Tuesday, 28 February 2012
Finally today I broke out of my cycle of breakfast-computer-lunch-computer-dinner-computer work to find a quick replacement for working at Kodak. The replacement was only for an hour-long ride along the Creekside Trail, but it served to break the monotony I had set up since leaving Kodak on February 20. It was a monotony tinged with depression, though I haven't felt depressed.
I know that it's for the best to be out of the work environment at Kodak. First, the atmosphere was toxic and every opportunity was taken to tear down my confidence as a writer. Second, the technologies in use to write documents were solidified and not forward-looking. Third, opportunity for advancement was absent. Fourth, the company's continuing failure to succeed meant that wages were stagnant, and I had taken a financial hit of almost 18% over five years.
I needed this kick in the pants. For some four years, I asserted that I should move out of Kodak. But never did I take resolute steps to do so. At first, in 2008, I was busy guiding the implementation of single-source writing. That program proved its viability by using a single set of files to support three parallel but separate products. But after two years, the progress was pulled back to traditional processes, and another team lead was chosen to do this. It took two years to reset the single-source files into three separate and independent books. Now I've been let go, once the status quo has been re-established. And I now have two months of salary without a requirement to work at the office. I use every moment for developing prospects for my next work situation.
Now perhaps I've come to a point where I can pull back a bit on the focused searching. I have resumés placed with many temp agencies and contracted services. I have search profiles set up with an array of job search engines. I have initial contacts with a network of professionals in the area. Perhaps the next major step will be to set up a similar framework for a possible job in the area around Palm Springs ...just in case. But for now, after ten days away from commuting by bike, I have both time and weather in my favor.
And I took the same route that I have as a commuter, down to the Miami River Bikeway, up the Mad River, and south on the Creekside Trail. But a change: I realize that I've reached the extent of a half-ride at Airway Boulevard, and I turn around to head home. With the turnaround, I head back to work ... at home.
Ride conditions
Temperature: 49 to 55°F at 15:00
Precipitation: none
Winds: 5 to 10 mph from the southeast
Clothing: Skinsuit, longsleeve undershirt, ankle socks, open-finger gloves
Bike: Trek 850 27x30-48x12 hybrid
Time: 00:57:07 for
13.80 miles
Heart rate: 130 bpm HRave, 150 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 2 cyclists, 1 pedestrian
Playback of the ride
28 February 2012
20 February 2012
Decisions were made
Monday, 20 February 2012
So the axe has fallen. Eight members of the Engineering Services department were laid off, and two more have yet to know because of a vacation day or short-term disability. I wish the very best to those who make this sudden change from employment with Eastman Kodak: Kathy B, Mike D, Tom N, Ted R, Tony S, Greg S, and Linh V. Our department manager, Bruce B, has yet to know whether he himself remains at Kodak.
I met with Bruce at 10:00, and after a bit of small talk, Bruce read from a script that Kodak had prepared for him. I interrupted a couple times to clarify a point, but his script was short—and well performed, though Bruce avoided much eye contact. I covered each point I needed to with full composure. I was especially careful not to let out a whoop of joy that I would now have full 8-hour days to pursue another position.
I returned to my desk, took my nameplate off my cube wall, wrote an email to my friends outside of work, and sent out a prepared good-by to many colleagues at work. I looked for several close colleagues to say good-by in person, and closed up the last box of personal belongings that I needed to remove from the office. I was out the door by 11:15, and heading to the gym for an upper-body workout.
On my way home, I stopped at Fricker's just in case some people from Kodak were there for lunch. Only four were, and they suggested meeting at The Pub around 4:30. That doesn't seem now to be a great plan—it's time instead to follow up on search results I had found from Indeed.com.
I don't believe that Eastman Kodak is at the point of thriving. Too much dead wood weighs down the very top of the company, and that includes Antonio Perez, Phil Faraci, and others who share leadership positions and board of director positions. The highest levels of Kodak are incestuous and self-perpetuating in their delusions. Kodak hasn't the nimbleness to find a logical and inventive way out of its backwardness, and Kodak may be now overly downsizing that small component that was to be the company's white knight.
