Notice the flooding coming up on the sidewalk

I rode to work and then back home in warm weather.  The afternoon sky smelled of rain, but I never felt a drop.  The 7.7 mile round-trip was my normal route.

After I got home and took care of the dogs I rode out to Baxter Jack’s to watch Robin play volleyball.  It started raining on the way.  Once I locked up and got to the covered deck the skies opened up.  It was really raining.

Once the storm passed, the volleyball games began.  I watched her team lose (ouch).  She had things to do, so we went our separate ways.  I didn’t want to come straight home.  It was raining, but not the torrential downpour we had earlier.  I was still dressed for work, business casual, not the ideal wet weather gear, but I didn’t care.

I continued to Cumberland where I stopped for a beer and burger.  I took the long way home from there, adding another 7.8 miles for the day, and completing my 30 Days of Biking project.

My mileage total for the month was 300.3.  That’s not a great month for me, but considering how poorly this year has gone with my neck issues, it is an improvement.  Here are the miles numbers for the year so far:

I forced myself to ride every day of the month, even if it were a very short ride, to get back in the habit of riding everywhere.  Earlier in the year I took a bus, cab, or hitched a ride too often.  I think I’m back on the bike for good now.  I won’t be posting about every day’s ride, and I may not ride if I’m not going anywhere.

I did get a lot of housework done though.

We did a couple of warm-up climbs on Eastern Parkway, and in Cherokee Park.  I fell behind because I’m out of shape, and I was riding a single-speed, but I did as I expected and just kept going.

When we made a turn on to Peterson Ave, I then understood the challenge.  It’s a steep, if short climb.  No problem there.  The problem is the surface.  It’s a very bumpy brick road.  I made it about 1/3 of the way up before dismounting and walking.  Asher rode to the top.  Walking on cleats on a brick road was not my favorite way to do this.

We eventually worked our way to River Road and stopped at The Black Spring, a very unique bike shop.  After looking at cruiser bikes (just for fun), we ate some BBQ from a new business that shares space with the shop.

Once fueled again, we headed toward downtown, where we passed a lost-looking guy on a hybrid bike.  We passed him at a good clip, then I noticed he caught up with us easily and stayed right behind me.  Asher and I chatted with him a bit.  Ed was here on business and rented a bike after arriving in town.  He’s a serious cyclist.  He used to be a full-time commuter in San Diego, and currently is a part-time commuter in Salt Lake City.

We gave him a tour of Portland, the West End, and part of the Riverwalk before he headed back to his hotel.  He mentioned how flat the area was.  Although Louisville is flat compared to where he’s from, he missed the hills we were on earlier.

I ended the day with 35.6 miles and still had time to get a bunch of yardword done then wander around the neighborhood with Robin for the Schnitzelburg Beer Walk until a thunderstorm with hail chased us to shelter.

Just after sunset

Another short mileage day, at 7.7 miles.

After work, Robin and I went to the Bacon Ball put on by the LVAA.  This time of year, with the Derby related stuff, is bad for my health.  I ate a lot of small samples and had two beers before spending some time with Robin.

The picture was taken behind the event along the Ohio River.

On my way home from work

Yes, Thursday was my birthday.  I rode my normal 7.7 mile commute.  After I got home, Robin treated me to dinner at Za’s Pizza.  We were joined by my daughter and her boyfriend, and Robin’s daughter.

I drank beer and ate too much pizza, just like most days.

Not much else to say.  I had a good time, but I didn’t “ride my age” or anything like that.

Tow Bike

Riding the bike like this was fine.  It handled better than expected.  Moving it around while not riding it was problematic.  When I got to work, I had to leave it in the hallway.  I also couldn’t turn it around, so at the end of the day I went out a different set of doors.

I rode this contraption to On Your Left Cycles and unhooked the bikes.  I dropped off the Dummy and rode the single-speed to Popalino’s Pizza for Car-Free Happy Hour.

There was a chance of strong storms around 5:00pm, but they never materialized.  We just had light rain.  That seems to have scared off some of the CFHH crew, as there were only about ten of us there this time.

Tomorrow is my birthday.  I have plans to spend time with Robin and my daughter.  Robin surprised me by having a cake at Popalino’s when I got there. She had other plans for the evening and couldn’t be there.  The cake was a really nice touch.

Cake!

After things wrapped up, I headed home, but had to stop at the gas station… for a picture.

$3.99

I met up with Tim for a Coffee ride.  We started at Heine’s, had an urban ride around town, and ended at Quill’s.  I then walked across the street to Vic’s Classic Bikes and looked around.

At Vic’s I met Emily.  She moved to Louisville recently from Minneapolis.  Louisville’s bike scene doesn’t compare with Minneapolis, but I told her about car-free happy hour.  She won’t make this month’s event (Wednesday), but maybe next month.

Quill's is good!

Monday – Day 23

Monday was my normal 7.7 mile round-trip commute.  I then rode in a car with Robin to a Maker’s Mark event where we learned about the Mint Julep.

Maker's Mark

After this event, I went with Robin where she played volleyball.  I drank beer and had a burger.  I was stuffed and feeling a bit ill by the time I got home, but not enough to keep me from playing with my new Kindle that arrived.

Kindle Touch

My old Kindle was the model with the keyboard.  It was damaged when the Big Dummy fell over while unloading groceries.  I replaced it with the Kindle Touch.  I’m not sure if I like the touch screen more than the old keyboard or not.  I did get a leather case for it this time to protect it from my stupidity.

Tuesday – Day 24

I had trouble getting up after consuming too much on Monday and staying up too late reading, but I did manage to drag myself to work on the the bike.  Again, the 7.7 mile commute.

Once I was home, I wanted to fix the flat tire on the Big Dummy.  It took me a while to find the tiny piece of glass in the tire that has repeatedly punctured the tube, but I feel more confident about the tires now.

I also discovered that the Big Dummy will sit happily on the kickstand without a rear wheel in place.

Hover Dummy?

I’m not getting a ton of miles in, but I am riding every day.  That feels good.  The first three months of the year have been hellish with my neck issues.  The problems aren’t gone, but things have improved enough that I feel like myself again.

Today is Thunder Over Louisville.  The event can be fun, but it’s also a crowded hassle.  Being one hundred miles away won’t bother me a bit.

I got paid yesterday, so I’m paying bills.  My LG&E bill is the second lowest since I’ve lived in this house.  That’s a benefit to the mild weather and living alone.

I ordered some camping stuff, a replacement Kindle, and some bike stuff for the Big Dummy.  I’ll have updates on that later.

Haulin'

I needed to buy dog food, so I rode the Big Dummy to work.  After work, I rode to Feeder’s Supply.  After my last fiasco hauling dog food (bike fell over breaking a brake lever and my Kindle), I loaded the dog food on top the deck instead of in the freeloader bag.

I got in 8.5 miles for the day before going out for pizza and beer with Robin.  It was a fine way to end the week.

I took the same way to work today, but had an appointment to donate blood after work.  My normal route is not necessarily the most direct.  Going by the Red Cross is actually more direct, and I ended the day with 7.3 miles.  Going “out of my way’ saved me 0.4 miles.

It was cool again this morning, but I skipped the jacket, and just wore the hat and gloves.  I still managed to take a few pictures while riding.

I’ve now got the time off work starting June 2nd for a four-day tour.  Debbie, who joined me on half of last year’s tour, is planning to ride this one.

Below is a preview of the tentative route.  We’re riding four days, which means three nights of camping.  Total distance is approximately 220 miles.

