White Textured Flecking (aka, WTF)

Imagine my reaction when I walked outside and found this in my driveway.  What is this mess?  (Click photo to enlarge.)
- I have been painting a bedroom inside the house.  Did I splatter white paint on the car?  No.
- Was it 'mischief night' last night?  No.
- Did a monster bird from Duke take aim at the UNC sticker in the side window?  Or a flock?  Who knows.

Irregardless, I immediately spent $2 at the nearest self-serve car wash and washed off the mess before it ate into the paint.

I'm just glad I didn't have my bike and rack on the back...

Cree LED Lamppost

I believe Cree has a new LED lamppost at their front entrance.

Cree, Inc, develops LED technology for lighting.  It's been a while since I bike-commuted past their RTP facility in the dark, and I was surprised to see this new lamppost.  It's really bright.

I stopped for a daylight photo on my ride home, and it looks like a grid of LEDs up inside the fixture.  (Click photos to enlarge.)  Very neat.

Scary Spackling

When the daughter was about 10 years old, she hung a dozen posters on her bedroom walls using clear plastic packaging tape.  I yelled and lectured about how tape would make a mess on the drywall, and argued that we needed to replace it all immediately with appropriate fasteners.  I lost, of course, and the tape stayed.  And as posters were changed over time, more tape was added to the walls.

I finally started peeling, cutting, and sanding yesterday.  I even splurged and bought myself some shiny new spackling tools.   So shiny, in fact, that I scared myself as I saw my image in my camera's viewfinder as I took a photo of a new scaper.  Arrgh!

NC Bike Club 200K & 100K Brevets

About 30 randos rode the 200K brevet from Morrisville to Siler City and back today.  Five rode the 100K brevet to Pittsboro and back.  It was a beautiful and windy day.

Jayjay and I manned the turnaround checkpoint in Siler City, then drove back to Morrisville for the post-ride picnic.  Here are some random photos from both locations:  [photos]

Reasons not to bike to work

Here is a short video from the Sydney Morning Herald website spoofing Australia's bike-to-work week.

1.  It causes more congestion for cars.

2.  You have to wear lycra.

3.  You have to scrunch up like a prawn over your handlebars.

etc, etc, etc.

Enjoy:  http://media.smh.com.au/reasons-not-to-ride-to-work-2683567.html

NC Bike Club 200K Brevet Pre-Ride

Five randos rode the worker's pre-ride for the NC Bike Club 200K yesterday: Alan, Mike, Richard, Jayjay, and I.  Congrats to new rando Richard on another 200K.  Click the photo to see Fearless Leader Alan enjoying an ice cream sandwich at Snow Camp.

October is a great month for cycling in NC, and yesterday was a stunner.  Autumn leaves are about to change colors, and we saw about one orange tree per mile.  Weather was gorgeous, with crisp temperatures in the morning and warm sunshine in the afternoon.  The route is nicely hilly, most roads were smooth as glass, most drivers were courteous, and we were chased by only one dog.

Here are my recommendations for next weekend's riders...

Busy intersection:  Near the end of the ride, be careful crossing and turning left onto 4-lane highway NC-55 at 195km/121mi:
- Two left lanes are signed to turn left.  Recommend taking the second-from-left lane.
- Beware an extremely short yellow light.  If you can't ride promptly through the green, recommend you wait another light-cycle.

Urgent traffic:  Be visible and vigilant for speeders on NC-87 and on Greensboro Chapel Hill Rd.  Also watch for "lemmings" (my phrase for close-following car drivers who can't see you until the previous car passes you).

Navigation:  Memorize the cue sheet at 9km/5mi outbound and 191km/118mi returning, winding through an upscale neighborhood with perpetual road construction.  CUE and MAP 

Stores:  There are many well-stocked stores along the route.  The longest separation is only 22 miles.  Recommend trying Frosty's at 47km/28mi outbound and 154km/95mi returning.  It has new bike-friendly owners.  Drink and snack selection is limited but improving.  Clean porta-potty is on the far right side.

See you next Saturday.