Mild Winter Means Great Riding

Portland has been having an extremely mild winter - no extreme cold and, even, not a lot of rain! We have had some moody foggy mornings which is kind of cool, I like the imagery of fog - is that weird? The morning commutes are, like last year, providing more solitude which is nice for mellowing the mind before thrusting myself into the hecticness of the workday.

Each day is a different day including the scenery that surrounds me. Even during my second year of bike commuting, there are times I just have to stop to take a picture and enjoy the light, shadows, calmness. Occassionally I will wonder if those passing think I am a rookie commuter, snapping pictures of, to them, just another day. See, that's why I need this, to distract my constantly fleeting thoughts.

One would think project SUB (MB-5) is no longer a project ... well, not quite. I decided to use it for test lab as I plan out another MB-1 project (Project MB-1.2). Here I am testing a variation on the drop bar, On One Midge bar and playing with a set of balloon tires, Schwalbe Big Apples (26" x 2.15" = 55-559).

Riding around on this set up is actually enjoyable and fun. The Midge bars are much better than the Moustache bars, since they have actual straight tops and the brake levers are not completely horizontal, and there is some drop to them. The balloon tires are quite different and not as slow as one might think. The last time I rode around on tires that took such low pressure (currently running 30psi) was way back in my childhood days on the Schwinn single speed!

Okay, so when I build up MB-1.2, I'll use the Midge bars and Schwalbe Big Apples. Having two MB-1s will be fun and they will be fairly different for different riding purposes, but both will be fun riding bikes. SUB will be re-converted to the errand bike, the one I can use panniers on.

There seems to have been quite a few Bridgestones for sale in and around the Portland area recently. Given that, you would think I would see more Bridgestones on the road, but that does not seem to be the case. So, the other day, I stopped at City Bikes on my way home to check their used parts bins for some brake parts. While paying, someone came in and asked, "Who owns the MB-1?" I said, "It's mine." He said, "Nice bike."

When I left and as I unlocked my bike, I realized why he asked. There locked to the next over rack was a Bridgestone MB-0.

The MB-0 is on the right. Cool, a first for me!

Rain a coming ... or so they say

Well, rain or snow/rain or some snow is being predicted for the second half of this coming weekend. Well it feels cold enough to be close, at least. For now, we had a great week for bike commuting -- it was dry! There were some great mornings of awesome city views, and there was some east wind which was cool for the ride home, which of course added to the joy of going uphill into a headwind, right?

These two images show the change from day to day, with a little difference in my ability to get a good point-and-shoot camera exposure and getting use to my DSLR - lol. The second image was a morning with a bit of fog and shot with the point-and-shoot. The first image I used my Pentax K5. That is one pretty cool thing about Portland is you can go out day after day and come back with a different sense of the same image, in this case Portland - Willamette River - Hawthorne Bridge.

Project MB-1? The MB-1 is doing great and I am loving the ride! The fit is good, I think I have pretty much dialed in seat position and that lines up well with the handlebar position. The Dura-Ace downtube shifters are doing their job and working out nicely. I am getting the hang of friction-only shifting, though I only seem to miss when I am downshifting going uphill - why is that, anyway, haha?

I did do a small update to my wire routing along the top tube rear brake cable set up. To eliminate the need for the zip ties and just clean up the look a bit, I ran a longer piece of spiral wrap that extends a little past each brake cable boss. This keeps the wiring lined up nicely.

Now, there is no more white zip tie on either end and the line is cleaner. The following picture shows how I bridged across the cable boss.

You can see the single wrap around the cable, then a couple wraps around the wiring, then the wrapping around both the wiring and cable housing. This keeps everything nice and tidy. The other thing is that, should I change my mind, which I often do, I can easily remove everything for re-use and without having to undo the brake cable.

I remember this ...

... commuting in the dark mornings.

Ooooo, sunrise, Jan 3, from my commute through Mt. Tabor Park in SE Portland. What a great greeting for a morning ride into work.

Things are looking familiar now, since I am now starting my second year of bike commuting - yay, I made it through my rookie year! Leaving early means darker mornings, but right now it seems to be right around sunrise, unless I get up a little earlier and on my way without dragging my feet, that is.

