Whoomp! (There it isn't)

I wanted to title this post in the present tense when I rode past the Ace of Base themed pillar this morning. But by the evening commute, the graffiti police had already cleaned it up:

I'm continuing to tack on the miles from commuting and other rides. Last week was pretty good:

Monday - No commute (Memorial Day)
Tuesday & Thursday - Bicycle
Wednesday & Friday - Carpool

On Thursday after work I rode almost 20 miles, then logged a 55 miler on Sunday morning to finish the week right at 95 miles.

YTD Mileage
The last confirmed reading I have on my odometer is 613 miles at 11/1/2010 which was about the time I switched over to the winter steed. So my estimate for year to date mileage is 483 miles.

March Madness

It's almost over. One more game to see if the Huskies or Bulldogs reign as champs this year in NCAA basketball. I'm pulling for Butler, though I admit I was too busy this year to even complete a bracket since my own (January through) March madness overwhelmed me. Thankfully, it's also coming to an end soon.

Looking back at March, I did have one good week of riding (March 14 - 18) when I covered half of the week's commutes on bicycle. Since then, the weather has been spotty and I haven't wanted to ride the the Long Haul Trucker until conditions improve a bit, but the coming week looks good, especially if rain washes the winter sand and grime off the streets and trails.

Saturday was one of the first truly bike-able days of the year, and it marked two milestones: the first time I have broken two chains in one day, and the first ride on the Drifter in 2011. I rode my Dunelt 3-speed to the closest bike shop (the Hub) to grab a new chain for the Trucker, but the chain snapped only blocks from my destination. This was caused more by the significant corrosion that had accumulated on the chain than my massive leg strength overpowering the steel rivets. To add to the irony, the shop was out of the size of chain I needed for the Dunelt so I "scootered" home on the bike.

After a few botched attempts to install the new chain on the Drifter (more on that later), I met up with a friend to wheel over to the opening of 2011 Minneapolis Artcrank, and break in the Drifter. This was my second time checking out the Artcrank event, and I actually thought this year featured a stronger selection of posters than the 2009 event. I walked away empty handed, yet again, primarily a function of the posters I liked not fitting any color schemes in our house. Here are my top three:

"Neighborhoods" - Adam Turman

"Twin Cities Cycling: Stone Arch Bridge" - Tim Kramer

"Twinfinite Cities" - Todd Zerger

Don't worry if you wanted to check out Artcrank but couldn't make it to opening night, it continues through May 22 but moves on to One on One Bike and then Art-a-Whirl. Check the website for details.

So how did the other chain break? On the return leg of the ride, the chain snapped right as I crossed Lake Street on Minnehaha Avenue, this time only one block from the Hub (which had been closed for an hour). As I mentioned before, I experienced a few mishaps installing it initially and forgot to properly weave it through both the front and rear derailleurs (not once, but twice). The final time breaking and reconnecting the chain was a little sloppy, and I wondered how well it would hold up. Not well it turns out. Two bikes, two rides, two broken chains.

I figured I needed a few minutes to simmer down, so I walked the bike home.

Hanging up the fob

November has arrived, bringing with it the first snow to the twin cities and the unofficial beginning of winter. Unfortunately, this also signals the end of the NiceRideMN bikeshare program.  The bikes were pulled from the streets on November 7, but the program is calling the inaugural year a success as it surpassed its initial goal of 100,000 rides:

NiceRide Year End Statistics

I would be very interested to know how their financial results stack up to their goals.  Some quick math shows me their program revenues from subscriptions were about $225k for the year.  This seems low, but is unsurprising since the bulk of the funding likely comes from sponsors like Blue Cross Blue Shield.  In any event, I'm glad to hear that program management was pleased with the performance.

