Gas Prices Fall Bikes Disappear

Just as predicted as gas prices have fallen bicycles have disappeared from the roads. Americans are nothing if not predictable. Had a fun ride today, when a group of roadies went by I couldn't help but smile. They were decked out in the spandex while I was wearing an old wool sweater. Of course they went by me like I was standing still.

New Office Location - Unbikeable?

So my office moved to a new location about eight miles further out. Here's the problem, the area is nigh unbikeable. Now I'm not one to make such a pronouncement lightly but even if I did the multi-modal thing and took MARTA to the Mansell park & ride, there's no good route from the park and ride to the office off Hembre. I'm very upset about this development. More details to come.

Gas Panic

So with my back still bothering me I decided 8-10 hours in the saddle probably wasn't the smartest thing, but I did do a short ride to Publix to pick up some food. On the way I saw this.



Yep people line up for gas just like the 70's. You see since Hurricane Ike there's been a distinct supply problem, made worse by a panicky public and media. Many stations are out of gas, and those with gas have long lines. By the time I was on back from Publix this station too was out.

Sigh...

For the third day in a row I've had to drive, that's how messed up my back is. I went to the doctor yesterday who prescribed some muscle relaxants and painkillers. I'm hoping they work a miracle or there's no way I'll be able to make the big Silver Comet ride.

Designing my perfect bike

Lugged steel frame, horizontal dropouts, relaxed riding position, chainstays long enough to avoid heel strike, Rohloff hub (checks price) I mean Shimano nexus 8 red band, racks on the front and rear, full coverage fenders, racks on back and front.

Still no gas, night riding, and getting old

Well there's still little or no gas to be found in Cobb county. Doesn't bother me but some people are starting to freak out.

Have I mentioned how wonderful riding at night is? Assuming you have enough lighting, riding in the cool night air with few cars around it great.

So when I got home last night I picked up my bike to take it inside and something in my back broke. It's the price of getting older that your prone the these unexpected breakdowns.

No Gas at Costco

Since Hurricane Ike hit there's been a gas shortage, at least in my part of town. I rode to Costco last night to pick up some paper towels and they were out of gas, so I took the long way home and discovered QT and BP were also out of gas.

Of course being on my bicycle this bothers me not at all, except for the fact that I promised to visit my mother this weekend and I'm pretty sure the last time I parked it, it had very little gas. Which brings me to commuter rail. Atlanta's got a lot of rail lines and almost all are used exclusively for freight. Why is it a rail line not 2 miles from my home runs straight to Cartersville and yet it's impossible for me to take the train?

Everyone complains about $4+ a gallon gas, except me. The longer gas prices are high the more likely people will start thinking differently about transportation.

Coworkers and Commuting

A coworker actually asked me about what it took to commute to work. He only lives 5 miles away so it's a pretty easy ride. I told him that if he wanted to meet me one morning, I would be glad to show him the safest and quickest route.

Sometimes it rains

And it rains hard. So hard I ducked into a Starbucks and waited out the storm. When I finally crossed over 400 traffic wasn't moving in either direction. So once again bike beats car.

Well Hey Fay

A really slow ride to work today as I battled Fay's winds the whole way. I've said it before and I will say it again; riding into the wind is like up a hill that never ends.

Bike Lust

I want a Bleriot. And a Milano, and a Big Dummy. Bike lust is a funny thing. It makes you immune to rational thought. But since I just spent $500 on books for school, there will be no new bikes in my immediate future.

Whew!

It appears the worst of summer's heat is behind us. Thank goodness.

Yuck

Cleaned out the headset yesterday boy did it need it. The headset has got to be the most neglected part of the bike.

A long time in coming

Ok, there's been no posts for four months. No excuses. So here's a recap. Finished school for the semester, hit 3K miles for the year, got a couple of flats, stripped the bike and did a complete maintenance routine on it, and watched as I was joined by more and more bike commuters.

Since gas crossed $4 a gallon I've seen at least double the number of bike commuters on my early morning route. I've even got a coworker on the verge of riding in. It's a good time to be a cyclist but I fear that gas prices will fall and people will slip back into their old habits pretty quickly.

West Peachtree Construction

I have no idea what they're doing on West Peachtree in front of Jones Day, but it messed-up traffic royally today. I was actually forced to do a little creative navigation to get to my destination.

Springtime flats

I don't know what's going on lately but I've had a rash of three flats in the past few weeks. Now for a commuter like me who rides on wider, lower pressure tires than those who expect to go fast on their bikes, flats don't happen that often. But when they do it's a pain.

Pollen

The yellow monster is back with a vengeance. I first noticed it last week when by black panniers began to collect the stuff. Now it's to the point I can taste it in my mouth on a long climb. Yes spring in Atlanta is great, except for the pollen.

Wacky Weekend Weather

What's going on? One day is warm the next it's cold. Please mother nature make up your mind.

Spring...

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there's few things better than Atlanta in the Spring. The combination of nice weather and high gas prices have led to a noticeable increase in bicyclist along my route. Last Friday I counted four on my way to work.

Now don't get me wrong I love seeing more people biking to work, but do you really need nice weather and high gas prices to get you out on the bike. Consider this, on my bike my commute takes about one hour. In the car with traffic it's about 45 minutes. So I spend 15 minutes more getting to work, but I get an extra hour of exercise. Oh and it doesn't cost a cent.

The Only Bike at Costco

I need a few things Saturday, so I hopped on the bike and head to Costco. Now I'll be honest, if you don't have a Xtracycle shopping at Costco is a pain. When I left both panniers were stuffed and a giant sized package of toliet paper was bungied to the rear rack. I got some strange looks from the Costco crowd but hey, it still beats driving.