As I once suggested in another thread, try jogging around your apartment for half an hour or so. It's an extreme measure, but it has yet to fail no matter how not tired I might have felt before or how much was on my mind.

Yesterday afternoon, I broke a spoke on the fixie. I have to go somewhere after work, so i can't take the wheel in. I only have one fixed gear, so I rode the SS mtb in. Coasting feels really odd when you haven't done it in months. Oh well, at least I'll get some looks from the drivers tomorrow with my fixed wheel strapped to my back. This is the second spoke I've broken in a couple of months. I think it's time to build up some wheels and lose these Quando-hubbed wheels that came with my bike. Stay safe out there. Houston weather is so odd -- it was in the 30's last week, and now it has climbed back up and will hit the 60's today. We just get cold front blasts here. Last year we got snow on christmas, and were wearing t-shirts on new years.

Exciting commute for me today. About halfway to work I see traffic backed up for 1/2 mile onto Roy Rogers road. As I get closer I see what about 1 cm sheet of ice across the road. It has been quite cool in Portland but I wasn't expecting that. Apparenlty I hit the worst ice in the county (https://www.katu.com/stories/81715.html). I ended up falling once at low speeds. No damage other than my pride. But it was somewhat taxing. It was so slick you could hardly stand. Studs would have been awesome but it ended in 3 miles and this is the first time I've seen such conditions. It was fun to pass go slow and still pass cars.

I stopped to take a few photos. Hopefully they will come through as attachments (first time using this)

-Scott

I had a very nice commute in this morning. It was 25F/-4C (a heat wave), roads were pretty clear of snow for the most part. It was close to 30F/-1C at lunch time so I took a longer cruise at lunch time. I'm really looking forward to my ride home. It sounds like we might get clobbered by snow tomorrow and Thursday... hmmmmm... will see.

cold commute today (but very adaptable)! saw 3 locked bikes (catch the bus to a/c casinoes) and a fellow commutor (we are not alone)!
funny, i had to stop at about 8 red lites today, and actually got "noticed" at left-turn-only signal, contrary to yesterdays post

Commute home included some shopping downtown for a Balaclava (didn't have my size) and some Under Silk long johns (they had my size). It was cold out w/ a headwind all the way home from Houston St., but the headwind warmed me up cuz of the extra effort to actually move. Was sweaty when I got home so even pulling off one layer, I was still warm enough that I opened the pit zips to let some air in or out or whatever.

The ride to work this morning was nice, 37 degrees with a <5 mph headwind. I was running a little behind, so I took the main street through town. Traffic was fairly light due to the early hour. It felt good to time the lights and hit greens instead of stop signs. I left work early today, so I saw some late afternoon daylight. I need to get to a window once in a while. It was 50 degrees with no wind. The last 3 miles of my ride I just loped along behind an older man on a older 3 speed with a spring seat and panniers. He didn't have a taillight, so I just followed along until we turned in different directions 1/4 mile from home. If I run into him again, I'll suggest a taillight. He had a headlight and two rear reflectors so I figured he had decided for himself. I didn't feel like trying to lecture anyone today. The cagers were didn't crowd me, I wonder if it's because in the daylight they know I can get a plate number, or they can see I'm one big mofo.

Congrats, keep up the good work!

Cold!!

so three months ago when i started doing this, the health club had this honking great container of baby powder in the zone where the hairdryers go. i used to pour it liberally into my shoes, then shake them out once i was done showering. being both unwilling to carry two pairs of shoes every day and all self-conscious and twitchy and that about going to work with stinky feet.

well, so i used up their baby powder and waited expectantly for the baby-powder fairy to bring replacements. after a couple of days nothing had happened, so i took it upon myself to tell someone at the front desk. they thanked me somewhat bemusedly but didn't do a thing about it, except eventually remove the empty bottle. i said nothing more about it, being as how i didn't really want them discovering how it all got gone so fast in case it constitutes some kind of Massive Breach Of The Terms Of Service to put the baby powder they provide out the sweetness of their corporate hearts and in the clear light of good faith into your shoes. and after a while it occurred to me anyway that maybe it wasn't theirs after all, but belonged to one of their rich tennis players who thinks the place is their home.