What about my own $60 membership, was it worth it?  Here are my own stats pulled from the NiceRide website:

Trips - 88
Usage time - 7 hours

Admittedly, most of the trips and hours (65 and 4, respectively) were logged doing the Nice Ride 65 Challenge, leaving 23 trips for the remainder of the season.  Many of those trips saved me from having to park in the heart of downtown, or even catch the bus or light rail back home, even though I had to walk a mile or so from the closest bikeshare station.  Using a conservative estimate, the bikeshare probably saved four downtown parks, and four one-way transit fares:

Parking - $6 x 4 parks = $24
Transit Fare - $2.25 x 4 = $9

Adding to those tangible benefits, I also received a t-shirt, which I'll call a $5 value, plus a coupon book that saved me $23 (two bike shop coupons for $10 each, plus a Lucia's coupon that scored me a free breakfast item).

My riding certainly wasn't as prolific as this guy, but these items got me pretty close to break even, so I would say the membership was worth it:

$ 60  - initial outlay
($56) - total savings ($33 park/transit, $23 in coupons)
 $ 4 net cost

Does this mean I'm also hanging up my cycling habit for the winter?  Hardly, though I have been searching for bicycle storage options, which could potentially result in hanging up some bikes in the new garage.  What it does mean, though, is that I'll be transitioning from the Long Haul Trucker to a winter steed with studded tires to brave the ice and snow. I hope I get my gear in shape soon so the last four weeks aren't indicative of the next four weeks:

Summary
Week 101 (October 25 - 29)
Mon - Thurs - Car
Friday - Carpool

Week 102 (Nov 1 - 5)
Mon - Tues - No commute (vacation)

Week 103 (Nov 8 - 12)
Mon - Thurs - Car
Friday - Carpool

Week 104 (Nov 15 - 19)
Monday - Carpool
Tues - Friday - Car

Things I Didn't Do Over The Weekend - Ode to Joseph Heller

Of all the things I didn't do this past weekend, there are two that I feel especially compelled to share with you.

I usually plan my trips to visit family in the Des Moines area to coincide with my need for a haircut, since my hometown barber far exceeds any barber I have ever visited in every category (quality, thoroughness at trimming my crazy bristly-spiky hair, price, etc).  But this past weekend was an exception as I just wasn't able to fit everything in and get my ears lowered.

Haircuts had been on my mind ever since I noticed that Vodka Alley had gotten a mullet: 

If you've ridden through the alley at all this summer or fall, you would notice a significant change from the near canopy jungle that it had been.  The picture above clearly shows the transformation to "business up front", and if my camera phone were better quality, you would also see the "party in the back."  Maybe there were a few empty bottles the mowers didn't want to pick up, so they continued to let the vegetation run wild...

Speaking of geography along my commute, the votes are in from the quiz on my Public Art post, and there was so much disinterest in the quiz that it was hard to tally them up.  My neighbor Brendan wins the participation ribbon for actually guessing (via my Facebook feed), but unfortunately he missed the mark.  The correct fill in the blank answer was "C" (There is no ladder to climb).

Back to other things I didn't do...

The wife and I were in downtown Des Moines for the Saturday farmers' market, and didn't find any B-Cycle stations to check out.  Because I didn't see any stations, I wondered if the bikeshare pilot program had ended.  Sure enough, after a quick scan of the website's map, the stations were all in locations where we hadn't looked.  Sadly, this wasn't the first time that I had visited a city without trying out its bikeshare.  My visit to Washington, DC in the fall of 2008 claims that distinction, unless you count cities that don't even have bikeshare programs.  If that's the case, I actually didn't ride the bikeshare in Des Moines well before not riding the bikeshare in DC.

Interested in having a B-Cycle station in your city that you can not ride on the weekend, too?  Go to the website and vote:

B-Cycle

What didn't you do this weekend?

Summary
Week 98
Monday - Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Tuesday - Bicycle
Wednesday - Car
Thurs & Fri - Bicycle

Week 99
Monday - Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Tuesday - Friday - Bicycle

Week 100
Monday-Friday - Car

Mileage
10/22/2010 - 603.1

Publish Post

Wrench In My Commute

First things first: The deadline to play Pin the Tail on My Commute is this Friday, September 24. At that point, the winner will be crowned, Dennis Green style. There are only two guesses so far, so do the math and you can probably see that you have a good shot at winning.