Route preview

Camping is planned at Clifty Falls State Park, Spring Mill State Park, and O’Bannon Woods State Park.  The entire tour is in Indiana, but the start location is just across the river from Louisville.

My plan at this point is to ride the Big Dummy, assuming I can get the handlebars dialed in where it’s comfortable.  Failing that, I’ll try to figure out how to carry everything on the recumbent.

Why did I have to chase?  Maybe it’s natural competitiveness.  I did catch her, and chatted briefly, but the extra exertion left me sweaty.

It was a bit warmer for the ride home, so I didn’t wear a jacket.  I left work a bit late, so traffic was light.  I pushed hard again, although there was no one to chase.  I cruised at about 22mph on my single-speed down third street barely making the lights.  That’s about as fast as I can go on flat ground for any length of time.  Once I hit a red light, I took it slower after that.

So, a 7.7 mile commute – my normal route – and that’s it for the day.

I left home about 8:30.  The rain had tapered to a drizzle, but it was windy.  I wore bike shorts and a jersey and had my work clothes packed away in a plastic bag to keep them dry.  I changed at work.

I had a lunchtime appointment across the river.  The skies had cleared and it was quite pleasant.  Heading north across the bridge was easy with a tailwind to help out.

After lunch, I had to fight that same wind heading back across the bridge.  These two trips over the bridge in good weather were done wearing my work clothes.

After work I went to the drugstore then home, capping off a 13.5 mile day.  I only got wet once and overall it was quite pleasant.

On Sunday, day 15, I goofed around the house a while.  I had intended to take off on a long ride on the recumbent.  I couldn’t seem to force myself out the door.  After several hours of working on PHP, HTML, and CSS, I decided I needed a bike ride.

Another bike pose

I scaled back my plans and took off for an urban ride on the single-speed.  It was warm, about 80 degrees, but quite windy.  I meandered through neighborhoods and eventually made it to Mellwood Ave.  I took that out to Mockingbird Valley, down to the trail along River Rd.  There were many people out a Carrie Gaulbert Cox Park.  Some were cooking on the grill.  Some were putting boats on the river.  A few were flying kites.

Ohio River through the trees

I then started climbing through the Indian Hills neighborhood.  Eventually crossing Brownsboro Rd at Country Ln and riding through the parking lot and bike path at Chenoweth Elementary School.

Pretty climb

Being a Sunday, the bike rack was empty.  I’d like to see how many kids use it during a nice day.

Empty bike rack

The path is a very short path that goes from Sprite Rd to the school.  It allows the kids to get from the quiet neighborhood streets of Brownsboro Village to the school without having to travel on the busy Brownsboro Rd.  This may be the only utilitarian bike path in town.

Bike path

I then wound around through St Matthews.  Normally the next part would be through Seneca Park, but i wanted something different, so I hopped on Lexington Rd where I managed a brisk 20mph into a headwind (but going downhill).  I turned off on the Beargrass Creek Trail and stopped to rest and take a picture of the signage.

Slippery when wet

The warning is no joke.  It was dry for this ride, but I’ve ridden the trail when it’s wet.  There are several bridges over the creek, and they are especially hazardous.

Around this time, I heard from Tim.  He wanted to get out and burn off some of the food he had consumed.

I finished the trail, and worked my way to Baxter Ave then Bardstown Rd where I met up with Tim.

He was on his QuickBeam, so we both enjoyed the simple-ness of a single-speed.

He led us through Cherokee and Seneca Parks.  It was getting to be evening and the bugs were out in force.  When I wasn’t inhaling them, they were bouncing off my glasses.

I followed him off-road twice.  It was an interesting ride.  Both of us have to be back to work today (Monday), so we eventually parted ways.  I headed straight down Eastern Parkway, taking advantage of a tailwind and a hill to spin out at 35mph for a bit.

I had 30.7 miles for the day.  I’ll take it.

I had intended to get out early and ride the LBC populaire this morning, but once I got up, I changed my mind and went back to bed.  I still have the rest of the day to get on the bike.

Porter

My round-trip commute to work and back was a measly 7.7 miles.  It was an easy ride on the single-speed.  After arriving home, I made a grocery list, and headed back out for a whole 1.5 miles to the local grocery store.

A porter is someone or something that carries stuff.  My bicycle was my porter.  I had a gallon of milk, snacks for bike rides this weekend, veggies, meat, bread, peanut butter, and a six-pack of Bluegrass Brewing Company Dark Star Porter.

I’m spending the evening being very domestic.  I’m trying to keep my housework manageable.  I want to spend the weekend on the bike.

I mentioned in previous posts that I’ve been depressed.  I think a weekend of bike riding is just what I need.

I accidently left my refrigerator unplugged overnight and all day today.  I threw away a few things, but there wasn’t much in there anyway.

I’m in a mental funk.  I haven’t eaten poorly today, but my trip to Four Pegs last night was a bad idea.  I ate dinner with Robin tonight, and I helped cook.  Now I’m back home and still feeling down.

I think my blog issues are solved.  I’m going to give it a few more days before calling it a success.

My neck continues to improve.  It’s a gradual change.  It still hurts, but my range-of-motion is better.  It doesn’t hurt to ride a bike, even with drop bars.

It annoys me to no end that I had to sell bikes to pay taxes.  Tim and Timothy rode a hilly 62 miles today.  I could have probably gotten the day off work and joined them, but I don’t have a bike that fits that kind of riding.  It would have been possible on the recumbent, but not ideal.  I know there’s a new bike in my future, when I can afford it.

Ready for the commute

I had hoped to ride at least ten miles today.  I only rode 7.7.  Taking the long way to work would have done it.  Taking the long way home would have too.  I could run an errand and hit the goal too, but I have no motivation.  I rode to work and back that’s enough.

The ride to work was uneventful.  The trip home was interesting.  There must be some convention downtown.  Police were working the intersections and letting huge groups of pedestrians through while holding back traffic.  I sat in traffic as did the other bicyclist in this photo.

Downtown

I’ve been feeling fat and lazy.  I’m running low on cash, so at least I’m eating less.

I miss my LHT.  I no longer have a decent bike for hilly gravel rides.  There are two awesome rides this weekend.  Both are possible on the ‘bent, but neither is ideal.

This morning was bad.  I didn’t ride to work.  I didn’t go to work.  I spent much of the day sleeping.  When I couldn’t sleep anymore, I wanted to read, but my Kindle is broken.  I bought a Kindle book anyway, and read it on my phone.

I did ride my bike less than a half-mile to go over to Robin’s and get some food.  She wasn’t home, but she told me what I could eat.  That 0.4 miles was my day 9.

I started feeling better toward evening.  I tackled the huge pile of papers in my home office.  I can now use my desk again.  I set up my laptop there and worked on migrating this blog to a new server.  Once DNS propagates, you should be able to read this.

Hopefully I’ll break the 10-mile mark for day 10.

BRIGHT Headlight

I got up at 4:30am, had coffee and and oatmeal and prepared for an early ride with Tim.  He sent me a message that he wasn’t well, and wouldn’t be at the ride.

I was going to ride anyway.  My (abbreviated) ride took me through Smoketown, Downtown, across the river to Indiana, then back through Old Louisville and home.

I didn’t spend any money, as it’s Easter, and nothing was open.

I have put the clipless pedals back on the single-speed.  I’m still trying to decide whether or not to leave them there.  I’m typing this while wearing my SPD shoes….