I predict that Kodak will stop making film stock for cinema, that the photo kiosks will become part of history, and that the Kodak Gallery will steadily lose what market share it has now. Kodak's frenzied litigation to uphold its intellectual property rights will dwindle after several rulings against its asserted pain, and the portfolio of 1100 patents will largely not be sold, as their aging complexion loses to the beauty of new ideas As for the Dayton division that designs and builds inkjet, digital-data printing presses, it might have done well on its own, but now the Kodak modus has overtaken what innovation was there.
So the axe has fallen. Eight members of the Engineering Services department were laid off, and two more have yet to know because of a vacation day or short-term disability. I wish the very best to those who make this sudden change from employment with Eastman Kodak: Kathy B, Mike D, Tom N, Ted R, Tony S, Greg S, and Linh V. Our department manager, Bruce B, has yet to know whether he himself remains at Kodak.
I met with Bruce at 10:00, and after a bit of small talk, Bruce read from a script that Kodak had prepared for him. I interrupted a couple times to clarify a point, but his script was short—and well performed, though Bruce avoided much eye contact. I covered each point I needed to with full composure. I was especially careful not to let out a whoop of joy that I would now have full 8-hour days to pursue another position.
I returned to my desk, took my nameplate off my cube wall, wrote an email to my friends outside of work, and sent out a prepared good-by to many colleagues at work. I looked for several close colleagues to say good-by in person, and closed up the last box of personal belongings that I needed to remove from the office. I was out the door by 11:15, and heading to the gym for an upper-body workout.
On my way home, I stopped at Fricker's just in case some people from Kodak were there for lunch. Only four were, and they suggested meeting at The Pub around 4:30. That doesn't seem now to be a great plan—it's time instead to follow up on search results I had found from Indeed.com.
I don't believe that Eastman Kodak is at the point of thriving. Too much dead wood weighs down the very top of the company, and that includes Antonio Perez, Phil Faraci, and others who share leadership positions and board of director positions. The highest levels of Kodak are incestuous and self-perpetuating in their delusions. Kodak hasn't the nimbleness to find a logical and inventive way out of its backwardness, and Kodak may be now overly downsizing that small component that was to be the company's white knight.
I predict that Kodak will stop making film stock for cinema, that the photo kiosks will become part of history, and that the Kodak Gallery will steadily lose what market share it has now. Kodak's frenzied litigation to uphold its intellectual property rights will dwindle after several rulings against its asserted pain, and the portfolio of 1100 patents will largely not be sold, as their aging complexion loses to the beauty of new ideas As for the Dayton division that designs and builds inkjet, digital-data printing presses, it might have done well on its own, but now the Kodak modus has overtaken what innovation was there.
Day of decision
Monnday, 20 February 2012
Yesterday's exercise was a visit to the gym for a leg workout. Though I had aimed to bike to the workout, our friends Russ and Kim called a bit after noon to invite me to join them for dinner. So I cut back my plans: drive to Cardinal Fitness for a workout and use the showers there to prepare for the evening. The leg workout was a careful one, to pay close attention to my right knee that had got injured sometime between last weekend and Saturday's ride at Lagonda Trail. I went through most sets with a 10% reduction in weight and careful attention to alignment of the knees and ankles to hips. After an hour, I knew that any more exercise would be beyond what the knee should be put through.
I returned home to feed Howard and brew a large latte for my drive to Cincinnati. On the drive, I visualized my workday tomorrow, as much as possible. For one thing, I have little control over my meeting with Bruce, my direct supervisor. Bruce emailed his staff Friday that he had a conference room reserved from 7:00 to 11:30 a.m., and that he would call us in alphabetic order for a short meeting. Each of us will be told then whether we are to remain for now with Kodak and participate in the company reorganization or to be laid off. His plan leaves 15 to 20 minutes for each person, and I am near the middle of the list, with seven meetings before mine and eleven after.
Bruce had guessed that the workday would continue for 84% of us, and that the others would process out today. Bruce planned to advising that they should leave to compose themselves and return a day or two later to pack up and say goodby to colleagues. The percentage implies that Bruce will tell three of us that the layoff affects us.
Yesterday's exercise was a visit to the gym for a leg workout. Though I had aimed to bike to the workout, our friends Russ and Kim called a bit after noon to invite me to join them for dinner. So I cut back my plans: drive to Cardinal Fitness for a workout and use the showers there to prepare for the evening. The leg workout was a careful one, to pay close attention to my right knee that had got injured sometime between last weekend and Saturday's ride at Lagonda Trail. I went through most sets with a 10% reduction in weight and careful attention to alignment of the knees and ankles to hips. After an hour, I knew that any more exercise would be beyond what the knee should be put through.
