Great ride this morning. I was a Bike Train leader for our local Safe Routes to School "Rock & Roll to School" day. We had good turn out with about six kids, but there were dozens from other neighborhoods when we got to the school. And to impress the kiddies I borrowed a friend's XtraCycle, which is my new favorite bike. It was so cushy and stable. I've got plans to run a bunch of errands tonight before I have to return it.

Then I got to meet up with my friend JV, a fellow train leader, for coffee to catch up. I don't see her often and we had a lot to discuss. Finally rolled in right before a staff meeting and my co-worker had a chicken biscuit saved for me. I wish every morning could be as educational, fun, and tastey as this one.

Nice ride in. Again went 3 miles past work to add 6 miles to the trip.

Sure. What time? Look at my signature and you'll see my distinguishing features. I'm easy to spot in a crowd. ;)

Wait. I just remebered something. I went by Burrito Art on Monday and they are no longer in business.
See the link below.
http://www.burritophile.com/place.php?id=338

We can meet somewhere else if you'd like.

sigh. big long eloquent post got eaten by the time-out, and i don't wanna do it again. long story short: both commutes were fine.

still riding the folder- other than a sensitive twist grip shifter it's a great machine. This bike is so convenient for this schedule with the late night finish in the location with the not the best of commuting roads- no problem tossing it, again, in a co-worker's trunk for the quick ride home on the expressway tonight.

Last night's commute under the rain was a total blast!!! I felt like a kid again! :D

No commute today as I have a yearly employee meeting and had to dress up. My wife drove me to work; from there I'll be taking a bus to the meeting place. :(

GreenAnvil

Ah, first time biking in two days (overslept and bad storm the other days). Nice to be on teh bike again, even if it's bitterly cold with that wind blowing in your face :)
Had some construction truck run me off the road, but I wasn't able to catch up to him in time at the light to get his information. Grrr.
Oh well, at least the rest of the ride was enjoyable.

Yea, Burrito Art closed and became an Italian joint. I've heard that it's still pretty good, though.

Another good ride in. The borrowed Xtracycle is getting old. It's still great for hauling stuff, but not great for hauling a$$. We'll call it a leisurely ride in this morning.

Soaked!! The wife was very concerned about me riding in today...Started out not too bad, then as I was about 1/2 mile from home a flash of lightning exploded in the sky not very far off to my right hand side. Scared the crap out of me, and I don't scare easily. Then the sky proceeded to open up and dump huge buckets of rain down upon me. I took refuge under an overhang of a church and put my rain coat on. Rode the rest of the way in very carefully as I was paranoid that cars would not see me and hit me. I even broke my cardinal rule of riding on the sidewalk during my decent into downtown. Took me twice as long to get in today and I had to question my own sanity. First time I ever felt this way on a commute. I need to get my confidence back for the ride home and future commutes. Called the wife to let her know I was OK which something else I never do...

Beautiful morning! Light wind, sunrise. Not many rides like this left this year.

The county had a county road gripe session in the spring. My own plea was that the proposed construction on the corner of two of the only rds in the county with paved shoulders make some allowance for bikes. Well the construction started this week, and of course my plea was ignored. So I have to merge into the traffic to get through the intersection. The cars let me in, but I have to slow to a walk.

A great ride in. Had to stop at the Decatur YMCA to drop off some flyers to advertise an upcoming Bike Ed class. While I was waiting to pull out into traffic, I started counting the "mini-vans" (mini???) and SUVs that pulled into the YMCA parking lot. In the few minutes I sat there waiting I ran out of fingers and toes. Why do all these $#%^* need to drive an oversized POS (less than a mile in many cases) just to get some exercise?
Why not walk or bike?

At nearly every stoplight I heard a constant "click - click" of everyone's AC compressor. The temperature was ~58F (14C)!! Hey stupids, turn off the AC and open the windows.

Saw two new-to-me commuters. Both looked well-prepared for the journey to work. Also saw two roadies out for their before work rides. Lots of waving and smiles this morning. :)


I saw one of those go by our office last week. First time I'd seen one other than in a picture. Looks like a great hauling machine, as you said, but steering looks like it could be tricky.

