Limited Warren T

Post-Apocalyptic Cycling

2012-01-10T17:29:00.000-08:00

My children might tell you that I tend to pontificate during episodes of The Walking Dead about the way the survivors could simplify their journey by ditching the cars and trucks and setting out on bicycles instead. And then, during commercials, I go into my reasons. They go get a snack.

It's not just The Walking Dead, look at any story from this genre, from Will Smith's I Am Legend, any zombie movie, and all the way back to the grandfather of all these stories, the excellent 1949 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel - Earth Abides by George R. Stewart. (Seriously, if you haven't read it, do so.) Cars get stuck due to loss of gas, blocked roads, fallen bridges, and more. Bikes can get around all those obstacles.

I now understand why my son Peter encouraged me to read Stephen King's The Stand. Three of the main characters made the right choice.

"Halfway there a thought rose to the surface of his mind like a bubble and popped. It happened casually, with no fanfare, but the implications brought him to a dead halt.
The thought was: Why haven't you been riding a bicycle?"

Exactly! Thank you Peter, and thank you Stephen King.

Indian Creek Trail Mile Marker 3 has Moved

2012-01-06T08:05:00.000-08:00

In September I mentioned that the new mile marker at mile 3 was either a stroke of traffic calming genious or poor planning. Looks like it was the second option since enough of us must have complained that the marker has now been moved.

From General Bike Pix

The marker has been re-positioned so it is no longer in the path of riders coming off the bridge a little too quickly.

From General Bike Pix

As an added bonus, it is now also visible as you pass under Nall.

From General Bike Pix

One look at the tire tracks on the ground where they first placed the marker shows that cooler heads have prevailed. Many thanks to Park Services.

From General Bike Pix

December 2011Christmas gift from my wife ... a trailer hitch and platform bike rack.

2011-12-30T09:17:00.000-08:00

For over a week I failed to notice that my wife had borrowed my car and had a trailer hitch put on it. We'll be testing this rack out in just a bit as my son Peter and I head to Shawnee Mission Park to ride some of the Gary Haller Trail.

Is there anything worse?

2011-12-23T08:01:00.000-08:00

Temperature at departure = 19° F (-7° C)

From General Bike Pix

December has been a lousy month for bike riding for me. Up until this morning I had only ridden three times because I was in Dallas for a week, when I got home it rained too much and then last week I had a cold. I was bound and determined to get out this morning.

There are many things I like about riding in cold temperatures, the thing I like most is I don't have to deal with as many people out on the Indian Creek and Tomahawk Creek Trails.

There are some things that you do have to watch out for, including ice. Remember, we've had a lot of rain lately. There are several patches of ice due to run off from the saturated ground, including a big patch in the middle of a long, steep, winding decent. Just keep your eyes open.

After riding 6 miles I encountered my first jogger. I rang my bell several times as I approached him from the rear. He was wearing earphones and jogging with a dog on a retractable leash. I hate retractable leashes! So, even though I rang my bell and shouted "GOOD MORNING" he didn't hear me and was startled as I rode past. Ugh. I thought to myself "There's nothing worse than a guy jogging wearing earphones and using a retractable leash for his dog." But, of course, there are worse things...

Less than two minutes went by when I approached two guys jogging with two big black labs OFF LEASH. I rang my bell and the guys moved out of the way but the dogs zigzagged around in the path. I had to stop short to avoid hitting them. I harnessed the power of an angry glare and moved on thinking, "there's nothing worse than a couple guys jogging with dogs off leash." But, of course, there are worse things...

Three miles from home I make the sharp turn to go under Nall and there, in the middle of the path next to the creek, sat an idling CAT bulldozer taking up the whole path. Fortunately, I always slow way down taking that blind curve thinking there might be another biker or jogger under there. Is there anything worse than a bulldozer taking up the whole path in a blind curve?

Yes, there are many worse things that could have happened today. But they didn't. All told, there were maybe 30 seconds to a minute of bad experiences this morning during an otherwise wonderful one hour bike ride on a clear, crisp morning. In retrospect, it was a really nice start to the day.

While I've got the opportunity, I hope you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

The Siren Song of a Southerly Breeze

2011-11-02T06:44:00.000-07:00

A Bunch of Jehus

2011-10-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

One of the things I had always admired in my father was that I never heard him utter a cuss word. Not once. Not even mild, broadcast TV replacement ones. I hope my kids will be able to say pretty much the same about me ... but I know they've heard me use a couple of the mild replacement ones a couple of times, especially when I'm driving. I've been guilty of calling some other drivers the modern day equivalents of Racca. But I'm going to change that. I'm going to try to emulate my dad.

I do recall my father remarking that someone was "driving like a Jehu," so I'm going to go with that. I'm also going to stick with his pronunciation jay-hoo, rather than the dictionary's jee-hyoo.

So, the text for this morning's message comes from the book of Second Kings, chapter 9, verse 20:

"The lookout reported, 'He has reached them, but he isn’t coming back either. The driving is like that of Jehu son of Nimshi—he drives like a maniac.'" (NIV)

So Jehu had been anointed king of Israel and was headed to Ramoth Gilead with his troops to dispatch Ahab's son Joram. The troops had been spotted and first one and then a second rider had been sent out to find out if the troops were coming in peace. The riders were told to fall in behind.

It reminds me of a bike ride I took with my son Peter a couple weekends ago. We decided to head south on part of the route I'd ridden for the Tour de BBQ. A good part of the route was on Nall between 123rd and 157th. As we headed south, things were mostly good; we had a nice tailwind and most of the drivers gave us plenty of room. Things changed as we headed back north. That nice tail wind turned into a nasty headwind with gusts pretty steady around 25 MPH. Drivers turned ugly and aggressive as well. Just past 135th a large pickup truck pulled up next to me, their front fender two feet to my left, and paced me for about 20 seconds before gunning it to pull ahead and pass myself and then Peter. There were no cars in the lane to his left. I suppose the driver was just trying to teach me a lesson or something. This was not an isolated incident.

When we got an opportunity to get back on the bike path, we took it. It just felt too dangerous. I didn't want to be out in front of a bunch of Jehus anymore.

Something to keep in mind, next time you're out in front of, or mixed in with, a bunch of Jehus; pull over and fall in behind. Let them drive off like a maniac and wait for the danger to pass.

Stay safe out there, and stay off Nall on Sunday afternoons.

10,000

2011-10-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

From General Bike Pix

I reached a milestone today. Since I began noting my mileage back in July 2006, I have ridden 10,000 miles. This may not seem like much to some; it may seem like something heroic to others. Regardless, I'm glad to see that number on my spreadsheet. And, really, that's all it is today -- a number on a spreadsheet.

I began riding my bike to work in March 2006. I didn't begin tracking my mileage until July 2006 after purchasing Bucephalus (2006 Trek 7.5 FX Disc components with the 7.3 FXD frame - because Trek was out of the 7.5 frame and I liked the color of the 7.3 better anyway).

Chain and cassette problems cropped up late last year, so I started riding the 2007 Mendota. My number of miles ridden per month dropped from triple digits to double digits. I'm not sure what caused the drop. Riding a different bike? The lack of a bike computer? Unusually nasty winter weather? More time spent walking the dog? A combination of all those, perhaps.

Throughout the spring, the malaise continued. In June of this year, I took a ride to the grocery store on Bucephalus which required no shifting and decided then and there that I had to get a new cassette so I could start riding this bike again. The next day the bike was fixed and the number of miles ridden skyrocketed (if you could call it that). I broke my previous monthly mileage records in July, August, September and have already beaten the old record for October and it is just past the middle of the month. I am on a roll. Last week my buddy John even mentioned that I've seemed a lot happier the last couple of months...

I'm looking forward to the next 10,000, and I don't think it will take 5 years this time.

Tour de BBQ 2011

2011-10-11T15:25:00.000-07:00

I took the opportunity to ride the 62 mile route in the third annual Tour de BBQ on Saturday October 1st for a number of reasons. It’s a great fund raiser for the fight against cancer. It was an opportunity to go on the longest ride of my life -- that’s right, I’ve never ridden over 60 miles in a day before and hope that doesn't lessen your opinion of me. It was an opportunity to participate in another group ride as I’ve ridden in less than a handful.

I had a marvelous time.

The weather was beautiful; sunny and chilly with no wind in the morning and pleasant in the afternoon. The ride was very well planned. The route was great (for the most part). The SAG stops were great (volunteers, food, port-a-potties, well spaced out).

There were supposed to be over 2,000 riders and I’d believe it. One of the organizers has told me that they've not had their post-event meeting yet so the numbers could go up. I also can’t comment on how much was raised because they’re still raising money and won’t have final numbers until about a month from now.

The only thing that surprised me was lack of interest in the event by our local media. I know for a fact that the television news directors were told in advance. One TV station showed a little footage from a traffic helicopter before the ride took place, but other than that the only videos I’ve been able to come up with is from the radio station that was a sponsor … 99.7 the Point.

99.7 the Point’s video
Kelly and Erica discuss the board and then Erica gets engaged. The proposal (I’m in it at 2:58 - 3:06)
This year’s grand marshalls
I would have thought something that impacted 62 miles of area roadways would garner some interest from the news directors in town. Guess not. In my experience with local media, the only way to guarantee that they’ll cover the event is if they’re sponsoring it in some way. It makes it look like they care, I suppose. This should IN NO WAY diminish all the hard work Kelly Urich and the folk at 99.7 the Point put in.

From Tour de BBQ 2011

Kelly was one of the people who got this whole thing rolling in the first place. He genuinely cares about the fight against cancer. Many, many thanks to Kelly and the whole board.

From Tour de BBQ 2011

The ride started at 07:00 (for those of us riding the 62 mile route) in the Kansas City Power & Light District in front of the Sprint Center and headed south down Grand and then Main.

We were released in groups of 100 or so. My biking buddy Chris and I were in group 2.

From Tour de BBQ 2011

Within a few blocks of the start, stop lights began the process of splitting the groups up even more. Almost everyone riding stopped at red lights … the stop signs in the residential areas, not so much.

