The bushfire smoke was back again this morning. Of course, I have a face mask now, but it found a new way to get me. I woke up this morning with a sore throat and the smell of smoke all through the house. At one point it was so bad I could barely see across the street. The smoke actually cleared up relatively quickly, but my throat is still sore.

Two dark, windy days!

Yesterday was very cold. I had the wind with me on the way to work, and had to struggle against it all the way home.

Today it got up to 50 degrees! (I had given up on seeing those temperatures again before spring!) The wind had changed directions. I struggled all the way in to work, and whizzed home. My repaired headlight started to go bad again tonight--it flickered whenever I went over a rough spot and went out altogether at times. One of those times was when I was passing the home of the Hound of the Baskervilles--a large dog that comes snrling after me in darkness, so close I can reach out and touch it. Baskerville turned out to be a rather frightened Golden Retriever, who barked at me all the while I walked past the house, trying to beat my headlight into submission. His owners came home as I went by, too--what kind of people leave their dog running loose when they're not home? I had one other scare when nearly home, when I suddenly heard a large animal rustle through the grass beside the road. It was probably just a raccoon.

I've found that keeping an itchy wool scarf tied over my nose and mouth staves off the cold-air asthma fairly well. Doesn't do a thing for the goal of keeping my glasses less foggy, though.

Chris, any end in sight to the fires? Sounds like its getting (has been) nasty. Park yourself in front of an air purifier!

I must say, that riding home tonight in the pouring rain and strong winds had me grinning from ear to ear.. what a blast!

The concentration needed just to see what was on the road in front of me was intense, as I would be riding and all of a sudden a large branch would appear across the bike lane. Definately something to go around, otherwise I would definately go over. There was so much debris on the road, it was crazy.

Some good lightning bolts off in the distance, a rare treat for the Bay Area. I never did hear thunder.

Riding in the rain is a blast. However, my wife protests for my safey. So I think a comprimise may be in order soon.

Short commute today. I went for dinner with my parents last night, and stayed over. They only live 6 miles from work!

It was raining, which is great. I love splashing through puddles, and passing all those miserable-looking drivers!

Ellie

Rain again today, also a lot of traffic for some reason. This is a tricky combination as you always have to be ready to brake in a hurry, but stopping power is reduced... Still, I was moving faster than many of those strange metal boxes on wheels even if they were staying dry

Have a good weekend,

Ed

Rain for me too. Unfortunately its getting worse and the wind has decided to join in as well. The ride home tonight is going to be interesting to say the least.

Nice, clear, cold morning with a slight headwind. I added a layer of fleece and stayed toasty on the way into work. The sun is shining bright and the temp. is rising, this may just turn into a , take the long way home day for me. No flats on the way home and no flats this morning, I thnik I'm on to something, Yesterday after the second flat, I turned the tire inside out and cleaned a the past punctures on the inside of the tire, I then put a nashbar glueless patch on all of them and installed a new tube. I think some of the larger cuts were actually giving me pinch flats. Time for new tires, I won't buy the panaracer pasela again, 1245 miles and they're quite worn and tattered. They sure didn't wear like the conti's did. I have to start shopping around for a good replacement for the winter. Have a great day all.

Winter's over!!! +8 C (46 F) this morning + a healthy tailwind. Bike gloves and windbreaker, no chilling today. The ride home tonight into the wind might be a pain, but who cares, it's Friday!!!

Well, the cold is settling in, which makes for good riding!!!
I took a back road in to town and it was a blast.

Had a beautiful commute. Sky was overcast, temperature was near sixty I figure. The knee warmers were almost unnecessary. I had a nice tailwind most of the way as well. I annoyed a bus driver (well I figure I annoyed him) by playing tag most of the way through the city of Tempe. I kept passing him and he kept passing me. I had one driver awhile back when I rode his bus tell me that he admires our intestinal fortitude for riding on the road (he was a motorcyclist). Anyway, back to the commute, no honked horns, no annoying people telling me what they think. Just a beautiful commute. Traffic wasn't even that bad (that is probably why there were not horns or opinions). I felt about a dozen raindrops at one point. Enough to be refreshing but not a hindrance.

