Posted On Wednesday, January 28th, 2009 By David Veatch
I’ve gotten pretty good at the rollers*. Every day I ride a little longer and a little harder. There’s no doubt that it’s good preparation, even if it’s neither ideal, nor as enjoyable as actual outdoor riding. Still, I miss my new bike. It’s hanging on the wall in the little bike alcove I made last year, and hasn’t seen any action in weeks. I console it every day as I pass by, knowing that at my approach, it’s gears start to vibrate and it’s chain starts to glisten, but I continue on my way, and it’s left hanging. Poor thing. I’m a bad bikefriend. But it’s just too cold out for me. I proved I could do it last year, and realized that it just wasn’t any fun at all. Furthermore, I don’t have any way to have a car both at work and at home when I commute by bike these days. I could feasibly stop with the wussing, and deal with the cold, but the logistics of needing a car here and there, and only having the one for both places are, at least for the moment, prohibitively difficult to overcome. When it warms up, I may more »
Posted On Friday, January 2nd, 2009 By David Veatch
… was nice and toasty warm on this, my first ride of 2009. Starting out at around 50°F, and closing out at around 40°F, I was wearing long leggings, a wicking base layer and a windbreaker up top, my Salsa N’Agua gloves, and plastic baggies between my wool socks and shoes. As I said, everything was nice and toasty except my toes. I think it was a combination between poorly set cleats and the cold, but my toes were all numb from the cleat down by the time I hit mile 20. I took the Kona out. It’s very nearly as heavy as my old Fire Mountain, though the 700c wheels and 37mm tires are better suited for roads than the 26″/2.5″ set up was on the old one. Hence, my low average speed (13.8mph) combined with the relatively high top speed (38.1mph). I can tell it’s been a while since I’ve really ridden. My HR was generally high the whole time, topping out at 202bpm, and the hills were especially taxing. Still, though I could feel it fading towards the end, my recovery was still pretty strong after completing a climb. The highlight of the trip was the gorgeous more »
Posted On Monday, December 22nd, 2008 By David Veatch
So, in case you haven’t noticed, it’s pretty cold. It’s been in the single digits for a while now, and in case I haven’t mentioned it, I’m not a fan of riding in the cold. My excuse the last week or so has been b/c I’ve been sick with a minor upper respiratory tract infection. My excuse this week is that it’s Christmas week, and as such, is pretty hectic. My excuse next week will be b/c it’s New Years, and I’ll be very tired because of it. I know, those are excuses, not reasons. After all is said and done, the truth is if I wanted to, I’d find a way. But unlike others, I’ve had to face the cold (ha!) harsh reality that riding in the sub-zero cold is too harsh for me. I won’t whine about why it’s too harsh for me, suffice to say that for daily outings, it just is. Riding should be fun. Riding in tear-freezing temperatures, at least for me, isn’t. That’s my burden to bear, and I bear it without shame. But that leaves me with a problem. I do love to ride, and I love the benefits of riding. I’m healthier more »
Posted On Friday, December 19th, 2008 By David Veatch
Posted On Monday, December 15th, 2008 By David Veatch
When, at the same time one encounters temperatures below 10… verily, below 5, and a persistent cough due to cold, one might be tempted to throw on layer after wind breaking layer, air up the tires, lube up the chain with a durable lubricant, wheel the bicycle out of the garage and make ones way against 10+ mph cross and head winds the 8 miles to work. Not me. This morning, I resisted the temptation, utter and compelling though it was, and decided to eschew the saddle for the seat… the handlebar for the steering wheel… the painful yet oddly numb fingers and toes and lips and nose for the same, but toasty and warm. I’m proud of myself. It’s not often that I’ll be so staunch and resolute in the resistance of temptation, hedonist that I am. But this morning, I put my foot down, and though the Drop was calling my name loudly and clearly, I had to let her down, pass her by, and sit my butt down in the seat behind a steering wheel instead. My cough, painful and persistent as it is, might have bolstered my ability to resist the temptation to ride this morning, more »
Posted On Tuesday, December 9th, 2008 By David Veatch
I’m home again today on account of throat crud. About halfway through my ride home yesterday, I felt a familiar soreness when I swallowed. I rejected it it out of hand. Nope. Not going to happen again, not so soon. I can’t remember the last time I was sick, but I don’t think it was that long ago. Blah. Doesn’t matter. I’m home now, and it’s snowing out. Today would have been a fantastic day to ride! But the way it’s snowing, I’m sure I’ll have tomorrow as well. BTW, the answer to yesterday’s question is Steven Brust. I *love* the communication style between his characters.
