Friday, December 23, 2011

Christmas Bike

The Christmas Bike is back.  There were only two commuting days remaining, when I poured myself a glass of egg nog, headed out to the garage and began the transformation from normal commuting bike to ambassador of good cheer.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

A Fanny Pack

There was a time in my commuting life when a fanny pack was all I needed.  It wasn't a big fanny pack either.  However, in that minuscule bag about my waste, I was able to carry my tools, spare tubes, patch kit and lunch.  Mind you the sandwich was pretty much smashed to smithereens by the time I got to work, but it was lunch all the same.

Today, as I rode to work, I had a pannier packed with my lock cable, camera and rain gear (jacket, pants and hoody).  Additionally, I had a Arkel backpack/pannier filled with tools, spare tire, patch kit, IPAD, gym clothes and lunch.  Mind you the sandwich looked like a sandwich by the time I got to work, but it was lunch all the same.

What's happened such that I have transitioned from the bare necessity of a fanny pack to two full panniers worth of stuff?   Hath materialism invaded my commuting life?  Could it be that I've transcended living for the moment and succumbed to being prepared for whatever might potentially befall me?  Doth the simplicity of climbing on my bike and pedaling away be slipping further from my grasp with each passing year?

These are questions that I grapple with and simultaneously dread knowing the answers of.  I boast about the fact that my primary reason for commuting by bicycle is that it makes my world small, manageable and simple.  Is that really true?  Can I still commute and be content with nothing more than a fanny pack tied around my waste?  Where would I stow my IPAD?  What if it rains?  What would I do about going the gym?  It's funny, in a sad sort of way, how something so simple as a fanny pack was at one time all I ever needed.  Yet today it seems so woefully inadequate.  I'm not sure how much such a contrast says about fanny packs or myself.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Let There Be Light

When I rode out of my driveway on my way to work - it was dark.

When I rode into my driveway coming home from work - it was dark.

It's cause of days like this, of which there will be many in my immediate future, that I upgraded my lighting system.

Over the last couple years, I've been using the Planet Bike Blaze 2W in the front...
and the Planet Bike Superflash in the back...
These both sport super bright LEDs that are easy on batteries, pack a powerful punch of light and can operate in either a steady or Planet Bike's unique, attention getting strobe/flashing mode.  These lights are pretty good and highly effective. 

So recently I gots to figurin.  Ifn one of each of dees lights is perty good - wouldn't two of each...
of dees lights...
bees even more gooder?  Oh yea - I see you a noddin.

It does my heart good to ride down the road and have cars flash me their brights in a feeble effort to get me to tone down my lights. 
I just shade my eyes and smile, taking comfort in the fact that they are already on low beam.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Christmas By Bike - December 1

It's the first of December.  As I traverse to and from work, I am treated to the sights and sounds of Christmas as folks decorate their homes.  I have 16 commuting days between now and Christmas.  I thought I'd share an image or two each day in an effort to spread a little Christmas cheer.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Taking Advantage of an Indian Summer Day

This past Sunday afternoon, my wife and I took a break from working on our house.

We rolled out the bikes...
and went for a ride.

The pictures speak more eloquently of the loveliness of the day than my feeble pen...




Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

The Thing I Miss Most About Driving to Work

Were you to ask me why I commute to work, I could wax philosophically about the physical, mental, environmental, social and political benefits.

Were you to ask what I miss most about driving to work, my answer would consist of a single word - coffee.  I miss being able to sip on a cup of coffee on my way to work.

All that changed recently as my latest, online purchase arrived.  I am now the proud new owner of a Biologic Vacuum Flask

Now I can fill this mug with coffee...
slip it into my waterbottle cage...
and enjoy a hot cup of java as I merrily pedal along.

My commuting life is now whole!!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Objects of the Night

Lately I've been doing quite a bit of riding the dark.  I've already happened upon two good reasons for a high quality bike light...

An 8" diameter log...
An 8' long branch...

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

The Same - Yet Different

The below two pictures were taken...
...at the same time
...from the same place
...of the same thing
...using the same camera


The only difference was they were taken 24 hours apart.  The lesson here - no matter how low the visibility is for you today - keep pedaling - there is a brighter tomorrow.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Fare De Well Summer

Most people consider Labor Day weekend as marking the end of Summer. The event that I somberly celebrate is much more personal.

