'I guess you have a death wish or something'

Why do I hear this statement 75% of the time that I tell people I ride my bike around here?
Do you want my personal opinion of your snide comment after you get done stating this?
I don't think you do...
Do you want me to rail off stats that show that it's safer to be on a bicycle than it is in a car?
Or that I'm the same amount of safe as you getting into your car and joining the lemmings on the road with other 2-3 ton metal vehicles? In case you hadn't noticed, there are safety precautions to a car in order to protect you - A SEATBELT for example....
Shall I point out the crap that you do that would seem you have more of a death wish than I do? Such as SMOKING, or drinking enough soda and junk food while sitting at your desk your diabetic coma is just bound to sneak up on you as you age?
Maybe I'll just point out the fact that you go out in the sun and increase your chances of skin cancer daily here in our lovely sunny state of Florida.

Would you like that? To be critiqued over your decisions in life?
I don't think so. So don't critique or judge mine please. If you have a comment to say about my biking that you think is in any way, shape or form NEGATIVE.
SHUT YOUR PIE-HOLE, GET YOUR COFFEE AND DON'T TALK TO ME NEGATIVELY ABOUT SOMETHING I OBVIOUSLY ENJOY.

Thank you

Mass Traffic

I am not the person to discuss new car/traffic construction with. Sadly, I noted this yesterday when my house-mate unfortunately brought up the new overpass off of Bryan Dairy that is currently being created even as we speak.
I had seen the monstrosity on the couple of occasions I have driven to the Interstate, I just honestly choose to ignore it for the most part.
Currently - from what I hear; Exit 30 on I-275 will include a new overpass that will take people right to Bryan Dairy instead of having them drive on Roosevelt.
Sure, it's great for cars commuters; but it's horrible for other method of transportation. And that's what infuriates me.

Why can't this area, instead of creating a gazillion overpasses to accomodate the sprawl - DO SOMETHING about the sprawl?? And if they can't - then why can't they look into more efficient methods of transportation...say Mass Transit or a Railway or something.
This entire AREA has become nothing but 8 lane roads (that don't need to be 8 lanes..I'm sorry, but if they had just looked into making more options to mass commute people across the bridge to Tampa, then they wouldn't have to make Ulmerton (for example), from 4 to 8 lanes. have you been on that road after rush hour? It's DEAD - hardly any of that 8 lane is fully used EXCEPT for at rush hour time).
It's bad enough that in order for me to get home SAFELY, I have to drive my car to an area PAST three entrance and exit routes of interstate. Every single road in this area people think is a freeway/highway...even when it's not. We've got four lane roads going through NEIGHBORHOODS. With kids playing in the area.
It's just not smart. We're talking over and over about the oil spill here and how we need to find alternative energy sources, yet we're still condoning that everyone in this area HAVE A CAR in order to survive..it seems almost like a wasted effort.
You wanna talk about being less dependent on gas? Then shut up and get on a bicycle. Or take a walk to the store that's 1.5 miles from your house. Sure it'll be hot - sure it'll be uncomfortable..but your body will adjust. You think I ENJOY being a hot sweaty mess when I come into work and all the cleanup I have to do when I get there so as not to offend? No I don't really. But it's SO worth it to be more fit, enjoy my time on the bike, have an alternative method of transportation, and be one less car on the road.
So no; talking to me about how cool an overpass isn't really a good idea.
The only thing I see that overpass as being right now for me?! Is a reminder - that I need to move out of this area and to more cycle friendly areas that WANT to embrace alternative options for transit.
/end soapbox.

HONK!! HONK!!

I don't know who determined it was ok for people to HONK at cyclists on the road, but seriously, it's not doing your case any good. I'm a cyclist..in the road, not swerving. I am aware of my surroundings. You don't think I can't HEAR you car coming up behind me? You don't think I can tell how fast you're going or which lane you're in. My job is to be on GUARD at all times so as not to get clobbered by a car. YOUR JOB IS TO PASS ME - GIVING ME THREE FEET OF SPACE BY MOVING OVER (Required by law) and to not disrupt my ride. Honking your horn while passing, only STARTLES THE CYCLISTS and thus MIGHT cause them to weave. OR definitely/for sure make them your worst enemy for giving them that scare.

Now I on the other hand, have taken a different approach - just so you jackholes don't ruin my day. I have decided that instead of honking to just either a) let me know that you're there (even though I CAN HEAR YOU COMING FROM 5 MILES BACK) or b) cause you're upset that you have to move that steering wheel over just so to give me room...I have determined that you are my cheering squad. So if you hear me yelling WOOOO YEAAAAAA GO TEAM MEEEEE!!! when you HONK and pass me - sorry if that's not what you wanted, but I'm not going to let stupidity ruin my day.

I am on top of the world when I am cycling, there is nothing you can do that can ruin how good cycling makes me feel.

Bike Ride = Sweat Ride in Tampa Bay this time of year

Rode the bike into work.
Rode last week as well, but the heat is making me (and the Greek) pretty lethargic lately.
I haven't done the group ride in forever, I need to ...I miss it and the Ladies.
Work and school have pretty much consumed me.
Work is lessening and school is a new quarter this week, so I'm trying to get back in the swing of things.
Got this book via the paperbackswap . I'm hoping it will give me some ideas on how or what to do to make cycling more of interest to me in this time crunched time of my life. Six hours a week isn't much, but I think I can focus on that and incorporate my daily commute into the plan. I hope anyways.
The Tour is over as well. Yes we were watching it. Dimitrios and I miss it already. There's NOTHING good on television now. I watch all my shows via Hulu so...

On my bike ride in today I was considering what life would be like as a bike messenger. Wondering how people get into that job up in NYC (or Chicago, or any other city that has them) and also wishing that I lived in a city that embraced mass transit and commuting via bike or pedestrain instead of thinking people are insane for having/owning a car. I dislike this area so much because of it.
I think the plan to move to Portland by December 2010 needs to come into play. Or the West Coast. I just gotta figure out how.

We'll be in Denver in two weeks as of today. Not taking the bikes, but I'm sure Dimitrios is going to go with B-Man somewhere while out there.

Thoughts on a Morning Ride....

- No Rain today = Riding the Trek in, I like riding the Trek in. She's a lot lighter and more streamline than the Miyata..maybe one day I'll get the guts to actually race.
- It's a lot less muggy this morning that it was Monday morning. Did it rain last night or something?
- Hello Mr. Cranky Confrontational White Aurora's House. I still find it very amusing that I know EXACTLY where you live should you attempt to mess with me on my ride again.
- OOOH...the light is GREEN! MUST.GO.FASTER.TO.MAKE.IT
-YAAAY made the light..and got up to 26mph to do so :).
- So my 'pace' speed seems to have gone up to 19mph now. Wonder what I can do on these short rides to and from work to increase that.
- Hello Crossing Guards! :)
- Every neighborhood I've rode through this morning smells like chlorine. Did everyone get their pools cleaned last night or something?
- YAY WORK! And even got here a minute early!