Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Pick Up

Recovered that quarter that bounced outa the basket yesterday, in a stealth move early this morning, neatly avoiding traffic.

While not as pretty as yesterday's pre-sunrise, which was STUNNING, today's morning was cloudy and MUCH cooler, as was the day. It was...wait for it...NICE!

Picked up three cans on the morning commute.

Bike to the smokes shops, picked up same. Biked to the radiation place, picked up the (labs) prescription I losted, biked across the street to the medical center, did my labs, biked home.

So far this week, we got 25 miles on the odometer.

Monday, April 28, 2008

A New Week Sunny

Looks like it got up to 94° and the humidity down to 9% today, the blazing nearly-east county of San Diego. At least the part I work in. It got over a hundred in Beautiful Santee this afternoon, and Mission Trails Park CLAIMS it is 102° right now, at 5:00 p.m., but I d0n't believe it.

But, it is dry, baby, it's dry!

I bike over to do labs today. I found 80 cents along the way. Would have been 81 cents, but I left the copper cent lie lay stay there on the tarmac. Pedaling up the narrow and bumpy road to the medical building, one of the quarters bounced out of the basket and was lost to me, as there is no sidewalk there. How sad!

I gathered up all the bike paraphernalia into the pannier, except the bike computer and the two quarters (and the nickel) that were left, which I hand-carried, and went into the building (BTW, I spent a lot of time on that sentence, I hope you appreciate it!). Long, boring story short, I didn't get the labs done today. But I did manage to lose another quarter, probably when I was getting drink of water.

Five cans picked up today, and it would have been two more if I'd been a little quicker spotting them.

Maybe tomorrow!

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Very Sunny Sunday

There are still a few hours left in the day, so I COULD go for a ride, still, but let us face it, this weekend is another total warshout, bike-wise, and any other-wise, really, except I DID finish Mountains Beyond Mountain, and am labouring through The Best American Short Stories Of 1987.

You can find this information elsewhere, but it has occurred to me that SOME of you don't have an elsewhere! So read this!

ABC Quick Check

  1. A is for air
    • Inflate tires to rated pressure as listed on the sidewall of the tire
    • Use a pressure gauge to insure proper pressure
    • Check for damage to tire tread and sidewall; replace if damaged
  2. B is for brakes
    • Inspect pads for wear; replace is there is less than ¼" of pad left
    • Check pad adjustment; make sure they do not rub tire or dive into spokes
    • Check brake level travel; at least 1" between bar and lever when applied
  3. C is for cranks, chain and cassette
    • Make sure that your crank bolts are tight; lube the threads only, nothing else
    • Check your chain for wear; 12 links should measure no more than 12 1/8 inches
    • If your chain skips on your cassette, you might need a new one or just an adjustment
  4. Quick is for quick releases
    • Hubs need to be tight in the frame; your quick release should engage at 90°
    • Your hub quick release should point back to insure that nothing catches on it
    • Inspect brake quick releases to insure that they have been re-engaged
  5. Check is for check it over
    • Take a quick ride to check if derailleurs and brakes are working properly
    • Inspect the bike for loose or broken parts; tighten, replace or fix them
    • Pay extra attention to your bike during the first few miles of the ride


My personal list :
  • Verify that helmet is on head.
  • Put on gloves, before you lose them.
  • Check that you not in the 52/11 combo. , especially after earling the chain.
  • Give the brakes a good squeeze, to see if the cable breaks or comes loose.
  • Squeeze the tires a bit, to make sure they aren't COMPLETELY flat.
  • Secure you shoe laces, so they don't hit on the cranks and make that darn click!

Friday, April 25, 2008

Windy Friday

It was very windy this afternoon, and very warm. If so many didn't consider this place heaven on earth, one might be tempted to complain about the warmness, one might.

Saw the old guy on a bike, who I THINK is named John (and whom I will refer to as John), who I THINK I've vaguely known for twenty-some years, from work and AYH rides, pulled over this morning. I asked him if he was ok, and he replied something I didn't catch. John marches to a different drummer, I think. His own drummer. And I find that admirable. John wears a helmet, but he wears long pants and long-sleeved shirts. No worries about sunburn! His bike is a gawd-awful green, and it says "Eco" something on it. I has something that looks like a generator or a motor attached at the rear axle. I DEFINITELY need to get a picture of it! He rode off, and I rode on.

