Looking back at last year's posts, remembering the course my life was about to take, I'm very, very glad to be where I am now.
I meant to try a day-trip over the border before the end of the year, but the weather has been too stormy and I've been tired from working extra hours. I'll try again soon - I like to take my passport across the border every now and then, just to make sure it still works.
Birch Bay is said to have a New Year's "fire circle" or "fire walk" when people light beach fires or torches and then walk around the bay. It sounds like a peaceful, contemplative alternative to loud, drunk parties and I've meant to try it for several years. But I was too tired after work for a 40-mile round-trip night bike ride. Another item for my "maybe next year" list.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
other news
Just read Adventure Cycling Association's email newsletter, Bike Bits. Which reminded me that although I will probably ride more than 6000 miles in 2011, I haven't been outside of Whatcom County since August of 2010, when I went away to Bicycle Mechanic School in Ashland, Oregon. I'll have to do something about that very soon.
The ACA newsletter includes excerpts from a journal kept by a young man, much braver than I am, who took off on an extended bike tour after losing his job. His journal looks like a true work of art. Here's a link: http://www.coldsplinters.com/
Also, some medical speculation about the health hazards of cycling: http://jama.ama-assn.org/
The ACA newsletter includes excerpts from a journal kept by a young man, much braver than I am, who took off on an extended bike tour after losing his job. His journal looks like a true work of art. Here's a link: http://www.coldsplinters.com/
Also, some medical speculation about the health hazards of cycling: http://jama.ama-assn.org/
Friday, December 16, 2011
Stocking Stuff
This isn't meant as a hint at all - just a few ideas for thoughtful, practical, relatively low-priced gifts for bike commuting loved ones.
Lights & reflectors - I might have mentioned this before. And batteries, too. And spare tubes and tire levers.
Smart Wool - I've tried lots of high-tech sweat-wicking, insulating, wind and rain-resistant fabrics. This winter I'm trying out wool. Now I have new Smart Wool glove-liners and a helmet liner; they are thin and light, good insulators, but need a more wind-proof layer outside. Though it pains me to pay $18 or more for a pair of knee-socks, they work well with full-length bike tights or knickers. On a cool fall rides I can feel the wind through polyester knickers, but not through my wool socks.
Try the ski and snow-board department for socks, gloves and glove-liners. I've found Manzella Windstopper gloves are more rain-and-wind-resistant than any comparably priced cycling glove ($25-30). I have several pairs of liner gloves for insulation, including cheap fuzzy-wuzzy grocery store gloves, and find they're warm enough for all but the worst Pacific Northwest winter storms. If the gloves get soaked through or smelly, they can be rinsed and wrung out, then worn with a fresh, dry pair of liners, instead of taking days to dry, like thick padded gloves.
Cargo-net and shopping bag - With the movement to ban plastic grocery store shopping bags, carless people who need to buy only as much as they can carry, may need to carry their own bags at all times. A cargo-net is a net about 18" square, made of elastic cord with hooks at the corners; it stretches over parcels and hooks on to a bike rack. It's not so good for carrying bags of potato chips or loaves of bread, but will hold a couple of shopping bags securely on a rack, maybe with an extra bungee cord for safety.
Lights & reflectors - I might have mentioned this before. And batteries, too. And spare tubes and tire levers.
Smart Wool - I've tried lots of high-tech sweat-wicking, insulating, wind and rain-resistant fabrics. This winter I'm trying out wool. Now I have new Smart Wool glove-liners and a helmet liner; they are thin and light, good insulators, but need a more wind-proof layer outside. Though it pains me to pay $18 or more for a pair of knee-socks, they work well with full-length bike tights or knickers. On a cool fall rides I can feel the wind through polyester knickers, but not through my wool socks.
NEVER FORGET: KNEE SOCKS WITH BIKE SHORTS
IS A FATAL FASHION FAUX PAS!
Try the ski and snow-board department for socks, gloves and glove-liners. I've found Manzella Windstopper gloves are more rain-and-wind-resistant than any comparably priced cycling glove ($25-30). I have several pairs of liner gloves for insulation, including cheap fuzzy-wuzzy grocery store gloves, and find they're warm enough for all but the worst Pacific Northwest winter storms. If the gloves get soaked through or smelly, they can be rinsed and wrung out, then worn with a fresh, dry pair of liners, instead of taking days to dry, like thick padded gloves.
Cargo-net and shopping bag - With the movement to ban plastic grocery store shopping bags, carless people who need to buy only as much as they can carry, may need to carry their own bags at all times. A cargo-net is a net about 18" square, made of elastic cord with hooks at the corners; it stretches over parcels and hooks on to a bike rack. It's not so good for carrying bags of potato chips or loaves of bread, but will hold a couple of shopping bags securely on a rack, maybe with an extra bungee cord for safety.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Mile posts
The odometer on my new bike turned 1300 miles on the way home from work Sunday evening. That's since the beginning of August. My old bike is about to turn 6000, but I can't remember how far back that goes. I think I've only ridden it about 4000 miles this year. I plan to reset both of them on New Year's Day - I still haven't reset the time for daylight savings and I think reprogramming one setting will reset everything.
If it snows tonight, which it might, I'll take the K2 out for a ride in the snow tomorrow, and make the odometer roll over.
We've been having some sort of weird weather inversion, with a layer of warm air above, holding down a layer of cold air, which has caused poor air quality and pollution warnings. I've smelled more car exhaust near the freeway and in town, wood smoke at night along Northwest Drive, and downtown Ferndale smells a bit like a brewery because of the granary (not that unpleasant). But the skies are clouding up.
If it snows tonight, which it might, I'll take the K2 out for a ride in the snow tomorrow, and make the odometer roll over.
We've been having some sort of weird weather inversion, with a layer of warm air above, holding down a layer of cold air, which has caused poor air quality and pollution warnings. I've smelled more car exhaust near the freeway and in town, wood smoke at night along Northwest Drive, and downtown Ferndale smells a bit like a brewery because of the granary (not that unpleasant). But the skies are clouding up.
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