Dan on Bike

Today’s commute was my first ride in a while. The weekend was out because my wife and I participated in the 40th annual Feast of the Hunters’ Moon, and I was in period dress for the first time (Check out those knickers! If it weren’t for the drop flap front, I could fit in with the trendy cycling folks in NYC). We spend Friday setting things up and running last minute errands, and Saturday and Sunday at the booth – no breaks for a ride.

This morning started out pretty slow. I’m a little sore from all of the walking (in uncomfortable shoes) and standing, as well as the work to erect and disassemble the tent. I’m sure my speed was even slower than a normal morning, but I couldn’t tell because the battery in the cyclo-computer has apparently died. I’ll have to hit the battery store soon to get it replaced.

I came home on the North Work Route. On Lindberg Road west of McCormick, I had to leave the ‘bike lane’ and enter the main lane to allow an oncoming jogger to pass. I decided to stay there for the short distance to 400W where I would turn left. I heard a car come up behind me, and the driver began to rev his engine. Without my rear view mirror, I couldn’t see what he was doing. An oncoming car slowed and pulled onto the shoulder, and I heard the car behind me speed up and drive around me. Apparently, the guy was playing chicken with the oncoming car! When the safer driver got out of the way of the maniac, said maniac floored it to get to the next stop sign about 10 seconds ahead of me. What an ass!

When I reached the entrance to my subdivision, rather than turning for home I continued to Newman Road and headed up the hill. I wanted to check the transmission after the latest repair visit. I selected the middle chainring and gear three, stood up, and pushed up the hill. I was gingerly waiting for the chain to slip, but it never did. I guess they really figured it out.

I still have that ‘ting’ sound that I now know comes from the bottom bracket. The weird thing is that each time I hear it go ‘ting’, I have to say ‘ting’! What an odd behavior.

Miles Ridden: 12.1 (estimated with GMaps Pedometer)

I rode to work and back on the direct route with no side trips. Just another day.

Also, it was the first commute day since retrieving my bike from the shop. Sure enough, it still made the ‘ting’ noise as I began to pedal. And, as I climbed the hill on the way home, the chain was slipping so badly as I stood up on the hill that I ended up walking up. (I don’t like to walk up hills!) So, I’m going to take it back to the shop tomorrow. I know that they want it to be right, so I’ll give them another chance.

I think that the problem is they’re all a bunch of thin cyclist looking types, and they don’t have 230 pounds of RAW CYCLING POWER to test things out.

Miles Ridden: 7.0

UPDATE: I picked up the bike today (10/10). The head repair guy, who had been out last week when I last visited, said that there was a problem with the housing where the shifter cable connected on the bar, and that should solve the shifting problem. Also, he tightened the bottom bracket to stop the noise. He said that the bracket was getting a little wobbly, and I’d probably have to replace it soon. It has a bracket mounted derailur that would also have to be replaced with a seat tube mounted model. We’ll see how long it lasts. When I got home, I rode it about 30 feet down my street and back. As I started to pedal, I heard a ‘ting’.

I’ll try a hill soon.

Checkout this quote from a recent post on the The Dilbert Blog by Scott Adams:

Thanks to religious restrictions on freedom in the United States, we have a long list of things you can’t do (at least whenever you want): prostitution, marijuana, euthanasia, gambling, polygamy, and on and on. You might argue that the law is just trying to protect people from harm. But if that were the case, bicycles would be illegal.

Now, before you get all excited and post a comment about Mr. Adams’ religious or political views – he’s an idiot, he’s genius, he’s a heritic, whatever, please note that I only point this out because of his writing choice for the joke in the last line. I see Scott as a comedy writer that presents himself as a philosopher. Maybe his views are real, or maybe just part of the bit. It doesn’t matter to me; I’m just entertained by his work.

My point to make is that I’m wondering why he chose bicycle riding as his choice of unsafe behavior. We know that a bike is one of the safer methods of transport available, and that, at least to us, choosing car travel would have been funnier. But then, bike riders are a weird bunch.

(The title of this post is actually meant to be a joke that Scott would get, if he ever actually read this. Not likely.)

The neighbor and I got out this morning for a couple of hours on a pretty warm day – especially for October. High 70s before noon is kind of rare. We decided to ride up to Montmorenci and then head east on 500N.