Now to the wrench...



I picked this up as I waited for the stop light on 5th Street and 11th Avenue, right across from the Dome. This being my first experience with a literal wrench in my commute, I have to say it's a much welcome occurrence as compared to the figurative wrenches I've encountered. Unfortunately figurative wrenches outpace their literal counterparts 2 to 1. (See Exhibit 1 and Exhibit 2) And if you remember, the "figurative" wrench in Exhibit 2 was actually a literal screwdriver.

Week 95 Summary (Sept 13 - 17)
Mon-Wed: Bicycle
Thursday: Car & Bicycle (AM Carpool)
Friday - Bicycle

Mileage Count
9/19/10 - 499.7
"And I will bike 500 miles..."

Testing the Existence Assertion

Note: The "Pin the Tail on My Commute" game is still on. If you haven't already, go read it and make a guess!

Nobody ended up taking me up on the invitation to confirm that all 65 Nice Ride stations in Minneapolis indeed exist. Nevertheless, Corby and I managed to obtain sufficient audit evidence to gain comfort over the existence assertion of the 65 stations.





We rarely strayed from our course, grabbing our first bikes at Birchwood Cafe and docking for the 65th time at Franklin & 21st Avenue. Other than dismounting for lunch at Punch Pizza in Northeast, picking up some water and Powerade at CVS on Hennepin Ave, and a brief call with a customer service rep (more about that below), we didn't waste much time in between stops. Our longest time between was only 10 minutes, and one of the station to station trips only took one minute (according to the My Trips function of the Nice Ride website).

It took us just shy of four cycling hours to complete the ride and my estimate for mileage was 36. The Nice Ride account login put it at 27.2 miles, but their assumptions seem a little faulty to me. If I have time, I'll complete a "complex estimates" practice aid, retrace our steps on Google maps to get some more comfort over management's estimate. I'm kidding about the practice aid, I just wanted an excuse to slip in some auditor-speak.

We did have to backtrack once, since a glitch in the system kept us from checking out another bike after we had docked at the downtown library station. After we were denied trying to check out every single back at the station, I called customer service and had what can only be described as a ridiculous conversation with this woman.

She instructed us to check the ID numbers of the bikes to find the ones we had just returned, so she could then release them for our use. The problem was, the bikes that she had in the system were not at the dock. She told me there should be 22 bikes at the station, and when I assured her there were only 20, she pretty much called me negligent and a liar, albeit in polite terms.

I figured telling this lady that this wasn't my first rodeo wouldn't overcome her obstinance so instead I proposed that we return to the previous station to check the ID numbers. I kept her on the line for two blocks, and sure enough, the bike IDs in question were there. Only the tech wizards at NiceRideMN will be able to figure what happened on that one.

Overall successfully completing the challenge was the "cherry on the spoon" of an otherwise perfect bike commuting week, and we even scored free jerseys for our efforts. I would definitely do this again if anyone needs a sherpa, or if some visitors wanted to check out some of the popular Minneapolis landmarks from the seat of a green two wheeler.

Week 94 Summary (September 6 - 10)
Monday - No commute (Labor Day)
Tues - Friday: Bicycle

Mileage Count (Fiscal YTD)
9/12/10 - 459.0 miles

August Amnesia and Good Samaritan Wednesday

It took me a bit to dredge up what mode of transport I had used over the past month, but once I got things rolling it came back to me like so much soap opera.

August Summary

Week 89 (Aug 2 - 6)
Monday - Friday: Bicycle

Week 90 (Aug 9 - 13)
Vacation - There wasn't much counting for me in Portland, so I had to make up for it with cycling. I considered how to account for the miles I racked up on the sub-ledger and have determined I won't add them to the total tally.

