It has only begun and I am ready for '09 to slow down. I have changed jobs, had to fight weather bad enough that I could not ride, and getting sick.
Last month was rough, leaving one job that was fairly secure to go out and risk it all on a new company. So far so good. But in the middle of trying to start up a new company it snows like hell and I was not ready for that kind of weather. So my bike sat for every bit of three weeks or better. Sad little fact, that makes me mad. I was getting into a good rhythm and liking how I felt. Now the stress of a new boss, location, unknown lands, I am lost. As of now this year is only 14 days new and I have only rode my bike 3 times to work and back. That is bad.
I thought that I could ride through the winter even if the snow fell, I was wrong. Over here in the PNW you can't count on one year being like the next. This year we got dumped on. More snow then I had seen in years. At my house alone I had 18 inches. And because the town I live in does not have any snow removal equipment, it got bad. But it is over now and as long as I can get back into my routine I will be ok.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Wow how cold is it
This morning as I stepped off the front porch it was 15. Much like the entire country the cold of winter is pounding on us. This being my first winter bike commuting I have learned a few things. Like the rain gear that I bought does not stop the cold very well. I also need to get some boots and some better gloves.
Because I live in the PNW were there is water of some type falling from the sky often. I thought rain gear would be a good buy. I still feel that it is, however I do have some very nice polypro tops and bottoms to help fight off the cold. Some of this gear was issued to my while I was in the military, and some has been purchased out of pocket. The silk weight does very well to keep you warm and pull sweat off your body. The middle weight works very well at keeping heat in. I have figured out over the last two days that the silk goes on first a old t-shirt and then the middle weight. Then my showers pass rain jacket goes on. The combo on my top half works well. The only thing that I don't have that would make it nice are some very warm gloves.
The bottom half is another story. Because my body stays warm most of the time, I don't always get everything I should for the bottom half. So only having silk weight polypros and the castelli pioggia pants. My legs get a little cold. They are almost to cold. I know that we as cyclist have to watch what we are doing so as not to get to hot or to cold. So I am going to have to rethink what I am doing. I will also need look into some warmer foot wear.
Also over the last two days of riding I found out that my tail light which works great and I like very much does not like going over the frozen ground to much. I think that the jolting and bouncing around cause the light to much motion and the light turns it's self off. O the things we learn. The other thing that I have learned is that riding on the ice is a little easier then I thought. As I was going home last night and I rode across the ice and frozen snow I thought about how I would let my downhill bike float under me in a rock garden. So armed with that knowledge I relaxed my grip on the bars and had my legs take more of the work holding my weight, I rode home with out any problems.
Keep on spinning.
Because I live in the PNW were there is water of some type falling from the sky often. I thought rain gear would be a good buy. I still feel that it is, however I do have some very nice polypro tops and bottoms to help fight off the cold. Some of this gear was issued to my while I was in the military, and some has been purchased out of pocket. The silk weight does very well to keep you warm and pull sweat off your body. The middle weight works very well at keeping heat in. I have figured out over the last two days that the silk goes on first a old t-shirt and then the middle weight. Then my showers pass rain jacket goes on. The combo on my top half works well. The only thing that I don't have that would make it nice are some very warm gloves.
The bottom half is another story. Because my body stays warm most of the time, I don't always get everything I should for the bottom half. So only having silk weight polypros and the castelli pioggia pants. My legs get a little cold. They are almost to cold. I know that we as cyclist have to watch what we are doing so as not to get to hot or to cold. So I am going to have to rethink what I am doing. I will also need look into some warmer foot wear.
Also over the last two days of riding I found out that my tail light which works great and I like very much does not like going over the frozen ground to much. I think that the jolting and bouncing around cause the light to much motion and the light turns it's self off. O the things we learn. The other thing that I have learned is that riding on the ice is a little easier then I thought. As I was going home last night and I rode across the ice and frozen snow I thought about how I would let my downhill bike float under me in a rock garden. So armed with that knowledge I relaxed my grip on the bars and had my legs take more of the work holding my weight, I rode home with out any problems.