500N is a fairly straight, fairly flat road between Otterbien and the river. We rode the portion from US231 to 75E (which later becomes Soldiers Home Road).

We took Soldiers Home Road into town and then sped down Happy Hollow Road. I’ve often climbed this hill, but I rarely head down it. Today I reached one of my fastest speeds ever – 37MPH.

We came back home through campus and surveyed the aftermath of a Big Ten football game: hired students picking up the piles of trash, overnight RV campers packing to leave, and bleary eyed party boys wandering home.

Miles Ridden: 23.9

Miles Ridden: 12.3

New duties at work are requiring a better wardrobe, so I rode in today with a tie on. I’m sure it looks kind of weird.

Miles Ridden: 8.3

While I waiting for bus at lunchtime, I witnessed a near collision between two cyclists. One was heading the wrong way on a one way street, and the other ran a stop light. They missed by inches, and they both probably deserved to wreck.

After work, I took a crowded trolley down to the bike shop to pick up my commuter bike from the shop. They took care of the wobbly front wheel and adjusted the transmission. Now, I can climb hills with confidence. Unfortunately, I still get the occasional ‘ping’ sound when I resume pedaling after a coast – usually when I’m in a big gear. Other than that, it works great.

Miles Ridden: 5.1

The Highland Park “Bicycle Bridge” in Lafayette (featured here) has been closed by the city after failing an inspection. Let’s hope it can be repaired soon.

Highland Park Bicycle Bridge will close, awaits repairs

By JOE LARSON
jlarson@journalandcourier.com

Lafayette city officials plan to erect a fence closing Highland Park’s Bicycle Bridge sometime today — but the structure could reopen as early as next summer.

“We are going to get the bridge fixed,” Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski said.

More than 40 people gathered at city hall Wednesday evening to learn about the city’s plans for the bridge, which was deemed unsafe after if failed a recent inspection.

Jenny Bonner, Lafayette city engineer, said bidding for the project will likely start this winter if financing can be secured. Under that scenario, construction would begin this spring and the bridge would reopen in late summer or early fall 2008.

“I’m disappointed that we won’t be able to use the bridge till this spring,” said neighborhood resident Frank Donaldson, “but if it’s done right, we’ll deal with it.”

Roswarski said Tippecanoe County is looking into whether or not it can use its bridge fund to help repair the pedestrian bridge. He said the city will also apply for grants but will likely end up paying for at least part of the project itself.

The price of the project could vary greatly depending on which repairs the city chooses to pursue.

About 50 percent of the bottom of the bridge’s through girders are in serious condition and have delamination, spalling and exposed reinforcing steel, according to the condition report done by H. Stewart Kline and Associates Inc.

That aspect of the bridge has to be repaired before it can reopen.

The city could also elect to pursue other, less serious repairs, such as fixing spalled parts of the bridge’s railing and repairing delamination on the bridge’s deck.

“If I can get enough money to do it completely, that would be great,” Bonner said.

Residents at the meeting also expressed interest in adding drainage around the bridge, repairing the sidewalk that leads to it and even putting up signs to show it off to the wider community.

Neighborhood resident Connie Lux said at the meeting that she favors repairing the bridge and perhaps even turning the ravine it spans into a park.

“I would love to see the ravine in Highland Park, the diamond in the rough, turned into something beautiful for our children,” she said.

But others feared developing the area too much beyond repairing the bridge might cause the wooded area to lose some of its appeal.

“I think the charm of the bridge is its discreet character,” Donaldson said. “So I don’t want to call a lot of attention to it.”

http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071004/NEWS/710040331/1141/NEWS

With my normal commuter in the shop, I rode the Pilot in today. Since I didn’t have a lock with me (leaving it behind was a total accident – sure), I brought it down with me and parked it next to my desk – rather than leaving it outside.

On the way home, I could see the tail end of the Crew riding out to the river to practice. It only took me about a half a mile to catch up. As the last guy dismounted to walk the hill on Newman, I sailed up while out of the saddle. Another victory over an inexperienced rider on a discount store bike!

Miles Ridden: 7.0

2007 Total So Far: 1783.1

This month was much better than August, and especially better than July without the RAGBRAI miles.