2 Wheels Maybe

Not much to update, no off-road riding, no progress on the cargo bike, but it's Thursday and I just came off of three straight days of commuting this week, and oh my gosh, it's been good stuff! The sights: I've been feverishly photographing birds in Lubbock parks before the Canadians arrive - lots of egrets, herons, and cormorants with some scattered migrating ducks. (Loving the new camera-phone Moto Mod!) Tuesday after work  Mornings are down in the low 40's this week, and it's been strangely nice to watch the first signs of our 1.5 weeks of fall roll in. Afternoons have been very windy and have made me thankful for the electric bike's pedal assist. Tuesday before work (great blue heron and great egret) The leaves have started turning but not yet falling. Traffic is not yet holiday frantic. Life is good. The winter gear has been dusted off Winter Gear One recommendation I have for winter riding - get a snowboard helmet w...

Pedaled Every Day this Week! It's been a great week! Lots of things fell into place, and I pulled a 100% bike commute week. Yep, Monday-Friday I have been free to ride to work. (And I ran errands on the bike on Saturday and Sunday.) I've noticed that I've been in a steadily better mood over the last seven days. Yes, the car is  quicker and offers better weather protection, but it dulls the senses. When you spend your days in a windowless office, you don't have many senses left for dulling. I look forward to the ride when it's cold. I look forward to the ride when it's sweltering. I never look forward to the drive. From this morning's ride Okay, I know a 100% bike commute may not sound like much, but 60% is often a struggle. I've reached that point in life where the generation before and the generation after both need a fair amount of help. That means errands and doctor's appointments and stores and pharmacies and...well, the bike is of...

I see her about once a week, always near this intersection, and I don't know how she feels on the inside, but she's fearless on the outside. She pedals down Slide Road a little before 8am - peak morning traffic. Cars behind her quickly change lanes in a rush not to get stuck behind her. Occasionally there's honking and a finger or two being waved. Is what she's doing legal in Texas? Absolutely. In cycling circles, it's known as "taking the lane". When is it legal to take a lane? Learn more at BikeTexas.org Early mornings on the weekend, it's not rare to see recreational road bikers take a lane on normally busy Lubbock streets, but seeing a lone bicycle commuter in peak traffic - that's rare. Lots of bikes pass through this intersection every day, but they do so on the makeshift pedestrian walkway. Even then, it's a sketchy place to cross. Lubbock is not a great town to bike. But it is trying to get better. And, surprisingly, ...

Another gorgeous morning sky today   Yesterday I ran across an article from Awesome 98: Lubbock is thinking about improving biking and walking around the city   Here's a quote from the article:   If you have ever complained that its too dangerous to ride your bike or walk in Lubbock, you're not alone. I try to ride my bike a lot when the weather is good, but I make sure I stay away from any big streets because even having to cross them quickly is damn near impossible.   Me, I felt the same way a few years ago, but then I joined the National Bike Challenge , started commuting to work a few days per week, and overcame (most) of my fear of crossing the big streets. (And life became much better!)   How about you? Do you ride? Do you walk? Would you ride or walk more if you found it easier/safer?   Why do I ask? Well, the Awesome98 article contains two links where the city is asking for your input into this discussion. One is a survey...