Week 91 (Aug 16 - 20)
Monday - Tuesday: Bicycle
Wednesday: Bicycle (AM) & Car (PM)
Kind of a strange combination, but the facts that led to a morning bike commute and evening return via automobile include meetings with regulators, some dudes from New Jersey, and a last minute invite to The Oceannaire. I'll leave it at that.
Thursday - Friday: Bicycle

Week 92 (August 23 - 30)
Monday - Tuesday: Bicycle
Wednesday: Car (plus bonus Bikeshare action )
Thursday - Friday: Bicycle

Week 93 (August 30 - Sept 3)
Monday - Wednesday: Bicycle
Thursday - Friday: No commute - recruiting event in Cedar Falls, IA

Good Samaritan Wednesday
Many of you are perhaps familiar with this parable. I had a similar experience this past week, just substitute the whole assault and robbery part of the story with me getting a flat tire and forgetting my hand pump at home.

While one can hardly eat muffins in an agitated manner, one can certainly change a flat tire in that exact mental state, be it a car or bicycle tire (see Exhibit A). This day was no exception, and it was especially easy to get myself worked up since I had a patch kit, but was without the necessary means to re-inflate the tire. I couldn't even blow up the tire to spot the hole and see if it was patchable. Frustration gave way to carelessness, which led to the rear cog scooping out a chunk of my right index finger as I removed the tire. What a (literal) bloody mess.

Thankfully, a kind soul noticed my plight and stopped to help. He was already late to work, but nevertheless offered his bike pump even though he didn't have time to wait around for me to finish the patch job and test my work. After briefly considering my dilemma, Douglas trusted me to drop it off at his place of employ sometime during the day.

What a relief! I don't know if I would have just walked the bike into downtown and dealt with the mess later or if I would have waited for someone else to stop with a pump. I finished the patch and it held, so I hopped back on the bike to finish my commute. My finger still oozed, and I didn't have anything to clean it up with, so I rode the last mile or two with my right hand held up, blessing oncoming cyclists with a bloody pope-like hand gesture to keep my handlebars clean.

Mileage Count (Fiscal YTD)
8/23/10 - 326.7 miles
8/31/10 - 384.9 miles

Weeks 86 - 88 and Counting

Very little to report from a bicycle commuting standpoint:

Week 86 (July 12-16)
Mon - Friday: Car
Although I could have taken bicycle paths to within 0.5 miles of the client site (in Plymouth), I still would have had to traverse approximately 19 miles of on-path commuting. The time commitment involved, plus the potential for a sultry weather mix had me opt for the auto.

Week 87 & 88 (July 19-23, July 26-30)
I've been on vacation for the past two weeks, so no need to worry about the commute.

Counting
A few weeks ago I noted that I have not kept tabs on total miles. As I think about it, this omission seems ridiculous at best, and negligent at worst for someone who prides himself as a cyclist who counts for a living. Nevertheless I now have the necessary means to easily track mileage and report it as frequently as I'd like.

After some brief online research I decided on the Cateye Micro Wireless. It meshed up well with the basic features I needed, and appeared to be one of the most modestly priced wireless units on the market. I mounted it below my Cateye headlight, so my bicycle is no longer a Cateye cyclops. As of last Friday (July 23), I've logged just shy of 200 miles (195.3), most of which came from riding two days of RAGBRAI 2010. Keep your eyes peeled for a future post on my first experience riding on RAGBRAI.

In other counting news, I hope to soon be counting bikeshare stations in Minneapolis. I don't have a burning desire to test the assertion that there are 65 stations in operation, but the NiceRideMN bikeshare program recently issued the Nice Ride 65 Challenge for anyone who can successfully check-in to all 65 stations in 24 hours without incurring any trip fees. I'm not sure when I am going to attempt this, but I hope to do so soon. It doesn't appear that a full-year membership is required, so day passes ($5) likely work for this challenge, too. If anyone is up for the challenge and wants to join me, let me know.

