Pee Pee Time!

Photo: I rode my bike to Red Lobster. I'm meeting my wife here to celebrate. Yes, I'm posting from the parking lot of Red Lobster. I am a nerd.

I got a call from the HR department for the company I've been contracting at for the past six months or so. They have gotten full approval for me to start work as a full-time associate on Jan. 8th. This is awesome news! I was concerned that I'd take a pay hit because of the benefits package that they offer, but I actually ended up getting the benefits AND a raise to go with it! Basically, they're going to end up paying for extra benefits for my wife (like insurance) all things said and done.

So, I'm keeping my commute. I would still like to ride from Olathe to downtown (or back home from downtown) one time per week once I get my endurance up and the weather gets nice.

On with formalities. The UA Drug Screen. Oh noes!!!! I haven't even lit up a cigarette before, so I wasn't the least bit concerned, so long as copious amount of caffeine didn't disqualify me.

I got an "A", by the way :)

I must have looked like a democrat this morning

Let me start by saying that I have nothing against democrats. Without pushing my views on those who read my ramblings, I'll say that I'm fairly conservative (in the silly political sense of the word) and registered as a republican.

Some friends of mine have these long-standing stereotypes. I personally don't believe all of them are true. If you want to just skip over them, just skip past the italics.

For one, most people that hang out at Starbucks are Mac users. While I have no idea if that's true, I do see some Macs at Starbucks on occasion. I have used Macs and PC laptops in coffee shops, so I'm not terribly biased on either side.

Another stereotype is that Mac users are typically artsy, liberal eco-zealots. I also have no idea if that's all true, but I do know that a good deal of graphic designers prefer using the MacOS versions of their programs over using the Windows versions. I am not a graphic designer. I am a writer, a programmer, a hacker (in the good sense of the word: "curious"), and many other things.

Finally, I do know that a good number of bicycle commuters are doing it partially because it's good for the environment, and that many bike commuters are liberal, and probably self-described democrats.


Anyhow, so here I am: I'd been writing something on my Mac while riding the bus, but didn't get to finish it. I'm hungry, thirsty, have time to burn before work, and suffering without a REALLY GOOD coffee shop downtown. I hit Starbucks, the only coffee shop between 15th and 8th, Oak and Broadway that is guaranteed not to make me regret drinking their coffee. I lock my bike up, go inside, place my order, find a table, set my helmet down, whipped out the MacBook and finished writing my composition.

I must have looked like such a democrat. :)

Bikes Everywhere!

I had to make a trip to the Library today. It must be the unseasonably warm climate. There were 3 bikes chained up next to the library! The white Trek 820 belongs to a guy who works there. I know for certain he's a bike commuter. I haven't seen the other two bikes before.

The comfort bike had a unique twist, though. The owner re-used an old inner-tube by running the lock chain through it to protect the paint. Interesting re-use of an old tube. I'll definitely add that to my list of possible inner-tube re-uses.

I've had enough...

... of riding on knobby tires!!! I switched back over to the Outlook on slicks until it starts snowing again. The ride in was a LITTLE easier. It's going to take me a few more days to get totally used to my new longer, hillier route. It's good for me, though.

The picture is just my quick-release wheel sitting in my cubicle at work. I figure if a theif cuts my cable lock, they will still have to steal another front wheel or buy one before they can ride my bike or sell it to someone.

Found a nice bike shop downtown

It looks like their website is offline, so I can't link to it, but I swung by River Market Cyclery (on 3rd street between Grand and Oak) today over lunch. They have an impressive selection of bikes and accessories. The customer floor is pretty big for being downtown, and it's organized without a lot of clutter. The manager informed me that they just started carrying Cannondale, so expect some new bikes to show up soon! From my limited time there, I was seeing Schwinn, Giant, GT, and other well-known brands. They seem to be targeting the midrange-savvy recreational mountain bikers and urban commuters. I didn't notice a lot of road bikes, but saw some sweet singlespeeds and quasi-recumbent chopper bikes among the hybrids and mountain bikes.

If you work or live downtown, it's worth the jaunt. They have pretty much everything you'd need in a local bike shop, including installation and repair mechanics.

