it's just one of those days...

last tuesday, i got a rear flat tire near a local 5 point (5 road) intersection. fixed it and road home, done for the week, no more commutes this week...too hot (?)!

today, 1 week later, i commute through same area (5 points) remembering flat rear from last week. a little later, flat front, what gives? called work, ie: pending lateness, repaired tube, got to work about on time...

today again, prepping to leave work, notice front tire was flat (again). inspection revieled trashed stem and tube wasted. replaced tube, good to go home!

with the wind on my back, crusing through the "5 point" area, there goes my rear tire again, flat. co-worker going same direction, gave lift home (thx!). inspection showed culpret was aluminum staple this time, removed, and tube/tire repaired.

probably will ride tomorrow, but am a little deflated about commuting at this second...

For the most part you guys have great riding weather! Wish I was there...Today here in North Texas it was 110 and pretty dang windy. I still enjoyed the ride, but I am not looking forward to too many more days like this.....

Yeah, I got that too. Somehow missed out on the 'tailwind' part, though. :mad: I got blown back, blown around, nearly knocked over, sprinkled on...but the temperature was nice, and I really appreciated the clouds. Bonus: I was able to ride home in my work clothes instead of changing into shorts and a tank top.

Heh. I was running late for my home leg, so I managed to get it done in a mere 30 compared to the usual 35, even though I had some headwind :D I also went through the entire water bottle which I usually only do in real hot weather.

No working today, but I rode to Auto Zone to get a microfiber towel to keep my new bike looking great. I was pulling up next to the door when an associate comes out and says that they don't have a bike rack, but that I can just bring the bike in. I get some oohs and ahhs from the employees who appreciate the aesthetics as much as I do in about the last place I'd expect a bike admirer.

I got the greatest gut laugh in a long time today on my ride too. I was riding up to a red light, maybe a block away, when some guy sticks his head and shoulders out the window and yells back at me. They get into the narrow left turn lane and he gets mirrored by a car stopped in line at the red light. I split lanes and he is grabbing the back of his head with both hands as if he has the most severe migraine in history. I ruled out brain damage, as there wasn't much brain to be damaged, and told him to have a great day.

Wow. Haven't posted to this thread in a week--had to go back 7 pages to find my last one. Scattered showers this AM, but I missed 'em pretty much. A little wet and ~70F/21C. Kinda' nice...

Yesterday morning I was cruising along the arterial when a large garbage truck pulled over and stopped in the right-hand lane (3-lane each way divided). The driver jumped out and ran around the front of the truck for something. When he came back around I had moved onto the center lane to get by and he was holding out a reflective vest still in its package! "Here ya go man, nobody can see you!" he said. I laughed and kept on up the hill saying (most likely to myself at that point), "Man, if you can't see me then you shouldn't EVEN be driving!"

I run a headlight, two tailights, and an Alert Shirt, and have reflective piping or striping on my Camelbak, saddle, saddlebag, front and rear of my shoes and on my tires! Even so, I was ordering a Japanese brass bell pre-mounted on a 11/8" headset spacer this morning (Velo Orange is moving and so won't be shipping for a week after today), so I tacked on a PB Superflash.

Even a lunatic is capable of a relevant observation--though it doesn't make the lunatic any less of one, neither does it make the observation any less relevant.

Or maybe I just don't wanna get creamed by the next trash truck that thunders by... :D

Mid 60s, no wind. Some sunshine.

I spotted someone riding from my neighborhood so I reeled him in but didn't pass. Reasonably quick commute. 15-17MPH most of the way. He'd bump up to 20 once in a while. I think he works near me, too. I took a slightly different route and got ahead of him, then I saw him riding up to the next office building down the road as I was walking into my building. Hmm.

Edit: I also saw two foxes! The kind with bushy tails and sharp teeth, not the pretty kind in lycra. :)

I woke up to find someone had eaten the last apple. Which is usually what I eat in the morning to get the calories I need for my relatively short commute (8 miles). This meant i had to make something, It took an extra 10 minutes to get breakfast done, and since I cut it pretty close usually anyway, I was scared I would be late for work.

So I booked it all the way here and made it in good time. Had some help with the lights, so I got here with 3 minutes to spare. Not too shabby!

It was supposed to rain this afternoon, but the forecast changed and it's supposed to be sunny with a few clouds. Good news!