I returned home to feed Howard and brew a large latte for my drive to Cincinnati. On the drive, I visualized my workday tomorrow, as much as possible. For one thing, I have little control over my meeting with Bruce, my direct supervisor. Bruce emailed his staff Friday that he had a conference room reserved from 7:00 to 11:30 a.m., and that he would call us in alphabetic order for a short meeting. Each of us will be told then whether we are to remain for now with Kodak and participate in the company reorganization or to be laid off. His plan leaves 15 to 20 minutes for each person, and I am near the middle of the list, with seven meetings before mine and eleven after.
Bruce had guessed that the workday would continue for 84% of us, and that the others would process out today. Bruce planned to advising that they should leave to compose themselves and return a day or two later to pack up and say goodby to colleagues. The percentage implies that Bruce will tell three of us that the layoff affects us.
If I'm laid off, I want to say, "Of course I feel bad about the news, but I appreciate that the news comes directly from you. I do have a favor to ask you for—that I can receive a good recommendation from you. Especially carefully say I hope that the last year of conflict with Vic can be put aside when you prepare the recommendation. Also be sure to ask Are there any internal jobs that you think are available I can apply for? and ask details on What does Kodak provide for the promised outplacement counseling? and in closing say I hope that you still have your job... and depending on his answer, continue If you are not remaining with the company, what is the best contact information for you? and ask discretely Can you tell me how many in the writing area are being let go? How many are being let go in the engineering services department?"
If I'm not laid off, I want to seem not too disappointed, and say, "So where do we go from here? Do you know which product lines will continue, and whether I'll be shifting from sustaining work on the VL products to development work on the Prosper line?"I've been taking pragmatic steps for a while—packing up boxes and taking them home, archiving documents I produced over the past 20 years, cleaning out the accumulated source material and historical files—since I really expect to be laid off. The last year, or even two years, have been very stressful, and I'll be glad they are history. On my drive home after Kim's wonderful meal, I thought several times, Please, please let me be laid off. How unfortunate it would be to stay! And any later lay-off might have a poorer severance package, since Kodak's problems would have worsened.
18 February 2012
Powder coating and Lagonda Trail
Saturday, 18 February 2012
This morning, I headed off early to Links & Kinks, my most trusted bike shop in the Dayton area, to leave my Lotus Legend for a refinishing. Brian does powder coating, which is a clean process for single-color finishes. A long, long time ago, I sent the same bike to an Indiana company for a beautifully done repaint to a metallic blue as a primary color with a pink forequarter that dripped into the blue. But the pink had faded over the years to whites and several serious chips had allowed a bit of rust to develop at the bottom bracket, chain stays, and downtube. So it's time for a refinish, after about 18 years.
Back in 1984, the refinish had cost over $150, including the breakdown by my local bike shop, shipping, refinishing, and rebuilding. Brian quoted a much lower cost, about half of that cost.
Brian's shop is at the north end of Fairborn, on Broad Street (Highway 444) about a block north of the intersection with Maple Avenue and a quarter mile north of the intersection with Central Avenue (Highway 235). Since I had this errand, I brought my mountain bike with me, and headed on to explore either John Bryan Park outside of Yellow Springs or the LORT (Lagonda Trail off Miracle Mile) in Springfield. John Bryan was closed, and I talked with a park ranger for a short bit, to ask about the trails in Springfield. It turned out he knew only about the paved bikeways, and he told me horror stories about shootings on the path from high vantage points. (Man, I hope that is just his paranoia as a uniformed officer.)
I drove on to Springfield, and found the trail after some unsure driving through town. I took the slowest way possible, off Highway 68 through residential areas to eventually end up on Limestone Street, which I took to connect to Highway 4 just to the east of downtown.
Note: The Lagonda Trail is closed to mountain bikes as of Fall 2012.
I had a hard time finding the parking for the trailhead, as I expected to see well-developed facilities. Hmm, too ready to expect everything is absolutely ready for the crowds of mountain bikers, I guess. The north trailhead needs about $25K from a generous benefactor before it can offer parking, and the south trailhead has room only for a few cars parked closely together.
