Trans America Bicycle Trail

For those of you who follow this blog you know what that flash was. And, yes it did happen. I now have the body of Lance Armstrong with a beard. I don’t know why nobody else can see it, but it’s there. It must be some sort of bicycle magic intended to get me used to it before everyone else can see it. Maybe everyone else gets to see it when I pass 3000 miles. Ya, I’m sure that’s what it is.

Anyway, It happened .3 miles past Springfield Buick on N. A Street in Springfield Oregon. I stoppped in there for some business and just after I left, FLASH, I past 2000 miles since I started riding to get in shape for the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail.

Mileage Catch-up:

Since last miles posted 153.3

Total Miles: 2048.7

Hi every one. I’ve only done 143.5 miles since I last wrote way back on the 8th. That brings my grand total to: 1647.6 miles.

On the way to work monday before last I suffered a serious flat tire at about 4th and Main St in Springfield. I got a text message so I pulled over to read it. When I went to start up again the tire was flat. Seriously flat, not just a little. I figured, no problem… I have some fix a flat in a can stuff I got for Christmas. So I whip it out, hook it up, push the button, and fffffffttttt. Nothing. It is dead. Now, 1 block from the Springfield Station it must be time to suck it up and get on the bus. Mind you this is my first time on LTD since I was about 13 years old.

LTD actually went quite well. I found out that the EmX line is free from the Springfield Station to the Eugene Station. Hmmm…. Note to self: Free and it takes off about 10 miles of the daily trip if it’s cold, rainy, or lazy out. Then for a buck fifty bus #30 took me the rest of the way to work. Relatively painless too.

First, Let’s catch up on miles. I did back and forth to work 5 times since my last entry for a total of 85 miles. That brings my total to 1504.1 miles.

Now for the officer… Remember, I have a beef with officer #113 of the EPD. I’ll never do anything illegal to get even, I’m just never ever going to forget him and he better hope he never needs anything from me.

So, I come to a 4 way stop tonight on the way home. As I approach the intersection another car arrives at about the same time as me to my left. Since he came to a full stop slightly before me I waited and he went. Clearly after both of us a third car arrives at the intersection. It’s Mr. Police Officer from EPD straight across from me. As John Q public, with right of way, clears the intersection I start to go. All of the sudden, with no signal mind you, Mr. Police Officer decides to turn left right in front of me. I see him and jump on my brakes, he sees me and jumps on his brakes, and we stop a couple feet apart. After we cleared the intersection the guy in the car behind Mr. Police Officer rolled down his window and yelled, “He almost hit me too”.

If he had hit me I would have flopped around on his hood like a fish tossed up on the banks of the Willamette River and cried like a baby. It probably wasn’t Officer #113 but I figure all EPD officers have a responsibility to rid their ranks of people like him and since they haven’t they can just suffer for his sins. I wouldn’t take advantage of the situation, but I would not cut him any slack at all. Two months ago if I got hit by an officer from EPD I’d have said, “No harm, No foul” as long as I wasn’t seriously hurt. Now, I think I’d have to protect my rights and look out for my future before worrying about the city or the officer.

Before anyone thinks I hate cops, I have a ton of respect for Oregon State Police, Springfield Police, and My favorite Federal Cop, Mathew B with all his co-works. BTW I haven’t seen Mathew in about 10 years. Anyone know how he’s doing?

Oh ya, the part he has no idea about. I’ve been having brake problems and had finished working on them just before starting home tonight. The fix cut my stopping distance to about 1/3 of what it has been most of this week. If I hadn’t improved my stopping distance Mr. Police Officer would have been looking though his windshield at one ugly 240 pound trout flopping on his hood. Good timing… SIR.

I’ve been told I hold a grudge.

Ya think?

To everyone who reads this, and I know there’s only about 3 of you, I wish you all a happy and prosperous new year.

I’m not making any new years resolutions this year. Zip, Zilch. Nadda. (did I spell that right?) I’m thinking we should make the kind of changes we usually do at new years when we see the need for change not when we first start putting the wrong year on our checks. BTW, does everyone else do that too?

I’ve been chastised for not keeping this blog up to date more often. My response is, “but nothing interesting happens to me while riding.” Then I hear, “So, write it anyway.” Well, here goes…

Pedaled to work, pedaled home. Pedaled to work, pedaled home. Pedaled to work, pedaled home.