Look like I've got around 71 miles this week so far.

Also have a pile of can in a bag in the basket. I was thinking, maybe next month I'll save up all the cans for the month and see how big a pile THAT makes! How exciting!

Later!

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Bike Thursday

A couple of someones seem to be more interested in the drawer lock business than any of my bicycle stuff, so for them, here is a picture...



Here we see the awful notching job done by the ever-helpful Steve the L, wielding the might jig saw! You can't see it, but there are two washers between the lock and the wood space it to clear the metal plate, which we see in the picture below.



You can see I drilled the hole for the lock too low. That's why I had to make a special metal plate out of a computer tape drive mount. I should have purchased a lock with longer barrel, too, then I wouldn't have had to notch the drawer at all!

Here is a professionally installed drawer lock, with high-zoot wood spacers.



Enough of THAT!

Commuting mileage so far this week: 60.62

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

A Long Day

Through various stupid and annoying circumstances, I found myself on the road at four in the morning. Needless to say, but annoyingly I say it anyway, I took the Big Light.

I decided to head over to the lake. Oddly, there are not a whole lot of people at the lake at four in the morning. Oddly, there were three people at the lake at four in the morning.

It turns out the Big Light is not as big as one might hope, especially when one decides there very well COULD BE rattlesnakes on the road, at the lake, at four in the morning.

It also turns out that most of the people at the lake, and there were QUITE A FEW (40ish) at five when I returned to make a second loop, do not wear anything reflective.

So when I'm zooming around at a blistering 10 mph, watching for rattlesnakes, mind you, one comes upon these unreflective people quite suddenly, sometimes!

Did not see any rattlesnakes. Saw a lot of rabbits. Heard ducks, geese, swans (maybe), and things scurrying in the brush.

Also, these people seem to be unnaturally cheerful for this time of the morning, nearly every one greeting me with a, as I said, cheerful, "Good morning!"

"Yah," thinks I, "if it was light out you would be ignoring me, as usual." (Quotes--Yes or No?)
But I say, "Good Morning to YOU!", like the nice fellow I am.


Mileage for the day: 27 miles.
Mileage for the week: 48.2 miles.

Later!

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Totally Garbage Day

It was surprisingly sunny at six this morning, so I opted to leave the Big Battery at home and just use the LED blinkies. No one hit me, so I guess it was ok.

I've got about seven cans so far this week. A couple are quite sweet and fruity-smelling. Between them and the beery ones, I must leave quite a trail of smell as I pedal along.

UN-BIKE STUFF HERE:

I love Cheddar Cheese flavour Triscuit SO MUCH!

Moodle is very picky about importing a CSV file with inopportune commas, I learned today as I uploaded 1,200 records into Moodle database in lots of 20, until I figured out what the problem was. Yes, I am slow, but really, how about an error message the tells you which record it puked on, eh?

I tried to put a drawer lock in today. I THOUGHT I could do a more better, elegant even, job than than the professional locksmith did last year (on another drawer). I did not think my cunning plan all the way through, though, and my job will end up EXACTLY like his.

BACK TO BIKE STUFF

I noticed today that everyone driving on BOTH sides of a median-divided road pulled over for an sirening fire truck. I don't see anything in the California Driver Handbook about that. I didn't stop. I figured if they came over the median to my side of road, I could stop in about two feet since I was going up a hill in granny-granny.

Steve the L, (no "er"), the Big Swede, as he is know, among other things, is going to participate in the Alpine Challenge this year. Andy Hampsten is gonna be there. I can't afford the entry fee, myself (cheep, cheep, as the birdies say!), so maybe I'll sneak in!

Later!

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Finally

I made the hard decision. I turned left instead of right, and headed east for the Sunday morning ride. No Earth Day for me!

A bit overcast and chilly it was. I suited up in the long-sleeve jersey, glove liners, yellow jacket, and helmet liner. It MAY have been a bit much, I was pig-sweating going up hills, but I didn't take off the outer garments until I got to the bottom of the hill on Dehesa Road. But before that...