We have been quite lucky here in Portland in we have had pretty dry weather, recently. Only on my way home Frday did I get significant rain. It was a good test of the MB-1's fenders and long mudflaps. The bike stayed pretty clean overall, save for the brake goo that always comes off the pads and rims. In the late afternoon, basically end of the day, I had a doctor appointment, which is only about 3/4 mile away from work, so I rode there. (BP 116/68, Pulse 67 - we're good, yeah) While at my bike getting my rain gear on, my doctor walked by on his way home. He liked the color choice of the bike - cool.

I saw quite a few bike commuters on my way home, more than I usually see, since I usually leave work earlier than 4:30pm. That was pretty cool to see people still riding regardless of the weather. I had one person, while we were at a stop light, compliment me on using a MB-1 for a commuter - another cool. Then she roared on away when the light turned green.

I have to say I still love the winter mornings for the later sunrise. I can get some great views without necessitating having to get up earlier - lol. Even structures that in broad daylight are rather boring take on a more romantic-ish persona. On the left, above, is the rather mundane on-ramp from I-5 south to I-84 east. In this light, it acts like a pointer to the wonderful colors of the sunrise - that's my opinion, anyway. The Willamette was very calm, too.

Having the Willamette River bisect Portland is both good and bad. Bad, in terms of getting across it sometimes, especially in a car. Good, or is it great, in that we have some amazing views and it totally breaks up what would otherwise be just steel and concrete, building to building with no real views or vistas.

I always slow down once I have reached the river, both to cool down before starting work and to just enjoy the view. This is good, also, because it helps keep me from going too far in to commuting zombie mode - you know, where you just get in/on your transportation, put the blinders on, and head to work. I really do not want that to happen, though I have found myself in the mode a few times. Of course, I think it has more to do with having to go to work than my mode or route - hahaha.

Fall Transitions - Still Pretty

A month! Already! Where does the time go? Fall has brought darker mornings which means some pretty cool sunrises as I climb the, what is called, south Tabor bump. Of course, this has also meant adjusting what I wear - it's cold but dry; it's cool with chance of rain; it's cold and foggy; it's who knows. Probably by the time I figure out the right combo to stay warm and dry but not too sweaty, the weather will change again as it marches toward winter.

This is also the first time I am encountering frost on my rides. That's a new experience for sure, can be pretty slick - slower cornering, leaning the body and not the bike, watch the quick moves, look farther ahead especially going downhills. Investing in lightweight base layers to help reduce the cold, wet back feeling.

Before the cold snap and all the leaves dropping, the colors were AMAZING! So, so beautiful riding amongst all the bright reds and yellows, just made me feel so awesome. Hard to be anything but happy.

Seems as soon as we went from November to December the warm fall also changed. It was a different sort of beauty out there. We have had foggy mornings which clear out for some sunny afternoons. You can see the frost in the image below which compliments the fog, grey and flat water of the Willamette River.

Even having to be more cautious on my ride, I still enjoy looking around, pedaling along. There seems to always be something different or new. Sometimes what captures my attention is a broader view as in the Esplanade view above or it could be something up close and personal, like the frost on my car in driveway in the picture below.

The little frost "hairs" were so cool!

Hope you all are enjoying fall.

Wow, 2 Weeks Since Last Post, Really?

I must be rolling along in zombie commuter mode or time has just sped up and the moment I stop to catch my breath it has been about 2 weeks since my last entry. I prefer to think it is the latter, of course.

We (Portland) are starting to dry out and our river levels are a bit lower, at least the Willamette River is low enough that our floating section of the Eastbank Esplanade is re-open. Gee, I really missed riding along this section. Of course, coming up with detours has also been nice for breaking up riding the exact same route day in and day out. Perhaps there is a subtle hint there.

The drier weather has also given me the incentive to bring the road bike (Bridgestone RADAC) out again, and that has been fun. I mean, being 10 pounds lighter, it is sweet riding. I have found, though, the ride feeling is pretty close between my two bikes now and that has me pretty pleased. I can easily go from bike to bike with very little adjusting.

I'm so so with the Power Grips pedals on the SUB. They are nice in that I can ride any shoe and has some level of attachment to the bike. I went with them because I got tired of struggling to adjust the cleats on my Keen shoes, not to mention I was starting to have some minor knee pain. So I took a break and enjoyed infinite adjustment while riding to get my feet in the "right" place on the pedals. I think it is also the fact the pressure is spread across the pedals rather than in the tiny spot where the SPD cleat is attached. The downside is getting my left foot back in from a stop takes more time.

