thoughts on a daily commute

retired

alxndr — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:04:29 +0000

well, i am moving to mpls, which is not in iowa. therefore, i will no longer be the iowa communter.

recently, i was asked to join the No Drive Just Ride blog crew. that is where i will be updating. i might come back to my roots on here … but for now, just join the NDJR community [http://www.nodrivejustride.com/]

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alxndr — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:44:57 +0000

Well, it has been over a month and a half and I haven’t updated. I think the only person that is frustrated with that is alo.

Anyway, this morning, I was looking at Lucy and figuring out what it would take to convert her to a fixie. I think it is simple [just switching the back wheel around] and I might do that this week. If I do, believe you me, there will be pictures of that little adventure.

Nonetheless, I have not been riding much for the past week because of being out of town and having some sort of throat virus. I am actually about to leave for a ride to a coffee shop to work on some stuff. My stomach is hungry, my mouth is thirsty, and Lucy is itching for a ride.

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alxndr — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:35:11 +0000

I have not written on here for a while, not because I am not riding, because I am, but because my rides seem pretty typical. I catch some lights, I dont catch others. I ride to the same coffee shop everyday. I guess I have gotten into a routine that is good.

I will really try to update more. Please just know I am riding daily and I love it still.

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alxndr — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:59:59 +0000

This morning I rode my bicycle to Capanna’s, another coffee shop in Ames. It was a good ride, but I have realized I need to locate my mittens so I my hands do not freeze. The route here was half fimiliar, half made up, and I caught some good traffic breaks. It started to rain a little bit on my ride and the water was not welcome on my glasses.

It was cold and wet and good.

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alxndr — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:08:39 +0000

So, last night I went to the movie Zombieland with one of my good friends, Derek. I had plenty of time to kill [all day] before the movie, so I decided to ride to a coffee shop that was across town, instead of the ones that are fairly close to me. It was an adventure, a new route, a great ride. I enjoyed the pace of the ride, catching nearly all the lights, and the scenery. I will admit, I was a bit nervous because I do not know that part of Ames, north-Ames, very well, but I made it and figured out a good route.

It has felt great being out on Lucy lately and I am not 100% sure why. I really enjoy the rides as of late and I am beginning to appreciate the little things … rule #32.

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alxndr — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:57:33 +0000

I have been terrible with updating on here. Granted, I have not had Lucy out very much lately. Since I am not riding to campus everyday, there are some days I do not leave the apartment. Oh man, I need to get out.

The past two days I have been back at Cafe Milo working and reading. Yesterday was a cold and rainy ride. Today it was just cold. Everytime I get out on Lucy, I feel so much better. I was starting to get a little depressed and maybe a bit of cabin fever, but getting out is always great. I usually feel like I do not need the coffee I order, because the ride wakes me up. I love it.

I was going to do midnight ride some time this week, but I got sick and it was raining constantly, so I guess I’ll just keep my eyes open for a good night to do it.

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alxndr — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:33:35 +0000

A short, quick update … much like my ride this morning.

Well, I got Lucy all fixed up last Friday, but I have not been able to ride until this morning. I rode Lucy to a coffee shop that I spend way too much time in, reading, writing, designing, and the like. The ride was simple and quick. It felt really good to be back on the bike after a few days off. I really missed it. It is strange how much bicycling has changed my outlook and priorities. I feel great any day that I can start off with a ride. It is just great.

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alxndr — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:53:16 +0000

I stopped in at Skunk River Cycle today to get my tire fixed and learn how to change a flat tire. It was great. Steve, the wrench that helped me, was very willing to show me what to do and walked me through each step. It was great. I offered him a few bucks for teaching me and he refused. Steve just smiled and said “I like helping inform people. Cycling, just like anything else in life, is simple. Armed with a little bit of knowledge, you can do a lot of damage.” He laughed and handed me my tire. I thanked him again. I did not feel like a poser. I felt like a guy that wants to know more, wants to gain that knowledge, wants to be dangerous. He adjusted the bearings and sent me on my way. I look forward to any interactions I might have with him, or the other wrenches, in the future.

I am really looking forward getting back on Lucy. It has been weird driving my car around. I am not used to it and I miss the more direct contact with the road. On the up side, the weather has been terrible this week … so it hasn’t been too bad not riding. Ha, I am such a wuss.

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alxndr — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:15:40 +0000

flat tire. no ride.

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alxndr — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:31:33 +0000

The weather right now is weird. I want to wear a jacket in the morning, but in the afternoon I do not want to. And I always misjudge. What I should be wearing when I start out for my morning ride. This morning, I wore a sweater and I was cold, but warm. It is such an odd thing. The air is cool and still, but on Lucy, it is cold and wild. This morning was another morning I did not want to ride, but halfway to campus, I was glad to be riding. That seems to happen most days. I caught the light I needed to and love to catch. The intersection of Lincoln Way and Welch Ave is a crazy long wait, if you do not catch the light … but I have gotten lucky lately. It feels good to whiz past all the cars at the stop light and think about their wait, weight, and misdirection. I love commuting via bicycle.