Via kcbike.info - Olathe Bike Plan

This is a great post on KCBike.info. I think it's funny that they make the assumption that commuters are "expert cyclists". While I do prefer riding on the street and I do have a pretty high confidence level, I am easily humiliated by large hills, and can't sustain a decent speed (closing in on 20 MPH) for more than maybe a mile or so at a time before getting completely winded.

Anyhow, if you live in or around Olathe, KS, you owe it to yourself to check out the presentation notes. Olathe's always been pretty bike friendly, but it's nice to see that they have a formal plan to further accomodate cyclists of all levels.

http://kcbike.info/2006/12/20/olathe-bike-plan-details/

New Toys

I had gift cards to my favorite bike shop and MicroCenter burning a hole in my pocket tonight. I finally picked up a good floor pump (Park Tool PFP-3), a portable tire pressure gauge (for bikes, 120PSI max, most car gauges only go to 50 or so), and a good sport backpack that's meant to carry a laptop. Now I don't need to worry about where to put my new MacBook when I am commuting to work. The old messenger-style laptop bag wasn't cutting it.

My knobbies say they can take 65 PSI. I usually run them at about 40 but they were even lower than that when I checked them with my gauge. I pumped them up to 60. We'll see if they feel any "faster" tomorrow on my way to work.


Bonus picture. I tried to zoom down Broadway again today to catch the earliest bus. I failed by mere seconds, so i had to wait about 20 minutes for the next bus to come along and I snapped this picture. Southwest Blvd is usually packed between 4pm and 6pm, but Kansas City was a relative ghost town today. I'm betting a lot of people are burning vacation time this week so they can get an extra long break.

New commuting toy

The guys over at Focaljet hooked me up with a new Black 13" MacBook. As it turns out, it works great with Bluetooth dial-up networking, so I can actually blog, check e-mail and maybe even get some work done on the bus ride home.

I took my slow, evil Sorrento again today, on the new 127th street bridge route. Not a bad ride, but it seems to have a lot more hill. It was a pretty un-eventful trip to the bus. I have no clue how cold it was this morning, but my core never got very hot, and my knees were really cold and stiff the whole way in. It doesn't help that I'm still fighting off whatever illness it was that forced me to drive last week, too.

New 127th street overpass in Olathe

I rode my Outlook to church this morning, and took the newly opened overpass in Olathe.

The overpass cuts over I-35 and the railroad track, creating a solid stretch of road from Antioch to highway K-7. There are no highway on-ramps for the new overpass, so the bridge should be a lot safer than my usual commute route on 119th street.

The bridge isn't 100% open yet, the sidewalk isn't totally accessible, the center lanes are closed, and the street lights aren't up yet.

I'll probably use this route from now on, even though it adds a few miles to my ride.

w00t!

I think I'm free of job worries.

It looks like the company that I've been doing contract work for might be able to shoe-horn an opening out of HR for me, allowing me to come back to work pretty quickly (probably not seamless, but close enough). Hard telling exactly how it will play out, but if it works, it will help my commute, but not in the ways you'd expect.

Parking:
* My recruiter is currently paying my parking spot bill. It's only $52 or something a month, but I will lose my free parking when I lose this contract.

* I will have the option to have $40 taken from my paycheck each month for a spot inside the building I would be working in (instead of across the street, uncovered like I am now)

Bus Fare:
* I currently pay $1.75 each way except on summer ozone alert days where it's $0.25 each way, which might happen once or twice a week in the hot summer months. The average 22-day work-month costs me $77 if there's no ozone alert. Still cheaper than gas.

* One of the "perks" at this company is that they pay for most of a monthly bus passport. End result: I have $15 per month taken out of my check, they cover the rest. Unlimited bus rides on the Johnson County Transit system.

So, my options are:
* Pay $15 for bus fare and $40 parking per month, and have the ability to choose driving or bi-modal commuting for $55 per month.

* Pay $40 for parking and shell out my own bus fare on days I ride the bike, and probably end up driving more.

* Pay $15, and then have to not only worry about burning gas, but finding parking ($4-$8 per day!!!) if I drive.

Sounds like paying the $15 and then having a good monetary motivator to bike commute is the winner.

I'll keep you posted. This is all pie in the sky right now.

By the way, I still didn't ride my bike today. It's been a few days, I had a killer fever last night, and I'm not riding my bike in the cold while I'm sick. This is the first time in 3 months that I've not ridden for more than 2 days straight. It's also the first time in 3 months that my knees don't ache a little. I think my legs needed the break.

