Green guilt: Driving to work

I drove to work today - and yesterday. Oh the green guilt! This is indeed a rare occurrence. I won't even go into why. Nope not me. I won't write about how I truly enjoy leaving home a whole four minutes later. Usually the rain and body aches are not valid excuses for skipping the ride to work. The need for running errands during the day won't be discussed either. Nope, you won't hear of it. I admit it! I enjoy multi-tasking: listening to the radio, while shaving and driving - Maybe I could even break out that portable coffee cup too! - and the feeling of staying dry - oh help me! I savor walking in the door at work - dry and free - not lugging extra pounds of cycling clothing and accessories. And the time I save! Minutes a day! Oh life is too short to waste it on bike commuting ... oh wait, I usually like cycling.  C'est la vie. There's always tomorrow . . . I can ride my bike tomorrow; yea, that's it. Actually the plan is to drive to run a quick errand after my morning meeting, drop off the car at home, and then cycle back to work. Wish me luck.

SolarMonkey Bike?

I received a SolarMonkey Adventurer - Portable Solar Charger with Internal Battery for the holidays and am trying to figure out how to hook it up to my bike lights live. Thus far, I can top off my cell phone after a few hours of charging the monkey, but I do that in the evening when not in use. Pretty cool stuff, but it does not have a gauge to know how charged up it is. It says it takes 12 hours of sun to fully charge it, and I have only received a full charge by plugging it into the wall. We'll see what I can do! As Spring approaches, the sun should be more available for charges. Next will be a solar charging station in our home!

Key to cycling: Dress like you're skiing

How do you *do* that? she gasped.
Do *what*? I responded.
Ride your bike in this weather?
Dress like you're skiing! I quipped.

It's really is not very difficult. Proper clothing and gear can make cycling, running, or any outdoor activity comfortable and enjoyable. Headgear, Bar Mitts, gloves, shoes, snow pants, facemask, etc. - my approach.

Warm hands while cycling: Bar Mitts

Mountain Bar Mitts, Black!

Freezing! That is what happened to me every time I rode to work. I would wear one, two, three pairs of gloves - ski gloves, snow boarding gloves, whatever - and my hands were still cold after my short commute to work. This may start sounding like an infomercial, but my brilliant wife then bought me some Bar Mitts as a Christmas gift - best gift ever! If you or someone you know rides in sub 45 degree weather, this the product for you! They come in both horizontal (mountain) and vertical (road) versions.

Looking back 3,729 days

It was 3,729 days ago that I drove back home from a conference in Baltimore, stopped by my house to drop off my stuff and pet my dog, and then proceeded to Christiansburg for a Friday night weekly potluck event. We had each attended this event separately on and off for about a year but tonight was the night we finally met. Wow what a wonderful ride since! We've grown and changed and argued and cried and laughed together - this time of year affords reflection - I am so appreciative of our special, shared time together! Holidays can be stressful, and slowing down to look back helps us remember and appreciate how good life is. What is our next venture together? Perhaps our view will be from yet another ridge, officially starting January 3 . . .

Navigating in a fog

The thick morning fog seems appropriate in alignment of the news about the killings at Sandy Hook, and reflects how we might all take extra precautions while navigating under such conditions. Today I turned on all my bike lights and rode more slowly than usual, arriving a few minutes later than normal. I stopped at least twice to dry off my glasses from the condensation clouding my vision. I hopped onto the sidewalk to ride with more protection from drivers who may also have had trouble seeing through the muck. Those extra minutes gave me more time to contemplate my contribution this week. What small, positive difference might I make? How can I improve my world for others' benefit? What might I do today to make someone else's day a bit better? What is my contribution? How can I see through fog and still be safe, positive, and influential? Such questions may aid all of us this week as we navigate through the mixed, murky fog of our feelings.

New bike tire - saved by the bus

Wednesday I hopped on my bike to leave work and ug, a flat - it was not totally flat so I rode 2 blocks and right then, the South Main Street bus was coming along - I quickly paused at the bus stop, switched off my bike lights, took off my panier bag, and placed my bike in the bus's front bike rack. I was home in about 15 minutes! I was still able to get home in time to get into the car and pick up my wife, before we stopped by Bike Barn.

I had called ahead and Scott had pulled a couple of choices for me. I selected a Flak Jacket Reflective Specialized 700mm Infinity tire, 35mm wide for my Trek commuter. This fairly heavy tire seems pretty beefy, and since I could see the threads on my old, original rear tire, a new tire was in order. I am still considering a replacement bike such as a 2013 Raleigh Roper, cyclocross bike, or possibly converting my old '99 Lemond Tourmalet to my commuter. The Roper seems pretty slick, but I am not thrilled about the brown color, nor the fact that I cannot put my hands on one until sometime in March.

Ah such is life - I am appreciative of the fact that I can debate such choices in life right now. My "old" trek commuter has served me well but now is skipping a gear right when I need it most, such as when I step down hard to cross the street, and it needs a whole new drive train pretty soon - NOTE TO SELF: Change the chain every year! It's cheaper!