Weeks 57 & 58 and the next few months

Summary:

Week 57 (Dec 21 - 25)
Monday - Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Tuesday - Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Wednesday - Car & LRT (AM Carpool)
Thursday & Friday - Vacation/Holiday

Week 58 (Dec 28 - Jan 1)
Monday - Friday: Holiday shutdown

No bike commutes to log for the last entry of 2009, but I did ride into downtown on Christmas Eve day for last minute shopping. A ton of fresh snow made for slow going in spots, but I was able to manage by staying on the snow packed streets, which the studded tires handle effectively. It does ratchet the workout level up a notch or too though, which is just fine as it helps keep me warm.

With the end of 2009, I look forward to the beginning of a new calendar year and the start of another busy season. Here's a look at what I'll be riding in the months to come:



This bike replaces the bike I rode last year, and is equipped with the same Innova studs and Axiom rear rack. Unfortunately a formal christening was never performed and the red mountain bike ended its service to me nameless.

From what I recall, the finalists for the "Bike Name Bestowed Upon A Mountain Bike Performing Winter and Minimal Spring Commuting Duty in a Northern Midwestern City" Award were: Esau, Red, and Raleigh Valverde. I don't know what to expect from this year's ride since it was a pretty cheap Craigslist special, so I won't plan on holding any ceremonies anytime soon.

Week 40 (August 24-28)

Summary:

Week 40
Monday - Bicycle
Tuesday - Bicycle
Wednesday - Bicycle
Thursday - Bicycle
Friday - Bicycle

The 40 week mark seems like a perfect opportunity for a biking/pregnancy analogy, but nothing is coming to mind. Anybody have a metaphor I can borrow?

I taught a training in the office all week, so batting five for five wasn't too much of a challenge. The only resistance I faced was Tuesday morning when it was rained pretty hard first thing in the morning. I knew it would be clear in the afternoon and I'd be furious that I had to ride the light rail home but I couldn't figure out how to make a round trip cycling commute happen.

It calmed down long enough for me to jump on the bike and high tail it into the office, arriving just as it picked up again. I wore a blue banana man suit (rain jacket, slick pants, plastic bags on my feet to keep dry) and to say I looked ridiculous would be the understatement of the year. I took no pictures just in case I want to run for public office someday, but Pati can attest.

Week 39 (August 17-21) and a grocery run

Summary:

Week 39
Monday - Bicycle
Tuesday - Bicycle
Wednesday - Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Thursday - Bicycle
Friday - Car & LRT (AM Carpool)

I started off the week on the Greenspeed, but the Drifter was called to duty on Tuesday and Thursday. I've spent so much time on the Greenspeed lately that I'd forgotten how much I love this bike. The only real drawback is that I feel somewhat strange dressing like an accountant when I ride, so I usually end up changing at work. But the slight inconvenience was well worth it this week.

It even got some extra miles this weekend on a couple of grocery runs: one to Trader Joe's in St. Louis Park and the other to the Rainbow in our neighborhood. We're only a mile or from Rainbow so I decided to push the envelope and see how much I could get on the Drifter. I'll let the picture and a receipt highlights speak for themselves:



Highlights include:
Lunch meat
A gallon of milk
Fresh fruit & veggies
Five 12 packs of coke products

I honestly wasn't sure it was going to work out, but I figured I'd grab the bungee cords and give it a shot. No cans were injured during the trip from the store, and I think Pati was happy that I took a chance:

Week 37 & 38 (August 3-7, 10-14): Riding the Greenspeed

Summary:

Week 37
Monday - No commute (vacation)
Tuesday - Bicycle
Wednesday - Car & LRT (AM Carpool)
Thursday - No commute (sick)
Friday - No commute (sick & work from home)

Week 38
Monday - Car & Bicycle (AM Carpool)
Tuesday - Car & Bicycle (AM Carpool)
Wednesday - Car & Bicycle (AM Carpool)
Thursday - Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Friday - Bicycle

Riding the Greenspeed
Since I've ridden the Greenspeed for almost a month now, I figured it'd be a good idea to reflect on how well it's been working for me. Here goes:

Pros
Clean - The great thing about having a chainguard is that I don't have to choose between corralling my pant legs with an ankle strap and risking a grease attack. This is especially convenient since I lost my Velcro one awhile back.

