Day 3 of bike to work week.

Monday night, I entered the Capitol City Criterium and Pioneers Park Grand Prix Cat5 events this weekend. I paid the fees, I no longer have any excuses. (Let's not bring up why I didn't do any of the UNL Cycling events in April.)

My commutes are doubling as training rides. My morning ride was cadence. The antelope creek trail has some gentle ascents and descents as it parallels the creek just east of UNL's campus. In a 39x19 (I think?) gear you can ramp right up to 150rpm on those descents without spooking runners or dog walkers with your speed. My goal was to hold that as long as possible on an ascent. I managed to keep 130 in the same gear.

The path under the zoo bridge is a good place to do a spin-up exercise before you get to A street. Pop into the 39x26 and let it rip. I hit 193rpm at one glance. Speed was 22mph.

Between A and South is another place to do a spin-up, but I use the big ring because of the great visibility on this stretch. I managed to hit 26mph, but had to cut it off because I couldn't pass two walkers moving in opposite directions without hitting one of them or taking my skinny tires into the grass.

The rest of the commute is great for long spins. I keep it at 120rpm and in the small ring. If I go above 125, I upshift. Likewise, if my cadence drops to 115, I downshift.

My ride home is all about power. I keep it in the big ring. If the cadence is over 100, I upshift. Below 85, time to downshift. Grind that shit out!

I get off the rock island at Calvert and take that to 44th. There are some short and steep hills.

44th from Calvert to Van Dorn is probably my favorite stretch of road to ride in Lincoln. It's downhill, goes on for what seems like forever and has only two cross streets. I have encountered 3 moving cars on it during rush hour this year. It's a good respite from climbing over 33rd and 40th streets.

I feel sorry for the folks who live near 44th between A and O streets: winter has got to suck. I wonder how many cars get stuck there? There are three short and very steep hills.

Dobson Construction added another hill for me to climb, but I brought the wrong bike:

44th and K

I've also been tracking my ride times and heart rate monitor data (when I remember to strap it on) for the past several weeks so I can track my fitness progress. 

My heart rate monitor doesn't stop monitoring data when the bike stops. It keeps ticking time away, giving me an accurate representation of how long it takes me to get from point A to point B, instead of "bike is moving, collect data; bike is stopped, stop collecting data" that my bike computer does.

My six mile route (35th to A, A to Rock Island) has a great deal of downtime while waiting for traffic to clear at Vine and O streets. If I take the trails, I get to add another mile and some change because I cross 27th three times, but I have less downtime since those crossings are not "at grade".

I didn't realize how much less downtime until the data for the last couple of weeks were staring me in the face.

My ride times on the short route are anywhere from 19-22 minutes on average, while my heart rate monitor times are anywhere from 28-30 minutes.

My ride times on the longer trail route are 26-28 minutes, while my heart rate monitor times on the longer trail route are anywhere from 28-31 minutes.

I'm not going to waste any more time waiting for motorized cages on Vine and O. Thanks to the Elaine Hammer bridge, I can spend that time riding instead of wishing I was riding.

Today's mixed trail/street mileage was 13.3 miles.

As for the races this weekend? I haven't done a mass start event since the summer after high school, 16 years ago: I'm gonna get my ass kicked up one side Saturday morning and down the other Sunday.

Loren Mooney at Huffington Post: Bikes are a City's Indicator Species

Loren Mooney, editor-in-chief of Bicycling Magazine makes a compelling argument for bicycle use is a strong indicator of a city's health.

Just as the fate of the seemingly lowly frog serves as a bellwether of the health of an ecosystem, the presence of bikes can tell you a lot about a community. First, a city with more bikes is likely safer, since people are comfortable being out on the streets. Its residents are likely healthier and more active -- even the recent White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity report to the president called for increased biking twice in its recommendations. And it's also a more green-minded metropolis, since people are of a mind to occasionally pedal for short trips instead of driving (the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that as many as 40% of car trips are 2 miles or less, a distance my mom could bike -- several times a day).

Read the rest at Huffingtonpost

It's bike to work week. Show visitors how healthy your city is.

