Tag Archives: Encounters

A Quick Sprint to Work

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In spite of brief showers last night that left the roads a touch damp in places, I enjoyed this morning’s commute on the slim tires of the Torelli.

The Good: There were a few bike commuters out today. Still fewer than I’d expect with the higher temperatures and higher gas prices. All of them were going the other direction, save one who was too far away to catch up to. A few bike commuters is better than no bike commuters.

Speaking of commuters, I came across two the last couple of days going my way. The first was a guy on a mountain bike stand-up-hammering a high gear up the inclines of Lamar between 95th and 91st yesterday. On the Kona, I easily caught up to him sit-spinning in a lower gear. I said “Good afternoon!” as I passed him like he was standing still. He didn’t have the breath to respond. I don’t think he’s convinced yet that granny gears aren’t just for granny anymore. That one sided surprise commuter-race was a complete success. The second was a girl on another mountain bike slowly tooling along 91st on Monday. She wasn’t hammering in the slightest, so I took my time overtaking her. Another “Good afternoon!” and I was past. Sometimes, I’m not much for conversation on my rides.

Back to this morning…

The Bad: The Torelli seriously needs some rear derailleur adjustment. I can throw the chain off the big cog ring onto the hub with ease, and the lower gears tend to make more noise than I care for. I’ll take care of that over lunch. The front derailleur, which has historically caused me far more grief, still hums perfectly.

It’s weird. I feel more like a bike commuter when I’m on my Kona, and a little bit out of my element on the Torelli. I think it’s an association thing, since my reintroduction to regular bike commuting was on the Kona. Perhaps the Torelli is protesting being reduced to mere transportation, when she really just wants to get out and race. She was the happiest I’ve ever seen her during the time trial last Thursday. She just hummed. She certainly likes the long weekend hauls, but racing is her favorite.

The Ugly: The ride ended way too soon. I didn’t hammer it, but I didn’t necessarily take it easy either, so it was all over in just over 30 minutes.

Road Rage Incident in Longview

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I know I said, not long ago, that I would refrain from posting negativity here. In posting this, I hope to avoid negativity. Let me know how it works out, will ya?

An incident occurred on June 4th that has had the cycling community in KC up in arms. I’ve not mentioned it here b/c I didn’t want to talk about it before it went public. It’s in the KCStar now, complete with the same rough-around-the-edges style of commenting from both cycling supporters and detractors alike.

To be clear, I wasn’t there. I don’t know exactly what happened, but I’m going to try to make the court date on July 28th to show my support for Maher. My brief encounter with him at the Epic Time Trial was extremely positive, and left me with a very good impression. See, I’d ridden off to use the portapotty, and like a completely doltish noob, did so without my helmet. That’ll get you DQ’d from an official USCF event in no time flat. Fortunately for me, they knew I was a doltish noob, and instead of DQ’ing me, Maher brought me my helmet without the slightest hint of disparity.

Because I wasn’t there, I’m not qualified to speak to the events, but (understanding that I’m biased) two things from the article really stand out to me…

Former Jackson County Sports Authority Chairman John R. Bondon’s lawyer states “I’d like to see evidence that he did anything… If he really did what they’re saying, ask yourself, ‘Was he put in handcuffs? Was he taken downtown?’” I can’t comment on that without being sarcastic. Believe me, I’ve tried. I must have written and erased nearly the same thing half a dozen times. Suffice to say that police officers are always pure of heart, are never corrupt, and always take the bad guy in.

See? There it is. Sarcasm. I’m sorry…

Later, the article relays Bondon’s side a bit… “He claimed not to own a sap and said he didn’t strike Maher in the face. The only reason he tore out after the cyclists, he said, was because he thought they’d thrown a water bottle at his truck.” So… an H2, designed to be absurdly durable, allegedly under siege by *gasp* a WATER BOTTLE is obviously a clear and present danger situation. The only course of action left to this 61 year old was obviously to threaten the lives of the individuals he *thought* nearly destroyed his precious H2 with a water bottle.

Damn. There it is again. Sarcasm. I’m really sorry.