The temperature is a pleasant 83 F. The winds are mild and there be not a cloud in the skies.
Let not this weather fool you. It is not a balmy July day. The lack of humidity is proof of that. It's 5:30 in the afternoon and the sun is already low in the skies.
It's the middle of October. Any day now I'll wake up and it will be cold. In a couple weeks, the time will change and it will be dark when I ride to work in the morning and ride home at night.

Today is the perfect day to celebrate one last time my favorite Summer ritual. I stopped at a local convenience store to purchase some liquid refreshment. Rode to my favorite picnic table nestled among the trees at a nearby park.

I sat back and silently replayed the memories if this past Summer. I pondered the long, cold, dark winter that lay ahead. Here I sat between the two. I guess that's what life is. It's lived on the precipice between the past and present, neither of which I can change or control. The only thing I can affect is the here and now. What I choose to do with each moment of the present. For this moment, I choose to open another beer and enjoy the interlude. In a little bit, I'll ride away from this spot and in all likelihood will not return until new leaves begin to bud on the trees around me.
Fare well Summer - until we meet again on the other side of Winter!!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Road Find # 10 - Zip Ties

As a rode through Huntington Park, my eyes caught site of not one, but a pair of ...
I immediately put my new found treasure to work securing the wayward cable that kept rubbing against and muting my dinger.
A muted dinger ain't worth a ding. Someone else's loss hath made it possible for the world once again to hear the unabated and soothing tone of a brass bell ringing merrily along.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

A Homeward Bound Detour

Last week on my ride home, I met up with a business associate and good friend, Harry, who was in town for a conference. We went for a pleasant, easy paced ride of 20 miles. We finished just as the sun was setting...
...and in the parking of The Crab Shack where we enjoyed hand made crab cakes and cold beer.

The sun was long gone when we finally walked out. It was a beautiful evening - mild temps - a light breeze - cloudless skies - and a sliver of moonlight. I switched on my lights and rode home slowly, enjoying my first ride of the season enveloped in darkness.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Pee Poor Locking Job

I pulled up to the bike rack and took note of a Breezer Uptown bike that I hadn't seen before. It was a bike designed for city riding / commuting. It sported fenders, bigger tires, cargo rack, chain guard, kickstand and lights front and back powered by a dyno-hub. It even had an integrated rear wheel lock...
That's what really caught my eye and caused me to take a closer look...
Do you notice anything missing? Aside from the wheel lock, that was engaged, there is not another lock to be seen.

Sure, a thief couldn't just take the bike and ride off on it. However, there would be nothing to keep them from picking it up and throwing it in the trunk or truck. Once home, a couple swipes of the hacksaw would put an end to the wheel lock and they would have themselves a really nice city riding / commuting bike.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Gale Force Winds and Bumper to Bumper Traffic

The title of this post simply, succinctly and accurately captures the ride I took recently while vacationing on the outer banks of NC. Despite the less than picturesque riding conditions, I thoroughly enjoyed every pedal stroke. Not having done any recreational riding in 2 months, it was just good being back on the bike.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Cargo Bikes Carry More ... or Less

I have posted several times in the past concerning my cargo bike's ability to carry lots of stuff. However, it is also capable of handling the little things as well.
I woke up Sunday morning with a hankering for a fried bologna biscuit from Hardees. As I pedaled home with my treasure, I was struck with another advantage of bicycling. I didn't have to be tortured by the smell of the food all the way home.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Riding Under The Rainbow

On a recent ride to work, I was privileged to be accompanied by a rainbow that stretched across the Western horizon. I slowed down and kept glancing over my shoulder to admire it. It lasted until just before I pulled up to the bike rack. What a simple treasure. What a beautiful ride.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Blogging Scarcity

I haven't been blogging much lately!

Why?  Cause I haven't been riding much lately!!

Why?  Cause I haven't been able to get to my bikes!!!

This blog is not about bike riding in general.  It's about MY bike riding.  It's about what I think, feel and see when I look over MY handlebars.  If I don't ride much - I don't have much to talk about.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Hurricane Obstacle


A couple weekends ago, I, along with millions of others along the East Coast, had a hurricane pass overhead dumping tons of rain and packing plenty of wind.  The following Monday, I jumped on my bike like usual and headed to work.  Along my 5 mile route I was thwarted several times by downed trees and power lines. 