That’s 51 miles. Add that to my total and I have a grand total of 1419.1 miles for 2008. All that in just under 5 months. Not bad for a start, but I did expect more… I think I’m going to have to find other places to go besides work. Feel free to comment with your sugestions of where I should go. Be nice now.

OK, that’s not good. I’m sitting here, Monday evening, after riding the standard 17 mile commute and my body hurts. Legs, butt, and back are  all unhappy now. I guess that’s what I get for slacking all last week.

Add that 17 miles and my total is 1343.2 miles.

Last week was back and forth to work every day except friday. Friday Cherie picked me up so we could go to dinner for the middle kid’s birthday. At the end of that week I had a grand total of 1317.7 miles

This week, ending Saturday 12/20, was pritty short. I only rode home from work one day. Most of the week there was snow on the roads in the morning and ice on them in the evenings. The one evening I did think it was warm enough and the roads were clear enough to ride I got to within 1.5 miles of home when the roads turned to sparkly ice. That was fun. I wasn’t worried to much about falling, it was the getting run over by a car afterwards as I flopped around like a fish in the traffic lane that had me concerned.

But. I made it. Add 8.5 to my total for a grand total of 1326.2 miles.

Just posting to track the miles.

The week of Nov. 17th I rode 76.5 miles. that’s back and forth to work 4 and a half times.

The week of the 24th was only 59.9. Back and forth 3 and a half times.

That takes me to December with 1144.7 miles

Now, Dec. 1-5 I have 79.5 (got a ride to the pizza place from work one day) so far and I intend to do another 17 tomorrow. If I can manage another 3.5 somewhere I’ll make the goal of 100 miles in a week.

Grand Total: 1224.2 miles

I had it all figured out ahead of time. I’d ride in to work Saturday and on the ride home I would hit 1000 miles total since this journey began. The momentous occasion would occur in front of the Saint Vinnies on W. Broadway between McKinley and Garfield.

As I approached Saint Vinnies I expected the sky to open up, a bolt of lightning to hit directly in front of me (you know, just to get my attention) and a low resonating voice to come out of the clouds declaring, “Dave, You’ve shown the courage and dedication to make your goal. I will now bestow upon thee the body of an endurance bicyclist”. And BAM another bolt of lightning strikes leaving me looking like Lance Armstrong only with a beard.

Well, it didn’t happen. I still look the same. Maybe it’s at 2000 miles that it happens. I’ll let you know.

Total for the week: 85

Grand Total: 1008.3

Wednesday’s ride home went bad. It all started with a flat rear tire down town Eugene, miles from home or the shop. I was however about a block from Collins Bicycle Shop and they were still open for another 15 minutes. They sold me a new tube and loaned me the tools to change it. I think he said his name was Casey? Anyway…. Thanks.

With my new tube installed by the semi-pro that I am it was off toward home. Two miles later… Flat again. It seems I missed the root cause, a tiny metal wire sticking thru the tire. I had inspected the tire looking for a cause but I missed it. Broke down and 5 miles from home I gave up and called for a ride. Very sad

To make the math easy, and save some much needed time, friday I hitched a ride to the very spot I had been picked up on wednesday and rode home from there. That put me 8.5 miles behind schedule for the week and 8.7 miles short of 1000 miles over-all.

As of Friday Night:

total for the week: 68

grand total: 991.3

OK, The boss is back so I don’t have to drive to work now.

I rode one way today (home from work) and it wasn’t as hard as I expected. My legs and buns seem to remember all about the riding thing.

Jim bought me a new coat for covering for him last week. It is one of those really bright orange coats like construction workers wear while they stand out in the rain building roads. With bright reflective stripes and cornia burning orange I can be seen from miles away. It isn’t safe to look directly at me if we are in the same room though.

Thanks Jim! It is way cool.

Actually, it is way warm. I rode all the way home this evening with it unzipped and was pleanty comfortable.

Looks like I’ll cross another major milestone this week. 1000 miles total. To make that all I have to do is back and forth to work the rest of the week plus .2 extra. If I get that close I’ll find a reason to do .2 more.

Miles today:8.5

Grand Total: 931.8