If at first you don't succeed

I accomplished the ride into work this morning in 1 hr 10 min.  20 minutes faster than Google maps said I could do it.  I did it on the trusty old mountain bike.  Not to sound like a Johnny-come-lately- but biking to work is so enjoyable.  Yes you need to allot more time.  Yes it requires physical activity on your part.  But the enjoyment of leisurely going to work is unparalleled.  I hate going to work.  I'm sure there are a few of you that do to.  Yet this made the normal dreaded drive in much more palatable.  Also it doesn't have to be all or nothing.  There is a metro line that I could bike to and then ride that in most of the way.  Effectively cutting down the mileage I'm pedalling and the time my new commute takes.  Life is about give and take.

The road bike is sidelined until I can fix the back tire.  I refuse to drive to the bike shop to fix the tire so it may be a day or two.  I've also done some research and apparently I should always carry the following:

extra tubes
patch kit
multi-tool
pump
tire levers
cash/ID - presumably for a cab
phone
water

This entire experience has demonstrated an interesting characteristic.  One that I am sure I share with most people.  When I first thought about biking to work my first reactions were to justify getting a road bike.  I couldn't ride a mountain bike 12 miles to work.  It doesn't matter that I've ridden it 20 miles in a day on dirt paths.  It's a mountain bike - made for the mountains.  Though there is some truth in that statement the real fact is that I could ride it to work.  What I all ready had was good enough.  Now I was fortunate to have received a road bike for FREE on freecycle.org.  But now I have a tire to fix and other accessories to acquire so I am not stranded when I undoubtedly get another flat. 

I had also set my mind to the thought that I needed a road bike to make the commute.  It's so easy to confuse want and need.  Yes a road bike will increase my efficiency as I pedal.  It will make me go faster, eventually.  I read that 17 mph is the plateau.  As a beginner you build up your stamina and after awhile you'll start making 17 mph.  At that point it all starts to come down to nuances - pedals, clothing, chains, gears, tires, etc. to go faster than that.  I'm not shaving my legs just to get to work quicker.

My commute is only 12.4 miles.  The majority of that is city with red lights stopping me.  There is very few stretches were I could even build up 17 mph.  Plus don't get me started on the quality of the Bike Lane.  No wonder I got a flat yesterday.  No wonder more people don't bike to work.  That's a different rant.  The point is that the coveted road bike will eventually make my commute faster and once tweaked probably more comfortable.  But in the end what I wanted is more than what I needed.  What I all ready had was good enough.

Cheers,
Coop

Not so much a failure as I didn't succeed

Where do I even begin?  12.5 miles each way to my house from work.  This route crosses over and under 5 major highway systems.  In Southern California which is mountainous.

I missed the first turn and went way into downtown.  I realized that I missed 28th street at about 5th street.  So I started to back track and found myself in San Francisco going up and down the hills.  Then whilst in a seedy part of town I was trying to read the road signs when, on a down hill speed trial, a ran into a piece of concrete road that was raised.  The bike hit hard and at first I was "Oh no, not a flat tire."  The back went about 3 feet and hissed.  Then I was like "It can't be a flat tire."  When I dismounted and the rear tire was flat I finally reached the point of "I have a flat tire."

White guy in spandex in seedy part of town looking distressed.  This is the making for a bad Enquirer article.  I hoofed it 5 blocks to a friend's house.

I'm knew to this road bike thing and well who knew you are supposed to carry spare tubes?  No one told me that.  Apparently there is more to this then I thought.  I'm going to re-try in the morning but this time on the mountain bike.  I know it won't get a flat.

So far today I have decreased the amount of money I spend on gas but my overall usage of gas is the same as I had a friend pick me up and bring me home.

The Maiden Voyage of the Next Year

On the eve of my 34th birthday I made a list of what I want to accomplish for year number 35 on this planet.  They are not in any particular order and are numbered for ease of creating a list.  Except of course for #1.

1. Show Mel how much I love her everyday
2. Be debt free
3. Put away $50k
4. Cut transport by 50% ~ cut gas allowance by 50%
5. Quit Drinking (I'm not a teetotaller just want get that 6 pack abs)
6. Quit Fast Food
7. Purchase 1/2 my groceries locally
8. Rough draft of a novel
9. Find an agent for said rough draft
10. Decrease my housing to around $1k a month here in SD
11. Write several articles for magazines
12. Have a 5 year plan for the farm ("But he has a 5 year plan!" No offense Hooters' girls)
13. Have a location for the farm and purchase the land
14. Have the skills to get us through the first 2 years
15. Have fun and enjoy life.

I'm sure there are more things that I could add to the list but as I was enjoying my final beer for the year this is what I came up with.  To date I haven't had anything to drink since last Friday nor fast food.  I have also bought some plums locally.  Other than that I'm moving quite slowly.  Perhaps I should add do not procrastinate.

Today that changes.  I'm taking the new road bike that I got for FREE off of freecycle.org for a spin.  I drove to work with the bike in the back of the truck and will ride it home this afternoon.  Then I will ride it in tomorrow morning.  Next week I'm going to increase the amount of days biking to work.

It's time to walk the talk.  Or rather ride the talk.  I want to cut my dependence on gasoline and get healthy.  So wish me luck.

Cheers,
Coop