No bike today

I've got some kind of cold thing that's been going around the office. I can usually get rid of these things pretty quickly with lots of water, orange juice, and capsaicin (i.e. a few tablespoons of the hottest hot sauce I can find and/or tolerate - which is pretty damned hot by the way).

On top of that, I'll probably be driving more in case I land an interview. I have several job applications out, and I'm hoping to at least get my foot in the door somewhere with an interview before the new year.

They are trying to stop me from commuting...

... by taking away my job!

That's right, as of Dec 29th, I'll be Jobless. The company I'm working on-site at has lost funding for outside contractors (of which I am one). I'm looking for a job closer to home, preferably Olathe, Lenexa, or Overland Park Kansas.

I'm actually quite handy at almost anything computerized, electronic, or mechanical. If you know someone who is looking for a UNIX, Networking, or Information Security guy, let me know. In the meantime, check out my snazzy new resume. It landed me an interview (sadly, nothing more) at Google a few weeks ago, so it can't be that bad.

Ouch! 'Ring rash!

Ahh, wonderful chainring rash!

As you can see, I still have scars from a similar run-in with the chainring of my first commuter bike, the cheapo Wal-Mart NEXT DS-26. The new scrapes came from my haul-ass bike ride to meet an earlier bus near the last downtown stop instead of simply waiting at a nearby bus stop before riding it all over town. I was zipping down Broadway Blvd going at least 30 MPH when a light changed to yellow. I probably could have made my nose into the intersection before the light went red, but didn't want to chance it. I hit the brakes hard. Aided by a lot of speed, my squishy front suspension, and a pretty steep downhill grade, I did a mild (albeit unintentional) stoppie that probably lasted some 4-5 seconds. Since the stoppie was under control, I went ahead and rode it out rather than letting my rear wheel fall and trying to brake again properly. Unfortunately, when I landed, my right foot hit the ground first, and then the chainring hit the back of my leg.

Going full-out down Broadway totally drained me. I took it pretty easy from the bus back home.

In case you wonder how it happened last time, I was riding my bike down a long, shallow grade of steps and lost my footing.

The morning grind

Look, the Sorrento is just begging for some more snow!

Lately, I've been taking an earlier bus than I need to, and riding around downtown a bit before I actually go to work. Traffic is much slower out here than it is back in Olathe, and it's a lot safer to spend extra time on the roads out here than it is to find a different route to the bus stop in the suburbs.

I'm trying to build up some endurance, but my measly 10-15 miles per day (broken up into 2 or 3 smaller sections with rest in between, nonetheless) isn't going to cut it. I'd like to eventually be able to make the whole commute entirely by bike at least once a week. As it stands, that's a 60 mile round trip. I'd also like to ride the MS-150 bike tour in '07 or '08. We'll see how that works out. It's not that I doubt that I can ride 75 miles per day, It's more that I doubt I can ride 75 miles in the time they allow.

I'll probably borrow my cousin's Bianchi road bike (which is currently on loan to my dad...) for the 150. It would be funny to show up on a mountain bike, though.

Power & Light District Construction

Pictured: Construction on Sprint Center and the rest of the Kansas City Power & Light District. This project, once complete, should help the infrastructure of Kansas City for those who don't own or choose not to use a car.

I swung by that place for coffee again, and noticed how far along Sprint Center has come. While I really don't care about the sports arena itself, the new KC Star building and Sprint Center represent significant changes to Kansas City. I'm hoping that with the new Power & Light district, will come several commodities that suburbanites like me take for granted, such as a grocery store and shops that sell other necessities of living. Suddenly, housing downtown has taken off with the opening of many loft apartments, but people still need to find parking, and cars are still needed for everyday tasks because of the lack of infrastructure downtown.

Aside from getting a mediocre mocha and a breathtaking view of urban blight being transformed against a sunrise backdrop, there wasn't a whole lot out of the ordinary this morning. I plan on riding the Sorrento all this week because of the forecast of snow. It's amazing how different it is to ride a bike that's a few pounds heavier, with a set of inefficient off-road tires. It's almost enough to make me consider adding a road bike to my stable once spring-time gets here.

