rode in this AM on a gorgeous day, just a sweater over a T-shirt weather. pushed the pace a bit on the way in but was tired from a hard, fast 55m road ride on Sunday so the legs felt a little rubbery.

On the way back I had a little bit of a sea breeze for a while and got overconfident thinking I could pound hard all the way home and then hit a very light headwind coming round into Brighton and almost bonked with fatigue. Might be better to just chill out a bit and use the commute for the slow cumulative miles. A little less impressive but better than having to take a nap on a park bench so I can make it back home.

Really pretty day.

man, the tab order on that 'you forgot to log in' screen is just whacked. in keeping with the rest of today.

not enough sleep. i was really trying to be out by 7 so i could be at work by 8 so i could leave before 5, so i could get home in comfortable time to take my kid to practice by 6. i would have been dead on the money for all of it if this daylight-savings foolishment had not been thought up.

raining a little when i left this morning, but i didn't notice until i was outside and then i thought 'eh'. late already and didn't want to go through the whole rain-pants fandango when i had my shoes on. got fairly wet, and got going fast enough in some places to get that Fear of a spectacular crash due to raindrop hitting unprotected eyeball and causing blindness. so was clean and at work by 9, and confidently expecting to fail over to the backup plan, which involved my kid getting himself to practice and me fetching him.

neglected to inform him of that. gave him the choice via phone of getting there by himself, on time, or waiting for me to show up whenever that might happen to be, and being however late that might happen to cause him to be. guess which one he picked. kids these days have no backbone, that's what. chapter of total accidents just getting the bike out of the cage. included things like forgetting the water bottle again - in exactly the same spot as friday. being unable to open the lock and put-near garotting self due to key being on same ring as id tags, and id tags being on long ribbon looped around neck, and messenger bag being strapped on and clipped in OVER the ribbon . . . if anyone had seen me they would have gone and asked someone why they're paying me all this money to be so smart, when i'm apparently unable to open a simple lock without throttling myself. home like a bat out of hell, but in really slow time because that [bleep]ing hip is hurting again, fell over cat. kid dressed and ready and clutching his gatorade, backing slowly and carefully away and not sayin' nothin' while i de-biked and de-bagged myself. driving to practice, realised i'd left my water behind again - this time on the bike. almost thirsty enough to drink gatorade, but man. i'm not that far gone.

stuck at practice for two hours, trying to stay out of the pitcher's line of sight so my blinding-green hhmfc jacket wouldn't put his eye out and cause him to murder my kid with a wild fastball. that jacket is very ansi. kid hit another standup double!! :D

thank god it's a 4-day week, that's all i'm saying.

songs: i hate you (but you're interesting), the beautiful south; i think the answer's yes, the beautiful south; danny boy.

I did it! First time ever!
 

Yesterday was the second time in this attempt at commuting that I took the bike out, and the second time in a row, and only the fifth day I've owned the bike.

I took the bike to a station half way in the morning - feeling quite good about it.

On the way home I decided it wasn't worth the effort of carrying the bike to the station and despite the first part of the journey being up hill I decided to see how far I could get under my own steam.

I made it all the way - almost 11 miles in a bit over an hour, stuck at a few lights and pinched by a few nasty b**tards but when they couldn't move fast enough I just took up the same lane positioning which got me a bit more respect as I sat in their traffic with them and waited for lights and junctions with them rather than trying to push past.

This morning I can feel some of the effects of the ride and am trying to summon the energy to head out again.

Considering I had planned on 4 miles a day each week and so far this week I've managed 15 I'm dead chuffed.

Outstanding commuting weather this week but no riding today. :(
I've been hitting the morning meetings at all the REI stores in town lately to discuss Bike Month and talk about some of the things that will be happening in Atlanta.
Today I'll be at the Mall of Georgia store. It's about 30-40 miles (48-64 km) from my house and I have no idea about how to get there except driving up I-85. Then I'll be heading back down I-85 to get to work.
So I guess I'll put 75-85 miles (120-137 km) on the car today.
Back to the bike tomorrow. :beer:

I'd HARDLY call that wimping out! I'd say you already put in more work than your commute could ever be - I've been there (and with 2 kids under 3 will most certainly be there again) and it's no fun... Hope you recover quick!

My ride home last night was a whip! A fun whip, but a whip nonetheless, thanks to the blasted 18MPH headwind. Got so brutal going up one usually easy hill that I tried to get down in an aero position on my MTB by resting my elbows on the grips. I was pretty sure I wouldn't be needing the brakes at that point in time, but I didn't feel particularly stable so it didn't last long. Anyway, got home feeling good, and then the family hit the road for another 6 or 7 very slow miles around the neighborhood, with the kids behind me in the Trek trailer and the wife on her new Crossroads, which she seems to really be enjoying.

Good ride on the trike today. Hills are still a slow slog, and I expect they will continue to be for a while longer. I'll be replacing the tires with new slicks and maybe that will help a bit. In the end though, it still comes down to how much my legs can take before cramping or hurting!

