Death By a Thousand Cuts

In politics, the title phrase refers to the tactical method of accomplishing a goal by taking many tiny steps to reach the end, so that the "victims" don't notice what is happening.  For instance, if one wanted to quietly repeal the 2nd Amendment, one way to do it is to progressively add more and more "minor" restrictions on gun ownership until eventually the right is effectively removed.

I'm not here to talk politics, though.  Just to use the phrase.  I've spent the last couple months now "recovering" from a series of ills.  First, the prostate thing (better now, thank you), and then a lingering virus that seems to not quite want to go away.  Plus there have been a number of work issues that have kept me quite busy, and the weather has been worse than normal for November.

The net effect is that I have not been able to commute at all lately.  Nor have I been doing much exercising at all.

What does this have to do with "death by a thousand cuts?"  Well, I've been observing my own behavior during this time, compared to the months prior when I was commuting regularly.  It occurs to me that every day we make a series of decisions, the sum of which have a lasting effect on our well being.  "What should I have for lunch?"  "Walk or drive?"  "Take the stairs or the elevator?"  "Work out today or tomorrow?"  "How about that night snack?"

Individually, none of these decisions are significant.  One cookie, or one trip on the elevator is of no consequence in the grander scheme of things.  Taken collectively, they can be literally life or death decisions.  Over the course of a year, I'll decide what to eat well over a thousand times.  I'll climb stairs or ride the elevator hundreds of times.  These "little" decisions add up to a pattern of habits.  These habits define, to an extent, who I am and what I become.

Since habits are formed as the sum of individual decisions, every decision becomes a life-or-death decision.  Every decision can become a furtherance of the habits that have gotten you where you are, a way of preserving the status quo.

On the other hand, every decision becomes an opportunity to change the status quo.  Every meal can be the first step toward  a new habit.  Every trip through the office door is a chance to choose the stairs.  Every dawn is a new opportunity to become someone different.  We are creatures of habit, but we can change those habits.  The challenge is to recognize and seize the opportunity for that change.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.  What will it look like?

Hope! Change! Chain lube!

No... still not talking politics on this blog.

Yesterday I (finally!) got back on the bike and commuted. New saddle, new shoes, and new shades. Lots of change. The new saddle was much more comfortable, and there was noticeably less pressure where there isn't supposed to be pressure. I still need to adjust the saddle tilt a bit. And, with more weight on the "sit bones" (where it's supposed to be), I'll need to get that area toughened up a bit as well.

The new shoes worked flawlessly, except that I had the left cleat installed a tad crooked. Fixed that on my lunch break, no problem. Walking is much, much easier in these shoes. I could wear them all day at work in a pinch, and they're reasonably fashionable in a "lightweight hiker" kind of way.

The weather was gorgeous. Mid-50's on the way in, mid-70's on the way home, sunny and a light breeze. A wonderful day to ride. In all, an outstanding November ride.

Looking forward, it's going to get challenging. Today is another gorgeous day, but schedule did not permit riding. Tomorrow is supposed to be cooler and wetter (40's in the AM, topping out at 60, with chance of showers), and I'm sure next week will be cold, too. Still, it seems the hardest part of the whole ride is the part between the bed and the front door.

The other key thing is that while I was not riding, I managed to clean and lube my drive train. What a huge, HUGE difference that makes! Pedaling was nearly silent, shifting was quick and crisp, and there were no more problems getting into my #6 gear in the rear. It was like a bike upgrade for the cost of an old toothbrush and half an hour of my time. I'll write more on this in a separate post.

And so, there is Change - new stuff, new biomechanics, pressure relieved, wearable shoes, clean gears... and there is Hope - good weather and a promise of health improvement.

Just one word today...

VOTE!

Product Review: CamelBak Better Bottle

Funny how much the time spent meditating on my bike is/was a muse for this blog. I miss it. It seems while I was riding I had a neverending font of ideas to write about. Now that I'm in bike-exile, thoughts are more sluggish, ideas are harder to find.

One thing I have been wanting to do is the occasional product review. This one is about the CamelBak "Better Bottle." I've been searching for quite some time for a bottle that I will actually use to drink more water (and less Diet Coke) at work. I've tried several, and they all seem to come up short in some way or another.



(Photo courtesy of R.E.I. - a great place to buy one of these...)

The Better Bottle is basically a plastic bottle in one of two sizes (0.5 and 0.75 L) with a fancy screw-on cap. The bottle is made of BPA-free Tritan (looks/feels like Lexan, but it's not...) The cap includes a handy carrying loop and a flip-out, spill proof "big bite" sip valve. This is a larger version of the sip valve used in CamelBak's more famous hydration packs, and works quite well. You can hang a full bottle upside down and shake it with no leaks. An internal straw lets you drink (nearly) the whole bottle down without tipping.

I like the way the valve, when flipped closed, is fairly well protected from damage and dirt. I did notice when drinking from it that it tends to shoot cold liquid against the back side of my front teeth, which can be a bit uncomfortable at first. This is a minor issue, and seems to have gone away as my teeth got used to the cold.

My favorite part of the bottle is the hanging loop. Integrated into the lid, it's easily strong enough to hold a full bottle, and sized just right to hook a finger into. This makes the bottle easier to carry than a soda can -- an important feature when I'm feeling lazy. It can also be used with a carabiner to clip the bottle to a pack or belt loop.

One minor nit to pick: The 0.75L bottle is just a little bit too large to fit into a standard bicycle bottle cage or an automobile cupholder. If you intend to use it this way, I'd recommend going with the 0.5L size (which from the pictures appears designed to fit a standard cup holder).

Another nice thought: CamelBak claims the lid (also sold separately!) is built to match a standard size bottle, so you should be able to attach the lid to a standard bike bottle and solve the cage issue. I have not tried this yet, but it looks like it would work.

The Better Bottle comes in a variety of colors, including some interesting patterns, if you like to dress up your liquids. At $13 retail, it is quite an expensive bottle, which makes me worry about misplacing it, but here's the key. Unlike most of the other bottles I've tried, I actually tend to use this one... and isn't that the point?

Some musings on "reduce reuse recycle"

Hmm... my enforced sabbatical from the bike (symptoms improving slowly, btw) has left me reading a lot and thinking a lot.  Since at least part of my impetus for cycling to work - and hence part of the raison d'etre (did I spell that right? excepting diacritics?) of this blog - is at least some measure of environmental responsibility, I suppose I should wax a bit about the topic (and yes, I'm feeling a bit "wordy" today).

First, I don't consider myself an "environmentalist" or a "tree-hugger".  I'm certainly not a "liberal", either.  I think the current political labeling system is far too simplistic and ham-fisted, but I'd have to say I'm "conservative" or even "libertarian" on most issues.  I'm certainly not in favor of government mandates to force everyone to do things a certain way.  I think that runs essentially counter to the fundamental core of America's spirit - one of individualism, bootstraps and all that.

And yet, when I see the TV running with nobody watching, or I make another 2-mile trip to the store in my car, I wonder if I couldn't be doing better for myself, my family and the environment.

Nothing left but to explore some of the reasonings and rationalizations for voluntarily and individually living in at least a somewhat more "earth friendly" way...

I think in short it has to do with thinking long term and thinking about one's impact on the world around himself.  Sometimes the best thing long term isn't the best thing short term.

For starters, let's look at the obvious question of why bike everywhere (or even most or some places) instead of driving?  Here are a few practical thoughts:

* Less gasoline bought
* Lower maintenance costs
* Less net time spent exercising
* No health club fees
* Lower cholesterol and A1-C scores
* Overall better health
* Lower purchase price for the vehicle(s)

Just looking at the money aspect, all of these reduce the overall cost of living.  Any money saved in these areas can be redirected to savings and investment, or to spending on more "fun" things.  There is clearly, therefore, an economic benefit to biking over driving.  There are trade-offs, however:

* More exposure to the weather
* More exposure to "overuse" injuries
* Longer travel times, especially outside the urban core

I'm sure there are others.  However, for most folks, these downsides are not nearly enough to tip the balance.  A car can be retained (or rented!) for bad weather or long trips, and the exposure to overuse injuries must be balanced against the overall increased health due to increased exercise.  Again, for most people, biking wins.

There's a dubious argument, of course, that cycling is somehow more dangerous than driving.  However, the statistics don't bear this out.  In fact, studies done worldwide show that the health benefits of regular daily cycling far outweigh the risk of injury or death from accident, and that in fact cycling is no more dangerous than driving an SUV.

