Dan on Bike

This week’s weather has been perfect for riding – mid 50s in the morning and mid 70s after work. The NW wind has been a little strong in the evening, but that’s a good thing for training, right?

Today was another simple ride to work and a quick jaunt over to the Hall of Music for band practice. My son met me there with my trombone. It’s nice being in a band with him for the first time.

Also, last week I finally installed the new cyclo-computer that I purchased back in April. Here’s a shot.

After practice, I rode home after changing clothes in the McDonald’s bathroom.

Miles Ridden: 8.5 (include 0.3 walking with my son back to his car)

I’ve missed a few days of riding due to work and family obligations, including a weekend of great weather, but I was able to get back in the saddle today. Nothing special, just to work and back.

Miles Ridden: 7.1

I’ve noticed lately as I ride to work that my usual ‘right tire track’ position on the road is splattered with liquid dripping out of one of the many trash trucks that come by my neighborhood. When I see (or smell) that nasty trail, I adjust towards the center of the lane.

No ride home again today.

Miles Ridden: 3.4

After work, I took a quick run on the North Route (I need to document this route someday). With a SW wind, the trip north and east went quickly. The return? Not so much.

Miles Ridden: 12.0

I had a little time after work for a ride to Granville Bridge.

Miles Ridden: 9.0

Even at 7:00 this morning, it was already hot and humid. The neighbor and I took off on the Lilly Road Route hoping to face the WSW wind before it picked up for the day and then have it push us back home. That worked pretty well, making the easterly portion of the route quick and easy.

Passing over the Wea Creek, we noticed it was a lot higher than normal. (Here it is last week) Apparently, the excessive rains south of us have to run off somewhere. Even more unusual was the strong smell of pesticides coming from the water. Some hapless farmer must have just applied the annual batch of noxious chemicals on his fields, only to have it washed away by the rains. Should we expect a fish kill downstream?

Wea Creek – a Little on the High Side
The neighbor mentioned taking the Avenue, but in the interest of time, we came back across the Wabash on the Brannigan Bridge. With the tailwinds and downhill run, we were like rock stars (well, maybe cycling stars) screaming down and over the bridge. I don’t use my highest gear often, but today was a day to try it out.

When we reached River Road, we opted to run through campus, on the way home. In the summer, when the student count is low and weather is pleasant, there is much road construction, so we had to snake through a couple of closures to get back to the airport and on home.

Miles Ridden: 19.5

Just a quick ride before work (and before the afternoon/evening storms). When I stopped at Granville Bridge, there was a great sunrise view. Unfortunately, the camera I had brought didn’t have a memory card installed. Oh well.

Miles Ridden: 9.1

Muppet of the day award goes to the lady in the large SUV who came up to the stop sign on Sharon Chapel Road as I was riding towards campus on Newman Road. She never really stopped, but instead inched ahead as I approached the intersection. When I was basically in front of her, she turned into the left lane parallel to me. We traveled along for a few seconds – me in the correct lane, and her in the way of potential oncoming traffic. To get her attention, I yelled “HEY” in my best dad voice, and she gave me that “What?!!?” look before speeding off. What an idiot.

As I left work on the North Work Route, threatening clouds filled the sky (more threatening than this picture indicates). Luckily, the storm moved east and not south. It was dry and sunny all the way home.

Miles Ridden: 11.9

Celery Bog sans Trees
I had no urge to go on a real ride today, so instead I made a shopping trip to Wal-Mart. I try to get an eclectic mix of things whenever I shop the superstore, and this trip’s items scored high on the “none of these things go together” scale.

• Grass seed
• Early June Peas
• Argyle socks
• Low Fat Chocolate Milk (consumed at the bike rack)
• Large Curd Cottage Cheese

Miles Ridden: 10.8

I had to make a stop at the office to handle a couple of things, then I met my wife and daughter at Borders.

Miles Ridden: 9.0