It's not blasphemy anymore - the Air Force left 20 years ago. Now it's just a Nat'l Guard station with a 2+ mile runway. :)

Got downstairs to my bike last night to find a flat front tire. Presta valve issues again. Might have to start paying the couple extra dollars per tube to get my new tubes at the LBS and not at the co-op. I didn't use to have problems with them until I started getting them there. Just a slow, slow leak from the valve. No holes in the tube. Had to pump up again twice along the ride home. I knew what the problem was, but just didn't feel like changing the tube yet.

Changed the tube last night at home and had a very nice ride in this AM. Depsite the slight headwind and the fact that my highest usable gear right now is still just a 36-13 (due to a bent big chainring), I averaged close to 16 mph. The weather was really pleasant.

I love riding my bike to work!

Returned on Tuesday from vacation the previous week. The week leading up to the vacation, I drove everyday due to needing a car for errands and such. So it had been over 2 weeks since I had ridden to work! You don't realize how much you miss something until it's gone. Feels great to get back on the bike.

weird ride home today 106f when i left started to down pour midway this is about the only time i really didnt care about getting soaked cooled me off, the temp didnt change much an hour later back to sunny and 104f

Windy this morning. Going to be windy and hot on the way home.

Cold this morning, 49 deg. Best commute ever on the way home. 70 deg and dead calm. Fastest commute I've had at 19.7 mph over 11.5 miles.

Had a nice cool commute this morning, arriving just after sunrise. Had a great ride home too- I worked a 12 hour day and the sun was just setting as I pulled out. A nice ride home is the perfect way to relax after a tough work day.

Sorry I haven't been posting much here since I started commuting this week... there's not much to report, other than stupid drivers, so I just thought I'd spare you the agony. I'm down to 185 pounds on the scale, that's 25 pounds lost so far.

My commute route is totally different from my normal cruise. I pass by the municipal airport, an old train station, a plantation house, an abandoned meth lab, through a school zone, and across a bridge... then I go down a road through some cane fields and end up at the factory I work at. Here's what we build there: sugar cane harvesters. If any of you guys have John Deere or Cameco sugar harvesters, this is the factory they came from.

http://jeffhendricks.net/images/harvesters.jpg

We are having a breakfast at work today and I wanted to contribute, so I cooked up some ham and picked up biscuits on my way to work. First time I've ever carried a load of ham and biscuits in seat bag. It was a tight fit, but I did it. Got in an extra couple miles on my commute as well.

The forecasters here can't seem to get it right. They have been blathering all week about the cold snap we were gonna have this weekend, supposedly starting today. Well, I get up this morning and it's warm outside (70 F), when they had forecasted low 60s. So, i check the weather, and they have totally changed the forecast for the weekend. It's not going to cool off much after all, unless you consider it cold when the high is 90 and the low is 65. Oh well, at least it's not supposed to rain ... yet.

Pretty comfortable this morning. Upper 50sF and sunny. Not much of a wind to speak of. Passed a few cyclists. Saw lots of squirrels.

Kinda wishing I saw Blue Angels this morning. :p There was a Super Hornet parked next to our hangar at KBTV a couple of weeks ago. (On the GA ramp - weird.) So I had that going for me. :)

Flat front from the other day got inside my head. Front of the bike felt squirrely on the way home, as if getting low on air. I kept looking and it was fine. Hooked up the pump/guage when I got home and pressure was what it should be. Checked the QR... everything was and is seated properly. Guess the squirelliness was all in my head. Still a nice ride home.

Good ride in today, too. I think the brake squeal fairy paid my bike a visit last night. One of my weekend projects was going to be cleaning front rim and brake pad and adjusting the toe b/c the squeal from the front brakes was getting embarassing. Well, fast forward to this AM and they didn't make a sound amy time I stopped or slowed along the way to work... Works for me. I seem to be developing some other sort of drivetrain-related mystery noise in its place, though. :-\

Bit of a headwind this AM, but I gladly accepted it since it meant it was still only 66 when I left home at 8:30. Nice and cool for a DC August morning. I tried to relish the cool weather, since the longer term forecast seems to indicate it's going bye-bye this weekend and will be gone for a while. :(

9C and windy. Tail wind for the most part, but at times it felt like it was coming from all directions at once. If the forecast is correct, it'll be a stiff headwind for the ride home.

I rode my drop-bar converted mountain bike for the first time in two weeks today. Heavy beast compared to my road bike. As I was climbing the main hill of my commute, I had this weird sensation like something was tugging me backwards with each pedal stroke. I checked the wheels when I got to my destination, and they spin freely under no load, so there's no obvious brake rub. Dunno.

5 for 5 this week, only the second time this year.

Left for work at 3am this morning. Decided to push myself for a long ride and headed out east to take the Golden Ears bridge. Meandered through some farm roads and along a nice bike route under a power line right of way. Saw about 8 rabbits and crossed paths with a skunk. I'm very, very happy with my new flashlight bolted to my bike. Way better headlight than the bike specific headlight next to it at the same price. Rolled in to work on time despite having taken a total wrong turn. 77km and 3:22:22 moving time.

Last commute of the relatively relaxed summer season for me. After a late night, I felt kinda crappy before I left home, but felt good on the bike. I'm really enjoying the freshly repaved roads along most of the ride. There's one section I really wish the town would do something about, but I'm not going to complain since the improvements that happened were needed badly. Spun in most of the way, but the breeze held me up a bit.

10 motorcycles in bicycle parking again this AM. Of the approximately 25 bicycle parking spots, only 4 or 5 were accessible (enough room to safely park and lock my bike without risking damage to either my bike or the motorcycles) between motorcycles. I can't wait for these fair weather, motorcycle posers go back to their cars for the winter. Ya know it's funny, Monday/ Tuesday this week were cool and drizzly... not a single motorcycle to be found... Sunny warm Friday and there's 10 of 'em.

