Glad you're okay. Stories like that always send a chill down my back. You're so damned vulnerable out there. :(

Nice and cool, with a decent tailwind (finally). Was going at a decent clip when I get passed on all sides by roadies absolutely screaming. I realized they were racing each other so I just kept going and eventually caught up with them when they reformed their paceline. I got behind it and rode with them until I turned off the trail, because I had no desire to attempt to pass an eight-man line.

Yesterday ride home was bad. 17 mph headwind with 25-30 mph gusts, averaged 9.5 mph up a bunch of hills that are still challenging for a new commuter in CO (Eastbound C470 Trail from Highline/Broadway to Quebec/Acres Green).

Ride in this morning was great...took it a little easier and still managed to average 14.0 mph. Started biking about 4 weeks ago...started commuting both ways last week 15-22 mi RT. When I first started I had trouble going 2 miles and was averaging 7-8 mph. Pretty fun to see improvements so quickly!

Not bad all in all but I am still recovering physically from the booze abuse of July 4 weekend, feeling dehydrated and completely out of gas at times. During the ride today there is a point at which I need to get into a right-middle lane to safely get through a large intersection. This requires getting into traffic beforehand and pedaling no more than 100 yards in that lane up to the light. However this was apparently completely unacceptable to this one car behind me, who lays on the horn and buzzes by me, only to reach the red light ahead a mere 5 seconds before I do. People are jerks I guess, c'est la vie.

80% humidity and 79F. It felt like swimming!

My second water bottle cage, which is affixed with zipties on top of rubber pads came off. I need to find a better way to attach it sometime.

I found a second biker who can go faster than me! At College & St George there was this long line of bikers in the bike lane waiting for the light, so I just went around them all. Then a block or two later some bike whizzes by me. I was shocked. I pushed myself and paced him (slightly altering my route) until he made a right off Spadina (onto King) where I yelled after him "have a good day!" and went my way.

Mr Yellow Roadie whom I was following this morning: are you here?

I think you're supposed to quietly back away...

Raced a train up Hwy 2 yesterday afternoon. I woulda beat it too if there wasn't an abandoned car sitting in the shoulder. I had to go through the ditch to pass it. Kind've a big deal because i just missed beating the train and i have to cross it's path.

This morning i saw another cyclist in the rural portion of my commute. I've never seen another cyclist during this portion of the commute, a ver rare sighting indeed.

I didn't wake up all the way this morning. I actually had my eyes closed for the first few blocks - good thing it's all straight! The weather is supposed to turn rough for the ride home, so I have a rain jacket...

Wow, this is a lame post. :(

Took the long way home and ran into a another cyclist, which is a somewhat rare site.

I noticed them as I turned out of a residential area onto a major road. They were WAY up ahead. I assumed i wouldn't catch them before my turn and didn't try. To my surprise I found myself closing quickly and began watching them as I approached. The person had a helmet mounted mirror and was watching for approaching cars. As they passed, the person would stop pedaling. They were moving less than 10mph, perhaps closer to 5 and as they coasted for cars, the decreased speed made them wobble just a bit.

I took the lane to pass them and kept going. I have mixed feelings about the incident. On one hand I'm glad to see a cyclist on the road instead of the sidewalk, as is typical around here. On the other, I watching them ride left me a little concerned for their safety. I'm not sure if I had a legitimate concern, or if it's just that I rarely get to witness other people riding on the road in town. Probably more of the later.

Nice ride this morning. Humid as all get out, but that's the way it goes around here sometimes. No cops, no ugly cagers, one (large) roadkill cat on the rural portion of the route - someone lost a cat last night. There was one lady in a SUV that I thought was going to be trouble. She pulled up to a stop sign at an intersection that I was about to pass through. Had her entire body turned to her right facing the passenger side of the car, one hand on the wheel, the other messing with something on the console or passenger seat (makeup, PDA, or breakfast? I'll never know...) I never saw her look left and was positive she was going to roll through the stopsign - covered the brakes and got ready to take evasive action, but she must have seen me out of her peripheral vision or something. Scary how much attention drivers DON'T put on the road (guilty of that myself at times....)

Oo! Oo! I took the Trek in to the LBS to be looked over for a parts order. The drivetrain is pretty much toasted. Needs a new chain, outer ring (at least), and cassette. But they had everything in stock so they're doing it today, plus truing the rear wheel which is a little off.

So my ride home will be on a brand new drivetrain, and, um, in the dark. :eek: I nope nothing fails en route. Cell phone: Charged.

Beautiful morning, nice ride.

Before taking off, decided to tackle a slow leak that developed in my rear tire. On the one hand, I managed my first lever-less tire removal, but on the other hand I snapped the little core thingy in my presta valve so my much-patched tube, the only one that has been in that tire, bought the farm after all.

My commute was great this morning, but a little on the painful side.

