Dear White SUV Lexas:

I'm sorry that YOU thought you needed to go on the complete opposite side of the street and impede passing traffic...100 FEET BEFORE A STOP SIGN that you and I are coming up to while I'm on my bike. It's not my fault you're a complete MORON and can't just WAIT YOUR TURN AT A STOP SIGN LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
If you had just COASTED and stayed behind me to begin with - you wouldn't have that problem, or have pissed off the other driver.

Stay classy, jackass."

SHOOOOM!

Cold Weather
New Wheels
New WheelSet (thanks to Dimitrios - happy birthday to me! The Hubs finally came in and he made my wheelset all last week and this weekend) :D

Makes for a faster/happier ride into work
This weekend - starts the weekend rides again and the training. I'm excited!

"Cold Front" Starts here tomorrow

Which means the biking starts back up to and from work during the work week.
And maybe some group rides with the Skirts, as I do miss them.

Hell - YES

Stay tuned for more on this - breaking news...

Thanks to velonews.com:

California road-rage case heads for court

By Patrick Brady

Published: Oct. 12, 2009

A California emergency-room physician faces trial this week on multiple felony charges stemming from a 2008 road-rage case that left two cyclists seriously injured.

Dr. Christopher T. Thompson allegedly braked suddenly in front of Ron Peterson and Christian Stoehr after he and Peterson exchanged words as they descended Mandeville Canyon Road on July 4, 2008.

The road, a two-lane, dead-end street in the Los Angeles suburb of Brentwood, is a popular destination for local cyclists who want a climb with relatively little traffic.

Peterson and Stoehr had taken part in a Fourth of July group ride and were descending behind the rest of the group after assisting another cyclist who had fallen and waiting for paramedics to arrive.

Thompson, an ER physician and owner of a medical-records company who lives on Mandeville Canyon Road, is said to have approached the duo at speed in a late-model burgundy Infiniti sedan and honked at them before pulling alongside and telling them to ride single file. After a brief exchange of words, the cyclists say, Thompson pulled ahead of them and then stopped short.

Stoehr hit the back of the car and vaulted into the oncoming traffic lane. His injuries included a grade-three shoulder separation and road rash. Peterson went through the rear window of the car; the impact broke his nose, nearly severing it from his face, and shattered several of his teeth. More than 90 stitches were required to reattach his nose.

Thompson was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon; he was later released on $30,000 bail. In December 2008, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Amy. D. Hogue ordered that Thompson stand trial after a preliminary hearing in which Los Angeles police Officer Robert Rodriguez testified that Thompson complained that cyclists frequently traveled the canyon road and that he was “tired of them.” Thompson allegedly also told police that he stopped in front of the cyclists to “teach them a lesson.”

Also testifying were two other cyclists who claimed to have had an earlier run-in with the doctor on Mandeville Canyon Road. Patrick Watson and Josh Crosby say they were descending the road in March 2008 when a motorist sped ahead of them and hit his brakes. Watson bunny-hopped a curb and rode onto a lawn while Crosby dodged into oncoming traffic.

Watson says the motorist made a second attempt to hit them and then sped away. He used his cell phone to record the vehicle’s vanity plate, TCH MDX; that plate was also on the back of a burgundy Infiniti driven by Thompson in the July 4 incident involving Peterson and Stoehr. Thompson’s medical records company is called Touch Medix.

The Los Angeles Police Department investigated the March incident, but Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley declined to file charges against Thompson, saying the case wasn’t “a winner.” Since then, the case against Thompson has been amended to include a single count of misdemeanor reckless driving causing injury, reflecting the allegations made by Watson and Crosby.

Thompson pleaded not guilty to the charges against him on January 15. Final pre-trial motions will take place on Tuesday. A jury is to be selected on Wednesday, with opening arguments scheduled for Thursday.

Six Gap

Dimitrios did well last Sunday.

105 miles in 6 1/2 hours. He did all of Six Gap...and his legs felt like spaghetti to prove it.

I started looking today for photos of him on flickr - and came across the ones I posted. Thanks to x376 User on Flickr for posting them and this set

I'll be posting more as I find them!

