Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Goodbye, it was nice knowing you.

Tomorrow I have a day off and my bike is supposed to be finished with the tune-up. If I get the bike early enough in the day I am going to have the wife drop me off and I'm going to ride what I think will be my commute from work route home. I'm going to ride from the bike shop to work (a short distance) and begin from there for a 16.3 mile jaunt.

Normally I'd say I was ready for this but I JUST got up to 15 miles a week ago and then the LBS has had my bike for a week so I'm sure I've lost some of my conditioning. But did Lance Armstrong let it stop him when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? HELL NO! And I ain't quitting now. 'Cause when the goin' gets tough... The tough get goin'! Who's with me? Let's go!

So..... I may die on the side of a bike trail somewhere. If you don't hear from me for many days try to think of something nice to say about me and pour a beer on the ground as sort of a "Missing Man" tribute or something.

Toga! Toga!toga! Toga!toga! Toga!toga! Toga!toga! Toga!toga! Toga!toga! Toga!

Damn if you were in Southern New England, I might have tried to look for you. I could always use another bike.. :D

Seriously, don't try to push it too much, and just enjoy the ride. A relaxed ride will give you a long time. So when you really start doing it, the day after or whenever, you will have plenty of time, and be able to slowly shave time off of your trip.

Enjoy the ride.

Good luck! You're going to great. Just keep a steady relaxed pace and you'll be home in no time.

Heh...I'm paranoid enough that I bought a Road-ID wrist strap several years ago, "just in case." At my size I'd rather the emergency people have the right info on insurance, drugs, contact info, etc. I'm pretty darn healthy, but at my weight...better safe than sorry. Though if it does get any use, it will probably involve a texting motorist.

"My advice to you is to start drinking heavily."

8 years of college, wasted.

Toga! Toga!toga! Toga!toga! Toga!toga! Toga!toga! Toga!toga! Toga!toga! Toga!

"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"--Mr. Blutarksi

"He's on a roll."--Boone

8 years of college, wasted.

Down the drain!

"Daniel Simpson Day has no grade point average. All courses--incomplete."--Dean Wormer

Trivia: Where (city and state) was the homecoming parade scene filmed? No cheating.

Eugene, OR.

Well, did you survive?

"Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son."

Eugene, OR.

Actually I thought it was somewhere in Vermont. I knew someone who claimed to be an extra in that scene.


Edit... I guess not. Wiki doesn't lie. Actually it does, but I believe it in this case.

Well, did you survive?

I haven't gone yet. I have to finish the back deck (power wash, etc) before I go. If the timing isn't right I may not get to. Because the deck hates me.

Like others have posted, take a nice easy pace, its not a race. If you have been doing 15, 16 miles should be fine. My two cents, the shortest route may not be the easiest nor the quickest way home. The route on the car is much more different on the bike. Those small rolling hills become epic climbs and descents on the bike. My commute route (20 miles) is 2 miles longer than my drive to work.

I certainly plan on taking it easy to ensure I don't throw a rod or bend an alternator. Also I need to make sure I hit the right turns this first time.

Eugene, OR.

Correct state. Wrong town. The campus was the University of Oregon in Eugene. However, the parade was filmed in the town of Cottage Grove. The '07 edition of Cycle Oregon stayed there one night. While the business on Main St. have changed, I saw one sign that is visible in the film.

For obvious reasons, several educational institutions refused to allow filming on their campuses after reading the script.

My bike wasn't ready. It has been promised it will be done tomorrow. I'll be riding in the evenings but the first day I don't have to be home for a ball game (kids both play, I coach) the commute will start.