From Tour de BBQ 2011

In less than 10 miles I was back in the neighborhood that my wife and I spent the first 17 years of our married life in. The first SAG featured the BBQ of Smokestack, a block away from our first house. In my opinion, Smokestack has the best beans in town.

From Tour de BBQ 2011

From there, back to the Kansas side through Leawood and Overland Park to Spin Pizza for some gelato and fruit.

From Tour de BBQ 2011

Back on the road we headed south again and then back over into Missouri to Jack Stack in Martin City.

From Tour de BBQ 2011

I believe some riders main goal was to make it to this watering hole. I wonder if they continued on or just called it a day...

From Tour de BBQ 2011

Next official stop, GatesBBQ.

From Tour de BBQ 2011

Back on the road, headed north. I don’t think the moving van on Lee Boulevard was part of the plan...

From Tour de BBQ 2011

Once we crossed 95th street, those of us riding the 62 mile route joined up with those riding the 35 miler. I believe the 15 mile ride also made it to Oklahoma Joe’s. Busy, but very, very good BBQ and worth the wait (which didn’t take that long).

From Tour de BBQ 2011

I comforted myself with the thought of all the calories I was burning during the ride...

We made three more stops: RJ’s, Johnny’s and Woodyard before heading down Southwest Blvd. and then up Walnut.

From Tour de BBQ 2011

The route was great … even with the short stretch of rough, hilly roads in Shawnee Heights where several folk failed to heed the “Slow Down” & “Rough Pavement” signs and ended up with flat tires (or worse). Perhaps one more sign would have helped ... SERIOUSLY, SLOW DOWN, ROUGH PAVEMENT!!!

I’m looking forward to riding in this event, or volunteering to help next year.

If you rode, you'll find 2,604 pictures of the event (some including me) at Atherton Photography's site.

Double Entendre

2011-09-14T06:52:00.000-07:00

The city of Overland Park is putting up a few new mile markers on the Indian Creek Trail. They look nice; but I have to wonder if the new Mile 3 marker was intended to be a traffic calming measure or not.

From General Bike Pix

The marker is just to the side of the bridge that goes over the trail just north of Suburban Lawn & Garden on Roe. As you head north over the bridge, you have to make a very sharp turn to double back and go under the bridge.

From General Bike Pix

I've seen a lot of folks come off the bridge and swing wide into the grass, especially if there is another bike or pedestrian coming up from below.

From General Bike Pix

So, the person that positioned this post either wasn't thinking things through ... or they are a genius. I haven't decided.

Ironic

2011-08-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

While riding the Tomahawk Creek Trail this morning I encountered a group of 3 people standing on the trail deep in conversation. Since they completely blocked the trail I rang my bell well in advance of reaching them. Then, I rang it again since they had ignored the first attempt. They finally moved ... which means the ones on the left moved to the right and the one on the right moved to the left not really changing anything. I squeezed the brakes, and slowly maneuvered through the little group. As I proceeded down the path I heard one of them say, "See, they're not all jerks."

Been There. Done That.

2011-08-12T06:17:00.000-07:00

This morning, as a matter of fact.

"...hundreds of little spiders pendant on the end of long tough webs were floating about in it. These early-rising creatures, or rather their webs, caught upon the horse's and our own forms by scores, and ... we rushed along coverd with hundreds of long grey threads that streamed out a yard or more behind us -- and a very strange appearance they must have given us."

From the book Allan Quatermain, by H. Rider Haggard

Elsewhere on the Indian Creek Trail...

2011-08-09T13:14:00.000-07:00

From General Bike Pix

I'm sure the recent heat wave is the cause of all the vertical cracks that have opened up on the Indian Creek and Tomahawk Creek trails. There are a few places where you could catch a tire and cause some damage to yourself or your bike. Be careful out there.

Indian Creek Trail is now closed at Switzer! For real.

2011-08-05T14:06:00.000-07:00

As of today, Indian Creek Trail is now officially close at Switzer road until "March 2012."

View Indian Creek Trail Closure August 2011 to March 2012 in a larger map

The red line above is the section of the trail marked as closed. The blue line is the posted detour.

From General Bike Pix

I spoke with a polite gentleman at the Park Services Department a week or so ago and he had told me that they would be setting up a detour, but he admitted that it might not be completely bike friendly. He wasn't kidding, although only half of the detour causes me much concern.

From General Bike Pix

The signs went up within the last day or two. Here are the signs at 119th, just east of Quivera.

From General Bike Pix

The narrow sidewalk has several low hanging branches to contend with. Also, there won't be enough room for passing another bike or pedestrians. I believe there were eight places where you had to cross over streets or highway on or off ramps. 119th is a busy street and 69 highway and 119th is a busy interchange. Depending on the day and time of day, this could take a while to navigate.

From General Bike Pix

The detour also runs along Grant Drive between College Blvd. (111th) and 119th.

From General Bike Pix

Once you're on Grant, things should calm down a bit as the street is wide enough for both automobile and bicycle traffic.

The detour adds 0.3 miles to the ride and the hill up to 119th and Grant is impressive. I'll still make the loop occasionally, but I believe I'll find some other places to ride until this is finished. Again, the 119th section is too narrow and busy to use more than once in a while.

Indian Creek Trail closure at Switzer beginning Monday

2011-07-16T10:47:00.000-07:00

I noticed a sign today saying that the section of the Indian Creek Trail from Indian Valley Park to Swizer will be closed beginning Monday July 18th and will not be open until March 2012.

There is no good way around this. The sign didn't say that they'd be closing Switzer, just the trail under it. I may try the following route as a work around. At 109th just south of the Eilert Fountain, take the bike path adjacent to 190th, across Mastin, under Alternate 69 to the Access Road, carefully make my way across College Boulevard and take Switzer south to pick up the bike path again.

I'll try it early next week and update this post if it won't work.

Chris tries out his new road bike

2011-07-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to Chris Kohl for inviting me out for a ride. Chris just got a new road bike and I was glad to go along for the ride. Sure it was hot outside and my knee was a bit stiff after the parent/son baseball game last night, but we mapped out a promising route on veloroutes and were ready to give it a try.

I made the mistake of looking at a bank thermometer just past the halfway mark - 109° I know it wasn't acurate, but it felt like it was...

From General Bike Pix

Here's Chris with his new Trek road bike as we prepare to head out.

From General Bike Pix

Having crested the highest point on our route, we finally get to enjoy a little downhill riding. I'll have to admit that on the long uphill stretch from 163rd to 179th on Switzer, we weren't too happy with the plan. After making the turn on Mur-Len to head north we decided the route was a keeper. Maybe next time it will be 10 degrees or so cooler...

Thanks again Chris.

King of the Zoo?

2011-07-09T10:07:00.000-07:00

After watching today's stage of the Tour de France, I went on a ride to the end of the Indian Creek Trail in Missouri. I got several comments about the shirt I was wearing.

From General Bike Pix

When I wear the TdF tee shirt that Curtis got for me in Paris I think "King of the Mountians." My wife thinks Put Me in the Zoo

Library Run

2011-07-07T13:24:00.000-07:00

From General Bike Pix

Lunchtime ride to the Central Resource branch of the Johnson County Library. It was nice to have some company in the bike rack. Usually there are only one or two other bikes there.

Glad I wasn't sitting there

2011-06-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

From General Bike Pix

A tree blew over, smashing a park bench on the Tomahawk Creek Trail. I believe this happened Tuesday evening when the huge squall line blew through town.

2011-06-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

I guess they decided against:

Future
Usage
Betterment
Initiative for
Keeping
Everyone
Safe

NYC DOT's new ad campaign

2011-05-11T09:27:00.000-07:00

For what it is worth; I like 'em.

Bike America Overland Park - Rocks!

2011-04-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

Bike America, at 95th and Nall, is having another swap meet this weekend. There are a bunch of bikes and bike parts and supplies for great prices. If you're into cycling and are close to the Overland Park area, they'll be doing this tomorrow as well.

Mark Rainey was kind enough to contact me to see if our boy scout troop would be willing to sell refreshments during the weekend. Bike America donated the food and we jumped at the chance to be part of this.

From Scouts - Bike America

Bike America Overland Park - Swap Meet.

From Scouts - Bike America

Troop 251 begins setting up shop. The generous folks at Bike America provided hot dogs & fixin's, chips, and drinks and donated the proceeds to our troop. Without exception, their staff was wonderful.

From Scouts - Bike America

The grilling begins.

From Scouts - Bike America

Local cycling phenom Mark Rainey samples the brownies which we baked in dutch ovens.

From Scouts - Bike America

Bill and some of the boys take it on the road.

From Scouts - Bike America

Saturday's turn out was great. We're looking forward to tomorrow as well. the swap meet will be running from 11a to 4p Sunday. We'll be grillin' dogs from 11a to 2p.

From Scouts - Bike America

They've got a bunch of stuff inside too.

From Scouts - Bike America

Peter's been thinking about building up another bike from scratch; the one he did a few years back has been outgrown. Here is the beginning of his next project.

A huge thank you to all the staff at Bike America for allowing us to be part of this event.

Hustle and Bustle

2011-03-31T11:53:00.000-07:00

In his book Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton wrote:

"It is customary to complain of the bustle and strenuousness of our epoch. But in truth the chief mark of our epoch is a profound laziness and fatigue; and the fact is that the real laziness is the cause of the apparent bustle. Take one quite external case; the streets are noisy with taxicabs and motorcars; but this is not due to human activity but to human repose. There would be less bustle if there were more activity, if people were simply walking about."

I might add ...or riding bicycles. He continues:

"Our world would be more silent if it were more strenuous."

Chesterton wrote this in 1908. As I read it last night I found myself lamenting that there is nothing new under the sun and that the more things change, the more they stay the same. This morning I reminded myself that cities like the often cited Copenhagen have proved that in some places cyclists and pedestrians have reclaimed some of the streets. So, there's hope.

One other Chesterton quote from last night's reading:

‎"Man must have just enough faith in himself to have adventures, and just enough doubt of himself to enjoy them."

