A year of bicycle commuting

It's been a year since I started bicycle commuting. I had an informal goal of riding 2000 miles in this year, including all types of riding. I've gotten to 1560 miles, which isn't too bad, especially considering that I had one virus after another for about six weeks this past spring (one of the joys of parenthood). I guess I'm feeling pretty good about this, and now I have something to shoot for next year: at least riding more than 1560 miles, and hopefully going 2000 miles (if I can stay healthy and ride a century or two, this shouldn't be a problem).

Sympathy pains

Here's a quote for you:

I didn't see it coming, but I sure felt it roll over my head. It feels really strange to have a truck run over your head.

This from a bicyclist who suffered only a concussion (his helmet was flattened). When I read that quote out loud, my daughter said, "That story you read made my head hurt." Amen.

1000 miles for Earth Day

I must admit that I started commuting to work by bicycle for health and family logistics reasons, but there's a certain symbolic significance of the fact that, due to a ride I went on with the Cascade Bicycle Club yesterday, I have clocked over a thousand miles since September -- just in time for Earth Day. Besides all of the gasoline I haven't burned, there's also the second car we haven't bought. My next goal: 2,000 miles by this September.

Three bicycle stories

Cross Training

This is the (academic) year I made the commitment to become a bicycle commuter. I've been riding daily since the start of the academic year, and what do I have to show for it? Well, in the past, when I went skiing, I felt it in all my muscles -- especially in my quads. This year? I can ski all day and not even feel it. I'm almost as fresh at the end of the day as at the beginning.

"Learn how to drive!"

I had my first run-in with an asshole driver today. (Which is pretty good, given the time I've been commuting by bike, and probably says something about driver courtesy in this area.) He wanted to change lanes and seemed to take exception to the fact that I was already in that lane, and ahead of him. He showed his lack of originality with the aforementioned quote. You guessed it; he was driving a pickup truck.

Haiku

The curve approaches
Sand on the ground and my speed
Hazardous mixture

What I learned about bicycle commuting this week

1. You don't want to take a turn at 20 miles/hour when there's still sand on the road from a recent snow.

2. Plain gauze bandages get embedded in newly-formed scabs.