Mountain View, along the SF Bay Tail.

Smooth ride in to work last Thursday.

Not a commute, per se, yesterday I did a 30-mile loop...although it began as a 1.5 mile errand to drop off some items to my recently moved 95-year-old mother-in-law including her Sunday paper (so I guess that makes it my paper route?).

Roughly 4 miles east, 7 north, 7 west, 7 south and 3 back east, or a 7 mile square. And the wind was blowing against me in all four directions.

I took my lightest bike, the 2006 Aluminum/Carbon Felt 85, and carried the paper and other items in my bike jacket's huge inside pockets. It was 48F, sunny and flat going east along the old Rock Island rail line...with a stiff breeze in my face.

Then I headed north on Tutt Blvd, which is just a narrow two lane street, now overwhelmed by giant apartment blocks. A very narrow bike lane was added a few years ago, but more recently a wide sidewalk was added and this was the first ride where all seven miles had a wide sidewalk...which is good because it is an 800ft climb up to Woodmen Avenue, and yesterday the wind was in my face. It had warmed to 65F and took off my jacket and was now in t-**** and golf shorts.

At Woodmen I turned west to hook up with the Cottonwood Creek Trail a mile down the road...and I mean 'down'. It's a thrilling 7 mile 800 foot drop along a fast paved trail...except yesterday there was a stiff wind. It was still quick, but just not as fast as I had expected.

Then I turned south onto the Greenway trail for a 7-ish mile slightly downhill run, usually also quick, but again, the wind.

And then it was back east on the Rock Island Trail with the wind in my face again, but mercifully a little less.

Not having taken as many longer rides recently I had been worried about stamina, but I did okay. I also worried about my butt, but it was okay. I hadn't worried about my hands, but they became a minor issue. I developed 'crampy' sensitive hands in my 40s, but switching to drop bars helped as did padding the bars with medium pipe insulation. On the felt the pipe insulation had lost its cushion after 2 years, but it wasn't and issue on my regular 6-8 mile commutes.

Overall it was 2hrs and 24min time in motion and 29.8 miles total for an average speed of about 12 mph, which is just below my current average of 12.5.

It's nice to ride without a commute bag, and on long stretches of trail without much traffic.

I don't know what got into me, but I charged up my eFatty this weekend, even though the winter commuting season is about over. It was at a half charge previously.

It's cold this morning here, 27 or something, so I took the eFatty to get it discharged again.

Didn't bike commute at all last week, needed the car most days for midday errands or it was pouring rain, so it was good to bike to work again today. Rained overnight and it'll be raining on and off most of the day but it wasn't actively raining when I finished breakfast so good enough to ride.

Finally fixed my screaming rear brake, cantilever touring frame with Kool Stop salmon (red) pads with 1500 miles on them. It randomly started screeching when it got evenly slightly damp and after quite a bit of experimentation, figured out it was just the right side rear that was making all the ruckus and it wants a ridiculous amount of toe in to shut up, as in the back third of the pad doesn't even touch the rim anymore. Weird but it works and that's all that really matters. My commute is nice and quiet again.

Thunderstorms today! Nope on a rope

Today I had only one place to go: a job interview. It was only 3.4 miles from home, so if I get the job, it will be an easy commute. I feel the interview went well, but then again, I've had that feeling and then it didn't work out, so I might have been reading the room wrong.

I decided at the last minute to ride there because the weather was iffy. We had heavy rain in the wee hours of the morning, and when I headed out, more rain looked possible. It was misting lightly. I took Citi Bike because that allows me to change my plan. If the weather gets severe, I can dock the bike and grab a bus or subway. I got there very hot, as I had worn too-warm clothes. The rain did not materialize.

After my interview, I decided to walk part of the way home. That gave me a chance to shoot some pictures.

Here on 11th Avenue, next to the Landmark Tavern, I saw what I thought was a big crane. I later learned that it was a concrete pump reaching into an otherwise inaccessible construction site.




This is the Hudson River Greenway which runs along the western edge of Manhattan from the southern tip to almost the northern tip. It's the most heavily used bike route in North America. Today it was pretty empty, but even in the worst weather, you will still see people here. Deliveristas need to make a living.