What about other "green" activites?  Simple things like keeping unused lights and other power drains off, wise choice of thermostat settings, and weatherproofing have long been touted as good ways to reduce home energy costs, and also contribute to reduced CO2 emissions at the power plant.  Money in  my pocket, and green!

We're talking about getting a rain barrel and having a small garden in the yard.  I don't know if we'll truly get any direct economic benefit... I strongly suspect that tending the garden will cost more in sheer $$$ than simply hitting the grocery.  On the other hand, the kids will learn something of hard work and tilling the land.  Again, I think the benefits will outweigh the costs.

It boils down to eliminating waste and focusing on what really matters.  Every watt a light bulb in an unused room burns is a penny my kids could be tossing in Trevi Fountain someday.  Every gallon of gas I burn between home and work is a movie we could be watching together and another hour of the day I have to carve out for exercise.

So, a little bit at a time, I suppose I'm turning green in my "old age"...

Grounded...

I'm off the bike for a couple weeks.

(CAUTION: Icky medical details follow...)

I was due for a checkup on my diabetes, and I've been having some, aah... urinary issues. Discomfort, flow problems, etc. So, after seeing one too many Flomax commercials, I popped in to see the family doctor. After the usual round of tests (cough! cough!), he sent me home with an antibiotic. Diagnosis: prostatitis, a rather annoying inflammation of the prostate gland. My wife dove into the Internet and uncovered the possibility that my cycling may be exacerbating the problem. More specifically, my 10 year old not-so-anatomically-engineered saddle might be exacerbating the problem.

So, just to be on the safe side, I'll be taking a break from the commute for a couple weeks while I treat the problem. Then, weather permitting, I'll ease back into riding (with the more-anatomically-friendly saddle moved over from my road bike) and see what happens. It could simply be a bacterial infection, but...

Why in the world would I put such a potentially embarrassing diagnosis on the web for everyone to see? Well, I bet I'm not alone... and besides, It would seem a bit weird for me to mysteriously stop posting for a couple weeks...

Worst case, I'll have to ditch my traditional bikes, grow a (full) beard and ride one of these:


(photo courtesy RANS Bikes... this is their popular Stratus XP model...)

Don't worry... I'll be chronicling my adventures with cross-training and maybe adding a few articles on cleaning and maintaining bikes during the interim. Besides, if I'm going to get back in to triathlons, I'll eventually need to learn how to run and swim!

Definition of Irony...

Irony (n): Driving your kids to school in the predawn darkness, in the first rain we've had in three weeks... on International Walk to School Day.

It aggravates me that there is no safe route to walk or bike the kids to their new school. Not that there was a safe route to their old school either. Six hundred yards of sidewalk. That's all we need. Six hundred yards. And "Phase 2" is not even in the five year plan for road improvements.

I just couldn't bring myself to drive them to the church across the street and walk them across the road to school this morning. As much as I'd love to support "Walk to School Day", it seems somehow... hypocritical.

Still, at least someone is out there promoting the idea of walking or biking to school. I just wish our town's infrastructure made it a little easier.

Mixed Feelings

I really promised myself that I'd refrain from discussing politics on this blog.  Sometimes it's inevitable, though.

Yesterday, Congress passed the "$700 Billion bailout bill".  On the one hand, it's another example of an expensive, potentially bad bill saddled with billions of dollars of "pork".  On the other hand, one of those "pork" items is a tax benefit for bicycle commuters.  The bill allows employers to reimburse up to $20 per month, tax free, of expenses related to getting to and from work on a bicycle.

This might seem unfair, except that it's quite common for businesses to reimburse employees for transit tickets, toll fees, parking expenses, and even fuel costs for drivers and users of public transportation.  This bill just encourages employers to treat bike commuters "fairly" in that respect.

Still, while I'm glad that there's a new benefit that will hopefully encourage people to make the bike racks more crowded at work, I'm not pleased that it and a whole lot of other stuff was tacked on to this bill.  I think the practice of tacking completely unrelated provisions onto major bills like this is a large part of what is wrong with congress.

So, I'll receive this new benefit (assuming my employer opts for it) with mixed feelings.  Glad to have it, but wishing it had been passed in a more transparent way.

Icecicles?

Well, not quite. It was 46 degrees (F) when I rolled out of the garage this morning. The weatherman says the winds were 5mph, but I think they were gusting a bit higher than that. Plus, when you're rolling 20mph (down a hill), who cares?? Wind chill is wind chill.

On the bright side (literally!), the sun was blazing, the sky was an incredible shade of blue, and a few white puffy clouds completed the tableau. There's a short stretch of newly-completed road on my "short route" (of which I took a medium-length variant today) that has freshly laid sod on the median and curbs. Given the serious lack of rain we had last month, it's probably the only green grass in town, and it was glowing in the sun this morning.

Still, as beautiful as the scenery was, it was cold. Maybe not Minnesota-dead-of-winter cold, but compared to summer temps, it was cold this morning. Time to bundle up!

So, how do I bundle for 45F temperatures? Well, actually, that's the easy part. The hard part is dressing so that I'm warm in the morning but not sweating like a pig during the 65F ride home. The key is "layers". I was wearing:

• Regular jersey, shorts, gloves, socks, shoes and helmet
  
• Lycra-stretch head/ear band
• A nice pair of New Balance running tights over the shorts
• Knee warmers
• Windbreaker (yes, the not-so-waterproof red Pearl Izumi jacket...)
  

Here are a few notes:

• I should have worn my CalienToes. My toes were a bit frosted by the cold and wind.
• Less "mesh-y" shoes would have helped, as well.
  
• Likewise, some thin full-finger gloves (or liners under my regular gloves) would have been nice, but might have been a bit too warm.
  
• Arms were a bit chilled, but the windbreaker did its job.
• Even with the chilly temps, I still broke a sweat.
• Tights + knee warmers was almost too warm a combination for the legs.
• OTOH, tights + shorts worked well for the backside.
• Heavier shorts, two pair of shorts, or shorts under "street shorts" would have been warm enough and fixed the "tights+knee warmers" issue.
• Crew- or calf-length socks (especially wool) would be nice, but are not required at this temperature.
• The headband was a bit uncomfortable (tight, loss of hearing, hard to wear shades with), but cold ears are worse. Maybe something less "snug"...
  

In all, it was a surprisingly easy ride. The changing seasons are tough. You get used to a certain temperature range, and temps that would otherwise be comfortable aren't. Right now, 60F is cool and 40F is freezing. By spring, 40F is warm and 60F is t-shirt weather. The key, I think, is to keep riding consistently and adjust gradually as it gets cooler. I think I'll stay out of the rain, though, until I can get some hardier rain gear (probably not this season). Cold is one thing. Cold and wet can be deadly.

The best part of slogging out on a cold morning (besides the bemused admiration of one's coworkers) is the ride home in pleasant, sunny, much warmer weather!

Another post near and dear to my heart...

Another post from RFID Journal...

Researchers Finish Work on Needle-free Glucose Tester

... a needle-free, RFID-enabled way of monitoring glucose levels.  I'll be all over this if/when it hits the market.  I can envision wearing the patch somewhere inconspicuous, and being able to check sugar levels at will, pain free, and without carrying around a meter and supplies.

Not to mention the cost savings!

This is cool stuff!

So much for "Shortcuts"

The trip timer on my bike computer records the time my wheels are rolling, not total elapsed time (it can actually show both, but for some reason I don't usually look at the latter). This can be deceiving if you aren't clear on which time you're looking at.

Consistently I ride the "fast route" to work (the one by the junkyard) in 20 minutes, the "standard route" in 30-32 minutes -- at least according to the "wheel" timer. I relish those ten minutes saved when I really need them. Monday, however, things didn't quite work out the way I'd planned.

The fast route is significantly shorter than my regular route, but it is more heavily trafficked and crosses major roads at less opportune locations. Consequently, I find myself "idling" at stoplights more. On the way home, I waited in traffic at one light for three full cycles before getting to cross, and at another for two cycles. The result? 27 minutes, instead of 20. And a lot more stress. I would have been better off taking the "long" way home and arriving less frazzled and only a few minutes later.

Not only is the traffic heavier on the "fast" route, but the stress level among the drivers is palpably higher. On the regular route, I see few cars, and those that I do see are generally easy to work with. Yesterday, I was in much heavier traffic, and at least one driver kindly advised me to "get [my] a** on the sidewalk".

Which leads me to my Traffic Theory of the Day (tm). I noticed when the aforementioned advice was handed out that we were in a long line of traffic on a two-lane street, waiting "forever" for a short light onto the main road. It's relatively difficult when driving to vent one's frustration to another driver, even if that driver is at fault. Even if you make a sailor blush yelling at him, he's not likely to hear you, and unless he's looking in his mirror, he's certainly not going to see you either.

