Rapid! Forgot to set the alarm, overslept by an hour, had to dash to get to work in time to meet my boss for 2 hr drive north to meeting. Full-on standing out of saddle sprint the whole way. Made it in time to change before he got in (ready to leave immediately).

I'm BAAAAAAACK!

Early December of '06 I posted that I would not be bike commuting again since I had lost my job. Wonder of wonders, I started my commutes again this week, only this time in.... Colorado Springs! That's right. I found a position here as a Web Developer and came a week ago. The commute is short, only two miles one way, but it's fun to be back on the sadle.

Any folks from The Springs that can show me the ropes around town? Which bike shop? Good or better roads? Roads to avoid? I need to give my bike a tune up; I hadn't touched it since early January (my last ride on the Erie Canal).

Good roads and tailwinds to you all.

GreenAnvil

Friday, April 13, 2007
So I laughed back
When I reach the rack my bike is chained to I take a moment to tilt my head up and feel the rain run down my face. After I shake the water out of my lock and my hair I look at the slick racing tires I have on my bike, I look at the rain falling from the sky, and then I look back at my bike. I say out loud , "this should be an interesting trip." The lightning arcs across the sky in the distance, and the following thunder sounds like a deep friendly challenging laugh. I throw a leg over my bicycle look at the sky and ask, "so you think this is funny do you?"

And then I laugh back, and enjoy my ride home.

Friday the 13th.

My wife had to bring a dvd player and several boxes into work today for an important presentation and meeting and desperately needed the car to do so. Naturally, the battery was dead- it had been slowly dying (maybe we don't drive it enough) I realize I've got enough time to ride to the auto parts store and get a new one. I ride there, load the 40 lb. battery into the milkcrate on the back of my bike, bungee it down and ride home. I replace the battery but as I'm doing it she's in such a panic she ends up cabbing it to work. Literally 5 seconds after the cab pulls away I start the car.

I throw the bike on the back of the car, drop off the old battery for my credit, drop the car off at my wife's work and ride to work. Rode home, then rode to the grocery store and carried three bags of groceries home on the back of the bike. Love that milkcrate.

All's right with the world.

i had my first commute to school yesterday, i've been wanting to ride to school for a while but last quarter i had all night classes and we usually don't get out til 9 or 10pm and the roads home arent very bike friendly at night so i'm hesitant. but i have a friday morning class so I'm able to ride to that. its a good ride, about 12.5 miles from my apartment. SOME nice roads, others are fairly bumpy and have no remorse about shaking the crap out of my '70's panasonic sport 500. when i got home from class i had to tighten things up aound my headset and a couple other places cuz they had been shakin loose. only had one loud mouth share his opinion about cyclists which i just ignored. all in all it was a good ride in. i'm lookin forward to next week.

Commute today was OK. Started out a little wet but dried up about 5 miles into the 16 mile ride. Since it's Saturday and I don't care if I smell at work, I rode all the way in. Problem was I tried a trail in Portland called the Springwater Corridor. Where there wasn't a ton of pedestrians, the trail was way too bumpy for a road bike. But it's flat, and avoids a ton of stoplights, so I know if I have to get home in a hurry, I can that way.

About 14 miles to the bike shop (Criterium in Colorado Springs), grocery store and back home. I had them change the tires (700cx38 Armadillo Crossroads), pedals (clips on one side; platform on the other). I also bought me a Yak BOB for my grocery shopping errands. Then it was straight to the grocery store to pick up some things and back home. Nice, breezy, very sunny afternoon. Saw about 3-5 gliders soaring above the Air Force Academy. A nice ride.

Green Anvil

So last Friday...

One of my supervisors tells me she needs wine brought over to an event... the day of the event... after I had already driven there the day before.

Stupid cow.

I highly recommend Bailey Works bags-- they can hold 30 pounds of bottles o' wine for up to 8 miles in 90 degree weather!