so anyway. this week, only three months after starting this thing, it dawned on me that not all the little spritzy bottles lined up alongside where the bp once was (which are most certainly health-club possessions) are full of hairspray, which was why i'd been ignoring them. one of them was actually a fancy-pants holistic health-foody form of deodorant. not that i'm about to be starting to spritz a mixture of witch hazel and bergamot into my shoes, and not that i'm still using the shoes that started it all anyway, but sigh. too much of my life seems to work out like that.

still a tough ride both ways. i know why too, and there's probably nothing to do but wait it out. could rest but i don't want to; i'm sick of resting. this will be a four-day riding week anyway since i'll be downtown on thursday, so i really don't want to miss any of them. sometimes it occurs to me that it's always been a fight against something to make room to do this commute semi-regularly. right now i'm not feeling like i'll miss it when this job is done. i'll just be mad that it was so full of setbacks and impediments.

cool and grey all week so far, but not actively raining, i deliberately underdressed thinking that it might help keep the pain threshold down. it did, but i dunno if that was just because my legs both went numb. felt good even if that's all it was. i could get hooked on that.

songs: apple cider reconstitution, al stewart; let the sunshine in, from hair; and if venice is sinking, spirit of the west.

Things you don't want to get shouted at you as you ride past #42: "Have you seen two rotweillers anywhere?"



How do you lose two rotweillers?!

Otherwise, fastest commute for a while. Sure sign that the wind was behind me!

Damn Damn Damn !!!

I had to bring in 2 monitors from one office to another today, so I had to lug them in my car

No riding.... sheesh.

Around -5F here. Moisture crystalizing out of the air. A fine morning for a ride.

I went with a balaclava and ski goggles today. Got a tad overheated climbing the hill to my office building, but was otherwise comfortable. Long-sleeve cotton (I know, I know - I don't perspire much) shirt and nylon cycling jacket. Polar fleece on the legs. Gloves.

I saw a loon and some ducks swimming in the lake. The ducks had their feathers all puffed out against the cold.

I also saw some VERY strange tracks in the snow. Nothing I've seen before. Little feet with a well-defined line down the middle. Opossum?

Co-Worker, jokingly: "You got studs on those tires?"
Me: "Yes I do."
Co-Worker: "You do?"
Me: "Yep."
Co-Worker: "Nooo. Where?"
I point out the studs.
Co-Worker: "Wow!"

One of my layers ain't pulling its weight. Leaves me all clammy and traps the sweat. It's gone from the repertoire, relegated to use for fashion only in non-sweat environments. Meanwhile, my ski socks are pulling their weight. Hope I get the new ones I ordered last night soon otherwise I'll have to keep washing and rinsing the same pair every night. Ride today was a blast cuz of all the fast zig-zagging and fast lane splitting. Beat traffic down to midtown and even had the light at 42nd St. to make my left turn. Big change from the jam packed traffic of the last two days.

I put an wireless indoor outdoor thermometer on my x-mas list. The news this am said it was a balmy 25F this morning, so I dressed a bit lighter. When I stepped out the door it felt much cooler, like about 10F to 15F. Sure enough, when I passed the thermometer coming up the hill, it said 12F [with a stiff breeze].

There is a big big difference in 12 and 25 in regards to how you dress. Needless to say my hands, and feet were cold when I got to the office. Thank goodness for a steamy hot shower on arrival

I noticed this am that when it's getting light, the cars tend to give less clearance. In the dark, they are 1/2 in the next lane. When it's getting light, they just move next to the line.

Very fast ride in today. I was trying [failing] to keep up with my wife on the ride in. She was on her road bike, and I was on my single-speed mtb with spiked tires front and back. Thanks goodness for red lights, or she would have completely dropped me on the flats. Traffic was kinda nutz all over the city, but our route in was pretty clear.

It was about 20 degrees when I left this morning. I was wearing 5 layers to keep warm: 1) coolmax T shirt, 2) long sleeve cotton T, 3) fleece vest, 4) fleece jacket, and 5) Performance commuter rain/wind jacket. In addition, I wore my skull cap, wool socks and, full-finger gloves. I left late and was slow but not that cold. The exposed parts of my face were cold but everything else was fine. When I got to the garage some lady (in her car) and the guard were chatting away-blocking my entrance to the garage. I waited for a minute then asked the guard to pick it up a little, I was starting to get cold. He replied that I wasn't the only one. My ride home looks to be only slightly improved with about a 5 degree warm up. I've also been slowing it down a little to keep an eye out for tacks on the trail. Didn't spot any this morning although others have.