Now, get out there and cycle up an adventure or two.

For Whom the Chimes Ring

2011-03-23T07:06:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you'll find that riding a bike reveals certain things about your body that need attention. With the change in my riding habits over the last year, that has become very evident. I now know that some minor aches and pains were due to my riding. Minor stuff. On the other hand, riding less has had it's consequences too and I much prefer the minor aches; now that I'm aware of them, I can adjust technique or equipment to deal with it.

What I may not be able to deal with is my brain. The last few weeks I've developed a strange Pavlovian need to check my cell phone due to ...

WIND CHIMES!!!

I'll be riding through the neighborhood and every block or two will faintly hear something that makes me reach for my cell phone. Here's the problem, there are no ring tones on the phone that sound,remotely like wind chimes. I don't get it. And where have all these wind chimes come from? I've never seen or heard this many in my life.

I used to love the sound of wind chimes. My parents had wind chimes hanging on the back porch that lulled me to sleep in my childhood. Now I react and then cringe when I hear them.

So, here's a public service announcement that you'll most likely not come across anywhere else: Say no to wind chimes. Think of the cyclists.

Trail, Hallelujah

2011-03-12T11:56:00.000-08:00

This year started out to be a low-mileage, utility biking year. During yesterday's ride to the library and grocery store I decided I really needed to get back out on the Indian Creek Trail for a recreational ride. 54° F and sunny today. Everyone else in my family was off doing their own thing, so I decided to go for my first just-for-the-fun-of-it ride of the year.

As the ride started I had plenty of company; a few cyclists, several joggers, and families out walking. But after I passed Roe Park I seemed to have the trail to myself.

As I hit this open stretch my MP3 player randomly shuffled to "Hallelujah Trail" by Elmer Bernstein. It turned out to be the perfect piece of music for my mood and as it ended I couldn't help saying "Awesome." The only thing that could have made the ride better was if the foliage was a bit more green.

For now I'll just have to imagine the forthcoming Spring.

Wishful Thinking

2011-02-02T14:04:00.001-08:00

Blizzard 2011

2011-02-01T14:09:00.000-08:00

For my colleagues in the Dallas and California offices...

Brain Freeze

2010-12-08T13:08:00.000-08:00

What's the deal with every morning having the same 18° F (-8° C) temperature? Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying getting out in it, but some variety would be nice.

This morning I actually had two goals in mind when I set out on my bike:

Take one of the boy's forgotten-in-the-rush backpack to school.

Coffee -- NEED COFFEE (trip to grocery store)

A half mile into the ride (right in front of the frozen fountain) I noticed that my head felt colder than it should. I'd forgotten to put the wrap-around ear muffs on over the balaclava. Still, it wasn't terribly uncomfortable. As I walked into the school and, later, into the store I got a couple questioning looks but no one said anything about it being too cold to be out on a bike. Perhaps the people in the school office are just used to seeing me this way. Perhaps no one in the store wanted to talk to someone who was peeling off layers to let out some of the heat trapped within. Perhaps winter cyclists are becoming so common that no one gives them a second thought anymore. Naaaaahh.

I got home and swapped biking layers with dog walking layers and headed out for another morning walk wherein I show my dog that I'm the pack leader and that animals are in subjection to humans.

Here she waits patiently while I bag her waste. Wait. What!?!

Pastoral Ride

2010-12-03T06:59:00.001-08:00

This morning I was musing on how 28° F at 7:30 to 8:00 a.m. seems to be the ideal setting for maximum squirrel activity when I rounded a corner in Founders Park and saw her. A beautiful doe standing right next to the trail. We eyed each other cautiously as I coasted past and I thought to myself -- it's great to be back on the path.

How Warren got his Groove Back

2010-11-27T08:16:00.000-08:00

I've gone through a lot of phases with my bike riding. Bike Commuter, Recreational Cyclist, Utility Cyclist. It's no secret that the end of my commuting put a damper on biking and blogging; and that is fine, we all go through that kind of ebb and flow in various aspects of our lives.

This last year my interest in cycling waned. There were lots of excuses: I'm working from home now, walking the dog in the morning, working on the house and yard, the apprehension that came after a couple of friends had been hit by cars, and, to be honest, the thrill was simply gone.

For some reason I turned the mental corner a few days back. Perhaps it is just because this is my favorite time of year for riding. Yes, it is getting cold, but cold weather riding is not uncomfortable if you're wearing the proper clothing. It also means I'm a bit more visible with my highly reflective and hi-vis jacket. Also, the air is "crisp" and I like that.

Now, as a case in point, I needed to make a quick run to the bank this morning which would be 3.5 miles round trip. I knew it would be cold so I dug out my balaclava and quickly checked the temperature: 28°. I checked my list of what clothes to wear based on the temperature and hit the road. (I do need to adjust the list again now that I've discovered the miracle of wool socks.)

When I got home I realized that the joy of riding that has been missing for months is back. I also feel energized; I don't know how else to put it. Maggie and I will still get our daily walks in, but I'm going to make time to get out on the trail early in the morning so I can have this feeling throughout the day. So, when you see cyclists out in the cold, don't feel sorry for us -- we're having a blast.

Reasons to ride

2010-11-22T12:09:00.000-08:00

In all the articles I've poured over concerning reasons to ride bikes I always see items along the lines of riding being good for the environment, good for the body, good for traffic calming, and FUN! I hardly ever see anyone else mention Rock Star Parking, although Noah has been kind enough in the past to mention it.

So, Saturday I spent part of the day replacing a faucet and when I found myself needing a couple of faucet connectors I knew it meant a trip to Home Depot. I almost drove but since the round trip would be less than a mile and a half and the weather being nice, albeit windy, I hopped on the bike and grabbed a parking spot right in front of the door. I just wish they had a proper bike rack.

As I was unlocking the bike, a guy who lives down the street was headed to his car and came up to say hi. He said "I'd never thought of riding my bike." I told him I just wanted to get in and out and this made it quick.

Guess who made it home first... [Me]

Altruism ride?

2010-11-15T13:48:00.000-08:00

Something our pastor mentioned in his sermon yesterday reminded me of this headstone. I've driven or ridden past this for almost three decades, always meaning to take a picture. Since it had still been on my mind this morning, I decided a lunchtime ride would be in order. A quick check on the weather revealed sunny skies with temperatures in the mid 50's and no wind.

Does the angle of the sun make my shadow look fat?

The first half of the ride was primarily residential side streets and as quiet as can be. I rode the Mendota and the lack of a bike computer resulted in a leisurely pace.

The second half of the ride was in moderate traffic.

While I waited at the Metcalf light, you could tell that the cars that pulled up behind me weren't used to sharing the road. I'll leave it at that because the rest of the ride was wonderful.

Biku

2010-11-11T13:32:00.000-08:00

Feeling out of whack?
Needing balance in your life?
Learn to ride a bike.

(It has been a while since I've done a bike haiku...)

Walking my dog is making me fat

2010-11-05T06:50:00.000-07:00

I started walking my dogs pretty regularly around 6 months ago. Before that time I hate to admit it was rare due to one being rather old and the other being such a challenge to walk. 4 months ago I finally made it a daily habit; I knew we didn't have many months left with Belle and wanted her to enjoy her final days. I could still get in several bike rides a week but dog walking was becoming my daily thing. Belle's gone now but I still get out with Maggie every morning. I'd mentioned before that bike rides have also taken a back seat to painting the house, so there just hasn't been any spare time to go riding.

When I weighed myself at the gym yesterday morning I came to a sudden realization: walking my dog is making me fat. Granted, I've only gained 3 pounds in the last couple of weeks, but if I do the math it seems that if I don't get back on the bike soon I'm really going to pack on the pounds.

I walk the dog for 30 minutes in the morning before work. This used to be the time that I'd go out for a 40 minute bike ride.

30 minutes a day walking the dog burns 142 calories.

40 minutes a day riding my bike burns 612 calories.

That's a difference of 470 calories per day or 14100 calories or 4.7 pounds gained per month.

That must account for the gain in weight, I'm sure it has nothing to do with the jalapeno/artichoke dip with chips and/or the milk and Oreos I've been snacking on lately...

So, walking the dog must be the reason I'm gaining weight. Realizing this, I decided to take a ride during lunch and got 10 rather windy miles in. In celebration, I had a bowl of ice cream.

Painting poses playtime problem

2010-10-25T11:35:00.000-07:00

I've been spending way too much of my spare time painting the house the last month and a half or so. My lunch hour, an hour or so after work, weekends, pretty much any sunlit hours available have been spent scraping, priming and painting. This hasn't left much time to go out and spend an hour or so riding my bike for the shear joy of it.

Truth be told, since I work from home now, cabin fever has crept in and it was supposed to be a beautiful weekend and I wanted to go out and ride. The problem was that it was going to be a beautiful weekend and I'm close to finishing the house. I promised myself that I'd put in a full day on Saturday and didn't care what was left on Sunday ... I needed to get away from the house and was going on a bike ride.

Since the boards under the kitchen and dining room windows had suffered some wood rot, they had to be replaced. Since they had to be replaced, the brick moulding had to be replaced. Time to break out the mitre saw.

With that done, it was time to paint the shutters a lovely K-State purple. This, my friend, is time consuming.

The front windows were done, but after church I looked at the area around the garage door and decided it could use a coat of paint before I took my ride. This led to painting some other trim around the front door. At 5:45 the daylight was running out and I'd yet to hop on the bike. I was happy with what I'd accomplished, but rather than pack it in for the day I hopped on the bike and took off for a 30 minute ride before the sun went down completely.

I felt a little bad that the ride had taken a back seat once again and was tossed in at the end of the day just because I'd promised myself that I'd do it. Turned out to be a nice, relaxing ride anyway. All in all, it was a good weekend.

The Office Bike Commuters

2010-10-22T13:40:00.000-07:00

In season 3, Jim briefly commuted to the Stamford branch of Dunder Mifflin. Last night's episode opened with Oscar showing off his new "Lance Armstrong bike."