This greenway is one of my favorite features of the City these days. There is a lot of varied scenery and people watching. And there are virtually no traffic controls or crossings, so it's great for efficient moving.

The heliport (with its sign on the right) detracts from the experience because of the wind and toxic fumes it provides. There was a bill to ban helicopters because they offer such little value and so much pollution and noise, but the governor uses this heliport, so she vetoed the bill.





Here, along the Hudson River Greenway (which is almost always part of my commute), I saw fog on the river. In the foreground are two Canada geese in a weird dance. A few seconds after shooting this, I realized it was a mating dance. I had never seen Canada geese mating. He grabbed her head with his beak, stood on her back, and totally submerged her.

You can see a thin layer of fog on the river which seemed to be halfway between the banks. At this point, the river is about a mile wide, but the fog distorts the sense of distance.

Easy commute this morning. My legs are burned up, as I gave it 100% yesterday, with:

• Usual 4 miles' worth of commuting, but I took the eFatty
• 9 mile ride at lunch to run the battery down; I don't anticipate riding it as much in the warmer weather. (looks like we're about the same as Folsom, CA right now!)
• 35 mile club ride

At the club ride, the only one who showed up was a stronger rider, as we had a 23 mph wind gusting to 40 and it was only in the 40s temperature range. (my club are mostly fair weather riders) Since he was stronger and I'm technically the ride leader, I gave it 100% to make sure he had a good workout. (burned over 1700 calories in just over 2 hours) I won't go into the details of that ride, since this is about commuting, but I will say that today, I took the urban commuter eBike this morning with no shame. Garmin tells me it will take 4 days of no- or lighter-riding before my legs are ready for a tough one again.

I drove yesterday because of the expected high winds and boy were they strong! I'm glad I didn't bike.

More high winds were expected today as well as colder temps and some rain this afternoon (even though riding in the rain and cold is fine with me) so I did half an hour on the recumbent stationary bike. I wanted to do 45, but I was running out of time. When I stepped out to the car it was neither windy or colder (it was about 45F...only 3F less than yesterday. I also thought I had a couple of appointments, one late in the day which also led to the decision to drive, but they had been pushed to next week, and my calendar app didn't reflect the changes. Tomorrow, being Wednesday, I have an appointment up north after work. I might have ridden, but I have to stop home after work tomorrow and take the cat to the vet, and there just isn't enough time, so another indoor biking session.

I had trouble falling asleep last night, and then I kept waking up...at least 4 times. I did the thing where I imagine myself on one of my bikes and re-run recent bike rides in my head. When I got on the stationary recumbent bike I realized how unsatisfying it is compared to really riding with leaning, and balancing and the sense of inertia and distance gained...especially on purposeful rides like commuting. Even when I tried the drop-bar, track-bike style stationary bikes at the Y the summer I was self-employed they provided small satisfaction, although I could really dial in the riding position on those machines.

Here's hoping Thursday is a bike day.

BobbyG, Zwift maybe? Or one of the alternatives? I briefly looked at this back in 2020 covid times but we got the "go out and play" guidance right around the time spring got nice and never looked at it seriously again. We get 300 days a year of fair weather here, why fight it?

First commute on the Baconator today. Not much to report except the place I normally cut on to the dog-walk path on my other bikes, I didn't. Kept it all paved. Bigger tires coming and we will see how they do

After getting out of class, I went to my bike and found this note on it.



My bottom bracket does look like it's coming loose, but it's just the wrong size. I need one with a shorter spindle.

Anyway, nice note. Too bad the writer didn't leave their name.

Well, With the snow bike and the studded tires, I don't do enough indoor riding to justify the cost of a swift. I'm actually on the recumbent indoor bike right now it's a lower level pro form maybe 15 or 20 years old that we got from my stepdaughter. It has a shelf for an ipad but I found that the detachable screen for my Microsoft Surface Pro laptop fits perfectly between the upper handlebars which I never use. With the ability to watch videos close up on a large screen and surf the Internet and bike forms while I'm riding and use voice dictation this is a good solution for the foreseeable future. As I make my way for my 60s and on towards 70 perhaps an indoor trainer like Swift would be a good investment. In fact, Amanda's whiffed right now. I have to leave work early and take the cat to the vet and then I have an appointment after that and there's just not enough time to change and ride and change. Oh there probably is but this is ok for now.