Not to be outdone, the RADAC now sports Time ATAC XS carbon pedals. I have ridden them all thhis week (hahaha 2 days) and so far really like them. The cleats strictly align the fore-aft position on the pedals. Rotational float is handled by the pedals themselves, which is nice. I also like that the shoe actually contacts the sides of the pedals spreading the pressure points across a broader area. I am using my carbon bike shoes so that also means carrying an extra pair of walk around shoes for work. But, since I am not carrying extra rain gear, it is okay.

Tomorrow, I'm testing the pedals on the SUB and see how I like them on that bike. If good, then I'll get another pair of ATAC pedals.

When the clouds really clear out and there is nothing but blue sky, everyone seems to be in such better moods - especially given how grey we have been. I have also been enjoying stopping just before getting to work at the Breakfast on the Bridges (one at the Steel Bridge and one at the Hawthorne Bridge). Last friday was great and everyone was so happy because it was sunny and warm, plus the hosts are always happy and pleasant.

Today, as if to celebrate the official start of summer, a fireboat was out and entertaining everyone with its huge spray from the water guns. Definitely, everyone seems to be in a summery frame of mind. Of course, if it stays mostly nice we will start saying how hot it is or humid or too dry - funny we humans is.

Work commuters have been cool and we pretty much have a full main bike storage room. We even created a bicyclist email group so we could all share our accomplishments and other bike related information with each other. For me, I just use our first overflow area as my primary, saves moving around once I am at work. It is nice to see the new commuters especially since our Bike to Work day event. It's cool.

A Week Without Rain - Commuting Still Challenging Route-wise

Never grow tired of watching the wild life along the Willamette on my commutes. They break up the large expanse of water and architectural squareness around me. These Canada Geese were a few of a larger group going south up river, I suspect in search of breakfast, which must be a challenge with our water levels so high there is not much bank for them.

We actually had a full week without significant rain and actually had a couple of pretty awesome sunny days. What a joy to not be all bundled up or sweating in waterproof gear!

What do you think of this access to our bike overflow area? Good thing I was not rolling with panniers. These two trucks could have actually backed in a bit further, but I suppose they are not sure of where the rear of their vehicles are so they stopped short, actually sticking out. Given the space arrangement, this also means they narrow down the approach. Those bars on my bike are only 390mm if that gives you an idea. But, hey, I figure if anyone scratches their vehicles by accident, that's the risk of choosing to park there and not pulling as far into their respective spaces as they can. <chuckles>

This week is also our Rose Festival's Fleet Week where several Navy ships arrive in Portland. Of course with all the fears these days, it also means increased security and closing off areas along our Waterfront Park, making getting in and around across the Willamette a bit challenging. Of course given spring and summer are also Portland's heavy construction times, this just adds to commuting by bike challenges. There are sections of the Eastbank Esplanade and Springwater Corridor that are currently closed (high water and construction, respectively), Morrison Bridge is closed to bike traffic for construction work, parts of the Esplanade are closed due to other construction, Waterfront park is closed to ped/bike traffic, a few portions of ped/bike path are closed on the west side of the Willamette due to high water. Quite challenging to say the least to get in and out of downtown.

Oh, speaking of security, they have a huge floating boom that apparently is marking a no approach zone around the ships, appears to be basically half-way across the river. But more amazing, to me, is seeing the coast guard patrol boats with machine guns cruising up and down the river.

Wow, I had not realized we were in such a hot zone before. I wonder just what would happen if they had to use that thing? Could they control it enough to not actually hit all the hundreds of civilians milling about?

Other than all of that, this week was a good riding week, as I said, because it was spring like temp-wise. The bonus of the week was I actually rode the road bike, which the last time was back in early April. I stopped because the wet grit of commuting was taking a major toll and I would rather use the SUB in crappy weather stuff. I must have the SUB dialed in pretty well because outside of the difference in geometry, the two bikes feel nearly the same ride wise. I am sure the road bike is faster since I am pushing 10 pounds less weigh and all, but, still, to have them feel similar is pretty nice.