Plus, there's always the "solidarity" thing. The other driver is, well, a driver, just like you. There's only so far your anger can go without the instinctual "us vs. them" sense reminding you that the other driver is also an "us".

A cyclist, on the other hand, is different. And, he can hear you. And he's right there next to you. All of these things make it much easier to transfer one's frustration from the long line of cars in front of you (where it probably belongs) onto the cyclist you're passing (where it almost certainly doesn't).

It's also easier to assume when passing a cyclist that the reason for the long line of traffic is because it has backed up behind the "slow moving vehicle". Rarely is this true, unless road conditions are hazardous. Still, it's an easy assumption to make.

I'm often relieved to be at least the second or third "car" stopped at a light. I like to think that the car in front of me somehow makes it clear to the driver behind me that I am not the reason he didn't make it through the light.

This ride's experience was a marked contrast to my typical "main route" experience, where cars are less frequent, drive more relaxed, and rarely if ever accost me. Plus, I get a few more minutes of exercise!!

A Confluence of Worlds

It's interesting when different parts of your life are brought together in a single place.  I have elementary school age kids who I wish could ride their bikes to work (no safe route...).  I also commute to work, and my work revolves significantly around RFID technology.

My interest, therefore, was significantly piqued by this article in RFID Journal by Mary Catherine O'Connor.

Sept. 26, 2008—Most children these days get to school on four wheels—either in a bus or car. But an RFID system built by a small Boulder, Colo.-based nonprofit company called Freiker (short for FREquent bIKER) is helping to change that, one two-wheeled bike ride at a time. Armed with a $25,000 donation from 1 World 2 Wheels—the advocacy arm of Trek Bicycle Corp.—Freiker is now using the money to expand its RFID-based system nationwide.

Freiker is the brainchild of Rob Nagler, a Boulder dad, who is also a computer engineer and president of software consulting group Bivio Software. Nagler was searching for a way to get kids interested in riding their bicycles to school on a daily basis, as a means of encouraging them to exercise, and as a way to help ease the traffic jams caused by parents carting children back and forth to school each day.

The kids attach an EPC Gen2 passive RFID tag to their helmets (good thing... ensures that they wear the helmets!). When they ride to school and park their bike, a reader module mounted near the bike rack records the kid's visit. Each day a kid rides to school, he gets credit towards prize drawings for things like iPods. Parents can also track the kids' progress on a secure website.

Apparently, the project is working well, and is being expanded to 20 other schools across the nation, thanks to financial input from Trek.

What do you think? Is this a good idea?

Cross-trainign HURTS!

I once read a quote... not sure who to attribute it to, but perhaps someone will help me out there... it goes something like this:  "It's not running that hurts.  It's not running that hurts."

I can attest to that.  On and off over the past five years, I've "started running" probably eight times.  Each time, it hurts.  Once you get going, it's really quite fun, but it's something that you have to maintain conditioning for.  If you slack off and let your legs get soft, it hurts to start over.

So, again, I'm starting over.  I know that it's eventually going to get so cold that I won't want to ride to work, but I'm still going to need some exercise.  I know from experience that there pretty much isn't any weather that I can't run in, so in anticipation of that I'm trying to get 2-3 runs in per week on days that I don't or can't bike.

This week I've completed my first few "runs" (actually, alternating short bursts of running and walking).  It hasn't been bad, so far, but it will get harder as the weeks go on.  The key is to build up slowly so that the leg bones and tendons have time to adjust to the pounding.  It doesn't hurt to lose some weight, either.  Of course, I've also never lost weight quite as efficiently as when I was running regularly.

I'll be chronicling my progress here... we'll see how the winter goes!

A thoughtful post...

There's a number of other blogs that I've been reading lately... one in particular is by a man in New York City who is doing an experiment to live for a year with no net (negative) impact on the environment.  One of his posts, spurred by a near-miss with a deliveryman, seemed particularly poignant, so I thought I'd link it in here.

Have a look at this story by No Impact Man.

Think on it.  It's good stuff.

Wardrobe Malfunctions

Commuting tip of the day:  keep an emergency outfit, or at least a shirt and some socks, in your office, even if you drag your clothes to work every day like I do.  A little bit of cash isn't a bad idea, either.  You never know when you're going to need them.

I made it to work this morning in very good time in some excellent weather, with remarkably light traffic.  I was running a little late, but was pleased that things were going well.  Until I started to get dressed and realized, much to my dismay, that the reason I had left my bag open last night was that I had not packed a shirt.

No problem.  I'll just wear my jersey to my 9:00 meeting and then walk over to Wal-Mart and pick up a cheap shirt to wear the rest of the day.  At least I wore one of my plain jerseys, instead of a really garish team jersey or something by Primal Wear  (actually, something like this one would hardly be noticed...).  Uhhhh, nope.  That's not going to work either.  My wallet is in my other pants.  At home.  Did I mention that my lunch supplies at the office are dwindling?  This is not my idea of a diet plan.

So, I suppose this is a suitable excuse to have lunch with the Missus, if she's not already committed somewhere.

Grammar tip of the day (capitalization):  Capitalize a "relationship name" if it accompanies or takes the place of the proper name ("Dad" or "Uncle Mike"), but not if it's used with a possessive ("my dad" or "my uncle").  One (re)learns all kinds of things when helping kids with homework!

Arrrgh! Get off the sidewalk!!!

So we took the kids to the library last night, and we're driving home. It's dusk. Visibility is poor due to the low light (beautiful evening otherwise...).  I pull up to a 4-way light between the side street that I'm on and a major 4-lane street.

Now, this street is bad enough for drivers.  It's four lanes, with significant high-speed traffic, with no berm, high curbs, and sidewalks.  It's out in the burbs, and the sidewalks are rarely occupied, so drivers on this street don't expect anyone to be there.  It's the one street in town that I avoid like the plague on my bike.  Still...

Just as I roll up to the light, from my right I catch a glimpse of motion.   Here she comes... dark clothes, dark bike, headphones on, no lights, poor reflectors (they don't work anyway...), going the wrong way(!), rolling right off the sidewalk into the street in front of me, and turning left onto my street.  I had zero warning and even less time to react.  Had I not already planned to stop short of the crosswalk, I would have slammed her right into the oncoming traffic on the main street.  She didn't even look my direction!!!

So here's my three-part rant.  First, bicycles belong, with very rare exception, in the street, riding with traffic, just like a car.  This makes them more visible and more predictable.  Riding with traffic puts the cyclist in a spot where drivers expect to see traffic.  Had she been riding with the flow of traffic, I would have spotted her easily even in the dark, because that's where I was instinctively expecting motion!  

She also needed to be far better illuminated to be riding in the dark like that, and should have been looking for a car to roll up.  Many, many drivers out of habit roll right through crosswalks and nose out into the cross-street at intersections like this.  They're usually only looking left, because they're only thinking about cars, which are always coming from the left.  It's a bad driving habit, for sure, but it's also a bad idea for a pedestrian or a person on a bike to assume that the driver will stop, and even worse to not even look for an approaching car.

I could give her the benefit of the doubt.  She may have spotted me from some distance out, judged my deceleration and known that I was going to stop short.  Then, by the time I saw her, she could have already decided it was safe and then started looking beyond me.  She could have been mistaken, though.

Part two:  If you're going to ride on a sidewalk, ride like a pedestrian!  Yes, pedestrians have the right of way in crosswalks.  But they're usually moving much, much slower than cyclists, and they almost always stop and look (if they listened to their mothers, anyway) before stepping out into the street.  Also, in some areas - like this one - biking on the sidewalk is entirely legal.  However, rolling off a sidewalk into a street is one of the #1 ways cyclists are killed all the time.  Also, be especially wary if  you are riding against traffic.  Drivers on cross streets (like me) won't be expecting you to come from the right.  They certainly won't be expecting you to be coming as fast as you are.  Crosswalks do not presently come with automatic force fields.  So, roll up, stop, and look both ways, just like a pedestrian.  

Parth three:  If you're in a car, don't forget that streets are used by more than cars.  There are pedestrians and people on bikes and skateboards all over the place.  They can pop out from anywhere and can be hard to see, especially at dusk or at night.  Watch for them.  Don't assume anything.  Check both ways.  Pay attention.  You may have the right of way, but that two-ton death machine you're driving can still kill anyone it hits.  Drive it like it's a loaded gun.  

