November Recap

I wrapped up November on Hybridzilla, got off at Nieman and did the death slog over the viaduct which I so brazenly conquered this morning. This afternoon? Slow-o-rama.
Remember what I wanted November to be like?

• Clear 4,000 miles for the year (300 miles in November)
  
• Get acclimated to the cold
• Know when to make compromises using public transportation if I feel like I'm going to get sick.

The last one's pretty ambiguous. I certainly used the bus more than I needed to, but this time of year, it's just the smart thing to do. With sub-freezing temperatures in the morning, and blinding sun in the evening, both directions are more trouble than they're worth for a full round trip by bike

What actually happened in November?

• I had another 400+ mile month
• I commuted by car 0 days
  
• I commuted by bike 21 days for a total of 268 miles
• Only 3 of those days were without bus assistance in one or both directions
  
• I ran 93 miles worth of errands by bike
• I went on 6 recreational rides totaling less than 50 miles
• I cleared 4,000 miles for the year
• I had tons of fun, and got really cold a few times while getting acclimated
• I got my first-ever blog comment troll, just a few days away from a year of blogging almost daily. Insults are the best flattery.
  

December is going to be November on steroids. In weeks, it'll be dark and sub-freezing for both my morning and evening commutes. My bike, my clothing, my resolve, and my lighting will all be put to the test.

My goals for December:

• Not use the car for my normal work commute at all. Regardless of the errands I need to run before or after work. Regardless of the weather. No car for getting to or from work. This may mean a few trip on the Dreaded bus (the one that basically picks me up at my doorstep)
  
• Go on at least 3 mountain bike trail rides. Maybe try another park I haven't visited before. Kill Creek and Blue River parks are both pretty close.

I'm gonna miss Hybridzilla

Approaching 87th street on Quivira this morning, the traffic signals were ALMOST working in my favor. Cars were stopped there. The lights turned green and I was seemingly close enough to sprint and make it, so I tried. I hopped out of the saddle, using my clipless pedals to push and pull at the same time. My feet became a cyclone as I spun out the midrange of my middle chainring. I kicked over to the large ring and kept hammering, clicking through the final 3 gears or so. 25... 30 miles per hour as the stale signal turned to amber. 35 miles per hour as I entered the intersection. About 3/4 through 87th street, the signal turned red.

I eased up a bit and sat back down. The spokes were whistling as they severed the air. The chain whirred away. I clicked down to the middle ring again to blitz the viaduct's apogee with a solid, quick pace to the top. Once I cleared the peak, I had the most peculiar and seemingly ironic sensation: my lungs were burning as they inhaled sub-freezing air. Imagine Habanero-flavored ice cream.

The back-side of the crest greeted me with the opportunity to wring my legs of their remaining cadence juice. 35... 40 miles per hour down the hill with what I'd estimate at about 80% perceived effort while remaining in the saddle. All the while, little Christmas lights were innocently twinkling away, gently wrapped around the main triangle of Hybridzilla's cold steel frame.

As the tarmac came to the level, I stayed in a high gear and kept my speed in the 30s all the way to Burger King, where I acquired loads of gooey carbs. Okay, I actually ate pretty light this morning, but it still wasn't good, wholesome food.

Once I'd scored my breakfast and strapped it to the rack, the hammerfest came back from intermission to make the final jaunt to the bus stop. Panting and sweating, I snarfed my sustenance as baffled motorists looked onward. I chased it with the entire contents of my water bottle, then stood and waited.

The Sorrento is fun in it's own right, but it will never, ever be capable of a ride like I had this morning. Her knobby tires, heavy frame and front suspension fork, and low gearing will serve me well this winter, but the past few days have given me the taste of speed that I'm not going to see much of for the next few months. I'll still break out Hybridzilla or the Trek for recreational rides this winter when the conditions are right. I've resolved that my main winter commuter -- regardless of conditions -- will be the Sorrento. I learned my lesson last winter, and I need to stay prepared for bad conditions.

Random Tunage:
Jimmy Eat World - The Middle
Ben Folds Five - Brick

Tumultuous Thursday

Photo: Hybridzilla sits outside the coffee shop, lights twinking. Much attention was focused on the bike as I quaffed my caffeinated callibogus, looking for reactions.

