two weird things on the way home from work

A. I made the mistake of having my jacket on, so I said to myself, "first
red light, I'll take off my jacket". As it turned out, I rode all the way
through downtown, through Chinatown, down Dearborn, up Hiawatha, onto the
I-90 trail, and across MLK before I finally hit a red light at 23rd. NEVER
have I ever had such a long string of green lights! And on the one day I
wanted to stop! I was schvitzing when I finally got it off. I guess I could
have stopped without the light, but after awhile, it was just a source of
amazement, and I wanted to see how long the green lights would keep on
coming.

B. Everyone passes me on the Eastgate hill. It's a 5% grade for a little
more than a mile. Every so once in a while I'll attack it and maybe stay
ahead of other riders until the first light, but anyone with any pretense of
being a True Cyclist (tm) will pass me on this hill almost immediately.
Today, I was waiting at the light, chatting with another woman. She was on a
$2000 racing bike with an Italian name, so I think she qualifies as a True
Cyclist. And you know what? She never passed me on the hill! She was behind
me the entire way! Either this means she's a total poser, or spring training
has paid off. Which do you think? I'm going with the former, myself.

Oh, and as a bonus: something weird on the way to work. You know how some
people complain that cyclists going the other way don't wave or say hi?
Well, this guy coming the other way on the I-90 trail blew me a kiss! What
was *that* about? I figure it's one of three things:
1. He didn't really blow me a kiss. There was something stuck on his lips
that he was trying to get off, and he first pursed the lips, then tried to
wipe whatever it was away. I just happened to be coming the other direction
at the time. The smile was one of embarrassment.
2. It was sarcastic. He was ****ed off at me for some reason. No obvious
reason, though -- I was holding my line, off to the right, no reason for him
to be mad at me that I can think of.
3. He was a bold flirt, and didn't see my husband in my slipstream.

Anyway, great weather today, mid 60s to about 70 degrees, sunny, no wind to
speak of. I took the long way in to work, so it was 45 commuting miles for
me today -- hoo yeah!


--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Personal page: http://www.geocities.com/cpetersky/
See the books I've set free at:
http://bookcrossing.com/referr*al/Cpetersky

"Claire Petersky" wrote: (clip) Either this means she's a total poser, or
spring training has paid off. Which do you think? (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Spring training would very well have improved your riding strength--why
wouldn't it? But, isn't there a fourth possibility. She didn't pass you
because that would have been rude, show-off behavior. She kept up with you,
right? She just didn't feel the need to prove anything, or make you feel
bad. I think that's nice. On the other hand, your pace may have been
difficult for her to match, and you were helping her extend herself. I
think that's nice, also.

In article ,
"Claire Petersky" wrote:

Today, I was waiting at the light, chatting with another woman. She was on a
$2000 racing bike with an Italian name, so I think she qualifies as a True
Cyclist. And you know what? She never passed me on the hill! She was behind
me the entire way! Either this means she's a total poser, or spring training
has paid off. Which do you think?

She thinks you're hott.

..max

"Claire Petersky" wrote in message
...

have stopped without the light, but after awhile, it was just a source of
amazement, and I wanted to see how long the green lights would keep on
coming.

LOL! Totally understand that.


B. Everyone passes me on the Eastgate hill. It's a 5% grade for a little
more than a mile. Every so once in a while I'll attack it and maybe stay

OUCH. I could not handle that. I'd be in 1st gear or on the side of the road
losing my lunch. Wow.

me the entire way! Either this means she's a total poser, or spring
training
has paid off. Which do you think? I'm going with the former, myself.

Spring training. Definately.



Well, this guy coming the other way on the I-90 trail blew me a kiss! What
was *that* about? I figure it's one of three things:

This supports what I was saying this to either you or Maggie: while you're
checking out the cute 20-something guys, they're checking YOU out.

pucker - smooch


Anyway, great weather today, mid 60s to about 70 degrees, sunny, no wind
to
speak of. I took the long way in to work, so it was 45 commuting miles for
me today -- hoo yeah!

Oooo you're killing me Claire! RAIN for the last two days here - about 59F.
So much rain my room-mate who was at a friend's cottage came home 5 days
early to get away from the muddy campsite.

I haven't biked in two days. :..(
I think my legs have needed the rest anyhow. They've been pretty sore.

C.J.Patten wrote:
"Claire Petersky" wrote in message

B. Everyone passes me on the Eastgate hill. It's a 5% grade for a little
more than a mile. Every so once in a while I'll attack it and maybe stay

OUCH. I could not handle that. I'd be in 1st gear or on the side of the road
losing my lunch. Wow.

It's steep, but it's really just another bloody hill [1]. It's nice on the
way down. You pretty reliably hit 45 mph or so on it. You have to go
down nearby Kamber road if you want to go *really* fast.