My culpability in this near-accident:  I wasn't really looking for her, and I should have been.  We're both lucky I just happened to aim to stop short of the crosswalk this time.  Like many drivers, I don't always do that (though I should).  I can't really blame her for being on the sidwalk on this particular street.  I probably would have been as well.  But the combination of her poor cycling habits (see above) and even a moment's inattention by me could have been fatal.

Things happen fast on a bike or in a car.  Driving and cycling both demand our full attention, especially when conditions are less than perfect.  Both tasks can easily become so automatic that our attention is easily distracted and/or we become careless.  Last night was a reminder to me that it only takes a split second to change (or end) a life.

Fun weekends

Okay, so I did ride in this morning... even though I was tired, my "default" setup made it easier to ride than drive (yay!). Yesterday was spent underneath one of the cars, replacing brakes and such. Saturday, we took the kids to the Newport Aquarium near Cincinnati. Here are a few nifty pics:


This first one was a lorakeet that decided my hand was a good perch to drink his bird food from. Another feisty one got tangled in a lady's hair, and after we extricated him, he thought he'd explore my back.


These next three were surprisingly good shots of jellyfish. The color was courtesy of the lighting in the tank. I was surprised that I could take that good a shot in the dark room with no flash. I'm usually far more shaky than that.




Finally, I thought this was a decent shot of a stingray cruising in the big tank.


It's not a huge aquarium, and can be done in 2-3 hours comfortably. Quicker if you just want to look, and longer if you prefer lingering and petting the sharks.

Someday I'll learn how to format images in this thing. But I suppose having them up there is better than not at all... :-)

Phone Pics...

Hey! Guess what? My cell phone has a camera built in!

Every now and then, I remember this fact, and manage to take a picture of something that catches my eye. Here are a few.

This first one is hard to see, but if you look closely in the center of the pic, you'll discover a large bolt embedded in the pavement. I'm not sure whether this bolt was caught during the paving process or if it was simply run over so many times on a hot summer that it worked its way down into the asphalt. Folks don't often realize just how "liquid" asphalt really is... it's not a solid!



Here's a zoomed in, color-"enhanced" view...



As it turns out, a 22-oz ("small"??? Did Starbux buy out Wendy's??) soda fits nicely in my upright bottle holder. As long as the lid is on tight (and I haven't yet inserted a straw), everything stays dry. Ya gotta be careful, though. It's not very "bump-proof", and soda can be remarkably hard to clean out of your bottom bracket!



And finally, I don't in any way condone graffiti or destruction of / damage to public property, but this was just funny! This stop sign is at the "head" of a T intersection...

A haiku

For some reason, on my cruise in to work this morning, my mind drifted to poetry. It's hard to describe in prose the sensation of cresting a hard-won hill and feeling the bike pick up momentum below you. Here's a rather halting attempt at a haiku, inspired by a hill that was in my way...

Burning flames sear legs
Pedals churn over the top
Wings grow, bike takes flight

I'm not terribly fond of the last line. It needs some work. What do you think?

---

In other news, here's an interesting article on driving habits that I stumbled across on the Austin Bike Blog:

Narcissists at the Wheel, from the Victoria (BC?) Times Colonist.

Thanks, Dad!

On Friday, as I pulled into the driveway, I noticed a Cadillac parked across the street. An elderly gentleman was moving slowly around it, pulling things out of the trunk. As I walked up, he gingerly pulled the spare tire out. I said hello and quickly returned to my garage for my floor jack and star wrench. In a matter of minutes, I had the tire changed for him, and my wife had brought some water out for us. He thanked me profusely and we returned to our evening's activities.

I don't mention this to toot my own horn. I mention it as an excuse to explain why I went over there and fixed the man's tire without thinking twice. It's because growing up I watched my dad do it. Hundreds of times. Everything from killing snakes to clearing sewer drains. Electrical repairs, construction jobs, you name it. If someone needed help, he was the first to show up and the last to leave. He still is.

I also learned a lot of my (admittedly basic) mechanic and repair skills from him. I wish I'd paid better attention when I was younger, because there's very little he can't do, and not so much that I can do.

Still, thanks to him, I'm not afraid to replace brake pads and rotors or even replace a valve cover gasket (head gaskets are a bit over my head, though). Instead of buying a new $400 dishwasher or dryer, I order the $20 of parts, grab my tools, and fix it. When the toilet or the sink quits, same deal.

But more importantly, when someone else needs help, thanks to him, I know how to help them. And I have a reason to help them. Because my old man taught me that it's the right thing to do.

The Bible says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Dad showed me by example how we're supposed to treat people in need, and on occasions like Friday, I'm glad that I got the hint.

Thanks, Dad!

A recent Op-Ed

I just stumbled upon this recent op-ed from our local newspaper...

Motorists should give bikers a little leeway

By Janette Heitz

When I turned 50, I decided, with the encouragement of my husband, to take up bicycling. Since then, I have pedaled thousands of miles, including a ride across the United States, annual rides in Holland and a seven-week jaunt in Africa.

I have learned many life lessons while riding my bike, and a local radio call-in show recently reminded me of lesson No. 1: I have a bull's eye on my back.

The show's topic, bicycling and motorcycling, generated calls from disgruntled drivers who are fed up with those of us who see the world on two wheels.

I agree with the callers that there are many arrogant bicyclists who run stop signs, ride on the wrong side of the road, don't wear helmets, talk on their phones while cycling and ride three and four abreast.

I am not here to speak for them. I am writing on behalf of us good guys, the ones who follow the law.

We are out there getting our exercise, saving gas money and reducing Lexington's carbon footprint. When I get on my bicycle for a ride, I consider myself an ambassador for all cyclists. I'm the cyclist who is smiling at you, waving, nodding my thanks and helping you to safely pass me. I don't want to anger any driver; I know that if I aggravate you, you might take it out on the next guy. And then he will have a target on his back. (read more...)

I'm not sure that I can add much to her commentary, except to say that fortunately the "bad apples" are far, far outnumbered by drivers who are at least accommodating, if not careful and conscientious sharers-of-the-road. Unfortunately, it only takes one bad apple to put a cyclist in the hospital...

Should be an interesting 2009 Tour...

From the AP (Jim Vertuno) this morning:

AUSTIN, Texas --

Look out France, Lance Armstrong is making a comeback.

The 36-year-old Armstrong is breaking out of his three-year retirement and aiming to win yet another Tour de France in 2009, a move sure to shake up things across the Atlantic and give a boost to a sport that has missed its biggest star.

In a formal statement Tuesday, Armstrong called his comeback an attempt to raise global awareness in his fight against cancer. Just as likely, it's also about his relentless desire to compete and win, especially at the Tour, which he won a record seven times from 1999-2005.

(read more)

I really, really hope that this doesn't turn into another Michael Jordan should-have-quit-while-he-was-ahead case. Either way, I may have to pickup digital cable before next July.

In other news, I guess I should be prepared for the weather to be a little crazy going forward. It usually is around here. Yesterday evening it was 64 and a howling wind. This morning it was nearly seventy, and this afternoon pushing 80 and sunny. If things go the way they have in past years, we'll have several months of chilly mornings and hot afternoons (or vice-versa...). This is where "modular" clothing comes in handy. I'm talking about arm warmers and leg warmers, of course. It's an easy way to convert from long sleeves/legs to short... even on the same ride, if need be. I'm saving up for a set... for the leg warmers I'll probably stick with basic black, but for the arm warmers, I'm considering a pair of these...

Ha ha... just kidding, of course. Knowing me, I'll probably stick with black arm warmers. Actually, my wife has been learning to knit, and I've discussed getting a custom-knitted pair of arm warmers... she's considering it...

Cold Snap!

It was cool and overcast this morning, but a pleasant ride. The weather report said it was going to be sunny and warm on the way home.

Boy was it wrong. 64 degrees and 18-25 mph winds. Downright chilly, compared to what I was expecting. The worst part was the arms. My core and legs were plenty warm from the effort of riding, but let's face it, other than steering and holding up my head, the arms don't do much. I could have pulled on my jacket, but then I would have overheated.

Still, it was a nice ride. Instead of zooming straight home, I got to run a couple of errands and explore a new neighborhood. Each time they build one, I find a new way to avoid some heavy traffic or narrow roads. It's all good. It's encouraging to be able to do more than just ride to work, even if it takes a little longer than driving.

I'm considering making my own "grocery bag" pannier. I want something that will double as a pannier and a shopping bag in the store. I've got some ideas that I need to get on paper. Maybe when I get some drawings done, I'll post them for feedback.

