Five things friday

1. BIKE TUNE-UP

I took my Scott SubCross 30 bicycle in for a tune-up yesterday. I bought it on June 5th of last year, and with the purchase of a new bike you get one free tune-up within the first year. There is a bike shop inside my place of employ (literally right across from my desk) and Emily is a fantastic mechanic. She adjusted the brakes, derailleurs, lubed the chain, checked cables, tightened spokes, and tried like the dickens to get rid of the squeal in my rear disc break. All for $0! Well, actually I gave her a $10 tip because she spent nearly 3 hours on it. The squeal is better, but she reminded me there is a 2-year warranty on the brakes, so if it doesn't clear up eventually I should maybe have them replaced. She also said to tell any other mechanics that it helps to sand the disc slightly.

2. AIRPOD PROS

I had told Jane I would get her some noise-cancelling headphones for Mother's Day - because she works by a sometimes loudly annoying coworker. First I ordered her some ~$50-ish earbuds online. I started to feel like maybe it was a scam though, so the next day I cancelled - and they actually gave my money back! Finally I decided to just splurge and get her the Airpod Pro earbuds. She is more than worth the $197 they cost, and hopefully this will help with her work situation - at least some. I do have to say, they are pretty nice.

3. VISIT WITH ISAAC

The boy was back in Indiana for a few days this week. One of his professors from undergrad passed away, and they asked him to help with the eulogy. They also said they wanted him to have his books and papers and whatnot. Isaac stayed in Indy and the funeral was south of there, so we met up in Anderson last night for a quick bite to eat. The Feipels also went. It was nice to see him, but I was the usual jerk. We ate at this little pizza place we used to love (Arts on Broadway). The pizza was still really good, but the service was a little lacking - as I'm sure it is at most places nowadays. I had ordered a second drink when our food arrived, and by the time I was done eating it still hadn't arrived, nor had the waitress been back. So not only was I annoyed, but I was mostly just REALLY thirsty. I tried not to make a total scene, but I'm sure I embarrassed everyone else. As usual.

4. WEDDING ANNIVERSARY #38

Today is our 38th wedding anniversary. In some ways it seems weird, but mostly it's not registering with me much this year. I should probably make a post just about this. Actually, I probably could have made a separate post about all these things. Anyway, I have the day off and Jane is taking a half day. We are planning to go out for lunch, then at 2 we get to see our granddaughter in a choral group. Tonight we actually work our first concert in over a year. I'll be curious to see how that goes.

5. OTHERWISE...

I really don't have much else to say. I've been in sort of a funk and not feeling the best for awhile. I'm still trying to run, but can barely make the first mile at a 12-minute pace before having to walk. The other day I finally did the third mile under 11 but that was it. It's not looking like it's going to be a stellar year. We'll see.

***

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” -Psalm 139:13-14 

 

Lower mower, bike flat, and more

 I lowered the mower one notch when I mowed the lawn yesterday. I'd been mowing it pretty high all year. It helps keep the weeds down, but I also think it is finally starting to help the grass fill in a little bit. The setting I used yesterday is about what the neighbors mow their lawns at, so they will probably be happy. I don't know if I will drop it another notch once the leaves start to fill the yard or not. It looks pretty good now.

I also had a stinking flat tire on my Scott bike yesterday. The back tire. I'd noticed both tires were a little low last Saturday - just from normal leakage and the change in temperature. I went for a short ride yesterday and about 1/2 mile from home I felt it kind of shimmy in the back. Sure enough, it was almost flat. I walked it home and it was completely flat by the time I got there. I took it with me to work today and the girl at the bike shop changed it for $16. She said there was a hole in the side, likely from riding it with low air pressure. She said she pumps her tires up every couple days, and recommends at least once a week. She suggested 60-70 lbs of pressure on my tires, even though they say 85 on the sidewall. 

It looks like I may be getting more hours at work. We've had at least one more person quit, and one or two will be taking other jobs in addition to this one. Of course none of the available shifts will allow me to just work a somewhat normal and consistent eight hours per day, but I haven't really been looking for another job anyway. At some point I probably need to start making some money again...