Friday morning was rough.  I had a hangover and I still felt full.  Robin drove me to work, and picked me up after work.  We went out for a light dinner (it is possible) at Wick’s Pizza and met some of her friends.  I had a salad.  Afterwords, I ran some errands on the bike, totalling a measly 1.5 miles, but I was on the bike.

I got a lot of housework and yardwork done on Saturday.  Some of it at my house, and some at Robin’s.  Later in the day, I had planned to meet back up with Robin, but instead went for a 5.7 mile spirited ride on the single-speed after dark with the new DiNotte lights. They are bright.  That’s the bike with the dyno-lighting, so add in a Planet Bike Superflash, and I had two headlights and three taillights.  I was quite visible.

I intend to get up early for a 6:00am ride with Tim.  Then I’ll spend the day with Robin going to Richmond KY to meet family.

Commute through Old Louisville

I had an uneventful ride to work this morning.  It had rained overnight, but skies had cleared before time for work.

At 5:00pm the rain was coming down hard, but I worked late and it was barely raining by 6:20pm when I headed home.

I invited Robin out to dinner at Cafe Amici in Old Louisville.  I ate a bit too much, but limited myself to one beer.

Bike Pose

My DiNotte lights that I bought back in 2008 show signs of wear.  The cables were fraying.  The batteries don’t last as long.  DiNotte has a reputation for good service.  I have them a call yesterday to see what my options are.

The headlight I have, the 600L, is no longer made.  They’re selling me a new XML-3 which is substantially brighter and throwing in a free refurbish on my 140L taillight.  Works for me.

So, this morning I rode to the post office on the way to work to mail the old stuff to them.  Now it’s time for “the wait”.  Nobody likes the “the wait”.

After work I took a meandering ride home.  There was a risk of rain today, but it hasn’t materialized yet.  Overall a nice day.

I walked with my boss to lunch, played a game of chess – mental exercise.

The ride home was a bit faster with a mild tailwind, but taking my normal route.

I spent the evening cooking with Robin and watching UK win the championship.

No complaints about the day.  Good weather, good riding, good company.

Flooding in Cherokee Park

That’s right.  I’m back to my old self.  My neck still hurts, but I can ride again.   I can even ride a drop-bar road bike.  It’s a shame I sold my LHT, but I needed the money.

April is 30 days of biking.  I have to be on the bike every day of the month.  It doesn’t matter if I’m riding 100 miles or 1 block, but I have to ride.

I’ve been back on the bike for commuting the past two weeks.  Things have improved.  I’ve mostly rode the single-speed, but took the Big Dummy shopping on Thursday.

Today, April 1st started with rain and thunderstorms.  I assumed I’d be riding around the block.  I had tentative plans to ride with Tim and Timothy, but woke up to crappy weather.  Robin had stayed with me, and she reminded me I had to ride.

The weather cleared out, and I took off to meet in St. Matthews.  Tim never showed.  He had a bad day.  Timothy was there, and we rode 20-ish miles.  We helped an older gentleman on a recumbent trike fix a flat tire.  It ended up being a beautiful day and there were many cyclists out.  My total miles for the day were 30.8.  I’ll take it.  I did it all on the single-speed, even over the hills of Cherokee Park.

Later in the day I went with Robin to pick up her new TV, her first HDTV.  I programmed her UVerse box to work with it, and then took hours to figure out the remote programming.  She rewarded me with apple pie and ice cream.

Tomorrow I ride to work.  This is easy.  Iv’e been back at it for two weeks.

After work, I’ll be at Robin’s to watch UK win the NCAA basketball championship on her new TV.

Life is good.

Heavy skies

This might have been the first week this year that I rode to work and back a full five days. Most of those were on the single-speed.  I think I’m getting better.

Some of the improvement is mental.  Deciding to just deal with the pain has made things easier.  I’m still stretching and taking Aleve, but that’s pretty much it.

The nicer weather is a bonus.  Most of the country is having an early spring.  I’ve been leaving my bedroom window open for over a week now.  That was a bad idea during the day yesterday.  We had a storm, with tornado, blow through while I was at work.  There was no damage in my part of town, but the wind blew the rain in my open window getting my bed wet and splattering my laptop with droplets.  The laptop just needed a wipe-down. It still works fine.

After work I spent time with Robin and watched basketball.

I plan to participate in the 30 days of biking for the month of April.  That basically means I’m on the bike at least a little every day of the month.  I usually have days that I don’t go anywhere, or only walk, so I’ll have to take a little extra time for a spin around the neighborhood.

Update: I’ve sold the front rack and handlebar bag. I have someone picking up the LHT, Dahon, and wheelset. I’ve decided to keep the SON wheel and lights

Update 2: The LHT and Dahon are sold, as is the wheelset and some extra tires. I’m done selling bike stuff.

The three bikes that I’ll probably sell two of are:

• Surly Big Dummy (cargo bike)
• Surly Long Haul Trucker (touring bike)
• Dahon Speed D7 (folding bike)

My recumbent will handle long rides and with a few upgrades, even loaded touring. It’s the one bike that I can almost always ride.

The single-speed is a great around-town bike. I’m keeping it, even if I have to switch out the handlebars later. I may sell the lighting system including dyno-hub off of it though.

The Dahon (SOLD) is handy, but I seldom ride it. It’s a one-size-fits-all folding bike. It has fenders and a small rear rack. It could use a good cleaning and has a few scratches and scuffs. $250 or make an offer.

The Big Dummy (NO LONGER FOR SALE) is a few years old, but I haven’t had it long. I don’t know for sure what size it is, but it’s probably a tad large for me, but I manage to ride it anyway. It includes FreeLoader bags, kickback kickstand, wideloaders, and a Brooks sprung leather saddle. $1200 or best offer. I have a few repairs to make to it before it’s road-worthy again (rim strips and tires). If you’d like to save a few dollars and do that work yourself we could work something out. Note: this is the earlier model Big Dummy that has the “swoopy” top-tube and Mr Whirly Cranks. It sold for around $2500 when new. The newer ones use lower-end components and sell for around $2000.

I bought the Long-Haul Trucker (SOLD) new. It’s a 58cm in the “Truckacinno” color. It’s outfitted with a rear rack, computer, Brooks B17 saddle, and Schwalbe tires. The brakes have been upgraded to the excellent Tektro CR720 cantis. I’ll sell it with the original wheels and no bar-tape for $850 or best offer. The original wheels are a bit worn, but I have the new set available separately (see below).

I have some other parts and accessories available:

700C Wheelset – SOLD
Rear: Shimano XT hub 36H with Velocity Dyad rim – 9speed 11-34 cassette.
Front: Shimano Alfine Dynohub 32H with Velocity Dyad rim
These wheels were hand-built by local wheelbuilder Tom Armstrong for my LHT. I got them in late December, so they have less than 20 miles on them. I’ve been unable to ride that bike. I paid over $570 for them. I’ll sacrifice them for $350 firm.

700C Front Wheel – NO LONGER FOR SALE
This is a SON28 dynohub 36H laced to a Velocity A23 rim. This is the “classic” version (it’s not old, they just recently redesigned them). It’s squarer than the current mode. It’s non-disc, and shiny polished finish. I’ll sell the complete hand-built wheel for $250 firm, which is less than I paid for the hub. The hub is in perfect condition. The rim has had a few hundred miles of use, but will easily last a few thousand more. The hub will last forever.

Dyno Lights – NO LONGER FOR SALE
I have the B&M IQ CYO R headlight in black. It works with either dyno wheel above. I also have the B&M Toplight Flat S Plus tail light. It gets wired into the headlight to keep you visible. $80 for both if purchased with a bike or dyno-wheel.

