Temperatures: 39°F at 17:00, 37°F at 18:15
Clothing: Top with 2 layers, with closely-woven wool-acrylic cycling jacket included; Lycra tights; ankle socks. Thinsulate gloves. (Cool, just still comfortable. A higher speed helped.)
Time: 0:45xx for 12.5 miles
17:45—depart from work, with a bad break of just getting to a red light at Research. Only a short wait for traffic at Woodman. A family of 3 walked toward me, and then two cyclists.
17:57—trestle remains at Linden. There was still a faint smell of skunk north of Burkhardt, but much less than the perfume there in the morning. Two pedestrians at the Airway crossing helped stop traffic and allow a quicker passage, and a motorist in the west-bound lane also stopped for my crossing. How nice. Maybe this year will be one of courtesy. I whistled at a runner as I approached the Smithville crossing, and asked if he was cold with the bare legs. "Yup" was his reply.
18:08—west gate to Eastwood Park. I pushed a bit harder through the park to make sure that the clock didn't flow past another minute. I felt pretty good about my time so far, and still nothing à bout de soufle about my work. The minute didn't click to 09 until I had crossed the creek and crested the rise to the old railway path, so lots of time to spare..
18:18—passing the zig-zag up from the Mad River Bikeway, as I travel on Monument Avenue. I had a red light at Webster, and was able to ride through all of downtown without another, until I got to Forest-Riverside. Even then, I slowed a bit on the bridge, and timed myself to a green light by the time I got to the intersection. The climb up Grafton hill was a bit hard, since I was under fatigue from the harder ride through the city.
The crossing at Salem was against a red light, though I stopped long enough to see that no traffic on Salem was closer than a couple blocks. I pressed hard up the Bryn Mawr hill, shifting down once to get a higher cadence.
18:30—arrive home, with some energy to spare.
Now it's time, after finishing this post, to shower quickly and make it to the dinner meeting for the Dayton Bicylce Adventures Online Cyclists Group.
07 March 2011
Bike commute day 2, to work
Temperatures: 25°F at 07:55, 27°F at 09:10
Clothing: Top with 3 layers (longsleeve poly-spandex Reebok shirt, skinsuit, closely-woven wool-acrylic cycling jacket); Bottom with 2 layers (skinsuit, quilted tights); ankle socks; old Descente quilted gloves. (Cool, but comfortable body; fingers cold.)
Time: 0:56:xx for 12.5 miles (The times given are about 20 minutes off, as given on my bike computer.)
07:54—departing from home. Only thing notable was the pedestrians I had to pass at the crossing of Salem to Longfellow School. I typically cross the street as normal traffic, then zig-zag onto the sidewalk for about 25 feet, to turn left onto the sidewalk that reaches the dead-ended Superior Avenue on the northwest side of the school. Clearly the group of about 7 was a set of parents herding their children to school, and though I said twice, "On your left, please," I startled at least one child as I passed from street to sidewalk. Reminder: start out earlier to avoid similar approaches to pedestrians trying to get to school by 8:00 a.m.
As I crossed the Monument Avenue bridge, I could tell I would need again the East Monument Street route, as the Miami River was flowing fast and almost obliterating the low dam. I took the gravel path under the YMCA, sidewalk to the Main Street-Monument intersection, crossed and went into Riverscape Park, and saw that once again the river was 3 feet above the bikeway.
08:08—passing the zig-zag up from the Mad River Bikeway. The bikeway was flooded as far as the Webster Street bridge, so I rode south on Webster to Monument Avenue. About a quarter mile after Findlay Avenue, I slodged over the grass to the above-river bikeway.
08:22—passing the west gate to Eastwood Park. Run-off from the hills above the transition at Smithville and Springfield flowed again across the bikeway. It wasn't all frozen today, but enough was to be a bit slippery as I walked over the area. As I prepared to cross Smithville, a bundled-up cyclist came up the street toward Springfield Avenue. "So I am not the only cold commuter," I thought. Then a courteous driver waved me through the pass at Airway. No deer were grazing at the DPL fairways.
08:36—passing the trestle remains at Linden. Another courteous driver waved me through the pass at Woodbine—I hope this indicates a trend for 2011. It was notably colder in the half mile between Woodman and Founders, due to the natural, undeveloped areas south of the bikeway there.
08:50—arriving at work. I had plenty of energy to spare. It's time to take the exertion level up a notch.
Clothing: Top with 3 layers (longsleeve poly-spandex Reebok shirt, skinsuit, closely-woven wool-acrylic cycling jacket); Bottom with 2 layers (skinsuit, quilted tights); ankle socks; old Descente quilted gloves. (Cool, but comfortable body; fingers cold.)
Time: 0:56:xx for 12.5 miles (The times given are about 20 minutes off, as given on my bike computer.)
07:54—departing from home. Only thing notable was the pedestrians I had to pass at the crossing of Salem to Longfellow School. I typically cross the street as normal traffic, then zig-zag onto the sidewalk for about 25 feet, to turn left onto the sidewalk that reaches the dead-ended Superior Avenue on the northwest side of the school. Clearly the group of about 7 was a set of parents herding their children to school, and though I said twice, "On your left, please," I startled at least one child as I passed from street to sidewalk. Reminder: start out earlier to avoid similar approaches to pedestrians trying to get to school by 8:00 a.m.
As I crossed the Monument Avenue bridge, I could tell I would need again the East Monument Street route, as the Miami River was flowing fast and almost obliterating the low dam. I took the gravel path under the YMCA, sidewalk to the Main Street-Monument intersection, crossed and went into Riverscape Park, and saw that once again the river was 3 feet above the bikeway.