Oscar: "I love cycling. Andy, I feel like a tourist in my own city. I literally can't wait to wake up in the morning."

I know what he means.

Then, of course, there's Dwight: "Can't beat a horse. A horse is a bike that pedals itself."

It is refreshing seeing bike commuting presented without a negative stigma. You can check it out on Hulu.

Slow News Day

2010-10-11T11:42:00.001-07:00

Looks like it is a bit of a slow news day. I'll add a couple items to spice things up.

Local Cyclists Ignore Signs, Face Decision.
This group of bikers must have failed to notice the huge signs blocking the road two times within a half mile stating that the road was closed ahead. This attempt to stare at the torn up bridge long enough that it fixed itself failed and they instead chose to wade through the creek rather than back track.

Area Man Pauses to Watch Paint Dry.
Yeah, I've been spending way too much time painting lately...

Note to the local TV stations, feel free to use my two stories if yours have gotten a bit stale.

Too soon?

2010-10-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

Yes. This is too soon.

I took the afternoon off thinking that I'd ride my bike to Sears to pay a bill and then continue painting the house. I've spent most of my spare sunlit hours painting during the last three weeks. After dropping the check off I headed home and decided to make the 3 mile errand ride into a 10 mile recreational ride.

Somewhere along the way my 10 mile ride turned into a 23 mile ride. And why not? No one else was home, the dogs had been walked, the dishwasher had been cleared and it was a beautiful 72° (22° C) day.

Like I'd said, almost every spare sunlit hour I've been painting. I could stand on a laddar for an extra couple hours or I could just enjoy some of the day.

12 miles in I was met with a little surprise.

They didn't say the park was closed, so a little off road cycling and I reached the other side of the closure.

THIS seems a little more timely.

Have a great weekend. (I'll be painting)

Random Sidewalk Factoid

2010-09-29T08:51:00.001-07:00

Seen this morning while walking the dog. Yes, I know, it should be spelled "Caterpillars make chrysalises." I like it the way it is (especially with the heart).

Looks like it's going to be another 80 days.

2010-09-22T08:16:00.000-07:00

That, my friend, is a very long detour.

99th closed at Marty

2010-09-21T16:46:00.000-07:00

I took this one day before they shut down 99th street at Marty (just one block west of Metcalf). Proof that there are more bikes out on the road this year than I've ever seen before. If you can't make it out, there was a bike stopped at the red light heading west, a bike on the path heading north and I was on my bike waiting on the light heading east. I had to get photographic evidence...

There are a couple of you who read my blog that occasionally use 99th. It is going to be out of commission here for another month, adding 2 miles to any of my rides to the east. Alternate routes for bikes are 91st, 101st or 103rd (to the bike path). Not really very convenient. For the time being, I'm riding north, south and west.

Bad Boy, Bad Boy

2010-09-13T15:32:00.000-07:00

View Larger Map

Too obscure?

Family bike ride in Ft. Collins, CO

2010-08-03T13:27:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back we packed the family up and headed to South Dakota for a wedding and then to Colorado for some rest and relaxation. Having heard about the bike friendliness of Fort Collins, I searched for bike rentals in the area and came up with a couple options. One company gave me the run around for several weeks, so I called New World Sports and explained that we wanted to ride the local trails and needed a variety of bikes for 7 people. Joe delivered in a big way. Curtis wanted to try a road bike, Trevor and I opted for cruisers (mine with the high handlebars I remembered from my childhood), Peter grabbed a mountain bike and Katie, Jon and my wife rode hybrids.

From Ft Collins family ride July 2010

We knew we wanted to ride the Spring Creek and Poudre trails and hoped to make a stop at the New Belgium Brewery. Joe had us grab a copy of the FCBikes map (12 meg PDF available HERE) and gave us a couple different route options. He checked and adjusted all the bikes, gave us water bottles filled with ice water, equipped us with a pump, tools and extra tubes (just in case), made sure we could get in touch with him if something happened that we couldn't take care of and off we went.

We started on some very bike friendly side streets.

Riding with a view of mountains was a treat.

>
I've got to admit, riding the Monkey Bike brought back a lot of memories.

The bikes were wonderful. The trails were smooth and riding a cruiser didn't pose any problem. If you're ever going to be in the Fort Collins area and want to ride the trails, mountain bike or participate in the Tour de Fat and need a bike, contact Joe. Reasonable prices and great service. Thanks for some great memories Joe.

Joe of www.NewWorldSportsLLC.com

Note: I wasn't compensated for the review in any way. I was just truly impressed with the guy and wanted to pass the information along.

Visibility

2010-08-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

In the first chapter of the wonderful book The Invisible Gorilla, by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons, there are a couple of paragraphs on inattentional blindness to which cyclists and motorcyclists should pay close attention.

Analysis of over sixty accident reports involving cars and motorcycles showed that none of the car drivers had any experience riding a motorcycle themselves. It appears that those of us who ride vehicles that the majority of car drivers don't expect are more likely to notice similar unexpected events.

Wearing bright clothing should make a bike or motorcycle rider easier to notice. However, as Chabris and Simons point out in their book, looking at something doesn't guarantee that you will actually see it. Wearing conspicuous clothing "will increase your visibility, making it easier for people who are looking for you to see you. Such bright clothing doesn't guarantee that you will be noticed, though."

Just remember, hi-viz clothing is not an excuse for you to stop paying very close attention to the road and traffic around you. This has been a public service announcement from the Committee to not get Squashed Like a Bug.

Cathartes aura

2010-06-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

Went out for a leisurely ride during lunch. I didn't like the way this guy looked at me.

I've never been that close to a Turkey Buzzard (some of you might call it a Turkey Vulture). I rode to within four yards of him and he just hopped to the side a bit. A slight twinge of the heebie-jeebies and I was on my way. Sorry for the blurry phone photo.

Heeding my own advice

2010-06-09T12:02:00.000-07:00

Ask my kids, ask the scouts; when I'm taking new riders out for a ride and we enter a parking lot I explain that this is the most dangerous part of the ride. And so it was today.

I was riding through a parking lot on the way to my bank and noticed a jeep driving through empty spaces 20 or so yards away. I remembered my advice to new riders and told myself "keep an eye on her."

I'd lost track of the Jeep for a moment. The driver saw an open spot by a store's front door through a gap in a row of parked cars and gunned it at the last minute. She must have caught a glimpse of me and slammed on the brakes. The Jeep's front bumper was, I kid not, 18 inches from my leg.

I know I'm not permitted to add a 27th verse to Psalm 136 so I'll just create my own mini psalm here:

He kept the jeep from hitting me,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Oh, yeah, about that hill...

2010-06-07T16:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday our church had a picnic and I convinced my wife and one of the boys to ride our bikes rather than drive the 3 miles to the park. What I didn't tell them was that the hill going up Lamar from 95th to 91st is a bit of a challenge for someone rather new to cycling. Oops. They did well, although as I tried to chat with my wife 3/4 of the way up she made it clear that she was not in the mood to talk.

Our pasta salad, Mexican dip and chips all fit into my panniers. We all enjoyed the ride (especially the ride back DOWN the hill).

That's not paint

2010-06-01T13:48:00.000-07:00

The other day I noticed some reddish splotches on my rear tire. I figured I'd ridden through some paint or something. When out riding with CAT over the holiday weekend, those splotches got bigger and more frequent. I took a closer look and it appears it is time for me to order another set of Michelin Transworld City tires.

CAT asked me how many miles I thought I got out of them and I guessed 5,000. I checked my spreadsheet (I know, I know) and it turns out they've given me 4,973 miles. Sure, I didn't get 8,500+ like Noah, but these tires were inexpensive and I'm more than happy to order another pair. The front tire isn't in that bad of shape and I may root around in the attic to see if I've got another former front tire up there that could get me by for a while. In the mean time I will get back on the Mendota and enjoy the change.

Note to self: with this next set, rotate the tires at around 3,000 miles.

Nary a rude driver

2010-05-31T11:31:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day. Thanks to those whose loved ones have served.

It's been a wonderful weekend. CAT and I took another ride yesterday, 13.3 miles on the Indian Creek Trail to Wornall in KC, MO and back home. One stop at Sonic to get a lemonade slush, but hey, it was our 28th anniversary ... we splurged.

We were both a little sore from 6 to 8 hours of yard work the day before. More yard work in store for us today.

I took a solo ride of 16 miles on OP and PV streets this morning. It was interesting to see just how polite all the drivers were today. Not one jerk. Doesn't give me much to write about, but sometimes it's nice to not have to hear about close calls and rude gestures. Many thanks to all the people that gave me more than enough room and to those who waited patiently behind me at red lights when they were signalling for a right turn.

From General Bike Pix

There was a good mix of sunshine and clouds along with a cool breeze. Great morning for a ride.

Wild Life

2010-05-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

This last Christmas I got my wife a beautiful new bike so we could enjoy cycling together. This spring, of course, the weather didn't cooperate. We've finally had a chance to get out on the Indian Creek Trail. I'd told my wife about the abundance of wildlife that I've seen in the past but all we'd really seen this morning was the occasional rabbit and squirrel.

Then we rounded a corner and crossed a bridge. "See, there you go" I exclaimed as we passed the male jogger relieving himself at the side of the path.

Good to be back

2010-03-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

Let's just say the last several months have been real busy. Being on call 2 weeks on and 1 week off might be part of it. The last time I'd been on a ride of more than an hour was the end of November and the one before that was in early October. Looking at the numbers validates the general malaise that I've been under this winter while working from my basement. Today was a chance to change all that.

Last night we had another Eagle Board of Review for one of our scouts. Afterward the group was asked if anyone would have a chance to run the paperwork by the Scout Office in KC, MO. It just so happened that I'd be taking the day off since this was the first time I could take the comp day earned for being on call on President's Day. I knew I'd be taking a ride today, just hadn't made any concrete plans. I told them I'd be happy to run the papers to the office. This would give me a chance to check out the addition to the Indian Creek Trail that opened in December. This winter's weather crushed all my planned attempts to ride out there with Peter.

