30daysofbiking

So a little over a week ago, we gained a new driver in our household in the most terrifying of forms, a 17-year-old adolescent. However, she hasn’t driven through anyone’s front doors nor driven into any area lakes, so I think she’s doing fine. Grace and I had talked about getting another car to keep the status quo, but in the end we really didn’t want another vehicle to maintain and pay for and after my car free experiment a couple of years ago, I think we made the right choice.

I was tired on the way to work.  Then I had to work a 13 hour day.  Then I had to ride home in the dark, after midnight, while facing a 15-20 mph headwind.  So today I learned that cycling while exhausted is completely possible . . .

So I got the lights and gear transferred over to the Surly who I think is getting a new name.  I haven’t been happy with any of the names I’ve tried out so far, but I’m trying out Ms. Billie Blue.  No relation to the Australian convict.

In any case, today I learned how wonderful it is to ride your commute with a bicycle that you can count on.  I didn’t really realize how much I effort I spent constantly checking the chain, listening to the derailleur for the slightest sound of binding, checking that the brake cable hadn’t slipped for the 50th time, etc.  Just being able to really sit back and enjoy the ride was extremely pleasant.

Well today is a sad day for #30DaysofBiking. I know I’ve been talking about it for a long time, but my old trusted Cannondale Touring Bike which I’ve had since I was 15 years old has finally reached the complete end of its life. On the way home tonight, the rear derailleur came into pieces tonight on the way home. The picture below doesn’t really show the complete extent of the damage, but it was a pretty catastrophic end considering I was doing about 17 mph when it happened, thankfully outside of several broken and bent spokes there was no personal injury.

The 45 mph gusts of yesterday convinced me to chicken out from the 60 mph gusts this morning.  Therefore I waited till late after I got home from work and the wind had died down before hitting the road.  Weekday nights are pretty quiet in Oklahoma City, especially after 10:30 at night on a Monday.  I saw only two cars on my 30 minute ride.  With the streets that quiet and the lights shining off the street, it’s like you are the last person left alive in the city.  It’s at times like these that I truly remember how liberating biking can be . . .

A 20 mile ride around Lake Overholser in an extreme headwind (25-45 mph) showed me how out of shape I am.  But you have to start somewhere . . .

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Today was another incredibly beautiful day.  This stretch of warm weather has caused all the flowers to bloom which always makes for a beautiful day . . .

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So, it’s time again for another round of #30DaysofBiking.  I like this event because it gives me a chance to work on some aspect of cycling, and since I’m never in a hurry to improve my speed, I get to work more on just  riding more.  Last time I worked on being calm on the city streets and trying to just enjoy the ride.  This time it has been a long winter and I wimped out through most of it and hardly rode at all.  Well, because of this long delay, I’m going to take this run to remember how much I love riding and to remind myself of all the stuff I don’t get to see when I drive.

Picture By: thinredjellies

So the other day, I got in an argument with a driver who honked at me for an extended period of time and then buzzed me. In the huge pantheon of silly, pointless things to do, arguing with motorists has got to be at the top of the list. Getting into shouting matches just reinforces the stereotype of bicyclists as loudmouthed jerks. Even though I know I was in the right and just trying to be safe, it ruined my day.  By the time I got to work, I was angry, frustrated and just mad at the world generally.