[MENTION=322871]arsprod[/MENTION]

I was riding down the greenway earlier this week and I smelled the smell of wet leaves and it reminded me of my childhood and having to rake the leaves up in our yard. Made me excited for fall!

Meanwhile, after the last week of August being in the low 80's for highs and 60's for lows, with low humidity... this week we're back to mid-90's and 70's for lows with some humidity. Yuck.

This morning, like the rest of this week has been, was muggy and warm. Temp was 72 when I started. And with a new job and a new route to work, I'm adding a couple of miles on the ride in. Fog was on the bike path which was cool. I'm riding with lights and clear glasses now in the morning cuz its dark when I start out now. I am missing the shower at work like I used to, but the fitness center 100 yards from my new job is better than nothing at all. Rest of the week will be HOT and HUMID.

I love those long afternoon commutes. I have a similar valley I have to ride up if I ride down to the Ky River. I don't like the return of the heat, but I'm trying to make the best of it. I know the cold mornings aren't too far off. Ordered another pair of headwind pants from REI. I really like these during winter. My old pair are getting in bad shape after a couple years of riding and running in them.

Nice, uneventful commute to the office. 10C/50F, low winds. My commute takes me near the University main campus, at which classes have started up this week, and boy, was the traffic ever nuts. Nice to sail on by on the MUP.

Needed the lights this morning...for about 15 minutes.

A whole slew of car drivers saw me go down. I'm sure I looked like a complete newb out there. From their vantage point they probably couldn't tell what made me fall over, just that I was riding along and suddenly crashed into nothing.

About 3 weeks ago two of my trees decided it was fall already and started shedding leaves to the point where I had to begin the raking. Yuck.

Well, if you gotta go for the shame go big or go home!

The ride felt quick today, although my actual speed was no faster than normal. I left at the latest time I should leave and felt like I needed to rush the whole time.

Last day of the week for me as tomorrow I'm taking off for my 15th wedding anniversary. And with Monday being Labor Day, it's a bonus 4 day weekend. Oh yeah!

Today was one of those commutes where things kept slowing me down. Caught a bunch of red lights, and then got stuck behind a tractor going slower than my usual speed for about a mile. Then, I got stuck behind a dump truck downtown that was extremely slow starting from every stop sign and light. Still made decent time, however, because I was riding my fast bike. We are having some of the hottest weather of the summer this week and it's also very humid, so going a little slower isn't such a bad thing.

Must have been an uneventful ride this morning because I don't remember it

Rear derailleur cable broke on the commute this morning. Luckily I was only about a mile from the office when it happened, so managed to chug along in 9th gear (with the exception of one hill I had to walk up) for the remainder of the ride. Guess I'm taking the bus home tonight.

Bike commutes have been boring this week... dare I admit it?

Yesterday I pulled off to the bus stop at the bottom of Main and Dredger for a little water break, and witnessed a black Dodge shortbed pickup with a shell, flooring it out of the curve and up the hill. I made a slow-down motion at him, he flipped me off. I hope he doesn't kill anyone or anything. The guy at the crest of the hill lets his dog play off leash in his front yard, there are deer hiding on either side, two blocks past the crest there is a school, the housewives are coming out for their evening jogs.

Well I got my custom Marin build fully complete Tuesday night and considered taking it to work today, but I've been feeling crappy yesterday and today so I drove again. I crashed last night before 8 PM and slept until after 6 this morning.

Maybe tomorrow I'll try riding the Marin utility bike to work.

It is that time of year again, long sleeves in the morning, short sleeves in the afternoon. Generally I would have a raincoat just in case but not today.

stayed up to 11:30pm helping a friend wrench on his bike. Still felt good enough to ride 15miles this morning. I rode at a pretty good pace, too.

I managed to ride 4 of 5 days this week. Yay.

My wife has begun meeting me half way home to ride the rest of the way together. I call her when I'm unlocking my bike to leave, and she gets on her bike and traces my morning route. It's been good for her to push up some of these hills, and she gives it good effort. It's kind of nice to share this part of my work life.

I might do some mountain bike riding tomorrow morning, if I can get up and overlook the long list of "to do's at home, that is. PG

Second 5 of 5 week, which was preceded by a 4/5 week. No reason thus far that next week can't be another 5/5.

Had to sprint to the home side train today, out the door a bit late. Tired and cold legs made it harder, but I guess I'm improving my lt! I've noted that I've been getting faster, which makes me feel good. Yesterday's commute was without incident other than a right turning car where I've grown to expect it, but more traffic than I'm accustomed to.

Looking forward to the long weekend, and plan to get my legs spinning.

Sorry! My fault, Homes

I was leaving my quiet neighborhood this morning, not yet a mile from home. It was still dark out and I’m running a bright headlight. I’m slowing for a stop sign at the top of a “T” intersection... cross traffic has no stop. A black limo comes from the left, making a right turn onto my street… he’s going extra wide, and on course to hit me!

I’m about 50 feet from the stop sign, and saw this coming early. I first started ‘waving’ my handlebars (headlight) and yelling hoping to get his attention… and then started moving right. It worked, and he turns tighter. As he does this, something (a cell phone or GPS unit?) flies out his window and crashes onto the ground. I ran it over. I loudly say Hey! WTF?

He stops and says SORRY, My fault homes! And starts picking up his broken pieces. He then asks if I’m ok, to which I answer “Yeah, but watch it!”

The remainder of the ride was uneventful, as were all the others this year. I love my commute.

Riding into to work this morning I catch up with a fellow bike commuter and we are talking and he tells me he bought a car, which I can understand owning 2 myself. But then he asks me how tall I am and basically tells me he is thinking about selling his surly LHT. Unfortunately it is a 56 which would be too big for me. I ride a 52 or 54, I once again wish I was little taller.

Nice ride. A bit muggy but nothing really worth complaining about.

Currently it's semi-dark for the first half an hour of the morning ride. Enough natural light to see, but I need the blinky to be seen. Not yet running with a full headlamp. But, I suspect I will be next week.

Karma's a ***** and elusive - I wish that would happen to all the other people who are screwing around with their phones and not paying attention.

Yesterday on the ride home I had a rider ask if they could draft me. In my decades of riding I don't think I've EVER had someone ask, let alone want to because I'm a small target. Turns out she's a commuter which explains the courtesy! Nice this morning though it's obviously getting progressively darker in the mornings

Commuted 4 out of 5 days this week, not bad considering that Monday was a bust due to thunderstorms. This was the one of the hottest and most humid weeks of the summer here, ironic considering that it's September. I'm ready for the weather to start cooling off.

For my commute, since July 13th, I've ridden 31 days, driven 9.

This totals to 461.4 bike miles (including today if I short ride, I may long ride - commute miles only, recreational rides excluded), 540 drive miles, 1772 train miles.

Not bad, I think, considering July 13 was my first ever bike commute. I jumped in head first.

DITTO this. FEELS LIKE 93 out there. VERY HUMID-> I hope it cools some before the ride home.