After the crash

So I crashed on Mills Ave, one of those big metal plates in my lane caught my wheel and I lost control. Been in pretty good pain for 2 weeks, 3 broken ribs and collapsed lung. Going to try to get back on the bike for a little coast around tonight see how it feels. I was tired and seems like that's when i always make a bad decision and crash. Anyway, since I'm not riding the bike it's been the Vespa to work the past couple weeks and I am enjoying that pretty much. Now that the world cup has started I'm watching most games and the ribs are feeling much better with all the rest. GO USA!

California dreamin

I should be in California. Yesterday was the travel day, tonight I would have been camping out at Elk Grove campground in Redwood National Park... followed by 9 days of bike camping through the redwoods and down the pacific coast, ending w 2 days in San Francisco. Instead it's been a few long days at work and I need some rest. Hoping to get a little 3-4 ride n camp in the last week of the month, down the east coast from Cocoa to Sebastian inlet and back home. Catching up on yardwork n rest this weekend, finishing up the taxes, and next weekend I'm getting all the gear down and packing the panniers, buying the food supplies, having everything ready to go. We'll see.

Sold the Klein to Jay W at work, he's a little bigger than me it fits him like a glove, and since I got the Bilenky I really felt guilty about the Klein sitting in the closet not getting many miles. Now I'm alternating the Kona and Bilenky, and probably will sell the K2 mountain next, the Kona is OK for off road as much as I've done the last 5 yrs.

Looking forward to a good ride Sunday morning after a nice rest tomorrow.

Where were you? this morning

So it was probably the heaviest rain I have ridden through to get to work. Pelting when it wasn't pouring. I wonder if the guy from commute orlando that is always saying "where were you, I didn't see you" was out there this morning. I didn't expect to see anyone else but was surprised to see a female in a lightweight plastic outfit walking her bike across Livingston and down the sidewalk on Bumby.

It was pouring pretty bad... I had my pretty new J&G rainsuit on, so other than being hot under the helmet cover, was staying dry. Anyway, it was pretty cool once you get the right gear, the Crosso panniers were as advertised, made for durability and dryness, I didn't even pay attention to making sure the corners were covered... and my papers were all dry when I got to work. The little rain booties from Campmor for about $7 were awesome, wore my most comfortable sneakers under them and arrived all dry. So I guess other than lightning and severe winds I am going to ride every day now, no matter how bad it's raining. Wish I could have a couple pics of how wet it was with the streams in the gutter and huge puddles in parking lots but it was just too wet and it's a hassle to stop and snap a pic when everything is so wet!

I'm disappointed about bagging the California tour, but for a number of good reasons, also relieved. Firstly, 12 days away from home was something "the boss" was not too happy about. Second, 8 days away from work was going to put me behind, and I am learning don't add stress, there's enough these days already. Third, I was not going to relax much, it would be go, go, go for 9 solid days of 50 miles, loaded, in the hills and all, and I would have been pretty exhausted at the end. Finally, it was going to cost about $800 which kind of defeats the purpose of using a frequent flyer ticket... saving money. So I am going to bide my time and do a little 3-4 day mini-camp tour, probably leaving from home or get a ride up to like Gainesville or take the train to Jacksonvile, and hope to put together a nice west coast tour in the fall, maybe get to see Portland that way, we'll see more to come.

Rode the Kona today and it is a super bike for bad conditions, but when it dried out, on the way home it was slow, compared to the Bilenky. I have everything off of it, and tomorrow it's a speedy light sweet ride w a messgr bag. Finishing up the month way low on miles, only about 250 will put me behind for the year but I should still make 3500 pretty easy so no probs, I'm in better shape than 5 yrs ago so don't feel like I need to push it anymore, just do maintenance. Taking fewer rides just to get in miles, don't feel like I need to prove anything anymore. It's my transportation and relaxation when I get to go camp and tour.

More this weekend, I am hoping to take off Friday and get a good ride in to enjoy a good long ride before it starts getting hot!

Got Bikes? Ride em! event

We had a lot of fun with the Got Bikes? Ride em! event at Dover Shores community center today. There were 148 kids in attendance, and Commissioner Ortiz was a real crowd pleaser. We had a great presentation and gave away 4 bikes. The highlight for me was seeing all the little ones so happy and joyful and having so much fun. On the ride over in the right lane of Curry Ford 3 guys in a white compact car laid on the horn and shouted for us to "get off the road" and one of them threw something that hit me in the side, it was a snuff container that then fell in the road and spilled it's contents. Shortly following another vehicle got behind us and laid on the horn for a long long time, before zooming around. We were riding single file in the right lane, but while Ken was hugging the white line I was about 24" out I just didn't feel safe sharing with so many cars zooming around. Looking forward to our next event Wed 17th at College Park.