I could have turned around and gone back home and jumped in my truck.  However - I have to get to work.  I commute by bike.  I cant let something like a hurricane keep me from what I do - Ride!!  Instead of being frustrated by the obstacles so cruelly thrust in my path, I used it as a good excuse to get to work late and ride a few extra miles. 

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Brooks Be Gone

Today, I reluctantly removed the Brooks saddle from my Surly...
Why would I do such a thing?

Was it because of style?  Absolutely not!  The Brooks is classy and gorgeous.

Was it because of comfort?  No way!  My Brooks is just that - mine.  It conforms perfectly to my butt and is by far, the most comfortable saddle I've ever sat on - bar none.

The reason for the switch is really quite simple.  The Surly has become my go-to, commuting steed. The perfectly seasoned Brooks saddle stamps a nice brown stain on the posterior region of my britches.  Trust me, this definitely distracts from my sex appeal.  To avoid said distraction, I am forced to wear lycra to and from work.  While such attire is certainly sexy on my perfectly formed glutes, I prefer to be more subtle.  Furthermore, I am forced into the hassle of carrying a changing of clothes to and from work.  Of course, there is another option to avoid the big brown stain...
...a big brown bag.  So much for style and comfort.  It was time to make the switch to a more functional saddle for commuting...
Now it's back to riding in plain clothes.

- no more big brown stain!
- no more carrying a changing of clothes!!
- no more cheesy seat cover!!!
- no more being the cause for countless women lusting in their heart!!!! 

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Recreational Sabatical

With my bike tour of the Adirondack's of upstate New York now completed, I must let my faithful readers in on a little secret.  I am effectively taking a sabbatical, of an undetermined length, from recreational cycling.

I have been riding bikes seriously for more than 20 years.  During that time, I have spent countless hours from home.  My family, especially my wife, has made huge sacrifices.  A few months ago I told my wife that once my Adirondack Tour was over, I was going to hang the bike up for a season and focus on getting work done around the house.  My wife heard me loud and clear and took me up on the offer.

With that being said, I comfort my faithful flock with these words.  I will continue to ride my bike for utility purposes.  Therefore, I will continue to blog about all things bike related in the genre of utility riding.  I hope to be back to recreational riding by Spring, but I have a lot of stuff to do between now and then, so we will see.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Smokin

"You're an idiot! But you can't tell an idiot that he's an idiot because he's an idiot!!".

Those were my loving wife's parting words as I walked out the house to ride to work this morning. What would make such a lovingly, kind, soft hearted woman like my wife utter such words of contempt? The following picture provides a clue to the answer of that perplexing question...
The haze in this picture is not fog, nor is it due to a defect in my camera. It is smoke from a distant wild fire that was blown into the area overnight. As I rode to work with burning, teary eyes, I couldn't help but thinking that maybe my wife was onto something.

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Adirondack Loop Stories - Stick a Fork in Me, I'm Done

"That which does not kill me, makes me stronger." - Nietzsche -

After the ride I had just endured, this quote wasn't exactly running true in my head. I was hot - tired - hurting - discouraged. I was at the end of my rope and there was no ledge upon which to place my feet.

This was only the second day of my tour. I still had a lot more miles to cover and mountains to climb. As I lay there, I had no idea how I was going to do it. In fact, I wasn't even trying to figure it out. The only thing I could think about was how to get back to my car, which was parked some 110 miles away. I can honestly say, at this, the lowest point (emotionally) of my tour, if I could have surmised a way, I would have quit right then and there.

I glanced over at my bike and uttered aloud, "if you were a horse, I'd shoot you!".

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Adirondack Loop - Day 7

Warrensburg to Saratoga Springs. 42 miles.

I awoke on the final day of my ride with Saratoga Springs and my car some 40 miles away. Knowing I had a +10 hour car drive to get home, I resolved to get an early start. I was on the road and pedaling by 5:30 AM. The sun was behind the clouds and the temperatures had abated a bit since the day before. These combined to make for pleasant riding conditions.

Reviewing the ride profile I concluded that today's ride would be relatively flat. For 6 days I had been riding up and down, what made me think the final day would be any different I cannot explain. From a profile perspective, the final day's route proved to be no different than the previous 6. In fact I even had a couple really tough, relatively long climbs.

Eager to bring this ride to a close, I had a cold breakfast on the bike of MRE pop tarts and cinnamon scone. No coffee. No hot breakfast.

After 4 hours of riding, I unceremoniously pulled into the parking lot in Sarasota Springs to find my car safe and sound.

