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
Showing posts with label sunset. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sunset. Show all posts
15 February 2012
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
31 January 2012
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
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
13 April 2011
Bike-commute day 14—gym & home
When I was back on the bikeway after stopping at the gym, I used my body clock to check that I had enough time to make it home before dusk. I stretched my left arm out toward the sun, thumb up and little finger out horizontal at the horizon. The sun was a good 3 inches above my thumb tip. I was sure to arrive home at least an hour before sunset. I know it will be a race with the light if the sun touches my thumb.
My day is often regulated by the sun: I wait for full sunrise before I start out; I feel the first warming rays at my desk as I close up my computer at work; I measure the sun's distance from the horizon to judge how much effort my ride home must explore. No wonder that my day seems less purposeful when the skies are overcast.
Temperature: 63 to 68°F at 17:15, 61 to 66°F at 19:45
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm
Clothing: 1 layer (skinsuit); ankle socks.; open-finger gloves.
Time: 1:02:00 for 15.77 miles
Bikeway users: 43 cyclists, 29 pedestrians, 2 dogs
18:11—depart from work.
18:29—arrive at Cardinal Fitness.
18:54—depart from Cardinal Fitness.
19:05—trestle remains at Linden.
19:16—west gate to Eastwood Park
19:25—passing the zig-zag up from the Mad River Bikeway.
19:38—arrive home.
My day is often regulated by the sun: I wait for full sunrise before I start out; I feel the first warming rays at my desk as I close up my computer at work; I measure the sun's distance from the horizon to judge how much effort my ride home must explore. No wonder that my day seems less purposeful when the skies are overcast.
Temperature: 63 to 68°F at 17:15, 61 to 66°F at 19:45
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm
Clothing: 1 layer (skinsuit); ankle socks.; open-finger gloves.
Time: 1:02:00 for 15.77 miles
Bikeway users: 43 cyclists, 29 pedestrians, 2 dogs
18:11—depart from work.
18:29—arrive at Cardinal Fitness.
18:54—depart from Cardinal Fitness.
19:05—trestle remains at Linden.
19:16—west gate to Eastwood Park
19:25—passing the zig-zag up from the Mad River Bikeway.
19:38—arrive home.
16 March 2011
Rain day #11
Light rain has been falling through the night, and it continues this morning. And as I look outside now at 7:24, it is still too dark to bike safely through the city streets. The heavy cloud cover on this rainy day deepens and lengthens the darkness. Twilight has begun to dispel the dark, but it will be several minutes before I could consider riding.
Editing in a later comment at 7:51, it is now just light enough to start my biking, though my cutoff for departure has already passed at 7:40. Any later start would have me arriving too late at my desk, especially now early in the bike commuting season, when I am a bit slower in transit.
Daylight calculators
In these weeks after the change to Daylight Saving Time and before the change to Standard Time in the fall, I watch carefully for the point when I can safely be on the roads. I also consult several online calculators for understanding when the daylight will be suitable for biking. One site provides a data presentation, one line for each day. (From the link, you need to select your location and then select See sunrise/sunset.) This presentation can be set for the current week or the current month. You can also chose among 3 groups of information for the columns.
Another site provides similar presentation that highlights the line for today. (From this link, navigate to the very bottom of the long list of cities, and select Sunrise sunset and current times. Then select your location from the long list.) This presentation is not as concise, though it does present the information for today near the top of the data. I suspect this site also creates a pop-up window for ads, so make sure your browser prevents pop-ups. The ads between selections are also very obstrusive if your browser does not prevent ads.
Another site creates a calendar of the sunrise and sunset times. (From this link, select More... from the world area you're interested in, then select your state, then select your city and other parameters, then select Make calendar.)
Another site provides the sunrise time for one day at a time. (From this link, enter the question "What time is (sunrise OR sunset) in (your state)?") The question-answer format allows little leeway in varying your question.
Editing in a later comment at 7:51, it is now just light enough to start my biking, though my cutoff for departure has already passed at 7:40. Any later start would have me arriving too late at my desk, especially now early in the bike commuting season, when I am a bit slower in transit.
Daylight calculators
In these weeks after the change to Daylight Saving Time and before the change to Standard Time in the fall, I watch carefully for the point when I can safely be on the roads. I also consult several online calculators for understanding when the daylight will be suitable for biking. One site provides a data presentation, one line for each day. (From the link, you need to select your location and then select See sunrise/sunset.) This presentation can be set for the current week or the current month. You can also chose among 3 groups of information for the columns.
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| timeanddate.com : week sun times |
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| timesunrisesunset.com : quarter sun times |
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| sunrisesunset.com : March calendar |
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| trueknowledge.com : sunrise today |
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