Lights and brakes

Friday's ride was pleasant, but relatively dark. For the first time in perhaps a month or more, thanks to the far edge of Gustav, we had an overcast and slightly drizzly day. Well, OK, it actually rained pretty steadily while I was at work, but thankfully was dry during ride times.

This ride got me thinking... summer is almost over, and it's only going to be getting darker and rainier as the seasons change. Two important things come to mind: visibility and stopping ability. I'm particularly concerned about these issues because of my earlier loss of my good taillight, and the fact that my rear brake cable was making strange noises - and not working very well - when I used it. It would not be a good thing for that cable to snap during an emergency stop... although that is why a bicycle has two independent brake systems.

After a quick trip to the bike shop, I was all set to work on both issues. I already have a pretty good headlight, so I didn't worry too much about that. This light won't really work for true dark riding - when you need the road illuminated - but it does a very good job of making me visible. And it transfers easily to my other bike. What I did pick up was the biggest, brightest tail light I could find... and it happened to be 20% off! This thing has ten - count'em ten LED's. Two point out to each side (though still visible to the rear), and the other six point straight back. It's really two independent 5-led lights in a single casing, so you can set the top and bottom rows to do different things (solid, flash, sequence or random).

We'll have to see how this thing works in the real world. One thing I don't like is that I had to mount it on my seatpost, which puts it underneath my new seat bag. I'm concerned that this might reduce visibility, especially for people who are seated high up (large trucks, for example). I could clip it to the back of the bag, which would help, but now I'm afraid that it will snap off. I also don't like hanging it from my rack, because the rack's blinkie-mount doesn't stay put very well. I left my old light on the rack as a backup.

I'm considering adding a small blinkie like this one to the back of my helmet when things get darker. Perhaps it will help.

The other major bike work for the weekend was, of course the brakes. I picked up a pair of brake cables and some housing at the bike shop (same trip as the new blinkie), and in about a half-hour this evening I had the rear cable replaced. Now that I've seen the cable off the bike, I no longer think it was in danger of breaking, but it was certainly a bit stretched. There was also a light sheath over one section that had broken, and I believe it was this bit of plastic that was making the "unravelling cable" noise.

In closing, I'll give props to two very good website. The first is one that I have referenced for a very long time - the Park Tool website. They provide extensive repair help and tutorials on the use of their tools. The second I have only stumbled upon recently: BicycleTutor.com. This site has quite a collection of video lessons on a variety of topics. I'm just poking around this site, but I expect it will prove quite useful in the future.

Heat, speed, and a bit of 'cross!

(Don't ask why I'm posting this at 4:30am...)

Man, it was hot on the way home today! I don't know what the thermometer actually read, but it was just that right combination of heat and humidity that sucks the air right out of your lungs. And of course, I was in a hurry to get home! Fortunately, I had a good bit of speed in the old legs.

The fun part was the 100yd or so of deep, loose gravel and the pit of unrideably deep gravel I had to traverse because I ignored a "road closed" sign. Apparently over the weekend, the road crew working on a key stretch of my new "short" route to/from work decided to rip up one end of it and completely rebuild the road. They've mostly finished the majority of the road, except for finishing the sidewalks and medians... generally it's been in a condition that I can ignore the "road closed" signs and weed through the construction equipment to get through.

Not today, though! Just after the recently rebuilt bridge, they had completely destroyed the roadbed and begun rebuilding it with a fresh layer of gravel and crushed stone. The best part of the zone was at the far end where I had to dismount and carry my bike cyclocross-style up over a 2-foot high "wall" where the new roadbed met the old.

Hoo boy! Those good times, they just keep a rolling! It's no fun doing cyclocross when your bike weighs over 40 pounds!

Slacking, habits, and routines

I had a quite busy holiday weekend. We took the time to do some fall cleaning around the house. On Monday, I did a brief 40-minute ride on my road bike, but most of my "exercise" came from pushing - and repairing - a lawnmower and moving things around the house.

Yesterday, an appointment kept me from riding, so today is my first commute back. Boy, was it hard to get going this morning. Still, I'm learning that a bit of routine and habit makes it easier to keep rolling. I suppose it's a form of inertia. As long as I'm "rolling" - consistently riding to work - I tend to keep rolling. When I stop, I tend to stay stopped.

So, what do I do? Well, first is the "ride home" routine. When I roll back into the house the day before, I rack the bike and give it a very quick check for problems. I put my helmet, sunglasses, gloves, and shoes in the same spot, right next to the bike. Four fewer things to hunt for the next morning.

Then there is the "night before" routine. I (almost) always pack my pannier before bed the night before. This does two things for me. First, and most obvious, it is again one less thing to do in the morning. Second, psychologically, it puts me in a position of having to take action (unpack the bag) to not ride, instead of having to take action (pack the bag) to ride.

Third, there's the "morning of" routine. When I get up, I put on my cycling outfit before waking the kids. Okay, I end up wearing the shorts a little longer than I like, and I'm sure I look a bit goofy in the drop-off lane at school. But again, I must take action (change clothes) before I can drive to work.

The combination of all of these routines results in the default follow through being to climb on the bike and start pedaling. Anything else requires backing up and redoing something.

Contrast this with my default "drive to work" day... I roll home the day before and toss my helmet/gloves/shoes somewhere (maybe different places) in the house -> now I must gather them up on the way out, vs. sliding behind the wheel. I don't check the bike -> now I must fix that flat I hadn't noticed. I fail to pack my bag the night before -> now I must pack the bag, vs. showering and dressing. I throw on clothes instead of bike gear -> now I must dress in bike gear, vs. simply walking out the door.

It's setting your self up for success or failure. When I take a few moments to make the preconditions such that it's easy to ride, I ride. When I allow things to slide, it's easier to drive, and the bike stays parked. As long as I'm doing these things consistently, they become habit, and they happen. When I have days off (long weekends are a killer), it is hard to re-start the routine, and it becomes tempting to drop the bike and drive.

It will be interesting as winter bad weather rolls in how I maintain this. I am already planning to drive at least a few days a week so that I can start back into swimming. I will need to find a way to make the routine balance out properly.

Sharing the road...

This column by Tom Eblen ran in the Lexington Herald Leader today...

If you never ride a bicycle, please stop reading this column.

That's right; move on to the next story.

I want to speak to my fellow cyclists, privately.

We all know that rural Central Kentucky is a cyclist's paradise — the gently rolling landscape, the vast web of small, lightly traveled roads and the gorgeous scenery.

In the past few years, thanks to the Newberry administration and the Urban County Council, Lexington has made a lot of progress toward becoming a more bicycle-friendly city.

Each week, it seems, I see new bike lanes on roads that need them. Several bike paths and trails are planned. It's a good thing: Each time gasoline prices spike, I see more people riding bicycles to work, to run errands and to get themselves in shape.

So what's the biggest thing holding back cyclists in Lexington? We are. Not all of us, of course, but more of us than we would like to admit.

(read more...)

I have to say that I agree. Just this morning, before I read the article, I was driving down to the donut shop (boy, that by itself is going to get me in hot water!). I saw a woman crossing the street on her bicycle. Moments later, I almost right-hooked her as I turned into the parking lot... my view of her - and judgement of her speed - was hindered by some parallel parked cars and other sidewalk obstructions.

I've also been on group club rides with riders who feel the need to shout, curse, and even "salute" drivers who weren't paying attention. It's one thing to cluster up when there's nobody in sight, but to hold up traffic only gives us a bad rap. And disregarding stop signs and stop lights (yup... seen that, too) is just dangerous.

Good article, Tom.

Name Change

Well, I've probably just lost the only two people who were reading this. I changed the URL for the blog.

It used to be http://twowheeltwindad.blogspot.com

Now it is http://biofuelengine.blogspot.com

I hesitated to change it, since it breaks links to do so, but I wanted the URL to better match the title of the blog.

Back on the horse...

(Okay, I didn't shout in this title)

A very, very good ride in this morning. Not only was it nearly perfect weather, but I was fast, and the cars were reasonably well behaved. I recall within days of getting my driver's license, I had a fender-bender at an intersection. I thought my driving days were over, but my parents made sure I was back behind the wheel the next day. They were concerned I would be "spooked." It worked. While I am as cautions and careful as I can be, it has been decades since I was fearful behind the wheel.

Likewise, today, though my legs were "tired," I made myself get back on the bike, knowing that today of all days if I missed, I'd start finding excuses not to ride. I was rewarded with one of the most wonderful morning commutes I've had. A few of the morning's observations:

• CD's scattered across the road
• A paper plate "tumbleweed"
• Lots of kids waiting for the school bus
• Puffy white clouds
• Fresh pavement
  
• At least three jumbo pickup trucks who think they own the road
• Mentally buying a new custom race bike with their annual gas bill.
  
