Another walking day. I guess I shouldn't even be posting here if I didn't ride my bike, but I thought about it the whole time. Still need to do a bike check up after my spill on Monday, hopefully be back riding tomorrow.

Good ride this morning. :beer:

Last night I was riding thru the college campus and "trying" to ride in the bike lane but some @$$hole decided she should drive her small SUV in it for 1.5 blocks. I pulled my trusty digital camera out of my jersey pocket to take a picture for the campus police and ...... the battery symbol was empty. The camera would turn on but wouldn't take a picture. http://users.telenet.be/eforum/emoticons4u/mad/1230.gif Why do these things happen at the wrong times?

B - glad you're ok after the incident in the roundabout. How is the hand? Which roundabout was it? What street? I need to know so I can avoid it. ;)
Seems that Americans DO NOT know how to drive in a roundabout or who has the right of way. Another thing that should be in the driver's manual.

Thanks Ron. My hand's doing ok, still bruised but less swollen than yesterday. I've still got a compression bandage on it but it feels a lot better. I'm going fly fishing this weekend, so I need both my hands working properly.

The roundabout on N. Decatur and Lullwater. Seems like it wasn't designed for people to get easily onto Lullwater, just for people to continue along N. Decatur. The turn is really tight and people hardly slow down to yield when entering. I should have taken the southerly route to the Highlands that time of day, around 5:30.

This is I think the 5th weekday morning in a row w/ a different car parked in the same spot on the bike trail in front of a woody patch. Otherwise a fine ride in. Another perfect fall day, when really what I want is more summer.

There was a thread here a bit of time ago about hearing damage; I stopped to chat on the trail last night where it's right above the freeway, w/ no plant border, w/ a couple w/ a trailer that looked like they were having some sort of issue, and they may have been talking at some normal volume for them but I could barely hear a word they said. They seemed to be fine so I just did the smile and nod and took off.

I do attribute all my hearing issues to mis-spent youth of rock and roll music, but I do get aware of some places where I just can't hear as well as others.

My commute
 

8/29/06
First, I should mention that this is my second week back from a long break. I didn't get to ride at all in June or July. So, I'm just getting back into form.

I left work at 2:51. Now, normally I make my destination (college campus) within 18:30 and 19:00minutes. Before my break, I was closing in on the 17 minute mark. Anyway, I made good time today and everytime I looked down to check my speed-o I was right around 20mph. For some reason, however, I made the school parking lot right at 20:00 minutes. This is a short commute of 4.7 miles. I'm not sure why this happened. I can only guess that it was becuase I got stuck at one red light a little longer than normal. Either way, I felt strong until the end. The temperature today was around 95 and it was kind of humid; it had rained earlier.

I'll see if I can't get back on course tomorrow.

'Scuse me while I eat this fly... (sung to the tune of Purple Haze). I gagged on an insect this AM. It hit the back of my throat before I could do anything about it, so let's just say I had a protein supplement a la fear factor. I flatted a little while later (about 15 miles in on the descent into Rosslyn). But the light drizzle was nice...It definitely helps to have a sense of humor some mornings.

Boss made me stay over for 2.5 hours last night for some silly mandatory online training. He didnt tell me until I was logging out to go home. Because of that I missed my rec ride and was worried about dark hitting before I got home. I made it home ok, but boy was I pissed. Good thing he's in Phoenix :)

So... in the interest of balancing my work/life time, I came in 2 hours later this morning. I added an extra 25miles onto the commute on the way in to make up for the missed rec ride. It was a good time.

My cow-orkers were all worried about me when I finally showed up. They had heard of a car vs bike incident that happend this morning. Sometimes it's nice working with a bunch of girls :)

I avoid that roundabout like the plague. Seems like no one driving thru it knows the rules.
Avoiding it and North Decatur Road is a priority. That's why I ride thru the Emory campus. :)

+1 (holds lighter up high)

My hearing worsens when my allergies flare up and its ragweed season here so I've been noticing it more lately. Add some white noise to the equation and I'm lucky to get every other word...

Woke up early and did 9km more than my usual commute.

My brother showed up at work on his bike for the first time. No helmet, bell or lights, but it's a start. That's my 3rd convert! I'm going to bicycle heaven.

Another day, another honk-and-buzz passing.

And--just like yesterday--approaching a red light. Again I let the guy know he's in the wrong.

Best line: He says, 'We're not all cyclists, you know!" But, dammit, he drove off before I could say, "Yet you think you're qualified to tell us how to ride????"

As my wife said to me, "So much for cycling reducing your road rage." Sigh.

A little warmer this morning. After yesterday's cooler weather (in these parts, 60F is starting to get chilly), I thought I might need my arm warmers or a long sleeve shirt, but didn't end up needed them. Stuck 'em in my bag, though.

There's a bus stop about a bus-length from the intersection of two smaller roads where I turn left on my route. Where does the bus stop? Right in the intersection about 20 feet back from the bus stop. I guess it was to drop off the passenger into the cross street instead of at the bus stop. Wasn't that nice? As I passed the driver I asked "Why are you stopping there?" but I doubt she heard me. I had to swing around the back of the bus and luckily the cars behind me could see what was going on because I couldn't get off the first road as quickly as I expected.

Got stuck at the building late last night. But it had cooled off nicely by 10pm so I enjoyed a nice ride home.