Day two of Bike to Work Week.

I had to pick up my kids after work. I have a kid trailer for my bike, but didn't feel like bringing that to work with me. It made more sense to drive. That and we're selling the trailer since the kids ride on their own now.

Even though I didn't drive, that shouldn't stop me from doing bike-related tasks. I had won a $25 gift card from Bike Pedalers at the "Bike to Work, Lincoln!" rally at the State Office Building on Friday.

I exchanged that for a portion of some nice Pearl Izumi shorts and socks over my lunch break.

My daughter and I gave my bike a quick cleaning in the front yard while my son crashed out on the couch after dinner. While brushing out the cassette, I busted the "pie plate" between the spokes and large cog. Whoops. The whole thing flaked off into tiny bits and is strewn about my lawn. Meh, it's extra weight. It really doesn't do anything and I look less like a noob.

That round plastic thing next to the spokes is a pie plate. Found at bikesnobnyc's blog

There's a problem with losing the pie plate: I have this "White Men Can't Jump" fantasy where I build up my cardiovascular system to Miguel Indurain levels and a Lance Armstrong pain threshold and show up at a bike race in a strange town while dressed in some plain gym shorts and a "freebie" t-shirt one might find at a tourist trap with a 5 year old entry level bike (complete with the "pie plate") and a helmet of similar age and some black socks.

"You mean race bicycles?"

I guess I could buy a new pie plate or score one from a shop that removes them on general principle. But that won't be sufficiently dirty for the full effect.

Anywho...

I have been sitting on some Dura Ace brake pads for the roadie bike for a couple of weeks now. My daughter looked on as I swapped those out.

Ever since she started riding without training wheels or my hands on her shoulders, she's been a bike fanatic. I may have to find her one of these in five or six years.

It being Bike to Work week, I'm a bit disappointed with my co-workers: none of them rode today, either.

Miles: maybe 0.2 while testing the brakes.

First day of Bike to Work Week

I overslept this morning. I didn't let that stop me.

I took the commuter bike as it was all kinds of splashy this morning from last night's rain. My street was still ground up so I took the sidewalk to the Mopac. I don't need a pinch flat a block from home.

I decided to take trails all the way to work today instead of the faster side streets. I was a little disappointed in Lincoln, I expected to see newbies all over the place. Maybe it was because I was running 15 minutes late. Maybe the overnight rain had folks clamoring for their steel and glass isolation chambers. I don't blame them: if you don't have the gear, taking the car is probably the right decision.

I was stoked to see the new Antelope Creek channel opened up and flowing today. It was open before, it just seemed fitting that they have water flowing through it this week, I guess.

I practically had the trails to myself after I passed the Zoo all the way to Old Cheney. I pushed it into the big ring and let it rip. I also found no cars crossing at South street and an empty Calvert street. That never happens.

I noticed two other bikes at work. yay!

After work, I chatted with a co-worker who had ridden a dual suspension Magna to work. (I know, I know. but if you don't know what you're missing, how can you be missing it? I could let him take my road bike for a spin around the building. I have a feeling that would be like giving a 16 year old the keys to a Corvette after he's only ever driven a 1974 Honda Civic.)

 My ride home was fun, I pedaled the top half of the gear range for most of the ride, moving the heavy beast of a bike at 17+mph most of the way. The chicane from the bridges to the trail as it passes behind Shopko always kills my rhythm. I don't like carving corners with panniers.

We then packed the kids up and headed for the Olive Garden. After sufficient carb-loading we stopped at Anderson Ford to scope out an Edge. We've outgrown our "kid cars", we're going to need at least one grown-up car for the foreseeable future.

While I'm sure they could add it to any car on the lot, a Thule 4-bike hitch-mounted rack is a $229 dealer-installed option.

The panoramic vista roof is sweet. Think retractable moonroof, except it's half of the roof. And the other half of the roof is "fixed" glass.

I have to pick the kids up after work tomorrow and then I have to cart my daughter to tae kwon do after dinner, so that means I have to drive. Too many activities, not enough time.