Sunny and 41 degrees as I headed out the door. Really sunny. I got to the underpass at Wornall and went from extreme bright to what appeared to be pitch black. It was a good thing I slowed down a bit as my front tire became mired in this...

6 inches of mud.

I walked up to Wornall, rode across and continued on. The new stretch of trail begins at 99th and Holmes and is reported to end at Banister and Lydia. I figured I could ride on Lydia and work my way around to the Scout Shop and avoid the nasty traffic on Holmes. Turns out that the trail ends rather abruptly and although it is in the vicinity of Banister and Lydia, the closest tie-in to a road or parking lot is a mile or so back.

I back tracked a bit and decided that even though the ground here was pretty muddy, it would cut some time off my ride if I climbed the hill up to Lydia. Yeah, it was a soggy mess and further than it looks in this picture...

I made it to the Scout Shop and locked Bucephalus up to the closest thing to a bike rack that they have (see below) and turned in the paperwork.

When I got home I checked the bike computer: 18 miles in 80 minutes. I feel great. I realize now that rides under an hour are great and all ... but it's the rides over an hour that really clear the head and make me feel, well, wonderful. I don't know how many times I'll get to ride that far in the next couple of months before school ends; but I'll do my best to get some more rides like this one in.

A² +B² =C²

2010-03-07T12:02:00.000-08:00

Temperature at departure = 52° F (11° C)

Many thanks to the blond woman in the Lexus convertible who was nice enough to stop at and trigger three traffic signals, allowing me to keep a steady pace and ride through each light without having to stop.

View Got a little help in a larger map

I must admit that I don't know much about trigonometry, so I was not quite sure what you meant when you said "Sum of the pitch." Perhaps you meant pace or cadence; I'll ask my son who is a senior in Civil Engineering, he's pretty good with that stuff.

Carving out time

2010-02-18T19:58:00.000-08:00

With temperatures in the 40's this afternoon, I had 30 minutes during my lunch hour to sneak in a ride. Mapped out a 5 mile ride, mostly on 99th/99th Terr. A little traffic sure helps bump up the average MPH.

Glad I got it in. Looks like more snow and ice are just about here. Back to the gym tomorrow.

Yesterday it wasn't quite as warm, but I had a few more minutes to use so I headed to the library to pick up some more of those videos I complained about recently... My bike was a bit lonely in the rack. The camera phone made everything a little blue (perhaps because of all the snow?).

Howdy Neighbor!

2010-02-01T06:46:00.000-08:00

Temperature at departure = 26° F (-3° C)

What a weird encounter! With three hours sleep last night and the threat of freezing drizzle and snow on the way, I decided that I needed to get out this morning and jump start my day. It was a nice ride on mostly side streets -- until I was just shy of one mile from home.

I was riding on a two lane, minor arterial street. A car was approaching from the other direction and slowly crossed the yellow line into my lane. It was a neighbor of mine from a few houses down and they had a really angry, determined look on their face and were muttering something to themselves as they traveled head on my direction. I pulled down my balaclava, exposing my face, smiled and waved. The look on my neighbor's face was, as they say, priceless.

Now, there are many ways I could handle this. I've decided, for the most part, to just act as though it never happened ... with this one exception:

With five kids, I've never really encouraged them to go door to door for the various fund-raisers that they participate in for school, sports, church, scouts, etc.. I just didn't want to be a pest. Now, however, this neighbor of mine will be visited for each and every fund raiser my kids have. Within the next month they'll be encouraged to buy trash bags, cookie dough, entertainment books and flowers. Why not have fun with it?

Library Rant

2010-01-31T13:44:00.000-08:00

Sunshine and 33° F

Nice weather for a ride to the library to pick up some DVD's that they had on hold for me. Yes. Videos. You see, I'm cheap. I don't rent videos often (two trips to Red Box last year) and I don't belong to NetFlix. Why should I, when I can put a hold on videos when they come out and check them out for free? Thank you taxpayers of Johnson County. I'm not really happy that the library had to resort to competing with Blockbuster in an attempt to get people in the doors. I'm sure it was a rational decision, so I can rationalize my using the service. I would imagine that the majority of the items checked out from the library now are DVD's and video games. Sad. But, like I said, I'm cheap. If I think about it, is checking a movie or music CD out any different from checking out a book? It is still a tax subsidized way to circumvent paying an author for their work. Last year I read 20 books, 17 of which I borrowed from the library.

But I digress. Using my trip to the library to pick up the videos on hold for me as an excuse to get out on the bike, I saddled up and away I went. I locked my bike up to the otherwise empty bike rack and headed to the self-checkout section. I had four items on hold and only one item (a music CD) was there. I went to the desk to ask if they could check in back for the three DVD's and was told that a bunch of DVD's were stolen the day before and the ones I had on hold were among the missing. The librarian made a comment about $15,000 dollars worth being stolen. I don't know if that is a yearly total or if it was this last weekend's loss. I said I was sorry to hear it and she said "I'm sorry. It's your tax dollars." And it is. But should we be spending this much money on providing free DVD rentals which also appear to be so easily stolen? Do we spend more tax dollars on security systems or personnel to protect the DVD's? Do we stop libraries from buying DVD's and have them gradually revert back being a source for reference books and books that we want to read but don't want to own? I don't think there's a good answer for any of these questions.

We're Back

2010-01-27T06:40:00.000-08:00

Temperature at departure = 26° F (-3° C)

As I suspected, fall's bumper crop of acorns has produced a bumper crop of squirrels. Tons of rodent toddlers on the path this morning. Looks like the deer are back as well. There haven't been as many out the last two years. Perhaps the herds in Shawnee Mission Park are tired of being shot at and decided to migrate south a few miles. Whatever the reason, I welcome their return like the bike path seems to have welcomed mine.

38 Days

2010-01-26T06:54:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, the streets had finally dried out for more than an hour or two. It had been 38 days since I'd been on my bike. My excuse, snow Packed streets for close to a month with temperatures well below freezing and the resulting melt off keeping the air and streets wet and foggy for another couple of weeks. So when I finally got a day with dry pavement and at least a little sunshine, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to ride to the library. I could tell I'd been away...

Yesterday was a bit better. I had time after dropping kids off at school to take a quick ride. The temperature was 28° F so I layered up and took off on the Indian Creek Trail.

I was amazed at how quickly I'd made it to Leawood Park. I was averaging a little over 17 MPH with ease and felt great. I'd forgotten just how much I enjoy winter riding. Yeah, that should have registered a bit of a warning, but I decided to extend the ride to State Line. When I turned around to head home I realized why I'd made such good time on the first half of the ride: tailwind of 21 MPH with gusts to 29 MPH.

The ride home was a lot of work. I don't know what the wind chill was and don't want to know. I pedaled for all I was worth and by the time I'd gotten home, my average speed was down to 13.5. I was tired and sweaty and (according to my wife) my eyes were as bloodshot as all get out. I'd forgotten just how much I enjoy winter riding.

It's colder today and I've already got my lunch-time ride planned. It is good to be back.

Christmas Igloo 2009

2009-12-28T10:15:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! We had a bit of a blizzard here in Overland Park ... but family made it up from Wichita and in from Topeka and we had a blast.

I gave my wife a bike for Christmas so we can finally enjoy riding together (once the snow melts off). I'm pretty excited about that.

And, I thought I'd share a quick video of the igloo that Trevor and Peter (my two oldest) made on Christmas Eve. Enjoy.

Abby Someone

2009-12-04T11:26:00.000-08:00

Winter came quickly here in Overland Park. And cyclists in and around Kansas City (like Noah and I) have once again become "hard core."

Of course, it doesn't have to be winter. Anything under 50° F seems to inspire awe in those that don't ride.

The temperature was 30°F when I rode to the grocery store yesterday during my lunch hour. I got some strange looks and one, "Isn't it too cold to ride a bike?"

Last weekend, my son Peter and I took a 24 mile ride that we'd been meaning to take since this last summer. It was 63° out, warm enough for shorts, although I still went with a long sleeved tee shirt. Not bad for late November.

As warm as it was, I expected to see more people out on bikes. Wasn't the case, and we got a couple "what the heck are they doing?" looks as we sat outside and enjoyed a mid-ride smoothie.

Nearly two months earlier it was ten degrees cooler when Peter and I rode ten miles out to Spin Pizza. As we were locking up our bikes, a couple walked by and we heard the guy say to his wife "Oh, it's normal to see people riding bikes here when it's warmer..."

Fredrick: Abby Someone. Abby Who?
Igor: Abby ... Normal.
Fredrick: Abby Normal?
Igor: I'm almost sure that was the name.

Fitness

2009-11-22T05:48:00.000-08:00

You think to yourself: "I'm fit. I ride my bike; I get up early with my wife and hit the gym a couple times a week. Yeah, I'm fit."

Then, you play dodge ball with the scouts at the lock-in.

Where's that heating pad?

Flashback Ride

2009-11-19T19:15:00.000-08:00

We finally had a nice, ridable day again today. I took to the streets during my lunch hour and made a point of staying off the bike path. I did this for a couple of reasons; the path is most likely strewn with soggy leaves - and - I didn't want another ride like the one I experienced on Friday the 6th.

I can't fully describe the odd experience I had that day when I used my lunch hour to ride the path I used to take to work. I wanted to get out and ride, but it was so windy that I figured I'd be better off riding through the woods than on the street. The first half mile of the ten that I rode was fine and uneventful. The next 40 minutes was bizarre and unsettling.

How do I describe it? It started as I pedaled past the Christmas display on Metcalf just north of 103rd. I remembered riding home the previous year and having to half walk the bike through all the employees of the business there who were gathered on the path to formally light things up. From that point on, the entire length of the ride, memories of past rides flooded in. It was kind of spooky. I remembered minute details like the time three years before that as I rounded a particular corner I thought to myself that I should get my brake pads checked. I remembered the faces of pedestrians and other riders I'd encountered. I remembered words from a podcast that I was listening to during a ride two years ago. As I came to some sections of the trail, I remembered encounters with various wildlife. There were ideas for blog posts that were never written. Vibrant, exacting, mundane details.