The trail is suitable for beginner to intermediate riders, though the first 150 yards from the south trailhead offer a sudden jump into the complexities the trail offers a rider. The trail is still in development, though it has come a long way from wilderness, thanks to diligent work from Diana Daniels and others. The trails are discernible with the exception of perhaps 50 feet in the middle of the course. The way is marked very frequently with pink ties around trees on alternating sides of the path. The path is generally free of obstructions, though a few 4- through 8-inch timber cross the path occasionally. All timber is hop-able, and many quick dips and rises make a fun ride without being a huge challenge.
The middle of the course has several flatter sections, particularly as the forest gives way to meadow. Some natural obstacles added in this area could keep the path interesting and form a skills development area. There are two or more natural pools that the trail comes near, and sometimes the trail may be pretty muddy in these sections. So, until the trail becomes more developed, expect not to wear your Sunday Best on the trail ... as if we're afraid of mud!
When I parked, a woman was pulling tools from her Rav4. I asked whether the trails were rideable, and she was emphatic about the need to ride them, even through the soupy spots. She mentioned that she had been working on several stumps, and I asked, "So are you Diana?" Yes, it was the indefatigable Ms. Daniels herself, out again to bring more of the trail into shape.
I'm usually a more timid rider, wary of slipping on wet trails and worried that I might leave ruts. Had I been alone at the trailhead, I would have turned around and waited for a dryer course. But Diana insisted I ride, so my tracks could show her where the better lines were, and how corners can be made crisper or slower. So I encourage you, when other trails around Dayton are closed, go to Lagonda to have some muddy fun.
Ride conditions
Temperature: 43 to 45°F at 12:00 noon
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm
Clothing: Skinsuit, longsleeve undershirt, ankle socks, open-finger gloves
Bike: Mongoose MGX-D40 trail
Time: 00:40:39 for 3.02 miles
Heart rate: 142 bpm HRave, 157 bpm HRmax
Trail users: 1 trail worker
Playback of the ride
This morning, I headed off early to Links & Kinks, my most trusted bike shop in the Dayton area, to leave my Lotus Legend for a refinishing. Brian does powder coating, which is a clean process for single-color finishes. A long, long time ago, I sent the same bike to an Indiana company for a beautifully done repaint to a metallic blue as a primary color with a pink forequarter that dripped into the blue. But the pink had faded over the years to whites and several serious chips had allowed a bit of rust to develop at the bottom bracket, chain stays, and downtube. So it's time for a refinish, after about 18 years.
Back in 1984, the refinish had cost over $150, including the breakdown by my local bike shop, shipping, refinishing, and rebuilding. Brian quoted a much lower cost, about half of that cost.
Brian's shop is at the north end of Fairborn, on Broad Street (Highway 444) about a block north of the intersection with Maple Avenue and a quarter mile north of the intersection with Central Avenue (Highway 235). Since I had this errand, I brought my mountain bike with me, and headed on to explore either John Bryan Park outside of Yellow Springs or the LORT (Lagonda Trail off Miracle Mile) in Springfield. John Bryan was closed, and I talked with a park ranger for a short bit, to ask about the trails in Springfield. It turned out he knew only about the paved bikeways, and he told me horror stories about shootings on the path from high vantage points. (Man, I hope that is just his paranoia as a uniformed officer.)
I drove on to Springfield, and found the trail after some unsure driving through town. I took the slowest way possible, off Highway 68 through residential areas to eventually end up on Limestone Street, which I took to connect to Highway 4 just to the east of downtown.
Note: The Lagonda Trail is closed to mountain bikes as of Fall 2012.
The better way from Yellow Springs is to take Highway 68 north until it becomes a freeway, then take the exit for Ohio 41 and go across town. From Dayton, take I-70 east to the Highway 4-Business I-70 into Springfield, then take Highway 68 north, and the exit for Ohio 41. From this exit, go east as the street becomes West First Street; turn right at a T-intersection with St. Paris Street, and follow this around a turn to the east to become McCreight Avenue, continue on this street at its name change to Mitchell Boulevard, and 3 miles from Highway 68, turn left on Miracle Mile. Take the first left onto a gravel road at a sign for WIZE radio 1520, and park at the out building on the left.