I'm glad I took the long way to and from work: 14.4 miles.

Baby Steps

I participated in "Bike to Work, Lincoln" this morning.

I saw some folks at Peter Pan Park removing bikes from cars to ride. I presume they pedaled back to Peter Pan Park, returned home to unload their bikes and then drove to work.

At first I thought: why are you folks being such posers?

But later on in the day it hit me: they're addicted to their cars. They don't want other car addicts to know they want to break the habit. 

After all, cars are intoxicating. Remember the first time you got behind the wheel and turned the key to start up mom's Volvo so you could operate the handheld car vac without killing the battery? How about the first time you put dad's Olds in reverse to move it out of the way so you could get the lawn mower out? What about the first night you went cruising with friends the night after you got your license?

You had a big fat smile on your face every time. Operating a powerful car is intoxicating. Your own personal chariot, yours to explore wide open spaces with minimal effort.

You know what I'm talking about. The automobile is a tough habit to break. Been there. I still struggle at times.

So after a day of wondering why folks would waste all that time to fake the funk, I no longer fault those folks.

Why the change of heart? Those folks might have left those bikes in the garage without "Bike to Work, Lincoln".

They just need to take baby steps. Dip a toe in the water before jumping in feet first. Take a "test drive", if you will.

That makes today's event an overwhelming success, in my opinion.

I only hope we didn't scare them away from leaving the car at home come Monday: A pic of me at Trago Park surfaced on Facebook, makes me look like a comic book villain.

I look like a cross between Sling Blade and Solomon Grundy. Pic taken by Shane Harders

On a side note, I met Elaine Hammer today. She is really nice. She told me she doesn't like to be in the middle of groups and would ride behind us from Peter Pan park to Trago Park and on to the State Office Building. I didn't know the 27th street bike bridge was named after her until after the group from Peter Pan Park rode over with her bringing up the rear.

I found out later she has been the driving force behind Lincoln's trail network for the past several years.

And for that, I thank her a great deal.

Bike to Work, Lincoln!

Mayor Beutler's Cleaner Greener Lincoln initiative is sponsoring "Bike to Work, Lincoln!" to coincide with Bike to Work Week.

There will be an official start to "Bike to Work, Lincoln!" on Friday, May 14, 2010.

Official Press Release from the City of Lincoln

On May 14, at 7:30 am, meet at one of the four following locations:

• Peter Pan Park (32nd and X)
• Champions Club (Stadium Drive)
• Lincoln Children's Zoo (27th and B)
• Salt Creek Levee Trail (West end of A street viaduct)

And then pedal with local celebrities to a rally at 8am outside of the State Office Building downtown, where one can tour exhibits, enjoy refreshments, and register for prizes.

While I'm not a local celebrity, you can join me at Peter Pan Park that morning.

Get pumped! Bike to Work Week starts May 17!

Are you ready for Bike to Work Week?

Lincoln is.

Lincoln is criss-crossed with bike trails and low-volume streets marked as "Bike Route".

Here's a map.

The average high temps in May are in the lower 70s. It's rainy to be sure (Lincoln averages 4 and a quarter inches for the whole month) but you're not going to melt.

Now's the time to start planning. Get the bike off that J-Hook in the garage. Take it to a shop now (links on the right) for a tune-up. Shop repair stands were already getting busy back in March.

If you don't have a bike, all of Lincoln's bike shops have a great selection of mountain or hybrid bicycles in the $300-$500 range that will shift properly and quietly.

Sure, you can get a bike for one-third to one half the price of a shop quality bike at Wal-mart or Target, but department store bikes are heavy, put together hastily and make noise no matter what you do. If you find you enjoy commuting, you'll find yourself buying the good bike anyways.

While you're at the shop, grab a bag (backpack, messenger bag, frame bag, etc.) big enough for a change of clothes, a minipump, a couple spare innertubes and a set of tire levers. Also get the minipump, spare tubes and tire levers if you don't already have them.

To emphasize the fun, you should do a practice inner tube change in your garage/yard/sidewalk/parking lot and a practice commute the weekend before.

See you on the trails