Handlebar bag – SOLD
I’ll sell my Acorn handlebar bag (medium size?) for $60. There is normally a waiting list to buy these for $100.

Front Rack – SOLD
I have a Surly Front Rack that will fit the LHT easily or the Big Dummy with careful use of a dremel. First $40 takes it. Has most hardware (everything needed for mounting on either of those bikes).

Pictures? Well, I have the My Bikes page. The bikes may not look exactly the same anymore due to upgrades and parts switching. Contact me and you can check out a bike in person.

Terms? Cash only at time of sale. I won’t sell the lights unless they go with a bike or dyno wheel. Bikes don’t come with pedals (except the Dahon) I’ll have some for you to test ride though. I need to sell this stuff soon, like in the next three weeks. If I can’t sell it in that time frame, I’ll keep it. I can’t take payments. All this stuff is used. Some of it more than others. The wheelset is barely used. The bikes show that they have been ridden, they’re far from pristine. I may decline to sell a low-priced item if I haven’t sold anything else yet. I may decline to sell anything.

So, contact me at dave@davidcrowell.com, and we’ll talk.

Our navigation and fitness left a bit to be desired.  After riding off-course for a while, we took the direct way back to the cars, and only got about 37 miles in for the day.

It was beautiful weather.  It was good fun.  I need to do it again.

Tim’s write-up.

Asher’s take on the day.

Kristy, my ex-wife, recently joined a gym, and wanted a workout partner early Wednesday morning.  She understandably didn’t want to drive the ten miles to pick me up, ten miles back, then do it all over again to take me home.  40 miles uses gas and time.

She suggested I ride out to the gym to meet her on the folding bike, then she could give me a ride to work.  I scrambled to get the bike back from my daughter, who hasn’t been riding it recently.  After tuning it and taking care of the neglect it had suffered, I packed it for the next morning.  I used my large Arkel touring bags on the tiny bike.  Not only are they the only bags I can make fit on the tiny rack, but I needed the storage capacity for clothing and commuting stuff.  The bags are so large on the bike that I have to be careful to avoid leaning too much on turns or the bags rub the ground.

The ride was uneventful, which surprised me on Taylorsville Rd on a Wednesday morning.

After seeing the gym and signing in, I changed in the locker room and met Kristy by the weight machines.  I demonstrated how to use them and got a workout myself.  I may have overdone it on the machine that works the abs, I still hurt.

Overall the workout felt good, but it did aggravate my neck and shoulder.  I need to build strength in that area.  Riding the folding bike didn’t do me any favors either.

After showering and dressing for work, Kristy dropped my bike and I off at work.  The 3.5 mile ride home after work was easy, even on the tiny bike.  I rode about 13 miles for the day.  I may continue to join her for workouts, but I’ll ride the recumbent to the gym, then work, then home, giving me 25 miles or so.  It’ll save my neck.  I also need to start getting to bed earlier.  It’s hard to get to the gym before work when you oversleep.  I’m really good at sleeping.  I get a lot of practice.

Today I rode the recumbent.  It was cloudy and windy with threat of thunderstorms, but I never did get rained on.  The rain came after I got home.  I’ll be on the recumbent again tomorrow for the commute.  It’s much easier on the neck.

I’m on planning on riding on Saturday so I can spend most of the day with Robin, but on Sunday I have tentative plans to ride with the RCCS for an Indiana gravel ride.  I’ll be on the ‘bent, which should be interesting.  I think 40 miles is planned.

I have ridden gravel on the ‘bent before, but never a long ride.  We’ll see how it goes.  I’ll be  slow, partially because I’ll be on the ‘bent, and partially because I’m out of shape.

Saturday, Timothy and Asher competed in the Sub9 Death March.  They planned to stop at Charlestown Pizza for a victory beer after the race.  I’m in no shape to race, but I hopped on my recumbent for a ride to Charlestown to meet up with them.

Charlestown Pizza used to be one of my regular hang-outs when I lived in Charlestown.  I now live 20 miles away, so I don’t get there often.  A 40-mile round-trip means I can consume a few calories.

The 'bent near a funny sign

I actually had a rough ride on the way northward.  It’s a slight uphill the whole way.  Drivers were rude and I wasn’t feeling well.  To think I used to ride the route often to get to work was amazing.  I also realized just how out of shape I’ve gotten.

The weather was stunning.  It was sunny, clear, and in the mid-50s.  I arrived at Charlestown Pizza to see they are having a fundraiser for tornado-affected areas.  They were busy, but there was only about a 20-minute wait for a table for three.

After hearing about Timothy and Asher’s struggle on the Death March (and the DNF they got), we enjoyed food and beer.

It was dark by the time it was time to leave.  I was well-lit, yet I took a different route with less traffic but more hills.  I felt strong.  I felt good.

While southbound, Venus and Jupiter were to my right.  Mars was to my left.  Orion was nearly overhead.  I easily saw these things because it’s easy to look up into the sky while riding the recumbent.  The bike has it’s drawbacks, but the view is not one of them.

After riding home I felt incredibly alive.  Unlike my camping trip last month, I didn’t hurt from the ride.  Even the Big Dummy, with it’s upright position, hurts.  The ‘bent doesn’t.

Now I’m in a quandary.  I’m considering selling the LHT.  It’s designed for long trips.  I can’t ride an upright bike for long distances.  My single-speed works great around town for short trips.  The Big Dummy works for hauling dog food and other supplies short distances, but the ‘bent has to be my “distance bike”.

In any case, it was great to get out again.  I’m going to start getting out on my solo rides.

I had today off work, as I had a doctor visit in the middle of the day.  After 75F and tornadoes on Friday we had a cooler weekend.  This morning I woke to three inches of snow.  By the time I was up and moving the roads were completely clear.

Snowy Scene

I took a meandering route through neighborhoods.  I noticed that my fitness level has really diminished recently.  Every small hill was a challenge.

My last physical therapy appointment was Friday.  I’ve put my massage therapy and chiropractor visits on hold.  These things haven’t been working for me.  Today was the day for me to talk to my doctor about surgery.

Beargrass Creek

I approached Seneca Park and stopped to take the pictures in this post.  There wasn’t any snow falling from the sky, but the trees were dropping quite a bit as it melted.  I was pelted in the face by a piece of ice.

Snow-filled trees

I eventually made it to the office.  Not finding a bike rack, I had to lock to a sign.

The 'bent

As expected, the doctor has said that non-surgical methods are not working.  I’m hoping for one of the “easier” surgeries, as if any of them are easy.

That’s not to be.  He is suggesting anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.  That involves cutting through the front of the neck, removing the ruptured disc (C6-C7), grinding down the bone a bit, and sticking a piece of cadaver bone in to fuse the two vertebrae.  There would also be metal plates and screws put in place to hold it all together.

I would be unable to drive(ha!) or work for at least two weeks.  I’d be off the bike for several months.  It can take a full year for full fusion to take place.

There are risks.  The bones may not fuse, which would require another surgery.  I could die.  It may not provide as much relief as I hope.  I could end up paralyzed.  It’s a terribly invasive surgery.

He isn’t rushing me to make a decision.  At this point, I can’t see going through with the surgery.  I see two options that don’t involve surgery, both involve dealing with it.

Option One:  Give up.  Buy a car and sell the bikes.  Suffer with the pain and continue to deteriorate.  Someday I’ll die and the pain will stop.  That’s a lousy option, but seems slightly better than surgery (at this point).

