61 posts tagged “bike”
I left work early and biked home in the snow today. On the plus side, there wasn't much traffic. On the minus side was, well, everything else. Roads not plowed well yet, lots of slush and my face kept getting things frozen to it :)
This Friday I'll be on the radio talking with DJ Adira about cycling in the wintertime. Tune in from 10:30 - Noon EST. In between chatter, enjoy your favorite electronic bellydance tunes and other music that facilitates the movement of your hips.
In Maine tune into 90.9 or 104.1 FM; outside of Maine, listen in at WMPG.org
Time to festoon the bike with Christmas Lights once again! For great cheer and safety!
I moved the bike stickers I make from cafepress over to Zazzle for a variety of reasons I won't bore you with. But one good result for everyone: cheaper stickers! Plus, free shipping for the rest of today.
CHECK OUT THE BIKE STICKERS IF YOU ARE SO INCLINED
Designs are printed multiple times on each sticker for your cutting and sharing pleasure.
I was biking to work today and was hit directly from behind while going about 17mph. This brand of car-bike collision is pretty rare, and it usually does not work out well for the cyclist. However, I escaped injury by not basically not falling down as I suddenly found my bike shooting forward. There was a lot of wobbling and skidding and yelling but I managed to stay upright then come to a stop.
I'd like to claim some sort of mad biking skillz but really I think this was about 95% reflexes and 5% luck. And most of my reflexes I owe to a lifetime of videogame playing.
In fact for the past two weeks I've been playing MarioKart Wii every night. Coincidence?
Yesterday I bicycled my 3,000th mile of the year (not in a row). This compares with 2,667 miles for all of 2007 and 935 miles for 2006 (I started in May of that year). I felt like I actually slacked off a bit some this spring (moving) and late summer (lazy days of), but it looks like this was more than compensated for by consistent commuting through the winter. Speaking of which, it was 29 degress F and windy this morning. Brrr!
I just had some work done on the bike and it feels like a brand-new ride! Hoping to get many more miles in before December 31st.
Weight
The less stuff you have on the bike, the less work it is to drag yourself up a mountain.
Last year I used a seat bag, my camelback backpack (for water, but holds a few items) and a small bag on the rack. But, the ride is so well-organized you really don't need to carry much at all. So this year I'll be using just the seat bag and the camelback. I took off the rear rack entirely and also removed the fenders (which I left on last year because I am lazy). I'll also take off the U-Lock mount once we get there.
On a more personal level, I am 1.5 pounds ligther than I was at the start of the Trek last year, so that will help. I have a much shorter haircut, but I don't think that adds up to much :)
Bike Modifications
True these add a little weight, but hopefully performance gains cancel out the grams.
A couple of weeks ago I got new pedals and added powergrips. Since I ride this bike all over town I don't want to deal with clipless pedals, even if they would be more efficient. They seem to be helping out. I also added bar ends, which will give me more hand positions while riding. This is good on a long ride.
I put on the skinny tires (700 x 23) last week, which make a huge difference. I didn't put them on earlier this year because the roads in Maine are still in lousy condition from the rough winter and I didn't want to deal with potential flats every week.
Over the winter I got a new crankset and that has worked out nicely. I also replaced the shift cables and front derailleur recently.
Weather
Well, tomorrow looks like it will be a perfect day to start the ride - sunny and 79 degrees. This is about six degrees cooler than last year. Unfortunately, thunderstorms loom Saturday and Sunday so we'll see what happens. Riding in the rain is not a big deal, but everything changes depending on which way the wind is blowing, and how strongly.
Logistics
This year, instead of waking up way too early and driving the 1.5 hours to the start point at Sunday River, I am headed up this afternoon. I'll be camping out at Sunday River so come Friday morning I'll be all checked in and ready to ride. Several co-workers decided to ride this year as well, so I am on a team! I am hitching a ride up with a co-worker. The end point is in Belfast instead of Owls Head, no doubt due to the mess that ensued with people trying to get to/out of there last year. I'll be taking a bus from Belfast back to Portland with a bunch of other tired riders.
Instead of camping every night, I'll be staying at the dorms at each stop point. That's one of the benefits of signing up a year in advance, and it may prove quite beneficial (see Weather, above).
That's about it! You can still donate to the American Lung Association of Maine in support of my ride if you are so inclined. I'll be moblogging pics and reports here, and I'll deliver commentary from the road via Twitter as well.
Thanks to everyone who has pledged my ride so far - you have helped raise over $250 for the American Lung Association of Maine.
This brings me about halfway to the fundraising minimum of $500. If you'd like to make a pledge, now is the time to do it!
Pledging is online and secure. You can also pledge now and be billed to pay later. This way you know I have to actually finish first ;)
No pledge is too small. No pledge is too big :)
Stayed tuned during the ride - I'll be moblogging, Twittering and IMing my way across the state.
This post is part of the 10 Posts For $10 series to raise money for the American Lung Association by supporting my bike ride across Maine.
The local paper noticed bicycle commuting is on the rise here. I've definitely noticed an increase this spring. It's good to see so many people out on the road every day!
You only need to dust off that old bike in your garage or spend less than a car payment and a month's gas on a new one so get out there while the weather is good!
The most surprising thing about the article was the lack of people in the comments who assume that we all don't pay taxes and weave through traffic like NYC bike messengers.