As I rode past the office where I spent perhaps the best 3 or 4 years of my career, I realized how much I miss hanging out with the guys and just how good we had it for a while. I remembered random conversations and specific games of Call of Duty. The memories kept coming and coming and just wouldn't quit. This must be what it is like to have your life flash before your eyes. It is overwhelming and disturbing.

Putting the bike away in the garage and heading back down to the corner of my basement where I now spend my working hours, I sat there stunned for a bit, mentally exhausted. I miss many things -- including the daily commute on my bike. I didn't realize what a big part of my life it had been.

For 45 minutes or so, I biked around aimlessly on side streets within a couple miles of my house today. It was a good ride. It was a safe ride.

Bumper Panda

2009-11-05T15:01:00.000-08:00

It was a beautiful day and the jazz band was playing at the middle school during the lunch hour. I hopped on the bike and headed out.

Waiting for the light on the way home.

2009-11-03T20:45:00.000-08:00

I've been taking advantage of every opportunity to ride as I can come up with lately so when I needed to make a run to the credit union today I figured that I could make the 12 mile round trip within the alloted hour for lunch.

I pulled up to the drive-thru and was greeted by a message that I should consider a loan for a new car.

No thanks, I'm good.

Tour de BBQ

2009-09-28T14:14:00.000-07:00

I'm torn. There is a lot going on this weekend, but I might talk to Peter (who's birthday is today) to see if he might be interested. I haven't read through all the information, but perhaps the 15 mile ride with stops at 5 BBQ places might be a fun ride...

In conjunction with the American Royal’s annual barbeque competition, the LIVESTRONG Army of Kansas City is hosting the first annual Tour de BBQ to raise funds and awareness in the fight against cancer. Proceeds benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation and The University of Kansas Cancer Center.

Rock Star Parking

2009-09-24T13:16:00.000-07:00

Parent/Teacher conferences where being held at the Middle School last night and I didn't feel like fighting the parking hassles. The lot is always full, as are both sides of all the streets within a block or two. I decided to ride.

My suspicions about the lot being full are confirmed as I pull in on my bike.

Once again, I score Rock Star Parking with my bike.

My hope is that some of the other parents that live within a mile or two will catch on to the advantages of biking.

2:00 p.m. = Magic Hour

2009-09-23T15:10:00.000-07:00

Temperature at departure = 70° F (21° C)

I was just not motivated to get out to ride this morning. I've been off the bike since the 19th due to a scout campout, rain and general lethargy. I figured I'd get out during my lunch hour which didn't happen until 2:00 p.m. today. It was glorious.

I rode the 10 miler which is normally moderately busy during the 7am and 1pm hours and was only passed by 31 cars. I passed one car myself, so let's call it a round 30 cars.

Milage 10.857
Average MPH 14.3
Maximum MPH 26.8

So, I wasn't even burning it up and still didn't have to deal with much traffic. In fact, at 4.6 miles I'd only been passed by 6 cars. Less than 3 cars per mile? I can deal with that.

Here's to 2 o'clock rides!

Tried the trail again...

2009-09-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to get some more time back in front of the computer again. New Podcast is updated HERE.

Last weekend I was home from a trip to Dallas where I'd picked up a sinus thing that really knocked me out. I went for a 15 mile ride on Saturday and spent Sunday in bed. Monday was Labor Day and I took a 5 mile ride that knocked me out for the rest of the day. Tuesday morning I decided to try for 10 miles. Even though I've been harping recently about staying of the Indian Creek Trail bike path, I just didn't want to face the hills I encounter out on the road -- so, I headed out on the trail.

Closing on 435 & Roe, I reached the Fox Hill detour seen here.

Here is a better shot of the sign which shows the proposed finish date for the project as July 2009.

And here is the detour...

So I headed back out on the road to finish the 10 miles.

Things I don't miss about the trail:

Walnuts, spider webs, leaf covered slick spots, puddles, poodles (any dog, really), groups of joggers and novice cyclists.

Things I don't like about riding on the street:

Have a good weekend and get out and ride.

Not a good way to start the day

2009-08-27T07:01:00.001-07:00

Noooooooooooooo

Routine, continued

2009-08-26T16:29:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned yesterday, I've been spending some time with Veloroutes.org and Google Maps - Street View trying to come up with some new routes. The 10 and 15 mile routes turned out to be just the change I'd been looking for. Fairly light on traffic, nice roads and some challenging hills. Next on the agenda was a 20 or 25 mile ride that could replace the whole Indian Creek and Tomahawk Creek Trails loop.

A couple weeks ago, before he headed back to school, my son Peter and I were discussing my flagging enthusiasm for riding on the bike path and I told him I was going to start looking for some good streets to ride on. He suggested we try a ride on Kenneth road. He'd worked with the city's civil engineering department surveying roads over the summer and said a portion had been resurfaced and might be nice to try. So, I thought I'd encorporate Kenneth road into my longer ride. This last Sunday, I saddled up and headed out.

I present: The 21 Miler

My timing could have been better. There was quite a bit of traffic out on some of the major roads. I also saw quite a few other cyclists. When I rode over the bike path on Mission road it looked REALLY busy. I was happy to be on the road (even if I was passed by a young lady on a really nice road bike).

Something to consider: even though maps say that Kenneth road begins its southern journey at 133rd street ... it doesn't. I had to hop over to State Line road which was busy as all get out and then use 135th to get to Kenneth. It turns out that Kenneth is a rather popular road for automobile traffic. It didn't matter that much as the road was wide enough for people to get by me, until Kenneth curves to the west and becomes 159th street. There the road narrows, adds guard rails and becomes a moderately steep climb.

View Larger Map

I wouldn't have minded the climb, but I was getting passed by cars and trucks every 15 to 20 seconds on the way up to Mission Road. Almost without exception the people passing my crossed over the double yellow line to give me plenty of room, but there were a couple times that cars were coming from the other direction and we were all a little too cosey.

So, three sections that I would avoid during Sunday afternoon rides:
119th between Tomahawk and Mission
159th between Kenneth and Mission
Roe between Tomahawk and 117th

Other than that, it was an enjoyable ride. I'll probably ride it again, hopefully with Peter in tow, but on a Saturday afternoon when traffic might be a little lighter. I will be looking for a different 20 to 25 mile route in the mean time.

Routine

2009-08-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

Temperature at departure = 67° F (19° C)

I realize that I've been somewhat disconnected from all things social on the web for a couple weeks now. Don't worry, everything is alright; I suffer from nothing more than a general sense of ennui. I'm starting to snap out of it though.

Shortly before this break, I realized that I've ridden the Indian Creek Trail for several years and now that I no longer commute on it, the trail has become mundane. I'd go on a ten mile ride and come back without any sense of enjoyment at all. I might as well ride a stationery bike and replay the path in my mind. Truth be told, I am also tired of dodging all the pedestrians, dog-walkers and other cyclists. I started allowing myself to skip a day or two and recognized that I wasn't missing it.

I KNOW!

So, it was time to get off the path and take to the streets. Once the decision was made, I started to get excited about looking for new routes. I harnessed the power of Veloroutes.org and Google Maps - Street View to plan a few possibilities of varying lengths. I picked streets that I've ridden before for the first couple of rides and am happy with them; traffic is present, but even though I've ridden these in morning rush hour traffic -- they're not major arteries and traffic is light. I also see several others out on their bikes.

The 10 miler

The 15 miler

Both of these are nice rides for weekdays when I want to get a ride in that is less than an hour long. Then I tried the 21 miler, but that really needs to have a post of its own.

...to be continued.

Library Rack Almost Full

2009-08-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

I rode to the library during lunch today and was surprised to see this many bikes out front. The most I've seen there before is 3 or 4. Hopefully, the trend will continue.

Oh, shameless self-promotion time. I posted 3 podcasts this week. If you are a bike commuter or know someone who is, please let them know that the podcast is available at limitedwarrent.com.

Anchored

2009-08-11T15:27:00.000-07:00

Temperature at departure = 68° F (20° C)

I was feeling very cosmopolitan this morning, so I executed a Copenhagen Lean while waiting for the light. It was another beautiful morning for riding the bike getting drivers used to the idea that other modes of transportation exist in Overland Park.

From one state to another and back in a day

2009-08-06T18:48:00.000-07:00

...actually, Kansas to Missouri and back in 50 minutes (State Line is only 5.5 miles away).

The trail runs under State Line road. I just couldn't ride the normal loop today.

Still, it WAS the ICT which is growing increasingly dull. The morning weather has been perfect for riding. I'm thinking I need to shake things up a bit...

I've been called a lot of things...

2009-08-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

The moniker ascribed to me during this morning's ride is my new favorite.

Today's ride is one of this year's top ten so far. A little over half way done I had 6 different posts running through my mind. And then there were seven.

I'd left the path over by the old skating rink and was growled at by this guy -- fully clad in lycra. We got to a little round-about where he turned left and I turned right. When I pulled up to Roe the guy was off to my left, well behind me. I chuckled to myself as I went along, wondering how long it would take him to pass me again. A couple minutes later, I'd started under the Roe overpass that leads to Roe park and the guy foolishly tried to zip around me and almost ran into a jogger. On the other side he cut through the grass to head me off.

Whatever.

I honestly was not trying to make this a contest. He must have peaked because I rode my normal rate and was gaining ground on him. I actually thought about taking a break just to distance myself from the guy. We rode under Nall and he took the south fork and I took the east. "See you in a few," I thought to myself. Sure enough, I'd ridden under Lamar dinging my bell and saying "good morning" to several folk when I heard the guy behind me yell at a group of high school girls out jogging telling them to "Move OVER!" You could tell he was trying to make up for lost time.

The path splits again at 103rd and Metcalf. The other rider passed me right before the split and blew past two older men and a woman walking a German shepherd. They were just taking the turn to the left that I was going to take so I dinged my bell well in advance, dinged it again and said "Good morning. I'll come around your right side."

