Summary:
Week 41
Monday - Bicycle
Tuesday - Bicycle
Wednesday - Bicycle
Thursday - Car
Friday - Car
My excuse for Thursday and Friday is that I was in Cedar Falls, IA for a recruiting event at my alma mater. Would have been a little tough to bike that one.
I'm too tired to rehash any specifics from the week, and the week to come is going to be crazy so I figured I'd get the summary up and move on. I hope everyone's Labor Day was as good as mine.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
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 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.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Random notes from my commutes
Two things:
1. I think I saw a mime riding a bike the other day. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a figure in all black approaching me on the Hiawatha LRT path. When I looked up I'm pretty sure I saw a face with white makeup and a top hat. It's strange to see a mime on a bike, but it would be even stranger if that guy didn't end up being a mime.
(*editors note: when I say the mime was riding a bike, I mean he was actually riding a bike, not miming that he was riding a bike. Sorry for any confusion that may have caused)
2. I saw this by the Cub Foods on East Lake today on my way home. I'm pretty sure this isn't the preferred nomenclature...
1. I think I saw a mime riding a bike the other day. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a figure in all black approaching me on the Hiawatha LRT path. When I looked up I'm pretty sure I saw a face with white makeup and a top hat. It's strange to see a mime on a bike, but it would be even stranger if that guy didn't end up being a mime.
(*editors note: when I say the mime was riding a bike, I mean he was actually riding a bike, not miming that he was riding a bike. Sorry for any confusion that may have caused)
2. I saw this by the Cub Foods on East Lake today on my way home. I'm pretty sure this isn't the preferred nomenclature...
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
More popular than I thought
In the post two days I have seen pics posted on BikeHugger that are almost identical models to the Greenspeed. The first is even the same green color that Ivy loves so much:
Sears Bike 1
Sears Bike 2
It's easy to spot by the decal on the frame below the seat post.
Sears Bike 1
Sears Bike 2
It's easy to spot by the decal on the frame below the seat post.
Monday, August 24, 2009
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 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:
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
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 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.
Friday, July 31, 2009
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)
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)
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