I had a hard time finding the parking for the trailhead, as I expected to see well-developed facilities. Hmm, too ready to expect everything is absolutely ready for the crowds of mountain bikers, I guess. The north trailhead needs about $25K from a generous benefactor before it can offer parking, and the south trailhead has room only for a few cars parked closely together.
The trail is suitable for beginner to intermediate riders, though the first 150 yards from the south trailhead offer a sudden jump into the complexities the trail offers a rider. The trail is still in development, though it has come a long way from wilderness, thanks to diligent work from Diana Daniels and others. The trails are discernible with the exception of perhaps 50 feet in the middle of the course. The way is marked very frequently with pink ties around trees on alternating sides of the path. The path is generally free of obstructions, though a few 4- through 8-inch timber cross the path occasionally. All timber is hop-able, and many quick dips and rises make a fun ride without being a huge challenge.
The middle of the course has several flatter sections, particularly as the forest gives way to meadow. Some natural obstacles added in this area could keep the path interesting and form a skills development area. There are two or more natural pools that the trail comes near, and sometimes the trail may be pretty muddy in these sections. So, until the trail becomes more developed, expect not to wear your Sunday Best on the trail ... as if we're afraid of mud!
 |
| Diana Daniels, indefatigable trail minder |
I'm usually a more timid rider, wary of slipping on wet trails and worried that I might leave ruts. Had I been alone at the trailhead, I would have turned around and waited for a dryer course. But Diana insisted I ride, so my tracks could show her where the better lines were, and how corners can be made crisper or slower. So I encourage you, when other trails around Dayton are closed, go to Lagonda to have some muddy fun.
Ride conditions
Temperature: 43 to 45°F at 12:00 noon
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm
Clothing: Skinsuit, longsleeve undershirt, ankle socks, open-finger gloves
Bike: Mongoose MGX-D40 trail
Time: 00:40:39 for 3.02 miles
Heart rate: 142 bpm HRave, 157 bpm HRmax
Trail users: 1 trail worker
Playback of the ride
17 February 2012
Missed bike-commute day 2012.02 and maybe the last for a while
Friday, 17 February 2012
Today is the second day this year that has good weather to commute by bike. It might be the last opportunity I have to commute to work at Kodak/Dayton.
Near the beginning of February, Kodak announced a 16% reduction in its Dayton division. This followed the long-expected filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection that occurred in January. Within a week of the layoff announcement, eight colleagues in the technical writing area were released from their contracts. The billings for their contracted services had not been paid for at least 60 days, and our department manager had continued to bill their services to a purchase order that he had written and his management chain had approved sometime before the filing for bankruptcy. Though another purchase order was opened after the filing date, its approval was in question, and the contracted workers had to leave...
Now comes the turn for direct employees to ease pressures on the bottom line. Each employee will be told on Monday, 20 February if the layoff includes her or him.
As a matter of pragmatism, I've been preparing myself for no longer working at Kodak. The layoff affects one employee in every six, and at least the first-line managers are also subject to the cut. My boss joked about the possibility of finding out first-thing Monday morning that he is being laid off and then in turn needing to tell 3 to 6 of his reports that they are laid off too. So I plan to drive to work Monday, expecting to carry home the personal articles in my cube and in my locker in the company gym.
That left today as perhaps my last day to commute to work at Kodak.
At home I was suiting up at 7:20 as the fingers of rosy dawn spread across the sky. Then the zipper to my skinsuit stuck. I pulled it down, then up: still stuck. With a couple repeats, the zipper pulled through the hitch. But as the zipper reached the neck, the whole thing split open, with the zipper housing stuck at my adam's apple. I don't know why I didn't just decide to cover the gaping front with another layer, with duct tape even. But instead I fixated on replacing the skinsuit with another and spent several minutes trying to squeeze my head through the neck opening, then slip the top off my shoulders, and then pull the skinsuit down to my hips and off my legs.
Too much time. I realized that leaving even by 7:40 would leave too little time for working through the day. (Why would I care about this, if I really am to be laid off on Monday? Either a sign of optimism or of duty. So what are they gonna do? Fire me?) So I finished getting down to skin, took a long shower that included a leg shave, and headed out the door to perhaps my last full day of work at Kodak.
