[Doohickie]

I'm not so sure, especially this time of year.

My commute will soon be increasing from 7 to 16 miles, more than double. I've already started part time at the new site, which is a bad thing in that I can't bike it when I'm shuttling between buildings during the day. Maybe I can get it down to full days at one location or the other.

The good news is that there will be showers available at the new site. The bad news is my bike will be outside now.

 

[JTGYK]

Sounds like a good news/bad news situation.
I don't like the idea of hitting the cold and wet that far, but they don't make too much in the way of cold/wet clothing my size.
Maybe an investment in a light weight bike cover is in the offing?
Is the new area bike lockup friendly/safe?

 

[Industry_Hack]

I don't really have an option to ride a bike to work.

 

[Doohickie]

I don't like the idea of hitting the cold and wet that far,

Being in Texas, the cold and wet isn't truly horrible.

Maybe an investment in a light weight bike cover is in the offing?

Or maybe just a blue tarp.

Is the new area bike lockup friendly/safe?

That, at least, is not an issue. Only one entrance into the parking lot, with a guard at the gate. If you don't have an employee badge, they watch you pretty close.

 

[funetical]

Being in Texas, the cold and wet isn't truly horrible.
Or maybe just a blue tarp.

You wouldn't think it hearing the news reports. They treated the state wide flurries like it was a white out.

 

[TxCyclist]

Doohickie are you riding in the Urban area of Ft. Worth or do you live in a suburb of DFW?

 

[Doohickie]

I ride almost exclusively in the urban/suburban areas. I'm not real crazy about rural two-lane roads. The new commute will include some miles on country two-lanes.

 

[photosbymark]

Trouble with being around Ft Worth is that its pothole heaven. Every pot hole from anywhere that gets fixed, moves to Ft Worth.

Could have something to do with all the heavy trucks on roads designed for cars and trucks that were less than half their weight. Never worried about riding the country roads here, except for the pot holes, and the occasional skunk running around.

 

[fleeter]

Is that your total RT, or is that one way?

 

[Doohickie]

It's actually 17 miles one way. And anyone who says Ft Worth is pothole heaven has never taken a trip up north. I'm actually pretty satisfied with the road conditions (although some areas are better than others).

 

[photosbymark]

I didn't just take a trip up north. I lived there for over a decade. Fort Worth has them beat. Up there its the weather that causes them, but here its the overweight trucks. Not so bad downtown, but get on the country roads where natural gas is around and those roads make the roads in the north seem downright smooth. With the high heat, heavy trucks and roads not designed for the weight they are being asked to withstand, its completely predictable.