Lazy weekend

Not a whole lot of anything this weekend. I mostly stayed at home. I made a few grocery runs (as usual) via bike, of course. I just got done tuning up the Sorrento, recharging all my light batteries, and swapping my commuter gear onto it. I guess it's supposed to storm and/or snow some more this week. I decided rather than worry about the weather, I'd just prep the Sorrento with knobbies, and use it this week just in case. More pictures coming, as usual, tomorrow.

Fun return trip

Well, I loaded the bike up with Christmas goodies on my way home tonight! My wife's present is in the duffel bag and I got a package in the mail.

When I went down to my bike, I saw a guy working on a mid-90's Ford Escort. It turns out he was trying to fix a problem with his self-retracting seatbelt. It's a common problem. I, myself have a '95 Escort as does my father. They both have the issue. I gave him a few pointers on why it breaks and how to fix it. Some of you don't know, some of you do. I actually have a few cars, and one of my main websites is a Ford Focus site that has instructions for modifying, repairing, and maintaining the Focus. I'm quite handy with a wrench, and enjoy helping people fix things, whether they're bikes, cars, electronics, or machinery.

Slow Start

This is just a pic of the side profile of my bike with the reflective stuff on it. I don't have my toolbox on the rack right now, I replaced it with the milk crate (so I could haul my laptop and duffel bag.) The stuff on the fork and chain/seat stay is red reflective tape. There's a few pieces of "Candy cane" reflective tape on the rims and the basket. The basket also has amber tape on the side. By my handlebar you see the reflective material on the handlebar bag, and under my rack, you see a very bright seat bag. :)

Anyhow, you really, really need adequate sleep in order to ride a bike or do any strenuous physical activity first thing in the morning. I never did get caught up on my sleep deficit from yesterday, and didn't get enough sleep for last night alone, either.

Last night's ride didn't help me much. I exerted myself when I was already tired, and I was slightly under-dressed in only a t-shirt, gloves and jeans (and my nylon mesh reflective vest that adds nothing in the way of warmth.) I should have tossed a windbreaker on. It was a fun ride, though, which is why I do it.

I woke up pretty late this morning, but managed to kick myself into gear (even if it was a gear on the granny ring) after about an hour of bludgeoning the snooze button in contempt of all things work-related.

I forgot to mention last night that I did a brake upgrade on the Outlook. A few days ago I tuned the original brakes as best I could, and it helped a little. Last night, I got tired of the stockers and tossed on a set of longer, softer Jagwire pads, which were the only "post-style" pads (found on some cantilever systems) the bike shop had in stock. It took me a good half hour or so to get them really perfected. I broke them in gently last night, but had a chance to put them through their paces this morning. They are a world apart from the original pads. I can do a brake-induced front wheelie now, no problem! I still prefer the linear-pull V Brake system on my Sorrento, though.

Still got out for a ride

This is a kind of silly story. This new place called Corporate Cafe opened up 2 miles north of me. It's supposed to be a bar and cafe. Food, alcohol, coffee. The staples of life.

It closes at 8:00 PM. What the heck kind of bar closes at 8?!

Anyhow, they were closed when I got there but they gave me a menu and told me how awesome their food is. Gee. Thanks, guys.

Then, I rode another 5 miles to where my wife works to hang out with her for the last hour of her shift, where I'm making this post.

Didn't ride in this morning

First off, I went and *TRIED* to see the meteor shower early this morning. My wife and I drove down to Powell Observatory since there was a lot of light pollution and haze over Olathe. The haze ended up being really thin overcast cloud cover, or possibly fog, that didn't show up on radar. Driving all the way out to Louisburg at 12:30 in the morning didn't help. It was still too overcast to see all but the brightest stars and meteors (which looked like fuzzy dots and creepy little cloud-obscured lightning respectively.) We got back home about 2:00 but I couldn't get to sleep until 3.

I also have a lunch meeting with a director and some fellow consultants at the consulting company I actually work for. It's definitely within biking distance, but I have no clue how long it will last.

Anyhow, it all boils down to the fact that I would NOT have enjoyed my commute today had it been by bike. There are a lot of reasons to use a bike instead of a car, and I value almost all of those reasons. I just happen to hold "Because I like it" higher than "To show those oil mongers who's boss" and "To make my co-workers question my sanity"