Oh and the guy in that last photo -- with the black/white helmet right in the front?! That's my BFF Brendan... :D

Biking and Six Gap

I've started biking into work again. I missed it - two times these past two weeks. that's pretty good - next week I'm going to strive for three weeks - my body has totally missed it so it's definitely something I'm going to get back to. The afternoon showers after work are hitting me as I drive home, but that's ok. Makes the drive less humid/gross feeling.

Going to Tallahassee tonight to drop Dimitrios off with Brendan for the ride up in Six Gap I was going to participate in this, but something has come up with my grandfather, so I'm using the weekend as a weekend to visit him and possibly do some riding around the Tallahassee area for a bit. And do homework. It'll be a quiet/private weekend for me and it's something that's definitely needed for me.

At some point I'm going to start attempting to go back to the weekly ride with The Skirts Sadly with the way it's looking, it might not be until I'm 100% done with school, and then I'll only be riding with them until we move out of state in May :(. I miss seeing them though.

Going to also start on a training schedule for the rider with little time (see book below). Plans for that are to be in October that I start doing that.

And Im getting a new bike soon. Details to follow on that when I get it.

Well this is sad (Click Title for story)

Washington's Bike Messenger's are in decline :(...

Hiatus is almost over

I'm sorry, but the heat and humidity for the month of August pretty much killed any ambition I had to ride to and from work - or even just to go and get the mail.

We went to Colorado for a week - it was..AMAZING!!! D did some mountain biking and had a good time.
Just got back from an Atlanta/Tallahassee visit this Labor Day. That was fun, and the Silver Comet Trail in Atlanta is really a nice trail that we enjoyed. Shaded, nice - and EVERYONE KNEW HOW THE HELL TO RIDE, walk, and jog on the trail (unlike here in the 'Burg, where the Pinellas trail is filled with morons and walkers who take up the entire trail....Sigh).
D went with Brendan up in Tallahassee to a Chaires ride...i bailed on riding as my rear is sore from the ride on the Silver Comet. Mainly because I haven't rode in over a month and my booty's gotta get used to my seat again.
I have come across a conclusion however....

My bike is too small for me. It's something I didn't...WANT to admit - but let's face facts...I have a stem on it that's ridiculous (150-200), I have spacers to get the stem up where I need it in order to fit me correctly (about 4 or 5 spacers...which is a LOT). its' just too small. It's a 47cm, and I probably need one up - (49 or 50). so I'm biting the bullet and looking for a bike now. When I get it - I'll sell my Trek and that will be the hardest thing. Since it was my baby - my first REAL bike and her and I have shared many memories.
W
I've got time and like I said - The Trek fits for now..but it does still hurt sometimes...so bigger would be better as I can't really keep stretching it out when it's gone as far as it can go.
So that's the plan with that...

As for the biking - the plan right now - depending on the weather - will be to ride into work tomorrow. Here's hoping it's not disgusting - as one month without biking is like going north to sound on my arm with a razor blade!

It's all about 'Performance'

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.

Bike Laws for each state

This is reposted from another blog I read - so before you start bitching about that cyclist in the road, make sure you even have the right to:

repost (and a big shout out to eyenot on the bikes ljay site for going through all this trouble locating this info):
Reposted from another blog:
I hope that all the users find reading this list to be as helpful, informative, entertaining, and frustrating as I found compiling it to be.

Where I could provide actual legislation, I did. Failing that, I tried to find references to articles of law. Barring that, I tried to find handbooks, guidebooks, rulebooks, and so on. Sans any of that, I at least tried to provide government website search pages with the terms already put in. And, in the rare incidences where that didn't even turn anything up, I just tried my best. In each case, I sought to provide the link to the easiest to read, most accessible, most comprehensive, or otherwise most presentable and useful description of the state's laws as I could find. Sometimes there were several things to choose from, and in several instances, there was nothing to find.

You'll notice that some of these states, perhaps even the one you live in, consider bicycles to be part of the realm of toys, children, and sugarplum gumdrop playlands. If you happen to live in one of these states that doesn't seem to take cycling seriously, or doesn't even have a specific set of laws related to cycling, I urge you to try and change that.