I am going to swap the road bike's pedals and try some Time ATAC XS pedals which have a slightly different MTB cleat so I can still use my expensive carbon MTB shoes. I will see if they adjust a bit easier and ride any better than the SPD's I've been using for so long. I think I'll stick to the Power Grip pedals on the SUB, since they allow a broader range of shoes and practicality for the SUB.

The rides with Evan this week were fun and I love watching him ride. He's got a nice fast cadence, I think he is spinning faster than I am. I commented on his good cadence and he said it was probably back when he was learning and forgot to shift. Cute. Today on the last just under a mile stretch he wanted to sprint home, so I said okay and shifted to my big ring (okay, not so big 48T) and we took off. Since I got the jump I actually stayed ahead, though the  last 3 blocks I was significantly running out of air! Any longer of a distance and he would have had me, I was not that far ahead.

Hope everyone else had a good week and got some good riding in.

Miss My Commute Along the Esplanade

Tuesday afternoon (5/31) the floating section of the Eastbank Esplanade was closed until the Willamette recedes some. The approach ramp is so much higher than the approach section that it was causing many to either get off their bike and walk or they crashed attempting to ride up the ramp. Fortunately, I was able to pass through in the morning as you can see by the picture above. I actually rode up that thing!

I guess it was inevitable since the Willamette has been relatively high all through the winter and spring, so the extra rain and snow melt had to have an affect. Notice how high the water is to the lower deck of the Steel Bridge? Even the smallest of water craft force the lower section to be raised.

Here's a closer look at the river level. You can just about reach out and touch it as you cross the lower section.

We had a little bit of every kind of weather again this week - cloudy, some downpours, partly sunny. Then, Friday came and was just about as awesome as it could get, and it seems a very long time coming. This makes, what?, like only the 4th or 5th really nice day all year?

Portland really came alive Friday! We walked out for lunch and it was people, people everywhere. Simply a gorgeous day!

Oh, I also stopped at Breakfast on the Bridges, again, to enjoy a free, fresh made donut.

What a great way to end the week on a high note. Forecast calls for rain Monday, of course. Hope you all had a great weekend and got out to savor that big golden globe.

A Very Peaceful, Lovely Day for Bike Commuting

With the drier days I decided to road test my Pentax DSLR camera. I've gotten a bit lazy and have been just using my pocket digital for most things. I do like the greater control of the DSLR over the pocket digital, I guess it goes back to my film SLR days.

This morning was a really nice ride in, I felt in good spirits and I was early enough that once I reached the Eastbank Esplanade, I just cooled down and glided along, taking pictures as I went.

It could be just me, but this image  has a European feel to me. The boaters were the only traffic on the Willamette this morning and the water was very calm. The Willamette is quite high, but it is also fairly clear and was serenely calm this morning. Quite peaceful.

This afternoon, I "strolled" along the esplanade, enjoying the warm temperature, sunny skies and fresh air. As I am still also trying to fine tune my cleat alignment, I stopped to make an adjustment. People must feed the migrating birds, because this Canada goose just hung near by and looked up occassionally, as if waiting for me to toss a morsel his way. I looked over the railing and saw that he had been working on a banana peel floating in the water. Sad really, some people do not think about what they are doing.

I was a bit surprised this guy just hung around until I saw the banana peel. Not quite your average river food supply. The river is so clear and calm today -- lovely.

The Hordes are De-hibernating!

The week started slow weather-wise, and has exploded into some awesome, warm and sunny true spring days. Within that same explosion, however, the throngs of fair weather folks have also splattered out across everywhere. Now, I should say that most have been pretty civil given they must be absolutely stir crazy, what with waiting and waiting and waiting for all the grey, cold and rain to move aside.

You know all those stories about how for such a rainy area people cannot seem to figure out how to drive in this stuff? Well, I don't think that behavior is limited to just driving, because I see that same behavior with cyclists, walkers, joggers and the other asundry wanderers. Just today, I saw a driver and scooterer get tired of waiting for the train so they could turn right (tracks were parallel to the road) and blast through the red light to go straight. The really stupid thing is they went one block, that's right just one block, to the next red light! I mean, really?

This morning I was riding up on another cyclist on his fixie. At the light, he stopped about a bike length back and seemed to be practicing his track stand, he was a bit wobbly. I moved left slightly and rode up to the crosswalk line. After a bit, he either got tired of waiting or just could not track stand, he rode through the red light - what? - a bit later the light turned green and I proceeded on. Next light, he actually put his foot down.

