I have a doctors appt after work so I drove the car today. Though I did get out this morning and ride a quick ten miles on my bike so I would have that wide awake good feeling that biking gives me. It was chilly this morning and due to riding for fun I rode a different stretch of road than usual, and there was road work, that I was not aware of until this morning. So I decided to change up the way I was going home. The change was interesting cause they were roads that I am not so familiar with and it was dark, with no wide shoulder like I am used to. I had a great ride anyway.

I'm glad I drove my wife in to work today for her 6am shift as it gave me the opportunity to see the conditions and read the car's readout of air temp, 4C. The roads were wet from overnight rain with some puddles but no active rain. After returning home from dropping off my wife, I started out on my bike and before the end of the road, decided that I wasn't dressed well enough on top so I returned and got a shell that turned out to be just what I needed.

I was tired when I started: I picked up my son from his work, returning home at about midnight, set the alarm for 4:30am to wake up my wife and settled in for a 4.5hr sleep. I dozed while she got ready but the dog didn't get it, he wanted to play so I didn't really get any more sleep.

What I needed for today's commute was a recumbent with a pillow and blanket, oh, and an electric motor.

48F/9C with bit of a tailwind. I had to slow down for a line of cars following a backhoe. This happens every so often. It amuses me. I put the Soho in 8th gear and lope along with traffic.

Broke out the light gloves today. A later start meant more cars but also more bikes out there. I was one of four bikes at a stop light. I love when that happens.

My wife and I got back from a long weekend in the US (4 days sans velo). I was really wobbly on the bike first day back, I didn't get much sleep over the weekend and probably drank too much. After all this time commuting I still find it interesting how temperamental the engine can be.

Coldest morning commute since April, with temps in the upper 40s. I was very comfortable wearing a vest over my jersey, arm and leg warmers and wool socks. Forgot to charge my headlight after work yesterday, so I ran it on low this morning and it actually lasted until I got to work. I'm using my largest Carradice bag (Pendle) this week and that gives me lots of room for clothes, food and gear. I've mainly been using it to carry more food. Cool weather is sparking my appetite.

Didn't get to commute again this morning. Apparently, I've lost my touch at something as simple as patching an inner tube (or there's more than one hole, and I missed the other(s)...).

The 7C/45F temps this morning felt kinda warm! Getting darker; need to find the clear lenses for my sunglasses. Pretty fast commute this morning, but I'm obviously not taking the shortest route possible, because someone I passed in the west end, I passed again downtown. I know what the shorter route is, but I never take it because there's so much traffic on that road, the only way most cyclists can get anywhere quickly is by riding on the sidewalk. Besides, if I took the shortest route, I wouldn't get any climbing in.

Been there. I'm so bad at patching tubes, I don't bother anymore; I just put in a new one.

I carry two inner tubes and enough co2 to fill them. I just pack the tube up in my camelbak and patch it when I get home. That way I can do a better job at it.

But for a quick patch...I gotta say I've had pretty good results with those Slime instant patches. They work pretty good IMHO. I used to always have trouble with the adhesive either drying out in the tube, or simply not sticking to anything but my hands. With the Slime patches, you just stick them over the hole, pack the tube in the tire and fill it up.

Hope that helps!

Thanks, I think I'll order some from Amazon. (The LBS here has a very anemic selection of patch kits.)

Joggers!!!

One thing I've noticed since switching to a much earlier commute time about a month ago is that there are a lot more (dare I say too many?) joggers out when I'm riding to work. Often fewer bikes, but more joggers. Today I seemed to encounter them all at really inconvenient spots where I had to slow way down due to blind corners and/or incoming traffic on the MUP. Oh well. It was a nice ride anyway. Loving the cool temps and the sunrise this morning was pretty, with the orange light casting a warm glow on the Capitol Rotunda.

Readying to head off to class, and looking forward to a great ride there and then home.

Another superb day. My mountain bike rides like its brand new. It should since between the Shimano Altus crank recall kit, a new cassette and freehub its practically got a brand new drive train. I definitely can't sell it now when I get my new MTB.

I stopped by the LBS because they wanted me to come in this week to sort out the parts for my winter bike build. They were too busy so I'm going back later in the week. So I decided to do a little riding before going to class. I ended up getting carried away and had gone 63km by the time I got to class. About 40km in my body was hinting that the bowl of Corn Flakes I had for breakfast wasn't cutting it.

I bit the bullet on the weekend and bought some hard case tires for the road bike. No flats this week... yet...

Nice riding today, cool but not cold.

Nice. About 50 and dark when I left this morning, and it was getting dark by the time I got home. I seem to be eating a lot more dust lately on my gravel sections of my rides. More car/truck traffic. I don't know the reason: school back in session? Hunting season? I can't complain too much though, since the cure for dusty gravel roads is worse than the problem. And I'll get 9 months of it all too soon. I'm going to rest the next couple of days and try for a long (for me) ride home Friday.

What tires?

Bontrager Race Lite Hard-Case, 700x25. Cost around $100 for the pair.

Yep, also when you are stopped at a redlight or stop signs and bicycles are in the cross traffic. Although, in the winter I have a dearth of riders. There are a couple of us, but not as many as in the good weather.

And just like that it got warm again, 62f (17c). It was raining heavy when I woke up, but by the time I dressed and made lunch, it had ceased. The good thing is that they are not calling for rain again until after 5. Of course that could change over the day.

first commute of the week. took a few days off because i rode a century on sunday. it rained earlier in the morning so my fenderless tires sprayed me a bit. can't wait to get a new bike with better clearance.

After the last few commutes of 0C, 4C and 5C mornings, today's 8C was balmy. Took the short (5km) route in because I am resting my legs after last night's 27km commute home. My office is 5km from home but, because cycling is my fitness exercise of the summer (plus swimming when I'm by the lake), I normally take a longer circular route of 16km. Next week, we have a 2-day meeting away from our office and the shortest distance is 23km so I'm gearing up for the longer, consecutive commutes next Tuesday/Wednesday.

This afternoon is forecast to again be a nice 14C and sunny ride home.

Back to a short sleeve shirt and my keens...felt just a little cool but I made it in just fine.

55F/13C, and damp. Not actively raining, but it had rained about an hour before I left so the ground was wet. I wore rain gear over my legs but kept the jacket packed in a pannier. Too hot for it unless really necessary, even in short sleeves.

Remember kids, it's getting to be that time of year: Wet leaves are SLIPPERY. Be careful!

We've had no hot water at work for the past two weeks, and the cold showers in the mornings aren't getting any easier. I thought I would get used to it after a few days, but the chilly mornings lately have not helped. The weather is perfect for riding though, so I can't justify driving just because of some cold water. Switched to a larger seatbag this week because I'm having to carry a lot more food and clothing due to the chilly mornings.

It was lot warmer this morning and humid from the recent rain. Hopefully the thunderstorms this evening hold off until I can get home. Felt good to get back on the bike after a few days off of it for various reasons.