Week 18 (March 23 - 27)

Monday - car (single occupant)
Tuesday - car (single occupant)
Wednesday - car (single occupant)
Thursday - car (single occupant)
Friday - car (single occupant)

The last week of busy season, and I wasn't able to (cue Kenny Loggins track) keep the fire burning (fade out). I was a little disappointed, but as I look back on the past several months I must say that I ended up logging (no pun intended) more winter miles than I would have imagined just a year ago.

On a positive note, I did ride to get my license renewed in St Paul on Saturday, and then to the Hopkins/Minnetonka area to pick up a few things for our Feijoada party that night. The license renewal station was a stone's throw from the Capitol, and I rode back across St. Paul, over the river to the eastern edge of Minneapolis and across its mid-section on the Midtown Greenway, past the lakes and into the first ring of the western suburbs. I ended just shy of 40 miles round trip and felt good about my overall bicycle usage for the week. It was the first relatively long ride of the year, so my knee required some icing. (Or perhaps that was just the old age and decrepitude settling into these 30 year-old bones)

In other news, the mountain bike is still on blocks in the front yard (figuratively speaking) as I didn't pull the trigger on street tires for it yet. We'll see what this week brings and whether or not it emerges from the basement with new life, and if the weather cooperates for some bike commutes to the office.

Week 17 (March 16 - 21)

Monday - Car (single occupant)
Tuesday - Car (single occupant)
Wednesday - Car & Bicycle (AM Carpool)
Thursday - Car (single occupant)
Friday - Car (single occupant)
Saturday - Bicycle

I discovered this week that the aforementioned 5 speed is actually a 6 speed, and despite my attempts at preparing it for transit service, it remains in the basement on a bike stand. The replacement derailleur turned out to be bent, and when I purchased another one I realized I didn't have the right tools for the job. I'm still trying to get it up and running, but I have no idea how long it might take before it's operational.

Monday was easily the best weather day we've experienced in 2009, and it was a shame it occurred on the first day of fieldwork at a new client site. I had to bring some external binders and workpapers which wouldn't have been fun to drag along on a bike.

Tuesday would have been a decent day to ride but I didn't have a bike ready to go. Obviously the 6 speed was hamstrung, and the Raleigh mountain bike I've been riding all winter has a rusted chain that could snap at any minute. I figured it would succumb to Murphy's Law on my inbound commute Tuesday morning, so I held off. My other bike (Long-Haul Trucker) had a flat that I didn't get around to fixing until Saturday, so that was a no-go too.

I realized mid-week that I was in danger of recording zero bicycle commutes, but Pati graciously drove me to the client site on her way to work so I could ride home on the Raleigh. I cringed at every squeak and squawk of the chain, but thankfully, it stayed intact, and even endured a round trip commute to the office on Saturday.

Two final notes:
1. After the abuse that the Raleigh has endured this winter it's time to throw it onto the stand and give it a good scrubbing. I've also decided that due to its meritorious service these past months, it would be appropriate to reward it with a fitting moniker, and perhaps even a christening service of some kind. I'm hoping for some reader suggestions and input, so stay tuned for future posts.

2. Bike Walk Week is fast approaching and I'm mulling over the idea of getting a team together at work. Perhaps we could have a whole slew of Cycling Public Accountants rolling into the office on Thursday, May 14 for Twin Cities Bike/Walk to Work Day.

Week 16 (March 9 - 13)

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

I have to admit that if I had gotten a better start to the week, the past five days could have been more productive for bicycle commuting. But there were two significant obstructions to my plans this week: daylight saving time and crazy Minnesota winters.

I found it especially difficult to get up and going each day, and actually had a cup of coffee each day this week. Then, by the time I was settling into a mid-week groove for my morning routine, the temps plummeted to a low of -3 on Thursday morning. Thankfully it warmed up on Friday to avoid a goose egg for the commuting week.

Since I didn't feel like I got on the bike enough this week, I've decided to make this a car-free weekend. It makes it easier since Pati is in Des Moines (Ivy, enjoy my wife!) and I don't have to try to convince her to ride along. I rode to St. Louis Park for a haircut, then came back through to the office downtown, simulating my old commute on the Cedar Lake trail before closing the loop going home, netting just under 20 miles.

I really miss that commute. Scenic, natural vistas of Cedar Lake and paths through the prairie sure beats the urban industrial wasteland along the Hiawatha LRT line.

I've got three weeks left until the official end of busy season, and the next two weeks at a client site is another significant challenge. The route there looks to be similar to my current commute, and if I am able to get the 5 speed up and going, I might shoot for riding in my accountant attire on Tuesday, which looks to top out at 55 degrees.

If that doesn't work, I could probably go multi-modal and ride the bus in with a commute home to keep the streak alive.

Finally, here's a shout-out to Erin in KC. I've gotta say I'm jealous of your forecast as it looks like you'll be hitting mid-70s this week, so enjoy it while you've got it.

Week 15 (March 2 - March 7)

The streak continues:

Monday - Bicycle
Tuesday - Bicycle
Wednesday - Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Thurdsday - Car & LRT (AM Carpool)
Friday - Bicycle
Saturday - Bicycle

This week was a great rebound from the prior, and it got me excited about the transition to spring. Hopefully this will lead to a much higher percentage of bicycle commutes than the past few months have allowed for.

