What? Two days in a row? What's gotten into me?
Other than moonshine, just the usual bullshit of putting up with jerks while commuting. Here's a tip, sunshine, if you don't want people to hop on your back wheel, pass with a little more distance and don't cut someone off. I know I hopped on, I did it solely to bug you. The fact that it seemed to work convinced me to keep doing it. Learn some fucking manner dipshit.
Current beer-scale: 5.9 and Friday moonshine a'coming.
Showing posts with label bad biking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bad biking. Show all posts
10/18/13
3/18/13
black slush
Ugh. Never a good sign when you get to work and clumps of black slush are falling off your frame in all kinds of places. Not a good day to have forgotten to grab my clean-up rag on the way out.
Oh well. Yes it's freezing, icy, and wet, but fuck it, last week was my first 5-days ridden of the week and this will be the second. Just hurry up and make it spring already.
Current beer-scale: a 7-point-I-fucking-hate-Monday-morning-9.
Oh well. Yes it's freezing, icy, and wet, but fuck it, last week was my first 5-days ridden of the week and this will be the second. Just hurry up and make it spring already.
Current beer-scale: a 7-point-I-fucking-hate-Monday-morning-9.
10/9/12
Right back at'cha chief
Ugh.
That was a brutal ride home. Started with getting cursed at by some old fart in a BMW for taking up his road space on State street, ended with nearly getting clipped by some chunky soccer mom pulling away from the curb without looking two blocks before home. Good times.
At least I was able to track down a random UPS guy who was able to confirm the truck with the package that couldn't be delivered earlier today was just down the street and would give me five minutes to run over and sign for it.
And it was totally worth it, b/c the package was a pair of levis for the baby.
How cute are they?! So glad I could actually get them since our buzzer is broken and who knows when that'll get fixed. But that, coupled with a smiley baby and some picture day proofs, was more than enough to make a bad commute fade away.
Current beer-scale: 8.4
That was a brutal ride home. Started with getting cursed at by some old fart in a BMW for taking up his road space on State street, ended with nearly getting clipped by some chunky soccer mom pulling away from the curb without looking two blocks before home. Good times.
At least I was able to track down a random UPS guy who was able to confirm the truck with the package that couldn't be delivered earlier today was just down the street and would give me five minutes to run over and sign for it.
And it was totally worth it, b/c the package was a pair of levis for the baby.
Current beer-scale: 8.4
6/15/12
I (almost) see dead people
Pardon the 10-year old reference, but I thought I was going to see someone die yesterday on the way home. The Montrose intersection of the path is not the time to prove how fast you are. People heading to the dog beach at the end of a long work week or leaving the park before it gets too crowded don't give a shit that you're that much faster than everyone else. They don't like cyclists, and they especially don't like to stop.
Take it easy and make sure you're around to do the same thing tomorrow. Yikes.
Current beer-scale: 8.2
Take it easy and make sure you're around to do the same thing tomorrow. Yikes.
Current beer-scale: 8.2
5/3/12
To my fellow commuters/cyclists/travellers/humans
whatever you want to call yourselves.
Pointing to a stop sign and yelling at cars while you blow through the very same stop sign on your bike kind of defeats the point. Your argument is outweighed by your idiocy. Slow/calm the fuck down and maybe things will seem a little better.
Asshat.
Current beer-scale: 8.7
Pointing to a stop sign and yelling at cars while you blow through the very same stop sign on your bike kind of defeats the point. Your argument is outweighed by your idiocy. Slow/calm the fuck down and maybe things will seem a little better.
Asshat.
Current beer-scale: 8.7
3/28/12
of course
While I wait to hear a response from Trek regarding my busted frame, of course I have chain issues with the tank on the way to work. And of course my wrench apparently did not make it back into my bag after I used it last, which meant a lot of stopping to slop the chain back on and bang the wheel back to a straight position. Good times.
Amidst this crap-tacular ride I had a moment of clarity. I realized how much sharper I felt I had to stay riding down Lincoln versus the path and how much less I enjoyed the commute that way. Spending a morning feeling like the slightest lapse in concentration could result in my getting splattered by someone driving their Range Rover with their phone stuck to their face put me in a lousy mood.