As I passed the lady said:

"That is what a gentleman sounds like."

Helmet Debate

2009-08-03T09:54:00.001-07:00

There are two different sides to the argument that cyclists should wear helmets. Folks in Copenhagen would argue that they're worthless and, in fact, a deterrent to cycling. In the US, we're convinced that they save lives. I know for a fact that wearing a helmet saved me from a concussion once, so that one time out of ~ 1,000 times wearing it paid off.

Anyway, I don't think this guy really fits either side of the debate.

see more Fail Blog

Sunday afternoon rambling

2009-08-02T17:05:00.000-07:00

Temperature at departure = 82° F (28° C)

Without going into detail, I've spent the last 3 weeks nursing a couple of the members of my family back to health after 2 surgeries and 1 broken wrist. No need to worry, everything is looking fine on all fronts. Also, Google has now sold the Radio Automation business to WideOrbit and I found out Friday that another good friend that I've worked with for 16 years has been let go.

I got a chance to have some time to myself today and it has been way too long since I've ridden my bike for anything other than errands. I decided just to wander. Here is the route I took.

After 3.4 miles on the Indian Creek Trail bike path, I got off at Mission Road and intended to take it as far south as seemed wise. Had I looked at a map first I would have realized that Mission Road turns into Tomahawk Creek Parkway after a couple blocks and I would have had to have headed east on 119th to get back to it. Instead I stayed on the parkway until it met Roe. Traffic was quite light as you can see below.

From General Bike Pix

At the stop light at Roe, I met a road bike rider who turned out to be a decent sort. We waited at the red light together and talked for a moment about the path near by and his hydration back pack. The light turned green and I told him it was nice to meet him but I wasn't going to hold him back. Off he went.

From General Bike Pix

I followed the guy south on Roe and actually ended up drafting behind him for a couple blocks. He peeled to the left at 124th and I continued south. 1.5 miles up a 7% grade hill with a head wind that was gusting to 20 mph. I got to about 132nd and decided that was as good a place to turn around as any. A 7% downhill grade with a 20 mph tailwind is a fine thing indeed.

Those 16 miles were just what I needed.

How to double your miles while riding errands

2009-07-17T20:25:00.000-07:00

Forget your wallet. (Curtis was not amused.)

Noah's Midnight Cave Ride

2009-07-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

A huge tip of the helmet to Noah for putting together a great midnight ride after Lenexa decided to change their annual Midnight ride. Noah sought out and found another cave that we could ride through and set up a great route to the site. Peter and I rode the Lenexa ride the last two years and were SO glad that Noah set this up. Anyway, here are some rather blurry shots from early this morning.

Peter and Noah before the ride.

The group mingles at the Merriam Marketplace before the ride.

Noah explains the rules of the ride.

We pass the Irene B. French Community Center.

I was followed by some sort of alien. Made it easier to look out for man hole covers...

Continuing down Merriam Drive.

Peter to my right with the glow of several other rider's headlights off to the side.

We wait for Noah to take a picture and open the gates. He warned the group that it would be slick and to take your time and be mindful...

We wait at the bottom of the hill just inside the caves for the people who didn't take Noah's message to heart. Mark Rainey in the yellow shirt on the right.

Riding in the caves. I was more concerned with staying upright than with having clear photos.

Mark on his well accessorized Trucker.

Having made it out of the caves, we stop to make sure everyone made it.

Getting ready to head back.

My one attempt at a panda portrait turned out so bad I decided to make it worse.

What color is the "old guy" jersey?

2009-07-07T16:03:00.000-07:00

Curtis and I rode our bikes to scouts last night and talked Tour de France all the way. As we were riding along, I thought I heard my name being called and, sure enough, Mark R (who has been accepted as a Course Marshal for the 2009 Tour of Missouri) was working on a bike in his garage. We got the chance to chat a bit before I had to take off. Good to see you Mark.

As we wrapped up the meeting I took the opportunity to step in to do the Scout Master's Minute. I explained to the scouts how the TdF that day had a huge peloton that was suddenly split into two groups by a cross wind. The group out front took the opportunity to take and keep a solid lead. This set up the possibility for Lance Armstrong to earn the yellow jersey if his team won the Team Time Trail the next day*. I said that there are a lot of times that people just go along with the group and that something may come along to shake things up; when it does be prepared to step up and be a leader. I thought it fit.

Curtis then decided we were in a race home. We talked about the different jerseys that are awarded and with one block to go he decided he was a sprinter. I've NEVER had to work to keep up with guy before. He won.

*Note: it almost happened today! Lance now trails Cancellara by about a tenth of a second. Ben Stiller did NOT look happy to be on the podium presenting Cancellara with the yellow jersey.

Gearing up

2009-07-03T06:28:00.000-07:00

...for the Tour de France. I'm hoping I can get at least one of my kids to buy into watching it with me. Curtis did two years ago and I enjoyed our bike rides during that time when he'd claim to be his favorite rider.

I jumped the gun and rode a couple miles to the grocery store yesterday and paid for it with some serious foot pain the rest of the day.

I guess I'll have to rest up a couple more days before I try again. Bummer. I've got to get into shape for Noah's Midnight Ride. (I still wish he'd call it the Anti- or Un-Lenexa Midnight Bike Ride...

Enjoy the 4th and stay safe.

Back from Camp

2009-06-30T16:05:00.000-07:00

I am back from a week of Boy Scout Camp and trying to get caught up with everything I left (briefly) behind. The heat last week was unbelievable and there were a few times I didn't think I'd be able to make it through. I didn't really have a choice though, being the camp Scout Master. Glad we all made it and wouldn't have missed the experience for the world. We had a great group of scouts and adult leaders this year.

Curtis and I were awarded Brotherhood membership in the Order of the Arrow. The only down part to that experience was our first attempt at the Brotherhood Walk on Wednesday night. We'd hiked a little over a half mile when a thunderstorm chased us under a picnic shelter. The scouts in charge of the event were radioed to have us head back to the dining hall as part of the camp emergency preparedness guidelines. They tried to get the group to head back together, but the driving rain and very close lightning got the group running for all they were worth. A couple of the scouts that were leading us started falling behind so I slowed down to keep them in sight. At some point in the half mile run, I must have stepped on a sharp rock. The result was a pretty sore foot that wasn't helped by the workday Thursday and all the hiking during the rest of camp. The last few days have been painful, but today I seem to be on the mend. Should be back on the bike in a couple of days.

We made it home Saturday morning and even though I was having some trouble getting around, my lovely bride wanted to go to the Art of Cars show at the KC Art Institute that afternoon. I went just to spend some time with her but had a blast looking at all the vintage cars. They had some old bikes on hand as well. CAT said, "If I loose track of you, I'll know where to find you." Sure enough, I wandered off and she found me by the bikes.

This Mitchell Bicycle (c.1896) - Golden Eagle, Girl's Bike was found in a barn in the Ozarks and hasn't been restored.

Frame: 1 1/8" seamless steel tubing
Finish: Carmine, four coats, hand rubbed and baked, gold striping
Saddle: Leather and horsehair with springs
Handle Bars: Chicago adjustable
Grips: Cork
Pedals: Rat-trap
Wheel Base: 44 inches
Rear Fender: Wooden, with skirt-guard lacing
Spokes: Best quality #2, 15-17 guage
Rims: Tucker, maple, V-shaped: finished to match frame
Sprockets: Nickel-plated
Chain: Skip tooth
Tools: Leather tool bag, wrench, oiler, pump, etc.
Original Price: $40.00, plus optional Morrow Coaster Brake, $5.00

This 1919 Harley-Davidson bike has obviously had some restoration work done on it. Beautiful.

Lunch Hour Excuses to Ride

2009-06-18T12:46:00.000-07:00

Temperature at departure 91°F (33°C) with the heat index making it feel like 100°F (38°C)

My daily routine has changed dramatically. I'm no longer riding to the office, since my office is now in my basement. Since starting the podcast, I've not been taking any recreational rides in the morning. I've figured out that the only way I can get out on the bike is while I'm running errands. Hence today's lunch hour ride to Penzey's Spices on Sante Fe in downtown Overland Park.

It was a 3.3 mile ride to the store, where I grabbed some taco seasoning for the walking tacos I plan on making at Boy Scout Camp.

Most of the ride is on Lowell, an arterial street half way between two major roads. Like Lamar, this is a pretty good road to ride a bike on. Fairly wide, lower speed limits and less traffic.

Several shady patches don't hurt, either.

Really only one busy intersection to deal with.

I grabbed some fresh herbs for a snack on the way in the door.

...and had ten minutes to relax before returning to my regularly scheduled programming.

Happy Donut Day!

2009-06-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

It's National Doughnut Day and my wife told me that Krispy Kreme was giving away a free donut. My youngest woke up early so we saddled up and rode over to take advantage of the offer.

Rather than stand around in a parking lot, we rode over to a nearby park. The glazed goodness was still nice and warm.

Here comes the science:

225 calories burned riding to Krispy Kreme. According to their website, an original glazed donught only has 200 calories. So, the way I see it, we had a doughnut and lost 25 calories. Bonus.

Exactly

2009-06-03T15:58:00.001-07:00

From a wonderful blog called Indexed.

Ick, Queen Anne's Lace

2009-06-02T07:37:00.000-07:00

A bit cloudy this morning. I took a few pictures with the camera in my G1 phone.

I hate Queen Anne's Lace. This must be a really good year for the stuff.

First, I have a sever allergic reaction to it if I touch it.

Second, the stuff stinks. The only way I can describe it is "weedy."

Quick note to my three oldest sons: Indian Creek Trail, 07:00 & 08:00 hours. Many, many groups of young ladies out jogging. Must have had to dodge 50+ this morning. No young guys to be seen. Seriously boys, there are many positive things about going for a bike ride or jog in the morning. Just sayin'.

Bicycle Today ... AND Tomorrow

2009-06-01T19:38:00.000-07:00

There are a couple things that I have issue with in this vintage bike safety video ... but for the most part, good advise. I am not happy with them showing kids to weave back in front of parked cars and I no longer just use my left arm for signaling. Still, an enjoyable 10 minutes which brought back some fond memories (the saddle on my first bike is just like the one they show the kid adjusting...).