ALABAMA : http://mobilebike.org/alBikeLaw.htm (Pertinent articles outlined, with link to Alabama code of 1975)

ALASKA : http://www.dot.state.ak.us/stwdplng/hwysafety/assets/BikeandSafetyManual/Alaska_Laws.pdf ("Riding Lawfully in Alaska")

ARIZONA : http://azbikeclub.com/bikelaw.html (Pertinent articles outlined, with link to Arizona transportation laws of 2000)

ARKANSAS : http://www.northlittlerock.ar.gov/pdfs/Arkansas+Traffic+Rules+for+Cyclists.pdf

CALIFORNIA : http://www.dmv.ca.gov/about/bicycle.htm ("Bicycle Rules and Safety")

COLORADO : http://www.dot.state.co.us/bikeped/BikePedManual.htm ("Colorado Bicycling Manual") http://www.dot.state.co.us/bikeped/Manual/2008%2010%20Official%20Bicycling%20Laws.pdf ("Official Bicycling Laws in Colorado") ARTICLE: http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/GovRitter/GOVR/1242048570598 ("GOV. RITTER SIGNS BIKE-SAFETY, MILITARY, OTHER BILLS", May 11, 2009)

CONNECTICUT : http://www.ct.gov/dot/LIB/dot/documents/dbikes/cover_page.pdf

DELAWARE : http://www.deldot.gov/information/community_programs_and_services/bike/biking_in_delaware/de_bike_laws.shtml ("Bicycling in Delaware", provided by Delware Bicycle Council)

FLORIDA : http://web.miamibeachfl.gov/publicworks/transportation/bp/scroll.aspx?id=19510

GEORGIA : http://www.perry-ga.gov/services/police/Bicycle_Laws.htm ("Georgia Bicycle Traffic Laws", provided by government of Perry)

HAWAII : http://hawaii.gov/dot/highways/Bike/bikeplan ("Bicycle and Pedestrian Gateway", with links to body of law and handbooks)

IDAHO : http://itd.idaho.gov/bike_ped/ID_Vehicle_code_for_Bikes_05.pdf ("Vehicle Code for Bikes")

ILLINOIS : http://www.dot.il.gov/bikemap/bikehome.HTMl ("Illinois Bicycling Information", with links to body of law and guides)

INDIANA : http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title9/ar21/ch11.html ("Chapter 11. Bicycles and Motorized Bicycles", legislation)

IOWA : http://www.iowadot.gov/iowabikes/ (multiple links page provided by Department of Transportation)

KANSAS : http://www.ksdot.org/burRail/bike/biking/KsBicyStatutes.asp ("Bicycle Statutes", Department of Transportation)

KENTUCKY : http://www.planning.kytc.ky.gov/bike_walk/from%20OSP/files/601_KAR.pdf

LOUISIANA : http://www.dotd.la.gov/planning/highway_safety/bike_ped/ ("Bicycle and Pedestrian Home") http://www.dotd.la.gov/planning/highway_safety/bike_ped/masterplan.asp ("Statewide Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan 2009" ... "The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (La DOTD) has begun work on an 18-month planning process which will ultimately result in a Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (2009).")

MAINE : http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/29-a/title29-Asec2063.html (Maine revised statutes)

MARYLAND : http://www.sha.maryland.gov/exploremd/bicyclists/OPPE/bicyclists6.asp (links page for any cycling-related or pertinent laws, provided by State Highway Administration)

MASSACHUSETTS : http://www.amherstma.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1538

MICHIGAN : http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(2xhp2tqe2y5iks5505se3lnl))/mileg.aspx?page=GetMCLDocument&objectname=mcl-300-1949-vi-operation-of-bicycles-motorcycles-and-toy-vehicles ("Operation of Bicycles, Motorcycles, and Toy Vehicles")

MINNESOTA : http://www.dot.state.mn.us/bike/roadrules.html (links to pertinent state statutes)

MISSISSIPPI : http://www.gomdot.com/Home/travel/bicycling/pdf/MSLaws.pdf (provided by Government of Mississippi Department of Transportation)

MISSOURI : http://www.modot.mo.gov/othertransportation/bike_ped/documents/MO_bikelaw_August05.pdf ("Missouri State Statutes Regarding Bicyclists", provided by Missouri Department of Transportation)