The temperature has really dropped lately. It is like 50 degrees fahrenheit right now at 10 am. I should be out for a run, but I think I want to wait for it to warm up a little more. It's supposed to dip into the 30s in the morning. Brrrrrr.

I could probably talk politics, but I'm sure no one wants to hear what I have to say. I am also aware a number of family and friends wish I would quit posting about it on Facebook. To which I say, I wish they would CARE a little more! I know most people do care, but I am a little sick of those who "just want everyone to get along." The problem is, but "everyone" they mean themselves. You know, as long as things are okay for them, they think they should be okay for everyone. It's just not that simple. Anyway, I know I need to get a grip. I am afraid the dufus is going to win again, and I'm going to have to figure out a way to deal with it.

So, that's about all for now. It's Friday. The wife and I will both have the afternoon off. There are also garage sales going on in our subdivision, so there's more traffic than the usual none.

***

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” -Philippians 2:3-4

Jane finally got a bike

We both intended to buy new bikes this past Spring. Then when the virus hit we weren't sure what was going to happen with our jobs. By the time we felt secure enough to fork over the money for a bike, there were none available for Jane. Until this week!

The little shop inside the Y where I work got in some Linus bikes this week. I watched them being taken out of the box and Jane was on top of this Mixte as soon as it was put together. We picked it up when she got off work Friday.

I like the look of the Linus bikes. That's what I intended to buy too, but I settled for the Scott bike I got because that was all that was available at the time. This Mixte has a 7-speed internal shifter and will be a waaaaaay better bike for m'Lady to ride. Plus the paint job on these is phenomenal.

I don't know that the wait was worth it, but I am glad it's over nonetheless.

***

Romans 5:3
"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance."

Stem extender on the new bike

I put one of these stem extenders on my bicycle. I saw an ad on Facebook one day during quarantine and thought, "Yes! I want one of those!" I ordered it right away, first of all not realizing they were made in Wuhan, China (alleged origin of the coronavirus), but I also paid like $25 and they are about half that much on Amazon. Oh well. Jeff Bezo's ain't gettin' my money! ;)

Anyway, it just arrived in the mail this past Monday. I'd kind of given up hope it was ever going to arrive.

I put it on the bike right away. It was easy to do, as this video shows. Boy does that really make a difference. I'm not used to bending over the handlebars the way I had been doing, and this allows me to sit up straighter.

I wasn't aware, though, the knock on these is that they're not exactly safe. Apparently it could snap off, or the handlebar could come lose and send you for a loop. But... I will give it a try nonetheless.

So, there ya go. I will be ridin' a little higher than I was.

***

Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.
 (Isaiah 40:30-31)

First time biking to work in the morning

I've ridden my bike to work before, but never when I had to open at 5 am. Now that I have a light I finally did it this morning! It took 20 minutes from the time I got on my bike to when I was standing at my desk (after unlocking 2 sets of doors).

I left the house at 4:18 am. Yes, it is dark at that time of day for those of you who don't know. There was a sliver of a moon and a bright bright star just beside it. I'm guessing the temp was in the lower 60s. I wore shorts and a long sleeve running shirt and wasn't hot or cold.

It is between 4.5 and 5 miles going the route I took from Winchester Road to Airport Expressway to Fairfield and then over on Wayne Street. The only section with no streetlights at all is Airport Expressway, and my headlight worked great. I did switch it from high beam to a blinking light when I got more into downtown to conserve the charge.

This was the first time I've ridden on the road the entire way also. Normally I take the sidewalk along Fairfield, or I'll swing over on a lesser traveled street, or take the rivergreenway for a bit. It wasn't bad. I only had 3 or 4 cars pass me from behind, although I met more going the opposite direction. I never felt unsafe.

I was glad I had time to take a shower when I got to work. I was prepared to go either way. I wasn't overly sweaty, but it just felt better (plus I stunk from yesterday!).