Option Two:  Attack this thing my way.  I’ve done some research on exercise, stretching, diet, and other things that may help a little.  So, do those things and deal with the pain.  It won’t fix a ruptured disc, but it may provide enough relief for me to keep plugging along.  This keeps me healthy, and still leaves open the option for surgery later if necessary.

I did ask the doctor if the pressure on the nerve would be damage it long-term.  He didn’t seem concerned.  I asked him about the bikes again.  I don’t want to be limited to the recumbent.  He gave me the all-clear to ride what I want, with the warning that I may be quite sore from it.

I plan on riding the single-speed to work tomorrow.  I’ll consider replacing the handlebars with something a bit higher.

Later in the week I’ll get the LHT out and ready to ride.  I’ll look into other handlebar options for that too.

My preliminary decision is Option Two.  Option One is really bad.  Surgery doesn’t sound good.  Option One is the direction I’ll head for now.  I reserve the right to change my mind later.

Wednesday was stormy, yet I rode anyway.  We ended up with tornadoes to the south, but not in Louisville.

Yesterday, Friday, I rode again.  I had a physical therapy appointment before work and rode there under cloudy skies.  After PT I rode to work with a few raindrops.  There were all kinds of weather warnings popping up around the region, but it had actually started looking nice out.

A nasty storm system was approaching Louisville, and most businesses were letting people go home early.  About 2:15 I was given the go-ahead to leave.  I rode through strong winds and the temperature had climbed to 75F.  That’s definitely a sign of a spring storm.  I was in my back yard before I even felt a drop of rain.

Tornado in Southern Indiana

I watched weather information on my computer for a while and watched as nasty reports came in from Southern Indiana.  A friend of mine who lives near Borden Indiana, forwarded me a picture of a tornado.

Eventually a tornado warning was issued for Louisville, and I headed to the basement.  My power never went out.  No trees came down in my neighborhood.  We just had some scary winds for a few minutes, then it was over.

The reports are still coming in today.  More than two-dozen people killed in Kentucky and Southern Indiana.  Henryville High School is pretty much destroyed.  Borden High School damaged.  I’ve read there were over 80 tornadoes associated with this storm.  Some of them were pretty large.

The areas in Southern Indiana that were hit hardest are some of the areas I used to ride a lot in.  I won’t attempt to go there for another week or so to allow clean-up efforts to continue.  It’s a beautiful area with great low-traffic roads.  I feel for those who lost homes, family members, pets, etc.  That’s got to be hard.  I don’t wish that on anybody.

Here’s a video I found showing how to do it.  He rides much the way I do, with only a few variations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4ghpwIkzfw

In other news, my spine issue has shifted away from pain and more toward numbness.  Still not good, but riding the recumbent is not bad at all.  I intend to ride to work every day this week.  I rode to a dentist appointment this morning, then to work.  It was a beautiful day for it.

Monday had beautiful weather, but my neck was really bothering me.  I took a cab to work.

Tuesday was windy and rainy.  I had a physical therapy appointment and I was feeling better.  I rode the ‘bent to PT then to work.  I don’t mind riding in the rain too much.  It was a good day.  The therapist isn’t happy with my lack of progress, and neither am I.

This morning I had an early chiropractor appointment before work.  It was another “bad neck day”.  The visit did no good, and I took a cab to work again… in beautiful weather… again.

I think I’m done with the chiropractor.  The visits helped for a while, but they aren’t anymore.

I’ve swapped out my desk and chair at work.  We’ve ordered a monitor stand.  This should give me a more ergonomic workstation.  Hopefully this means I can be reasonably comfortable at work without leaning back in my chair.

I still have a few more PT appointments, then a follow-up with the neurosurgeon.  Then I’ll know what direction to take.

Patrick eating by headlamp - Saturday night

Read part one if you haven’t already.

I woke sore, stiff, and cold on Sunday morning.  I rolled out of the tent glad to be off of the ground.  It was about 6:30am.  The other guys started stirring about the same time.

The original plan was for me to make coffee and breakfast.  Breakfast required Asher to get the fire going again.  I was convinced by the others to skip making breakfast and concentrate on coffee.

I used Patrick’s stove and a percolator I borrowed from a co-worker to make passable (but hot!) coffee.

With everything packed, we rolled out of the campsite.  We waved at the younger group on our way out.  They were up, awake, and making breakfast.

The 33-degree temperatures were chilling on the fast descent down Holsclaw Hill Rd with no warm-up time.  Then it was a steady slog into and through town.

We decided to eat at a buffet near my house.  I fell behind everyone (except Asher who rode with my sorry slow ass).  Shortly after turning on Eastern Parkway the bike started feeling “squishy”.  Yep, the rear tire was going flat again.

Repairing a flat means unloading the bike.  Not a big deal at the campsite, but a real pain on the side of the road.  We were probably less than two miles from the restaurant, so I pumped the tire back up and continued.

After a less-than-satisfying breakfast, Patrick loaned me a CO2 cartridge that I used to re-inflate my tire and ride another mile to get home.  The bike is still sitting in the living room with a flat tire.

Building a bench - Saturday

I completely enjoyed the adventure, even with the cold, the neck issues, and the flats.  I’ll eventually buy better camping equipment.  I’m still not sure what direction bike changes will take.  I may be limited to riding the recumbent permanently.  This ride was painful.  I can add an under seat rack for more carrying capacity on the ‘bent.  I don’t want to do so until I know if I need to.

For now, I ride what I have and enjoy what I can.

So Saturday afternoon, Tim, Timothy, Patrick, Asher, and I all headed for Jefferson Memorial Forest.  Asher went on ahead to deal with firewood and paperwork, while the rest of us rode together after a meet-up for coffee and snacks.

I’m not supposed to be riding my bikes, other than the recumbent, per doctor’s orders.  The ‘bent isn’t set up for hauling a touring load.  Riding a drop-bar bike is out of the question.  The only choice I was left with was to ride the Big Dummy.  It has a more upright position which is easier on the neck.  It can also easily deal with hauling a load.

Loaded Dummy

I don’t have winter camping gear.  My sleeping bag was bought at WalMart 13 years ago.  I have an even cheaper sleeping bag I brought along as a second pad to supplement my foam pad.  My tent is an old but serviceable dome tent.  I also brought my regular pillow from home to help with my neck.

We wandered through town hitting a few extra hills to warm up (Tim claims it was just one extra hill, but I’m not convinced.)

We eventually made our way out to Mitchell Hill Rd then to Holsclaw Hill Rd.  Somewhere along there we got to enjoy a backyard firing range, 80s heavy metal blaring from a stereo, and an aggressive driver in a Mustang.

My fitness level is way down.  My weight is up.  I was riding a heavily-loaded cargo bike.  I fell behind the group on Holsclaw Hill Rd, well, because it goes up a hill!  I actually got off the bike and walked… for about ten feet.  The loaded bike was too heavy to push.  I got back on and continued pedaling.

I didn’t bring my camera on this trip.  I brought my iPhone to use as a camera.  I have mixed feelings about it, which I’ll write more about later.  I didn’t take a lot of photos.

While approaching the entrance to the campground, the  gang was at the top of the hill waiting for me.  I attempted a steep uphill climb off-road as a shortcut, and fell in the mud.  Oops.

We rolled into the campsite.  Before I could even unload the bike, someone pointed out I had a flat tire.  Sure enough, the rear tire was completely flat.  I unloaded the bike and changed the tube.