Relaxing Pace - Since there's only one speed, I can't hop on the bike and crank at full throttle; I'm forced to take it easy while I ride. This is a great way to hold back my usual instinct to pedal quickly and I've found myself enjoying these laid back commutes. The upright seating position on the bike also makes for a smooth ride.

Theft Deterrent - The Greenspeed is not likely to instigate covetous thoughts in the minds of bike thieves, and I'm comfortable securing it with only one lock (as opposed to three for the Drifter).

Economy - The initial cash outlay for the bike was $15, and I've probably put in another $20 or so in a new chain and tube. So far this cycling fiscal year the Greenspeed has generated positive cash flows (technically a reduction in cash outflows) of $54, plus another $32 from the year before.
**Disclaimer - The wheel build did cost money, but if I were to sell this bike right now I would not include the new wheel so I'm not going to include it in the calculation.

Cons
Range - My normal commute is almost perfectly flat, so for the most part I don't many gears. That being said, bitter gusts were a challenge on the way home last Friday, but could have been remedied by a quick upshift on a multi-speed bike. But on the Greenspeed my only option was to firm up my grip, grit my teeth, and grind away.

Aesthetics - I'm no expert in colors, but it does appear to be an obnoxious shade of green and my wife can't stand it. Maybe I shouldn't consider this too much of a "con" since it does decrease the likelihood of theft.

Performance - I still have the original brakes and cables which could use replacing as they're not as responsive as I'd like. This doesn't cause a problem though since the bulk of my route is on trail with no intersections and I don't ride very fast.

Overall I'm happy with the Greenspeed even though it's not an all-purpose bike. It's nice to have it as an option, though, especially on cool days when I really don't need or want to change clothes.

Week 36 (July 27-31)

Summary:

Monday - Bicycle
Tuesday - Bicycle
Wednesday - Bicycle
Thursday - Bicycle
Friday - Bicycle

This week was my Mark Buehrle moment: five days of work, five days of round-trip bicycle commuting.

I completed the wheel building class I signed up for on Saturday, spent some time working on the Greenspeed over the weekend, and completed all 10 legs of the week's commute on it. I'll save my assessment of the bike's positive and less desirable attributes for another post though.

Here's what I had to do to get the Greenspeed ready to roll by Monday morning:

1. Build a wheel - I guess this wasn't completely necessary since I already had a wheel on it, but I really wanted to switch to an actual single-speed. A few hours at Hiawatha Cyclery and I checked this off the list.

2. Mount tire and tube on rim - This is normally a quick process, but I didn't know what size tires the frame would handle with the new rim so I had to put it together and see how much space I had. I'd prefer a 700Cx32 for the rear wheel, but I happened to have a larger tire (700Cx35) in the garage so I opted for economy and resourcefulness, sparing a trip to the bike shop. Eventually I'll switch to 32s, but it might not be until I replace the front wheel.

3. Widen rear drop-outs - The link to the pics below will illustrate this a little better than I can explain, but the new axle was wider than the previous one. This kept the wheel from sliding into proper position, so I borrowed a neighbor's hand file to create some space.

4. Size the chain - When I originally cut the chain, it was an appropriate size for the 15 teeth cog and cassette. But the new cog had 17 teeth, so there wasn't enough room on the chain for the new wheel. Again, I wanted to save a trip and $10 so I spliced in three new links from the original chain to lengthen it.