I suppose it will take the normal 30-ish minutes to get home. I will likely take Rudisell over to the greenway going home, and not be in such a hurry.

Now that I know how long it takes, I can ride more often. Especially on my short days. I normally leave the house at 4:30-4:35 when I drive, and I could probably leave at 4:20-4:25 on the bike and still have plenty of time even if I take a shower. I like to start work at 4:45.

So, there ya go!

(**side note totally unrelated: I have no idea why my blog only showed one post yesterday. I didn't change anything. I removed that post and will see what happens when I put this one up today. I don't know if it's because it was anti-trump, or if it's just blogger messing with me.)

"We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised." (Hebrews 6:12)

New bike light

I bought a new set of lights for my bicycle. I got this Lezyne Hecto & KTV Drive Pair at the bike shop inside where I work (from our friend Scott). They are USB rechargeable and at 500 lumens should provide plenty of light for no more than I will likely be riding in the dark. They are small, adjustable, easy to mount and remove, and need no charging cord.

I actually traded the bike lock Drew Carrie got me for Father's Day. I was going to keep the lock because it's much nicer than the ones I have, but when I went to mount it on my bike there wasn't a convenient place to do so. So I traded it even up for these lights - which I needed more.

I had some battery operated lights already, but the headlight isn't bright enough for me to ride where there are no streetlights. I've been wanting to ride to work sometimes but there is a stretch along Airport Expressway that doesn't have lights. At 4:30 am it is pretty dark along there, and since it's a busy road I want to be able to see if there is any debris in front of me.

So this will be good. I'm happy with the deal and appreciate Drew Carrie getting it for me. :)

I want to ride my bicycle

"Bicycle Race" was one of those catchy songs released by Queen during the late 1970s. The original music video caused quite the stir at the time with its use of nude models on bicycles. I would guess most of the song's popularity has to do with the refrain though:

I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it where I like

That gets stuck in your ear and it's hard to get out.  It's been in mine for a couple weeks now. Ever since I got my new... bicycle!

---

I consider my new Scott Sub Cross 30 the first 'real' bike I've ever had. Sure, I had bikes growing up. There were a slew of sissy bars and extended fork bikes from the days Queen was probably jamming in someone's garage. I'm pretty sure I had a 10-speed in high school - that I maybe rode a handful of times. When I hop on this one though... I feel like riding!

This is new territory for me. I don't recall having this experience before. I've been riding three or four days a week lately. Not for any great distances, but I can do 12 or 13 miles in an hour by myself. And Jane and I have been taking rides together on the weekend.

Saturday we rode out to the Feipel Farm. We took the rivergreenway around behind Menards and back to Tillman on the way there. Riding into the wind the 5.65 miles took us 39 minutes. Coming back we stayed straight on Tillman the whole way and the 4.85 miles only took 28 minutes. I'm sure it can be done quicker if we were trying.

Yesterday we rode from our house down through Foster Park and into downtown Fort Wayne. We've done this the past several weekends - either Saturday or Sunday. We usually stop at Promenade Park and stroll around a bit, and yesterday we stopped for a drink at Pint & Slice. It's a great way to leisurely kill a couple hours.

There are several routes we can take to get to downtown: the rivergreenway all the way, Foster Park to Rudisill to Fairfield, Airport Expressway to Fairfield, and several side streets in between if we so choose.

We both agree this is a luxury we never had where we grew up. The trails and places to ride bikes would be one of the hardest things to give up if we ever left. So, until then (if it ever happens), we hope to enjoy it as much as we can.

Becaaaaaaaause... I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike; I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride it where I liiiiiiiike!

New bike

I bought a new bike. I got this Scott Sub Cross 30 bike at Fort Wayne Outfitters last Friday (6/5). It's a way nicer bike than I need, and not exactly (or at all) what I wanted, but I believe it will serve me well for many years to come (and will serve someone else well when I can no longer ride).

