Posted On Thursday, January 31st, 2008 By David Veatch
The ride in this morning was nice, especially after missing/ditching yesterday. If it’s precipitating, I’m all about it, and the light snow flurries this morning were a joy to ride through. Around mile 8, I got a little chilly about the fingers, but I flexed them a bit and all was well. I wore my Toastadas, given the wind and the potential for dropping temperature, and stuck with only toe covers, wool socks and plastic bags. Up top I had a base layer and a windbreaker, and on the legs a base layer and mesh workout pants. All in all, it was a winning combination. Riding is so much more rewarding than driving. So far this month, I’ve dropped 5lbs, and the pants that were tight on Jan 2nd, are easily fastened today. More people should get out and ride their bikes to work. The world would be a more patient and less hectic place.
Posted On Tuesday, January 29th, 2008 By David Veatch
Last night, on the way home, I noticed that my Edge wasn’t powering on. I figured (hoped) it was just a battery problem. I rushed home because I was meeting Noah near my house for the Bike to Work Week kickoff meeting, and I wanted to have time to eat before I left. When I got home, the GF had a plate ready and all made up for me, bless her heart. A wonderful dinner to counter the sinking realization that the Edge wasn’t powering up, even plugged in to the charger. It was dead. I fumed a bit, but ate and made my way with Noah to the BTWW meet. We hammered it a bit and tired ourselves out some, and so made it only a few minutes late. When I got home after an fantastic late evening/night ride, I took a gander at the Edge again. Thinking there HAD to be something to do, I looked online to see if anyone else had a problem with their Edge. I found the Garmin support page the described resetting the device… Holding down Power, Mode, and Lap/Reset, I was pleasantly surprised to see the little guy power back on again! more »
Posted On Tuesday, January 29th, 2008 By David Veatch
After hammering it from my house to the Waldo branch of the KC Public Library for last night’s Bike to Work Week kick off meeting (see Noah’s take here), I took it easy this morning. It wasn’t about training, or pushing myself, or numbers today. Today it was about enjoying the feel of the moist road under my tires. It was about sitting up as far as I could just to feel the cool air rush past me as I let the bike guide me down the hills. It was about spinning slowly in low gear up the hills, not to get to the top, but to enjoy getting there. It was about rejoicing in having a tailwind *and* nice temperatures. It was about finding peace amidst the rush of irritable drivers and feeling sorry for them, stuck behind steel and glass while I was out enjoying the morning. I had an odd moment this morning when I felt like the Kona was the one in charge, and I was just along for the ride. I wasn’t steering, or powering the drivetrain, I was just a passenger, and she would take me where she would. It was a brief moment, more »
Posted On Monday, January 28th, 2008 By David Veatch
This has to be one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard. It’s right up there with a college girl thinking the 1st Amendment gives her the right to steal (link unavailable – you’ll have to trust me on that)… except, that didn’t involve a sickening level of pain and tragedy. Speeding Motorist Kills Teen Cyclist and Sues Parents for Damages to Car
Posted On Monday, January 28th, 2008 By David Veatch
How’d everybody like the wind this morning? It was fantastic, wasn’t it?! Averaging about 17, and gusting higher than 20 (I’d wager), it was a fight, tooth and nail, for every southern mile. But it felt good b/c I wasn’t at all worried about frigid wind chill. With temperatures in the low 50s, it was absolutely gorgeous out! I had a base layer with a windbreaker up top and workout pants on the legs. For my fingers I had some neoprene base layer type gloves, and though I wore my toe covers this morning, I would have been perfectly fine without them. I’ll take them off for the ride home. All in all, it was just flat out perfect this morning… even with the wind. A couple weeks ago, the GF and I went to visit her parents, and the four of us drove out to the Smoky Hills Wind Farm and took a few ganders at the huge windmills out there. I’ve seen a few trucks driving around with one of the sweeps on the flatbed. They are impressively huge. Put four (or more) of them together on a single windmill, and it’s colossal. I’d wager those mills are more »
Posted On Saturday, January 26th, 2008 By David Veatch
Wow. The weather was everything I’d hoped it would be. Mayhaps a touch windy, but what’s a little wind on a day set completely aside for getting in the saddle and staying there? I don’t have to be anywhere until later tonight, so I wasn’t in any real rush. I took off around 10:30 this morning, and started out my standard Lawrence route. As I left, it was in the upper 30′s. A little chilly, but nothing compared to what we’ve seen thus far this year. Yet there was a fella walking in a heavy coat, hat, scarf and thick gloves that stopped and seriously gawked at me as I passed. He stopped moving altogether, turning in place to keep watching me. I have no idea what was so fascinating. Maybe he thought I was crazy. Maybe he’s crazy. Maybe he thought I gave him the Evil Eye and was glaring at me the whole time in an impotent display of manly posturing. I didn’t stop to check. Leaving him behind, I took Kasold down to Clinton State Parkway, and that out to the north leg of the Southern Lawrence Trafficway trail. There were two cyclists heading the opposite direction more »
Posted On Friday, January 25th, 2008 By David Veatch
I making changes to some of my automatic deductions today, and I very nearly asked a customer representative the following brilliant question: Can I fax you a copy of the voided check, or do you need me to fax the original?
Posted On Friday, January 25th, 2008 By David Veatch
This morning was slow going. I was up late last night… first at friends playing pool, drinking wine and eating fancy cheeses, and then at home finishing a book I’ve been reading. I was so close to the end, and I just couldn’t put it down. That meant that the snooze was hit a couple times this morning before I could drag myself out of bed. I got up, fed the dogs and put them outside. I took my shower while they did their business, seriously asking myself if I wanted to ride. I mean, c’mon… there’s all the clothes I have to put on, I have to drag the bike off the wall and weave it through narrow hallways and out a narrow path by the car out of the garage. It’s a hassle! I got out of the shower feeling slightly more awake, and I checked the temperature. A cool 19°F. “No way,” I thought to myself, “would I be able to feel good about myself if I didn’t ride today. 19 is cake. Buck up, lil’ camper and get out there. Look on the bright side… it might rain today!” So I did. It wasn’t bad at more »
Posted On Thursday, January 24th, 2008 By David Veatch
With some irony, on the coldest day of the year, hot on the heels of a couple of declarations that it’s too cold to bike to work, Eric, over at KCBike.info has posted the KC region Bike to Work Week 2008 kick off meeting announcement. http://kcbike.info/2008/01/24/bike-to-work-week-2008/ You damn well better believe I’ll be there!
Posted On Thursday, January 24th, 2008 By David Veatch
Not gonna do it. I’m not ready to tackle these kinds of temps just yet. I’ll make up the miles this weekend when it’s in the balmy mid 40′s. Damn. Right after I implemented those cool graphy things. Looks like I’m not alone, either, but all hail Noah. He’s only got a couple of miles to ride, but… well… it’s -1.