Keep on spinning.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
To my flats
Holy crap, I have had more flats in the last two months. I am talking about 4 flat back tires and 1 front. The back tires have been little tiny shards of glass that you can't see and managed to find there way to the thinnest part of my tire. How they do this I am not sure. This last one to the front which happened on the first of this month was a tiny piece of steel or cable.
Then to make things better, the Kenda Kross Plus tires that I bought only 777 miles ago are breaking down faster then I thought. Well the back one is. So I go down stairs and set up the bike on the stand and get to changing that flat back tire only to notice that once the back tire is back one I see this huge bulge in the side wall. Thinking to myself this sucks. So I go over to my storage unit and get my last tire which is a Serfas Drifter. So this tire says that is has a FPS (flat protection system). Now back to the 1st of DEC and the flat front tire. As I am walking home because I am out of tubes and patches, I think to my self that I am tired of fixing flats. I head over to the Fred Meyer in my town, because the LBS is closed on Mondays. I go and get some tubes that have that slime junk in them. We will see if the FPS of the tire and the slime tires will give me longer breaks between tube changes.
Now with what three days under my belt on the new tubes and the new tire in the back. I am thinking that I want to go and get one more of these Serfas Drifters for the front. I must say that the tire rides smooth, and corners nice. It is crap in the mud that I ride through to get to the local bike trial. But I can say that the Kenda Kross Plus was no better in the mud and IT has some side lugs. I well see how things go after a week or some on the tubes and tire. Hopefully I am not ranting on about having to change yet another flat. Keep it greasy side down.
Then to make things better, the Kenda Kross Plus tires that I bought only 777 miles ago are breaking down faster then I thought. Well the back one is. So I go down stairs and set up the bike on the stand and get to changing that flat back tire only to notice that once the back tire is back one I see this huge bulge in the side wall. Thinking to myself this sucks. So I go over to my storage unit and get my last tire which is a Serfas Drifter. So this tire says that is has a FPS (flat protection system). Now back to the 1st of DEC and the flat front tire. As I am walking home because I am out of tubes and patches, I think to my self that I am tired of fixing flats. I head over to the Fred Meyer in my town, because the LBS is closed on Mondays. I go and get some tubes that have that slime junk in them. We will see if the FPS of the tire and the slime tires will give me longer breaks between tube changes.
Now with what three days under my belt on the new tubes and the new tire in the back. I am thinking that I want to go and get one more of these Serfas Drifters for the front. I must say that the tire rides smooth, and corners nice. It is crap in the mud that I ride through to get to the local bike trial. But I can say that the Kenda Kross Plus was no better in the mud and IT has some side lugs. I well see how things go after a week or some on the tubes and tire. Hopefully I am not ranting on about having to change yet another flat. Keep it greasy side down.
Monday, December 1, 2008
The rain gear arrives.
So I did something I am not totally proud of and bought some rain gear online instead of supporting my LBS (local bike shop). I try very hard to always go to the shops because I know from the company that I work for the net will kill little shops. The biggest problem that I faced was that I used the sites sizing chart only to get jacket that is to small. So one of three things happened. The chart is wrong or the jacket is labeled wrong or this company just makes clothes small. What ever the case, I was able to call them and send it in for an exchange. So no harm in the long run.
I was able to keep the pants and used them this morning on the way into work. I think they will work out great. I did not get to hot but I was not rained on. So I am not sure how well they until I get wet. I guess if I really needed to know if they work I could go stand in the shower with them on. I was a little surprised to see that most rain pants come with very little reflective surface, and black of all colors. I would have thought that they would have been more bright colors or more reflective piping, something. But "O" well, I can add more lights to my bike if I have to.
Once I get the jacket and I get to ride in the rain, I will post my thoughts on this gear. Keep spinning.