For the season, I did pretty good averaging 3 or 4 commutes a week thru the summer semester including a some days when I played softball after work and rode home after 8 PM. Dropped a couple lbs this summer, and pushed my equipment a bit trying to figure out where I go next with my next bike set-up.

On Monday I'll be entering the Thunderdome as the kiddes will be back on campus, sleeping in then rushing to make their classes and gobbling up parking spaces like ravers gobble E. I foresee a rough couple weeks until apathy sets in, then I get to worry about darkness.

The weather was incredible this am 63 degrees when I got to the office. I had flat #5 on the way home Wednesday, and #6 on the way in this morning. I was a couple miles to work and not wanting to mess with it decided to stop and pump it up every mile. Not sure if it was the greatest plan but I got here and will fix before leaving this afternoon.

Had a good commute this morning... no yelling, no close calls. Weather was cool and overcast, which is a relief for the massive heat we've been having. I seriously thought about driving today, but bit the bullet and got on the bike instead, and I'm glad I did.

Good ole boise weather 106 yesterday 51 this morning with a high of 77 today, these temp changes really mess with my head. The only place ive been worse than boise is laramie wy.

Huge day on the bike yesterday: an hour of tempo on the way in, then the Airport Ride (aka Thursday Night World Championship) in the evening. Of course the ride home was into a headwind.

This morning, very easy spin.

Well i managed to hit a cat on my way home, dont worry the little guy was fine thankfully i hit him with my crank arm and foot and not the tire. Im not even sure where he darted out from but one sec nothing the next bam a little white kitty is bouncing off my foot i stopped to make sure he was ok, seemed more pissed than hurt i waited till he started to walk away and he was walking fine so i continued on my way. That makes two animals this year:eek:

17 miles with the trail-a-bike to/from my job's summer picnic. First 9 miles were also w/ my 9 yr old on his bike, but he ate himself sick at the picnic and, combined w/ a weird mechanical, he and his bike got a ride to my wife's office for the rest of the day.

5 yr old on t-a-b got sooo excited when we were pushing 40mph down this one hill. She claims to be shy and tremulous, but she is the biggest nut in the family.

Today and yesterday were cooler, long sleeves over the short sleeve shirt I road in wearing on the ride home. Tonight it was almost cold on the way home. I had a doctors appointment this AM and put the bike on the rack for the ride there, took the wife with me and left on the bike and she took the car. I didn't want to arrive in a sweat, also she wanted to take my blood pressure and I didn't want to effect the reading. Beautiful weather and as I said almost cold on the way home. This time of year I have to take an extra something to wear in case it's colder then expected. Speaking of riding in cold weather, does anyone else ride wearing goggles in the winter? My eyes tear when riding in winter weather and I wear them for that reason.

When I lived in colder climates, I used to wear safety goggles to ride when it got below freezing. Helped a ton with the wind.

I actually wussed out yesterday on the way home. I had ordered some Axiom full fenders, and LED bulbs for my lights.... wouldn't you know, they came in a day too late. By the time I got off work, it was full-on pouring. I packed everything in my panniers with huge zip-lock bags, and headed out to my dad's house a mile away. I fixed their computer, and then he gave me a ride home. :) Fenders are on the bike now!

Pretty good week now that the heat broke. Really been off my riding for almost 6 weeks. Managed 4 days commuting this week. Had to drive one day to haul some stuff. The Rain gods were kind and left me clear ride home on Thursday after a brutal 2 hour storm that parked over where I was. Rained so hard we had to drop all the dock doors and they sounded like snare drums as the rain hit them for nearly an hour.
Been going in a little early to beat some of the heat and on the verge of breaking out the headlights. :( Hate having to drag the extra weight.

I just got back from vacation so it has been a long couple rides getting back into things. To make things worse I had a wipeout today on my way home from work. I had a nice slide on a turn when I was going about 20 mph. Damn sand on the roads. I was lucky the car that was getting ready to pass had enough time to stop. A little road rash was the only damage besides my pride. I had a several cars watch it happen. But I hopped up and kept on going. Tomorrow's ride is really going to hurt.

Raining this morning Thankfully i at least bought a cheap front fender yesterday, made in with out getting too wet :) Note: those planet bike clip on fenders suck bad, i ended up using the rear fender as the front to at least provide sorta full coverage. Maybe the rain will stop for my ride home.

A very nice ride in the summer warmth. The bike just plows through the darkness.

If it wasnt for the rides in, I could take days like this off and drive in. It was beautiful on hte way in. Had to stop twice to tighten my mirror but still made in in the usual time. But it is suppose to be 91 or more this afternoon. I dont really care, I have ridden 94 or better is seems like all year, but soooooo many hot days, I really thought about taking this one off. But alas, it is just too nice in the morning not to ride.

Another super ride in. Weather was great, low 60s, and the roads were pretty empty. School starts this week here, and I am a little anxious to see how the afternoon commute will be affected.

I'm riding my mtb these days, as I am outfitting my new commuter. I was simply awestruck this morning as to the difference between small fat tires and large hard tires. The chubbies really dampen the road shock and vibrations from the hard-packed gravel. I'm putting serious thought into putting 700 chubbies on the commuter.

Beautiful day in Northern Ilinois this morning. Getting a bit warm and the forcast is calling for high 80's. Traffic unusually heavy even for a school day. Backup at Mundelein HS easily 1/2 mile maybe longer. No school buses. I suspect they had some type of contract issue. Odd thing was that there were no, as in absolutely none, kids on bikes. What's with that? Are bikes banned from schools these days?