• It's easier to turn toward my 17lb pannier (left) than away from it (right)
• Legs are whiners. They're nowhere near as tired as you think.
• 69 degrees and partly cloudy is nearly perfect cycling weather
• Cyclists everywhere

Yes, it was a very nice morning. Now, if the thunderstorms will only stay clear of my trip home, it'll be a lovely start to a holiday weekend!

Egad. Hit and run.

I was hit this afternoon on my way home. At a stop light. By a pickup truck. In line for the light. (Dont' worry - both I and the bike are fine.). I was on a side street coming up to a stop light at a main street. The pickup passed me (safely) and then pulled up behind two other cars at the light. I rolled up behind the truck as I usually do and waited patiently for the light to change. The driver was having trouble keeping the engine running, and it's possible - since it was a stick shift - that what happened next was truly an accident, and not carelessness or malice.

Suddenly, the truck shifted into reverse and zoomed back toward me. I scrambed to walk the bike backwards (I still had one leg clipped in), but she still hit my front wheel and almost knocked me over. She then shifted forward, cut a hard right, and zipped through the quickie-mart parking lot to our right, short-cutting the intersection. Oh. Her tail lights weren't working either.

I was too stunned to do anything cool, like take a photo of her license plate, or call the cops, or even shout anything more than "Hey!" Instead, I stood there in disbelief, then came to, picked up my bike, and rode on when the light changed. My legs were shaking from the fright for most of the rest of the ride home.

I still can't figure out whether she just impatiently decided to back clear of the car in front and cut the corner, or if the car just jumped into reverse, and she was so started by hitting me that she ran off, or if she did it on purpose. I'm going to assume she was just careless and didn't look back, or the truck jumped back farther/faster than she expected (it was running rough, and she was revving the engine to keep it from stalling out).

Still, it's a sobering experience. I'm fine, the bike is fine, and I'll be back out there in the morning. But maybe I'll stop just a bit farther back from the car ahead at the next stoplight.

Ride safe!

I need to stop shouting in my post titles.

Anyway, on my lunch, I stumbled across this very well written blog and this helpful bike safety website, thanks to this nice blog. Oh, and here's another spot... the Pennsylvania DOT's bicycle safety website. It has a game/quiz you can play! Since I'm usually subjected to at least one semi-near miss per day of someone pulling out in front of me, I thought these would be useful. They pretty much speak for themselves.

I will add this, though, from this morning's ride. There are several places along my ride where there is a fairly wide berm, shoulder, or car parking area, which abruptly disappears into an unrideable ditch or - worse - a bridge abutment. I'll try to get a photo of one and add it. Anyway, it is very tempting, especially if the lane itself is narrow, to use that extra room for all it's worth. The problem comes when you are forced to merge back into the lane while a car is passing.

The moral: Always be looking well ahead of your ride, anticipate such merge locations, and get to the LEFT of that white line well in advance. Take the lane and keep yourself safe. I find that car drivers don't seem to mind this nearly as much as having to react quickly to an emergency left-jerk (which is what they'll call you, if they're nice) or having to worry about running you into that ditch or abutment.

Oh, and another thing. Be careful of other cyclists as well. I caught up with another commuter on my way home a few days ago. We rode along and chatted for a short bit before coming to a "T" intersection. He had faded all the way to the right curb before stopping, so I rolled up beside him on his left. Unfortunately, I had not noticed that he was in the habit of doing this at every stop, even if he was turning left. We nearly collided when I turned right and he turned left. I should have stayed (somewhat) behind him to be safe, but he should have taken the left side of the lane if he was turning left. He could have been hit by a right-turning car just as easily.

That is all. Carry on. And be safe.

Slow your roll?

I passed a guy on my way to work this morning. The contrast between he and I somehow caught my attention. I was flying, relatively speaking, cruising down a hill through the construction zone. Making time. Playing catchup with my watch, but still enjoying the ride, the speed, the wind in my face.

He was noodling along. Dressed in his work clothes - I'm guessing he was a mechanic or driver for the city bus system - and regular tennis shoes. He didn't appear particularly fit, but he was not struggling to ride. Based on his ease and balance on the bike, I'm guessing he rides frequently, if not daily, and probably has for a long time. He pedaled slowly, at ease. Just making it to work, enjoying the fresh air or perhaps pondering the day ahead.

I flew by him and offered a "good morning" as I passed. I'm not sure if he responded, as I was by too fast to see. A short bit later, I had to take a one-block detour, or at least I thought so. As I returned to the street, here he came. Still cruising along at the same easy pace. Steady. Relaxed.

It made me wonder. Why do I rush to work? Why do I get there all sweaty and wrung out? The obvious answer is, of course, that my commute doubles as a workout, so I go fast for the intensity of exercise. I still enjoy the ride, but the enjoyment comes as much from the burn in my legs and the sensation of flying as it does from the flowers along the road.

Still, there is something to be said for slowing the pace, cruising, whatever you want to call it. Perhaps instead of that speedy roadster I've been eyeing, I should consider an Electra Townie...

Singin' in the rain!

So, a dry ride home yesterday, but a wet ride in this morning. The rain wasn't bad, more of a drizzle, but with the wind it was coming at me from all directions. A few things that I discovered:

• My current "rain jacket" is good at keeping the chill off in dry weather but is completely useless for anything more than a spritz from a water sprinkler.
• A wet bike is (inevitably) a very dirty bike.
• Those MTB-style visors on the front of helmets make good rain shields.
• Roads are slippery. Paint stripes are even slipperier. Railroad tracks are Teflon.
  
• It's hard to see when your shades fog up.
• Once you're soaked, it doesn't matter if you get any wetter.
• Fenders are a Good Thing.
• Note to self: Next time, pack dry socks for the ride home.
  

Just out from my house, the road takes a significant dip with a slight curve at the bottom. I was climbing the crest before the dip when a car passed me a little too fast for the weather. He looked a bit out of control. I watched with a mix of alarm and bemusement as, when he got to the curve at the bottom, he did a complete 360 degree spin before coming to a stop. Don't worry, I was 50 yards behind him and completely safe. He hopped out and checked his car, muttering something about needing more air in a tire. I rolled by, thinking... slow down... it's wet and slippery...

It's not nearly as bad as you'd think riding in the rain. You just have to get over the fear of being wet. The real tricky part is making sure you have dry gear and clothes for the ride home. Still, I'm thinking that until I get some more suitable rainwear, I may have to drive on rainy mornings. Especially as it gets colder.

R.I.P. Blinky L.E.D.

It's a sad morning.

Aah, poor Blinky LED, we knew ye well. You kept us safe from approaching cars for a long time, but now we must lay you to rest.

I was cruising the "short route" to work this morning. Part of the ride is along a street that's still under construction. The main part of the construction zone is (now) very smooth new asphalt, but the end of the zone is very, very rough, as they haven't done the transition work from new to old yet.

Anyway, as I bounced through the rough spot (at speed!), my rear blinky light came unclipped and flew off my (new!) seat bag's blinky loop. It smashed to the pavement and popped apart into a half dozen pieces. This wouldn't have been so bad, but as I was stopping to go back and pick them up, a pickup truck ran over the red lens part, shattering it into a hundred pieces. I was able to rescure the rest of the light, but without the lens, it's pretty useless, except as spare parts.

I think I have an old blinky at home I can use as a backup, but I really liked this one. It was simple, easy on the batteries, and very, very bright. A VistaLight VL300, I think. I'll have to go shopping for a new one now. Any suggestions? Favorites?

On a good note, the predicted rain didn't come on schedule, so I had a dry and partly sunny ride. Plus, I noticed that a restaurant in one of the "less economically developed" areas I ride through has had a bit of a makeover. It's nice to see some investment going on in that area.

Mini Movie Review: Space Chimps

Well, this will be the first of an occasional feature here... the Mini Movie Review.

We saw Space Chimps the other night. You've really got to have your expectations set going into this. We took a gaggle of 8 year olds. It was certainly no Shrek, but was still entertaining. If you go in expecting a good, compelling, exciting, funny movie, you'll come out pretty disappointed. If you go in expecting a couple hours of leaving your brain in the car and keeping the kids entertained, you'll be OK.

We went in with fairly low expectations, and saw it at the "dollar theater" (five people for $7.50! Yowza!). We were pleasantly surprised. The plot and screenplay are almost entirely predictable, the animation so-so. The aliens are straight out of some TV kid's show. In fact, when they first appeared, I was sure the camera was going to pan back to show the chimps watching a kids show featuring aliens. The chimps themselves were pretty well done.

