Soggy Monday Morning

The first week of my self-imposed challenge went pretty well - I biked to work Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I did drive the car to Raleigh two times over the weekend, so I can't really say that the bike was my primary mode of transportation last week. One of those weekend trips required me to take the toddler, and my wife won't let me put the youngster in the trailer and bike across town, so my options were limited.

Biking to work has several advantages over driving a car. Perhaps the most profound is the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction I have when I get to work. When I arrive in my car, I'm tense from battling traffic and stiff from flying around town in a recliner.

I also get a better connection to the environment I'm in. Wednesday last week, I participated in this turtle rescue operation:

This guy was crossing Crabtree Valley Avenue heading out of Crabtree Creek about 730 in the morning 

The two women in the shot were waving down traffic to keep their turtle charge unsmushed. It's sickening how little regard some motorists show for the creatures that share our space. My own humble contribution to the operation was to act as watch-out for cars.

This morning, I had the pleasure of biking in the rain. Here's the radar from around my arrival time:

Why do people get so worked up about biking in the rain? My coworkers this morning asked me if I was crazy. If they mean, "do you use a 2 ton metal machine overpowered by 1500% that wrecks your health, finances and the environment to get to work?" - no. If they mean, "did you know you would get wet on the way in?" -yes

I find riding in the rain to be a pleasant experience. The white noise of the rainfall provides a soothing backdrop that at once connects you to the environment and cocoons you in an isolated bubble. The raindrops are like cool kisses on the climbs and sharp bites on the descents. Arrive at work refreshed and clean. The only real downside is figuring out where to store your gear without getting your office area soggy. My laptop even rode safe and dry in my trusty Ortlieb panniers.

not so bad

So I'm off to a good start this week. I even get to skip the car on Thursday! Independence Day! Independent of those pesky English, and for me, the car.

Sweet Summer Air

Riding my bicycle to Crossfit Sua Sponte has become one of my daily rituals since I've been back in Raleigh. Until this morning, the weather has been mostly rainy, but today the sun has come forth and with it, the smells of summer. These are smells that cannot penetrate the confines of a car, even when cruising with the windows down. The flowers have burst forth, grass is getting cut, and even at 0920, there is a strong smell of BBQ wafting across the parking lot near the box. I wish I could actually ride with Dwight more often, so I could ask him about all the trees and test his memory on all the plant identification he's done years ago. I imagine the summer is easier when every tree has leaves and many of the flowers are at their fullest. Usually a cyclist is moving at a speed that allows for a good guess of the source of a particular smell. If I had my phone on me, I'd take a picture and later identify the source of the fragrance. I invite any of our readers who have found a particularly inviting smell to take a picture and post it to the page, to share a moment of their ride with the rest of us.

Even Susie likes to smell the flowers. These are gardenias.

Commuting Challenge

I've been a slacker - my bicycle riding has fallen off and my writing has been non-existent. I am going to attempt to remedy this. I feel good about myself the more I pedal where I'm going and I feel like I know myself better when I write regularly.

Therefore, I set the following goals for myself:

• Make the bicycle my primary form of transportation. Commute to the job at least 3 days a week, run all errands less than 10 miles from home with bicycle*
• Write about bike commuting at least twice a week.

In that spirit, here's a look at my commute from yesterday morning.

View Larger Map

It's about a 15 mile ride, and when I push hard, I can do it in under an hour. Barely. There are a couple of rough spots; the stretch of Edwards Mill that runs under the Wade Avenue Extension and crossing Wake Forest from out of the Quail Hollow neighborhood. Nothing too hair-raising, though.

We'll have to see how I do with my new self-challenge now that the temperature is rising. However, at the hour I'm leaving in the morning, its not been too hot.

North Cary Christmas Lights

There's a whole nest of great spots here east of Harrison.

Central Cary Christmas Lights

There's a couple of good spots in this neighborhood. The highlight is the whole cul-de-sac collaborative decorations on Melanie Lane

Happy Land Christmas Lights

Tons of moving pieces here, plus a mooning santa. On Penny Road east of Holly Springs Road

Lonely Greenway Squatter

This sad guy was the only one out to greet me on the greenway as I rode to practice the other day. 

Sure hope he finds his home.