Oh, so here's a good one for you. That ramp is actually normally going down to the floating section of the Eastbank Esplanade. There is so much water right now, the floats of the ramp have the ramp higher than the bike path. That's a lot of water!

Oh, hey, this week is Bike to Work Week in Portland and tomorrow (Friday) is Bike to Work Day. Since this is our first year at work in downtown, a couple of us wanted to have some kind of inaugural event, so we are having a waffle breakfast on Friday. To entice more to bike to work we had an informational brown bag on Monday. That was pretty well received and we had some great questions. The really interesting thing is about attitude though. There is definitely room to grow in terms of how people, even ones that cycle, perceive the relationship between vehicle drivers and bike riders.

Their perceptions perpetuate the idea that cars have priority over the roads and streets that  spread out across town. And if they know there are official bike ways and routes they believe cyclists should be there and not where they want to go. I mean, how inconsiderate of those cyclists - really? That's why, for me, I think we have maybe too much infrastructure and not enough re-education. Our travel medium, typically paved routes, is designed to move people, not just cars. They are basically for everyone.

I want to say share, but that is not really correct, because the drivers don't want to share, that's the big problem. The attitude change needs to be "Hey! Mellow out, this is a multi-use people mover." And that's not just targeted at drivers. Just  the past few days, I have seen cyclists blow across the crosswalk when everyone else is stopping for pedestrians. I made cars behind me stop because I yielded to some pedestrians. Come on, what gives?

I have to admit that I do miss the cold, rainy winter times because being out there is so much more mellow - because no one else is really out there.

Esplanade Es Crazy - The Price of Sunny Spring Weather

{R.I.P. Wouter Weylandt}

I did not watch any of the Giro D'Italia yesterday, so I was totally unaware of the tragic accident until a coworker friend asked if I had heard. Wow, how sad. After watching the tribute stage I am touched by the support of so, so many people and the closeness of these elite athletes. I reminisce of my past riding days with a close group of friends and the support we had for each other, the support I received - whether riding well or absolutely bonking. No one left behind, friendship first.



This morning was cloudy and cool, my hypersensitivity, again, thought I felt a rain drop or two. Probably because I decided not to wear the rain jacket or pants. Fortunately, I stayed dry and enjoyed a nice ride in. The closer I got to downtown, the more people I saw. I slowed and stopped a few times along the Eastbank Esplanade because I saw the two barges heading down river and eventually saw the Steel Bridge's center span go up - well no sense hurrying just to wait.

Work had some fun moments as I have been helping with our Bike to Work planning for the week of the 16th to 20th. That's been fun, focusing on cycling. The sad news is the waffle breakfast for Bike to Work Day, the 20th, will end just before I get there after riding with Evan in the morning. A few promised to save me some food.

Wow, just like the weather folks said, the afternoon was super clear, sunny and warm. Rather than rushing on home I slowed down and watched and absorbed all the activity going on. Whooosh! Wow, there are certainly people out who don't quite get the concept of sharing - how about slowing down when there are lot's of people walking, biking in the same 5 foot area. That is not say everyone was like that, but, then again, it only takes a few.

I still believe my theory that there are some converted individuals to biking/healthiness that have, unfortunately, brought their "me" world concept from the car world - spreading out across over half the path width, zipping in and out unpredictably, unyielding so they can pass first - sound familiar?

Despite the invasion of the less fun people, I am enjoying seeing many others - like the dad riding with his kids, helping them out, building up their riding skills. Hopefully they are also learning courtesies, as well.

Parting shot. I stopped and enjoyed the view from a bench area, and to also make a slight adjustment to one of my cleats before heading on and away from the esplanade. SUB is lovin' this nice weather, too. We'll soak it all up today - tomorrow we return to the chance of showers type weather.

Ramping Up for National Bike Month

Yep, May is the League of American Bicyclists National Bike Month. In Portland, the big focus is on Bike to Work Week (16-20) and Day (20). It's kinda fun helping at work to promote Bike to Work Day. We'll be having a waffle and fruit breakfast for riders. Sadly, I'll miss it because Friday is my late arrival day. I'll have to take advantage of the more public free eats offerings throughout the week, I guess.

Evan was looking forward to it, as well, until he found out the school is not recording miles. Sad, but he knows his totals and is pretty proud that he has been riding all year, rain or rain, hail, cold wind, we seen it all.

