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
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