MONTANA : http://data.opi.state.mt.us/bills/mca_toc/61_8_6.htm (Montana Code Annotated, 2007)

NEBRASKA : http://www.legislature.ne.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=s6006317000

NEVADA : http://www.dmv.nv.gov/motorcycle.htm ("Motorcycles, Mopeds, and Bicycles", provided by Department of Motor Vehicles of Nevada)

NEW HAMPSHIRE : http://www.nh.gov/hsafety/hsbicyc.html ("New Hampshire Bicycle Laws and Safety Guidelines") http://www.nh.gov/dot/nhbikeped/safety.htm ("Bicycle / Pedestrian Information Center")

NEW JERSEY : http://www.nj.gov/transportation/commuter/bike/regulations.shtm ("Biking in New Jersey Regulations")

NEW MEXICO : http://search.state.nm.us/search?q=bicycle&access=p&as_sitesearch=&sort=date%3AD%3AL%3Ad1&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&client=default_frontend&proxystylesheet=default_frontend&site=default_collection (search of NM.US for the term "bicycle")

NEW YORK : https://www.nysdot.gov/divisions/operating/opdm/local-programs-bureau/repository/bicycle/safety-and-laws/laws.html ("Bicycling in New York State", provided by Department of Transportation)

NORTH CAROLINA : http://search.nc.gov/query.html?rq=&ht=&pw=100%25&ws=&qm=&st=&nh=&lk=&rf=&si=&qc=&qt=bicycle&col= (search of NC.GOV for the term "bicycle")

NORTH DAKOTA : http://www.nd.gov/category.htm?id=151 (this might be the law-related page of the North Dakota government website)

OHIO : http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/TransSysDev/ProgramMgt/Projects/bicycle/Bicycle%20Information%20Downloads/Bicycle%20Laws.pdf (Cycling relevant articles are highlighted in green text)

OKLAHOMA : http://www.ok.gov/search.php?q=bicycle (search of OK.GOV for the term "bicycle")

OREGON : http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/BIKEPED/laws_regs.shtml ("Bicycle and Pedestrian Program, Laws and Regulations", with links)

PENNSYLVANIA : http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Internet/Bureaus/pdBikePed.nsf/infoForward?OpenForm ("Bicycle Information Pennsylvania Bicycle Driver's Manual - Foreward", provided by Department of Transportation)

RHODE ISLAND : http://www.dot.ri.gov/bikeri/ ("Bike Rhode Island", with links to all pertinent laws)

SOUTH CAROLINA : http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=bicycle+law+site%3A.gov+south+carolina&btnG=Search&aq=f&oq=&aqi= (Google.com search for: bicycle law site:.gov south carolina)

SOUTH DAKOTA : http://www.sddot.com/pe/projdev/docs/BICYCLElawsforSD.pdf ("Bicycle Regulations for SD")

TENNESSEE : http://www.tntrafficsafety.org/htm/Laws/cbslaw.htm ("Child Bicycle Safety Laws")

TEXAS : http://www.sanantonio.gov/sapd/BicycleLaws.htm ("SELECTED BICYCLE LAWS FROM THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION CODE CHAPTER 551. OPERATION OF BICYCLES, MOPEDS, AND PLAY VEHICLES SUBCHAPTER A. APPLICATION OF CHAPTER", provided by the government of San Antonio) http://www.hollywoodpark-tx.gov/StoreImages/bicyclecode.pdf ("Bicycle Laws from the Texas Transportation Code Chapter 551 Subchapter B Regulation of Operation", provided by the government of Hollywood Park)

UTAH : http://www.udot.utah.gov/main/uconowner.gf?n=55126312117091464 ("Bicycle Commuter Guide", provided by Department of Transportation, with pertinent laws on the last page)

VERMONT : http://www.vermont.gov/portal/search.php?q=bicycle+law (search of vermont.gov for the term "bicycle law", with a link to "Bicycle Comuter Guide") http://www.aot.state.vt.us/progdev/Documents/LTF/BicycleCommuterGuide/VTBicycleCommuterGuideFinal.pdf ("Bicycle Commuter Guide" provided by Agency of Transportation, with "Internet Resourses" located on page 15)

