Dan on Bike

I was envisioning a great ride today that came to around 28 miles, but I only had an hour. Instead, I rode the Avenue. Pretty uneventful.

Miles Ridden: 13.7

I could hear the drums as I was unlocking the bike, so I rode by the marching band practice field on the way home. They were just wrapping up as I came by. On Saturday, my son’s high school band (along with twenty or so other school bands) will appear with the Purdue band at halftime of the football game. It’s a fun time, and my wife and I were lucky enough to get good seats for the game (one of the better perks of my job).

High Five After Practice
Miles Ridden: 7.3

Hey! This marks five days in a row where I biked to work. Not bad! I love the September weather.

Like yesterday, the weather was great, and the ride was nice. However, I did get a picture.

Gathering of Waterfowl

Miles Ridden: 11.7

(Yes, even though I took exactly the same route as yesterday, I measured seven tenths of a mile less.)

Clint has recently started riding his bike to work in Chicago. Today, he had an altercation with a truck that ended badly for his bike, his computer, and his iPod. Somehow he escaped serious injury.

Pretty scary.

Read about it here.

Like Monday, I drove to work this morning, but took the bike back after coming home for lunch. However, unlike yesterday, there was a lazy tailwind pushing me home. Clear, sunny skies, slightly cool temps – one couldn’t ask for a better day for a ride.

Miles Ridden: 12.4

I came out of the office building today to find a walnut wedged under my front brake cable. I looked at it for a minute trying to figure out how it got there, but it’s obviously a prank. No harm done!

A fierce headwind slowed my ride home on the South Work Route. But, it was a nice workout.

Miles Ridden: 8.2

After our dark ride the other day, the neighbor came armed with the ‘Intimidator’. He had moved his halogen light with the rechargable battery from his commuter bike to his road bike, plus he added a second blinky in the back. He still had his not so bright LED headlight, and I was using my Trek light.

We called it the Intimidator because oncoming traffic would slow and pull to the side as we came up. It may have been aimed a little high, but we thought that it was the sheer awesomeness of the halogen beam that made all drivers cower in fear.

When a passing car was close, and I was temporarily blinded by his headlights, I hit a broken branch that was laying across the bike lane. A piece jumped up and banged me in the shin. No serious wounds, but there is a bump there still tonight.

Shortly after that, my headlight switched off. No amount of banging and switch flicking would bring it back. Now, I was dependent on the Intimidator for my safety.

As we neared Martell Forest, we started to notice that the halogen bulb was getting weaker. By the time we returned to Division Road near Granville Bridge, it was a tiny yellow blip. At this point, we were both relying on the weak LED to light our way home. I also used the light of cars coming up behind us to help see the road.

We came up upon another rider with a very bright LED light and followed him for a while. However, we had to turn on Division while he continued on River Road.

By the time we got back to the neighborhood, there was enough light to see without lights.

Looks like I’m going shopping for a light soon.

Miles Ridden: 11.1

BONUS RIDE!!

After I drove home for lunch, I decided to take the bike back to work, so I was able to fit in a commute.

Bonus Miles Ridden: 7.1

It was well after 9:00 before I got on the road today – mostly because of the fog. The humidity remained throughout the ride.

First, I took a few ride bys of the morning Breakfast Club participants – Purdue students in dopey costumes drinking in the AM. It’s a tradition.

Breakfast Club Montage
I took a couple of pictures around campus, but the cloudy, foggy sky gave me cloudy, foggy pictures.

Class of ’39 Fountain

Purdue All American Marching Band

Miles Ridden: 10.8 (very sweaty ones)

The neighbor and I took a 6:00 am ride today on the Granville Bridge Route, but we started off slow. Not because we were still waking up or weak in the legs, it was because we couldn’t see past the reach of our headlights – and neither was reaching very far in the tree canopy covered section of Division Road. Once we passed the River Road intersection and got out into the floodplain, we could see the road well enough to open things up.

I received several great comments on my headlight post from last month, and think it’s time to go shopping. I may hit the LBS this weekend.

Miles Ridden: 11.2

I need to find a way to disconnect myself from situations where motor vehicle drivers make stupid mistakes around me. This morning, there was yet another stupid passer.

Because the sun wasn’t high enough to be in my eyes, I wasn’t wearing my sunglasses, and therefore didn’t have my rear view mirror on. Although I couldn’t see it, I could hear the vehicle coming around me while the oncoming driver began to slow. I thrust my left hand out with the palm facing back in a vain attempt to stop the driver from crossing the yellow line to get around me. I guess I thought it would help.

But nope, the young mom in the minivan with her little precious safely lashed to the middle seat came around on my left. The oncoming pickup slowed and swerved into the grassy shoulder to let the van come through. I looked over and first saw the youngster in the car seat, and then the mom looking straight ahead. I yelled a question accented with profanity, but got no response.

It has been obvious to me, even before I tried to hold back the van with my authoritative left hand, that I can’t do much to stop this from happening. Sure, I can ride more to the left and discourage the meeker ones, but there will always be some self-important motorist who feels that his time is more important than the safety of others on the road. It would be great if I could let it go, rather than stew about it for the rest of the ride. But I guess that is not my way.

I was in this mood today when I read about Steve from Halifax being hit by a car again. He is just back in the saddle after several months of recuperating from an earlier collision* this year. Luckily, he wasn’t seriously injured this time. Could that be me at some point?

I can’t really close this thought, since I’m still a little upset. I guess I’d like to ask all users of the road – motorized or not – to take the time to consider the big picture of everyone’s safety and allow everyone their place.

Miles Ridden: 8.3

*I first typed ‘accident’ here instead of ‘collision’, but think that most collisions involving cars could be avoided, or at least minimized, with changes to our driving habits and attitudes. It’s not an accident, just bad judgment.