Biked to Work

I biked to work today. I couldn't pass up an 80 degree day. Tomorrow is bike to work day. I am not working but I plan on doing a lot of fun miles.

Another Trike Day

With winds up to 18 mph I thought it would be another good day for the trike.  I jumped on my bike early for a scheduled haircut. After that I was off to enjoy the ride. The first 20 miles was into the wind and slow going. I was not sure how many miles I wanted to do so I took the wait and see approach. The next 10 miles seemed like I was in the eye of the storm. Bright, clear, sunshiny skies and the wind was gone. I was feeling good and adding the miles. The last 10 miles light showers followed me home. A good 45 mile day.

I Got Published Again

http://bikeovernights.org/post/pine-creek-trail-pennsylvania

2 or 3 Wheels

My favorite ride of late is my Stratus. I have neglected both the Greenway and ICE T. GOBA is coming up next month and I am undecided whether to take 2 or 3 wheels. With that in mind it seemed like a good day to get reacquainted with my ICE T. Whenever I get back on an old ride it immediately feels strange, but after 5-10 miles all things are right again. Today's 40 mile ride on this 50 degree blustery day felt more like Fall than Spring but that is another story. The fairing on this bike is perfect for such weather. It helps with head winds, is not affected by cross winds and offers superior protection from cold and rain. A good thing when you consider Ohio's weather. They say, If you don't like it just wait 5 minutes. Another great benefit is having a comfortable chair to sit in after the ride at tent city or at the towns events. It also provides a stable platform for taking pictures while riding. The Stratus is faster and extremely comfortable on long tours. GOBA is a pretty laid back tour with only 50 mile days and relatively flat. You can't help but get up early as the tent zippers start flying at 4 am. You get back early enough so why rush. I don't mind the longer shower lines. I meet some of the nicest people there. I have taken the Stratus and ICE T on GOBA in years past. Both are great rides. Whatever I decide, it will surely be a great trip.

Work Gets In The Way

Yesterday I had a couple of major Spring projects to complete which require a nice day, so cycling was out. My plan was to hire some help but, it seems that Day Laborers now have a minimum of $80/day.  I only needed someone for 4 hrs and $20/hr was not going to happen. On top of that, hand washing a vehicle is not in their job description. I guess landscaping or nothing at all. Fortunately my son came over to help with the heavy stuff. I finished my projects just before dinner and I was tired. As sore as I was this morning, I was not to sore to ride. Knowing that the next few days call for rain I was determined to get a good day's ride in. I managed a wonderful 50 miles on this beautiful day.

Day's Past

Today was reminiscent of what I use to call my "Bike Weekend". The first weekend in May was set aside for 2 cycling events. Saturday I would do a century ride with my old cycling buddies on Central Jersey Bike Club's Farmlands Event. It is the club's big annual ride that draws in 500-1,000 riders from the tri-state are. Then Sunday I would do the NYC 5 Boro Bicycle Tour. This is a must do and draws in 35,000 cyclists from all over the country. I know longer ride the Farmlands. My cycling buddies have since moved on, I no longer ride centuries and I see no reason to spend money to ride on roads I ride every day for free Gatorade and granola.  Since 911 heightened security and added restraints has made the NYC 5 Boro Tour more hassle than it's worth. I have done the 5 Boro more than a dozen times. I am fortunate to have shared a few of those rides with my children. An experience we will always remember. I will forego tomorrows ride in favor of celebrating the 5th birthday of my grandson Jesse.  I did not ride my century or metric but I am pleased with my 58 mile ride on this spectacular day. I am very happy for the people enjoying these 2 great events on such beautiful days.

Commute

Today was my first commute of the season. I left my home at 5:30 am. Sunrise was 5:54. Temps were in the mid 40's and it was cold. I managed fine in my short sleeve shirt, windbreaker and knickers, but my hands were quite cold. Full fingered gloves would have been better. Even my face felt a bit frostbitten. All things considered it was a nice ride but the 70 degree ride home was even better. Looking forward to more.

Dawn

5 miles on the Henry Hudson Trail

Parked for 8 hours.