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...

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

Bike commute day 10, to work

As I rose to the top of the banks above the Mad River, which stretches from the Findlay Street bridge to the firemen's training yards at McFadden Avenue, I saw a white van on the adjacent stretch of Monument Avenue. His window was open, despite the below-freezing temperatures; his hand was up to his ear, indicating a split attention between driving and using his cellphone. I called out, "Get off the phone" loud enough that he glanced over at me. I smiled, which along with my nose was probably the only visible part of my face shrouded in a full-head stocking cap and smoked glasses. He nodded, smiled, and then resumed his phone conversation.

Bikeway (magenta) above the Mad River from the Findlay Street bridge to the firemen's training yards
March 2005 photo from Google Earth

It doesn't bother me greatly when as much as 25 yards separate the bikeway from the roadway, but inattentive drivers can be a real hazard on my route along residential streets in the first tenth of my commute and at the ten crossings once I've joined the bikeway. The Ohio legislature is due any day to vote on whether texting while driving is allowed or outlawed, which is outlawed in 30 states; but the legislature missed the mark many years ago in making it against the law to use a hand-held cellphone while driving, which is outlawed in eight states.

Of course, it is inattention of any sort that contributes to auto accidents ...and collisions with cyclists. If it were possible, could legislatures outlaw these activities while driving, which I have seen as a cause for a swerve or drift in a car's position in the road?

• Lighting a cigarette
• Eating
• Tuning the radio
• Changing a CD
• Reading the newspaper
• Consulting a map
• Writing notes
• Changing clothes
• Talking animatedly
• Reprimanding a child in the back seat
• Reacting to spilled coffee in the lap

Temperature: 29°F at 07:30, 29 to 33°F at 09:15
Precipitation: none
Winds: none
Clothing: Top with 4 layers (Lycra longsleeve undershirt, skinsuit, arm warmers, poly fleece vest, Lycra-wool jacket); Bottom with 2 layer (skinsuit, quilted tights); ankle socks. Quilted gloves. (Comfortable; toes and fingers began to notice cold. Light sweating in chest & back.)
Bike: Trek 850
Time: 0:50:00 (approx.) for 11.86 miles
Bikeway users: 1 pedestrians, 6 deer, 1 cat

08:12—departing from home.
08:24—passing the zig-zag up from the Mad River Bikeway.
08:36—passing the west gate to Eastwood Park.
08:48—passing the trestle remains at Linden.
09:02—arriving at work.

Bike commute day 8, to work

I oiled the chain on my Trek 850, since it was noisy last night. Did it affect my efficiency then? I think so. It felt so. My time was much slower then. But time is affected by many factors. My pedalling seemed smoother this morning, but my work was still labored.

Since the first quarter of my commute to work is downhill, I get little sense of how I feel. I could be horribly tired, even achy, and I could still make it to the first checkpoint (at about mile 2.8) in a normal time.

It's the second quarter (from miles 2.8 to 5.6) where I discover suddenly that I may not be up to the commute today, or so I think momentarily. The terrain is generally flat, along the Mad River, but it is also gradually uphill—Google Earth reports the rise as 11 m, about 36 feet. My legs seem leaden, my heart thumps loudly, my left arm aches from the heart exertion, my breathing is labored, my sinuses fill repeatedly, I cough phlegm clots, even my contact lenses ache from the attacking cold air. I think alternating threads: I'm gonna have a stroke; then Wow, so this is what it means to be alive today! and when I swerve around where the Canadian geese have dropped white and green poop sticks, Some day I'm gonna bring some rat poison-laced bread for these damn geese; and If only it wasn't so fucking cold! but also, almost simultaneously, What a fragrance that is from Requarth Lumber's millworks! and again, Oh no, I've hit that pocket of cold again, same place every day; and, approaching the Findlay Street underpass, Ugh, that stench of burnt carbon from the foundry! lasts until I pass the low gate near the Irwin Street entrance, while I picture some momentary, fragmented scenes from my 19th Summer when I worked in the grinding room of C-E Ehrsam Foundry in Enterprise Kansas.

Usually after about 20 minutes of riding, as I start the third quarter (from miles 5.6 to 8.6), the aches and pains give way to endorphins, and I relax into the smooth turns and glides through the quiet morning. —And I just realized now while refining the route in Google Earth, that this is a slight climb in my morning commute, of 30 m or 100 ft over the 3 miles.

As I approached the Burkhardt Street crossing, for the first time this year I heard a cyclist behind me, announcing his intent to pass. I turned to say hi as he passed, and instead said, "Well hello, Jeff! I just mentioned you in my blog about commuting by bike." I increased my speed to nearly match his, he slowed a bit, and we continued a conversation until we separated at the trestle remains north of Linden Avenue. Some of the talk helped clarify what I know about his commute, and I will add a correction to the posting of a few days ago.

Bikeway housekeeping
Now for some notes for cyclists using the path today:

• Small amount of glass on the in-road marking on the north side of the crossing at Airway.
• Broken glass bottle on Creekside Trail, about 0.25 mile south of the Airway crossing.
• Broken glass bottle on Iron Horse Trail, about 0.3 mile north of the Woodbine Avenue crossing.

Temperature: 32 to 35°F at 06:50 and at 09:15
Precipitation: none
Winds: none to light
Clothing: Top with 3 layers (Lycra longsleeve undershirt, longsleeve skinsuit, arm warmers, wool-poly jacket); Bottom with 2 layer (skinsuit, quilted tights); ankle socks. Woolen full-face stocking cap, quilted gloves. (Comfortable; a bit sweaty in the last half of the ride.)
Bike: Trek 850
Time: 0:53:00 (approx.) for 12.5 miles
Bikeway users: 1 cyclist going my way

08:21—mile 0.0; departing from home.

08:35—mile 2.81; passing the zig-zag up from the Mad River Bikeway.

08:46—mile 5.59; passing the west gate to Eastwood Park.

09:00—mile 8.59; passing the trestle remains at Linden.

09:14—mile 11.86; arriving at  work.

Scoping out your commute(Bike commute day 7, to work)

In an earlier post, I list the clothing and toiletries you need for commuting day-in, day-out. But you need to be ready psychologically too, comfortable in knowing you can make it to work on time, certain of the route, and not so tired that your presence is less than the usual energy you need.

Scope out the route with maps. Do some homework with city maps, Google Earth, and the maps published by MVRPC and Five Rivers Metroparks.*Note: Both of these links go to locations that are in development while a new set of maps is being published. In the meantime, some older maps are here.*

Bike the route first on a weekend. Do it leisurely, and note the time at several checkpoints. Note the road conditions, especially if the route has areas that may damage tires. Note where the ride depends on safe conditions with other vehicles, and where road crossings may have heavy traffic during rush hours. Develop a call list for alerting agencies of unsafe conditions, starting with the numbers for Five Rivers Metroparks (937-275-7275), the Miami River Conservancy District (937-223-1271), and the street maintenance official for each city on your route.

Find alternative routes. On the same weekend that you scope out the commute route, or soon after starting to commute, ride through some alternatives to your normal route. Even the bikeways have times when a section is torn up or when the river floods a significant stretch. It's really easy to take a wrong turn or lose your sense of direction while you navigate a detour. So find some alternatives when there's no pressure to get somewhere on time.

Get comfortable with changing a tube. With the increased mileage that commuting builds, you can be certain that you'll get a flat tire on some ride. Three of the four most common sources of a flat tire are broken glass, sharp rocks, and metal trash. No matter how much you try to avoid these, tires seem to be magnets for sharp objects. The fourth source of flats, and the most common for many, is low tire pressure. Always check the tire inflation with a squeeze of your thumb and forefinger. If there's any give, use a floor pump to add air and check the pressure. The usual pressure for a 1.25-inch tire is 40 to 60 pounds, and a narrow tire (about 0.75-inch) holds about 110 pounds.

So before you need to change a tube under time pressure or in cold weather—or in a cold rain, at night, with dogs snapping at your fanny—practice the change in your living room. And then change the tube for the back wheel, with its gummy black gears (if you don't keep them nicely clean and the chain lightly oiled). Change both tubes, especially if the bike has been hanging from the rafters or leaning against the wall over the Winter. Those tubes may be old and crackly if you haven't ridden in a long while. Change them! The practice will do you well.

Just remember that an experienced cyclist can change the tube inside of 10 minutes. That's a goal you can reach with just a little practice.

Commute record
Temperature: 31 to 33°F at 07:30, 30 to 32°F at 09:55
Precipitation: none
Winds: none to moderate, out of the east
Clothing: Top with 3 layers (Lycra longsleeve undershirt, skinsuit, arm warmers, and wool jacket); Bottom with 2 layers (skinsuit and Lycra tights); ankle socks. Closed-finger gloves. (Comfortable, a bit cool; fingers too cold.)
Bike: Trek 850
Time: 0:51:00 (approx.) for 12.5 miles
Bikeway users: 2 deer, 8 tree trimmers

08:22—departing from home.

08:35—passing the zig-zag up from the Mad River Bikeway. Winds against me, sometimes perhaps 10 mph.

08:47—passing the west gate to Eastwood Park.

09:00—passing the trestle remains at Linden. Long wait for signal at Research Boulevard.

09:13—arriving at  work.

Bike commute day 1

Finally today was the first day I commuted by bike this year! 2 March is, I think, the earliest start date for me—though I need to check my database from years past.

Temperatures: 28°F at 07:20, 43°F at 10:20
Clothing: Top with 3 layers, with closely-woven wool-acrylic cycling jacket included; lycra tights; ankle socks. Wool-acrylic balaklava, Thinsulate gloves. (Cold fingers at ride's midpoint, coolly comfortable otherwise.)
Time: 0:54:xx for 12.5 miles

8:03—depart from home, via city streets through Upper Dayton View, Lower Dayton View, and Grafton Hill areas to the Miami River. The river flooded the bikeway by about 3 feet, so I took the gravel path above the river and beside the YMCA, through Riverscape, and to the Mad River bikeway.

8:17—Zig-zag down from the Green Pedestrian Bridge. I found that the Mad River Bikeway was also flooded, took Monument Avenue through to Findlay Street, and crossed to the Mad River Bikeway as it moved above the river banks at that point. The bikeway was clear for ths part of the route.

8:29—West Gate of Eastwood Park. The gate was open at the rail underpass, and the maintenance area of the Park Service was open, with some activity inside the shed. Below the hill at Springfield and Smithville, about 12 feet of runoff had frozen across the bikeway. I noticed it in enough time to decide to walk the bike, and good thing: I slipped a bit as I crossed the first bit of solidly-frozen, fairly thick ice. It looks like two light manufacturers have ceased operations—the metal worker at Ridgeland and Fair Park avenues (maybe Green Machine Tool) and the bulk dry cleaner Multi Service Inc. at Radio Road. In the shady areas south of Burkhardt, a nicely sawed-up tree evidenced the winter work of the Park Service. I surprised some half dozen deer who were grazing on the fairways surrounding the DP&L headquarters. Gentlemanly and light traffic at Springfield, Airway, Burkhardt, and Linden.

8:43—Trestle abutments at the junction of Creekside and Iron Horse trails. The repair work of the subsidence has held up well over the winter, though I notice now some other areas that are rippling from upthrust. No traffic at Woodbine Avenue and Spaulding Road, and distant traffic at Woodman. Very light traffic at Research Boulevard.

8:57—unclipping at Eastman Kodak.