Video snip from the commute

I encountered several pieces of construction equipment being unloaded in the road as I biked to work one morning this week..  I see this now and then on lightly-used industrial roads.

This was a harmless surprise in the daylight of summer morning, but justifies a really bright headlight in winter darkness.

20-second drive-by video:  http://youtu.be/7J1hzRFpVzw

Sloth

Back in February, I commented [on this blog] about how I had prepared a few chain segments for quick repairs on the road.  I also quipped about how it was a waste of my time, since I had never had a chain problem on the road.  Well, guess which of the following possibilities has just ensued?

1. I heard a new clicking in my drivetrain and I promptly found and fixed an imminent chain failure.

2. My chain broke out on the road and I repaired it quickly and efficiently.

3. My chain broke two blocks from home, I coasted back home, locked the bike in the shed, and drove the car to work.  And continued driving every day since...

"Transit of Uranus"

Five randos rode the RUSA Lookin' out my back door 200K yesterday, in central North Carolina yesterday.  Dean, Jajyay, and I started early.  Alan and Mike started a little later.

We pulled off the road for this monster farm vehicle near the Averasboro Civil War Museum.  A few moments later, it turned directly toward us to avoid a mailbox on the other side.   We scrambled even further away from the road.  Ugh.

Congrats to Alan on reaching R-36.  Here's a 5 second video of Alan crossing paths with us.  In the video, he is talking about catching up to us after the turnaround point. [video]

Jayjay's rear tire developed a slow leak at the end of the ride.  We stopped about five times to pump it up, ever more frequently.  We made it to the finish without patching it.

In the 'boyish humor' category, I've been encouraging my wife to tease her elementary school students about the "Transit of Uranus" (spoofing the actual Transit of Venus).  She scowled at me.  I shared the story with Dean and Jayjay.  Instinctive reactions:  Dean laughed heartily.  Jayjay scowled.  Yay for boyish humor.

Another great day on the bikes.

Redneck Rando

What does it mean when:
1) You replace a front tire which has a small hole bulging in the side, and then
2) you discover a piece of duct tape inside the tire?

That's Redneck!

As Sting might sing: "Don't ride so close to me"

100K in 4.5 hours

Jayjay and I set a personal best record today, bicycling 100km in only 4.5 hours.  It wasn't because of improved fitness or better bikes.  It was bacause a tropical storm off the coast of North Carolina was generating strong tailwinds many miles inland.  Yay.

Alas, we then had to turn around and ride back, to complete the second half of our 200K.  Ha!  And then the summer sun came out.  Double ha!

All told, six randos rode the new RUSA Lookin' Out My Back Door 200K today, from Raleigh to Cedar Creek NC and back (Dean, Skiff, John, Mike, Jayay, and me).  We had a great time chatting together on the outbound leg.  On the return, folks split up into small groups and rode at their own pace.

Shortly after the turnaround, we spotted three other cyclists approaching.  I saw bright headlights.  And reflectivewear.  And handlebar luggage.  And a Moulton.  Wow, they look like randos.  As we crossed paths, both groups cheered each other.  Yep, definitely randos.  After they passed, Dean confirmed they were riders on the 600K pre-ride, headed down to the coast.  Kudos.  I trust they had an incredible ride.

Approaching the town of Dunn, we came upon a nasty car wreck.  First responders were working on the injured, and policemen were directing cars to turn back and not pass through the intersection.  Jayjay and I got off our bikes at a distance, walked slowly past the wreck with our heads down, along the shoulder.  They let us pass.

At dinner later this evening, Jayjay gave it a positive spin:  "Except for the heat, hills, and headwinds, it was a great ride."

Another great day on the bikes.

Snaps of the commute

As I biked home from work this afternoon, I was approaching a railroad crossing. All was quiet. I had not heard a train horn off in the distance.

 But as I got close to the tracks, the bells started clanging, red lights started flashing, and the gates went down. Seconds later, this small red maintenance vehicle (a ballast tamper?) rolled through the crossing.

 You never know what you'll see.

Video snip from the commute

Bicyclists can see and hear much better than car drivers.  This morning, I heard this fire truck approaching so long in advance that I had plenty of time to dutifully pull over and stop, and get my camera out.  The car driver who passed me took a tad longer.

Here is the 10-second drive-by: [video]