08:08—passing the zig-zag up from the Mad River Bikeway. The bikeway was flooded as far as the Webster Street bridge, so I rode south on Webster to Monument Avenue. About a quarter mile after Findlay Avenue, I slodged over the grass to the above-river bikeway.
08:22—passing the west gate to Eastwood Park. Run-off from the hills above the transition at Smithville and Springfield flowed again across the bikeway. It wasn't all frozen today, but enough was to be a bit slippery as I walked over the area. As I prepared to cross Smithville, a bundled-up cyclist came up the street toward Springfield Avenue. "So I am not the only cold commuter," I thought. Then a courteous driver waved me through the pass at Airway. No deer were grazing at the DPL fairways.
08:36—passing the trestle remains at Linden. Another courteous driver waved me through the pass at Woodbine—I hope this indicates a trend for 2011. It was notably colder in the half mile between Woodman and Founders, due to the natural, undeveloped areas south of the bikeway there.
08:50—arriving at work. I had plenty of energy to spare. It's time to take the exertion level up a notch.
05 March 2011
Rainy Saturday
Temperature: 50°F.
Preciptation: rain
So my decision not to bike yesterday was borne out, throughout a day of rain, sometimes heavy. It's raining still, and I've decided to go to Practicce Yoga this morning at 11:00 for open vinyasa. I took an alendronate sodium pill as soon as I got up at 9:00, and I'm now waiting the 30 to 60 minutes before eating a light breakfast.
Preciptation: rain
So my decision not to bike yesterday was borne out, throughout a day of rain, sometimes heavy. It's raining still, and I've decided to go to Practicce Yoga this morning at 11:00 for open vinyasa. I took an alendronate sodium pill as soon as I got up at 9:00, and I'm now waiting the 30 to 60 minutes before eating a light breakfast.
04 March 2011
Bike commute today ...or not
Look, I've wasted too much time worrying whether it was gonna rain today on my ride to work and back home. It's now 7:50; far too late to start out by bike and make it early enough to the desk to leave by 4:30. And it is indeed raining now, but so lightly that rationalization could have persuaded me to bike. Here are the forecast page and the radar page.
Today's forecast
Latest radar
And now I'm committed to driving to work. I'll pack in my bike, in case it's dry this evening and a Courteous Mass ride works out.
Today's forecast
Latest radar
02 March 2011
Bike commute day 1, return home
Temperatures: 46°F at 17:00, 43°F at 18:20
Clothing: Top with 2 layers, with closely-woven wool-acrylic cycling jacket included; Lycra tights; ankle socks. Thinsulate gloves. (Cool, just a bit less than comfortable.)
Time: 0:52:xx for 12.5 miles
17:29—depart from work, with a lucky break of a green light at Research that I could pedal through. The split had 6 cyclists, quite a few for this time of year, I think, and an equal number of pedestrians.
17:43—trestle remains at Linden. Total count of others on the bikeway grew to 8 cyclists, 15 pedestrians.
17:55—west gate to Eastwood Park. I stopped just beyond this point to dig out the Thinsulate gloves from my backpack and wriggle them on over my fingerless cycling gloves. Just before Findlay, I hopped off the bikeway onto Monument Avenue, since Mad River was flooded. Almost no traffic, except for one nicely passing pickup near the intersection with Webster.
18:08—passing the zig-zag up from the Mad River Bikeway, as I travel on Monument Avenue. I was able to pick up speed, and the desire to do so, as I met the challenge of making as many green lights as possible, and had to stop only at Main Street. The rise into Grafton Hill was harder than what was typical last season.
18:21—arrive home, without being to terribly worn out.
During the last days, I've been monitoring my temperature by mouth.
Tuesday10:35 96.9°F
13:08 96.2°F
Wednesday
11:10 97.0°F
12:40 96.2°F
13:25 96.5°F
15:30 96.2°F
16:45 96.2°F
18:45 95.8°F (naked and quiet at the computer)
Clothing: Top with 2 layers, with closely-woven wool-acrylic cycling jacket included; Lycra tights; ankle socks. Thinsulate gloves. (Cool, just a bit less than comfortable.)
Time: 0:52:xx for 12.5 miles
17:29—depart from work, with a lucky break of a green light at Research that I could pedal through. The split had 6 cyclists, quite a few for this time of year, I think, and an equal number of pedestrians.
17:43—trestle remains at Linden. Total count of others on the bikeway grew to 8 cyclists, 15 pedestrians.
17:55—west gate to Eastwood Park. I stopped just beyond this point to dig out the Thinsulate gloves from my backpack and wriggle them on over my fingerless cycling gloves. Just before Findlay, I hopped off the bikeway onto Monument Avenue, since Mad River was flooded. Almost no traffic, except for one nicely passing pickup near the intersection with Webster.
18:08—passing the zig-zag up from the Mad River Bikeway, as I travel on Monument Avenue. I was able to pick up speed, and the desire to do so, as I met the challenge of making as many green lights as possible, and had to stop only at Main Street. The rise into Grafton Hill was harder than what was typical last season.
18:21—arrive home, without being to terribly worn out.
During the last days, I've been monitoring my temperature by mouth.
Tuesday10:35 96.9°F
13:08 96.2°F
Wednesday
11:10 97.0°F
12:40 96.2°F
13:25 96.5°F
15:30 96.2°F
16:45 96.2°F
18:45 95.8°F (naked and quiet at the computer)
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.
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.
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