Tough ride home yesterday - stiff headwind, something jammed in right cleat made it difficult to unclip, So I almost fell over at a stoplight. Rear rim was rubbing on brake hard - it's a newly built rim and seems as if some of the spokes loosen up as I ride - very annoying! To top it off, front tire developed a bulge in it, so the last several miles was thumpty, thumpty, thumping me home. When I got home I couldn't find what was wrong with the cleat. The casing inside the front tire had some torn threads right where the bulge was, so I replaced front tire. Marked the offending spokes on rear rim with a dot of paint, then tightened them up until rim was more or less true. Need to take rim in to LBS to complain about the loosening spokes.
Thankfully the ride in this AM was much more pleasant.

Good ride in this morning. Nice and cool. Very little traffic. Perfect!

3 days in a row now I've come up behind roadies and when they notice a big heavy MTB Clydesdale behind them, they seem to want to try to go faster. This morning I had a nice easy ride between 16 and 20MPH, depending on whether the guy in front tried to sprint.

It's a bit humid. Mid 60sF. Very light headwind. A very cute young woman riding the other way on an MTB smiled at me. She was all decked out. Lycra, clipless, etc. Riding on the dirt track next to the MUP, too. Actually there were two other cuties running, too. Summer FTW!

RAIN...STILL!! I've just resolved myself to the fact I getting soaked. And drivers sure get dumber in the rain, have seen more blown off red lights, having to riding a lot more cautious.

But rain water just freshens the face and bus fumes make such a excellent exfoliant

Caught up with a commuter at a stoplight on the ride in today. Got to chat with another commuter! Only the second time in 3 years that that has happened. While riding I imagined what it would be like if the bike lane was filled with commuters. Better health for lots, less pollution, less fuel use. Big upside.

The 5 am traffic was about like the 6 am traffic usually, very heavy for the time of day. Pretty windy this morning too, did not get to listen to the birds and stuff as much. One bird did land about 10 foot in front of me while I was going about 20 mph. It was dark still and it landed right in my light, but flew off before I hit it. Kinda woke me up.

The train ahead of my usual train (an express to Newark) broke down, so I was suddenly on a local train. Knowing I would miss my connection in Newark, I got off in Elizabeth and rode to work from there.

This is the fastest way for me to get to work, but there are two reasons I don't normally do this. (1) Most trains don't stop in Elizabeth, and (2) the traffic on Morris Avenue during rush hour is scary.

However, this will undoubtedly happen again at some point. l'll keep this route in my handlebar bag, even though it's twice as long.

Same old same ol'.

Getting hot & humid in the mornings.

Rode the bike/bus route home last night, much better than riding all the way. This will probably be my last week of commuting without a car for a while. I might do it once a week or so. I think if I ever do it again, I'll get a cheap rear rack and bag setup instead of carrying around a backpack.

Commuted by car this morning, it was just too wet out. I may need to install the full fenders on the steamroller soon, I guess I need to use P-clips since the frame doesn't have eyelets. Does anyone have any experience with P-clips?

Another great morning ride from the cool, breezy base of the mountains to the still, warm valley floor. It still amazes me - I love it! Left the house at the usual 6:30 AM departure time and was parking the bike at 7:10. Had to vary my route a bit due to road construction on my ususal route.
I saw numerous female joggers out this morning - Summetime FTW, indeed.

Nice ride. It's warming up enough that my 0-body fat almost 8 yr old isn't wearing a sweatshirt for his 4 mile ride to camp anymore.

Bailed on the morning training ride to catch some zzzz's.

I left work early and had a real nice ride home. It was cool and the ride was going faster than usual. Within a mile of my home I cut through three parking lots to avoid some very busy highway. Well today I just had this feeling when i hit the first parking lot. I was watching for anything moving and uneventfully made it through the first lot. As I was going through the second lot an SUV came flying into the parking lot from the highway and tried to cut around me as I was passing the enterance way. I stopped very quickly and missed her. I waited for her to pass then, as she was going by, I was standing on my left SPD and had just snapped in my right, just started to move a second car came in. He was looking at the SUV, he seen me stopped and just drove right in the way. I was standing on my left pedal, could not let go of my brakes, and my right foot snapped in just as I seen the guy. This bike is brand new so I am still struggling snapping out sometimes and this time I almost got my foot out, but not quiet. The second car was right in front of me, had no idea what was going on as I fell over. I made a conscience decision to fall to the left so I did not screw up my derailer. I was pretty po'd at somebody. I got up and tried not to look aroound to see if anyone was looking.