Consecutive bicycle work commute number 2082:

On Monday the forecast said we would get about 8" of snow this morning. On Tuesday they amended it and said it would be 1"-3". Today on Wednesday I woke up to no snow on the ground, and the precipitation chances saying 0%.

What we lacked in snow was replaced with high wind. The wind howled all night. This morning as I prepared the house would shake with some of the wind gusts. The wind speed is a constant 25 mph with gusts sometimes topping 50 mph.

Yesterday afternoon my sciatica acted up, and this morning it's still being ornery. I'm not sure why. Thankfully it hasn't been enough to immobilize me, just enough to be a constant annoying pain. Due to my heart medication, I'm not allowed much in the way of pain killers. It's rare that I ever need them, so most of the time it's not a big deal. On days like today, though, it would be nice to have a little more than Tylenol (to which I'm a non-responder) to take the edge off things.

I had packed my panniers for the fat bike. With the lack of snow I repacked everything into my backpack so I could take the road bike. My carbon road bike is still down after I grenaded the rear wheel last week. DT Swiss is going to warranty it, but until I get the repaired wheel back that bike is out of commission. In the mean time I've been riding my vintage Panasonic road bike. I've ridden that bike more in the last week than I had the previous 10 years combined.

The temp was 32°F this morning, but I had to ride straight into that wind. I decided to wear my balaclava even though the temp was above my normal threshold for that layer. I'm glad I did, as without it the gale would have been a lot colder on my neck. As soon as I hit the road and felt the wind I immediately conceded any idea of riding quickly. I just geared down and rode at a pace where I could easily spin without making myself miserable trying to go fast.

My Panasonic used to be my main nice weather bike. After I got my Kestrel in 2015 it pretty much sat and gathered dust and cobwebs. Until last week, I think I've ridden it about 3-4 times in the last decade. I keep thinking I need to let it go and donate it to our local bicycle mission so that someone else could put it to better use. However, this week I've been glad I still had it around.

The only problem is the size. It's a 61cm frame which is pretty big. I used to think this bike was very comfortable. This week as I've been riding I've realized how bad the fit is compared to my Kestrel with a 58cm frame. It probably doesn't help that in the last decade I've also lost a full inch in height; I used to be 6' 1" tall, and now I'm only 6'.

No consecutive ride count for me.

Rain all day today, I gave myself the day off.

Yesterday was just an easy eBike commute; still recovering from Monday's riding.

Bike club meeting is tonight in the local Trek shop. The shop owner is on our club's board and is giving a talk on roadside maintenance on modern tech bikes. (tubeless tires, hydraulic disc brakes) Should be interesting. A fender set I ordered for my Yamaha gravel eBike is waiting there for me. I'm going to make that into my fast commuter / all-around bike.

You should bring that note with your reply written on it and leave it tomorrow for your admirer.

It's dense city that you commute through, but the flipside is that you have a lot of like-minded people there.

Another boring car commute today.

Yesterday it rained all day; washed all the residual salt off the roads. Tonight, it got cold again and the roads froze, and then there was a dusting of snow on top of that to really spice things up. My wife, who leaves before I do, called and begged me not to bike this morning. There were car crashes everywhere. I have to leave a bit early to get my daughter tonight, so it's another easy decision. You 3,000 days straight of bike commuting guys can pat yourselves on the back, but I picked my battles today.

My legs feel good; 90% recovered from Monday's 100% effort. I'll be able to ride strong this weekend. Even so, I'm getting jittery from lack of riding. I might throw the two folders in the back of my car and ride them with my daughter tonight.

2nd go on the Baconator. Feel like I am managing a higher gear than on the regular commuter. Definitely has that old unstoppable momentum feeling I also get from the Paramount

Anonymous notes
I think I'll do that, and I'll leave my contact info, because it might be fun to meet. We're both Hunter College students, right?