But sooner or later I'm going to get a break for a few weeks, as the wife was slightly dilated at her last doctor's appointment. The baby seems to be getting ready to make his debut, and the thought of that both excites and terrifies me way more than anything I'm encountering during a lousy bike commute.
Current beer-scale: 7.8
Amidst this crap-tacular ride I had a moment of clarity. I realized how much sharper I felt I had to stay riding down Lincoln versus the path and how much less I enjoyed the commute that way. Spending a morning feeling like the slightest lapse in concentration could result in my getting splattered by someone driving their Range Rover with their phone stuck to their face put me in a lousy mood.
But sooner or later I'm going to get a break for a few weeks, as the wife was slightly dilated at her last doctor's appointment. The baby seems to be getting ready to make his debut, and the thought of that both excites and terrifies me way more than anything I'm encountering during a lousy bike commute.
Current beer-scale: 7.8
2/20/12
dammit
After getting through my huge to-do list last weekend, I found myself not enjoying having time to sit around yesterday. So I made some DIY pedal straps for the raleigh and tried them out this morning. Oops.
The right pedal ended up coming loosing, striping the crank arm. I walked the last 2 miles in and now my $5 project will end up costing me $120+ to replace the cranks. Fan-fucking-tastic. Just how I wanted to start a day that I have to stay late for.
Current beer-scale: 8.9
The right pedal ended up coming loosing, striping the crank arm. I walked the last 2 miles in and now my $5 project will end up costing me $120+ to replace the cranks. Fan-fucking-tastic. Just how I wanted to start a day that I have to stay late for.
Current beer-scale: 8.9
2/10/12
See? Spoiled.
Well that sucked. An extra half hour to get home, coated in snow.
Time to drink.
Current beer-scale: 6.6
2/8/12
Down I go
Leave it to me to find a way to trip myself on a bike.
Nothing too serious this morning but the tank got introduced to the asphalt of Lincoln Ave this morning as I tried to weave my way ahead of a bus. I wasn't paying attention and I kicked the back of the front fender, wobbled, and went down between some cars. It was slow enough that I caught myself and landed pretty lightly. Just had to get up, pick up the bike, and still made it through the light in front of the bus. Ha!
Usually after something like that I'd think about taking a day off the bike but screw it. If I'm working I'm riding.
Current beer-scale: 8.9
Nothing too serious this morning but the tank got introduced to the asphalt of Lincoln Ave this morning as I tried to weave my way ahead of a bus. I wasn't paying attention and I kicked the back of the front fender, wobbled, and went down between some cars. It was slow enough that I caught myself and landed pretty lightly. Just had to get up, pick up the bike, and still made it through the light in front of the bus. Ha!
Usually after something like that I'd think about taking a day off the bike but screw it. If I'm working I'm riding.
Current beer-scale: 8.9
11/6/11
Wow that's ugly
Frankenbike went tits-up last winter. The freewheel went completely free around mid-March, so the Trek came out a few weeks early. Cut to May and getting ready to move, when Frankenbike comes out of the basement and the entire thing has rusted together. The freewheel went from spinning to being so fused it might as well be a fixed cog, both wheels had spokes rusted off, the chain was one long piece of rust, and the front brake had fused into place. Joy.
The summer started with me determined to get the bike into ride-able shape for this winter. The chain and the brake weren't too hard, but the wheels were a challenge. Ultimately it would be cheaper to get a new set versus having a shop rebuild them. But in the research into affordable options, I saw a $99 fixed gear at a big box. Namely, Walmart.
Ew. But that was where Frankenbike had originally come from, and it had lasted about 5 years in truly heinous conditions. If I could get an entire bike for the price of a cheap track wheelset, it might be worth picking up and parting out. So that's exactly what I did yesterday.
Actually we were out in the 'burbs to pick up several other items, including a new comforter for our kick ass bed, dog food for the next few weeks, and a Sam Adams winter brew package (more on that later). So tacking a stop at wally-world wasn't too out of our way. Even better, the closest one claimed this bike was still in stock.