The mood of ennui, of pointlessness, of fatality pervades the Dayton offices. The ship runs rudderless, the General Manager has stated that all products are under scrutiny, and that some will continue. We work without motive, though the need for continuing work is clear, if the company is to succeed. Until the workforce is culled, product lines cut, and management reorganized, no work seems to have real meaning. But decision has been lacking for a month, and no one looks forward to whatever the result may be. Resignation rules in the wheelhouse, where the Captain and his First Mate should be. Instead, they are holding yet another press conference to utter platitudes: "Business as usual!" and "It is what it is!"
But I do look forward, in a few weeks, to a different destination for my commute. In the meantime, I'll update here for my progress in finding a refreshed bike-commute to a new workplace.
See my resumé.
News Flash! Loop Detectors Sense Your Bike
Ride conditions-for planning
Temperature: 27 to 33°F at 06:45
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm to 5 mph from the southwest
Clothing: Skinsuit, longsleeve undershirt, ankle socks, quilted tights, light jacket, quilted full-finger gloves
Bike: Trek 850 27x30-48x12 hybrid
Time: no time for 11.95 miles
Heart rate: no data HR
Bikeway users: no data
Today is the second day this year that has good weather to commute by bike. It might be the last opportunity I have to commute to work at Kodak/Dayton.
Near the beginning of February, Kodak announced a 16% reduction in its Dayton division. This followed the long-expected filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection that occurred in January. Within a week of the layoff announcement, eight colleagues in the technical writing area were released from their contracts. The billings for their contracted services had not been paid for at least 60 days, and our department manager had continued to bill their services to a purchase order that he had written and his management chain had approved sometime before the filing for bankruptcy. Though another purchase order was opened after the filing date, its approval was in question, and the contracted workers had to leave...
precipitously... When management became aware of the issues with the purchase orders, the decision came down to end the contracted work that same day.
...and with a built-in cliff-hanger. Because a new purchase order awaited approval, the contracted workers were told that they could be called back at any time, but they should feel free to take another job, if one comes available.
Now comes the turn for direct employees to ease pressures on the bottom line. Each employee will be told on Monday, 20 February if the layoff includes her or him.
As a matter of pragmatism, I've been preparing myself for no longer working at Kodak. The layoff affects one employee in every six, and at least the first-line managers are also subject to the cut. My boss joked about the possibility of finding out first-thing Monday morning that he is being laid off and then in turn needing to tell 3 to 6 of his reports that they are laid off too. So I plan to drive to work Monday, expecting to carry home the personal articles in my cube and in my locker in the company gym.
That left today as perhaps my last day to commute to work at Kodak.
At home I was suiting up at 7:20 as the fingers of rosy dawn spread across the sky. Then the zipper to my skinsuit stuck. I pulled it down, then up: still stuck. With a couple repeats, the zipper pulled through the hitch. But as the zipper reached the neck, the whole thing split open, with the zipper housing stuck at my adam's apple. I don't know why I didn't just decide to cover the gaping front with another layer, with duct tape even. But instead I fixated on replacing the skinsuit with another and spent several minutes trying to squeeze my head through the neck opening, then slip the top off my shoulders, and then pull the skinsuit down to my hips and off my legs.
Too much time. I realized that leaving even by 7:40 would leave too little time for working through the day. (Why would I care about this, if I really am to be laid off on Monday? Either a sign of optimism or of duty. So what are they gonna do? Fire me?) So I finished getting down to skin, took a long shower that included a leg shave, and headed out the door to perhaps my last full day of work at Kodak.
The mood of ennui, of pointlessness, of fatality pervades the Dayton offices. The ship runs rudderless, the General Manager has stated that all products are under scrutiny, and that some will continue. We work without motive, though the need for continuing work is clear, if the company is to succeed. Until the workforce is culled, product lines cut, and management reorganized, no work seems to have real meaning. But decision has been lacking for a month, and no one looks forward to whatever the result may be. Resignation rules in the wheelhouse, where the Captain and his First Mate should be. Instead, they are holding yet another press conference to utter platitudes: "Business as usual!" and "It is what it is!"
But I do look forward, in a few weeks, to a different destination for my commute. In the meantime, I'll update here for my progress in finding a refreshed bike-commute to a new workplace.
See my resumé.
