Cold Weather Motivation

This semi-cold weather is kicking the motivation right out me. I almost tuned the alarm clock off and rolled back over this morning, but I didn't. I managed to muster up the strength to push myself out of bed. I'm hoping that this lack of motivation is nothing more than my body and mind resisting a new routine. Every weekday morning for the past couple years I drove to work in a nice warm, music filled truck. Now It's dark, cold, and, with the exception of the occasional honk, quiet. Plus, cars are less than thrilled to be sharing a roadway with me, even if I am in a bike lane.

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No Music For This Commuter

Shortly after I started commuting to work again I thought I'd try getting my daily fix of music by carrying my iPod and wearing an earbud in my right ear. I figured this would let me enjoy my music yet still allow me to hear all the audio cues that are so important to bicycle commuters. Last week, after seeing a man hit by a U-Haul, I decided to go without the iPod and earbud.

I was initially worried that my ride would seem long and boring, but to my surprise it was not. Not only was it as enjoyable, but it was more relaxing. I found that when I wore my earbud I would pay more attention to the music than the audio cues. Any bike commuter will tell you that this could be a deadly mistake. Luckily I caught myself before any accidents.

Post up and let me know if you wear headphones or not while commuting or city trekking.

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210 in 2010: Week 1

The first full week of my 210 in 2010 challenge was interesting to say the least. I saw some things I hoped I'd never see and had some weather most could only dream of. I ended the week with 112 miles and some pretty tired legs. Here's a list of things that helped make it such an interesting week.

• Helped a cyclist that had been hit by a U-Haul.
• Got 2 flats 2 days in a row.
• Received and installed my OMM Red Rock rack and Ortlieb Back-Roller Classic panniers.
• Replaced my WTB All Terrainasaurus tires with Bontrager Race Lite Hardcase tires.
• Had to have my rear rim re-tensioned.

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WTB All Terrainasaurus Tire Review

WTB markets their All Terrainasaurus tires as a hardpack and pavement tires. I have been using them on my commuter bike for the past couple months and am not impressed. I ride mostly paved roads with a few rough spots here and there. The tires roll nice and have decent traction, but when it comes to durability, they fell short of my expectations. These tires came stock with my commuter bike, so I decided to use them up before purchasing some new, more puncture resistant tires. I fully expected them last far beyond 550 miles and provide much better puncture protection than they did.

Pros:

• Great grip on pavement (as long as the tread pattern lasts)
• Relatively low rolling resistance

Cons:

• Poor wear characteristics
• Very poor puncture resistance
• Picks up and throws a lot of debris

I don't know if WTB has redesigned these tires recently (for the worse) or if I just got a "lemon" as I've seen some reviews from people that were able to get up to 4 years of use before showing signs of wear. I don't think I'll test my luck with another one though. I'm going for a pair of Bontrager H2 Hardcase tires. 

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Eventful Commute Day

Today was only day 2 of my 210 in 2010 challenge and it's one to go down in the books. The morning ride was great. The weather was perfect and the ride was uneventful. Things didn't start getting interesting until I walked out of the office and discovered I had a flat front tire. I wasn't sure if it was legitimately flat or if one of my buddies was screwing with me, so I decided to fill it back up and see how long it lasted.

Just down the road from the office, at a major intersection, I was horrified to discover that a fellow cyclist and his bike were laying in the road. I immediately dropped my bike and ran out to him as everyone who witnessed the accident just sat on their asses and watched. I asked if he was alright and he just sort of mumbled something. I yelled out to one of the assholes sitting in their cars to dial 911. The man didn't seem to have any cuts or abrasions, but I think something was broken in or around his shoulder. I stayed at his side talking to him, trying to evaluate his condition, while the ambulance was en-route. He seemed to be coming out of the daze little by little and was able to talk to the paramedics enough to convey is concern regarding an ambulance and hospital bill.

After hearing him talk to the paramedics I decided to get out of their way and let them do their job. I had totally forgotten about my front tire, which was now completely flat again. I walked the bike to an empty parking lot, changed the tube, and got on my way. This was the most eventful day of commuting yet. Hopefully they won't get much more eventful than this.

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