Dan on Bike

I’m attending a conference in Chicago this week. I didn’t bring along my bike this time, so I’m not riding the cold downtown streets. However, I was able to put in some time on the stationary bike.

I love these computerized machines! This hotel has installed all new equipment since my visit last year at this time, so everything was all new. I was able to watch TV on the screen (A&E Classroom) while pedaling. The computer told me that I had travelled 6.5 miles in 30 minutes, burning 241 calories. There was another metric called METs. I’m not sure what that is, but it required the entry of my weight. (The weight entry screen defaulted to 150! I was pushing the “up” arrow for quite a while.)

This bike was a recumbent style machine. I don’t know if using it is anything like riding a real ‘bent, but if so, I’m not likely to get one. My rear went numb abouit 10 minutes in.

I’m not going to count these “miles” in my annual total, yet I still feel pretty good today.

After dropping my daughter at the movie theater today, I walked over to Hodson’s Bay Company for some new tubes. I’ve never kept spare ones at home. I’ve only had one flat since taking up biking almost 10 years ago. Sure, I’m tempting fate here. Anyway (or as we say in Indiana – Anyways), I thought I would pick up a couple before changing my tires.

I’m switching to my other tires. They aren’t knobbies, but they have more of a tread than the slicks I have on there now. My plan to ride at least once in each month of the year will require some snow riding in December for sure, so I’m going for a little better tread to help my chances of not wiping out.

I’ve never been much of a mechanic, and while I’m not ashamed of it, it is a bit of a confidence drainer when asking questions at the bike shop. (Imagine how freaked I get at the auto mechanic!) Luckily, the bike shop guys are very patient.

I had my son read the tire size off the tire hanging in the garage (26 x 1.62). I told the clerk that size, and he asked the dreaded question: Schraeder or Presta? I know that these are different valve types, but I can’t never remember which is which.

“Whichever is the normal one” I answered – looking at the floor.

He gave me the Schraeder valve without laughing.

I finally measured the missing mileage from the ride on June 18, so I can report my total for the year so far.

1,275 Miles!

Not bad, don’t you think? I had an unofficial, secret goal of 1,200 miles this year, so it looks like I made it. For this last month, I’d like to just ride at least once. I’m looking for one semi-warm, sort of dry day.

An homage to Martino.

OK, so I found some bike pants to try from Performance Bike. We’ll see how they work out.

I guess I’m not just a ‘ride in the winter’ kind of guy. For one reason, I don’t have the proper clothing. Where does a guy with a 42″ waist and a 30″ inseam find bike pants to keep the wind out? I bought an XL pair, and I couldn’t even pull them up! I thought that The Amazing Shrinking Man! had found something, but no pants, only tights. I used to have a pair that I got from Performance Bike or Bike Nashbar several years ago, but I lost them in a move.

The weather hasn’t stopped these brave souls:

• Urbana-Champaign Bicycle Commuter
• Steve in Halifax
• Year Round in Buffalo
• The Cycler

I guess Stormcrowe and I will have to try another day.

(OK, now I’m looking through the Performance Bike site, and a couple of the pants look promising. More later.)

Total for November: 52.9 Miles

The Slate RSS feed included two adjacent stories about bike commuting.

• Nobody Bikes in L.A.
• The Bicycle Diaries

One ends better than the other.

You may remember back in the spring when I went to get a picture of a bike that had been locked to an electrical tower the entire winter.

Well, it’s back! The bike, in the same spot as before, has been there for about a month.

So, the offer is back on. Free bike at the intersection of Lindberg and Klondkie roads.

I had a tough time getting out today. I couldn’t find my bike lock or one of my gloves, and I finally gave up. My wife (hi honey!) said that once I got out, I would be glad I went, but I thought I just wanted to say that I went. See, I’ve been reading blogs by people who have either almost or entirely given up on cars (see the new blogroll on the right). I’m not in a place (location or situation) where I can do that, but I do like to try once and a while to replace a drive with a ride. Today, I needed milk and spray starch from the store, and I was craving root beer. I finally got out the door by 2:30.

Newman Road
Pretty nice weather today. The sunny and in the mid 50s (285 K) with a SSW with at around 14 mph gusting to 25. The grocery store is NE of my house, so that meant a headwind on the way home.

Cattail Trail near Purdue Golf Course
You’ve read before how I like the Cattail Trail, and I rode part of the trail today. However, as it passes Wally World on Cumberland Ave, the trail crosses both of the entrance roads for the mega-store. This is probably the most dangerous part of the trail, especially from cars leaving the parking lot. For this stretch, I jump out into the lane when it is clear.

West Lafayette Marsh Grocery Store
I reached the Marsh store without incident, and my bike wasn’t stolen as it sat unlocked next to the Blue Rhino propane tank exchange cage. Next, it was on to the nearby BP convenience store where I picked up 2 one quart bottles of Dog N Suds Root Beer.

Coming home, I felt the wind as expected, but it wasn’t too bad. I just took my time.

Wasn’t This Tree in Poltergeist?
You know, my wife was right – I was glad that I went.

Miles Ridden: 14.6