We had actually been looking for a new bike for Jane, as she's had to ride this old one-speed cruiser we got from my parents eons ago. I was planning to continue riding my 1970s Huffy step-through 3-speed until news bikes were being manufactured again (there is a huge shortage of bikes due to covid-19). Unfortunately, we couldn't find one - new or used - so I went ahead and bought this so she can ride my bike (3 speeds is better than one).

There is a bike shop (FWO Hub) inside where I work, so I've seen most of their bikes. They sell both Scott and Linus. I've been interested in a Linus (and Jane as well), and we both wanted a more upright style bike. Linus has been completely out of bikes all Spring and Summer and probably won't have any in our area until later this year or next. We finally looked at some other places, and everyone is in the same boat.

This bike was right at $700, before my Y discount (10%). I could have gotten the same thing for $100 cheaper, but I liked that I can lock the front suspension on or off. I didn't really want the mountain-bike-forks, but it was that or nothing. At least with it locked out it will ride like a regular hybrid. I also don't really need 27 gears, but who's counting.

The only thing I don't like is the bending over the handlebars, but I suppose I will get used to it. We rode about 15 miles Saturday and my arms were plenty sore. I went out this afternoon and rode 12 miles in an hour. It felt like a pretty good workout - especially considering it was about 87f.

Anyway, it is a pretty sweet ride. I got a new bike!

A biking weekend

I did some bicycle riding this weekend, and have a sore butt to show for it.

I haven't ridden much at all this summer. Actually, I can't recall a single ride (which doesn't necessarily mean I haven't done it - I just can't remember). But I rode both Saturday and Sunday, and while it was enjoyable, it may have been a little more than I should have done the weekend before a marathon. I don't feel too bad this morning though, so maybe not.

SATURDAY
Anyway, Saturday Jane had to run farther than me in our training for the Fort4Fitness. I also wanted to prepare for next weekend's 6:30 am marathon start time by beginning about that time this Saturday. So I started my 8 mile run around 6:45 am. It's still pretty dark then, but daylight found me before I ventured into Foster park and it ended up being a really nice 75-minute jaunt. For some reason 8-miler's seem to be my best runs. I averaged just under 9:30 per mile, and think that would be a nice pace for the marathon (hopefully).

So after my run, Jane was ready for her 11 mile run. Mimicking her 8:30 start time next Saturday, I decided to ride along with her on my bike. We took the rivergreenway up to Foster Park, then cut over to Fairfield Avenue and up to my place of employment (for a potty break). It was a nice easy ride for me, although my left knee was bothering me a little. For some reason bike riding has always bothered my knees - even as a kid.

A unicycle on the greenway.

SUNDAY
Yesterday morning, then, we got up and decided to both go for a bike ride. Again we took the rivergreenway and headed toward Foster Park, and then decided to try the trail all the way to downtown. We've always wondered exactly where it was from the park to downtown and we had nothing else to do, so off we went.

Taking the trail from our house to Promenade Park is 7.1 miles and 38 minutes on a bike according to Google Maps. It took us a bit longer because we were site-seeing and just enjoying the morning ride through the woods. It was pretty neat. We sat on the swing along the river at the park, and then came back home via Fairfield Avenue because it's almost exactly 2 miles shorter.

Again, this was probably more riding than I should have done, but we didn't go hard, and it was a great way to spend a Sunday morning.

THE BIKES
The picture up top is our actual bicycles. The green one is an early-70's Huffy that I acquired when working at the self-storage facility. Someone left it when they moved out of their storage unit, and I was more than happy to take it off their hands. It did have the original white seat, but it was hard as a rock so I put a new seat on it. I've also had the bike mechanics that work in my building tune it up some. It's a pretty sweet 3-speed that moves right along and has stood the test of time pretty well.

The blue bike is the one Jane has always been partial too. It's a Rollfast, and from just a brief search appears to be from somewhere between the 1950's and 1970's. My parents bought this with a matching men's bike that someone had reconditioned. Unfortunately son Isaac took the other bike to college with him, and it never returned. It's a fairly decent single-speed bike, but it's not all original.