Anyway, great weather today, mid 60s to about 70 degrees, sunny, no wind
to
speak of. I took the long way in to work, so it was 45 commuting miles for
me today -- hoo yeah!

I managed to take a long ride home yesterday for about the same milage.
Plus I managed to stop at The Bike Specialist and pick up a used brake
to throw on the fixie I'm building. A pretty nice ride all-in-all,
though I decided for various reasons I *need* to put that sign on the
back of my bike bag - "Not a Tow Truck".

[1] I only drop into my next to lowest gear on it on my commuter with
a double crank. Granted, it's a compact double... (48-36 x 11-28)

--
Dane Jackson - z u v e m b i @ u n i x b i g o t s . o r g
"Special cocktails for the ladies with nuts."
-Sign in a Tokyo bar

In article ,
"Claire Petersky" writes:

Oh, and as a bonus: something weird on the way to work. You know how some
people complain that cyclists going the other way don't wave or say hi?
Well, this guy coming the other way on the I-90 trail blew me a kiss! What
was *that* about? I figure it's one of three things:

Maybe he recognized you from some past meeting (like maybe
that charette you attended, or a group ride that you led?)

Anyway, great weather today, mid 60s to about 70 degrees, sunny, no wind to
speak of. I took the long way in to work, so it was 45 commuting miles for
me today -- hoo yeah!

It's been so excellent. It did get a little windy here
a couple of days ago. That was when I rationalized
it's not that headwinds are so bad, but tailwinds are
so good. I like this weather. Not too hot, not too cold,
and not raining.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

Tom Keats wrote:
In article ,
Dane Jackson writes:

A pretty nice ride all-in-all,
though I decided for various reasons I *need* to put that sign on the
back of my bike bag - "Not a Tow Truck".

A rocket engine might be more intimidating to the wheel suckers.

www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/ TRANSPORT/rocketbicycle/rocketbicycle.htm

I think Herr Richter made a mistake in opting for solid fuel.

The bottom pic (3 rocket bikes on racing track) is pretty cool.

Mmmmmm, rocket exhaust.....

/wipes drool off chin

Seriously though, my wife won't even let me light the grill with LOX.
What do you think my chances of sneaking solid-fuel rockets into the
house are?

http://ep.llnl.gov/msds/Chem120/lox.gif
http://ep.llnl.gov/msds/Chem120/lox-oxidation.html

Yeah, I'd estimate them to be pretty poor too.

--
Dane Jackson - z u v e m b i @ u n i x b i g o t s . o r g
"Corporation......An ingenious device for obtaining individual
profit without individual responsibility." -Ambrose Bierce

In article ,
Dane Jackson writes:

Mmmmmm, rocket exhaust.....

/wipes drool off chin

Seriously though, my wife won't even let me light the grill with LOX.
What do you think my chances of sneaking solid-fuel rockets into the
house are?

http://ep.llnl.gov/msds/Chem120/lox.gif
http://ep.llnl.gov/msds/Chem120/lox-oxidation.html

Oh, man! That's too much. Anyhow, I figure waiting
for the grill to heat up is quality time to be savoured
with a couple of MGDs.

Yeah, I'd estimate them to be pretty poor too.

There was an item on the Canadian Discovery Channel's
Daily Planet last month, about a fellow who built himself
a rocket bike:

http://www.exn.ca/dailyplanet/view.asp?date=5/9/2005

He also built a non-combustion (and somewhat slower) one
for his daughter.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

"Claire Petersky" wrote in message
...

Oh, and as a bonus: something weird on the way to work. You know how some
people complain that cyclists going the other way don't wave or say hi?

Do they? I've never noticed this. Rather I find it unusual, excepting busy
rush hour city traffic or heavy bike only traffic [like the university
campus] that people don't wave or nod.

--
'You pass this way but once
There's no such thing as normal
There's you and there's the rest
There's now there's forever' - billy connelly

lowkey wrote in message ...

"Claire Petersky" wrote in message
. ..

Oh, and as a bonus: something weird on the way to work. You know how some
people complain that cyclists going the other way don't wave or say hi?

Do they? I've never noticed this. Rather I find it unusual, excepting busy
rush hour city traffic or heavy bike only traffic [like the university
campus] that people don't wave or nod.

It comes up here every so once in a while, and then there was a big
discussion on our local board just a few months ago, with those not
waving/nodding being identified as being on expensive road bikes, a la
Fabrizio. See:
http://www.cascade.org/Community/for...&threadid=2299

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Personal page: http://www.geocities.com/cpetersky/
See the books I've set free at:
http://bookcrossing.com/referr*al/Cpetersky