Saw this bus at a motel. Enjoy the freedom of mountain biking by riding the bus!

2008April120BikeRide 001

RIP REO, I guess. It's at the intersection of Dehesa Road and Willow Glen Drive, and it's all yours! I like how it appears to be floating in the grass.

2008April120BikeRide 003

Saw a bit of a snake on Dehesa Road. Didn't take a picture. Saw this whole squished snake on Dehesa Road. Took a picture!

2008April120BikeRide 004

Only saw one bicycle rider to this point, back on Fletcher Parkway. A chubby guy pushing his bike on the sidewalk. But climbing up the hill on Dehesa Road I was passed by a fellow in full kit. After I turned on to Tavern Road I started to see more and more cyclists.

Found a rubber ducky in a ditch.

Saw this bottle. Never heard of Dublin Dr. Pepper. Turns out, it's famous. Click the link. Read the history.

2008April120BikeRide 005

Why would someone fly two U.S. flags on one staff?

2008April120BikeRide 006

Took the South Grade east so I ended up north of Alpine, and pretty much coasted down the hill for a few miles. Stopped to see, if I COULD see, that darn dinosaur, but no joy.

It was a bit chilly coasting down Alpine Blvd., but I knew I would warm up climbing that goofy grade to Arnold Way. Saw many more cyclists, including a bunch of tandemeers near the fire station on Olde 8 and Lake Jenning Park Road.

There was an alternating head wind and tall wind, and the hills were taking their toll. I felt like I may have bitten off too much, but, jeez, I've ridden this a million times (20?) before, so what am I, getting old? Feeble?

I stopped at Grossmont High School to give the ducky a drink of water.

2008April120BikeRide 008RESIZED

Then I headed home.

Felt just fine when I got off the bike!

Oh, what's in the rack bag?
  • Camera
  • Sunglasses
  • First Aid kit
  • Keys/Wallet
  • Loose change
  • Pen
  • Underwear rag
  • Chapstick *2 (?)
  • County bicycle map
  • Yellow Jacket
  • Glove liners
  • Helmet liner
  • Hand wipes
That yellow things is one of the stinky coin purses I got at Wal-Mart, which I swear I am going to send them in the mail. They STINK!

Mr. Odometer says I did 43.2 miles (69.26 km) in 3 hours, 39 minutes, and 12 seconds, for an average speed of 11.79 (18.98 km/h) (. The final Schwinn (yes, I rode the Schwinn) odometer reading for the week is 7,018 miles(11,298.98 km).

Friday, April 18, 2008

Honk

Fifty-six miles this week commuting. Simply clear, warm, and breezy in the afternoons.

Like last Friday, the Honk For Peace folks were out again today. They were doing good business!

2008April118HonkForPeace

Picked up one aluminium can today, but no rocks, although I WAS tempted.

Later!

Thursday, April 17, 2008

New Gear

I received a winter jersey and a Headsweat in matching red the other day. I REALLY needed the Headsweat, the old cloth bandanna-style ones were...missing and worn-out, respectively.

2008April117Miscredux 008

The VCR is not really on timer.

Another up-the-nostril shot, showing how demure the Headsweat is, hardly showing at all under the helmet.

2008April117Miscredux 007

Seems to work pretty good, too. We will have to see how it handles the hot weather, when it comes.

Picked up one can today.

Here is the link, I'm pretty sure, to the fellow Cycling Around The World I mentioned yesterday. He is in Louisiana now. I enjoyed his account of humping it up the local mountains in San Diego County.

He says about the Torry Pines grade.
"I want to go on record as saying that no hill has the right to be that steep!!"
Later!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Of Missed Ops

What could have been a fabulously arty pic if I'd put some thought in to it, is merely a picture of a Chrysler hubcap I found this morning biking to work. Thought I could sell it on eBay, but it has a big crack in it, so into the trash it WENT!

2008April116Misc 005

Picked up five aluminium cans, plus one steel can (by misteak), and two rocks.

So far this week, 32 miles in three days.