Meanwhile, on the California trip planning, it's coming together. Have a one-way car reservation for when I land in San Francisco, will drive up to Eureka and get a good rest in a motel (6am wake up in Orlando, -3 hrs to California it will be midnight Orlando time when I stop for the night). But in the morning I can sleep late and only have to drop off the car at the airport and get the bike together then ride 40 miles to Redwood National Park. Should have camp set up early and get a good night rest before starting south the 375 miles to SFO. 9 days later I have a 2 night reservation in SFO, maybe it will end up being one, it will be a long way in between. Got all my gear out of storage, this weekend I'm packing the panniers and seeing how everything fits on the bike.

Riding in to work this morning a pleasant surprise I was coming down Bennett to the Cady Way trail crossing and see a beige jacketed rider go across, I caught up with them a short time later to find it was John Griffin, a co-worker. He is an experienced bike commuter from college days and we enjoyed the beautiful weather and some conversation on the way in.

Super weekend

We finally got some good warm weather, i had lunch on the side of lake baldwin on my way home from whole foods, had some nice veg sushi rolls and water in the warm sun looking at the lake.

A nice ride Saturday morning and again Sunday, ending up at the Rusted Chain Bike Collective cleaning up some bikes for Active Orlando's giveaway late march. Great to see the place so active and so many people out working on bikes.

Got this awesome looking package in the mail yesterday from Poland, my new touring panniers from Crosso, they are the best and I hope I get a chance to visit them next year on our next Europe trip.

Back to the daily life of a working bike commuter tomorrow so I'm resting early. Taking down that tree by hand yesterday wore me out!

Gearing up for a 10 day tour

I'm getting psyched up for my California tour in a couple months. It will be my longest tour, 400 miles in 9-10 days. Putting together logistics and buying gear right now. I've been riding the Kona all this month and it is doing great. Have a little squeek and chatter on the front disc brake but otherwise it's all good, loving the 32cm Schwalbe Marathon Deluxe Tires. Reading some Cal blogs and forums, making some contacts, see the word "stoked" a lot. Looking forward to the hiker-biker camp sites in most of the state parks.

Around here I volunteered to participate in some community bike events over the next month and a half, trying to raise some money to donate a couple bikes and some gear. Going to the Rusted Chain Sunday to see if they need any help setting up some donated bikes for the giveaway's. Also, Julie wants to get a bike from there and learn to wrench her own bike together.

I ordered some new Panniers from Crosso, yeah I know my others are only 6 months old.. but I got a smaller size for the 3-4 days I usually do around here, and they are great bulletproof, waterproof bags, but I think for 9 days in cold rainy season I'll have a little more gear and need the larger bags to avoid a huge pile on top.

Been coolish here, we're having the coldest winter of the 6 we've been here, but warming up over 70 tomorrow and 75 Sunday, should be great cruisin around weather.

Two months later

Hard to believe, but it has. It's was a real busy holiday season and start to the new year with our company being purchased and all the new stuff to learn. Ended 09 w 4001 miles, that's 2 yrs in a row... but it was kind of a hassle having to ride for the sake of making mileage goals, so this year I'm moving down to 3600 again, 300 a month. Today being the second last day of the month I was needing 37 to rode out the Cady Way all the way (that's approaching Oveido in the pic) and had some pancakes & home fries at the Town & Country Diner.

Critical mass was really cool last night, talked with a few people I have seen before, and a few new people. Victor is from Sweden and he says Poland is awesome, we're hoping to get there in 2011 (sweden and northern europe) if we can get a home exchange and the airlines still honor frequent flyer tix. It was good to get out there with the group, must have been 250-300 people all good! Talked to John who has been down the California coast, that's my next tour, about 12 days later in the spring, self contained, solo, camping. Huh what?! I made a couple trips to Denver 2 yrs ago and you know how they hawk get a Frontier Airlines Visa and get 20,000 bonus miles, enough for a free round trip! So I did it for $60, figuring we'd make a vacation trip to Vancouver/Seattle/Portland, but it hasn't panned out, and now the miles are set to expire, so I "have" to use them. Always wanted to see San Francisco, only been there to fly in and get a rental car and drive out, and Redwood National Park is about 400 miles north. Lots of state parks and hike/bike campgrounds along the way, so there's that and I can't wait, my tours will get longer again this year!

I'm going to take the Kona, trying to hook up w a bike shop out there to have it shipped to, cheaper than flying it and less hassle for me, and they can set it up so I can bus up the coast, get my bike and head for a grocery store and campground.

gotta run, Gracie has a Winter Guard competition, the first of the season. Last year they were State Champs in their class, this year they've moved up a class.