Which it did, even though it took finding a stock-guy and having him grab it from the back. That actually worked out for the best, since that meant the crappy bike was still in it's crappy box. I'm glad we ended up with the Caliber, b/c anything any smaller wouldn't have been able to get everything home last night.
Notice on the top of the box:
What a useful warning. I wonder what prompted them to put that on the box versus other warnings.
Anyway, not a terrible packing job. They did offer to put the thing together for me at the store, but I figured at this point I had more than enough experience dealing with shitty bikes to handle it. So far so good, but there's plenty of little detail work I need to get to before it'll be ready to actually ride.
One such issue:
How the fuck is that supposed to work?
Anyway, the thing is basically together and man does it look ugly. Surprisingly one thing I thought I would immediately change would be the tires, but they're actually in decent shape and might work well for a winter. We'll see. If I can get fenders around them they'll stay.
At least there's still some time before I have to have it ready to ride. It was in the 50's this morning, and even with some rain coming the Trek can handle that. Here's to a nicer fall.
Current beer-scale: 7.7
The summer started with me determined to get the bike into ride-able shape for this winter. The chain and the brake weren't too hard, but the wheels were a challenge. Ultimately it would be cheaper to get a new set versus having a shop rebuild them. But in the research into affordable options, I saw a $99 fixed gear at a big box. Namely, Walmart.Ew. But that was where Frankenbike had originally come from, and it had lasted about 5 years in truly heinous conditions. If I could get an entire bike for the price of a cheap track wheelset, it might be worth picking up and parting out. So that's exactly what I did yesterday.
Actually we were out in the 'burbs to pick up several other items, including a new comforter for our kick ass bed, dog food for the next few weeks, and a Sam Adams winter brew package (more on that later). So tacking a stop at wally-world wasn't too out of our way. Even better, the closest one claimed this bike was still in stock.
Which it did, even though it took finding a stock-guy and having him grab it from the back. That actually worked out for the best, since that meant the crappy bike was still in it's crappy box. I'm glad we ended up with the Caliber, b/c anything any smaller wouldn't have been able to get everything home last night.
Notice on the top of the box:
What a useful warning. I wonder what prompted them to put that on the box versus other warnings.
Anyway, not a terrible packing job. They did offer to put the thing together for me at the store, but I figured at this point I had more than enough experience dealing with shitty bikes to handle it. So far so good, but there's plenty of little detail work I need to get to before it'll be ready to actually ride.One such issue:
How the fuck is that supposed to work?Anyway, the thing is basically together and man does it look ugly. Surprisingly one thing I thought I would immediately change would be the tires, but they're actually in decent shape and might work well for a winter. We'll see. If I can get fenders around them they'll stay.
At least there's still some time before I have to have it ready to ride. It was in the 50's this morning, and even with some rain coming the Trek can handle that. Here's to a nicer fall.Current beer-scale: 7.7
10/27/11
STOP!
Whew! When I got home last night I clipped my ankle with the back axle as I was stepping off the bike. Very graceful. It hit hard enough to knock the wheel loose thanks to the quick release not being very tight (evidently I've been slacking as a responsible bike commuter). It wasn't a huge deal since I was already home but it did make me take a close look at the rear brake pads, which were in pretty terrible shape.
Evidently I've really been slacking as a responsible bike commuter.
Evidently I've really been slacking as a responsible bike commuter.Yikes. Hard to believe I was able to stop at all for who knows how long. Thankfully I took a mental health day today and have spare pads all over the place, including the winter bike that keeps getting torn more and more down. So the Trek can stop again, but I'm to the point where I'm tempted to just buy another cheap yet complete bike-shaped-object over re-building frankenbike. Again, maybe not the most responsible approach but definitely the most affordable.
Current beer-scale: 8.9 and I'm home for a weekday, break out the rye!
8/25/11
triathalon time
Ah, so that's why there seem to be more spandex out there than usual hunched over aero-bars. That makes sense.
It's worth it, it's still too nice out to start wishing it was fall.
Current beer-scale: 4.9
It's worth it, it's still too nice out to start wishing it was fall.
Current beer-scale: 4.9
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