Bicycle Commute Challenge

[kfergos]

Great...at least that's something.

Yep! It's a decent little hybrid, not something I'd ever choose for myself, but since he was willing to part with it, naturally I would take it. I immediately loaned it to a friend for the month of May, since my friend wanted to do Bike to Work Month but didn't own a bike.

Day 8, Evening Commute (20 miles):
This commute felt shorter than usual because I just got brand-new SPD pedals for this ride. I also got a new, non-bent crank arm. It's funny -- I adjusted to riding on the bent crank arm (I think I rode about 146 miles with it) and now the straight one feels a little odd. It was a nice evening, but once again north wind-y.

I've been monitoring the discussion about calling out when passing, and thinking about that some as I ride on the Burke. This guy passed me twice yesterday, and neither time said a word. He rode behind me for quite a ways, long enough to see that I called out almost every single time, yet it seemed to not have occurred to him that I might like that same courtesy.

When I got home, my new Terry Butterfly was waiting for me! Of course I immediately replaced my old saddle and then eagerly awaited the next morning, when I would get to try it out.

Day 9, Morning Commute (20 miles):
Between the new pedals, handlebars, and saddle, it feels like I've gotten an all-new bike in the last few weeks. I can see why people rave about the Terry Butterfly; it felt natural and comfortable the instant I sat on it, and the rest of the ride continued in that vein. I think I will need to fine-tune the positioning, but overall I believe it'll be a good replacement for my worn-out, battered, and bent old Jett. I'm going to reserve judgment on the Butterfly for another few commutes, but I have high hopes that I'll have many, many happy miles on it.

Lovely morning this morning, too: Sunny and clear, although hazy and smoggy enough that I could barely make out the Olympics and Cascades, and Rainier didn't look particularly crisp. That's one advantage to wintertime riding: When it is clear, it's really clear. Now we've got all those particulates not getting washed out of the air so regularly and they're obscuring the pretty views. Still, I think I had a bit of a tailwind, or at least not a headwind -- woo! -- and made pretty decent time, just pedaling along and enjoying it all. All-round very pleasant morning.

Note to self: Start carrying water on commutes.

Oh, do any of you ladies have recommendations for where to get a good bike fit done? Between the new pedals and new saddle, I feel like I'm not really in the optimal position anymore, and I ride enough that being in the right position is really important.

[Blueberry]

Check in with Knottedyet. She can either do a fit, or put you in touch (she's a PT in Seattle).

[Biciclista]

Well, there's always Erik Moen for bike fit.

[thelawgoddess]

Oh, do any of you ladies have recommendations for where to get a good bike fit done? Between the new pedals and new saddle, I feel like I'm not really in the optimal position anymore, and I ride enough that being in the right position is really important.

I also recommend Erik Moen at Corpore Sano.

[malaholic]

+1 on Erik.

[Eden]

I'll put a plug in for my coach (who is also a PT and a bike racer) and her company RealRehab
www.realrehab.com

[kfergos]

Thank you all for the PT/fitter suggestions. I'll take a look and see who's covered by my insurance. Seems like there are plenty of good options around here -- pretty novel, since I don't think they ever heard of such a thing in Massachusetts.

Day 9, Evening Commute (20 miles):
Gorgeous afternoon! So gorgeous that it seemed like everybody who owned a bike was out on the Burke. I kept seeing all these ladies with deep scoop-neck shirts on and huge cleavage valleys, and all I could think was how a bee in the boobs would feel. Actually, I know from personal experience -- it's no fun. On my ride, I had a number of large buzzing insects bounce off my face or arms. I bet those ladies had no idea what risk they were running.

Day 10, Morning Commute (20 miles):
I don't want to exaggerate, but this was one of the most gorgeous mornings to ride EVER. OK, maybe not ever, but close. Apparently everybody else thought so, too, because everywhere I looked, there were bicyclists. I'm sure the motorists were going a little crazy. All in all it was a fabulous ride even though I had what I can only describe as Friday legs. If you've commuted both ways 5 days, you'll probably have some idea what I'm talking about.

No free swag this time, but awesome anyway. Had hazy views of the Olympics, Mt. Rainier, and the Cascades as I crossed Lake Washington. I love my commute.

[Melalvai]

Note to self: Start carrying water on commutes.

Me too. I am always forgetting that.

[kfergos]

The weather hasn't killed me yet! I just haven't gotten back into posting. Let's see, I'll do a quick summary:

End of last week, very beginning of this week: Gorgeous. Sunny, warm, a zillion bicyclists everywhere.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday: Increasingly cold, rainy, and windy and correspondingly increasingly awful for cycling. Tuesday soaked on the ride in. Wednesday afternoon nearly blown off the I-90 bridge on the way home, plus caught in gigantic downpour(s). Somewhat killer headwinds on the way in this (Thursday) morning. Friday, Bike to Work Day, is not looking significantly nicer.