I have been absent from posting my daily commute for a while because the report would sound like a broken record. Sunshine, clear roads and one less layer of clothing. Today has an addition to a usual uneventful ride with a GPS tracking device monitored by the City planners with the intent to improve the roads for the commuting cyclists. According to the organizers, they issued 100 of these units to volunteers who answered an article in the local newspaper or by word of mouth. The unit is the size of a small I-pod and it is to be worn around my neck. There is an on off switch on the side and a round button in the middle top of the unit. When I am ready to start my ride the unit is turned on, a blue light appears and after a short wait the blue light begins to flash indicating enough satellites were found. If on the journey I come across any obstacle or dangerous road situation the centre button is pushed and that location is marked. A battery charge lasts about 18 hours and to recharge just plug it in to your Universal Serial Bus. I volunteered for this project to try and help the City planners instead of just complaining about their apparent inaction. Whether anything comes from my simple commute only time will tell.
Oh by the way, minus three degrees Celsius, the sun occasionally peeking out behind some clouds, no wind and a return trip forecast of plus twelve degrees. The studded tires come off this weekend.