News Flash! Loop Detectors Sense Your Bike
Ride conditions-for planning
Temperature: 27 to 33°F at 06:45
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm to 5 mph from the southwest
Clothing: Skinsuit, longsleeve undershirt, ankle socks, quilted tights, light jacket, quilted full-finger gloves
Bike: Trek 850 27x30-48x12 hybrid
Time: no time for 11.95 miles
Heart rate: no data HR
Bikeway users: no data
15 February 2012
Commute home, first day 2012
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
A heavy overcast rolled in through the afternoon, and light rain was moving into Cincinnati. Forecasting from the radar animations, I thought Rain may miss the Dayton area even perhaps through the evening and night. No matter the weather, though; I need to leave work exactly at the final moment to be home before sunset.
So I headed from my cube at 5:30, changed in the locker room, and was on my bike by 5:40. I had misjudged the radar indications though. I felt isolated drops throughout the ride. Starting with a drop on the face about every tenth mile, and ending with a few every minute. The road stayed dry through the entire route, and I made it home still dry.
When I brought my bike up the porch steps, twilight had overtaken daylight. I welcome the rain that may come tonight and tomorrow, and the day or two without a bike-commute. The day's length will grow a few precious minutes before I commute by bike again..
Ride conditions
Temperature: 47°F at 17:05
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm
Clothing: Skinsuit, longsleeve undershirt, ankle socks, tights, light jacket, full-finger gloves
Bike: Trek 850 27x30-48x12 hybrid
Time: 00:45:07 for 11.89 miles
Heart rate: 137 bpm HRave, 151 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 3 pedestrians
Playback of the ride
A heavy overcast rolled in through the afternoon, and light rain was moving into Cincinnati. Forecasting from the radar animations, I thought Rain may miss the Dayton area even perhaps through the evening and night. No matter the weather, though; I need to leave work exactly at the final moment to be home before sunset.
So I headed from my cube at 5:30, changed in the locker room, and was on my bike by 5:40. I had misjudged the radar indications though. I felt isolated drops throughout the ride. Starting with a drop on the face about every tenth mile, and ending with a few every minute. The road stayed dry through the entire route, and I made it home still dry.
When I brought my bike up the porch steps, twilight had overtaken daylight. I welcome the rain that may come tonight and tomorrow, and the day or two without a bike-commute. The day's length will grow a few precious minutes before I commute by bike again..
Ride conditions
Temperature: 47°F at 17:05
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm
Clothing: Skinsuit, longsleeve undershirt, ankle socks, tights, light jacket, full-finger gloves
Bike: Trek 850 27x30-48x12 hybrid
Time: 00:45:07 for 11.89 miles
Heart rate: 137 bpm HRave, 151 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 3 pedestrians
Playback of the ride
First commute day for 2012
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
The weekend's snows have passed, leaving only a thin layer that dissipated by evening yesterday. The weather is supposed to clear today and then bring in rain tonight. I decided to make use of the full day of daylight, which is one that stretches to nearly eleven hours and leaves me plenty of time for a commute before and after a work day of 8.5 hours.
Early in the season, as I return to commuting by bike, I expect each way to take up to an hour. So I prepared my departure in anticipation of sunrise at 7:30, and I left as soon as it was well lit, by 7:20.
The bikeway was clean for the most part. Some light mud remained on the path underneath I-75; muddy tractor tracks documented some recent work removing trees near the firemen's training station; very light frost clung to the bridges west and south of Eastwood Park. Otherwise, the way was free of fallen branches and broken glass. This year's light touch of Winter has been easy on the bikeway, which allowed me to begin bike-commuting almost a month earlier than any year that I've kept records.
Ride conditions
Temperature: 34 to 35°F at 07:15
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm to 5 mph from the southwest
Clothing: Skinsuit, longsleeve undershirt, quilted tights, Gore-tex jacket, ankle socks, quilted gloves
Bike: Trek 850
Time: 00:49:39 for 11.86 miles
Heart rate: 142 bpm HRave, 159 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 1 cyclist, 1 pedestrian
Playback of the ride
The weekend's snows have passed, leaving only a thin layer that dissipated by evening yesterday. The weather is supposed to clear today and then bring in rain tonight. I decided to make use of the full day of daylight, which is one that stretches to nearly eleven hours and leaves me plenty of time for a commute before and after a work day of 8.5 hours.
Early in the season, as I return to commuting by bike, I expect each way to take up to an hour. So I prepared my departure in anticipation of sunrise at 7:30, and I left as soon as it was well lit, by 7:20.