I wasted no time in unpacking the bike, loading it in the car, changing clothes, starting the engine and heading home.

As I drove in my comfortably air conditioned car, sipping a hot cup of coffee, I pondered what I had accomplished. It was a hard week, accentuated by long days, steep hills and hot temperatures. More than once I sat alone in the campsite trying to figure another way to get back to my car. If I could have come up with an answer, I would have quit that ride right then and there. Yet, no matter how hard I pondered a solution, the only viable option was to keep pedaling. Now that it is all said and done, I'm glad that was the only path offered me.



Friday, July 22, 2011

Adirondack Loop - Day 6

Port Henry to Warrensburg. 59 miles.

The penultimate day of my bike tour was truly something. It all started last night. Over the last few days, the East coast has been in the grip of a record heat wave. Upstate New York has been no exception. In anticipation of this tour, I've been watching the weather for this area of the country and was anticipating highs in the upper 70s during the day with low humidity and lows in the 50s at night.

Last night at 10:00 PM, I was laying on top of my sleeping bag in my tent and was soaking wet in sweat. I fell asleep drenched in sweat and when I awoke this morning, I was still damp. By the time I broke camp and climbed on my bike at 7:00 AM this morning, I was already sweating profusely.

Today's ride was long and hot. I reached Hague at mile 26 and was feeling pretty good. I stopped to top off my bottles with water and pedaled off for the last big climb of the day. It was a brute. For 5+ solid miles I pedaled at a pace of 4 mph. I reached the top spent, but encouraged that the remainder of the day was mostly downhill. After another 13 miles I reached the next town, Brant Lake. I was down to 1 bottle of water, so you can imagine my dismay when I couldn't find any services in the town to replenish my supply. I had at least 1-1/2 hours left to ride, with temps in the mid 90s and I only hade 20 oz of warm water. I rationed the water in small sips and savored it in my mouth for a few seconds before swallowing. By the time I reached Warrensburg, I was on the edge of a heat stroke.

Last night, I decided that I had enough of roughing it and made reservations in a small motel. It is a hole in the wall. They only have 12 rooms. However, the room is clean, it has AC, I have my own bathroom and a comfortable bed. Plus, I have 3G service for my IPAD and Blackberry. Who can ask for anything more?



Adirondack Loop - Day 5

Lake Placid to Port Henry. 43 miles.

The miles are quickly passing under my wheels. Well, actually they're only zooming by at a rate of about 10 mph. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Today's ride had a couple major climbs. I was definitely in the thick of the mountains today. However, I am about ready to leave them all behind. I have about 30 miles left in the mountains, with one more major climb, after that its downhill and rolling hills the rest of the way into Saratoga Springs.

To be perfectly honest, it is bitter sweet to bid farewell to these mountains. You may find that strange, especially considering how much I've suffered in them. Mountains have a way of causing you to dig deep inside yourself and discover what you're really made of. There's no hiding from them. There's no cheating them. They are there. They do not move. If you want to get past them, you either have to detour around them or go over them. Just be forewarned, if you choose the easy path and go around, you'll never enjoy the view from the top. While I'm philosophizing, let me make one more point. When you find yourself climbing a mountain, breathing hard and sweating profusely, remember, there are but two outcomes that await you at the top, the finish line or an amazing downhill on the other side.

The weather is really hot (90s) and thunderstorms were forecasted for the afternoon, so I got an early start. I made it to the campground around 11:30 am. The campground sits on the shore of Lake Champlain. I've seen a lot of lakes over the past week, but none as big as this one. It's impressive to behold.




Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Adirondack Loop - Rest Day

I spent the day in Lake Placid, taking in the sights and relaxing. It was a nice day. I am packed and ready to hit the road again early tomorrow morning. It's going to be a hot day, so I want to get as many miles as I can under my wheels in the cool of the morning.



Adirondack Loop - Day 4

Lake Clear to Lake Placid. 46 miles.

Today I faced my first major mountain climb while riding a fully loaded touring bike. Up to this point, the climbs were tough, but Whiteface Mountain took it up a notch, not only in altitude but distance and gradient. I was on the granny gear in front and the biggest ring in back and pulling on the shift lever begging for another. It was tough, but I made it to the top.