Also my Brake levers came in for my conversion to bull horns! Since I commute to work via cycle, I'll be waiting to get it done, but I have the Parts I needed to order, the Ultegra Bar-End shifters and the Paul Components Cross Levers.

They were saying I'd have to mount it on the "flat bar" part of the bull horns, but I think I can actually mount them closer to the shifters, looking at the way the brakes work, I've seen someone do it just the same, and when I rode their bike, it worked great, so I'll ask them again. Anyway. It'll be nice to ge that out of the way over the weekend.

It was late, I was grumpy, I was underdressed...and I forgot a very important undergarment. Not a good morning. But now I have warm clothes (and layers, to minimize my wardrobe malfunction!) and coffee, so it's all good.

Confucius say - he who install folding bead tire on straight-sided aluminum rim have exploding tube. 3.5 miles from home.

Oops. That was Monday. This morning was *brilliant*. Might be the niceset weather of the year. Not a cloud, lower humidity, light, comfortable breeze, a quick pace. Love it.

i left the house a little earlier today and it was a relaxing ride in...the sun was shining, i need to lube the chain again tonight seems to be a little squeaky

does anyone use ice wax on their chain? i may just need to apply it more frequently

Leisurely pace this morning (12MPH average); a lot on my mind. Got caught by the train at Texas Ave., but luckily it was rather short. Hot in the 80s with 89% relative humidity at 6:00 am. :eek:

Yesterday was the first day commuting on my new Tarmac with clipless pedals. Yesterday was also the first time I forgot to unclip and tipped over at a big intersection. :\

This morning went better. A bunny tried to kill me but I lived to tell the tale. I'm running low on food at the house so I'll have to pick something up for lunch, ah well. More time on the bike!

Commute home yesterday was a bear, I collapsed and fell asleep. The roads are filled with motoring idiots! Can we discuss idiot motorists? What motorist was the most stupid on your commute ...? Tell me yours and I'll tell you mine. Let's just 1 at a time though - cause I can go on forever!

My commute in today was in may car. OMG I felt so quilty. What a luxury! I'll be biking tomorrow. Running at lunch today.

New rule: "ALWAYS road test any changes to the bike."

I swapped my clipless pedals out for new ones on Sunday, and this morning I couldn't clip in my left foot properly. I'm an idiot...

Still, it was a nice ride anyway.

Pleasant weather if a bit warm. I got my brother to ride the first third or so with me :). (He took the subway from there...)

I installed toe clips for regular pedals and did a check out ride. They stank so I hack-sawed most of them away and now I only use the front that holds just the toe. The straps are gone too. It was like I needed to buy special shoes to fit into the toe clips - to heck with that! I think they are helping - I haven't slipped off a pedal.

Saw a lot of commuters today, I was running behind, still achy from this weekend's crash.

A very humid ride in this morning means it will be unbearably humid this afternoon. Also, I sorta tweaked my 'good' knee halfway into my ride so that is very frustrating. Been at work for 2 hours now, and I'm in a cranky mood (nothing like working on help desk). Despite the humidity, I'm so glad I rode in. I will need the decompression time.

Lovely! Low traffic, cool but not cold, and city council is proposing harsh fines for those who litter. No more lit cigarettes out the window? Dare to dream...

I had my own little newly paved highway through downtown Akron this morning. They've had the pavement all tore up on Broadway for the last week, but I guess they started putting down the new asphalt last night, because when I came through this morning they had all the traffic diverted to the far left lane, which was still tore up, while the remaining 4 lanes were all nice blacktop, but closed to all traffic...except me. :D

2 kid dropoff morning. Tried a couple routes I usually don't through downtown, worked pretty well. Sprinkly, 60s, a nice change (from 40s/50s am, 70s/80s pm).

A perfect day and I have an injured ACL.:(

As I drove our van to work, I saw people walking downtown and wished I were part of the club today.

I learned I get even more respect pulling the trailer. I got a lot of strange and interested looks too.
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/100_2205.jpg

Leisurely ride in today. I'm thinking of trying cyclocross this fall so I found some 30mm knobbies that just fit my brake calipers. Also I put wider bars and a higher stem on for a more upright stance. And lowered the gearing.

Anyway, it makes for a very plush ride on the old 660. Looking forward to taking her up to Tahoe City this weekend to see how she climbs and handles the fire roads.