I have to remind myself sometimes that I'm not biking for any greater good. I don't bike to lower my carbon footprint and I don't bike for the environment. I'm not (purposely) easing congestion or going car-free. I bike b/c it's fun, and so I don't go crazy sitting in a car stuck in rush hour traffic.
So when someone honks to move me over to the point I'd be jumping parked cars, or when they take the time to roll down their windows and call me an asshole, they're not obstructing some holy crusade I've set myself on. They're just being dicks, and that's what people do. And since I'm not doing anything better, I'm going to start doing what I can to be a dick back. Taking the lane, signaling a left from a block out, getting a slow start to go straight from in front of the right-turn only lane, anything I can think of. There's no bike lane on the high road.
I was really looking forward to getting back on the bike after taking some time off last week. With some shredded sidewalls and single digits temps a break sounded pretty good. But three days in the car convinced me it was time to do some tire shopping. If I had remembered this was what I'd be coming back to, I might have done a little more comparison shopping last weekend.
Current beer-scale: 6.9
1/15/09
no rides = no fun
Alright, no more bitching about winter. After another flat Monday, I've been driving this week. I find it helpful to try and acheive a meditative state while the car is warming up before I'm actually driving. That way, I'm not grinding my teeth as I'm stuck in traffic or see a biker pass me.
I've only seen two bikes the rest of this week, which kind of surprises me. But I'd rather be surprised than overly jealous so hooray scarce bike traffic. My latest flat could probably be contributed to any number of things; the cold, a pinch from the tire, but is probably due to patches of the sidewall being completely shredded. I noticed them while putting in the most recent tube and just hoped they wouldn't have any impact for a few weeks. I got about three rides out of the new tube. The worst part--the dreadful feeling of the tire flatting and hoping against hope it wasn't actually flat. No such luck.
Eventually, I'll replace the tire and try one more time to keep biking. I did realize yesterday that I have less than two months until I'd usually be starting back up anyway, so spring is right around the corner. For now, I'll try to not hate driving.
Current beer-scale: 6.5
I've only seen two bikes the rest of this week, which kind of surprises me. But I'd rather be surprised than overly jealous so hooray scarce bike traffic. My latest flat could probably be contributed to any number of things; the cold, a pinch from the tire, but is probably due to patches of the sidewall being completely shredded. I noticed them while putting in the most recent tube and just hoped they wouldn't have any impact for a few weeks. I got about three rides out of the new tube. The worst part--the dreadful feeling of the tire flatting and hoping against hope it wasn't actually flat. No such luck.
Eventually, I'll replace the tire and try one more time to keep biking. I did realize yesterday that I have less than two months until I'd usually be starting back up anyway, so spring is right around the corner. For now, I'll try to not hate driving.
Current beer-scale: 6.5
1/7/09
back to basics
Christ almighty. Who would have thought if you ride a bike with parts that are designed specifically to be used on a bike that size, it rides like an actual bike? I never knew.
Considering a re-slimed tube that was too big for the tire I was using lasted for as long as it did I really couldn't complain. It was dumb to not have an extra that would actually fit but that's fixed now so who cares. Honestly I thought the two things wrong with that situation, the slime and the size, would negate each other. And maybe the fact it lasted as long as it did means they were.
So for the rest of the winter let it snow. I'm ready to rock.
Current beer-scale: 7.7
Considering a re-slimed tube that was too big for the tire I was using lasted for as long as it did I really couldn't complain. It was dumb to not have an extra that would actually fit but that's fixed now so who cares. Honestly I thought the two things wrong with that situation, the slime and the size, would negate each other. And maybe the fact it lasted as long as it did means they were.
So for the rest of the winter let it snow. I'm ready to rock.
Current beer-scale: 7.7
1/6/09
No, the dog did not get a hold of some newspaper while I was at work today. I rode home on newspaper, b/c I am a retard and didn't have a spare tube with me. It worked well enough. I wouldn't recommend it but I got home.After a quick walk I was ready to yet again replace a tube. Awesome. I'm getting awfully sick of the bike on it's saddle.
Current beer-scale: 6.4
Is it usually this obvious when the universe is trying to tell you not to do something? Almost geting run over is one thing, and something commuters really have to kind of build an immunity to. But almost getting run over, and swerving to avoid it only to go over a HUGE pothole, which results in one more tube down the drain--that's got to be a sign, right?
I wonder what kind of sign getting a helmet hurled through your windshield would be.
That's as much insight as I'm willing to get from this morning. I have a hard enough time warding off the "it's-winter-I-wish-I-was-dead-or-if-not-me-almost-everyone-else" blues without an additional daily case of road rage. Rage being the optimal word. I can ride home on a flat tire. I can put one more fucking tube on. And I can get up tomorrow and bike again. Why?
Because fuck you, that's why.
Current beer-scale: Fucking high.
I wonder what kind of sign getting a helmet hurled through your windshield would be.
That's as much insight as I'm willing to get from this morning. I have a hard enough time warding off the "it's-winter-I-wish-I-was-dead-or-if-not-me-almost-everyone-else" blues without an additional daily case of road rage. Rage being the optimal word. I can ride home on a flat tire. I can put one more fucking tube on. And I can get up tomorrow and bike again. Why?
Because fuck you, that's why.
Current beer-scale: Fucking high.
1/5/09
aw crap.
A deceptively cold 37 degrees yesterday morning had me out without a full facemask, a mistake I did not make today. One of the few things in life I am optimistic about is winter weather not lasting as long as it does, and when I see temps practically in the 40's I want to believe it actually feels like that outside. Not so.
Today it was back to layers 3 and 4, and even though my mustache was freezing while I was out with the dog the ride wasn't unbearable. For a split second today, the car was a distinct temptation. But turning the mileage count back to zero for the year took care of that.
The hardest part so far this week has been getting back to the normal grind. Even though I still worked most of last week, with the wife on vacation I could sleep in an extra hour and just start the day on the bike. With the sun out that's a pleasant enough way to start the day. Now, it's back to waking up in the dark and heading out with the dog on foot. Slightly less fun.
At least there's whiskey. There's always whiskey.
Current beer-scale: 7.7 (obviously, converted from the whiskey-scale)
Today it was back to layers 3 and 4, and even though my mustache was freezing while I was out with the dog the ride wasn't unbearable. For a split second today, the car was a distinct temptation. But turning the mileage count back to zero for the year took care of that.
The hardest part so far this week has been getting back to the normal grind. Even though I still worked most of last week, with the wife on vacation I could sleep in an extra hour and just start the day on the bike. With the sun out that's a pleasant enough way to start the day. Now, it's back to waking up in the dark and heading out with the dog on foot. Slightly less fun.
At least there's whiskey. There's always whiskey.
Current beer-scale: 7.7 (obviously, converted from the whiskey-scale)
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