You sure it was the wind? Maybe it was the rotweillers.

Nice calm commute home last night, with a stop at a local restaurant on the way home since I had missed dinner.

Nice ride in today. Had to stop for a while to merge across one lane, but that's no big deal. There's this one section of road construction, too, the last two days. It's fun drafting behind a car for a few hundred feet and keeping up. Of course, once I pull out of the draft and the car accelerates back up to normal speeds, I get left behind.

17F at 0645, beautiful clear sky, bit of a head wind on the westerly ride to work, 9 miles, should be fun going home We have had the driest fall I can remember, very little precip here in Boulder. Got the commuter back from the shop, will put the fenders and rack on tonight. Got some arkel samauri panniers for my bday so will also try those out on tomorrows commute!

hi Scott

Which one is Roy Rogers Rd? Towards Sherwood?

Anyway, I live really close to Beaverton and part of my commute's on Beav. Hillsdale Hwy. Did you think the ice was worse this morning? I thought so... there was deffinitely more of it. There were also less bike commuters. I could see the tracks of two and saw only one cyclist on my way to work.
Take care

I rode in this morning at 20 degrees...a lsight headwind which made it worse. My finger always take the worst of it when it is anything lower than freezing...I had mild frostbite when I was a kid so my fingers are more suceptible than the average person's are. othe than that I was fine. Was wearing old military polypro pants (thin and thick), t-shirt, "wicking" long sleeve and a Cannondale LE Jersey. I also had balaclava. again the only thing bad were my hands!

off from work today to use personal time and work on thesis, so rode further than commute. COLD (+/- 24f) but refreshing study break!

Nothing unusual about tonight's commute which is fine w/ me. Took the direct route so I could park the car. Now it's time to be an obnoxious cager online w/ Midnight Club 3. Get home safe everyone!

Saw four deer on the way to work this morning. Two and then two more a little later.

I got almost home this afternoon to find the county ran the road grader down the road I live on. Which means it's too soft to effectively ride on with tires narrower than 1.75". Dismounted at the end of the road and started walking the bike home. Now, the second house on the left from the end of the street sits back off the road. It's one of the older houses that were here before this area was a neighborhood. They own all the way through to the next road. Anywho, they also have four dogs, all mutts, that always bark at me. The one that looks something like a shelty is almost always loose. The one that looks like some kind of terrier is always tied. The one that looks sort of like a black lab and the one that resembles a Chesapeake Bay retriever are almost always tied. Well today I'm walking the bike by there and the lab and the chessie come running out. Barking, growling, hair all the wrong way, I'm on the wrond side of the bike to use it for a shield, can't just spin the bike around with the trailer on it. Great, now I'm going to have to fight two big dogs. I start talking to them. Unafraid, because I know I could take either one, it's just that there's two is what I'm not sure about. The lab stops at the edge of the road. Hair still standing up she's not growling or showing teeth, she's just sniffing around, but I suspect she's waiting until I'm not watching her. The chessie get to the edge of the road turns around and trots back up toward the house, so now I'm watching the lab. Here comes the chessie. But, now she has a soccer ball? WTF? Just a few seconds ago you were making like you wanted to rip my legs off, and now you want to play? Women. So she drops the ball in the road and rolls it to me. I pick it up, throw it up in her yard and start to walk off. No way buddy, you're not getting away that easy. Here she comes with the ball. At this point the lab goes back to the house and I don't see her again. This goes on for about a dozen throws when I start walking on down the road. Here she comes following me. I tell her to go home and she turns and heads back to her house. I start walking home and here she comes, now without the ball. She won't get close enough to let me pet her, but she follows me all the way home and sniffs around the yard until I get my gear off the trailer and in the house, the trailer off the bike and inside, then bring the bike inside. I think if I'd stayed on the porch she'd still be out there.

Good ride to work and home . I thing i am the only person still riding to work, at my work . So I have the bike rack all to my self . Have a good nite .