Short stuff
Added some links to the side menu the other day. Some for my convenience, some to share.
Bike shit
After riding through the mud on this week’s TNUA ride, I finally got around to trying the “shake it up in a pop bottle with some degreaser” method of chain cleaning. It worked great. Except for one thing. The chain doubled-back on itself and kinked, so I couldn’t get it out of the bottle. So I had to cut the bottle open. Tonight I emptied a Ragu jar. I think that’ll do the trick.
They were paving Park Ave on Thursday, so I took Monroe Ave to Presbytery instead. I was shocked to find that route is a mile and a quarter shorter. I knew it was more direct, but a third shorter? Yow! I doubt it will become my regular route, due to traffic and that it’s almost too short, but I’ll use it occassionally.
I rode to work today in full raingear. It was cold enough that my rainpants didn’t make me wetter with them than without. It was also my first time out with my winter hiking boots. The tread pattern fits it the pedals so well, that it’s almost like being clipped-in. Yet, I still have all the advantages of platforms.
The biggest advantage is that in my stop-and-go commuting, I’m faster across intersections because I don’t have to start slow and clip in. Intersections are the most dangerous parts of my ride, and the less time I spend in them, the better. The only frustration I have with other riders on the TNUA rides, is starting slow from stoplights while everyone clips in.
I was concerned about my boot laces getting caught in the chainring, and secured them to the outside of my ankels with the velcro closures of the rainpants. Still, when I arrived at work, my right boot (on the chain side) had come untied and I was trailing the boot lace. Yikes!
In any event, I was plenty warm today at 40°F in the pouring rain with a long-sleeve and a short-sleeve t-shirt under my raincoat, jeans under my rainpants, my usual cycling skullcap and the rain cover on the helmet. I can see where this get-up will be fine for me down to below freezing, maybe as low as the mid-20s. Beyond that, it’s going to be an experiment.
With the end of Daylight Saving Time this weekend, threads have popped up on all the bike forums I frequent about people ending their season. An equal number of threads have popped up about the joys of night riding. Me, I feel safer riding after dark with all my lights on and wearing my reflective stuff. There’s less distraction for drivers and I stand right out.
Likewise, there’s less distraction for me too. I focus more on traffic and on spinning circles and keeping my cadence up. My average cadence has risen steadily in the past couple of weeks. I feel better when I get off the bike because of it. And there’s the beating-the-elements thing I also feel when riding in bad weather.
I’m looking forward next year already. I’ve tentatively set a goal of 3,600 mile for 2007, with a challenge goal of 5,000. I have two months to make up the 150 miles or so from not meeting my montly goas in August and Sptember. I met the October goal today.
I’ve decided I’m not going to worry about next year’s road bike until next year. I’ve found myself this close to ordering stuff for it several times in the past month. The only thing that still concerns me is that the wheel set I’ve selected is marked-down $150. I’m not sure I can afford them at full price, and not sure I’m willing to compromise on others. On the other hand, having 450 extra dollars around through the holidays isn’t necessarily a bad thing either. And I’m shaking my head that just the wheels for my new bike cost more than my entire current bike originally did. Tires are another hundred bucks on top of that.
And I don’t even have one mile on my snow tires yet. Haven’t even test mounted the things.
Every day I’m happier and happier with my Thomson seatpost. I’m still fine-tuning it a bit, but it’s real close to be being perfect. I feel much more comfortable on the bike. I think I’m getting more power from each pedal stroke. Coupled with a higher average cadence lately, my average speeds continue to climb. Plus, my center of gravity is so far back now, that it’s difficult to keep the front wheel down when I take off from a start. On the other hand, I’m already shifted so far rearward, that I barely have to move at all when braking and descending.
I’ve already lowered the bars twice more, and may do so again. Or adjust the stem. Something anyway.
Another point towards the toaster
The chair of a committee I volunteer on needed some of the materials distributed at the last meeting. I took them to work today and he stopped by. “I’ve never been in this library before,” he told me. “This is great. I love librarires.” Within a half-hour, he had gotten a library card, checked out a couple of movies and had ordered things from another branch.
I had my first review under the new position yesterday at work. In a word, stellar. The only things noted were a couple of mistakes I make routinely on the cash register. My boss doesn’t like dealing with voids.
Sleepy
The past couple of nights I’ve come wide-awake between two and 2:30 and haven’t been able to get back to sleep until nearly seven. With the alarm clock set for eight, it’s not been pleasant. Today, I reset it to ten and felt better, but it also meant that I didn’t have time to sto for breakfast at Jim’s. That made me feel out-of-whack for the day. I missed the people more than the breakfast.
And I have to find my skin lotion. Or buy more. I need it in the winter because without it, my legs get all dry and itchy. Then the itchiness wakes me up.
And my internal thermostat is perfectly in-sync with the boiler. I tend to sleep hot. Just when I get so warm I’m throwing off covers, the boiler comes on to heat things further.
Maybe I’ll just go with the flow and become a day sleeper for the winter.
Another four
Working with a sponsee lately, I’ve had some revelations about my own sobriety and step work. Coupled with some family issues seeming to come out of left field lately, I think another fourth step will be coming along.
