Variations on a commute

(I actually wrote this entry last Monday, but somehow never posted…so here it is at the other end of the week)

I have the day off from work today so I took the opportunity to get out for a ride on the fixie.

I wanted to test out a new route for commuting to the office that Marcella and I discovered yesterday. It seems that some new construction has connected one neighborhood road through to the next where before it simply ended. The new route allows me to bypass Mackay Road, which I consider to be the most dangerous stretch of road I have to ride going to work. It also shortens the distance I have to ride on Guilford College Road too.

So, the test went well. All in all I think the new route actually trims a tenth of a mile or so off the overall distance to the office. The one thing there seems to be no way around is that it is simply a hilly ride no matter which route I take. It’s been a while since I’ve done the ride over to the office and I was shocked at how demanding I found it. If I start riding that route again regularly, which I really should do, then I’ll get back into shape pretty quickly.

At the end of things the round trip was a little over nine miles and a little over 42 minutes. Divide those numbers in half and you’ve got the one way leg of a commute to work. Not too bad, I think. And of course, with a regular schedule I believe I can trim a little bit of time from the ride, although I’m not necessarily looking to have an intense workout ride on the way into the office in the morning. It would be nice to be able to get there without needing a shower upon arrival.

Yes, I rode

I’m updating later than usual. My normal procedure is to get back from a ride and document it pretty much right away, but this morning I started surfing the web, and making pancakes, and then napping through the Panthers game, and I just didn’t get an update written.

So, to answer…yes, I did ride. It was a chilly but pleasant morning. I think the temperature was right around 50 when I left the house, and it was foggy again. Very beautiful, actually, when the sun started piercing through the clouds and lighting up the foggy fields. I rode about 32 miles with an average speed of 16.8. Not bad…not where I was right before the Tour to Tanglewood…I’ve lost a step between then and now, but not too much.

I was just checking the weather reports for tomorrow morning to see what the commute might look like, and I think it should be a nice morning to ride in. I just hope I can get hot water at the office shower. On Friday when I rode I couldn’t, and it was a bracing experience. The water wasn’t icy, but it certainly wasn’t warm either. I was very awake and alert for the morning.

I’ve been watching videos on youtube related to riding a fixie. Things like people doing skid stops, and track stands, and urban alleycat races. Some of it is pretty fascinating. I linked to a video on my pownce page showing a competition of people doing track stands. Crazy when they go no-handed. I can’t even do one at all yet, though I was getting pretty close yesterday until I gashed my ankle open on a pedal. It’s not a big deal, I slipped, it happens. It’s just my first injury on the new bike. Frankly I’m surprised I haven’t fallen off the thing yet, but boy, it is fun to ride.

I also took a couple of the decals off the fixie. I left the model name “Lager” on the top tube, but I removed the big brand name “SE” from the downtube. I also removed the brand badge from the steering tube. So it’s looking a little more streamlined. I may eventually remove more of the decals, there are two more on the seat tube with frame size indicators and such. I should try and post some pictures soon as I make changes to the bike. I’ve bought some fenders, but haven’t installed them yet. I figure I’ll wait and see how the fall shapes up, and what the weather is like. The one key investment I’ll likely have to make soon is in a good headlight. The days are getting shorter.

Okay, that’s enough rambling for now about the bikes. Maybe some day I’ll start posting things about something other than bikes again. Believe it or not I sometimes do.

Greenway home

I found a new way to ride to and from work today. I was aware that the Guilford County greenway passed near the office, but what I didn’t know is that there is an access path to the greenway at the end of Tarrant road near the office.

I rode down there after work and managed to get onto the greenway without any difficulty. From there it was a nice ride past natural scenery all the way to East Fork road which I can take to connect through to Guilford road and then home.

The mileage is a little longer, but it’s a really nice option to have when I want a change of scenery. The only drawback is right at the end the light from East Fork onto Guilford is at the top of a hill and there’s a fair amount of traffic there. Getting started again from a full stop on a hillside with cars behind is a little tough.

Still, I’m glad I now know of it for an alternate route. It was 7.6 miles to home instead of the usual 5.3 or thereabouts.

Anyone got a poncho?

Looks like I may not get much bike commuting in this week. Weather report is showing rainy for most of the week. Maybe I need to get a poncho! I rode home in the rain yesterday afternoon. First half of the ride wasn’t bad. Second half of the ride I had squishy shoes. I guess I need to figure out how to cope with the rain.

Moving Targets – NYTimes.com

In the shift to pedal power, bikers and drivers fight over their patch of asphalt.

Moving Targets – NYTimes.com