I thought this was an interesting ship name. Made me think, "Yeah, that would be nice, a full spring, hahaha." Well, I was dry today and tomorrow is suppose to be dry, too. After that, back to cool, rain; sigh.

I had a nice encounter on my ride in. Another rider complimented me on my bike, he said he use to have one (I was on the SUB - Bridgestone MB-5). Cool, someone that actually recognized and knew about Bridgestone bicycles.

With more pedestrians and cyclists out I am finding the esplanade more challenging than riding on the roads these days. I think the on and off weather has some effect as people are not getting enough exposure to lot's of different people out. Of course, there are those who would not care anyway. Sometimes, it is like they think everyone else should watch out for them, sound familiar, reminds me of driving - haha.

Lot's of clouds out this afternoon, but I stayed dry, so it is all good. I am liking the skinny tires (Continental SportContact, 26 x 1.3). I think it drops my gearing by maybe a half tooth, will have to ride a bit more to know for sure. Aesthetically the bike looks good with the smaller tires, even more balanced looking than the road bike. The road bike because is it a smallish frame, 51cm, sometimes looks like all tire and wheel.

Hope you all are able to enjoy some of National Bike Month, get some free food and enjoy some of the events happening all around. Now, if the ol' sun would come out for a bit, that would be just, plain, awesome.

Bike-arific Tuesday - National Bike Month

Photographically, I kind of like our cloudy, but mostly sunny days. There was a bit of rain for the morning ride, but, as you can see from the picture above, the afternoon was glorious. Portland is definitely feeling more alive these days, many, many more people out. I see more bike commuters, morning and afternoon runners, people relaxing and enjoying both sides of the Willamette River.

For another Tuesday at work, our bike room was past base capacity, we had a record 20 bikes!

Bikes were doubled up on the horizontal racks, bikes leaning against the lockers, bikes, bikes everywhere! Since May is National Bicycle Month, a couple of us are thinking about how to plan a nice, casual event for the bike to work week and day (May 16-20 / May 20). I have also been working with our Facilities team to come up with an overflow plan that will allow riders to still store their bikes securely.

Returning to Enjoying the Journey of the Commute

Getting fun riding in to work. Different people in different states of starting their days. In the neighborhoods, people out for a morning jog, walking their dog, a few more starting their bike commuting days. On the river, the river patrol is out, fishermen making their way to their, hopefully, lucky fishing holes and the rowers are out to get as much flat water as they can.

Yep, while it sometimes feels more like late Winter, life in the city is sprouting from the warm comfort of inside to join the trees and plants and migratory creatures out in the fresh air. Experiencing the transition of winter to spring by bike has been a cool, fun experience. If I were still driving everyday there would be so much I would not notice, so much would pass me by and I would pass by it. I am sure any newness of the drive to the new office would have long ago melted away to monotony and "am I there, yets?"

Every picture I have taken the light is different, the mood is different, a bit more color one day, or the clouds are so immense or so wispy. Only on the bike, moving at the speed of life, as they say, am I able to be drawn to these subtle changes; and only because I choose to be where I am rather than focusing, as I would be car, on just getting there. Yep, commuting by bike has brought me back to journey.

As I happily began entering today's commute into my commuting log I discovered that I had already reached the 1000 mile mark as I was missing last Thursday's entry. Wah, and oh, well, knowing I was hitting a 1000 miles was still uplifting and feeling mighty cool. Plus, I feel good that I have stuck to my commitment to bike commute. I feel more awake, I have lost some weight and I should be able to keep up with Evan for a while, yet - hehe.

Super Spring Bike Commute Day!

Nothing like a sunny morning to really start the day off on a super happy note! My last commute was actually Wednesday of this week and while mostly dry, Wed was a cloudy ride day. The temperature in the morning was a bit on the colder side, so lightweight gear was called for.

After pedalling easy for several blocks to warm up a bit, Evan and I were on our way toward his school. Since he has been leading, I could only get a back shot as we rode along.

I am so impressed with his riding, and his commitment to commuting by bike. Thursday, I worked from home and offered to either ride with him or drive him. His choice? He rode solo to and from school! Fortunately, his ride home was timed perfectly between the near showery rain.