The ride home yesterday was longer than usual, as I decided to take a more "scenic" route. At the very end, I accidentally hit a rather nasty uphill, which is difficult enough to climb on a DF, and a total killer on a trike with untrained legs. Yeowch! I had to pull onto the sidewalk for the last bit of the climb.... *shame*

I also really, really need to get a chain cleaner. My chain is currently a greasy mess and I'm sure it is slowing me down.

But, it gets a bit easier each time, so that's good I guess!

Had a great ride home last night, took the long way to try and make up some miles since I didn't get many in last week. This morning was nice and cool in the lower 40s so I took it easy and had a nice ride in. I have to fly home this afternoon to shower and get ready for the US Mens Soccer game vs. Jamaica that I am going to tonight :) :) :)

wet road == wet ass.

damn. lol

hey boston, it's getting warm.......

ps. i'm still waiting on my merit badge for being from california and still riding all winter

Gawd, I love Spring!

50F when I left so I rode in a t-shirt. Bright and sunny out and there were fewer right hookers this morning, but one idiot trucker who couldn't wait to get stuck in traffic. I think the beautiful weather is making people even crazier. Cagers are more impatient and peds don't bother looking when they cross the street.

A little cooler up north. Left home with tights, cycling shorts, poly long john shirt, jersey, light jacket, full gloves, and a skull cap. By the time I hit denver I was in cycling shorts, poly shirt, half finger gloves, and a jersey.
Then I lost a cleat screw :(
Guess I get to ride to downtown denver half clipped in. Darn replacement bolts are at home.
Oh well.

Good ride to work & home yesterday. I hope today ride goes as well . Have a good day .

I worked out at the gym before heading home last night. I barely made it up my lawn to the door. I was completely dead. After an invigorating plate of Tuna Surprise, I watched 24 and went to bed. THis morning was pretty refreshing, with a bit of drizzle to keep me awake. Now I'm hungry - I'll burn a CD and send it before I grab some breakfast.

Nice ride this morning. Not a lot of traffic, but I did notice a lot of angry people at the gas station.

The light was green 6 cars ahead and I'm all like WTF why arent teh cars moving and then suddenly i see the hood of a semi-truck sticking out. I'm like WTF what are you doing foolios. He then pulled all the way out. Big ass ace hardware truck. I've adjusted my commute 2 hours earlier so combined with the cloudy weather we've been having it's alot cooler. Traffic is still a ***** and a half though.

As a life long BeanTowner, I here by award this Commuter Merit Badge to Transplant for his unwavering commitment to commuting and fitness.

It must said that this a was mild winter respectively. Consider this past winter a prelude :D.

Nice ride today! Sunny, little wind, not much traffic. A smart looking M.I.T. Student nearly walked out in front of me. He must have calculated in his mind that it would be safer to check the lane furthest from himself first. That way he'd have less time to react to objects moving closes to him.

Did my short route again as planned, was just out of sorts this morning though...rode off without my glasses, got about a block and realized I was tearing up :-) The whole ride felt really slow though, I think it's cause I ate to much last night. We made taco's will all the trimmings (home made guacamole and everything) it was GREAT but I ate to much.

By the time I got to work I was feeling more "with it" but I'm still kind of dragging, need to get out and be mobile this afternoon to get some more energy. Gonna do 20 miles home today cuz it's the only day this week I'll have time.

Once Holy Week is over and church commitments are fewer, I'll be able to do longer rides, I need to...to gear up for the BTC.

A bit sluggish today since I'm still fighting a cold. And I was late out of the garage for having to reinstall the fenders that I took off last week in a premature fit of Springiness.

I got a bit sweaty with my REI trackpants and Gore-Tex jacket. I guess it's not THAT breathable after all. These days of wet and warm are hard to dress for.

The weather yesterday (Monday) was so great I completely forgot about posting. I took the long way to work, long cruise at lunch and long way home and ended up with 32 miles and then my wife and I did a 12 mile loop on our tandem! Today is pretty nice too so far (the are talking rain but I haven't seen it yet and it's 2pm). Same story today, long way in and long lunch cruise. You can tell I was ready for some good summer like weather.

saw 2 banana peels on the road today, a few traces of bike tracks in sand on the road, during my 20 mile extended ride home today. saw no other bikers w'helmet today, but i know i'm not along out here!
rode to work everyday this year (except 2.5 days last month, due to that repeated flat tire depression/funk) :-) !
traffic, temp, health, is well and predictable!