As hard as the climb was, the part of Whiteface Mountain I really disliked was the 3 mile steep downhill into Wilmington. I normally love downhills and scream down them with abandonment. But when riding a bike with 50+ lbs of gear, it is a hair raising experience. I applied the brakes to keep it under 40 mph and constantly scanned the road ahead for bumps, cracks and pot holes.

In Wilmington I stopped for lunch and then headed the final 10 miles to Lake Placid. That 10 mile stretch was especially scenic as it followed a river that was flowing in the opposite direction that I was traveling. So you know what that means. It was predominantly uphill the entire way.

I made to Lake Placid early afternoon. I found the hostel that I was staying in, unpacked and headed into town. After a huge dinner of NY strip steak, baked potato and a couple local beers, I walked up and down the main street until I found a small park alongside Mirror Lake. There was a crowd sitting on the hill awaiting the start of a concert. I sat among them and enjoyed some awesome bluegrass music. The food, the beer, the music, the lake, the surrounding mountains and the sunset made for a memorable moment.



Monday, July 18, 2011

Adirondack Loop - Day 3

Blue Mountain Lake to Lake Clear. 54 miles.

Last night was literally a dark and stormy night. The tent was lit with the flashes of lightning and the ground pad I slept upon was not thick enough to cushion me from the thunder that shook the ground and the rain! The rain fell in torrents.

When I awoke at dawn the next morning, there was a lull in the storm, so I packed up a wet tent and rode off under threatening skies. I made it 12 miles down the road to the town of Long Lake just as the skies opened and from it fell lightning and rain! I sought shelter under the overhang of a small motel and waited it out. After 45 minutes the thunder stopped, but the rain continued to fall. I put on my rain jacket and rode on.

In that same town I stopped at the post office and filled two boxes with junk that I had packed and determined that I didn't need anymore. I plopped down $26 dollars and shipped them home. It was the best $26 I ever spent. I can't begin to describe how much easier the climbing was after that.

I stopped in the town of Tupper Lake for a lunch of salad and pizza. It was awesome. Then I pushed on under threatening skies to my final destination for the day. Amazingly, the rain went around me and I even caught a few glimpses of sun.

I arrived at my campsite and I feel really good. I have a lighter load and I am starting to ride myself into some climbing shape.

Tomorrow I ride to Lake Placid and there are two major mountain passes to climb over to get there. Oh boy!



Adirondack Loop - Day 2

Caroga Lake to Blue Mountain Lake - 70 miles.

How do I begin to put into words today's ride. I have been riding a bike for many years. Today was hands down the toughest day I've ever had in a saddle. I knew today was going to be my longest day, but I didn't expect the amount of climbing it required. I lost sight of the number of hills/mountains I climbed, water bottles I consumed, gallons of sweat I expended and the number of gears I shifted through. They are all a blur of pain and fatigue. At mile 38 I had been in the saddle for nigh on 4 hours straight. I was dead beat. I wanted to cry! I wanted to quit! Yet I had come to far to turn around. All I could do was put my head down and pedal. 3-1/2 hours later, after over 7 hours in the saddle, I pulled into Lake Durant State Park.

Two things made my already unbearable position even worse:

First - Every time I climbed a hill, honey bees and horse flies took it as an opportunity to annoy me. They buzzed around my head and bit me on the a$$. I was expending all my strength keeping the pedals going round and couldn't take my hands off the handlebars to deal with them.

Second - when I got to Indian Lake, which was 8 miles from my destination and the prearranged beer stop for the day, I just couldn't brook the thought of lugging a 6 pack over 8 miles of mountains. So I skipped the beer. So now, here I sit in the campground after a long, hard, hot day in the saddle and I DON'T HAVE ANY BEER!!!!!!!



Saturday, July 16, 2011

Adirondack Loop - Day 1

Saratoga Springs to Caroga Lake. 45 miles.

Well, day one is a done deal. There were a lot more hills than I bargained for. The last 10 miles were a real slog! Unfortunately, I think the hills are just going to get worst. So I better get used to them.

The route overall was pretty good. Some of the roads had somewhat heavy traffic, but they had wide shoulders. The scenery was OK, but I'm thinking that's going to improve as I head further North.

Well, that's it for now. After struggling with the hills today, I am going to spend some time going through my gear and see what I can toss:-)

Adirondack Loop - The Start

Here I am sitting in Starbucks in Saratoga Springs, NY. I am one cup of coffee and one blog post away from a week long bike tour around the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York.