The second guy pulled into a parking spot and parked about 10 yards away. I wanted to yell at someone but as I rode over to the guy. He is a 5 foot something short bald guy who seemd to have a hard time walking. he came to the back of the car and before I could yell at him he asked me if he caused me to fall over if I was all right. He thought he might of hit me.

Damn, I hate really nice people. I explained to him we snap in and it takes a few seconds to snap out again. I feel over because I could not snap out. He still looked very concerned he might have hurt me or my bike. I told him i just did not expect him and I could not snap out in time but I was fine.

He shook my hand and said he was glad I was alright. And for me to be careful.

I think all I did was scratch my brifter a little and my left knee about the same. I rode home without further incident.

The big thing was I just knew something was going to happen. Kinda weird.

Hooboy was it hot riding home.... 100+. And it'll only be getting hotter. It's not affecting too badly though.

It was really hot today in Lincoln, NE. Mid 90's, but it was humid. Almost got hit by a guy that merged into me today, I had to slap the truck of his car to prevent him from running me over, other than that it wasn't a bad day, same 'ole commute.

Great riding this morning, it was a little foggy but I could tell the sun was trying to show itself and by the time I arrived at work things were much brighter. I am looking forward to some much needed sun this weekend and hopefully a long ride.

I get to go in a bit later to work today; so, I can leave at the same time and take a longer way up the mountain to work. In an hour I get to go climb one of the steepest climbs in our county, Bonny Doon Road and Ice Cream grade. The pay off is I get to drop down Felton/Empire Grade.

It is a fun ride, here is a shot of a guy climbing it a bit faster than I do, even in bad weather. Lets see him do with with his wallet, keys, cell phone, lunch, date book, and work cloths in a pack on his back Ok lets not

Best commute in of the year! Morning commute traffic had dropped off considerably since school's been out, but the streets were practically barren this morning. I should work every holiday.

I was able to ride a one mile stretch on one of the busiest streets in town, it was awesome! The holidays are great after all It was kind of rainy on my way back home though, so the humidity was killer, no nice breeze like there was in the morning.

I worked 10-3, then 4-10. I guess I was supposed to punch out for an hour, but it was more like 45 minutes. I was going to be off Sunday and Monday, but due to a scheduling conflict I have to go in tomorrow to work 7-10 in the morning. Anyway, the morning ride in was fine- walkers, joggers, and other cyclists were out doing there thing. Tonight's ride home was fun. The fireworks display off of Falmouth Heights Beach had ended by 10, and I was confronted with Car Soup. Bicycles were plentiful, too. I felt I was in a mini Critical Mass for a moment, then the moment was gone, and it was just me and vehicular traffic and a few ninjas. I realized at some point that I wasn't carrying ID- whoops! Oh, well... I'll be driving in tomorrow becaust I'm getting out of Dodge and I'll be back Tuesday to work 2-10... Stay safe out there!

It was a very good ride today, 60 f ( 16 c). Nothing unusual happened. I love long weekends and can never get enough, but I am here for another work week.

56*F, rained last night but sun was out, but roads still wet. Left a few minutes early, almost no traffic. Made for a just a nice ride to start off a Monday.

Beautiful morning... problems with the bike though... something is wrong with the presta valve on my rear wheel... couldn't get the thing to work with either of my pumps. So I switched wheels and it turns out that the cassette is shot... so I was throwing my chain until I found a gear (25) that remained static. It was a ***** to pedal in a gear that high though.

This is a plea to bike manufacturers... you have got to get the reliability way up, and the required maintenance down to practically nothing, if you want bicycle commuting to take off. My two cents.

High 50sF, no wind. Very comfortable. I followed a roadie again. Same guy from last Thursday's commute, I think. He lives near me.

And...Excitement! Police cars running sirens, and and ambulance. They all went to the boat launch that's along my commute. This was in the paper: