Almost!

I almost rode to work today for the first time since wrenching my back last week. I took the Schwinn out for a couple short runs around the neighborhood last night. This morning, my back let me know it, though. Still.... I might have ridden anyway, except that the battery on my wife's car died, and dealing with that delayed me to the point that I ended up driving (got to work late as it was).

Tomorrow's a day off, with rain predicted, so maybe I'll get some ride time in over the holiday weekend and should be back to bicycle commuting by next week.

The ride in was fine- it was overcast, about 65°. I came upon a cyclis on a MTB who was just moseying along but I didn't pass him. I had to take a right, and I thought "If he takes a right, then I'll take him out" but he kept going straight.
I was getting ready to leave work tonight and the chain just flopped off! I had to fiddle with it for a minute or two to get it untangled and back on the cog. And dang my hands got black.
The ride home was nice- the moon was full, but I didn't have the energy to take the longer route that would've brought me by the ocean.

Riding home, up the side past a line of cars that was slowed for the bridge, I wound up getting funneled onto a section of pavement with edge traps on either side that led straight into a grate. Figured my best chance/lowest injury was to try to get up the driveway to the right (away from traffic, no wheel tacoing or endoing). The correct answer was actually to stop and hoof it over the edge.

My sock stepped up to take the punishment rather than my bike, and for that I salute it. Unfortunately, it has (had) near zero impact or abrasion resistance. My ankles have been insulted by injuries off and on since forever and this ain't much in the grand scheme, so I cleaned my ankle with a spray from my water bottle (because that fixes everything). And kept going, then immobilized it once I hit home. I liked that sock too. Easily top 5 in the rotation.

Big thanks to the concerned cagers who asked if I was OK. I was scraped up, but the big hit was to my ego...

Other than that, beautiful rides today. Nice cool, but not too cool morning, low 80's afternoon which really brought out the smells in the produce packing district riding through. I love my commute, even if that one area just at the end of the bridge seems designed to mess up anyone on 2 wheels (had a real dramatic get off on my moto earlier this year on diesel spilled in a turn)

This AM was one of the nicest commutes I've ever had! ~ 60F with low humidity, light traffic, riding a new touring bike with everything perfectly adjusted, beautiful full moon setting in front of me most of the way, saw the space shuttle/international space station combo pass overhead, and I scared up a 6 - 8 point buck on a short trail through the woods. Very Nice!!!!! Looking forward to a nice tailwind on the way home too.

Yet Another Nice Day. The entire week has been gorgeous. Low 50s. Mostly clear. Calm wind.

Saw a couple of cyclists heading the other way. Caught up to a guy on an older road bike. He was only doing around 13MPH so I passed. Then a little while later I was loping along at 15MPH, less than a mile to my office, and I see him gaining on me. Guess he got some energy. I spooled up to 20 and didn't see him again.

Upper 60s, slightly damp, very nice

Commute #19.

The sun hung low and orange, rising just above the corn stalks for most of my ride. I coughed and startled a pig so I got oinked at several times. I got out of the house on time so I beat the school crowd. I did see one other cyclist once I got to town; I think my blinkies and yellow/orange nerd vest amused him. Of course, he's doing in-town riding... not spending the first 45 minutes of his ride on a narrow country road riding between corn stalks higher than an elephant's eye.

Commute # ??
Put some extra miles on the bike last night riding with a friend of mine so my legs were a little tired this morning, but I still made pretty good time.
Looking forward to the long weekend, hoping to get out on a long ride.
Cheers~

Nice and fast this morning - cool air and favorable lights made for a great ride in.

Great ride, temp perfect, just another nice ride.

Riding home yesterday - I passed a teenager on a NEXT full suspension bike.

Sure enough you hear him shift and passes me within 50 yards, and subsequently slow down right in front of me.

Figuring this was enough, I moved to the big ring on my road bike and blew by him, never to see him again.

Solo; My wife was driving so I let her take our daughter rather than trailer her. One more week of end of school/beginning of school craziness then a routine may finally develop. Maybe 2 weeks.

Rode the poor-man's TT bike this morning, trying to get the fit dialed in. I don't know why, but I always feel a little self-conscious riding the TT bike to work. At least I didn't wear the aero helmet.

Anyway, I ran over a goat head thorn about 15 miles out. Rear tire went flatter than the Oregon offense. Hey-yo!

Lovely ride today. A slightly less energetic run than usual, since last night's trip home took in the local big hill.

Am ride was good with some nice sun and very little wind... the pm trip is gonna be a killer as although the rain and storms seem to have passed that wind is nasty.

Great ride in. Little chilly on the down hills with the 62f temp but I'll take it. Ride home was nice despite a bit of head wind and a jerk in a land rover. Despite my filling the lane to keep from being passed in the lane in a curve on a down hill when I was pushing 40mph in a 45 he still jammed his way up there. He did give some room but really should have waited till the straight away.

Today I was running late just out of sheer laziness so I took the 22 minute, 4 mile route. It's not at all pretty like the route I prefer, but it's a straight shot. Another sunny Cape Cod day- the night was nice, too.

Glad the week was over yesterday, with a lazy 3-day weekend coming up, culminating with my birthday on Labor Day, the 4th anniversary of the day I started commuting on my 63rd birthday. I now have 18,000 miles on my TREK 7000. Experimenting here with an avatar and my first photo upload. The view is looking east toward Mt. Hood, about a third of my 16-mile trip home from work in Portland, OR.

ride in: took the long way with a loaded bag after a very long day yesterday. tough, but was happy when i got in.

it was a slow day (i manage a store in a mall) so i took a long lunch and took a ride to the bike shop. poking around, guy comes in with family, salesman recommends a jamis citizen. i mention that i rode one in and how i liked it. guy bought it. cool for the store, they're nice folks. went to bookstore and had "interesting" talk with an old biker whose rims may have been a bit out of true, if you get my meaning.

ride home was fast and felt great. nice day.

Today was the 4th day in a row I rode my bike to work. I'm not off until Thursday, so I'm looking forward to a long stretch of leaving the car in the drive. I rode side saddle from the parking lot to the entrance of the supermarket I work at. Easing to a stop like Rico Suavé I put a foot down on the cement surface and WHOOMP! landed right on my rear... Clipless cleats don't offer squat for traction I've learned. A guy walking by asked "You alright?" I answered, sheepishly, "Yeah, I'm fine." I used to do it all the time when I was a kid- OH! I was wearing sneakers back then!

Today there was a lot of holiday weekend traffic, and waiting for a break in the line of traffic in order to walk across to the right side of the road then remount was taking up my commuting time. Instead, I just said to heck with it ( cleaned up version of what I really said , something to do with copulation) and utlized the sidewalk that's on the left. The ride was fine- took the ugly car-infested route in again- I must like the feeling of my life being endangered and my existence being threatend by a trigger foot on a gas pedal. A concerned driver who didn't want me as a hood ornament on her SUV did a warning honk- I came up to her at the light and went "PUHH!" as if I hocking a loogey into her open passenger side window. All the exhaust fumes and crispy 62° air I breathed in gave me a nagging cough, but it went away after I drank some water. I got to work at 1:17, and had to work at 2. One pound to 1¼ lb lobsters were on sale for $4.99/lb and we were plum out- it made my day!

Fabulous - spent time yesterday degreasing, cleaning and lubing all the bits that have become squeaky due to the recent apalling rainfall we have had here in the last two weeks.

Also cleaned up brakes and rims which are filthy from a daily dunk in a **** and diesel filled farm puddle.
Even took some pliers to clamp down the silver thingy that goes around my rear SKS mudguard which seems to have splayed out and was rattling annoyingly.

The result - a near silent commute. Kinda spooky really.

Beautiful ride into work today, I left late so I had calmer roads so I could really hammer it. It's great when the cooler weather kicks in - much better cold than hot!

FAST AND SMOOTH !

Lovely weather today ,cool mornings and nice afternoons, tomorrow's announced to be even better , sunny and warm .
Had a great ride today , the weekend resting did good for my legs .
I am glad to ride my bike these days.

memo to the middle-aged woman who stared at me with her angry face while we were waiting for a crossing signal (two full minutes, and me walking my bike through since it's a really bad intersection): keep looking at people like that and your face will stick that way.

oh, and i had poison ivy i picked up in the woods during my amazing saturday trip in. no fun. plus i put on new shoes and couldn't get into my toe clips right.

still beat driving though!