Today was wrought of chaos. First, I forgot my cell phone at home, which meant very limited Internet access downtown. Sure, I could have posted via e-mail from work. I am geeky enough to have that feature enabled, and it wouldn't be the first time I've done it. I decided to let it slide.

Work was a mad-house. Nothing worth talking about, but this is usually a slow time of year for my group so this is kind of a surprise to me. I finished up my day early by going to the HR office to pick up my December bus pass, then rode to Union Station to catch the MAX bus to Waldo.

I haven't spent any actual time in Waldo in probably a decade. I've been near the area recently, but never on bike. It's actually a nice little place. I surfed the streets, winding through little neighborhoods to get to 79th, then went west until it became Somerset. From there, I was home free to the dentists office.

My last dentist was a jackass. He thought there was nothing wrong with my tooth's root while I was concerned about an abscess. "Definitely a sinus infection or something else." My ass. This dentist located and clearly showed me the abscess, which is exactly what would have caused my swelling and high fever back in September. So, in the next few weeks, I get to have a root canal and my tooth rebuilt yet again. Huzzah.

I escaped the dental chair at about 4:30, just in time to get blinded by the sun on my way home. I'm really glad I took Hybridzilla out today. If the Sorrento is a mountain goat (and it is, in every sense imaginable) then Hybridzilla is a Greyhound. It's not super-fast, but it's efficient and graceful. It lacks the refinement of my road bike, but keep in mind I'm comparing it to the Sorrento that I've been using for a few weeks straight.

Random Tunage:
Selena - Dreaming Of You Tonight
Cygnus X - Superstring

Parts & Crafts - Festive Bike

I actually did this before I made my Holiday Wheeth last night. I just didn't post about it until now. When I added lights to Hybridzilla last year, it was a crowd pleaser. I was initially going to wait until December 1st to pull this out, but I did it last night instead. The lights I used last year were incandescent bulbs that would leech a set of 4 AA batteries dry in mere hours. Also, the battery cases were frail and subject to taking on moisture. Those lights met their untimely demise in only a few days.

These lights are of similar quality, however the bulbs are LEDs and will go for days on a set of batteries. To combat the issue of the battery holders' subpar semblance, I strapped the holders together with a rubber band, bagged them in plastic, and I'm suspending them under the seat from my Serfas seat bag. Usually, this holds a spare inner tube, levers, and patches. Those fit fine in my backpack for the time being.

The LEDs are much brighter than the incandescents I had last year. I really hope these stay functional through December. This weekend, I may move them over to my MTB.

Parts & Crafts - Holiday Wheeth

Surely, I am not the first one to do this, but I haven't seen it in my 14 months of cycling. I'll spare you the 2-part instructions, as I'm pretty sure you can figure out how to make your own without my help.

Yes, that's a glob of decade-old grease on the dork disk. No, this isn't a good wheel. It's the heap-o-crap freewheel that came stock on Hybridzilla. I replaced this cheapo thing with a less cheapo joytech/alex cassette quick-release wheel. I would surely destroy this hub in weeks if I put it into service. Have some taco'd rims laying around? Now's your chance to put them to good use!

Out with the MTB, In with Hybridzilla

A bus rider stopped the bus to exit at 95th and Nieman, so I took the opportunity to follow his lead, and got off at the same time. I can take Nieman up to 91st, then over to Quivira's pedestrian path, which is what I did. The downside is that it takes a bit longer and there are narrow lanes the whole way. The bonus? Considerably less traffic in the evening.

For those of you that remember the crash back in March that snapped a few of my teeth in half, I'm working on getting my "fang" repaired permanently. The tooth that broke cleanly horizontally has been fine ever since I had my teeth fixed in April. The one that snapped diagonally has lost its cap twice now. To further the mess, I think that the diagonal crack (which goes to my gumline) has allowed a periodontal pocket to form, given some symptoms I've been having. If true, this will also mean that my previous dentist's diagnosis was completely wrong. Tomorrow, I'm seeing a new dentist in Prairie Village. This guy will likely have to see me three times or more before my tooth is all up to snuff. We'll have to see.

I was going to just ride all the way there, but I changed my mind. I'll take the Metro Area Express (MAX) to Waldo, MO and ride a few miles over to the dentist's office. From there, I'll ride home. It's basically just 2 miles east of where my usual Monday night rides start and end. I just got done reenlisting Hybridzilla and setting the mountain bike aside. With a bit of longer distance tomorrow, I'll be thankful for the lighter, nimbler, sleeker, smoother ride. My panniers are still on vacation, so there's not much point in taking the Trek out tomorrow. Once I tuck into the drop bars, my backpack gets really annoying, so I'll be limited to the hoods or flats anyways.