Had my first commute to work the other day, around 8 miles round trip, went pretty good. I havent been on a bike in over 10 years, but I got my new trek Portland and it cuts my commute time in half from public trans sometimes even 2/3. Pretty scary riding downtown with traffic, but I found a new bike path that cuts down on that, I am part of the club now, ya!
I even got a rack and some Ortlieb panniers so I guess I am kind of nerdy also, Anyone know of a good low profile rack or quick release one that wont draw so much attention when I am not carrying the Panniers?

Sloppy! Roughly two inches of soupy snow on the MUP, and the roads are wet with some sloppy snow mixed in. I mounted my knobby (not studded) tires yesterday, anticipating having to ride in some snow today. A wise move on my part.

Wiiinnnddddyyy. At least we're not getting the bad weather they have out east though, so I'm considering myself lucky, if tired.

Again, great way to start the morning, chilly due to the wind, but still great

Good ride this morning. Tried out my new (to me) '05 Giant Cypress DX. It rode really well, apart from some gear slipping (it needs an adjustment).

I chatted briefly with a guy who works near me but starts about 10-15 miles further away on his commute. What a way to make me feel like a newb!

39F and getting a little windy. fun ride in though.

almost a guarantee that it will snow this week as I finally put on the slicks. Nice morning.

No commute today. My daughter's first day of day care, plus this:

Winds WNW at 25-35 mph, gusting to 50 mph.

Wind is one thing, but the thought of a 50-mph gust pushing me into traffic had me thinking, "Maybe not."

Brisk 32 degrees on the way in. I lounged around the house until it was daylight so I didn't have to futz around with lights. Legs are still tight from training [pounding hills] 40 miles on Saturday. So it was just an easy cruise. The 20 mph headwind will no doubt turn around into a 40 mph headwind for the ride home.

I need to get in the habbit of getting everything rigged the night before. It's too much of hassle getting it all together in the morning.

On Sunday, I swept the road from my house out to the intersection of the main street on my route to work, so it was all smooth and gravel-free for the first 50m. Very nice. Other than that, I didn't need leg warmers, a balaclava or headband. If I'm really lucky, I can ditch my jacket on the way home today.

I passed today. While a headwind is good for working up a sweat, gusts that could potentially blow me into traffic (or alternatively, blow a blunt sided SUV into the shoulder) are not my cuppa tea. I lifted this a.m., and will hop on the treadmill during '24' tonight...

Had a rehearsal tonight for an upcoming concert, which had the added benefit of lengthening the commute. At one point I saw fairly steep bridge off to the side, so I rode over it and back just for kicks. Don't get many hills in these parts... and blasting by motor scooters on a folder while going uphill is FUN!

the rain yesterday was incredible, ditto for the wind this morning. It scared me off. I haven't bicycle commuted since last Wed. I suck. The metro trains were packed and delayed all over the place, it was a miserable commute in on the public system. Took as long as my 12-mile one way usually does on the bike. Of course, I don't know how long it would have taken me with that wind.

I thought about commuting today, but the forecast of 30mph sustained winds and warnings of 60mph gusts convinced me to take Metro. I would hate to hit a 60mph gust over the bridge!

I had a week off from riding last week and it was great to get back on it. My lungs are burning more than usual because of the cold/flu/crap last week.

I took a different route that took me past some gardens, etc. I had a "great" view of the freeway also. That was probably the best view of the morning. Cars lined up going nowhere.

Good commute this mornring but a bit cold at 34 degrees. But once I got on the path and my blood pumping I was fine. (IMO cold, like that, is only in your head.) Going home today is should be better with a high of 62 degrees forcasted. Thankfully I tought ahead and brought shorts with me for the ride back.

My legs were a little heavy after racing on Sunday but not as bad as I expected. A bit breezy, but nothing too bad. All in all, a fine ride to work. I brought a jersey and bibs in my bag in case I have the opportunity to go on a longer detour home.

I had the opposite of that, just boatloads of energy after 2 days off (I've been doing>30 miles/day the last 2 wks, Fridays have been pretty sluggish). The 1st 0.3 mile to 5 yr-old's K at 3 mph was slightly taxing to my patience but otherwise rewarding of course. Fun to watch him get better/more comfortable.