While these two bikes have sufficed for this long, we should probably get some "real" bicycles at some point. Until then... (imagine me humming the wicked witch theme from 'The Wizard of Oz')...

More bikes... pure cycles

Yeah... I know. I kinda sorta have this thing with bicycles lately. Whatever.

Anyway, I've had ads popping up on my FB feed for some time for Pure Cycles. I'd never looked at them until yesterday. Hmmmm... they're kinda cool. And fairly reasonable.

The three that caught my eye are:

Urban Commuter Bike - this would give me 8 speeds plus a sleek and simple look. It is the most expensive of the 3 at $449.

Pure City Classic - this would also provide 3 speeds plus a rack and fenders. It's a little bulkier looking, but it's also on sale for $349 instead of $429.

Coaster Bike - I think this is my favorite. Just a bike. No gears, no hand breaks. Simply pedal and ride. I also like the variety of colors available. And it's only $249!

I still don't know a ton about these bikes, but I like their mission statement and what little I do know about the company. The only issue is I would either need to pay $99 to have it put together, or do it myself. If I were to opt for the Coaster Bike I might just want to put it together myself anyway. So... we will see.

Bikes, bikes, bikes...

So, I sold my Nishiki single-speed bike the other day. It was kind of random, and I wasn't really planning to do it. It just sort of happened.

One day I posted it to the Facebook Marketplace for what I thought was a sorta high price, and almost immediately I had inquiries and people checking it out - way more than I have had for the motorcycle! Then I kind of backed away. But there was one guy who just kept bugging me... He delivers for Jimmy John's and was in desperate need... so I finally sold it to him for $150. I saw him drive it past my work with a delivery the very next day.

So now... I am in the market for a new bike. That was sort of the original plan. I liked the Nishiki; it looked cool and rode nice; but it was too big for me and I wasn't a fan of the skinny tires. I need more of a hybrid type bike. So I've been talking to the people at the bike shop where I work, and looking online. Ugh... it's getting complicated. I also need to come up with a little more money (by selling the motorcycle or something else).

Here is what I've been looking at so far:

I was originally planning to get a lower-level Trek bike. Probably either the FX or FX1. This would be cost-effective, and also give me a good all-around bike.

FX

FX1

I REALLY like the look of these Linus bikes. I'm torn between the Roadster, Avanti 1 and the Pronto. The Roadster and Avanti look the coolest, but I'm wondering if the Pronto wouldn't be the better buy (more gears). I'm not a big fan of the color of the Pronto though.

Roadster Classic

Avanti 1

Pronto 8-speed

One of the younger guys at the bike shop told me to check out State Bicycle Co. They specialize in the more stripped-down flip-flop hub style. I like the Pigeon and the Elliston - though the latter didn't get great reviews.

Pigeon

Elliston

I also checked out Giant bikes. This Escape 3 was really the only one I sort of liked the looks of.

Escape 3

So, who knows. For the time being I can go back to riding the old Huffy women's bike if need be. I also look through the Facebook Marketplace regularly, and the bike shop people are keeping their ears open for a used one.

On the one hand, I hated parting with the Nishiki - especially now that I'd had some work done on it and got it looking like I wanted. On the other hand, though, it will be nice to have something that fits me better and I feel more comfortable on. Plus it always feels good to be able to part with something and know it doesn't "own" me. If that makes sense.

Bikes, bikes, bike

I stumbled onto this online bicycle place offering deeply discounted bikes. Normally I wouldn't go such a route, but it's mighty tempting. I don't really need a new bicycle, but if I'm going to keep riding as much as I have been lately, I'm not sure my old dumpster finds are going to suffice. So... I'm just going to post this here and ponder the possibilities.

I limited my search to the Hybrid & Comfort Bike category, because that's what I am interested in. I don't need a road bike or a mountain bike, but something in the middle. There were three in particular on this site that struck my fancy:

1. The Polygon Path i8 Disc - Carbon Belt Drive City Commuter Bike
I've never even heard of a belt-drive bike before, but I really like the looks of this one. I also like the internal-geared hub. Eight speeds is more than enough for me, and I would rather not mess with a derailleur if I don't have to. I am a big fan of simple and maintenance free. Plus I hear disc brakes are pretty nice. $110 for a nearly-$1300 bike is hard to pass up.