I might be wrong, but a memory check verified by a quick glance at my previous posts says that I've been on the mountain bike for about 3 weeks straight. We'll see if I remember how to ride clipless on Hybridzilla in the morning.

Random Tunage:
D:Fuse - Bodyshock
Nine Inch Nails - The Only Time

Police chase... of DOOM!

Photo: Police chase ends in arrests (Credit Fox 4 News, Kansas City)

What a frantic morning. If I thought my abs hurt yesterday, I was wrong. They were burning even worse when I woke up today. The weather sites I look at are telling me that it's in the high 40s outside. I hit refresh a few times, and check the timestamps to make sure I'm not seeing last night's numbers. I love this stuff! I quickly tossed on a single light layer of clothes. Then, I packed up some leftover chili for lunch, some tooth-rotting, artery-clogging breakfast stuff, and my water bottle. Look at the time! I got outside at 6:05! I was running WAY behind schedule, and it's probably a good thing.

I heard sirens as I stepped out. Not just one police car. Several. Looking in all directions, I couldn't see any constabulary cruisers. As I hit Quivira, everything changed. I encountered a headwind that I'd later find out was closing in on 30 MPH, gusting 32. Then, I got to the viaduct. Running late, riding uphill and into the wind, I slogged. That's when all hell broke loose. The cops' clamoring klaxons wailed coarsely behind me. Within seconds, my rear view was full of sapphire and scarlet strobes. I retreated to the narrow, rubbish-laden gutter on the viaduct. One, two, then three black-and-whites lumbered past, piloted by Lenexa's finest. The doppler of their sirens was like something you'd hear in a cartoon. They vanished over the incline's apex in the blink of an eye.

Just as I lost visual contact with the third cruiser, the obstinate headwind seemed to slow. Gentler and gentler the breeze got, until it came to a moment of calm. Suddenly, a maelstrom overcame me from aft and port, sending gutter debris into the air and pushing me gently against the concrete barrier next to which I'd halted. I have no clue how fast the officers were traveling, but they were clearly in the left lane, nearly 20 feet from me. As I crested the viaduct, a fourth, unmarked law-enforcement buggy whizzed past with dazzling luminescence and plenty of noise, not going much faster than the posted speed limit.

Ahead, many more emergency vehicles were convening and barreling southbound on Quivira. Upon arrival to the bus stop, I discover that one transit denizen had counted as many as a dozen such vehicles. Click on the photo for the full story. Needless to say, had I left on time, I would have likely been much more involved in the chase than I already was. Earlier this month, a young cyclist was actually killed by an evading driver during a police chase. While officers have the judgment, reflexes, and concern to keep left, I'm almost certain that the only such chivalry I would have been granted from the reckless adversary would have come at the bequest of luck.

Who needs coffee with an adrenaline rush like this?

Random Tunage:
POB - Boiler (Humate Remix)
Crystal Method - Born Too Slow

Glutton For Punishment

I took the evil Express bus home tonight. I got out just in time to watch it sprint past. All out, I chased it down 10th street to the bus terminal, hopped a curb, and came to a skidding stop while frantically waving at the bus driver. The bus was running behind schedule by the time we got out of downtown, and Quivira was a serious mad-house. I opted for the pedestrian sidepath instead of the main roadway.

Somewhat enchanted by last night's spirited bike safari, I decided to have another go at it tonight. Chris was peeved that he couldn't make it last night, and was thinking of trying to go out there, too. I ended up arriving a bit before 7:30, just in time to watch some cross country runners exit the trailhead. We encountered a few more of them just a few hundred yards into the journey. After that, not a soul in sight.

The main trailhead dumps you right into the middle of the easy loop. I took the opposite direction I rode last night to get to the difficult loop, then we destroyed the terrain from there. I definitely feel a lot more confident and in control now than I did when I first got out there last night. This will definitely help me come winter time.

Now I really hurt. Total trail distance: 5 miles. At least I remembered to stretch afterwards this time.

Random Tunage:
Underworld - Crocodile (Oliver Huntemann Remix)
Junkie XL - More (Junk O Flamenco Remix)

If you dig electronic music and don't mind a bit of vulgarity (for the JXL track) you really need to check both of those out.

