edmonton trail