Cycling in the Big City
We do have a lot of bike loving folks here. But in a dense city comes the rule of etiquette that says you don't address strangers unless there's a reason. Admiring a bike is a valid reason. But on the streets and on the greenways, we don't wave at each other. That would be like waving at cars on the interstate.

Bronx adventures
It's crazy how many people like to ride bikes here given how hostile the conditions are. Yesterday, I visited two schools in the South Bronx so that I can consider applying for jobs there. I had to ride more defensively than usual. Traffic is madness. Giant trucks park right in the bike lane. But some of the scenery was amazing as I rode from the Bronx onto Randalls Island and from there into Manhattan. Randalls Island is in the convergence of the East River and the Harlem River. There are vast vistas and a bit of nature to enjoy.

Total of about 25 miles, all city riding, so a fairly good workout. This morning, I had my lowest blood pressure I've ever taken at home: 117/74

GPS tracks
Leg 1: home to South Bronx International Middle School
Leg 2: SBI to Bronx Design and Construction High School, with some killing time and tooling around
Leg 3: Bronx Design and Construction to Hunter College
Leg 4: Hunter College to a restaurant for dinner with a friend
Leg 5: restaurant to home

Nice warm spring day today. 55km total round trip.

Back on the eBike for commuting today. My wife is working from home, so I'll go home for lunch to meet her and end up with 8 miles for the day.

She wants to play pickleball after work, but we don't have a place figured out to play indoors here and we're supposed to have 23 mph winds, so that'll probably get called off.

Tomorrow is our Saturday Coffee Riders ride, which I look forward to; will end up being 20-30 miles, depending on the route. At the first coffee shop in my city, I like to get an open-faced lox bagel with everything, then a ride and camaraderie. We'll meet other people at the shop 10 miles south of here before turning around to ride a different route back. Pickleball lesson with the wife 40 miles away in the afternoon.

Last night, I got out of class, and the rain was coming down hard. I briefly considered leaving my bike on the bike rack and taking the subway home. It would be safe, because the micro-park with the bike rack has a locked gate. But I didn't like that idea, so I rode home. It was cool and very wet, but I didn't get very uncomfortable. But by the time I got home, my toes were sloshing in water in my hiking boots. Everything was wet. I really wasn't ready for a heavy rain, and everything in my bag got wet, including my computer. In January, I spilled water on my computer and had to have it fixed. Thank goodness for Applecare+ which charged me $300 to replace half the computer. This time, my computer seems to be working fine. My phone wouldn't charge until this morning.

Riding on a rainy night is nerve wracking because I can't see all that well, and more importantly, I don't know how well others can see me. I put my taillight on the most obnoxious pattern. My glasses got so wet I was nearly blind. Luckily for me, my prescription is mild, and I can ride without them, so I took them off and put them in a pocket. My helmet mirror still worked, mostly. I took my favorite route which is mostly on the greenway and only a little on streets. Eventually I realized I would be OK, and my fear subsided, and I rather enjoyed the ride.

Remember leukemia kid who threw a book at the principal a month ago? Wednesday he had a gigantic meltdown about hot dogs in the cafeteria, where he threw punches and trays at kids and adults and apparently went after the lunch lady because she wasn't serving hot dogs Wednesday. Kid is also autistic - but this is beyond. He got a 3-day suspension. Today would normally be my day off for a ride but I'm watching him.

Oh boy, that's rough. For you, him, and folks at the school. I'm sorry to read the news. Parenting sure is a challenge.

May G-d send strength and comfort to you, your family, and all who love and care for your kids. May he also bless you with the most amazing, satisfying rides when you can bike.

The four literal steps to motivation:

I almost didn't ride today (Friday). It was still super windy yesterday so I did the indoor bike again, but this morning was 32F, clear and calm, but with afternoon winds expected. I was unexpectedly fatigued yesterday afternoon, even though I drove to work and I was afraid that I would be slogging home against the wind and possibly more fatigue today.