I responded to the article, and in a fit of vanity, would like to cross post it here for my own keeping…

Friendly Competition

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I’ve been noticed, and the gauntlet thrown.

As I commented on his post, competition is the whetstone on which we hone ourselves. I have absolutely no doubt that we’ll both meet our goals. The motivation of friendly competition will only make it easier and more fun. In the end, he’s right. The competition is really with ourselves, but it helps to have someone out there striving just as hard, even if the root motivation is different.

Now there are at least three of us out there watching each other closely. Randy has left me behind on bikejournal.com, with a 150 mile spread. I may not be able to catch up with him, but I can certainly keep trying!

Anyone else?

Damp

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She teased me this morning until I was almost there, and then finally, when there was just a little bit left to go, she let me have it.

I woke to damp pavement and the tiniest spritzing of rain, which actually stung on my arms and face due to a brutal headwind from the south. I made it all the way to College and Lamar before she finally sent the rain down with everything she had. I was soaked in less than a 10th of a mile.

What was intended to be a recovery ride after last nights hammerfest on the long way home, turned into a soggy fight just to keep going forward against the wind.

It was the same wind I had last night, but it was playing on my team then. It hindered me a bit as I rode east or west, but when I turned north, it was a boon I simply couldn’t ignore. Even going up the hills between 83rd and 67th on Lackman were uncharacteristically fast. Not that it was my phenomenal athleticism, or any other extraordinary trait on my part, but I easily overtook the biker on the sidewalk as she fought the same hill I was cruising. She was huffing and puffing in a high gear up the hill from 79th to Midland Dr., and in a much lower gear I passed her easily with enough breath to say “Good day!”

However, by the time I got to 67th I was hella winded. The leg buster between 79th and 67th never fails to deliver. I turned east, and the crosswind laughed mockingly at me as it tried to throw me sideways. It was a blessing in disguise, however, and was enough to blow the sweat off my forehead and out of my eyes. They’d been burning since 79th. I really need a bandanna or something.

Aside from the huffing and puffing girl on Lackman, I saw plenty of other people on bikes out. The vast majority of them were on sidewalks, so there wasn’t much opportunity for interaction. Except for one. Only the second time since I started commuting by bike, someone pulled out in front of me without looking. This time, however, it was a teenage boy on a Walmart Mountain bike. He was on the sidewalk, and without even looking, darted out right in front of me. I didn’t have to brake or anything, but I did say something along the lines of “Easy there, big guy, watch where you’re going… I could have been a car.” I wasn’t annoyed, but I wasn’t kidding either. What a mess of tangled spokes and cogs we would have made.

That was yesterday. This morning I was a lone two wheeler on the roads. And right now, as I write, the sun is blazing, burning off the damp with wisps of smoke-like steam off the pavement. Mother nature had her way with me, and is having her cigarette now.

Gotta love Midwest weather.

Soggy Commute with a Sprinkling of Irony

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I just dropped my car off for repair. Between the various bits and pieces that need fixing and/or replacing, it’s going to run me over $1,100. How’s that for irony? I ride my bike far more than I drive my car now, at least in terms of daily use, and yet I still plunk down thousands to keep it around. I’m thinking the day isn’t too far away that we become a one car household… All the same, it’ll be nice to have it in fully working order, without fear of being unable to stop, and without having to air up the slowly leaking tire every couple of days. I’m down to the last few payments, so after that, I’m going to ride this one to the ground.

After dropping off the car, I rode the slightly extra distance to work. It ended up being about a mile extra, which isn’t hardly worth noting, except that it was in the rain. It was coming down, if not overly hard, at least steady with a nice southeasterly cross and headwind. I do like riding in the rain, but being pelted in the face by hard little droplets thrown by an angry wind isn’t my idea of fun. Still, I made it just fine with nary an incident. I was wet, but my clothes in my panniers were dry. With coffee in hand, and wearing warm dry clothes, I’m ready to continue a very hectic and long week.

I have to mention a few things about last night’s commute. It was the most vocal of my relatively few commutes, by far.