We all set up our tents.  Asher got a fire going.  Asher, Tim, and Patrick built a bench from a log and two rocks.  (I brought a camp chair).  Patrick prepared an awesome meal of pasta and sauce.  There were also prepared meat balls that just needed to be roasted over the fire to warm them up.  Beer was shared.

Timothy's "Beast"

Another group of five who were mostly U of L students were also bike camping a short distance away.  They invited us on an after-dark hike on a trail to a cemetery.  I was feeling the effects of the alcohol, and joined them.  The others in my group declined.  I enjoyed the hike.  The peaceful darkness was nice.  Flashlights were kept off unless needed.  The hiking warmed me up in a way the fire couldn’t.

Photogenic Tim

Once it got late, we eventually crawled into our tents to sleep.  I stayed completely dressed including hat and jacket.  I only removed my boots.  Even cocooned in my sleeping bag I was cold.  I slept poorly and was glad when I woke to sunlight.  That meant I could get up and move.

Patrick's Fargo

I’ll finish the story later in the week.  I need to get to sleep.

Hot coffee after a cold ride

I disappeared from here for a while.  I saw a neurosurgeon on the 6th.  He has referred me for physical therapy.  I’ve been to one session so far and have been doing some stretches as “homework”.  With luck things will improve enough that I won’t need surgery.

The doctor has told me to avoid the bikes, other than the recumbent, so the single-speed and LHT are parked.  I’ll still use the Big Dummy when appropriate for hauling loads.  It’s not too bad to ride it, as it a more upright position than the “road” bikes.

My eating is not doing well, but I am tracking everything I eat… and surpassing my limits each day.  I’ve not been getting on the scale every day.  Sometimes it’s because the scale is here at my house, and I’m at Robin’s house.  Other times it’s because I woke up late, and forgot the scale in my rush to get to work.

I’m beginning to tire of “tracking things”.  I’m going to bump my bike mileage tracking to monthly instead of weekly.  I’m still tracking my commute method each day (cab to work today, carpool home), but I’m not sure I’m going to continue doing it.  It’s actually a bit depressing.  I haven’t been on the bike enough.

I did ride my ‘bent for about 17 miles on Saturday.  I met Tim for a morning coffee ride.  I felt fat and slow.  The small hills around town are bigger than any of them on my commute, and I struggled.

The magical blue pony that gets me around Louisville

Several of us are doing a bike camping trip this Saturday into Sunday.  I’ll be riding the Big Dummy for the hauling capacity.  I’m in charge of breakfast and coffee for all of us.  It’ll be fun, and we’re just riding to Jefferson Forest, so it’s not far.  The more challenging part may be staying warm and dry while camping in February.  We’ll see.

I have another physical therapy appointment in the morning.  Wish me luck.

In January I had 21 work days, meaning 42 trips.  Only 28 of those trips were by bicycle.  There were three car-pool trips, four where I got a ride from someone else besides a co-worker, three trips on the bus, two in a cab, and two walking trips.

February is off to a better start.  I’ve ridden my single-speed to work and back every day.  My neck has improved enough that this isn’t too painful.

I only rode my bike 160.6 miles.  My neck and shoulder have conspired to keep me off the bike much of the time.  I made good use of carpooling, the bus, and the occasional cab ride to get to work.  I’ve even walked the 3.5 miles home from downtown once.

I quit weighing myself recently, but I’ll be doing that again now.  I had quit posting my weight a while before that, but I’ll get that caught up soon.

Now that I have an iPhone I downloaded the  MyFitnessPal app to track what I eat.  I’ve also downloaded the EEBA app to help me budget my money using virtual envelopes.  We’ll see how that works out.

The last two days have been much less painful than before.  I feel like I can function normally.  I didn’t ride my bike yesterday, because I had to return the rental car and walk to work from there.  I took the bus home.  Today, I rode the single-speed and it felt wonderful.  I’ll be on it again tomorrow.

I still have an appointment with a neurosurgeon on Monday.  I’d like to avoid surgery, so I’ll get a second opinion if he immediately suggests it.  If two doctors suggest it, I’ll go through with it.

Things are going well between Robin and I.  I like the fact that we’re both comfortable living where we do… two blocks apart.  Seriously, I just know I need to avoid pushing things faster (or further) than they need to go.  We are seeing each other exclusively, but I really don’t feel comfortable discussing much more here.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) is also the Car-Free Happy Hour.  This is technically January’s event as it was delayed a week.  Will you join us at 5:30pm at Four Pegs at 1053 Goss Ave 40217.  I may ride my bike there, or just walk.  It’s very close to my house.

Weight?  Weight!  Wait?  No, don’t wait.  I still need to lose about 55lbs to make it to my goal weight.  A reasonable goal is one pound per week, giving me about a year to do this.  So 175lbs by 2013.  Could the iPhone be the tool I need to do this?

With my new phone comes a new phone number.  I used to publish my old one pretty openly, but I’m not doing that any more.  That’s why I didn’t port the number to the new phone.  If you need my number, send me an email, and I’ll get back to you.

I rented a car, which by the way, if you don’t have a credit card, it’s a little more hassle.  I don’t have car insurance anymore, so I also paid extra for the insurance from the rental place.

I drove down after work yesterday.  Driving (mostly) the speed limit, I got here in about two hours.

I know I said I was “off the bike”, but that’s only partially true.  I’ve ridden to work once this past week.  The only bike riding I’m doing is transportation related.

I’ve ridden the bus some, and I don’t like it.  My bus route is rather crowded.  I’ve car-pooled with a co-worker, and Robin has taken me to work a couple of times when she was home during the week.  I’ve even considered walking to work.  I have walked home from downtown, but it wasn’t a work day, and I wasn’t carrying a laptop.

I’m still waiting to know the long-term plan for my neck issue.  I may end up riding the bikes as they are, stick to recumbents only, or go with higher handlebars on my existing bikes.  It’s too early to know right now.

My eating habits are only slightly better than before.  I have purchased a new hot-air popcorn popper.  I used it tonight.  Plain popcorn used to be a comfort food for me, but I had thrown away the old popper.  Now I can go back to this filling, low-calorie, snack that I used to enjoy.

In spite of the challenges, I’m in a good mood.  I’m not trying too hard to lose weight, just trying to prevent myself from gaining for a while.  Things are working well with Robin.  We’re now going out and doing something besides eating.  We saw a concert on Friday and a movie on Sunday.  We met with my daughter and her boyfriend on Saturday, but we did go out to eat then.

I feel more motivated to take care of housework and other related duties than I have in a while.

I probably won’t see Robin next weekend, but that will give me time to thoroughly clean house and catch up on other duties that need to be done.

I’ll take the bus to work most days now that I’m not riding my bike.  I’m considering walking a couple of days a week though, including tomorrow.  At least it’s still exercise and it doesn’t seem to hurt.

I didn’t ride the recumbent today (yesterday?).  This became important later.

I rode the Big Dummy.  I had my doctor appointment with my new family doctor.  I like my new doctor.  He’s nice, competent, and is honest.  He pointed out that my overeating and drinking are not only working against my weight loss effort (what weight loss effort?), but are adding to my depression.

So anyway, I met up with Tim again after work for our hour-long spin that we often do on Mondays.  As we rode more, my neck hurt worse.  It probably wouldn’t have been an issue on the ‘bent.  When we were nearing the end, I headed back on Payne St rather than following him back to his car on Mellwood Ave.  I wanted to cut the ride short.

I could have/should have went home.  Instead I stopped for food and beer.  I had my laptop with me so I made use of the free wi-fi and posted about my gastronomical disaster on BikeForums.