This morning was another Neighborhood Clean-up Day. I saw one bike frame, looked like a cheap hybrid or faux mtb that had been painted with crackle paint. Maybe a Burning Man Special. I passed. How come nobody ever throws out a Masi Soviet Team or a handmade Bob Jackson?

It's been a long time since I've posted here - I've been absent from the board, but not the bike. Commuting this summer has been HOT here in N. Texas - lost track of how many 100+ days in a row with the hot wind in my face. All that changed, at least temporarily, yesterday. Greatest ride home in a long time - brand new chain made an amazing difference in shift speed and noise level of the bike, and temps <90 put serious jump in my legs. The result? Same ride time as in the heat, but I felt 100% better when I got there. Ride this morning was <70 - was actually cold for a while on the way in. That was awesome!

It was cold enough today that I needed a jacket. I couldn't quite see my breath, but my hands did get a chill. I was looking outside my window this morning, and I was thinking that it was too early for the leaves to change color. Then it dawned on me that I had hit two shrubs and a tree with Round-Up. Now they're dead!

I rode the 8 miles to work yesterday. After work, I rode 20 miles to my tennis match, and proceeded to play 3 sets of Singles (I won the match, 7-5 in the 3rd set). I drank a few beers after the match, and threw my bike in the back of a friend's pickup truck. Hey, at least it's carpooling! 8 miles this AM, and after work I will ride 10 miles to a tennis match (Doubles). This time, I intend to ride home!

Muuuuch nicer weather today! :) I was running a little late this morning so I had to kick it up a notch, but I still got to work with two minutes to spare. After work I took a nice detour to my LBS to pick up a few things, then back home. It's amazing how easy it is on a bike to go from work, to LBS, to home during rush hour as opposed to a car. I bet driving would have only been 10-15 minutes quicker at best, plus I would have been irritated and angry the entire time. :D

Rainy in the AM breezy on the return ride. Not many bikes out today.

Ride in was nice. A little bit cooler, but nothing that made a difference. I cooled of on the side of the building and talked with a coworker who rides. He's got a Madone 5.9. Seems like a pretty cool guy.

Took another route home... again. This will probably be the route I stick with on the way home. I saw another rider out. I waved and said "hi" but I didn't hear a response so I don't know if they saw me.

must not get militant must not get militant must not use explosives sorry I failed yesterday I snapped on a cager today. They have been getting worse more sounding of horns and buzzing and lewd commets being hurled. I was taking off and a guy in the right lane does the get on the sidewalk gesture then yells get on the sidewalk you a$$ I yelled hey elitest b4st4rd get out of your Mercedes and get your fat 4$$ on a bicycle and flicked himm off he rolled his window up and sped of like a ***** and then I took my left turn. I was so pissed at my self for doing this, but I am really tired of being honked at or getting the buzz twice a day, or maybe three times. Sorry everyone but the pannier worked out wonderfully today it might take a little bit getting used to having weight on one side. My next thing on the bike is to get drop hanle bars for extra speed, thanks for letting me rant.

Great ride home from dinner out with friends last night (I'm counting that as a commute!) - tummy full of Korean Hot Pot, nice flat rode, hardly any traffic, watching the moon and the possums...

Contrast with today with finding a new route to the train station - rear deraillur stuffs up so I end up walking, of course UP a hill - grrr. Ok, venting finished, end transmission.

home sick on monday - i slept all day; it was great!! too busy doing i-no-longer-remember-what to check in when i got home on tuesday, and now it's wednesday already. incredible.

it's getting crisp and chilly in the mornings. i'm having those morning rides where so long as you keep going you think conditions are supremely perfect, but if you even stop at a light, you lose your own breeze and it suddenly becomes ridiculously hot again. weather been all over the place. i picked up a pair of huge taiga goretex mittens for a buck at some charity yard sale on the weekend, and i just might have to start using them. haven't thought seriously about the winter riding aspect at all for this year, but i bet i'm not really ready for it. eh well. i wasn't ready for it last year either, now that i think about it.

i've been coming home during real sunset: get the coloured-cloud show while i'm up on the bridge, and it's dark by the time i get home. that's a reason to appreciate bridges; no traffic to distract your attention up there. we've been getting those big puffy differentiated clouds that will soon give way to five months of uniform grey, eight hours a day if we're lucky. i've been enjoying it while the getting is good. i like the 'gloaming' period right after the sun's really gone while there's still some light in the sky too. maybe this year i'll organise myself so that i do the dark ride in the mornings, and still have some light while i'm heading home. yeah, right. maybe i'll just join the french foreign legion for fun.

the other thing i'd like to do one of these days just to see what it's like is get out of bed, get dressed and get straight on the bike, without stopping to wake up or drink coffee first. i'll probably join jimmy hoffa and amelia earhart in that great never-heard-from-again company if i ever do it.

songs: two little hitlers, elvis costello; joshua gone barbados, tom rush.

I was back in my cage today. :( I cramped up bad on the way home yesterday. Bad enough to call in the calvery. Decided to take a rest day. Hoping to ride again tomorrow.

Another 8mile commute in the books. To work in under 28 minutes (27:41), a new PR.:D I am really starting to enjoy this commute thing. Probably because it is still cold in the morning now.