I was able to keep the pants and used them this morning on the way into work. I think they will work out great. I did not get to hot but I was not rained on. So I am not sure how well they until I get wet. I guess if I really needed to know if they work I could go stand in the shower with them on. I was a little surprised to see that most rain pants come with very little reflective surface, and black of all colors. I would have thought that they would have been more bright colors or more reflective piping, something. But "O" well, I can add more lights to my bike if I have to.
Once I get the jacket and I get to ride in the rain, I will post my thoughts on this gear. Keep spinning.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
My car sold
So Last weekend I sold my car. Making me and mine a one car family. I believe that I made the right move. Took some of that money and got some rain gear being that I live in the PacNorWest.
Last night I made my first run to the store for some soda and some Sailor Jerry's. I have been using my bike to get from work and back but other then that I have always used the car. After thinking about what I was reading on using bike to run to the store and other places. Last night I got my chance to prove to myself that it could be done even up here in this little town. My office and the stores and even the mini marts are all within three miles of where I live. So off I went. When I got home I was really glad that I had sold my car. I now know I can do anything I want riding my bike. I also figured out that I would really like to have a rack and some panniers. My backpack works and works well. It is that after packing a 12 pack of soda and a bottle of rum on my back I would really like to have that weight being carried by the bike and not on my back. But one thing at a time.
So little under over six months ago I started riding my bike instead of driving. When I started I had only the bike and my backpack that I got when I was over in the middle east with the military. Now I have fenders, lights, water bottle cages, clipless pedals, and rain gear. I used to think that riding my bike was just something that I did for fun. Now I ride my bike for fun and as my primary mode of transportation. Looking back I am glad that I made the switch.
Last night I made my first run to the store for some soda and some Sailor Jerry's. I have been using my bike to get from work and back but other then that I have always used the car. After thinking about what I was reading on using bike to run to the store and other places. Last night I got my chance to prove to myself that it could be done even up here in this little town. My office and the stores and even the mini marts are all within three miles of where I live. So off I went. When I got home I was really glad that I had sold my car. I now know I can do anything I want riding my bike. I also figured out that I would really like to have a rack and some panniers. My backpack works and works well. It is that after packing a 12 pack of soda and a bottle of rum on my back I would really like to have that weight being carried by the bike and not on my back. But one thing at a time.
So little under over six months ago I started riding my bike instead of driving. When I started I had only the bike and my backpack that I got when I was over in the middle east with the military. Now I have fenders, lights, water bottle cages, clipless pedals, and rain gear. I used to think that riding my bike was just something that I did for fun. Now I ride my bike for fun and as my primary mode of transportation. Looking back I am glad that I made the switch.
Monday, November 17, 2008
A Random Morning
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This here is a random morning. When you enlarge the picture you can see how I got the back fender to mount. It has been working like a champ and I am really glad that I took the time to get it made and on the bike. Now if only had a good pair of water proof pants and a jacket. Life would be sweet as pie on the road.
Freedom
This post has little to do with me and more about my son. I feel that it is really cool and important that everybody knows that he has moved on to riding without training wheels. I know most of us don't remember way back then, well I don't. It was really cool to watch him go out and start riding around the baseball field out at the park. He was very happy with what he did and his mom and I were also very proud of him. It was a great day. To feel the freedom of being on your own and knowing that you are moving that machine around on your own power.
I have heard it said that the car is your first taste of freedom. I think that almost everybody would agree that riding your bike for the first time and doing it on your own on two wheels is the first taste of freedom.
I still to this day feel better riding a bike then I do driving a car. To hear and see you town at a speed that allows you to feel alive is the best freedom that we can have.
I have heard it said that the car is your first taste of freedom. I think that almost everybody would agree that riding your bike for the first time and doing it on your own on two wheels is the first taste of freedom.
I still to this day feel better riding a bike then I do driving a car. To hear and see you town at a speed that allows you to feel alive is the best freedom that we can have.
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