The weather is gray and dreary today with temperatures that are more normal than the recent spate of high 70sF we have been “suffering” under. I place the quotes because while the temperatures are comfortable, having to dig through the closet to find suitable outdoor clothing to wear was annoying. That’s one of the things about living in this part of Texas, you can never put away your Summer wear like you can further north. I’m sure my friends in MN don’t have to have access to their short-sleeve wicking bike wear in January except for riding the trainer in the basement, which is more stuff I don’t have, either a trainer or a basement. I take that back, I bought a trainer at a yard sale to hold bikes up while I adjust shifting under strain. I know you aren’t supposed to shift a derailer under power, but we have hills that go from nearly flat to over 10% in practically no time with no downhill to build speed first that the only way to downshift without putting power through the chain is to get off and walk the bike. So being able to shift to easier gears while under power without destroying the derailer or anything else is vital to riding around here. So, to get back to the opening sentence, it’s on the cool side temperature wise and cloudy with some spitting rain, not weather to induce “happy” blog posts…
Down the road in Austin, yet another hit-and-run against a cyclist. Help needed to find hit-and-run driver who injured cyclist I don’t consider this as a hit-and-run, I see this as assault with a deadly weapon. The cyclist was riding in a large group of cyclists when he was hit and was legally lighted and reflectorized, not to mention all the other lighted and reflectorized bicycles in the area with him. Since there was nothing in the article giving directions of travel for either vehicle I can’t say what could be done to avoid a wreck like this with the current built environment, but as almost always getting the infrastructure right would prevent a wreck like this.
An IL man gets 2 months in jail for shooting a cyclist. Man gets two months for shooting cyclist he thought was a skunk How someone could mistake a human being for a skunk does not pass the “smell test” for me. Did anyone check his browser history to see if he ever left threatening or derogatory posts about bicycles in newspaper comment sites?
Something I have been meaning to link to for a while but just got around to doing it, why so many people that ride a bicycle for transportation seem to be a bit jumpy at times. Context I keep telling people that riding a bike for transportation is like being in war, the kind of war that has no lines or definitive areas of conflict that you can remove yourself from and be safe (like the Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan conflicts) while in-country.
And seriously, that’s all I have for you today. Now go ride a bike or hug your kids, or take your kids on a bike ride and give them all hugs when you get home.
Billed @$0.02, Opus
Witch on a Bicycle 