The good part of the movie was the nearly endless stream of inside jokes, industry references, and adult-level humor throughout the movie. It kept us laughing. In particular, watch for the replay of the Leia / Solo / Spaceship repair scene from The Empire Strikes Back.

I'd rate this move as decent for a dollar theater, or maybe a rainy-day rental. I'm glad we didn't pay retail, but I'm not sorry we saw it.

Stupid bikers! (in this case... the author!)

This one could also be titled "Check your Gear! Part 2: Before you ride, not while!"...

So I roll out of the driveway this morning, and in the corner of my eye I see a car coming down the street behind me. So, I decide to simultaneously clip in, fade right to give the car room, and look down to check the inflation level of my rear tire, which feels a little low.

Aaaaaaah! PARKED CAR!!!

Somehow, I miraculously squeeze past the parked car that I'd forgotten about, whacking the windows four or five times with my hand to keep from scratching the paint with my handlebars or pedals, while also managing not to face-plant in the pavement to my left in front of the car behind me.

Result: a mildly sproinged right wrist and shoulder and a very embarrassed cyclist. I really should know better than to stare at my rear wheel in traffic.

Yes, the tire is a bit low, but it's rideable. I should have topped it off before I left, or even the night before.

Now, for the intended topic du jour. I was going to mention the sequence of feelings I have nearly every morning when I ride. You see, I'm not a morning person. At all. I barely function before about 10:00am. However, the kids have to be at school by 7:30, and my boss expects me at work and functional by 9:00. So I've had to adapt. Generally, the alarm goes off about 6:30, and I whap it twice. By 6:48 I'm dragging out of bed to rouse the kids. "Rise and shine!" usually comes out more like "Hey... geddup..." with what I hope is a gentle shove on the nearest accessible knee or shoulder. By the time the kids are up and dressed, i'm usually awake enough to be vocal, and a part of my brain is actively thinking through the routine... shoes... backpacks... food... medicine... count heads in car...

By the drive to school (only a couple minutes), I'm awake enough to give a cheery "Have a nice day!", but I'm fading fast. I hit the door sleepy enough to crawl back in bed, and thinking seriously about driving. Still, I remind myself that I'll feel better if I ride, so I pull on the clothes, grab the bag and head outside. My legs are beginning to figure out they're going to have to do more than push a gas pedal, so they're complaining already...

The first three blocks are easy, but a gentle uphill. This lulls my legs into complacency, but does help to quiet the creak in my knees. I'm starting to think this might be tolerable, though I'm still not past the idea of turning around and driving in. Then I hit the super-steep hard right turn at the light. This requires me to clip in (or balance) and stand on the pedals to accelerate from a dead stop all at once, in traffic. The adrenaline shot is like downing an espresso, and I'm off like a rocket. By the time I hit the next light, it's a race.

The latter part of the short route is flatter, and slightly downhill, so I roll smooth and fast. I'm usually "feeling the burn" in my legs and getting a good workout. I'm enjoying the sunshine and checking out people's flower gardens, looking forward to the day. I'm usually a bit wobbly getting off the bike at work, but mentally I'm awake, refreshed, and ready to go. This is a stark (and pleasant) contrast to when I drive to work and hit the door still groggy, even after a morning Diet Coke.

Given the option, I think I'll take the bike.

Check your Gear!

Yesterday morning, as I noted, I discovered to my dismay that the spare tube I'd been carrying in my Bug bag had the wrong type valve for my wheels. This would have been bad on the road, since I would not have been able to replace a bad tube.

It gets worse. Last night, when I was repairing my flat tire, I pulled out the other spare that I keep in my saddlebag, just in case. Guess what? It too had a Schrader valve (the wrong one!). Even worse, it was a 700c size tube - too big! I had been carrying around a spare tube for TwinMom's bike!!

The moral of this very short story is that you should check your gear periodically and make sure you really are carrying what you think you are carrying. On the side of the road in the rain is the wrong place to find out you forgot your tire levers or that you have the wrong tube.

Check out my articles over on the sidebar for some more information!

Flat!

How do you like the new "skin"? I thought I'd try something different from the default, while keeping the basic blue motif. I updated the blog subtitle as well, to something a bit less ho-hum.

An unpleasant surprise this morning. I'm running late already, and as I rush out to the garage to grab the bike, guess what I find?? My front wheel is completely flat. Great! Must have picked something up on the way home yesterday. Normally a tube change takes me about ten minutes, so I went ahead and pulled the wheel. Unfortunately, once I got the tube out, I couldn't find the offending piece in the tire. Then I found out something even more sinister!

I had been carrying around a spare tube in the outside pocket of my Bug bag, for just such an occasion. Unfortunately, instead of the small Presta valve I normally use, the tube had a larger Schrader valve - completely unusable with my wheel because the valve stem won't fit through the hole in the wheel rim. I'm glad I caught this while sitting in my garage, instead of out on the street halfway home!

By this time, I was out of time, since I had a 9:00 meeting to make. So, it was upstairs for a quick shower and change, and out to door to the dinosaur burner to make it to work. Now I have some repair work to do at home.

The good part of all this is that I'm behind on writing an article for my favorite triathlon training website, BeginnerTriathlete.com, on how to change a tire. Now I can take some photos to add to the article! Of course, I'll have to put the bad tube back in to recreate the failure for the early pics.

Here are a couple other articles I've authored over there:

• Roadside Repairs Part 1: Ten Essentials for your Saddlebag
• How (not) to Change a Tire... in 47 Steps
  

The new article is going to be part 2 of the Roadside Repairs series. I'm only about 6 months behind on it.

I haven't been using BT.com much lately, though I did quite a bit when actively training for triathlons. Right now, I'm deliberately staying away from logging. Not because it isn't useful, but because for me personally when I start logging, I start pushing, and that has led to some of my injury problems. I need to spend a year or so just building a "base", getting my body very, very used to the daily grind of exercising. It takes bone in particular months and months to strengthen enough to stand the rigors of an active workout regimen. I may log swims and runs again when I start working on them during the cold months. We'll see.

What I have found very useful is to log food intake. I'm bad about actually doing this, but I've found that the simple act of writing down and tracking what I'm eating helps tremendously in controlling that food and making sure it is the right quantity and the right quality. I've never lost weight so easily as when I was logging my meals. For this, BT.com has a very, very good logging facility. If you'd rather have something that is more food-centric and less workout-centric, I'd also recommend FitDay.com.

So for today at least, my poor bike is sitting in the garage, sans its front wheel, keeping the lawnmower company while I use the hydrocarbon-fuel engine for transportation. I really need a "backup" bike. Maybe I should start trolling the yard sales...

School Buses, gears, and passing motorists...

I was running a tad late this morning, so I took the short route (by the scrapyard - in just over 18 minutes woo-hoo!). On my way up one of the hilly residential sections, I came upon a stopping school bus. Well, this is new. I've never been at the head of the (opposing traffic) line for a stopped school bus. Hmm... what to do?

Fortunately, after a moment's reflection (and that's all I had at 15mph), the answer was easy. I'm on a bicycle and I'm over 16. I'm "in" a vehicle. So, I stopped. The law in pretty much all states is clear. Adults on a bicycle are supposed to act like - and be treated like - slow moving vehicles. We're supposed to ride in the street, on the right, with the flow of traffic. We're supposed to obey all applicable traffic laws, including stop lights and signs, one way signs, speed limits (yes, it is possible to break the speed limit on a bike!), and so on.

I stopped, waited, watched the kids board, and then I rolled to the right into the (fortunately wide) berm to allow the line of cars I knew was stacked up behind me to pass before proceeding on to work. I figured that was safer, since they all would inevitably pass me on the narrower stretch just ahead, and I wasn't in that much of a hurry.

The other thing I noticed today is that I'm riding in slightly higher gears than usual. This is a good thing, as it means my fitness level is going up. Perhaps I should take this opportunity to explain a bit about how gears work, but it's an in-depth subject, so we'll save it for later.

I also noticed (I must have been very observant today!) that there are a handful of common types of drivers when it comes to passing a cyclist.

First, we have the "normal" passer. These folks drive up, and assuming it's safe they fade over, give me a few feet of clearance, and cruise on by. I almost don't notice them. It's a nice, smooth slide to the left, and a smooth glide back to the right. If there is oncoming traffic, or another issue, they fade back and wait patiently for the right moment - which usually comes quickly. These are the best. It's sharing the road at its finest. They don't frighten or endanger me, and I don't impede them either.