To get the most out of the morning, I stopped several times to enjoy the river views, and take some pictures. As I rode the last few blocks in, I wondered if I would be aced out of any bike parking spots, thinking a bunch of people would have rode in today because of the near 100% guarantee of dry. To my surprise, there were plenty of spots available. Wow, shocked.

Ready for the weekend with at least Saturday being warm - our first day to likely hit 70 degrees.

More Wet Riding - Gear in Review - Closing in on 1000 Miles

Wednesday's ride, rain and a few breaks, but mostly wet, definitely grey. Good thing I love biking, otherwise I probably would have joined the majority and found an alternative mode of commuting - lol.

Short Gear in Review - Continental Sport Contact Tires
I am convinced the Continental Sport Contact tires (26 x 1.6) have the lowest rolling resistence of the tires I have run on the SUB. These are like the 4th set since last fall that have been on the bike. My quest was to find something durable (aka flat resistent) and have a low rolling resistence.

The first set, way back when, was a pair of Forte' Gotham MTB tires, 26 x 1.75. While definitely better the original 2" knobby tires, they are still on the heavy side, which makes pedalling feel heavy. Now, I rode these when I still had the original 175mm crank arms, so some of my comparisons may be off.

The next set of tires I tried was a set of Kenda Kwest (26 x 1.50"). Overall, I liked these tires, fairly easy pedalling and they were holding up pretty well. Pretty well until the rear decided to become flat prone, even when the bike was just sitting in the garage or bike room at work. Maybe they do not do well when loaded with rear panniers? Anyway, these were only on a couple months or probably somewhere around 300 miles.

Being tired of flat fixing and not really finding any punctures, I decided to try another tire brand. At my local REI I wanted to purchase a set of Continental tires, but they were out of stock on the model I wanted and decided to try a pair of Serfas Drifters (26 x 1.50").

I thought these were doing pretty well, until I had put a lot of miles on the road bike and gotten much more fit. Returning to the SUB the bike just seemed to be slow and actually a bit harder to pedal no matter what gear I was in. For a few commutes I shrugged it off as psychological because I really would rather ride the road bike (gotta love denial).

Well, after doing some freewheel coasting behind Evan, I thought the bike could do better. I did a bit of research on Continentals including available sizes and reviews. Checking inventory with REI, I headed down and picked up a pair of Sport Contacts. Well, I would not have believed a tire could be significantly slower than another, but I am now convinced and reaffirmed why I love Continental bike tires.

Freewheeling wise (coasting) it has sold me. The SUB is easier, smoother pedaling and it can maintain speed while coasting. The Sport Contacts are about $10.00 more per tire than the Serfas and $15.00-$20.00 more than the Kendas, which means in this case you do get what you pay for. For daily commuting, the Continentals are the way to go. If I wasn't daily commuting the tires would likely be a much less issue for me.

I will note that all of the tires advertise some level of puncture resistence as a commuter tire group. So far, only the Kendas have not lived up to my expected level of puncture resistence. However, that may be due to low life duration and that may be due to being overly loaded when running with my panniers.

Today, Thursday, was basically rain; grey, wet rain with some wind thrown in for the afternoon ride home. While not horrible, I am certainly tired of so much rain. Evan agreed as we rode in the morning. I must say that having a riding companion is nice, having a conversation makes the distance go by even faster.

The worse part of all of this rain commuting is the amount of work to keep up maintenance on the bikes. Chains and brakes get so grungy so fast. Plus the grit and dirt seems to cake up on the drivetrain, the lube acting more like a magnet than a repellant.

To lighten our spirits we had a mini rain water fight at a stop light. This is basically shaking our arms so the rain flies off the rain jacket sleeves toward the other. Hey, might as well make the most of it, you know. The bike riding is the part of day I most look forward to. Riding as commuting is just a great part of my day.

I have been logging my riding in a little list where I record some notes, weather and distance. To date, I have logged 905 miles just commuting. Looks like I should hit 1000 by the end of April. Funny, as a vehicle commuter I paid absolutely no attention to how many miles I accumulated. What a nice feeling, because it even sounds like a lot for riding just 4 months. Evan and I were talking, because he probably has more miles than anyone else at this school as far as bike commuting. I have only driven him one day because he was ill, he is pretty pleased with that accomplishment. I'm pretty proud, too, for his commitment and that he enjoys biking.