VIRGINIA : http://www.vdot.virginia.gov/programs/bk-laws.asp ("Bicycling and Walking in Virginia", with links to pertinent information)

WASHINGTON : http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/bike/laws.htm (Washington State Bicycle Laws)

WEST VIRGINIA : http://www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/Code.cfm?chap=17C&art=11A

WISCONSIN : http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/safety/vehicle/bicycle/rules.htm ("Rules for Riding Bicycles on the Road", provided by Department of Transportation)

WYOMING : http://search.wy.gov/search?q=bicycle&btnG=Google+Search&access=p&entqr=0&output=xml_no_dtd&sort=date%3AD%3AL%3Ad1&ud=1&client=default_frontend&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF-8&proxystylesheet=default_frontend&site=default_collection (search of WY.GOV for the term "bicycle")
("Arkansas Traffic Rules for Cyclists" provided by government of Little Rock) ("General Statutes Relating to Bicycle and Pedestrian Issues", 1999) (provided by government of Miami Beach) (Kentucky Revised Statutes) ("Massachusetts Law Pertaining to Bicyclists", provided by government of Amherst) ("Revised Statutes Chapter 60 » 60-6,317 Bicycles on roadways and bicycle paths; general rules; regulation by local authority.". legislation) ("Child Bicycle Safety Act", provided by the State Legislature)

Six Gap

Looks like Dimitrios and I will be attending Six Gap this year possibly.

I know he's definitely interested...me? I gotta check school schedule and funds to make sure I can do it/tag along...

8-9 seems to almost be better than 7-8

Need to ride more.
So decided that even though I couldn't get up early today - I would head to work 9-6 on my bike.

I've always considered that time to be the 'bad' time. People seem more on edge in their cars, even more in a rush than the 7am crowd cause most of them are usually late and the whole 'zen' of the morning traffic is just - NOT.
So I tried it today and...

It wasn't that bad. Yes, more cars passed me - but they didn't seem to be nearly as 'angry' as some usually are and they also didn't seem to mind that I was there. Traffic lights were also a bit more kind to me as well - meaning I didn't need to stop for too long and wait which I like even more.
It's a relief - and now that I know that if I can't get my booty up in the mornings (something I've been having a problem with as of late), I can actually have a relaxing morning and get ready on my time. As long as I leave by 8:20 - I'm gold!
At least until the afternoon showers come in full force. Those usually seem to happen in August, by 6pm everyday. But even still - a slight drizzle in the rain feels nice!

Bi-Polar Weather in Florida ...FTL

*To the Beatles Song*

Woke Up
Got out of bed
Dragged a Comb across my head
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup
and looking up, I noticed I was late.

Grabbed my bike and grabbed my badge
Got ready in seconds flat....
Opened the door to sun and smiles
As I closed the door, SWOOOOOSH OF RAIN/WATER/WIND surrounds me.....

Whhhaattt...the EFFFF...

/EndBeatles

*GRUMBLE*
So here I sit...listening to the rain continue for the past 20 minutes now. HOPING it will stop, but knowing that my 'window of non-agresso ride time' (Meaning less cars on the road and less chance of agressive/rushed/angry drivers) is pretty much shot.
Some rain in the morning on the way in, not so bad. Torrential Downpour where I know I'll be completely drenched by the time I get to work? Not so nice.

This week has just been obstacle after obstacle of getting back on the bike. The flat on Monday...which only made me ride 4 1/2 miles..and now this. At least nothing crazy on the group ride happened yesterday and I actually got to go.

Mergh...make the bipolar weather in Florida stop...please?!

Win but Fail

Tire changing went -- well, I would think

I learned I need to practice more, so I'm going to look to start trying to do that like while I'm watching TV at night or something so I get better at it.

I also learned to carry a patch kit with you - so if you eff up the replacement tube, from...I dunno - PULLING THE PUMP off the stem (D'OH), then you can patch up the other tube and use that to ride.

Lesson(s) learned. Dimitrios will be picking me up this afternoon, as I did not have the patch kit with me, and well - the latter is what happened.

Definitely got the idea/concept of it down, will just need to practice more often so I get used to this.

For you readers that have never had to do this, I will provide you with this so you may learn how:

http://bicycleuniverse.info/eqp/fixflat.html