Then there's the "wide berth" passer. These folks either don't trust my ability to hold a line, or they strictly interpret the lane markings. I'm not sure which. They wait for an opening, and then swerve completely into the oncoming lane to pass, leaving a completely empty lane to ride in. This is somewhat disconcerting, as it gives the impression that the driver thinks I'm crazy or have cooties or something. They also tend to swerve when they shift, giving the impression that they are not exactly in control of their vehicle and might overreact to anything at all.

Then there's the "too-nice-for-their-own-good" non-passer. This is the person who decides that passing me wouldn't be safe or polite at all (even though it would be), and decides to hold up an entire line of cars slowly following me as I (invariably) struggle up a hill at six miles an hour. The driver is, no doubt, doing his best to be conscientious, giving me the respect I deserve as a fellow traveler on the road. Or perhaps he's terrified that even if he pulls a "wide berth" move, he'll somehow blow me off the road into a crumpled heap of bones and aluminum. Unfortunately, all this person accomplishes is severely irritating the twenty people stacked up behind him who, of course, blame me instead of him for holding them back.

Finally, there's the "damn the torpedoes" passer. This is the guy who, through either inattention or pure evil, blows right by, taking as much of the lane as he can grab, and coming dangerously close to shoving me right into the bushes.

Case in point: there was a tree cutting crew blocking most of my lane on the way home today. Cars were having to move about halfway into the other lane to get around the bucket truck, and oncoming traffic was slightly into the berm to make room. It's my turn, so I wait for an opening, take the lane and move past the truck as quickly as I can. Apparently not fast enough for the minivan behind me, who decides to pass me as I'm passing the bucket truck! Pulling all the way into the other lane, he shoves the oncoming traffic almost to the grass, earning an angry honk from someone and nearly causing an accident. All to save the five seconds it took me to get around the truck and back over where he could have safely passed me.

Moments like that make me think twice about riding. Fortunately, for every moment like that, there are a hundred "normal" passers, dozens of folks who wait at intersections for me to pass, or pause and wave me through a left turn in traffic. Plenty of smiles and nods from pedestrians, and even the occasional joking conversation about how much gas money I'm saving. Yes, sometimes it's a little rough out there, but on the whole it's a pretty nice ride.

I stand corrected...

I've also been asked about the meaning of the word "pannier". Apparently I have been somewhat mistaken about the etymology of this word, if not the definition.

A pannier is the same thing as a saddlebag on a horse or motorcycle. On a bicycle, panniers usually hang from a rack mounted over the rear wheel, though there are also smaller front panniers that mount to a rack on the front wheel, sometimes used for bicycle touring.

I borrowed this image from Arkel OverDesigns to illustrate the concept (hopefully they won't mind, in exchange for the free advertising). I use this particular bag, and I love it. It has backpack straps integrated on the backside, so you can carry it off the bike.



Anyway, I had been of the opinion that the word was French. Both Sheldon Brown and Wikipedia disagree on that point. While it is derived from the French for a bread basket, the word itself is English. It's pronounced PAN-yer, not pan-YAY.

I suppose bicyclists use the older, more specific word "pannier" vs. the more common (in motorcycling and horses) "saddlebag" in part because it's easy to confuse "saddlebag" with the very different "seat bag" (which could also be called "saddle bag", since the "seat" on a bicycle is also a "saddle"). But I'm probably somewhat wrong about that as well.

A "Seat bag" (or "saddle bag") on a bicycle, while we're on the subject, is a small bag that hangs below the seat. It's usually used to hold spare tubes and small repair items, as well as perhaps some change, an ID, and possibly a snack. The larger ones could even hold a lightweight rain jacket.

Here's another pic borrowed from Arkel:


So you can see, a seat bag (saddle bag?) on a bicycle is a much different beast from a pannier. And an old dog can learn something new.

Monday legs, clipless pedals, and other musings.

Hey! It must be Monday!

Normally, that's cause for a halfhearted groan and a slog to the local Diet Coke stash. In my case, it's sometimes cause for celebration. See, I generally use my commutes as workouts, and the biggest underlying reason for doing them is to keep my blood sugar under control so I don't have to go on meds. I also like getting in shape, and tend to measure that by my ride times on my usual routes.

Today I got a "two-fer". Sugar was 99 this morning, despite two days of not doing much about it. That's a good sign to me that the consistent workouts are keeping things under control. Then, my weekend-rested "Monday legs" delivered me to work in 28:36, which may be a record time for my 7 mile route. I'll probably be dragging on the way home, but it was worth it.

An astute reader was asking what are clipless pedals, so I thought in response I would give a brief and vague history of the development of bicycle pedal technology...

Back in the stone age, there were platform pedals. These were the relatively large, flat pedals that are still seen on kids bikes and many cruiser or hybrid style adult bikes (plus BMX and hardcore downhill rigs). The great thing about platforms is that they are simple. You can use them with any kind of shoe, and can get your feet on or off whenever you like. The bad part is that there is nothing but gravity holding your foot to the pedal, so it is hard to get a good, efficient pedal stroke. In particular, on the back (lifting) part of the pedal stroke, your foot is dead weight, and in some cases can simply fly off the pedal . Very convenient for "strolling" along the boardwalk, zipping across campus without changing shoes, or thrashing the local skate park on your BMX. Not so good for saving energy and/or going fast.

Folks who do like to go fast figured that if they could somehow strap their feet to the pedals, it would help their pedaling efficiency. So, they invented "toe clips." Toe clips are metal cages attached to the front of a pedal that are shaped to fit over the toe of your shoe. They are usually accompanied by a metal shoe plate that attaches to the bottom of the shoe and snaps into the body of the pedal itself. Couple these two things with a strap that runs through the pedal body and the top of the toe clip at about the ball of the foot, and you have a very snug, firm pedal attachment system. The good news: now you can pedal in "circles", getting the maximum amount of power transfer through the whole pedal stroke. The bad news: your feet are semi-permanently attached to the bike, so if you need to stop, you'd better know how to do a track stand!

Well, this wasn't good enough, as track stands are not so easy to learn. So folks invented what is known as the "clipless" pedal system. This consists of a spring loaded clamp on the pedal body that grabs a small metal cleat on the bottom of the shoe. The clamp and cleat are designed so that the rider can "clip in" by pressing straight down on the pedal, and can "clip out" by twisting the heel outward. These work very, very well, despite the inherent irony of "clipping" into and out of a "clipless" pedal.

There are several different flavors, all of which work on the same basic premise. The "clip" tension can be adjusted to suit the user. Road racers can set the tension very high so that they don't accidentally unclip when pedaling hard (say, at the sprint finish of a race...), while mountain bikers can set it low so that they can unclip easily when they're in trouble (say, slipping off a log they thought they could ride down...). The Shimano SPD pedal, like most things Shimano, is something of a de-facto industry standard, while the various Look models are popular with road racers and the Crank Brothers Eggbeaters are popular with mountain bikers (they shed mud very well). I use a Shimano "campus" pedal, which has the SPD clipless pedal system on one side and a regular platform surface on the other side. This lets me go clipless on my commute, but still use the bike in my street shoes to zip across campus when needed.

The one main downside to clipless pedals is the presence of the cleat on the bottom of the shoe, which makes it hard to walk in the shoes. Mountain Bike and commute-oriented shoes "solve" this by having raised treads which "hide" the cleat when walking but don't interfere with pedal engagement. Road shoes "solve" this by... well, if you're racing a road bike, you shouldn't be walking anyway.

There's a nice, if short, Wikipedia article about bicycle pedals, if you're curious.

Many first-time users are skeptical of clipless pedals, as they are afraid they will not be able to disengage in the event of a crash. In my personal experience, unless the pedal system itself is mangled, you will disengage during a crash. Practice is of course necessary, as with all new skills, but clipping in and out very quickly becomes second nature. Which brings me to my story for the day.

The first day I rode to work in clipless pedals (about 3 years ago), I had spent the day before diligently setting up and testing the system, and practicing clipping in and out. Unfortunately, I had neglected to tighten down the cleat on my left shoe sufficiently. When I ride, I'm in the habit of unclipping and standing on my left foot at stops. Since the cleat was not tight enough, when I tried to unclip, the cleat would simply rotate on my shoe and fail to unclip. Having already leaned to my left, I was thus doomed to a slow, embarrasing fall to the pavement. In traffic. I fell four times before I got to the office and figured out the problem. Once I tightened up the cleat bolts, I had a nice, smooth ride home.

The moral of this story: Always make sure your bolts are tight... and keep your sense of humor handy!