  • At about 99th and Walmer, I heard the following behind me: “BLEEAACCH!! BLEEACCAH!!” with another voice saying “… why they have sidewalks!” I looked around and it was a couple of high school kids in daddy’s big blue truck. It was awesome! I’m finally a Real Commuter!! I’ve had my first real heckler!
  • At 95th and Lowell, as I was pulling up to the intersection and slowing to a stop, a lady in an SUV coming from my left had started into the intersection going straight. She saw me and stopped… dead in the middle of the intersection. “Oh nos! A bicyclers! Whatever am I to dos?” I was slowing to a stop with a foot out of the pedal and an arm signaling a left turn, and she stops in the middle of the intersection. I stop and stare in befuddlement. She stares back at me. The car opposite her gets tired of waiting and cuts in front of her to turn left. She apparently realizes that I’m not moving while she’s there, scowls at me (at ME!) and then moves on. What a hilarious idiot.
    It was uneventful until I got to 67th and Midland/Greenwood. Everyone did the Right Thing™, and obeyed right-of-way like a bunch of rock stars. I got to the intersection first, before the car to my left, and the car coming in the opposite direction. All of us were going straight. I went, followed by the car to my left. As I passed the car heading the opposite direction, I heard her yelling “WTF, B?!?!?” Another high school student. Oh, to have the blood pressure of youth…
  • That covers it for the angry and stupid. Somewhere between Pflumm and Quivira on 67th, a man in a red pickup truck gave me a couple of short “beep beeps” with his horn, threw his arm out the window and gave me a thumbs up. He had that “attaboy!” look on his face. I waved back, smiled from the heart, and soaked it in as thoroughly as I let the angry idiots wash off me.
  • Not far after that, I had the opportunity to return the favor. A small boy of maybe 10-12 years of age was riding on the sidewalk on my side of the road, heading towards me. At that age, I have no problem with riding on the sidewalk. He couldn’t keep up a decent speed, and might not be able to hold a line well either. I smiled real big, said “Hi!” and gave him a thumbs up as well. He just gazed at me in wide eyed wonder. I can only hope I helped keep him on that bike of his.

Furious driver takes out 50-strong cycle pack

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Story.

Witnesses to the crash have told smh.com.au the group of about up to 60 professional cyclists were riding south on Southern Cross Drive, just south of Dacey Avenue, Mascot about 6.30am when a driver, agitated with being held up, accelerated in front of the pack and then slammed on his brakes, giving the riders no time to stop.

Moments

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Every ride has it’s moments. Whether or not they’re memorable enough to stick, or thought provoking enough to revisit and write about, they’re there. Part of the joy I take in riding is those moments. A sunrise here, a flight of cackling geese there, the “Hello’s” and “Good Day!”‘s that you get on a bike that you would have never gotten in a car… all those things and more are moments that make riding worthwhile. Sure, it takes a commitment to ride instead of drive. Like it or not, we’re in an automobile culture. Driving comes naturally to most of us. Riding takes some thought and motivation that, sometimes, is tough to come by.

But once the commitment is made and the groove found, the moments become more common – the norm, even – and the overall quality of life improves. That’s been my experience anyway. I’m stronger now than I was four months ago. I’m happier now than I was four months ago. I have more energy, and I enjoy the moments, both on and off the road, that much more because of it.

My most recent moment happened on my Sunday Spring Classic Make-Up ride. I’d pulled up to the intersection at 87th and Lackman, heading north. There are three lanes there, a left turn only lane, and straight only lane, and a straight/right turn lane. I was in the far right of the rightmost lane. In the lane next to me was a big, burly, grey bearded man on a Harley. He looked like something straight out of a ZZ Top concert. I looked over and nodded, and received a nod in return. Just then, a Vespa pulled in right between us. Picture that, a Harley, a Vespa, and me on my road bike. Never have I wished for a camera more. All of us got it at the same time and shared a good natured and hearty laugh. It was something else seeing that big man on the Harley belly laughing as he pulled away.