5. Other maintenance - I had gone without the rear fender for awhile so I put it back on to give the bike a more complete look. I also popped off the stem to grease it and the stem wedge (sorry, I forgot to take pics on this one). A new stem sometime soon probably wouldn't be a bad idea.

Check out these pics to see the Greenspeed itself, as well as some visuals of what I've just tried to explain (Click on the white dialog box thing in the bottom left hand corner to display captions, or just click on the pics themselves to go larger copies)

Week 35 (July 20-24)

Summary:

Monday - Bicycle
Tuesday - Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Wednesday - Bicycle
Thursday - Bicycle & Bus (PM)
Friday - Bicycle

Thursday was interesting. As soon as I grabbed my bike off the rack for the return trip, I noticed a completely flat front tire. Not a good sign, but I thought there was a possibility that it was merely a slow leak that I could still ride home on. I peered through the mass of people waiting for their buses and saw a guy with a tall bike coming in my direction, and figured it was worth a shot

(Note to reader: do an image search on Google for "tall bike" to see what I'm talking about).

I think Matt was a bit surprised that I approached him asking for a favor. Here I was, a regular working stiff wearing a button-up shirt, ironed pants, and a bicycle helmet while he was clad in tattered leather boots up to his calves, tattoos all over his arms, and his long dreaded hair flowing freely.

Nevertheless, he pulled a pump out of his messenger bag, and when the slow leak theory was disproved, he produced a patch kit and wrench as well. He even did the work of patching the leak while I watched and made small talk.

With the wheel back on, I began the job of re-inflating the tire and got a little overzealous for a firmness and ended up popping the tube. Regardless, I thanked Matt profusely for his help and threw the bike on the bus to get home.

It might seem like it was all for naught, but I was actually glad to have run into Matt. I hope I see him again downtown and am somehow able to return the favor.

Week 34 (July 13-17), a Trucker Twin, and dubbing the Greenspeed

Summary:

Monday - no commute (vacation)
Tuesday - Car & LRT (AM Carpool)
Wednesday - Bicycle
Thursday - Bicycle
Friday - Bicycle

Cool weather prevailed last week, though a chance of showers on Tuesday scared me enough not to ride. It didn't rain, I felt like a fool, and now consider that it is perhaps time to buy a rain cape. This will enable me to make commuting decisions irrespective of the precipitation forecast, though I'll be surely be inviting the obligatory mockery and copious Russ Campbell comparisons from my wife.

Trucker Twin
On Wednesday I parked a block from my normal spot which brought me into contact with a nearly identical Long Haul Trucker. It wasn't there when I locked up in the morning, but in the afternoon I paused for a double take, delighted by the mirror image on an adjacent rack. It had the same Axiom rack that I used to have, and the owner even used a multiple lock method to thwart would-be bike thieves. It had better upgrades on the saddle (Brooks) and pedals, but otherwise it was the same. I only saw it once more that week on Thursday morning, so maybe he was blessed with an abbreviated work week.

Greenspeed
My parents visited this weekend, and with my dad's help I securely bolted my rear wheel onto the Sears 5 speed frame. I removed the derailleur months ago and make use of only one gear on the five speed cassette. I'm taking a wheel building class at Hiawatha Cyclery this Saturday, so Lord willing, I'll have a legitimate single speed cog installed soon. With those plans in place, the bike shall henceforth be known as "the Greenspeed." I think a formal christening ceremony is required, and perhaps our house guest this weekend would enjoy taking part smashing my CPA champagne over the stem of the bike.

The Greenspeed did survive an estimated 10 mile ride with my parents and Pati to the Guthrie, over the Stone Arch Bridge, through the edge of the U campus and back home via the Seward neighborhood. The Greenspeed performed well enough to earn commuting duties this week, so hopefully all goes well.

Week 33 (July 6 - 10)

Summary:

Monday - Bicycle
Tuesday - Car & Bicycle (AM Carpool)
Wednesday - Bicycle
Thursday - Bicycle
Friday - no commute (vacation)

Wednesday also included a round trip ride to Hopkins (~22 miles) for kickball and a ride to Lake Harriet (~14 miles) on Saturday.