2. Polygon Path 9 - 29er City Bike
I like this one too. It has way more gears than I need, but it has a nice look and seems to perhaps be the best deal of the bunch. I am a little leery of the lean (lower handlebar) and the seat on both these bikes, but that seems to be the way most of them are. This one's priced the same as the above.

 

3. Polygon Sierra Deluxe Sport Men City Bike

At first glance this is the bike I thought I should get. It sits more upright, has the front suspension, and fits what I am looking for. Again, it has more gears than I need, but I like the higher handebar. However, even though it's only $99, it was only a $650 bike to begin with. So... I don't know.

 I doubt a new bike will be in my future anytime soon, but if I were to make the investment, I'm thinking this might be a good place to look. So, who knows.

 

I want to ride my bicycle

Remember that song from Queen "I Want To Ride My Bicycle" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwvWtZl2ICY)? Well, I've finally started riding mine a bit more.

I don't really consider myself a "cyclist" (or whatever they're called). I'm still a runner, and I prefer running. However, I have added the bike to help develop different muscles to hopefully make me a better runner. It's also a nice way to get to work now that I'm only ~5 miles away.

The pic at the top is from my most recent ride to work - on the Huffy. Both bikes were ones people had left when I worked at the self-storage place.

This green Huffy is a 3-speed, and has a more comfortable seat and riding position for me. Yes, it's a woman's bike, and doesn't look the greatest, but it's actually faster than the Nishiki. Note the 25 mph on this last trip! I can barely get the Nishiki to 20 mph. Anyway, I like this bike, but I'm not sure how many more trips it can take to work and back because it's just not built for that. I have to ride it pretty hard to get there on time.

This Nishiki is a cool looking bike. I get a lot of compliments on it. When I found it it was a "fixie." It had a fixed-gear rear tire, so the pedals constantly went around and you could pedal both forward and backward. Fortunately it had a flip-flop hub on the rear tire and I just needed to add the freewheel and a hand brake to make it a one-speed that can coast. I'm too old for a fixie. I like this bike too but it's a tad tall for me. I'm also not a big fan of the seat but I think my butt is slowly getting used to it. The narrow tires don't work well for most sidewalk riding so I need to ride on the road more than I would like, but it's not bad.

Anyway, I do think it has helped strengthen my legs, and I do enjoy riding to work and back. Most of the route is Fairfield Ave, which is sidewalk for a large part. To get from our house to Fairfield, I either ride along the side of Airport Expressway or take Lower Huntington down to the Rivergreenway and cut over. Once I get to downtown there are bike lanes, so that makes it a lot nicer - as long as cars aren't crowding me.

So, that's where I'm at with the bicycling. I've ridden more in the last couple months than in the last 30 years, and so far, so good.

Bike to work

I rode my bicycle to work for the first time today. I think it's about 4 1/2 miles and it took me right about 30 minutes. I took Winchester to Airport Expressway to Fairfield, and stayed on Fairfield all the way to Wayne Street to work. It wasn't too bad.

This is the bike someone abandoned when I worked at the self-storage place. Yes, it's a girls bike, and a Huffy, and old. So it's not likely to be a viable option for very long. Shoot, just one day and it sounds like it's falling apart. But I now know I can do it so I may look into other options.

A lot of Fairfield was on the sidewalk, but it was rooooooough. I rode Airport Expressway along the side of the road. Once I got downtown I could use the bike lanes - that was the smoothest part but had to watch for cars not honoring them.

On the way home I cut off Fairfield and took Rudisill to Foster Park and home. That added about 5 minutes but had less car traffic.

I don't know if I'm ready to ride to work at 4:30 in the morning yet, but I will likely ride it again anytime after 8 am. It wasn't too bad. So far it feels like I'm putting the screws to someone, at least.