I went to bed after getting home.  I woke up in the middle of the night and looked at my post on BikeForums.  Apparently many people are supporting me and want me to continue the weight loss.  There’s a bit of “tough love” including from some strangers.  :)

The BikeForums post, the discussion with Tim while riding, and my doctor’s advice are all ganging up on me.  It is time to make a change.  Sure I lost 100lbs in 2007-2008.  Since then I’ve either held steady or gained.  I’m up 30lbs from my lowest weight.  I don’t want to be The Fat Guy anymore.

The neck pain has mostly ended long rides, but I can change that by riding the recumbent.  I just have to push myself out there and I will ride.  I miss disappearing for a day with the bike and a camera.  I can still do it.

I’m not spending any large amounts of money on bike stuff for a bit.  Long-term, I don’t know what bike(s) I’ll be riding.  I have one bike that I can ride a lot now, even with my neck issue.  It really doesn’t need anything other than maybe better lights, but I’ll use what I have for now.  The last time I spent money on that bike (upgraded brakes) I barely rode it for months because my neck improved.  Not that I’m complaining…

I need to make some major dietary changes, but I’m not writing out new rules here right now.  I’ve done that a few times recently and failed each time.  I’m going to make some changes now, but the changes are more minor and less strict.  I’ll figure out more later.  I will start riding more immediately also.

There’s also the issue of Robin.  We tend to go out to eat every day.  She wants to make changes too, so maybe it’s time.  Overall, I think she eats better than I do.  We’ll need to figure out social activities that don’t involve copious consumption of calories.

I don’t mean to sound too negative.  A lot of good stuff is going on.  I bought a new laptop on Friday to replace the one that died a few months ago.  I’ve been spending my weekends with Robin.  I have a doctor appointment tomorrow and will figure out what to do next for treatment of my neck.

Robin bought me a heating pad, mostly because I’m too stubborn to buy one myself.  I’ve been enjoying good company, good food, and good beer.

I bought some new clothing and a stand for my new laptop, so I can sit in a more comfortable chair and still use it.

I’ll be riding the recumbent to the doctor then to work tomorrow.  There’s a good chance of rain, so I’ll be carrying dry clothes with me.  At least the rain will finish melting the little bit of snow off the ground.

Tim and I had done some “training” rides on Monday nights last year.  No training today.  We’re both out of shape, and I’m slower on the recumbent due to not riding much in the last 18 months.

We meandered around town for an hour, then I headed toward home.  I stopped at Four Pegs to talk to the owner about Car-Free Happy Hour, and I had to have a couple of beers while I was there.  Their kitchen isn’t open on Monday’s, and I hadn’t eaten since lunch.  The last time I did this on a Monday, I went to Hammerheads and didn’t remember the rest of the night.  So, today, I went home.

I called Danny Mac’s Pizza for delivery, but they recently cut the days they are delivering.  Bummer.  I ordered anyway, and rode the ‘bent up to pick it up.

I ate well and rode a total of about 28 miles for the day.  That’s the best mileage day for the year.  It certainly was too many calories, but maybe I’ll get that under control tomorrow.

I’m riding the recumbent to work tomorrow.  It’s set up and ready to go.  It would be more work to NOT ride it.

On Friday, I took Robin down to Za’s Pizza on the Big Dummy.  It was a blast, but she wants a cushion to sit on next time.  I rode the recumbent to her house today, and she rode it through the alley.  She’s interested in trying out a tandem recumbent now… so I’ve got to find one available for a test ride.

My eating habits have been bad.  I’m drinking too much.  My bike riding is way down due to the neck issue.  I guess the recumbent becomes my go-to bike so I can get more miles in.  I’ll ride the LHT in winter weather, as it’s better equipped.  I’ll ride the Big Dummy for hauling loads or people, as it does it well.  The ‘bent is for everything else.

I’ve driven too much this year (Robin’s car).  It all involved us going out for something, but I didn’t think the first calendar year of being car-free would involve so much driving.  I’ve driven almost as many miles as I’ve ridden a bike.  Granted, I’m low on bike miles due to my neck issue, but it’s still frustrating.

I have tentative plans to meet up with Tim after work tomorrow for a one-hour ride.  We’ll see.

For the rest of the week I need to eat healthier and ride more.

I just got back from Four Pegs, where I had food and too much beer.  I walked, so no drunk cycling involved.

I called a cab to get to work this morning.  My neck pain made riding a bike pretty much impossible.  A co-worker gave me a ride home.

Patrick noted in a text message to me that I’m probably going to have a weekend without much cycling.  He was referring to “Robin the Redhead”.  :)  Although it’s probably true, it’s more to do with my neck pain.

I intend to ride the recumbent tomorrow.  We’ll see how that goes.  The pain was bad enough today that even that wouldn’t have worked well.  Even driving would have been problematic.

Unless my neck settles down, 2012 will be the year of neck surgery.  I’m not looking forward to such things, but if this is the alternative, I’ll take the surgery.

It’s strange, I’ve been slightly depressed all day, yet really looking forward to when Robin gets back in town tomorrow.  That won’t fix my neck issue, but will make me feel better anyway.

The holidays are over.  The new year is here.  Most of us are back at work.  Even with the cold weather we’ve had this week (until this afternoon) I’ve seen quite a few bicycle commuters.  I’ve also had interactions with rude and clueless drivers.

I’ve had at least one near-miss every day this week.  It normally takes months to get that many.  I’m wearing a lime-green reflective vest, I’m well lit, and I take the lane.  What gives?

This afternoon two cars cut me off within five minutes of each other.  Both times I was downtown on one-way streets with multiple lanes.  The second time, the car braked directly in front of me because another car was stopped at a red light.  I had to brake hard to avoid running into him.  I rolled along side of his car and rapped on his window.  I didn’t expect him to roll it down, but he did.

He was a clean-cut middle-aged man with a foreign accent (Indian?).  He was actually quite apologetic.  He actually SAW ME, he had changed lanes and went around me long enough to swerve back in front of me while braking.  After our (polite) words were exchanged, I rolled in front of him and waited for the light.  I think he got the message.

I rode my LHT in it’s “winter trim” yesterday and today.  We didn’t have any snow or ice, but I knew there was the possibility yesterday.  Pondero wanted some pictures, so I took the camera to work with me and grabbed a few pictures in front of the building.

Long Haul Trucker - Winter trim

The new front wheel has a dynohub, but haven’t bought a light for it yet.  I will soon.

Shimano Alfine Dynohub

The new Tektro CR720 wide-profile cantilever brakes feel better and are quieter, but they don’t seem much stronger.  Maybe some adjustments can fix that.

The Schwalbe Marathon Winter tires I bought almost two years ago will keep me upright on icy roads.

Tires and Brakes

I’ve run the shift cables along the bars, allowing me to install the BarMitts.  I’ll eventually buy some more bar tape and re-wrap the bars.

Bars and Mitts

I haven’t ridden the recumbent this week, but I probably should.  My neck hurts, my shoulder hurts, my upper back hurts, and my right hand is tingly.

It is nice to have all the bikes functional again.  No more worries about bad weather without the appropriate bike.

My Surly Long Haul Trucker is my winter bike because I have studded tires to fit it.  First it had a front derailleur issue, then it needed new cables run.  I didn’t like the brakes and it needed new wheels.

So, I replaced the brakes, recabled brakes and shifters – moving the shifters to the downtube bosses, and swapped the new wheels into place.  I hated the shifters.  With my neck flare up I couldn’t actually ride the bike.

