Monday07/14 My Bike is a Lugging Hunk of S***!!

Recall from Friday, that the dang screws came out of the rear basket arms & I lost the rear light (which Brett found while biking for a haircut at lunch). We zip tied the basket & I made it home fine. Even completed a leisurely pedal over to the library on Sat.

Monday morning starts out looking good. Its 34 degrees, wind is 5 mph NNE. My 8-5 clothes & lunch are packed. Attire is those orange quick dry shorts, squishy socks, a maroon long sleeve, & the Aaron sweater, with isotoner gloves, helmet(no wollen). 6:45 hop on the raised seat, start pedaling. About 1.5 miles later, I am Swearing in whatever language comes to mind first! The loud noise of basket arms scraping the tires, The rack & light bouncing heavily on the rear tire stop me. Ignorance is NOT Bliss.( I need to learn all about bike maintence….)

I’m closer to home then I am work. I turn around & start humping back, shoving the dreadful contraption alongside me. I walk then run, then walk. Pushing along my hulking worthless brute of a bike. Right now I am hating it! The only thing I am feeling grateful for is the cool temperature and maybe the hope that I won’t be late.

It’s my last week to have access to a neighbor’s car. I had planned not to use it for work at all this week. Plans hold no power over the universe; one should simply just be. (prepared for anything and accepting of all). A pocket knife isn’t always the right tool, even if it is the only tool you have.

I had thought to broach a scary subject I contemplated some more this weekend It won’t overcook for being simmered another week. But if my poor chubby, underworked body can pedal 16 miles per day…. I wonder what else I can do… and what all these similar overfed folks can do that they are just unaware of. I have always said that just because I had a layer of fat (for that nuc-cle-ear winter (say it like GW)) doesn’t mean I don’t have any muscle. Now I am developing some slow wind (endurance?)

It’s a perfect afternoon for a pedal home, no wind, 51 degrees, and I will be driving. I won’t get to smile at the cute little dashund, or test my timing against the lights.

Today began frustrating. I have struggled with that emotional set the entire day. I need to pedal or walk or something, my neck is tight.

Tomorrows’ another opportunity.

The Good & the Brush with a Small Delivery Truck

This mornings pedal in was a combination of the best pedal yet, and bad events.

( yesterday's commute 8 miles home was uneventful except for seeing a lovely little wire haired dashund, walking his owner!)

Air temp was 35, humidity 56 %, with no wind. This mornings riding attire: flame orange quick dry shorts, green converse, the white turtleneck wicking shirt over 2 bras, & over all that a wool Arran sweater(scored from the local Goodwill yesterday in quest for some ‘merino wool’ in an obnoxiously loud colour), isotoner gloves, & the helmet(no woolen). I pulled out at 6:42a.m., listening to Korn, the Blaggards, Flogging Molly, & the Drop Kick Murphys(Korn was a bit hard for the predawn).( Must get another podcast or some other tunes loaded into my phone!) Any reccomendations for pedaling tunes or podcasts? I have about 40-65 minutes time avaliable each way.

Breathing was going well. I was an upper middle hard gear. Cold air was tearing my eyes something fierce (but I still seem to like the cold better then the one ride I completed at 70 degrees w/almost 60% humidity).The skin of my legs was cold, along w/ my toes, but if you have ever grown up overseas at all… schoolkids will be wearing shorts, shirts & cardigans or sweaters, so cold legs doesn’t really matter.

Went up the first hill with no walking, no stopping. Even the lights were ‘with’ me!

Prior to the first hill, I got a bit of a scare & was pissed (let me interject that while I am not a full fledged road rager when driving… I am a Very Verbal driver. Is courtesy too much to ask, no matter the mode? I have oft wished for small artillery guns mounted below the blinkers on the bug). I was pedaling on a minor collector street in a residential area. It was still dark, but my lights were on. A small delivery truck (looked like the type that delivers the single milks to the elementary school right there) began pulling out, hesitated then moved forward some more. TWICE. Initially I was scared, I wobbled. Then I was angry. I felt like the driver was messing with me! I wanted to climb up his door & invite him to step out for as moment… It’s possible that he didn’t see me. I suppose.

Saw a guy on recumbent bike coming from the opposite direction! How cool.

I might have made the second hill, Except the Darn gears wouldn’t down shift! Halfway when my knees where screaming & I thought my chest would split, I walked. Things seemed to really be squeaking, scrapping on the back. I looked at the brakes; the screws had come of the support arms of the folding rear baskets. The basket arms were inside the bike frame. I pulled them out started again. Still Horrible scrapping. Swung off & looked again. Everything looked ok to my uneducated eyes.

I got back on, determined to pedal; horrible dragging, scrapping noise & resistance to my pedaling aside (Couldn’t be late to work!!). Somewhere along the way in during this torture, I lost the bike seat gel pad & the rear light was torqueed off from scraping against the rear wheel.( can you say 1 track determined mind)

I wheeled in at 7:24 a.m. Jeans Day,Yippee! After Brett pedaled in (Zen & the Art of Tri) I had him look at the bike. We zip-tied the basket arms back into the correct location.

After viewing some of Brett’s bike porn (pretty wooden fenders, The Amsterdam), I sure wish I could get a fancy commuter bike….(not too patient am I?)

The pedal home should be good, as long as the zip-ties hold. 57 degrees, 41% humidity, 7mph winds SSE. Watch out hills here I come!

Breakfast:
Earl Grey, cream, sugar
Oatmeal, blackberries, walnuts, crushed flax

Snack:
Earl Grey, creamer, sugar
1(attempting will power…) delicious homemade choc chip & pecan cookie

Lunch:
Amy’s spinach lasagna
Another cookie…( I know… dang!)

Snack:
Apple
4 vanilla wafer & pb cookie sandwiches( needs milk!)

Dinner
( planning on PIZZA!!, feta, mushrroms, turkey pepporoni)