Yeah, that burns

It's hard to really appreciate the workout that you get from trail riding until you've gone and done it after a long hiatus. I checked my computer last night, and I logged about 6 miles out there on the trails last night. I would have probably ridden twice the distance or further, even on the "lethargic" paced road ride I usually attend. Even in those 6 miles, I got a much more complete workout than usual.

I slept like a baby when I finally got to bed, which was a bit later than I'd have liked. All in all, I still got a good night's rest. When I woke up, I felt the burn: Everywhere. Chest, abs, shoulders, back, and I even had stiff hands -- likely from a few white-knuckled episodes of high speed through the trees. If you were ever fascinated by the speeder bike scene in Return of the Jedi, you really need to go ride through some tree-covered bike trails.

I think I might start alternating my Mondays between my usual road ride and Shawnee Mission Park. I don't know for sure if this will really help sharpen me up for what winter will throw at me, but I did find myself keeping my balance and holding a better line by the end of my little adventure last night.

I shook off the stiffness and did some stretches this morning, which is something I forgot to do last night. I'm regretting it now. I was planning on hitting one of the few fattening fast-food joints on the way to the bus for breakfast this morning, but I spent too much time shivering in the living room trying to get motivated to get out early. I grabbed a fistfull of Caribou Mocha Bars for the road and took off.

As I pulled up to the coffee shop, I ran into headphone lady and her boyfriend (husband?) which is the guy who rides the old black Diamondback Outlook. They commhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifented on my lighting setup. Right now, it's a red/orange helmet blinkie (mars 3.0), a totally illegal but very eye-catching blue blinkie under my seat, the Dinotte (blinking) in front, the NiteRider on my helmet, and TireFlys on the wheels. I'm lit up like a Christmas Tree. Just wait until I string miniature Christmas lights on my bike when it gets closer to Christmas. That was a big hit last year.

JR, Lorin and I dispensed our sage bicycle wisdom to a gentleman that was looking for a bike to get around town for fun and transportation. He'd probably be fine with a hybrid from the sounds of things. He says he wants to ride around on streets but wants to be able to go "off road". From my experience, most peoples' idea of "off road" for a bicycle is totally within the capabilities of a hybrid, or hell, even a road bike. I've taken my Trek 1200 on a few dirt BMX trails. The only time I had a problem was a loss of traction when I was climbing a dirt hill out of the saddle. I sat back down and it was all better. A serious cyclist looking for a mix of on/off road and all-weather performance would be better off with a cyclocross bike, but the cheaper mass-produced hybrid bikes really work well enough for most.

Well, I'm off to the grind.

Random Tunage:
Madonna - The Power Of Goodbye
IIO - Rapture (JC & SK)

That was freaking EPIC!

... Well, for me, it was.

Photo: My DiNotte and head-mounted NiteRider cleave through the tenebrosity.

This was only my second time out on "real" mountain bike trails. The trails are right across from the lake and enshrouded in a thick, misty blanket of darkness. I have to say that's probably some of the most fun I've had on a bike in months. I was out for a little longer than an hour. Temperatures were in the low 40s but I had no need for a jacket. Just a short t-shirt did the trick.

My 15W NiteRider on my head, and the DiNotte 200L on the handlebars cleared my path easily, but the NR started to eat it about 10 minutes before I could find the terminus. I'd done two morning commutes to the bus without charging it, so it only had an hour left when I got to the trails tonight. I had to navigate the last part of my journey with only the DiNotte, but it did a fine job. I just had to choose my line carefully since the beam is pretty narrow and attached to my bars.

I took most of the "easy" trail until I came to the intersection where the hard trail loop joins. From there, I took the more difficult loop. I ran across 4 other souls who were braving the stygian singletrack. I couldn't keep up with any of them, but it was cool to see some others out there.

I'm not afraid of the dark, but I was expecting this ride to be a little bit on the creepy side. I saw dozens upon dozens of beady, iridescent eyes peering back at me through the leafless, wintry boughs. The experience wasn't remotely eerie, however.

After finding the trailhead and finally making a clean egress, I spent a few minutes talking to one of the EarthRiders guys who pulled out of the murky forest right behind me.