Torrential rain going to work

Torrential rain and strong headwind going home, also the closest NDE I've had as a commuter, it was only my yell of panic and the drivers quick reactions that saved me.( truly frightening )

The fires will end when this drought breaks. Before it started, bushfires were unheard of around here, however, because everything is so bloody dry, and because Queensland hasn't yet made arson illegal, we have some problems. Of course, the fire fighters are also faced with a water shortage, which doesn't help.

I did get to see a very nice sunset last night.

Crazy.. Here, everything seems to work in such a fashion that if it causes the tax payers to pay for the prevention of it (arson, smoking indoors, whaterver) people find a way to make it illegal.

Its nice to know I can bun a park or something there ang get away with it.



No commute today, I am leaving work early to catch a plane. I miss it already.. I almost missed my freeway exit because I haven't done the drive in so long

That may have been just my little unresearched rant for the day. It probably is illegal, but because most of the offenders seem to be teenagers (no offence to any teenagers reading this, they just do) rarely is anything ever done about it. We're constantly told "they're only teenagers". Heck, if I was a teenager, I think I'd feel pretty insulted by that remark.

Awful commute home, rain held for the most part but the crosswinds were a killer. was nearly taken down a couple of times by them.

I'm glad it over for the week because I'm really tired. I've started upping my running mileage (18 miles this week), which is't helping.

This morning was great hardly any traffic , no rain, no wind.

Coming home there was a slight headwind but nothing to get me down.

Pity it's saturday and I had to go into work

First flat in over 9000 miles today. I've been experimenting with Panaracer Pasela TG (700x32c) tires on my Carpe Diem, and they still have a lot to recommend them. Besides being light and fast, I can get them on and off the rims (Mavic 519 touring rims) without using tools. Good thing, too.

The shard of glass that punctured the tire -- right in the center of the tread -- would probably have bounced right off my old Conti TopTouring 2000's. So I dunno; one flat isn't much of a sample, but it's still one more than I ever had with the Conti's.

I was glad I had my Topeak Road Morph, too; really easy to get back to full pressure after the repair.

Beautiful day in Philadelphia today. Made up for having to work on Saturday.

RichC

It was windy on the way in, but not to bad. I did a bunch of errands for my mom and then went to work. It was so much fun cruising around town on my bike!
On the way home I took a longer route to get in a few extra base miles.

It was a sensational ride, real windy both ways. Ran into this cool chick in go-go boots.

Day off today, but I am about to head out and run some errands. It is a balmy 55 degrees here in Maine today. We are well on our way to setting a high temperature record. It looks like we will stay well above freezing for the next 7 days.

Longing for winter

Well... I havent really gone to work yet (saturday), but granted I can still tell you what its going to be like. A short 9 block commute to work, and I take the long route. Then a peaceful night ride through a graveyard on the way home, and if its anything like last night, i'll hit a possum and kill it. I think thats bad luck. I'm also debating a new bike purchase... I want to buy a decent touring bike/ cross/ hybrid that would be good for 40-100 mile roundtrips. but I kinda want it to be fast too... for between 350-550(i'm poor). Too many options, i'm sure i'm going to be testriding well into 2003. I found the Fuji Absolute... it seems interesting. Does anyone have knowledge of that bike or the League/ Finest?

Mild and rainy here in DC -- 66 F/19 C. Only light rain for my trip in, but we now have dark skies, a thunderstorm, and a tornado watch. Except for the red and gold trees outside my window, it might be a summer storm. Or, with the darkness and streetlights, it could be 5 pm.

Paul

Had to head into the office for a couple of hours this morning. It was 55+ F again. The winds were out of the south at 15MPH, which is a tail wind for the most part. There were plenty of new leaves and pine needles on the road, which were slippery, but made for an interesting ride.

Also, I finally got around to changing the flat from late last week. It was a pinch flat. I had forgotten that I had used a 2.x" tube for my 1.5" rear tire back in August. I am typically very careful, but it was raining that day and the dog was whining. I recall thinking I should exchange the tube for a smaller one when I got home, but totally forgot....so despite the pinch, I was able to get over two months of riding out of this tube.

Nice morning with plenty of sunshine to start the week. I was feeling rather sluggish on the bike. I fear, though, that the ride home may not be so great. The wind is geting up and heavy grey clouds seem to be gathering their forces against the commuter cyclist.

Cheers,

Ed