Friday's temperatures warmed up enough that I was able to shed a layer of clothing, and still ride home comfortably, which got me thinking about cycling duds. I really don't enjoy sporting the urban ninja look (balaclava, bright yellow cycling jacket, wind pants, etc), but at this point I'm not sure how else to stay warm, dry, and safe on my winter commute.

My plan for spring/summer/fall is to tune-up my 5-speed and use it as my primary commuter bike, with the hope of riding in my normal accountant costume instead of being forced to bring a change of clothes. I think the 5-speed has enough range for me to ride comfortably and step from the bicycle to the office without giving rise to an unkempt look. They do it all the time in Copenhagen and Amsterdam, right?

In other news, I was excited to see the first comment come through on this blog (thanks Jenna!), and it got me wondering how I might be able to stimulate some discussion. None of my bikes have proper names, so perhaps I could post pics and have a call for suggestions...

Week 14 (February 23-27)

The summary:

Monday - Car (single occupant)
Tuesday - Car & LRT (AM carpool)
Wednesday - Bicycle
Thursday - Car (AM & PM carpool)
Friday - Car (single occupant)

The excuses:

Monday - had to drive to client site in St. Louis Park again, didn't feel like toting the laptop there and back.
Tuesday - Too tired to get my gear ready and get up early.
Wednesday - Success!
Thursday - A ton of snow was forecasted and actually arrived on Thursday. Getting through 4-6 inches without the studded tires wasn't the challenge I was looking for this week.
Friday - see Monday

The week wasn't a total failure. I logged a bicycle commute for the seventh straight week, and my fears of a disastrous rush-hour drive home on Friday didn't materialize. Having to even think about traffic is one of the aspects of being an Iowa boy living in Minneapolis that I'm still not used to. But other than a slight bottleneck at 394 and 100, everything flowed smoothly, and I got home without an angry heart.

Week 13 (February 16-20)

Monday - Car (single occupant)
Tuesday - Bicycle
Wednesday - Car (single occupant)
Thursday - Car (single occupant)
Friday - Bicycle

In my jubilation to announce the discovery of the conference room shower last week, I failed to describe the ride home. It was great to breathe in fresh early evening air, but since I had work to do over the weekend I used a backpack to bring home my laptop.

I wasn't excited about the prospect of starting off the week with 7 lbs strapped to my back, so I opted for the two ton death trap instead, deferring my commuting joy for a day. I awoke with a smile on Tuesday, packed up my gear, and pedaled off, excited to cover new ground by cycling to a client site for once. It didn't matter how hard I pushed or how much I sweat since a shower awaited me at the workplace.

The shower stall had been used as a repository for the Company's beverage supplies, but with permission from the client, I moved about five cases of cans to the kitchenette. After lifting the last 12 pack of Diet Pepsi, I gazed dumbstruck at the permanently sealed plug in the shower drain. My facial expression likely remained unchanged for a good five minutes, though in times of intense trauma it becomes difficult to measure the elapsed periods of time.

Finally, the shock wore off and I realized that I had previously cleansed myself with far fewer resources (i.e., Mexico). In 15 minutes I emerged from the conference room, not quite a new man, but adequately refreshed for the day's work.

Since my return trip home was after daylight hours and I didn't feel like getting robbed on the Greenway, I decided to ride on-street for most of the way home. There was slight rain and fog, but my fenders kept me dry. It was actually nice to breeze past a drizzly Lake Calhoun, and the traffic on Lake Street was light enough for a relatively peaceful ride.

All things considered, Tuesday's experience wasn't terribly deflating and it didn't keep me from a round-trip bicycle commute on Friday. I had established an informal goal of riding two days during the week, and I was happy to have reached it. The prospect of riding any days to this client site had appeared extremely remote just two weeks before, so I considered the experience a glaring success.

The next three weeks of my schedule have me booked downtown, so my plan is to ride at least 2-3 times a week.

Week 12 (February 9-14)

Monday - Car (single occupant)
Tuesday - Car (single occupant)
Wednesday - Car (single occupant)
Thursday - Car (single occupant)
Friday - Car & Bicycle

After four depressing days of being a regular working stiff driving himself to work, a glimmer of hope shone through today. Four late nights of work coupled with what would be a longer commute (4 miles into downtown vs. a 10 mile ride across town) kept me from entertaining any thoughts of commuting to work. Plus my connection for a morning shower fell through. By Thursday, my head was throbbing from a constant surge of adrenaline, and I decided that nothing would remedy the situation like biking home from work. I proposed a plan to my wife, she consented, and Friday was glorious. Here's what happened:

Alarm goes off, 6:30 sharp.

I'm exhausted, but I remember:

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.

Guess I won't hit the snooze button today.

Pati and I threw my laptop in the car, mounted the rack and the bike, and off we drove to our old stomping grounds for a Friday morning coffee date, close to the client site. (They're usually on Saturday, but since friends are in town this weekend we thought we'd mix it up). The coffee and muffin were decent, but the company was fantastic.

My morning coffee buzz kept me going strong through early afternoon, and the rest of the day was a blur, but a good kind of blur. A few hours before quitting time, I asked our client contact if they had a larger bathroom that I could change in for the ride home. His reply almost made me weep for joy: their conference room has a kitchenette and shower attached to it.

I don't need to know, don't care why in the world this company has a shower in their conference room. All that matters is that it is at my disposal for the next week.

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning. (And sometimes in the afternoon)