My buddy Frogman tipped me off to a Craigslist posting for a Garmin GPS-12 that was being offloaded for next to nothing, so after I got my bike all racked and packed, I blazed a trail down to Olathe to pick up my new intergalactic positioning gadget. It's not quite as small as my old eTrex, a screen that's not quite as clear, and a menu system that's a bit more primitive than what I'm used to, but it works, and works well. I don't think I'll use it as my primary cyclocomputer the way my eTrex was being used, but it's small enough to keep in my backpack or panniers, and it'll come in handy for war-riding.

The homebound commute was a short one. I rode to an office park to meet my wife after one of her appointments. I threw the bike on the back of the Explorer, and we snagged some grindage before I took off to the trails.

Random Tunage:
Fluke - Pulse (Trisco Mix)
Way Out West - Don't forget me

New Poll: How cold is too cold?

I rode three times last year where the temperatures were below zero (Fahrenheit). I think about 10 below would be my limit, hopefully I won't need to find out this winter.

This poll is more about any kind of riding, not just commuting. How cold does it have to be before you don't even think about taking your bike out? The poll is at the right corner of my site..

I just went out in 45 degree weather in a short sleeve shirt and my work pants to get some lunch. I logged about a mile. I don't think I'd want to go any further than that without some light gloves and ear cover, though.

Tonight, I'm going to skip my usual Monday night ride and hit the singletrack at Shawnee Mission Park. If anyone in the area wants to join up, I'll be over by the old marina docks (near the trailhead) at about 6:00 or so. Bring lights!

Poll Results:

Tireflys

Why they're not called "Tireflies", I'll never understand. I did a complete clean and lube on the Sorrento last night, and added a set of Tireflys. They cost a few bucks at some unmentionable retail outlet. If you don't know what Tireflys are, they thread onto your valve stem (Schrader only) and when you ride, they flash. If you're moving quick enough, you get a fun persistence-of-vision display. A long shutter release on my camera this morning made for a blurry picture, but it looks kind of cool in an abstract sort of way.

The Tireflys are really bright, but I wouldn't call this a product review. I just added them for fun and for a little extra visibility from the side.

We got another light dusting of flurries on Saturday morning, but it melted off before I could even think about claiming first tracks through it...DARN!

The trip to the bus was nothing spectacular. When I got to the coffee shop, JR watched on as Lorin and I -- as usual -- debated about our differences. We have a lot in common, but it's far more entertaining to point out our disparity of opinions and attempt to justify them. Temperatures are hovering around freezing, the atmosphere is ripe with moisture, but it's too dry and just a bit too warm down here at ground level for anything to come of it. Maybe later this week. Let it be known by all that I am ready for winter.

Random Tunage:
The Crystal Method - Name of the game
Finger Eleven - One Thing

Full ride, near freezing on the Sorrento

Call me stupid. Call me hardcore. Call me whatever. I was getting stir-crazy at work and technically we only had to log 4 hours today, even though the company didn't officially close until 1PM. Regardless, about 11:30, I took off. I didn't feel like waiting for the mid-day bus, and I didn't feel like staying at work, so I rode home. Things warmed up to a notch over freezing, so it was tolerable. My mountain bike sucks for long distances, so it was a slow, somewhat relaxing ride home.

I was ravenous upon departure, so I stopped by QuikTrip for some snacks to tide me over. By snacks, I mean reese's PB cups and honey roasted peanuts. Not far into my ride, my DiNotte slipped into warning mode, but it stayed in warning mode for over an hour. I'm convinced it was the temperature decreasing the batteries' power output. It never went into low-power mode. The button turned red and it stayed that way for the rest of the ride.

I took a kind of odd route home, and I used a lot of sidewalk. I don't normally advocate riding on the sidewalk, but if certain criteria are being met, I'll hop over and do it that way. Namely, if I'm on an arterial roadway and incapable of maintaining a 10 MPH clip, I figure I am more of a "fast pedestrian" than a "slow vehicle" at that point. If traffic is light enough, I'll stay out in the road. This afternoon wasn't like that. Again, I don't recommend using sidewalks along arterials. It requires an extreme amount of attention and diligence, using a mirror and your eyes to check and double-check your blind spots while keeping situational awareness of ALL possible sources of traffic which can be 4 or more directions at any given time. VERY difficult unless you're going slow and used to multi-tasking.