Took the long way home today which is 11 miles longer than the ride to work. Overheard the following from a woman to her male friend around Battery Park: I don't think I could fake an orgasm with another woman.

first long ride
 

I usually ride just a couple of blocks to the train station, and ride that and then bike just another couple blocks to work. But today I went ahead rode home without using the train. The total ride is a mere 7-8 miles, but I am a noob, and wanted to wait for the good weather to give it a try. Well is was a great day and the ride was a lot of fun. I will deffinitly be riding all the way more often!!

woke up late this morning and was late coming in... so no morning rush hour for me. 54 degrees and a slight headwind coming in. generally a smooth commute. seemed like there was a lot more traffic than usual. no close passes or honks but a couple tailgaters and one person gunning the engine to pass (but in the other lane so all was good). I made good enough time coming in even though I was really tired.

the ride back was fun, and the temps warmed up to the mid 70's. first I went up and down the PB and trolley trails then rode to my parents' house about 3 miles away. the route I took was mostly residential streets, with one shortcut where I dismounted and walked the bike across a crosswalk. took a slight detour through a neighborhood park at one point on the route home, that was fun. also rode by a wrecked car that the county police put out for "Buckle Up Week" ... somewhat unsettling but it drives the point home effectively. all in all though, it was a great ride back, no problems at all.

:beer: I second the commendation. And don't let the weather gods know you thought it was a mild winter because they will hammer us next year for that. So, this winter was TOUGH! BRUTAL! KICKED OUR BUTTS! and anyone who rode through even half of it deserves a week off on a Caribbean island.

and my commute today was beautiful. Sweet weather. Perfect temp. I'm happy, healthy, what more is there?

Funny; I was just talking to my sister yesterday about how I've never fallen with my clipless pedals...

I was on the last part of my 6.5 mile commute today, when I pulled up to a line of cars waiting for a light at a busy intersection. The old fart (:D) in front of me was too far right for me to squeeze past, so I decided to chill in line and wait for the green light. I noticed a handicapped tag hanging from his rearview mirror.

Just then, he noticed me in his rearview mirror and pulled left a little bit so I could pass. I clipped in and began to pedal, but I quickly realized that I wasn't going fast enough to get started. Before I knew it, I was on the ground.

I was very close to the curb, so I was able to stick my hand out to break my fall, and my bike frame never touched the ground. My ego, however, was damaged. I finally unclipped, stood up, turned around, and waved to the lady behind me to let her know I was okay. After she saw me wave, her look of concern turned into a chuckle. :o

Oh, and some guy in a pickup truck drifted into the bike lane early in my commute. :mad: I yelled "HEY!" and when I got close enough, I told him, "Watch the BIKE LANE!" I think he got the message.

I've decided on a new mantra to say in my head whenever I approach an intersection (see my signature for details).

Good ride to work & home. Have agood nite .

Heavy rain both ways. Hope it stops soon, next week I pick up my new road bike, and my county's Transportation Authority has a program that might pay me $100 of the cost of my new bike since I use it to commute. They also have an emergency ride home program that would give me a free ride home in case of an emergency. They want me to ride, I don't believe it. They are encouraging bicycle commuting. How great is that? I have a couple of coworkers that are considering starting to ride to work when the weather clears, with incentives like these I might not be my company's only bike commuter, at least in good weather. Today was good, no problems, just a few waves from drivers that are used to seeing me ride in the rain.

whoa. i think i'll be calling in sick tomorrow - i'd better be sick, i'd hate to feel like this for no reason. today was gorgeous though. i got out of the house at 7:30, knowing there was another practice at 6. such a pretty morning; perfectly the right kind of crispy-cool, and clouds still left over from the night so no sun-glare looking up approaching cross-streets. spring stuff is happening in what trees there are along the banks of the great grey-green greasy fraser. at the top of the bridge i stopped and got off to let someone approaching me go through, so i got to look down at the water for once. throughout the ride, i got to watch some pretty serious thunderstorm stuff setting itself up over the west side of the city. was cool.

tell you one thing i hate though. when you pack the day's work-clothes in a hurry and don't discover until the shower part that you picked the shirt the cat's been sleeping on. spent the day working in a fleece and pretending there was a shirt under it.

left work at 5. go me. and whoa was it ever gridlocked today. i don't usually ride right at the peak of rush hour, so i thought the 2.5k of nose-to-tail cars was the usual thing. it wasn't that different from my memory of what sent me to biking in a fit of temper about 8 months ago. i found out later at practice that there'd been some hideous accident somewhere to the south of me and what i saw was probably a lot of people trying to use alternate routes. something like that really causes a bike to make sense anyway. i thought of the new york commuters from this board while i was threading my way past all those side-view mirrors. made me feel all cosmopolitan-like.

all that gridlock going nowhere, and someone in an 18-wheel truck was the only driver who actually stopped trying to get around it and waited for me to get across the feeder lane onto the bridge. whoever said that about truckers being the most civilised driver-group they've encountered has had the same kinds of experience as me.

home in plenty of time to make practice. yee hah. and just noticed sometime today that i have until friday to get the car emissions-tested and re-insured. that's what not using it much does to you. karma's in tune though, cause there's a break from practice tomorrow and thursday, so all is good.

i took a extra half-dose of sulfa this morning to try bring my hip under control. doctor's suggestion, so it's okay to do. it might have worked on the hip, but not sure it's worth it. i feel kind of sick.

songs: peggy's kitchen wall, bruce cockburn; gaels blue, michael marra; should have been loved, the proclaimers.