I am thrilled, but a bit apprehensive as well. The lady in the Visitor Center here in Saratoga Springs captured the essence of my apprehension well when she asked where I was riding. I mentioned I planned to make my way up to Lake Placid and back. She responded, "Why Lake Placid is mostly uphill from here!". Thanks - I needed that blunt assessment of my route.

Provided I can get Internet access, I plan to post each day and give you a brief summary of my adventure. Since I don't have a way of loading pics from my camera to my IPad, you will have to rely on my verbal descriptions. I'll post plenty of pictures when I get home.



Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Adirondack Loop - Preparation

My gear is gathered...
My bags are packed...
My bike is clean...
All is ready for my week long tour around the Adirondacks of upstate New York which begins this coming weekend...

Sunday, June 26, 2011

My Steed of Late

With my upcoming bike tour, I've been logging all my training miles on the Surly.
My reasoning is two fold. First - I want to get accustomed to how this bike rides. The verdict so far - fabulous. It's not as fast or responsive as my Specialized, but it is a smooth, comfortable ride. Secondly - with this bike being relatively new, I want to break it in a bit so I can make any fine adjustments and assure there are no mechanical glitches. The verdict so far - flawless. She runs like a well oiled machine.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Little Wheels

Little wheels...
Have great power...

Friday, June 24, 2011

Where Have I Been

My lack of posts lately has, I'm sure, caused concern on the part of my plethora of faithful readers. No doubt you've been wondering where I've been.

Well, to tell you the truth, I've been putting my head down and logging in the miles. I've not stopped a lot to enjoy the view, take pictures or write. I know, it's a travesty of sorts, but I'm afraid it can't be helped.  I had / have a few big summer trips that necessitate my being in some semblance of shape in order to fully enjoy them.

The first was actually a couple weeks ago, when several guys from work and I went on our annual weekend ride in the Shenandoah Valley. Which I'll cover in more detail in a separate post. The second is coming up in a few weeks time, a week long, self supported tour in the Adirondack's of upstate New York. I was initially taking this trip with someone else, but due to family commitments, he had to back out. So now, I'm doing this trip solo. Again, I'll cover that trip in more detail in future posts.

So there you have it. There is a time to talk about riding and there is a time to ride. Now is a time to ride. I'd like to say more, but my bike awaits.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Moron On A Mongoose

The intersection was filled with flashing blue and red lights compliments of a fire truck, ambulance and police cruiser attending to what appearered to be a serious accident where an SUV T-Boned a small sedan. The SUV sat in the middle of the intersection with it's front end completely crushed and it's front air bag deployed. The small sedan sat off to the side with it's driver side door completely crushed and it's side air bags deployed. The EMTs were busy attending to, who I assumed to be, the driver of the small sedan laid out on a stretcher. The police officer was occupied trying to unsnarl the rush hour traffic that had ground to a halt.

I pulled up to the intersection and waited for the officer to signal me to cross. After a couple of minutes, a young man riding a Mongoose mountain bike approached the intersection. With earbuds in his ears, he wasted not a moment in ignoring the flashing lights, the bumper to bumper traffic, the injured driver, the broken glass, the emergency personnel scattered about as well as the officer's direction and darted across the intersection. What a disrespectful, inconsiderate, self centered moron.

It's Idiots like him that leave a bad taste in my mouth for cyclist. I can't imagine the taste he left in the mouths of the police officer, firefighters, EMTs and countless motorists on all sides of the intersection.



Monday, June 13, 2011

Road Find #7, 8 and 9

On a recent ride - I had the pleasure if happening upon not one, not two, but three treasures to claim as my own.  A 12' length of rope - A 21' length of rope - A 6" long, 3/8" drive socket extension...

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Camera Safe

I commute to work.

I blog about my commute.

The place I work prohibits cameras.

Blogging without pictures is, well, missing a dimension or two.

This was my dilemma. How do I carry a camera to work, without carrying a camera into work? I wrestled with this perplexing puzzle for quite some time and experimented with a sundry of solutions to no avail.  Just as I was about to give up, I happened upon the right combination of words in my Amazon search - "Personal Safe"!

A small, sturdy, metal, lockable box with a cable lanyard. Could it - would it - be the answer to my prayers. With a leap of faith, I bought it.

I loop one end of the lanyard around my rear rack, through my Pannier and into the metal box with my camera...
Close and lock...
Place it in the pannier...
Dilemma solved!!!!!