I got to a section of Quivira north of my apartment where they just throw sections of sidewalk willy-nilly all over the place. Some places, there's sidewalk on both sides. Other times, it's back and forth between sides, and then there's a quarter mile without any sidewalk at all just north of my place -- truly annoying but not terrible with my mountain bike. I spent a lot of time hopping curbs and crawling over medians when the sidewalk ended on one side, then the other. I will admit that I could have just tackled the grassy sections and that I did the hopping mostly for my own personal amusement. It does annoy me that pedestrians are left to their own devices if they wish to travel along Quivira road. There's quite a bit of residential development near me, and a lot of dining, shopping, and services located in walking distance... but no sidewalks to get there! I think I'll raise a stink to the City of Lenexa.

I think my total mileage today was about 20, all on the MTB. My legs hurt. Oh yeah, and the stuff that I wore that was really awesome for 17 degree weather? Well, it sucked wearing that crap in the mid-30s, which is part of why it was slow-going for me. I'd rather enjoy a nice slow ride than sweat myself into oblivion.

Random Tunage:
Aria - One
Nirvana - Smells like teen spirit

Black Friday 2007: Doom, despair!

Mad props to whoever can tell me what movie the above image is from. I think it's pretty obscure (I could be wrong) but it's one of my faves.

I woke up to check the weather, and temps had crashed into the mid 10's. I can't even believe that Monday's ride home was 75 degrees! That's a huge disparity, and both were way outside our averages: Average high is 48; Average low is 30.

I Started with my wicking thermal base layer, then added my cargo pants. I double-layered my socks, Dug out the Thinsulate (tm) ski-gloves and used the inner, thick layer to my ski jacket. My tattered, knit balaclava covered my ears and face, while full, clear safety goggles kept the breeze and debris off of my eyeballs. It's not nearly cold enough for ski goggles yet, and the ones I have are tinted, which would be a bad thing in the morning.

So, I pedaled off into the brumal ambiance, well prepared for the temperature. My gear was perfect, if not just a little tiny bit on the warm side up top for my short commute. I didn't sweat, but I definitely didn't need to warm into my commute, either.

I found it ridiculous that Johnson County Transit sent a 40' bus out for my route this morning. Usually, we pack it full, almost to capacity (about 50 people) but they should have known that riders would be sparse this morning. I shared a 40' bus that likely gets 5 MPG with one other person. That's it. The two of us could have gotten better fuel economy driving a pair of Chevy Suburbans downtown by ourselves. Oh well, at least I'm not directly paying for the fuel, and I'm still saving wear and tear on my car, having fun on my bike and avoiding the parking fare.

Since I was riding to the bus, I had to navigate the bizarre phenomenon of rush-hour at 6:00 AM. Usually, I see one or two cars on my way to the bus stop. Riding on Quivira this morning really was just like riding it at 5:00 PM. There were cars everywhere, bullying each other around, trying to get into or out of parking lots, and all that jazz. It doesn't help that my bus stop is at the most popular shopping maul in Johnson County, and to get to my bus stop, I have to ride past a Sam's Club, Circuit City, Best Buy, and Toys 'R' Us. The traffic choppers above completely eschewed the highways, instead providing airborne coverage of parking at Black Friday shopping hot-spots.

Consume. Obey. Conform. Submit to authority.

Random Tunage:
GMS - Shrek
Ben Folds Five - Brick

Thanksgiving

Today, I'm giving thanks for the loads of calories that I took in which will likely throw me cleanly back into the clydesdale club if I don't work my ass off on the bike in the next week or so. Talk about motivation!

Last year, I rode about 18 miles from my old apartment to my parents place for thanksgiving. That's Olathe to Stilwell, for those who know the Southern Johnson County part of the area here. It was the Sorrento's Maiden voyage, so to speak. It wasn't it's first ride, but it was a huge turning point for me. First off, it was the longest ride I'd ever been on since high school. Also, it was the first time in my adult life that I'd ridden somewhere other than to the bus stop, or around the corner to the grocery store. It was when my eyes were opened to the world of utility cycling regardless of distance, as I proved to myself that I could, in fact, ride more than 3 miles in a sitting.

With that, I'm thankful for the opportunities that the past year have opened up for me related to cycling and otherwise. I'm thankful that I have a wonderful family that usually supports my cycling addiction, including my wonderful wife who also took up a little bit of recreational cycling herself. I'm thankful for switching from contractor to employee back in January (and somehow getting a raise, to boot). I'm pretty much thankful for everything, and recognize where it all came from.