It’s those moments that help keep me on the road. That brief but uplifting camaraderie between three travelers, so alike and yet so different, settles in and helps lay a foundation for future enjoyment in a way that the negative encounters don’t touch. It sticks around, making the unpleasantness less troubling, and the joys that much more so. I won’t say that sort of momentary – even fleeting – bonding would never happen in a car… I can imagine two people pulling up next to each other at a light in the same rare or classic car, and having the same meeting of the minds, but I can also imagine it being far more rare. It happens nearly every time I meet another two-wheeler on the road, and as the weather warms, I see it happening more and more.

Please, share some of your good riding moments with me. There have been plenty of negative accounts lately… I want to hear about those moments that keep you on the road, not those moments you ride in spite of.

A Look Back at March

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Commuting to Work
March was a fantastic month for commuting to work by bicycle. The best so far, in fact. Since there are so many months in the running right now for Best Month, that’s saying a ton. Of the 21 work days, I rode 20, resorting to driving only once. The weather was much nicer. Though there were plenty of days below freezing, none got down to the tear-freezing negatives of January. It got misty a couple of times, and out and out rained on me once, but since I love that weather, it was a Good ThingTM.

Training
It was a terrible month for training rides. 28.07 on the first day of the month, and 56.2 the last weekend. The weather, oddly enough, was better for riding in January! I logged 147.39 miles on the weekends then. Not a fantastic number, but better than 84.27, certainly. Bah.

Errands
There were no errands run by bicycle for the month of March. This is probably the toughest part of cycling for me. Making a switch from recreational to utilitarian cyclist is difficult, and frankly, aside from commuting to work and back, I’m not sure I want to. I’m on the fence on this one.

Mileage Goals
At the beginning of the month, I was 244.35 miles behind. At the end of the month, I was 225.19 miles behind.

For my mileage goal of 5,000 this year, March was little but treading water. Clearly, my daily commute will keep me ahead of my daily goals, but only barely. To meet my 5,000 mile goal, I need to ride ~13.7 miles a day. My commuting gives me ~95 miles a week (19miles * 5 days). But a week has 7 days. 13.7 miles a day for the full 7 days totals 95.5 miles. Therefore, if I do nothing but commute my regular route, I’ll fall behind by half a mile a week. This can easily be turned around by going around the block an extra time once a week… but that assumes I’m all caught up to begin with. I’m not.

Overall, though I’m behind for the year, March itself was a good month. I rode 457.07 miles, which was 107.93% of my goal for the month of 423.5 miles, putting me ahead for the month by 33.57 miles. That drops my yearly deficit from 258.76 to 225.19.

The conclusion, from a pure mileage point of view, is that I need to get out on the weekends for some epic rides and make up those miles. The ride on Saturday helped, but I need to get out for more of the same. With the promise of warmer weather, there will be ample opportunities for longer weekend rides. April has the 2008 JCBC Spring Classic, as well as the Headquarters Life Support Rally rides, both of which I’ll be participating in. On my own, I’m going to give it my very best to get out for some rides of my own, solo or accompanied.

Memorable Moments

Final Thoughts

I’ll repeat what I said at the end of February:

The spreadsheet says February sucks, everything else says “Eh. So what? It wasn’t that bad.” I have time, and the weather is looking up.

Kill Cyclist, Demand Compensation

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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

Morning Commute

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Tonight, I am going to get some toe covers. The booties arrived, but they are too small. I ordered size 11, and they just don’t fit around my 45 (10.5) size Shimano M225′s. This morning wasn’t too bad, but the last mile was chilly.

A man was having truck trouble this morning right after leaving his driveway. He pulled out of the driveway right around 101st and Lamar a ways ahead of me, and had trouble immediately. He pulled over to the side of the road, as one typically does, however, he did so RIGHT in front of me with no warning. Rather than get pissy, I swerved to the left to avoid him and come around on his side. I asked if he was OK and if there was anything I can do (again, avoiding the pissy from having nearly been curb mashed)… only to be completely ignored by the clod. Not a glance, not even an acknowledgment that I was there. I know he heard me. I know he could see me. I’m sure he was just having a bad morning, and that’s why he was rude in every way. I sure hope his day gets better before he spreads more misery.

Here it be.