Yesterday, I did a 34 mile ride averaging 17.9 mph. I'd be fine today, but I didn't 1) drink enough water after the ride, 2) I didn't eat enough after the ride, 3) I didn't replenish my electrolytes after the ride, and 4) I didn't stretch before going to bed last night.

flyingcadet

Not much to report today except this. One of my pet peeves as a cyclist is drivers who use right-turn-only lanes to pass me on the right. This morning I watched two drivers do this to other drivers as I waited at a red light. But the kicker was watching a police officer do it too. I literally applauded as she drove past me, though I don't think she saw it.

Lady, if you really need to get there that fast and you're a cop, hit the lights and siren. The fact that you didn't tells me you're just an impatient jerk like the rest of the drivers. :(

I'm beginning to get really unhappy with using a key 4-way stop intersection on my way home from work, but the alternatives would add 50% to the distance and vertical climb. Yesterday yet another "courteous" driver tried to wait get me to go out-of-turn at the busy 4-way stop intersection (in the dark), confusing everyone and making the other cars mad at ME. It was clear which vehicle I was in the order, and my foot was on the ground. No I couldn't see the driver inside the dark car, or whether they were trying to make hand signals or something. When it was clear they weren't going I started forward, but had to stop as another who had arrived last at the intersection jumped the line and crossed ahead of me. Grrrrr! Riding in town is hard enough without these unpredictable people! :(

Get that car number and report her!!!! When the police don't know the rules we're all in trouble! :eek: At least write the police chief or whoever and explain the problem.

the 5 mile trip to work at 8pm was rather miserable at 100 with slight humidity, but the return trip at 7 am was a very nice 80F which prompted me to take the long ride home, a spirited 20 miles.

there is no way better to end a graveyard shift then with a good hard workout. allows me to fall asleep within 20 mins.

well, I wasn't able to ride in this morning, since I had a chiropractor appt. I have a bit of a history of back issues from sports and a car accident, and the increased biking aggravated it a bit.

Anyhow, feeling guilty, I went out and rode 10 miles, which is the same as my commute distance 1 way :)

It rained here before leaving, and the roads were very wet, it was humid, and I was a bit glad to get home, but glad I went.

Didn't leave the office until about 10 last night. Still hot and crappy though. As I was walking out, one of the janitors said "You're not going to ride your bike at night, are you?"

Uh, yeah.

"Oh, be really careful!"

Oh. Okay. You be careful too.

[sheesh]

At that time of night it's probably safer than at rush hour. Hope you have a mega bike light. I find it to be really useful but requires an 8 lb battery (not that bad, since hills are minimal on my commute).

Mine was good today with my newly tuned up bike (I did the 75 mile service, on the relatively new bike yesterday). Now the gear cable which had stretched, is retuned and clicks like a well oiled clock when shifting. Hot and humid now in Louisville: thanks Ohio Valley. Really all's well and the fun factor is high with this. Definitely get my 30 min of exercise per day and more.

Now planning to carry a small camera on my commute as I nearly always wish I had it with me on the rides. Saw a 3ft diameter oak felled on a house this morning after last night's wind storm. Tragic, but shows the resident's tolerance of nature, and that street IS unusually shady.

Yeah, I have a 12W Jetlite and two Planet Bike Superflash blinkies. I'm pretty visible.

Heh heh. People do have a bizarre idea of when riding a bike might be dangerous. Even people who see me ride in every day in all weather continually ask me if I want a lift because 'it's dark' or 'it's raining' etc and therefore dangerous.

Much nicer ride in today. Still very cold (it's been in single digit temperatures for 2 days now!!!) so my fingers were a bit numb when I arrived. I'm considering getting some full-finger gloves and leg warmers. It's chilly with only knicks, a short-sleeved jersey and fingerless gloves!

I tried a new hill on the way to work today...too bad that the hill still has to go the same distance up either way...oh well, back to the regular route I guess.

Yesterday on the Commute home I tried a different route, it was beautiful, but there was a long patch of a dirt road that wasn't well kept, Though I think I might have found a work around. So I am hopeful that my Daily commute might improve to be more scenic.

Today was nice, clear skies, cool. I bought a new helmet mirror so, was very handy. I also passed another commuter today! That's only the second time this summer I have passed another commuter. Then later, a SECOND commuter going the opposite direction! I made it to work the exact same time as yesterday, so these people must be early or late to their jobs. ;)

Quite an improvement over yesterday! Dry, crisp, but with a howling crosswind that was neither helping nor hurting. Just a few more degrees to my back and I could have thrown up the spinnaker and coasted to work. :p

New outer ring. New chain. New cassette. It's all shiney and clean. Shifts smoothly. Runs quietly. Doesn't skip under load in the littler cogs. I should have done this weeks ago. Oh well. I'm going to get a chain wear tool and maybe use Sheldon's cleaning and lubing system now that I have a powerlink.

Oh, new rear wheel too. :eek: Apparently my Race Disk was developing flat spots. I got a Rhyno Lite to replace it. Seems to get mixed reviews, but the people who don't like it talk as though they're abusing them, so whatever.

Sail-bikes! Now there is an Idea! I would imagine the continental winds being too variable to be effective in most places. Though the concept of combining two of my favorite hobbies, sailing and cycling peaks my interest!


Edit! http://www.vsv.cape.com/~harharb/windbike.html it exists! Though probably only works around large bodies of water.