And here comes the snow!

No one's ever accused me of being under-prepared, but I wish I'd worn some eye protection. I really, really hate the ice pellets I was being bombarded with on my way home. Oh yeah suspended pedestrian sidewalk overpasses freeze faster than anything I've ever seen before. I didn't fall, but I came close a few times.




Random Tunage:
Noma - Soon
Prodigy - Narayan

Tricks of the trade: Winter, the way I see it

By now, most of the people still riding their bikes for transportation in the northern 3/4 of the USA are what we call "year rounders" -- The cream of the funny farm, so to speak.

I'm not planning on continuing my full round trip during the winter months, and I've already started to slack off a bit as evidenced by my continued use of the bus during what some (including myself) would consider to be okay riding weather. As it get colder, though, and as snow and ice starts to form here in Kansas City, I'll look increasingly more hardcore to my peers. While this works fine for impressing people, I have to admit that I continue to ride a few miles to the bus each morning, even in the snow because it still makes sense.

Now it's time to explain:

Below freezing, the lead-acid battery in my car loses its potency as the chemical reaction slows down because of the temperature. I don't have the luxury of a garage. This means my car may not start. On the flip side, I stay indoors. My bike may or may not. Regardless, the engine starts every morning.

When it's cold out, so is my car. I can either sit in a freezing cold car and shiver for the first 15 minutes, bundle up really, really thick, and take some layers off once the car warms up (dangerous to do while driving), or let the car idle in the driveway, burning fuel for 15 minutes. On my bike, I can dress up in thinner layers because my body will heat up shortly after I start riding.

When it's been snowing or sleeting outside, I have to spend 10 minutes scraping my windows and cleaning off my car (while it's idling and using fuel, of course). This requires me to stand outside in the cold weather. Or, I can just hop on my bike and ride away.

On snow and ice, my car doesn't do so well, plus it could use a new set of tires. My SUV has four wheel drive with high and low settings as well as automatically switching on if I start to lose traction. It works most of the time, but it's not invincible. Other cars on the road can lose traction and cause traffic jams. Snow drifts taller than 18" can high-center it, and 4WD vehicles can still get stuck in the snow. My bicycle's knobby tires are surefooted on snow and on ice. When the road is blocked, it will happily navigate between vehicles or take to a narrow sidewalk with ease. If the snow is too deep even for a big SUV to tackle, I can still walk through or around it on my feet, carrying my vehicle with me.

Simply put, for short distances in the winter time, a well-outfitted person on a properly equipped bicycle is still the most robust way to get around. That said, you aren't likely to see me going on too many epic winter adventure rides this season, but we'll see.

Operation: Turkey Schlep

I got off the bus at 67th street today, which is a road that I'm only vaguely familiar with. Tasked with getting a turky breast on my way home, I had to get to 87th and Lackman. 67th is a street that's good for getting from one side of I-35 to the other, and aside from the killer hill from Nieman to Carter that I coast down in the morning, that's about all I knew about 67th. That same hill is a murderous death slog of doom and despair if you must go westbound, something that I avoid at all costs most of the time.

Well, as it turns out, that slog is just the tip of the iceberg. Oh, yes. The further west you go, the more evil the rollers get. There were two separate occasions where my puny mountain bike, thanks to gravity, surpassed 40 miles per hour as I tucked down low and let it roll. On the up-swing? More like 8 miles per hour.

The grocery store was completely packed without a parking spot in sight. There should be no surprise there, as the doomsday ticker is counting down the minutes to Thanksgiving by now. I saw a lady vulturing the parking lot for a good spot as I wiggled my way through the congested jungle of steel and tarmac. I leashed my steed to a masonary pillar, sauntered in, and was met with great opposition at the butcher. You see, everyone in Lenexa had decided to pick up a turkey today. The store was selling Turkeys on a reservation-only list. They were already sold out, pretty much.

No, I just wanted a turkey breast. My parents have a whole smoked turkey, but we're bringing some non-smoked to go with it. Fortunately, not all of the turkey tits were spoken for. As I paid for my prized chunk of avian flesh and tucked it away, I saw the same lady, still circling the parking lot, waiting for someone to leave. I unlocked my bike and set out for home. Total distance this evening was a little more than 8 miles, but they were some hard miles.