Posted On Friday, December 5th, 2008 By David Veatch
Temperature at Departure: 16°F Average Speed: 13.2mph. Wind Chill Factor: ~0°F That, my friends, is cold. It may not be Antarctica cold, but it’s cold. I did OK in the clothing department, though my face suffered a bit. I’ve not bothered yet with the balaclava, on account of not liking the affect it has on breathing and how grungy they get, though this morning gave me cause to seriously reconsider that position. I’ve found, that on days as cold as today, that as much as clothing, the trick to keeping warm is to balance the time you spend out in it, and the speed at which you ride in it. You can’t go too fast b/c the bitterly cold wind will work it’s way through clothing eventually. For me, it starts with the fingers and toes and moves in from there. Then again, you can’t go too slow b/c the cold air will, eventually, work it’s way through the same clothing. The thing is… the trick, you see, is that it’ll take a lot longer on a calm day to get cold than on a windy day. So… For that reason, I typically err on the side of taking it more »
Posted On Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008 By David Veatch
Temperature at departure – ~34°F. It was pleasantly warm on the way in to work this morning. I was dressed more heavily than usual, on account of the drop in temperature expected this afternoon, but even my face, which I typically leave uncovered, was relatively comfortable. Even with a mildly stiff NNW wind, I wasn’t that cold. Third day back in the saddle and I’m already feeling better because of it. Other than the temperature, it was completely, blissfully, wonderfully uneventful.
Posted On Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008 By David Veatch
My last commute was in October. Early October. It was relatively warm out in the 50′s and 60′s. It took nearly two months for the Dew Drop to arrive, and in that time, I only rode the Torelli twice. Both of those rides were in October. Kansas is notorious for having about two weeks of Autumn. It’s hot for months. Then it’s fantastically nice for two weeks. Then it’s bitter cold for months. Spring comes, and it’s fantastically nice for two weeks before it starts raining, and then it’s hot again. I missed Autumn. I missed the fantastically nice days. Honestly, I could have gotten out, but my motivation was quite low, and I opted to get back into pool again instead. But the new bike is here, and while it’s just in time to head off the expanding waist line, it’s too late to enjoy the last few really good days of the year. Sure, we may have more mild days coming up in the next few weeks, but I’m not counting on it. So both yesterday and today, I faced cross/headwinds on every ride. Plus it was cold. Kansas is up to it’s old tricks… Back to the more »
Posted On Monday, December 1st, 2008 By David Veatch
The Dew Drop, having arrived, and then having been equipped for commuting, was used for the first time this fine December 1st (in an interesting, if relatively insignificant, bit of serendipity) to great effect. It was an uneventful ride, which, truth be told, is how I’d prefer it. I must admit it would be nice to have a remarkable ride, if what I was remarking upon was an overabundance of wealth falling out of the back of a truck and the owner giving me a shrug and a *meh*, thus indicating that his misfortune was my fortune, or, having already secured said swag, I rode around, tossing money at puzzled pedestrians while flailing about and yelling in a frightening manner. However, given the very nature of this activity I’ve decided to partake in, and the nature of those who share the thoroughfares and byways on which I perform said partaking, it is more likely, though not, I maintain, inevitable, that I would remark upon the remarkable from a hospital bed, having had not money thrown at me, but several tons of metal and plastic controlled (not controlled?) by an inattentive pilot. Temperature at departure… 27°F. with a pretty good NW more »