But yesterday at work they officially re-opened the lower back door by my office, meaning I wouldn't have to use the main entrance, then carry my bike down a flight of stairs, and then back up at the end of the day. And those four, newly re-poured concrete steps at the back door were the motivation to ride.

I chose to ride the '84 Nishiki 12-speed and the longer, 8-mile MUP route. Using those trails the biggest, steepest hill comes just two blocks from the house. Halfway up I regretted riding at all as I still felt some fatique in my legs...and then it was gone! Strength and vigor welled up in me as I crested the top and began the descent to the Rock Island trail. I joined it 50 yards from the Circle Drive underpass which has suffered from chronic flooding since opening 20+ years ago. It looked clear, but as my eyes adjusted to the dark I saw water and ice on the far end. I turned around and exited the other end. It was only 20 yards to reach the switch back that would take me up the the surface street crossing, but it looked like I could hustle up the packed dirt of the 20-foot embankment. Except it wasn't packed it was loose. Before I knew what I was doing, adrenaline took over and I found I had already dismounted and was charging up the embankment half-carrying my bike by the seat post and head tube feet slipping in the loose dirt cyclo-cross style!

As I reached the sidewalk the traffic light had just turned in my favor and I continued my charge executing a running mount thankfully remembering to look back to make sure no cars were in the left turn lane. I hit the far side of the street and flew onto the traffic-free safety of the MUP. I'm 63 and I cannot remember the last time I did a running mount or ran up a hill with a bike...certainly not since high-school.

Around the next corner I encountered 15-20 members of a high school or college track team taking up the whole path. I squeezed right, slowed and honked my AIrZound airhorn. They squeezed left...they were a female team and a few waved, giggled and shouted "hi!"...probably high-school.

The adrenaline seemed to subside, but I still felt strength in my legs, however I slowed to a more moderate pace, not wanting to tempt fate and fatigue. The rest of the ride in was pleasant with a few other cyclists, joggers, walkers, and as I got closer to downtown, homeless people stumbling down the trail into the new day.

By the college there was a rough looking guy on the left side of the trail kicking cans and rocks across to the right side. I honked a couple of times, but he persisted. I slowed and prepared to stop, but he finally stopped at the last moment.

For the last two months, the last three underpasses before work have been clear of urban campers and their belongings which have been blocking the trails. I know the city of Colorado Springs has doubled the size of its Homeless Outreach Team, and if they are responsible for the clearer trails I appreciate it but hope they have been gentle about it.

And then I rode past the main entrance at work, through the security gate and down to the re-opened rear door. The new concrete steps have a weird spacing and slope to them...well the second step from the bottom. I noticed it yesterday and again today, but not when walking the bike up or back down on the way home.

On the plus side I no longer have to carry my bikes up and down the full flight of stairs inside the building. On the minus side, I don't get to parade my 63-year-old legs and 42-year old Nishiki past my 20- and 30-something cager co-workers.

The afternoon wind didn't materialize, and being the end of the work week and still light thanks to daylight savings I headed home. I usually take the same route home that I chose for the ride in and the MUP to MUP trail with its newly paved sections and still-new section connecting the two trails was just wonderful.

The Circle Drive underpass was still flooded and two cyclists holding clipboards nearby waved me down. One was my age, the other was a high school student who picked as his class project a survey and petition to have the underpass fixed in regard to the chronic flooding.

I lent my voice to naming an underpass repair as a needed project but it would only be the icing on the cake. In the 32 years I have been bike commuting in Colorado Springs the growth and upgrades of the cycling infrastructure have been many and amazing. Back in 1992 the Rock Island Trail and Greenway trails were just a patchwork of gravel and crumbling alleyways. The few bike lanes from the 1970's Bike centennial had been fading and erased. And then came the new stripings, the double-wide sidewalks and MUPS, the improved crossings with quick action crossing lights, the underpasses, the connections, and even a few protected downtown bike lanes which I don't like (a rant for a different time) but I appreciate the city's commitment.

I know this is too long, but I woke up an hour after getting to bed and today's commute was on my mind.

I feel so fortunate to be able to bike to work most days, especially at my age.