Originally Posted by Medic Zero

"How was the commute today"

On my way into work yesterday afternoon and evening (I work night shift and will be finishing the other half of my commute in a little over an hour):

Rode into work early to meet a friend ferrying in my pies for the potluck because my tourer with the racks I usually use to bring in pies to potlucks (my specialty) is in the stand right now.

When I woke up it was a little windy but not raining. By the time I rolled in it was raining steadily and there was a strong headwind. Because I was sick on my days off I only had time when I was feeling better to get my front fender mounted on my new commuter. Totally drenched from my rear end down to my shoes. Found out later when checking the weather that my headwinds were 23MPH with gusts to 45. Explains why I was barely chugging along at the point I am normally going about 35!

After stowing my pies at work for later in the evening I rode on to West Seattle for a turkeyday celebration with friends. Wished I had taken a picture of the "Detour" sign with a bike symbol on it pointing from the sidewalk to a puddle a good twelve feet across on Alaskan Way! I laughed and thought it should have a symbol for snorkeling as well! Had to take it easy and leave early to go into work. At least I now had that wicked wind behind me for pretty much the entire ride.

On the third and final leg of my ride in what I dreaded when I packed for work happened, I got a flat. Normally no biggee, I habitually carry a spare, but just as I rolled into my driveway on at the end of my last workweek I rolled over a broken bottle someone had tossed there. When I packed for work yesterday I realize not only had I not patched it yet, but I had somehow misplaced my Presta to Schrader adapter. Since it was time to go I figured I'd just gamble this once.

While I am fixing the inevitable flat that happened a creepy guy starts hanging around half a block away in the middle of the industrial area in the dark. He finally stops hovering after a while and moseys past me. I was thankful I'm 6'2" and big, I think it put him off. Worse than no spare tube though, when I went to patch the puntured one I realized I had taken my tire levers out of my tool roll and not replaced them! I went OLD school and used my 8mm box end wrench to change the tube but was worried about a pinch flat getting it back on!

Finally I realized I am REALLY glad I live north of my work. Climbing First/Capitol Hill from the South totally sucked. Maybe it was all the Thanksgiving indulgence but I actually ended up portaging my bike up the stairs from 4th up to Yesler. :/

With the extra trip out to West Seattle and back to First Hill, my mileage in to work went from 7 up to 19, which normally I'd appreciate but it is going to be a long tough week with a meeting and a training eating up almost all of the time I should be sleeping two of the days.