I wuz talking to a guy at work, his college roomie is biking around the world. The LONG way. Expected to put on 50,000 miles in three years. The rumour is, he is blogging along the way, so when I find the link, I'll put it over there in the linkies.

Later!

Clicky Cyclist

I noticed a little click in Jamis the last couple of day.  I felt the tires, no stones embedded, the magnet isn't touching the sensor, I couldn't figure it out.

One wonders I could even HEAR the click over the rattle of aluminium cans, rocks, and the Chrysler hubcap I picked up today, which unfortunately turned out to be cracked, sadly, so into the trash it goes.

I read a book about writing by Elizabeth Yates.  I think my "style" is he run-on sentence...

Turns out it was the sound of the BIG STROBE firing...

How many years have I had the BIG STROBE?  Tnn?
 



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Friday, April 11, 2008

The Week So Far

Thirty point two-four miles and five aluminium cans commuting this week.

Here's the new new aluminium Jamis headlight mount.

2008April11Bike LIght 002

Ignore the extra holes...

Need to "paint it black".

And plug the PVC with something.

Monday, April 07, 2008

Load and Lock

This will be an uneven week for biking to work.

Monday -- Bike
Tuesday -- Not (tree trimming)
Wednesday -- Not (Chauffeur to Dr. appt.)
Thursday -- Not (Dentist)
Friday -- Bike

Found this big brass lock in the middle of the road, anybody got the key?

2008APRIL07Lock 002

This is the GOOD side, after a little application of the wire brush.
Certainly is an excellent photograph, if I do say!

Oh, and I re-remounted the headlight, using some aluminum from the LAST LAST LAST time I remounted it. I shall have to take some more pics!

Later!

Sunday, April 06, 2008

March Showers Bring April Flowers

On a VERY slow tour de El Cajohn this morning I found a Harley-Davidson key fob in the middle of the intersection at Lexington and El Cajon Blvd., rather near the biker club house.

Now all I need is a Harley! 2008APRIL06 010

I don't really want a Harley, not that I'd turn one down, but I rather have some sort of cafed-up racer. I WISH I still had that XL250 Honda, I saw a pic of one cafed up, it was a cutie! I'd LIKE to have a stable of motorsickles. Maybe an Kawasaki triple to play stoplight racer with, the XL250 for some twisties in the mountains, and a Royal Enfield 750 Intercepter for classy cruising. And a mechanic. Oh, dirt bikes, I forgot them! A Hodaka, of course, and some sort of trials bike, like a TY250 or a Sherpa T.


I've been down N. Marshall a zillion times, but I never really NOTICED the purty rockes and trees near the city Animal Control building, although I HAVE heard the dogs barking, especially when I apply my squeaky brakes. And no, that's NOT why I'm the Squeakycyclist!

One establishing pic w/overhead wires...

2008APRIL06 001RESIZED

One more artfully composed, I think!

2008APRIL06 004RESIZED

I saw an orange seaplane approaching the airport, but was not quick enough to take a pic. Sorry!

Tons of Spring wildflowers in Forester/Forrester Creek in Santee!

2008APRIL06 005RESIZED
That red thing on the right-end of the black line towards the top of the picture is shopping carts, BTW.


2008APRIL06 006RESIZED

2008APRIL06 007RESIZED

2008APRIL06 008RESIZED

Styrofoam cup just compleats the image, doncha tink?

2008APRIL06 009RESIZED

Now just how artistic is THAT? I call it: Still Life With Manhole!

After the riot of flowers, I took Mesa Road south. It turns into a dirt road, quite passable for street bikes, though. At least for the mighty Schwinn, with its 27x1¼ inch tires! I stopped by a Geocache (Eye Hide--U Seek #06) to see if I could find the log. I found the cache months ago, but I STILL can't find the log! And I STILL STILL can't find the log!

Mileage for the Week:

75.71 miles (55.48 commuting on Jamis/20.23 on Schwinn)

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Mid-Week

There is apsolutely nuthin' goin' on!

  • The weather is fairly beautiful, none of the promised rain, a little chilly in the mornin'.
  • I STILL can't remember my Google Mail password.
  • I've reached an impasse on Desktop Tower Defense.
  • No biking hassles.
I got nuthin'...

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