The bikeway was clean for the most part. Some light mud remained on the path underneath I-75; muddy tractor tracks documented some recent work removing trees near the firemen's training station; very light frost clung to the bridges west and south of Eastwood Park. Otherwise, the way was free of fallen branches and broken glass. This year's light touch of Winter has been easy on the bikeway, which allowed me to begin bike-commuting almost a month earlier than any year that I've kept records.
Ride conditions
Temperature: 34 to 35°F at 07:15
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm to 5 mph from the southwest
Clothing: Skinsuit, longsleeve undershirt, quilted tights, Gore-tex jacket, ankle socks, quilted gloves
Bike: Trek 850
Time: 00:49:39 for 11.86 miles
Heart rate: 142 bpm HRave, 159 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 1 cyclist, 1 pedestrian
Playback of the ride
14 February 2012
Green lane envy, misplaced
A recent L.A. Times article on the green tone required for painted bike lanes was off in a world of photographic speculation, I guess. At issue, according to the journalist, is the color of green mandated by federal transportation and that it cannot easily be digitally erased from images. The writer focuses on "the color" itself, without realizing the issue is whether the color is evenly toned. Wheel marks, subtleties of light and shadow, and other factors make digital scrubbing difficult. Not the particular shade of green.
12 February 2012
Short MoMBA ride
Sunday, 12 February 2012
This is the week to start commuting by bike for another year. The daylight is strong enough for leaving home by 7:20, even on cloudy days, and for returning home by 6:30 in the evening. So there's plenty of time to put in eight hours of work. ...Now if Kodak doesn't lay me off as part of its stated aim of reducing the workforce by 16%, I can be cycling as much as 125 miles per week just in a daily commute.
Today, Sunday, was extremely cold, in comparison to the Winter we've had in Dayton so far. The bikeways were covered with a light snow that had fallen yesterday. But an alternative, the MetroParks Mountain Biking Area was open, according the the daily update on their phone line (937-277-4374).
I took Howard, my 11-year-old yellow Labrador with me, and he alternately followed and led me on the Twisted trail and the Mr. Zig-Zag trail. For the early half of the ride, trails were frozen pretty solidly, but by 11:45, the trail segments that received direct sunlight had thawed and the mud built up. So I decided to follow only two of the trails. The decision was good for another reason too, because Howard's stamina started to fail with only a half trail left to cover. He'll sleep well tonight.
Ride conditions
Temperature: 21 to 25°F at 12:00 noon
Precipitation: none currently, but about an inch of snow still covering the ground
Winds: 11 to 15 mph from the north and west
Clothing: Skinsuit, longsleeve undershirt, quilted tights, Goretex light jacket, ankle socks, quilted gloves
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time: 00:32:45 for 2.69 miles
Heart rate: 142 bpm HRave, 164 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 3 cyclists, 1 dog
Playback of the ride
This is the week to start commuting by bike for another year. The daylight is strong enough for leaving home by 7:20, even on cloudy days, and for returning home by 6:30 in the evening. So there's plenty of time to put in eight hours of work. ...Now if Kodak doesn't lay me off as part of its stated aim of reducing the workforce by 16%, I can be cycling as much as 125 miles per week just in a daily commute.
Today, Sunday, was extremely cold, in comparison to the Winter we've had in Dayton so far. The bikeways were covered with a light snow that had fallen yesterday. But an alternative, the MetroParks Mountain Biking Area was open, according the the daily update on their phone line (937-277-4374).
I took Howard, my 11-year-old yellow Labrador with me, and he alternately followed and led me on the Twisted trail and the Mr. Zig-Zag trail. For the early half of the ride, trails were frozen pretty solidly, but by 11:45, the trail segments that received direct sunlight had thawed and the mud built up. So I decided to follow only two of the trails. The decision was good for another reason too, because Howard's stamina started to fail with only a half trail left to cover. He'll sleep well tonight.
Ride conditions
Temperature: 21 to 25°F at 12:00 noon
Precipitation: none currently, but about an inch of snow still covering the ground
Winds: 11 to 15 mph from the north and west
Clothing: Skinsuit, longsleeve undershirt, quilted tights, Goretex light jacket, ankle socks, quilted gloves
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time: 00:32:45 for 2.69 miles
Heart rate: 142 bpm HRave, 164 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 3 cyclists, 1 dog
Playback of the ride
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