Last night’s weather forecast was ugly.  We were under a winter weather advisory, so I figured I’d better get the studded tires out.

I moved the shifters back to the bar-ends, re-cabled them (again!) and routed the cable up the bars so my BarMitts would fit.  I swapped out tires for the studded Marathon Winter tires.  I ended up staying up late to get this done.

So, this morning the roads were completely clear.  What little snow we had gotten had disappeared (did it sublimate?).  It was cold, so the BarMitts were great.  I enjoyed the “electronic bacon” sound of the studded tires, even if they did slow me down a bit.

My cabling job works.  Everything works.  The new brakes are silent even if not as powerful as I’d like.  I never did use a fork-crown mount cable hanger, but that may not be needed.  That’s good as it’ll leave a better mounting spot for a dyno-powered headlight once I get around to buying it.

I didn’t re-wrap the bars.  I need more bar-tape, and I want to make sure my cabling job is good before covering it.

All four of the bikes in the house (#5 – the folding bike is still with my daughter) are ready for commute duty should they be needed.

Bike Miles

I rode 5502.9 miles in 2011.  That’s more than 400 miles over 2010′s 5087.2.  By comparison, 2009 was only 3860 miles.  November 2011 was a new personal record month.  I had 697.7 miles.  December is my best December yet, but nothing exceptional at 444.9 miles.

I hope to surpass 6000 miles in 2012, and have a one-month best of 750 miles.

Car-Free

I sold my truck and became car-free on November 4th.  I’m still adjusting to living without a car, but it’s not a difficult adjustment after living most of the year as if I were already car-free.

Bikes

I bought the Big Dummy as my car truck replacement once I knew I actually would sell the truck.  I still have some fit issues to get dialed in, but the bike has been great at hauling things (and people!).

I’ve spent a lot of money on bikes this year.  In addition to buying the Big Dummy, I bought a SON dynohub and lighting system for the LHT in April.  I later moved the wheel and lights to the single-speed.

In March, I bought a used kid-trailer as an affordable cargo hauler.  I haven’t used it since buying the Big Dummy, but it could be useful to tow it with the Big Dummy if I really need to haul a lot.

In December I bought new wheels (including Shimano dynohub) for the LHT.  I also bought new brakes.  Now, January 1st, the bike is still partially assembled in my kitchen.

Health

2011 has been a challenging year due to health issues.

In June I had a horrible neck pain problem.  It kept me off the bike briefly.  It made me miss some longer pleasure rides that I wanted to do.  With some treatment and strength training it was resolved to the point that I can function normally, but it never went away.

In September I was hospitalized due to a bowel obstruction.  Luckily it resolved without surgery, but it was scary.  I only missed one important ride, and had no lasting effects.

On the day after Christmas my neck issue returned.  I’m still struggling with it, and I see myself riding the recumbent more often now.  I wasn’t car-free last time, so my options are a bit more limited now.

The various doctor visits may have actually added to my overall mileage for the year.  I had doctor visits in New Albany and east of Lyndon that took me a bit farther for transportation cycling than I normally go.

Weight

Ah, the elephant in the room.  First let’s look at my monthly average weight since I started tracking it in 10/2007.  Up until July 2009, things look great, then a bit of a bump, lost again, then steady increase since March 2010.

Now let’s look at the same values beginning January 2009.  You’ll notice that most of it is between 200 and 220lbs.  That changes when it goes above 230 in July 2011.  It stays above 230 until the last two month of the year.

It’s a little bit depressing, but not all that surprising.  I’ve been treating myself to good food and beer as if I don’t have a weight problem.  I not going to give these things up, but I need to make better decisions on how much and how often to consume these things.

2011 was not a good year for weight loss.  I ended the year 13lbs heavier than I started it.  Ugh.  As Tim would say, I have an “intake valve problem”.

Exercise

Other than cycling I’ve done little exercising.  I had my push-up plan back in 2008 that I abandoned after suffer shoulder pain.  I’m supposed to be using some dumbbells to strengthen my upper body to help with the neck and shoulder issues, but I’ve not been using them as much as I should.

I was training for a triathlon early in the year, but ditched that after suffering problems in the swim portion of the training.  I did not enjoy the running, but I was capable of performing what was needed.

I did race my first bicycle race in November, the Gravel Grovel.  I met my goal of less that 6.5 hrs (just over 6 hours).

My biggest problem right now, is that my most common exercise other than cycling is the 12 ounce lift (lifting the beer to my lips).

Relationships

Okay, where to begin?

When I started this blog in November of 2007, my 13-year marriage was ending.  I didn’t talk about it publicly for months, but it was happening.

I married Kristy in 2009.  It was a much different marriage than the first, but didn’t work out for much different reasons.  We are now officially divorced.

Interesting tidbit.  I met an interesting woman, Robin, a few days ago.  My desires in a relationship are a bit different now.  I’m not ready to rush in to living together or marriage (eek!  I said the M word!), but she lives nearby (walking distance, no bike even needed!) and we have some common interests.  We rang in the new year together.  I’m not going to talk much more about her for the time being.

2012

Most goals stay the same.  Goal weight of 175lbs.  Stay sane.  Be happy.

Some goals have changed.  Ride 6000 miles for the year.  Ride 750 miles or more in at least one month.  Save more money.

All of this is for nothing if the Mayans were right.

Happy New Year everyone!

Dummy on the road

Friday
On Friday I rode the Big Dummy over 50 miles.  I rode out to Prospect to look at a used laptop.  I didn’t buy it.  I then headed out to Bluegrass Bicycle in Crestwood to pick up my new wheels for the LHT.  I took some really hilly roads on the way there and back.  I made a day out of it and stopped for food in Crestwood and coffee in Prospect.

Both Sleepy Hollow Rd and Covered Bridge Rd were very nice.  US42 wasn’t.

Saturday

Saturday was Christmas Eve.  I met up with others (I think it was Tim, Patrick, and Asher, but my memory is shot) early in the morning.  After riding around town for a while, I went to OYLC and hung out until noon, then went home.

Christmas
I didn’t leave home on Christmas.  I had a splitting headache most of the day.  I hoped my daughter would drop by but she never did.  I talked to friends and family on the phone.  I worked on my LHT, installing the new wheels and brakes.  I moved the bar-end shifters to the downtube, and re-cabled everything.

Monday
I still wasn’t feeling well, but I rode the updated LHT for a quick coffee ride with Tim.  I immediately hated the downtube shifting.  I’ll be switching back to bar-ends soon.  Sooner is better than later, as that’s the only bike the studded tires will fit, and I don’t think I’ll get much more good weather.

My neck and shoulder issue also flared up on Monday as has been getting worse ever since.

Since then…
I was back at work yesterday.  I rode the Big Dummy so I could haul dog food after work.  I rode the single-speed today and my neck was at it’s worst this morning.  It hurt bad enough that I got off the bike and walked about a mile.  This afternoon was better.  I’m hoping it’s easing up again.  I’ll know more in the morning.

Today was also the Car-Free Happy Hour.  We had a good turnout at Irish Rover on Frankfort Ave.  I think the 25 or so of us that showed up overwhelmed them a bit.  Although it obviously stressed out the server, she handled it well.

Holiday Season?
This is  generally a stressful time of year for everyone.  I was lonely on Christmas.  It was probably best that I was alone with the horrid headache I had.  Thanksgiving was better.  Patrick had invited me over, and I got to know his family.  I’m now invited to Andy’s house for New Year’s Day brunch.  I’m glad I have a few friends in the area.