Week 32 (June 29 - July 3) and an Assertion

Summary:

Monday - Bicycle
Tuesday - Bicycle
Wednesday - Car & Bicycle (AM carpool)
Thursday - Bicycle
Friday - Bicycle

I bought the Drifter (Surly Long Haul Trucker) a year ago this July, and have been tracking my commutes in a Google Doc since then. I'm in the assurance business and not usually the one making the assertions, but here goes:

For the one year period beginning July 1, 2008 and ending June 30, 2009, I saved a total of $364.75 riding a bicycle to work.

Here is the basic methodology that I used:

For every one-way trip taken via bicycle, I assumed savings of the equivalent of an applicable bus/light rail fare (rush hour, non-rush hour, downtown zone fare, etc). This is the alternative for me since I rarely drive by myself if I'm going to the office. Someone with a regular commute involving parking expenses would save significantly more.

Resources:

A visual representation of my commutes:


Underlying data:
Google Doc Tracking Spreadsheet

I'd be interested to know if this seems like more or less savings than you'd expect from a year's worth of bicycle commuting?

Week 30 & 31 (June 15-19, 22-26)

Summary:

Week 30
Monday - Car & Bicycle (AM Carpool)
Tuesday - Car & Bicycle (AM Carpool)
Wednesday - Bicyle
Thursday - Bicycle
Friday - LRT & Car (PM Carpool)

Week 31
Monday - Car & Bicycle (AM Carpool)
Tuesday - Bicycle
Wednesday - Car & Bicycle (AM Carpool)
Thursday - Car
Friday - Bicycle

Thursday was a bittersweet mix. I had to make a dental appointment and meet a client deadline, and couldn't work out the logistics to ride and still maximize my use of time. I made up for it that night as some fellow accountants and I cycled to St. Paul to take the Gateway Trail to Stillwater. The round-trip was just shy of 55 miles, and I was back at my front door by 10 p.m., took a shower, and slept like a baby.

I awoke bright and early Saturday morning for another lengthy ride to the Coon Rapids dam and back. We didn't have a cyclocomputer, and I'm not even sure I could trace the run on Googlemaps. The direct route comes in at 36 miles, but my estimate is a 40-45 miles, accounting for a detour through Victory Memorial Parkway and Theodore Wirth.

I need to keep up these longer rides to get ready for a bike trip to Duluth sometime later this summer.

Week 28 & 29 (June 1-5, 8-12)

Summary:

Week 28
Monday - Bicycle
Tuesday - Bicyle
Wednesday - Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Thursday - Bicycle
Friday - Bicycle

Week 29
No commutes - vacation in Costa Rica

I can't say it enough: this late spring/early summer has been perfect weather for a morning and afternoon commute. The only reason I didn't ride on Wednesday was to make a kickball game in Hopkins that night. I probably could have ridden directly there, but the extra hour or two was better spent cranking away at work to get projects in good shape and bug out early on Friday for our trip.

The closest I got to a bicycle in Costa Rica last week was visiting a Gary Fisher/Trek cycle shop in San Jose, though I must have grazed five to ten fearless moron bikers navigating the circuitous mountain roads at night, lacking helmets, lights, and the sense that God gave them. I was more concerned about keeping the 4,700 pound Mitsubishi Montero on the road and from spilling its six passengers and cargo into coffee plant laden valleys, leaving little time to check for bicyclists or pedestrians.

(Side note: the $16 we spent to rent a GPS unit was the best $16 that has ever been spent. Not only did it give us our route, it also alerted us to dangerous bridges and deteriorating roads.)

Week 27 (May 25 - 29)

Summary:

Monday: No commute (Memorial Day)
Tuesday: Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Wednesday: Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Thursday: Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Friday: Car (AM & PM Carpool)

Being out of town makes it rough to ride.