The forecast calls for snow late in the day tomorrow, with possible rain overnight. Oh Joy.

Random Tunage:
Blank & Jones - Desire (Accuface Remix)
Tumor - Come To Daddy

Product Review: Park MTB-3 Rescue Tool

One of the first pieces of gear I purchased when I started bike commuting was the Park MTB-3 Rescue Tool. I realized that my Gerber multi-tool wasn't going to cut it for roadside repairs, so I checked out a wide variety of tools before settling on the Park MTB-3.


Designed with singletrack trail riders in mind, the MTB-3 is Park Tool's answer to the trials and tribulations of mountain bikers everywhere. As it turns out, it contains pretty much everything I've ever needed to get myself and others out of a bind. I've found that it doesn't matter where I'm riding or what kind of bike I'm on, the Park Tool MTB-3 is always the right tool for the job when I don't have access to my huge box of tools at home.

The MTB-3 comes with a very impressive array of tools at a reasonable price point, and that's what sealed the deal for me. My goal was to carry only one multi-tool, some tire patches and an air pump, yet remain confident that I wouldn't be left stranded somewhere. Clearly, I was seeking an affordable, sturdy and robust tool that had most of the right tools for my bike at the time, including a chain tool and tire levers.

The Park Tool MTB-3 stood proud of offerings from Wrench Force, Crank Brothers, and Blackburn regardless of price, which was often higher than that of the Park Tool MTB-3. Try as I may, I couldn't find a wider variety of tools in one compact package, and never once have I found myself wishing that Park Tool had included just one more thing. I've never needed anything else on the roadside, ever. It comes with a handy, attractive and rugged ballistic woven nylon belt holster, as well. It truly is a toolbox on your hip or in your bag.

Over the course of the last year, I've helped several bicyclists including myself tighten loose pedals, brakes and seatpost clamps. I've turned bikes with destroyed derailleurs into short-chained singlespeeds, I've adjusted shifter stops, re-attached clipless cleats, fixed flat tires and a host of other things, thanks to the Park MTB-3. it doesn't matter if I'm commuting, just taking a nice lonely ride in the country, group riding, or out on the singletrack with buddies: I simply don't leave home on my bike without it. I even used it to crack open a refreshing bottle of Boulevard Wheat after one of my group rides, just so I didn't have to wait for the communal bottle opener to make its rounds.

What, then, does this mysterious tool hold within those sleek blue nylon tire levers-turned handle? There are three snugly-interlocking pieces that nest together. Feast your eyes!

The center piece contains a chain tool, Bottle Opener and Pedal Wrench. Side 1 offers a Philips-head, Torx T25, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm and 8mm allens. Side 2 is loaded with a Flat-head, Serrated knife blade, 8mm, 9mm, 10mm box-end wrenches, 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm allens and 3 different spoke wrenches.


It's pretty obvious from the photos that my MTB-3 has been put through its paces in the last year or so. The handles are stained with chain grease and marred from scores of impromptu bike surgeries. The tools themselves are made of high-quality plated and polished steel, and there's not a scratch on them, nor have they torqued or bent. The nylon handles have bent a little bit from prying off some very stubborn tires, but they still work well both as handles and as tire levers.

I did have one problem while tightening a pedal on one of my group rides a few weeks ago. A minor crack formed in the MTB-3's pedal wrench, and I'm pretty sure I was within torque specs. Park Tool, however, sent me a replacement center section via priority mail with no further questions aside from where to mail it!

If you don't yet have a decent bike-specific multi-tool -- and everyone who relies on their bike for transportation instead of as a weekend toy should -- I strongly recommend the Park Tool MTB-3.


See Also:

• More KC Bike Commuting product reviews
• KC Bike Commuting tricks of the trade
• Park Tool Company
• Sheldon Brown's bicycle maintenance site

Bouncy Bouncy!

I took the Sorrento to the bus this morning. You can guess the outcome. :)

Slogging up the Quivira viaduct was really difficult this morning. Let me count the ways! I was wearing a bulky backpack, riding uphill on knobby tires into a ridiculous headwind on a viaduct that puts you right out there with nothing to baffle the breeze.

It was still fun, but I'd compare this morning's ride to getting kicked in the teeth with a pleasant, minty aftertaste. Times like these make me really wish I had a cyclocross bike.

Random Tunage:
Orbital - Halcyon + On + On
Chumbawamba - Mary Mary