My adventure today

monster • Sep 13, 2010 4:42 pm
I wanted to do a 10-mile bike ride. I had so much to do, so I decided to kill several birds with one stone and bike to the new Walmart 6ish miles away to see what it was like/grab a few things we need.

Despite the fact that we like in an awesome college town with every amenity, we're right next to the countryside, and after one mile I was biking between corn field, then I switched onto the dirt roads -which was a little hairy in places, especially because there was a strong headwind, but oh so beautiful. Through meadows and corn fields and a wildlife preserve, past little ponds and huge red barns, over the level crossing and then after 5 miles Walmart popped up like a barnacle!

Just after I locked up my bike and got a cart, i got the dreaded phonecall just after school got out to say they'd missed the bus ....only they hadn't, they were just checking they were supposed to me on it... *phew* With a 30 minute ride home and then a 20 minute car ride to school, they'd've been waiting a long time.....

Found most of the stuff I need in a sparkly new Walmart not infested with the dregs of life like the one closer to me, hardly any line, then back home again, this time with a tail wind on the main section of dirt road (side wind most of the way, though). It is rather windy, but a gorgeous sunny 26Celcius (maybe 77F?)

12.5 miles, one hour's actual cycling and I'm still alive!
Lamplighter • Sep 13, 2010 4:59 pm
Your second paragraph sounds a little like:
"Over the river and through the woods..."

But nevermind, sounds like you had a nice adventure and pleasant ride... Good on you for doing it.
monster • Sep 13, 2010 5:00 pm
What?
Pete Zicato • Sep 13, 2010 5:03 pm
If you really loved us you'd have taken pictures. :mecry:
monster • Sep 13, 2010 5:09 pm
Oh I thought about it, I thought about strapping the camera too the handlebar and taking video, but it was just too bumpy and I didn't really have time to be stopping. But next time I will.
LJ • Sep 13, 2010 5:20 pm
oh, you forgot to get TP.... mind just popping back over?
monster • Sep 13, 2010 5:53 pm
no problem :D
monster • Sep 14, 2010 12:29 pm
Well today I rode to the park to walk with a friend (same as Friday 3-4 miles each way), but then after a 75 minute walk, I carried on and went all the way to my kids' school on the other side of town to run a couple of errands, and then home again. A good deal of the 13.7 miles was along the river and through the park, so that was nice, but boy those hills at the very end.... well they're a little easier after 5 miles than after 11.... but I still did them with a minimum speed of 5mph.

And I'm still alive, Although i haven't tried standing up yet.

Thank goodness I have been biking small distances all summer or I'd be really sore, but surprisingly, so far.... nothing! yay!
Pico and ME • Sep 14, 2010 12:39 pm
Hows your butt? I tried biking a few summers back but gave up because of the seat. Actually, I need an old ladies bike where the seat is wider than mine and the handle bars are up to my shoulders. (Wait - that sounds more like a sting ray)
monster • Sep 14, 2010 12:43 pm
My butt disappeared with all that running I've been doing! I have a nice seat, though. Not an old lady seat but padded and with some suspension.
monster • Sep 14, 2010 12:43 pm
...and the bike seat's not bad, either, boom ka-ching!
Pete Zicato • Sep 14, 2010 4:45 pm
Do you have a decent selection of gears?
xoxoxoBruce • Sep 14, 2010 8:41 pm
Advice.
monster • Sep 14, 2010 8:58 pm
Pete Zicato;682375 wrote:
Do you have a decent selection of gears?


Yes, feels like it to me, it's a "24-speed" (although there's quite a bit of duplication)although it needs a tune up -I can't get it to change onto the lowest cog at the front, but (2:1) is pretty low -I rarely even use that and the top gear is high enough that I can get as fast as I want to with ease on the flat.
HungLikeJesus • Sep 14, 2010 11:04 pm
You just need to get a little screwdriver and adjust the little screw.
monster • Sep 15, 2010 8:15 am
I bet. But I have a free tune-up overdue, so I'mm'a let the experts do it! (Bike grease and eczema is an unfortunate combination) thanks. It's serving as my reminder to take my bike in right now.... ;)
Urbane Guerrilla • Sep 23, 2010 11:33 am
HLJ's right. All that is is an adjustment matter. The work of about three minutes. Then you have all three sprockets again (cogs are at the rear wheel).
monster • Sep 23, 2010 1:13 pm
hey, UG, just fuck off, you pretentious, patronizing wanker mm'kay?
Gravdigr • Sep 24, 2010 4:33 pm
[Mr. Mackey] Pretentious, patronizing wankers are bad, mm'kay? [/Mr. Mackey]
Gravdigr • Sep 24, 2010 4:34 pm
Heheh...COG!
xoxoxoBruce • Sep 24, 2010 5:40 pm
monster;684486 wrote:
hey, UG, just fuck off, you pretentious, patronizing wanker mm'kay?
[UG] I believe you misspoke. Using mm'kay, rather than the obsequious m'kay, obfuscates the intent of your missive. I'll not lower my standards to interpret your intentions. [UG]
monster • Sep 24, 2010 5:42 pm
*snort*
ZenGum • Sep 24, 2010 10:02 pm
:D
Gravdigr • Sep 27, 2010 3:29 am
How big can a cog be before it becomes a sprocket?
How small can a sprocket be before it becomes a cog?
And the gears! Where are the gears, man?!

Sprockets and cogs and gears, OH MY!
Lamplighter • Sep 27, 2010 10:43 am
I always thought sprockets were the circular wheel-like things that engaged the chain, whereas the cogs were the little spikey things on the sprocket that engaged each individual link in the chain. ???
xoxoxoBruce • Sep 27, 2010 10:57 am
Sprockets engage chains, cogs engage gears.


Except the Toad Sprocket.;)
monster • Sep 27, 2010 4:47 pm
There's a sprocket in my pocket!
Shawnee123 • Sep 27, 2010 4:56 pm
[YOUTUBE]QHZR9SA5pOg[/YOUTUBE]
Gravdigr • Sep 28, 2010 3:42 am
monster;685267 wrote:
There's a sprocket in my pocket!


Is that better or worse than a cog in your blog?
Urbane Guerrilla • Oct 7, 2010 3:00 am
monster;684486 wrote:
hey, UG, just fuck off, you pretentious, patronizing wanker mm'kay?


Not mm'kay. If you'd really like something to complain about, shouldn't I be pissing into your pocket and telling you it's raining or something? Grousing about my tone -- it's the last resort of the lamest. You wouldn't want to be lame, now would you?

Sprockets v. cogs is bicyclist parlance anyway.

Wanketty wank wank, wank wank.

Well, I'm enjoying it.
xoxoxoBruce • Oct 7, 2010 9:41 am
Urbane Guerrilla;687003 wrote:

Wanketty wank wank, wank wank.

Well, I'm enjoying it.

I'll bet you are.
Urbane Guerrilla • Oct 8, 2010 8:20 pm
Whee.
zippyt • Oct 8, 2010 9:45 pm
I got to spen the last 2 days On TOP of a 30+ Foot Extension ladder ,
installing saftey rods , and twisting Wrenches , and installing Weighing systems

Yeeeeee HAAWWWWW!!!

Elliptical mech ??
Baa, Try the Ladder work out !!!
Calf burn for DAYZ !!!!!
xoxoxoBruce • Oct 8, 2010 9:58 pm
Steel arch boots, Zip?
zippyt • Oct 8, 2010 10:12 pm
Got em , still tiring
xoxoxoBruce • Oct 8, 2010 10:55 pm
Absolutely, but your calves will recover faster than your arches... however, you might have trouble unclenching your butt for awhile. :lol: