Set up the suspension for your mountain bike

My MGT mountain bike really is a product of my frugality. (Some would say cheapness.) I bought it at a pawn shop on East Third Street. It had great promise in my eyes, even with the broken cables, rusted chain, and sheared bar-end grips. I was lucky that the bright yellow color didn't raise its price in the appraiser's mind, and that the selling price was only twenty-five bucks.

I took the MGT in to my buddy Brian at Links & Kinks, and he refurbed it for the cost of a thorough tune-up. I was on the trail after spending less than $150.

That was a couple years ago. After buying another bike in Palm Springs and using it on the rocky hills there, I've become more discerning, more demanding of the performance on the trails. I'm still happy with the MGT, even though it's a small frame, so I don't intend to buy into the next level of performance. Instead, I've begun to pay attention to the suspension.

I noticed in one of my first rides this spring that the front forks really didn't have much movement. So I had Brian look at it, and he saw that the forks had seized. Where the forks should compress about 20% when I get on the bike, there was less than 5% change. On the trail, I could sense a bit of response in the forks, but not much.

So I asked Brian to replace the front fork and its suspension. Now the bike is so much more enjoyable. More responsive when I pull up to hop a log. Less of a jolt when the front wheel sets back down after a jump or hop. And more sensitive to my need to change direction as I pass through two shoulder-width trees and need to avoid a third tree that encroaches the path.

Now I’m no expert at the workings of front and rear suspension systems, but I do know that the suspension has to be set up for your weight and riding style. The right setting can make you faster, the bike more controlable, and the ride more enjoyable.

• Check the air pressure in your fork each season. The manufacturer usually recommends air pressure for your weight, and you should check it annually. Either the shocks will lose some seal contact or your  weight may be different.
• Each time you ride, check the amount of displacement as you mount the bike. Both the front shocks and rear suspension should drop about 20% of the available movement. 

So what does the setup do for your ride? Less drop means a stiffer setup, more drop a more cushioned ride.

• A stiffer setup loses the full travel of your suspension, and the bike bounces more through rocky terrain instead of smoothly tracking through. You may loose traction in corners, too. 
• Too much cushioning can allow the suspension to bottom out on bigger hits, and you may feel like you’re riding a sofa with worn springs.

But remember that your tire type and the tire pressure contribute to control and responsiveness. The choice of tire type is a long discussion, but the depth of tread, tire width, and flexibility should be appropriate to your usual trail. You can experiment with changes in air pressure on a couple rides. Raise the air pressure to slow the rebound, lower it to increase rebound. Make air pressure changes of about 5psi, which should result in a big difference.

Thanks to

Chris Carmichael Systems

for many ideas in this post.

Breakout from the job hunt

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

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

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

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

Daylight comes

The daylight wins ever so gradually more of the time cycle from night. As I eat breakfast and care for my dog Howard, I watch for the first glimpse of sunrise. It's 6:58 and still dark, though a lightening haze floats over the houses to the east.

Last night, driving through Kettering on an errand to buy another bag of special dog food for  Howard, I found myself thinking It's already too dark to be biking home, and here it is 6:17. As I left work a half hour ago, I thought that it was light enough to still be well-enough lit after a forty-minute commute. But that first hopeful thought was proven wrong.

I had looked up the sunrise and sunset times a week ago and decided that Valentine's Day might be the first day with a workable amount of sunlight to allow a bike commute.Sunrise at 7:31 and sunset at 6:11 will leave10 hours and 40 minutes for eight and a half hours of work and an hour and a half for the commute.

As long as the weather holds.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 45 to 48°F at 07:11
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm to 10 mph from the south
Sunrise today: 07:46
Sunset today: 17:55

Second ride with the World Gym group

Sunday, 11 December 2011

I met up with the group from World Gym/Palm Desert on Mesquite as they crossed Crossley. Several riders greeted me by name, among them Cheryl from Tri-a-Bike, Anthony from World Gym, and Craig. Then a woman who had not been with the group last week rode up and introduced herself as Tracy. Off and on during the ride, Tracy spoke of some of the best trails for off-road riding (Art Smith, Goat Trails with an access from Cathedral Cove, and up around Pinyon Flats).

We rode as a group through Palm Springs to The Coffee Bean on North Palm Canyon, rested there a bit—this was a half-way point for them, and headed through the airport roads back to Dinah Shore Drive for the return to the Palm Desert area. Some discussion aimed at a breakfast at Aqua Pazza fizzled at the end of discussion, since several riders had plans with their families or preparing for the holidays.A couple of the riders (Roger and —) were heading back to the World Gym meeting location, and I tagged along to find the best way there from The River. Then I headed back to Palm Springs as a solo rider, following streets with marked bike lanes or separated bikeways.

Ride conditions
Route: major roads of Dinah Shore, DaVall, Frank Sinatra, Country Club, Bob Hope
Temperature: 62 to 66°F at 11:30
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm 
Clothing: Bibshorts+jersey, undershirt, ankle socks, open-finger gloves
Bike: Trek 3700 trail bike
Time: 02:10:31 for 30.68 miles
Heart rate: 134 bpm HRave, 160 bpm HRmax
Playback of the ride

Rimcrest and Goat Trails, first return

Saturday, 10 December 2011

Panorama from the Goat Trails, above the Bob Hope mansion

 So today I finally got the self-confidence to return to the Goat Trails above Rimcrest Plaza. Lots of walking the bike and maneuvering with one foot to terra firma, even though I was riding double-track trails for the most part. But as the ride progressed, the tentativity relented except for the most crumbly descents.

The walk-a-bike sections were in what are usual places for my Winter visits to the trails: the steepest part of the second climb (below a north-facing cliff), in the approach of the first hilltop, on the south uphill of the circle around the first hilltop, on the steep escape from the same circle, and a couple of isolated sections after the stone man intersection. With another ride or two through this course, some of these walks will transition to riding, I'm sure. Part of that expected progress is in regaining a sense of body position over the wheels combined with slightly better timing of my shifting.

On the way nearing the stone man intersection, I heard somewhere behind me a police siren, and I stopped to view the course behind me. Stopped at the promontory of the plateau corner was a Palm Springs black-and-white with its lights flashing. I wondered if they were trolling for riders because of some closure that wasn't announced at the gates. The black-and-white continued toward me as I headed on to reach the overlook to Bob Hope's home.

The patrol truck reached another promontory above me as I negotiated a sliding downhill between them and the Bob Hope overlook. I stopped again when their siren sounded, and I whistled a shrill blast after a silence from them. One of the patrolmen had stepped out of the truck, and waved me on. He turned and raised binoculars to sight across the deep divide between Araby Cove and the hills that formed the east side of Palm Canyon, and I looked in that direction. There on the northeast-facing hills was a glider wedged between two outcroppings.

From the overlook above the Bob Hope
mansion, looking north to Palm Springs

I headed on to my goal, and the patrol truck headed down the same trail, showing more traction than I thought possible with the sliding rock and dust trail. They took a turn-off that I knew headed toward a wash through even rougher terrain while I headed the short distance to the overlook.

Heading back from the overlook, I took the same turn-off, even though it meant some tough walk-a-bike stretches. I just had to see if their truck could actually navigate the trail and cross the wash. By the time I had made it through 150 meters of downhill, I saw one of the patrolmen far ahead near the wash, walking the trail toward me. His attention was to his rear, walking up the trail, looking backward below him, and signalling as he went. In a few seconds, the black-and-white passed from behind a ridge. It was returning up the trail in reverse, guided by the gesticulating officer. I too turned around, and reached the main tail only shortly before the patrol truck. To make way for them on the trail back, I took a rockier single-track around the most rocky and steepest double-track while the truck navigated the double-track with much more surety than I could.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 68 to 72°F at 11:00
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm 
Clothing: Skinsuit, ankle socks, SPD-cleated sandals, open-finger gloves
Bike: Trek 3700 trail bike
Time: 01:37:51 for 12.36 miles
Heart rate: not available

Playback of the ride

Gym commute day 01—there and back

Monday, 28 November 2011

Today was a trial run for getting to World Gym at Sunrise and Vista Chino. I thought my way could be pretty direct and without much traffic, and I found that to be true on my return home. Each direction took the same time, about 16 minutes

On my way to the gym, I first headed north on El Cielo, which is the usual direction by car. I turned west on Baristo and then took Cerritos and intervening curved streets always in a north-bound path. Finally at Tacheva I had no choice but to cut over to Sunrise, where I found a bikeway that runs parallel to the sidewalk—though it was a swerving expanse that goes all the way to Vista Chino.

The return trip was straightforward: Sunrise south to the Desert Chapel at Warm Sands, and then east along the golf courses to home.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 59 to 73°F at 08:45 and 10:45
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm 
Clothing: Skinsuit, open-finger gloves
Bike: Trek 3700 off-road bike
Time: 00:32:05 for 7.19 miles
Heart rate: 125 bpm HRave, 144 bpm HRmax
Playback of the ride

Bob Hope climb and tour of Araby Cove

Sunday, 27 November 2011

Man, am I out of shape! Before I left home, our discussion of when I should be back included my statement, "I'll probably make a few repeats of the climb" up the hill toward Bob Hope's mansion on Rimcrest. As it was, I made only two attempts, and both included a recuperation stop at some point below the top of the climb. So much for the long time of inactivity for the bike commute.

I'll give myself one or two days of rest and then make the attempt again.. Clearly I'm not fit enough for any successful outing on the Goat Trails, so a week of training on the Bob Hope ascent and a few commutes to the gym may help in regaining any lost ground.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 58 to 68°F at 08:45 and 10:35
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm 
Clothing: Skinsuit, ankle socks, open-finger gloves
Bike: Trek off-road bike
Time: 01:00:50 for 10.13 miles
Heart rate: 129 bpm HRave, 156 bpm HRmax
Playback of the ride

Hanging it up for this year

Wednesday, 16 November 2011

Today I faced up to the knowledge that I would not commute again by bike this year. I have only three more work days before my holiday and year-end vacation time starts, and each day is filled with responsible things to do that require a car.

With that realization came another little thing to do—cart away the toiletries that I've kept in a locker at work for the shower and shave after my commute in each morning. Pack up all the clothes that have awaited their turn for my work wardrobe. And carry all the washables home.

Now everything is in order, ready for the winter wait for good commuting weather. With a bit of luck, there may be some isolated days in February. But if 2012 is like most previous years, the first real days of commuting will come in March. And 2012 brings the challenge of biking to work something more than 100 days. That's my goal and my early New Year's resolution.

Ride conditions
No ride

Been quiet on the cycling front

Wednesday, 11 November 2011

Just to keep you up with what's happening:
The daylight period is shorter.
I've been busy at home packing up boxes of books to give to Planned Parenthood, sell on Amazon.com, and throw away.
I've been busy at work finishing a book to be published before I leave for the holidays.
On weekends, I've been busy in the yard, closing up the garden for the winter.
I've been going to the gym for a quick workout, so I'm not a full-fledged slouch.
I'm experiencing what the road racers call the "veteran's restriction."

With a little luck, I may have fewer demands on my time for the next couple weeks. That might mean I can at least do a one-way bike commute each day, for which I leave the car at work overnight twice a week. Here's hoping that I'll really get to bike-commute 100 days this year!

Ride conditions
No ride.

Bike-commute day 95—to work

Tuesday, 25 October 2011

Going to work today is the second half of my commuting day, since I drove to work yesterday with my bike in the van and then rode home. This part of the year always has an alternation of drive-bike-bike-drive since the daylight is so short. And tonight, during the drive, I'll stop at Cardinal Fitness to get in a bit of weight training. The leg routine is due tonight.

Today was the first time I broke out the quilted tights. Since my breath was visible when I took Howard out, I thought that a heavier layer would be good, even with the temperatures above freezing. At some midpoint of the ride, I decided that I was overdressed. I had begun to heat up, even though my effort was not too great. I've got to learn once again when the added layers are necessary, when they're too much.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 34 to 41°F at 07:40
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm to 5 mph from the south 
Clothing: Skinsuit, longsleeve undershirt, quilted tights, Gore-tex jacket, ankle socks, full-finger gloves
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time: 00:44:15 for 11.94 miles
Heart rate: 138 bpm HRave, 153 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 1 cyclist, 6 pedestrians, 2 dogs
Playback of the ride

Bike-commute day 95—to home

Monday, 24 October 2011

I had driven to work in the morning, and so I pulled my bike from the car for the evening ride. My start at 18:07 was later than it should have been. I knew that it would be well into dusk when I would arrive home.

My Garmin device began losing its signal below Riverscape and continued to do so through the rest of the ride. I wondered if something had happened to one of the satellites, but realized only at the end of the ride that the wheel magnet had swiveled to perpendicular with the wheel. Its position was too distant to be adequately registering my speed, and without speed in my Lotus setup, the device assumes I've stopped. So it stops.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 60 to 65°F at 17:45
Precipitation: none
Winds: 5 to 10 from the northwest
Clothing: Skinsuit, ankle socks, open-finger gloves
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time: (elapsed) 00:43:20 for 11.95 miles
Heart rate: 135 bpm HRave, 148 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 4 cyclists, 11 pedestrians, 4 dogs
Playback of the ride

Bike-commute day 94—to gym and home

Friday, 14 October 2011

It's been a very long time since I stopped at Cardinal Fitness on my way home from work. I was able to stop there today only because I worked a partial day. That left the afternoon for the gym visit and going to the Neon to see The Future.

I had to leave Kodak at noon, since overtime is not allowed. I had worked a very long day Wednesday to finish revisions on a book that must be reviewed and completed by the end of October. After FrameMaker "blew up" three times while making the PDF, it finally succeeded after I made enough space available for builing the intermediate files. So I left that evening after 12.5 hours of work. So I cut the workday short to avoid recording more than 40 hours. CEO Antonio Perez announced several acts of belt tightening. And in August, Kodak announced that about a thousand of its patents on imaging technology were offered for sale. Perhaps revenue producers like the Versamark and Prosper brands offer another strength in the transition to a digital focus.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 56 to 60°F at 11:45
Precipitation: none
Winds: 5 to 15 mph from the southwest
Clothing: Skinsuit, longsleeve undershirt, ankle socks, open-finger gloves
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time: 1:02:06 for 15.82 miles
Heart rate: 132 bpm HRave, 149 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 10 cyclists, 4 pedestrians, 1 dog
Playback of the ride

Bike-commute day 94—to work

Friday, 14 October 2011

Somewhere before the Findlay Avenue bridge, I saw Gary and Amy on their tandem, going my way. I slowed and said hello as I neared them and continued at their pace. They live near DeWeese Park, and every day they ride the bikeway, alternating to a turnaround at Woodman Avenue on the Iron Horse Trail or at Grange Hall Road on the Creekside Trail.

Though their pace is about 15 mph, it isn't quite leisurely. I heard Gary say, "Come on, give me some more pedal" to Amy. A couple times I noticed that Gary was exerting more effort, bringing Amy's cadence up a bit higher than it had been. Still, throughout the five miles we rode together, we had plenty of breath for conversation.

After we parted ways at the old railroad trestle, I saw Millie and Gladys walking south from the Linden Avenue crossing. I slowed only long enough to tell Millie that I had seen her walking yesterday, from my car as I crossed the overpass on highway 35.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 50 to 52°F at 07:45
Precipitation: none
Winds: 5 to 10 mph from the southwest
Clothing: Skinsuit, longsleeve undershirt, ankle socks, open-finger gloves
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time: 00:47:55 for 11.95 miles
Heart rate: 115 bpm HRave, 146 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 4 cyclists, 3 pedestrians, 1 dog
Playback of the ride

Bike-commute day 93—to home

Tuesday, 11 October 2011

Day 92, top, graph of cadence (orange) and
heart rate (red) compared to day 93, bottom.

After I was shown how to do it, it seems easy to keep a steady, high pace through the evening commute. Not that the pace equals that of two drafting each other, but there were fewer times of letting up the intensity, and the periods of lower intensity were shorter than on my previous solo rides.

The comparison is interesting in this regard. Yesterday (top) while drafting, my cadence was higher than today, averaging 95 rpm versus 85 rpm in the first leg for example. My heart rate was also higher yesterday, but not as markedly increased as the cadence, averaging 140 bpm versus 137 bpm. A couple spikes in the HR indicate where I took the lead yesterday from Burkhardt to Airway.

For the most part, both graphs fit well to my typical commute. The seven street crossings typically result in a sudden drop of cadence and slowing of heart rate. From Airway to the west gate of Eastwood Park, my cadence and heart rate fluctuate widely with the increased turns and shifts in elevation. Then on the Mad River bikeway, my effort evens out until I pass Riverscape and climb the ramp to Monument Avenue.The final portion, on residential streets with lots of stop signs, also typically has fluctuating cadence and heart rate.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 74 to 78°F at 18:00
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm to 5 mph from the south and east
Clothing: Skinsuit, ankle socks, open-finger gloves
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time: 00:40:06 for 11.96 miles
Heart rate: 135 bpm HRave, 147 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 20 cyclists, 31 pedestrians, 4 dogs
Playback of the ride

Bike-commute day 93—to work

Tuesday, 11 October 2011

Ugh! My lungs still clog at the thought of the diesel emissions from the school buses I have to follow each morning. Do school buses get a pass on emissions, or do the school districts just evade action by the EPA and OEPA?

Way back in 2006, the Dayton Business Journal reported on several school districts that benefited from an OEPA program to retrofit 238 school buses to lower-pollution engines. None of the $120,000 was awarded to the Dayton school district. Since then, Dayton was awarded retrofit money several times. Perhaps the buses that serve my neighborhood were overlooked. Or worse: those buses were retrofitted, the exhaust has been reduced up to 80%, and the amount is still offensive to a cyclist waiting behind a bus while kids are boarding.

The transportation department of the Dayton School District offers this information:

The Transportation department is located at 4290 James H. McGee Blvd., Dayton, OH 45427. The Transportation Department provides the community a safe, professional and efficient means to transport eligible students in the Dayton area. We provide transportation for over 15,000 students to and from school, athletic events and field trips. Transportation is also provided for special events as assigned by the district superintendent.
Our school bus fleet travels over 8,000 miles per day and over 1.5 million miles a school year! The transportation department employs over 300 employees, including more than 250 qualified school bus drivers and substitutes. Additionally, there are highly qualified mechanics that maintain our fleet, body shop/metal workers to repair damaged school buses and trained paraprofessionals that ride and assist our special needs students.
The Dayton Public Schools transportation department has received the highest marks for safety and reliability from the annual Ohio State Highway Patrol inspection team. We strive to provide safe and reliable transportation for our students by managing effectively time, resources and personnel.

The school district now advocates a neighborhood school program, in which students are enrolled in a school near where they live. With 22 elementary schools, 6 high schools, 2 special centers, and 2 community schools spread throughout the city, all are an easy bike ride away. So why drive the 8,000 miles each day?

In 2009, the city received a grant of $583,000 to develop a "Safe Routes to Schools" program. The award went to five projects that focused work for Cleveland Elementary, Edison Elementary, Fairview Elementary, Kiser Elementary, and Ruskin Elementary. In support of the program the regional transportation planning agency, MVRPC, developed a well-reasoned plan for implementing similar programs for the entire city—and by example, for the entire Miami Valley. The federal money didn't arrive in Dayton until 2010, as reported by the Dayton Daily News.

I hope that the city and MVRPC continue to write grant proposals and fill applications for broadening the accessibility of schools, shopping, recreation, and places of employment for cyclists and walkers. Let's give those diesel school buses their final destination: the junkyard.


Ever the counting habit affects me. This morning, I counted 17 areas along the bike-commute where walnut alerts are necessary. While counting, I said good morning to some of the regulars: Gary and Amy on their tandem, Gladys, and Gene and his dog Patches. I also saw the group of regulars heading north from their start at the Gazebo. Usually they ride on Wednesdays, and often Bob Pinnell leads the ride. There must have been collusion among the five riders to change the day.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 51 to 57°F at 07:45
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm to 5 mph from the south and east
Clothing: Skinsuit, longsleeve undershirt, ankle socks, open-finger gloves
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time: 00:41:14 for 11.93 miles
Heart rate: 138 bpm HRave, 153 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 7 cyclists, 4 pedestrians, 1 dog
Playback of the ride

Bike-commute day 92—to home

Monday, 10 October 2011

As I waited to turn onto Spaulding Road—within half a mile of my start, I found a cyclist coming out of the corner, heading north. Behind him, I pulled onto Spaulding. He stayed on the street, and I pulled as usual onto the bikeway. I edged to nearly beside him as he pulled into the center lane to turn onto the Haverfield canopy. I had to wait for several cars, but he had slowed to allow a catch.

As I approached, he sped to cruising speed while motioning with a wave behind his saddle that I should pull into the slipstream. We rode in close formation through to Woodman, and he extended his left hand down to caution me of his slowing. "Clear left," he called out. "To the center median." We stopped together for traffic from the north.

Once we were on the Rainier Canopy, we rode side by side and introduced ourselves. He is Charles Love. He was on his way home from a bike part shopping at Performance Bike. He mentioned heading toward Riverscape. Then we reached the Woodbine crossing. Even though it was clear, I advised him that no motorists stop, and few slow at the crossing.

He took the lead again as we sped up, and I called from behind as we approached specific parts of the canopy, "Keep an eye out for walnuts on the path." And each time, we avoided several fresh fruit, squashed skins, and broken shells. We made the Linden crossing and lightly accelerated toward the junction with the Creekside Trail.

Charles asked, "Are you heading straight or turning?" And I told him I was heading toward Riverscape also, and beyond. We exchanged more information to discover our homes were only a few blocks from each other, and then reached cruising speed as I pulled again into his slipstream. After crossing Burkhardt, we had learned each other's age, and I took the lead for the near-mile to Airway, alerting Charles for the three walnut trees along the way.

Airway was treacherous as usual: a driver in the right lane from the west had stopped for us, the left westbound lane also had traffic, and we hesitated until it was finally clear that both lanes were stopping for us. Since it was clear of traffic from the east, we accelerated across the rest of the street and gained full speed as we reached the drop at the edge of Wrightview. Love asked, "So I bet you know Phil?" and no sooner than I could answer yes, Mr. Hinrichs rounded the corner ahead of us. Charles remarked, "Speak of the Devil, and old Nick appears the next moment." We continued on through the industrial park and across Fair Park Avenue.

As we reached Smithville, Charles turned onto the street while I headed across to the bikeway that hugs the creek. We met again at the railway arch that bounds Eastwood Park and regrouped into the drafting machine after passing through the west gate. I was nearly spent by this time, some 01:04 faster than the fastest times this year. I considered sitting back, taking a breather, letting my heart rate recover from the nearly constant tempo over 145 bpm. But we kept together, indeed taking it a bit easier with me in the lead or riding side by side. The time at the third leg was again lower than any previous solo ride, and I was 01:21 ahead.

As we crossed under Riverscape, we discussed how I typically reach home. Love let me take the lead up the ramp to Monument Avenue, across the bridge, up Grafton Hill, and over toward Salem Avenue at the police station. Then along my route up Bryn Mawr and to Princeton. Charles offered a fist bump as we separated at Cory Drive. My final time was almost two minutes faster than my best time. What a ride, and a pleasant reminder of what really working hard feels like.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 78 to 82°F at 17:05
Precipitation: none
Winds: 5 to 10 mph from the south and east
Clothing: Skinsuit, ankle socks, open-finger gloves
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time: 00:38:21 for 11.94 miles
Heart rate: 141 bpm HRave, 172 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: no counts taken
Playback of the ride

Bike-commute day 92—to work

Monday, 10 October 2011

Today as I came south from Burkhardt and approached the canopied way along the DPL executive golf course, two deer were in the clearing. On seeing me, one deer bounded away from the K-Mart dock area, across the bikeway, and into the overgrowth that borders the houses to the west. The doe, who was grazing on the west side of the bikeway, looked up from her foraging and watched me as I passed. Calm, confident.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 55 to 61°F at 07:45
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm to 5 mph from the north and east
Clothing: Skinsuit, longsleeve undershirt, ankle socks, open-finger gloves
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time: 00:43:37 for 11.94 miles
Heart rate: 124 bpm HRave, 151 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 1 cyclists, 5 pedestrians, 4 dogs, 2 deer
Playback of the ride