So long, Old T.
I avoided talking to you for quite awhile.
Your obvious illness and poverty repelled me and then shamed me for my revulsion.
When I heard you speak to others, you were hard to understand, so slurred was your speech.
Still, on Veteran's Day, cued by your "US Army, Retired" Cap, I finally moved myself to speak and wished you a happy day.
And thanked you for your service.
You rolled your scooter chair over and slowly, laboriously, I found out about your years spent fighting the Korean War and in Vietnam.
You drove tanks and armored personnel carriers, serving several tours.
Tank driver - maybe that's why you always bumped me with your electric chair when you rolled past to the handicapped seating on the train
When you came home from Korea, you got kicked out of three restaurants before you found one that would let you sit indoors to eat your first non-army meal in two years.
Wounded and wounded again, you couldn't work after Vietnam.
You talked about riding a bike when you were a kid, how you'd go everywhere and be gone for days, fishing, hunting, or visiting cousins.
And how you wished you could do it again.
I enjoyed chatting with you, so much.
I'll remember most how you'd point to parts on my bike and ask how much they cost, and how you'd laugh when I told you.
Over the years, your pension and veteran's benefits had dwindled, and you found yourself living from aid check to aid check.
I know you were always excited when you cashed them at the local convenience store, but it's never a good idea to flash your roll.
So, after years of service and more years of pain and hardship, someone felt they needed your roll more than you needed to keep driving your chair, like a tank, like you rode your bike as a kid, wherever you went.
And with a small cheap knife, he did what the Koreans and the Chinese and the NVA and the Viet Cong and Agent Orange all failed to do.
I'll miss riding with you, Old T. Peace on your head.

Chilly. I left my house in a rush, i knew i was gonna be like 10-15 minutes late for class. Thought it was a little warmer outside and rode in shorts and a t-shirt. I'm so dumb i should've turned around after a couple blocks to get my sweatshirt. I hope it warms up a little before i ride home

That deserves to be published somewhere better than our meger forum.

I'm the gopher today and just got back from the L5P post office and Sevananda Market. What a gorgeous day!!! I guess I should have gone to a post office that was at least 15 miles away so I could enjoy the day. :o

Nice commute in, 50F roughly.
I picked up my kid from his grandma's house yesterday, raising my mileage from 45 to 62. In the space of two weeks I have ridden almost 550 miles. No wonder my legs hate me.
While I was exhausted during the ride in a strange thing happened while I was sitting in a line of cars at a light on a hill.
The light turned green and I had one heck of an energy surge and took off like a bat out of hell. 0-18 mph in a second or two. I then spent the remaining minute wondering what just happened and how I almost rear ended a car on a hill.
The same thing happened as I approached work so I sprinted in. Nothing like finishing on a high note listening to an old system of a down song.
Must have been the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. :p

Nice ride. Extra 8 miles this am (4 miles past work and back).

:lol:

The boss is out today so my office mate and I rode to Mellow Mushroom and had a great lunch - outside. The weather is awesome!!!
Got a few nice compliments from the waitress on my "artwork".
We sure hated coming back to work. :(

got another flat! luckily, it didn't happen until I got to work. first time I ever changed a tire, took about 15-20 min. it was a tiny shard or glass that worked it's way into the tire and punctured a tiny hole in the tube. I slapped another one in there, pumped up and voila! good to go! I'm dreading the day I have a flat in the rear tire.

No commute today (offsite training) but I remembered a cager encounter from the other evening's commute that meant to post. A kid in a Camaro tried cutting me off at an interesection but I gave him The Look. He followed in behind me and then rolled down his window and yelled "You ride your bike like you're driving a car."

I said, "Yeah. Thanks."

I chose to take it as a compliment but I don't think he meant it as such.

Nice week to be riding to work around here. Saw about 8 riders this week so far and got waves from most of them :) Temps are in the 80s today for the ride home before the cold front comes through along with some rain. Changed my front brake pads last week so they are feeling a lot better. Just hit 2000 miles for the year and should be on track to hit my goal of 2500.

Yest he weather has been great. Took a late lunch and did some hill repeats...many more needed :lol:

Coming in this morning a garbage truck buzzed within a few inches of me and the passenger yelled out 'get on the sidewalk.' I remembered the tag # and called the garbage company and left a message for management about their trucks' behavior, just to let them know they need to educate their drivers on proper passing of bicycles.. No returned call as of yet.

Weather definitely turning colder now. It was only 2 weeks ago I was in t and shorts. Am now in long sleeves, jacket and pants. Was 5'C this morn going home after 12 hr night shift. Sun is in eyes going home in morn and in eyes going to work at night. I miss summer (just a bit).