Sorry if this spills over a bit.

Tinkering

2009-05-26T13:50:00.001-07:00

So, I'm taking a few days off. Work has been busy and we've had a lot going on around the house. I have managed to get out on my bike a bit, but nothing very interesting has happened.

I'm toying with the idea of doing a podcast a couple times a week. Thanks to Fritz for pointing me to a host. For those of you who visit here, you can get a preview of things to come by going to my new website.

There is a lot I'm not happy with at the moment. The template is cheesy. I am too thrifty and honest to use someone else's music (hence the rather quick and dirty use of my bike's bell and youngest son's xylophone...). I need to figure out my console. Etc., etc., etc.

Any way. Stay tuned for more.

Ten Miles of Bliss

2009-05-07T15:46:00.000-07:00

Temperature at departure = 78° F (26° C)

This has been a difficult week. Work has been busier than usual and we had the folk at Olshan come back to do a warranty repair on our foundation (which is incredibly stressful in many, many ways). When I finally got a chance to take my lunch hour today, I had to get out and ride.

I present to you: Warren's Ten Mile Therapy Ride

Your Warren T is NOT about to expire

2009-05-01T09:03:00.000-07:00

Temperature at departure 53°F (12°C)

Today promises to be a busy day at work and this weekend is going to be non-stop work on the house getting ready for the foundation guys on Monday. I debated jumping in early. Then, I glanced over at the kitchen table and saw the cover for this month's Scouting magazine.

All Work And No Play... True, I really needed to play for a bit this morning. So I took a ride, staying off the bike paths because they are likely to be a mess after yesterday's heavy rains. All the drivers were polite. I saw some other cyclists and we all waved at each other. There weren't any major infractions of traffic laws. We all played nice. Missing was all the stuff that would make for an interesting post.

Anyway, I probably shouldn't post this since blogger recently blocked my access - thinking that I was a spam blog. I was only blocked for a day ... but some key words here might push it over the limit.

I like to play along with the robo-calls about the factory warranty on my car expiring. Whenever I get them I press 1 and just see how long the person that answers can put up with me. Now, I see that I could make this a fairly lucrative home-base business. That's right, you too can make fabulous money "working" from home just waiting for these calls to come in.

Here is a wonderful post that details on how one person tracked down the actual company that makes the calls.

The key part here is...

“Some states permit you to file law suits in state court against persons or entities violating the do-not-call rules. You may be awarded $500 in damages or actual monetary loss, whichever is greater. The amount may be tripled if you are able to show that the caller violated the rules willfully and knowingly. Filing a complaint with the FCC does not prevent you from also bringing a suit in state court”

Hmmm. I wonder if they'd just write us a check for $300 and call it good?

Non-Commute Morning Rides

2009-04-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

Temperature at departure = 58° F (14° C)

Although I'm a work at home guy again, I am still getting out and riding. I find excuses to ride my bike on errands during my lunch hour, or I simply hop on and take a ten mile ride on the trail before I have to sign in for work. I'm getting over the fact that those rides aren't officially bicycle commutes. So what? There, I've grown.

This morning's ride was rife with detours. There is so much mud under some of the bridges that it would be unwise to ride through it. Take the 103rd street bridge just west of Metcalf for example:

I decided to take an alternate route. We're looking at Flash Flood Warnings later in the day, so this isn't going to clear up soon.

And, yes, I've stopped complaining about there not being any color in the landscape during my morning rides.

Finally, I'm a fan of The System and just saw this one from a few days ago. He's channeling me again...

Still trying to catch my breath

2009-04-27T09:37:00.001-07:00

I'm still trying to adjust to working from home and the additional work load that has been given to those of us who remain in support. Be that as it may, I just noticed that YouTube has movies, much like Hulu. I've been trying to find Quicksilver at the library for ages and now I can just relax and watch it on my computer.

For Quicksilver and more, go to http://www.youtube.com/movies

Disclaimer: I still work for Google for the time being, but am not connected with the YouTube folk at all.

Stop III

2009-04-16T06:51:00.000-07:00

Temperature at departure = 51° F (11° C)

Why not? Writers and filmmakers do trilogies, why not me? I present to you Stop III. Same intersection as the other two...

Unfortunately, it is true. This morning I set out on my last official commute by bicycle. Tomorrow we have to have everything out of the office and moved home. It's been a few years since I've worked for home and I used to like it. What I haven't been able to get used to is the idea that I'll no longer be a bike commuter. I'll ride on errands and for fun in the morning before work -- but that won't really count as a commute.

Anyway, in the spirit of last day of elementary school pictures, here are a couple shots of a cloudy ride in this morning.

I'm toying with the idea of doing something a little different here that will still be bike related. Give me a week or two to get that organized...

Conservation

2009-04-06T06:56:00.000-07:00

Temperature at departure = 29° F (-2° C)

Cold and windy this morning and, to be honest, I was tempted to just drive today. Wind gusts up to 40 mph forecast for today ... but I only have two weeks left to be an official bike commuter. I rode my bicycle and was glad I did.

A quick note of thanks for all the people who volunteered and helped clean up the trash that has been accumulating along the creek since last summer. Most of the trash has been plastic grocery bags and plastic water bottles. I'm just sayin'. This is a shot from a couple weeks ago:

Sure, there is still more that can be done to clean the creek up, but thanks to a few people who were willing to give up part of their Saturday a lot of that trash plastic is now bagged and ready to head off to the land fill -- along with three kid's bikes from the short section of creek around the park on 103rd, just west of Metcalf.

The swimming pool has been stuck under the 103rd street bridge since the big storm we got on March 8th. Glad to see it's going away.

I don't want to get all environmentally on you, but if you have seven minutes and twenty seconds, this is worth a view; it has changed my answer to the question "paper or plastic..."

April Fools

2009-04-01T06:59:00.001-07:00

Temperature at departure = 31° F (-1° C)

Created using the Bus Slogan Generator.

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

Times Change

2009-03-31T12:20:00.000-07:00

Temperature at departure = 35° F (2° C)

Season change as well. Two weekends ago Peter and I rode 25 miles on the Indian Creek, Mahaffie Creek and Gary Haller Trails to Shawnee Mission Park and then 25 miles home again ... in shorts and tee shirts.

This last weekend I chose not to ride.

The nice thing about these early spring snow storms is they melt off pretty quickly. I had to dodge some big piles that snow plows placed at the enterance of just about every bike path access point yesterday morning, but all the snow was gone by the time I rode home.

Anyway, getting to the point of this post; my how times have changed! I was looking into some of the bicycle games that Sir Robert Baden-Powell came up with for the Boy Scouts of his day. There is no way I could get away with suggesting our guys do these...

Cyclists' Games

...but I'm thinking that a group of adults could possibly set up a match of Brigand Hunting. The idea is to map out an area aproximately 9 square miles and let the "brigand" have a 10 minute head start. That person would have to stay within the prescribed area for two hours while the other players try to corner them.

You can see how parents might be concerned that little Johnny might get run over by a car. Perhaps I can get some other adults interested in giving this a try later this spring.

That's Entertainment

2009-03-25T14:03:00.001-07:00

Temperature at departure = 33° F (1° C)

Man, I've got to get a few moments to download a couple pictures and tell you about the 50 mile ride that Peter and I went on this last weekend. In the mean time, the Huffington Post has a nice story up highlighting music videos that include bikes.

I'd completely forgotten about Ray Parker & Helen Terry's music video from Quicksilver.

Culture Clash

2009-03-20T06:57:00.001-07:00

Temperature at departure = 44° F (7° C)

Having prepared and fed my brood an amazing first attempt at vegetable risotto, one of my sons asked me to drive him over to a friends house to watch basketball last night. On the way home I signaled for a right turn, pulled onto 103rd and realized that the driver behind me probably didn't see me hold out my hand...

Momentum and Gravity, not Video

2009-03-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

Temperature at departure = 48° F (9° C)

Spring Break week, but I couldn't take it off because I'm on call. Bummer. One thing I could do, however, is take the opportunity to ride my bike the long way to work; twenty miles on the Indian Creek and Tomahawk Creek trails. A bicycle ride of an hour and twenty minutes, mostly through the woods, gives you plenty of time to let your mind wander.

I've seen this trashed radio at the corner of 103rd and Metcalf for a week now. Since I first spotted it I started thinking about how it could be a metaphore for the radio industry. Or, it could just be a broken radio. Regardless, it has sparked several chains of thought about my work and the industry as a whole. Someone should pick this thing up and fix it. Me? Great, do I mean the actual radio, or the industry? Oh, look, a puppy. (Good thing I'm slightly ADD...)

Slightly out of Breath

2009-03-16T06:54:00.001-07:00

Temperature at departure = 43° F (6° C)

I noticed that I was coasting down hills that I normally pedal down this morning as I rode my bike to work. It was a beautiful, sunny morning. I stretched the four mile direct route out to eleven miles and was surprised to find that my average MPH was 2.5 MPH higher than normal. Why?

This was on the MP3 Player:

I must have been really hammering. Bucephalus was pleased.

Public Service Announcement

2009-03-13T13:45:00.001-07:00

Temperature at departure = 30° F (-1° C)

Do not smoke while riding a bicycle. Have a nice weekend.

Stolen Identities

2009-03-11T06:53:00.000-07:00

Temperature at departure = 17° F (-8° C)

Even if they didn't know my name:

People in my building, in my neighborhood and at my kid's schools knew me as the guy that rides his bike to work all year long.

People at church knew me as the guy that plays saxophone in the worship band, the guy that organizes the annual bike ride and some even knew that I was the mysterious "Mr. Voice."

Last Friday's meeting was to tell us that our office in Overland Park will be closed on April 20th and we'll be working from home. Sunday we found out that as of the first of April, our church will be "merging" with a church that, to be honest, is too far away to be practical.

Still, it could be worse; I could be at home NOT working...