Head winds

Today I decided to ride my bike to the beach. This was the first time I had made the trek since the bike crash on Labor Day 2011.

I had barely left the front door of my building when one of my neighbors remarked that my bike was like the Porsches of bikes. Now, that's totally crazy because my bike isn't a fancy road bike, and I didn't pay an arm and a leg for it (I think I got it on sale for about $350). It's just a 2008 GT Timberline Fitness Series hybrid. Nothing fancy. It's just a bike. But the neighbor fawned over it, telling me it was actually a very good bike. Okay, I know it's a good bike (sturdy, reliable, etc.), but it's just a bike. It's decked out with all kinds of stuff, but it's just a bike. It certainly won't win any races, but it did survive a crash without a single scratch. I should have been so lucky. But I digress.

Since yesterday was a very stormy day, we had residual winds and also cooler temps. The winds plagued me all the way down, but I did notice how much stronger I was this year over last year. The ride down didn't bother me at all, although I definitely would have enjoyed it better with out such strong (and nippy) headwinds.

When I got to the bike path at the beach, there were some patches where a lot of sand had drifted over and was really too deep to cycle through... well, one place was bad and I had to walk my bike through it. On the way back, however, I managed to stay on the bike and trudge through the deep sand.

Dishonorable mention to the portly man on the bike in front of me who was displaying about 5" of butt crack, another 5" of dark blue undies, and was pretty much sitting on the waistband of his shorts. Sheesh! If they don't fit, don't wear them. No one needs to see that.

Oh, the ride back was lovely with the wind at my back. In fact, since I was riding at the speed of the wind, it seemed like there was no wind. It was very calm - as long as I was heading east. The ride home on the Venice Blvd. bike lane is always so much more pleasant than on the way down. I don't know, just seems like there are a lot more hazards on the way down.

As I said, it was a chilly day, and I didn't drink as much water because heat wasn't sapping me, but that's really deceptive because the body is still sweating and needs fluid replacement. Still, although I forced myself to drink, I think I could have gone the whole time without any water. I'm not saying that would be a good thing, just that it could have been done simply because the cold fools you into thinking you're not thirsty.

My right brake isn't working... I have to get that fixed. Just feels like there is no tension at all.

When I got home I didn't change immediately, so I got a little chilled. Finally put on dry shirts, doubled up and drank something hot to help warm me. My ears and hands stayed cold for a long time.

25 miles round trip. Didn't bother my muscles at all.

To Santa Barbara of Bust

Today when I was out on my ride, I saw three men with their bikes packed for some long distance. At the time, we were all in east Beverly Hills by Gregory/La Cienega. It was about 11:00. I asked them where they were going and they said they were headed up the PCH to Santa Barbara to go camping and they hoped they would make it. Well, I hope so too, but you know, they got a very late start since it's at least 100 miles away. Maybe if they had left at 6:00 a.m. they would have had a better chance. As it is, they are travelling in the heat of day, and it is a very nice, warm day, so much so that my Road I.D. tan line is a little more distinct from my ride. Next time I must remember to get a picture of something interesting like that meet up.

Starve a cold

So, it all started last Friday, March 30. An inexplicable sore throat. Well, it mostly felt like it was extremely dry and just needed some fluid. This helped some but not enough. The sore throat lingered through Saturday and by Sunday it seemed to be on its way out. Then came Tuesday. The sore throat was gone but I woke up gagging and choking like I had a hairball and by Tuesday night it had progressed into a painful cough - you know, the kind of cough where you feel like someone has poured acid into your lungs. Somehow I managed to get to sleep.

Wednesday came and I felt like I'd been hit by a truck, but because I only work part time, I can't afford to miss any work. However, it's tricky because I also can't be sick at all and be around the person I work for because she has congestive heart failure. Still, Wednesdays are when I do her shopping, so I knew I'd be out for most of the time. Trouble was, I had a fever and was sort of out of it. There was no way I was commuting on the bike on that day. I barely had enough energy to crawl into my own car. Even after I got to her building, I just sat in my car, soaking in the heat and thinking that I could just fall asleep right there. I kept telling myself to get up and get out of the car, but it took me about 10 minutes to do it. Thankfully I was about 10 minutes early.

Normally I would take her car to run all the errands, but she and her hubby park in tandem, and on Wednesdays he gets picked up by someone and they go play golf. I just did not have the energy to switch the cars, so I just took my own car. First stop was the pharmacy to pick up her meds. Again, I had to talk myself out of the car. The second stop was the bank to make a deposit for her. After the bank I went through the drive through at Jack in the Box to pick up a fish sandwich combo, and then I headed to Ralphs. Maybe the sugar in the soda perked me up enough to get me going. All I could think was that I just wanted to go home and go to bed and sleep.

I returned to her house and put all the groceries away, made her a quick meal and then left. She said that I seemed "sad," but I said I was just tired. I still had to go to the bank for myself and the pet store, however. In the meantime, I'd only managed to eat half the fish sandwich.

By the time I got home, I dropped all my stuff right inside the door and basically went to bed. That's when the fever induced dreams began. Kind of interesting, actually. However, after about 4-5 hours of sleeping, the fever broke and I took care of the animals and then returned to bed. At 2:00 a.m. I finished the other half of the fish sandwich.

Thursday saw some coughing but the painful coughing was gone, and at any rate, I rode the bike. I got some cough drops because i had that hairball feeling again.

Today I again rode the bike. On the way to work I rode to the medical supply store and got a package of face masks. I took my bike into that store too. I was feeling much better today and except for some coughing spasms, I think it's mostly out of my system.

I should add, however, that three times during all of this I took heaping amounts of Ambrotose. I do believe that the glyconutrient food for my cells helped my body to recognize the problems it was having and to send out the defenses. In the past a sore throat has always been the first warning signal of impending bronchitis or pneumonia, either of which would financially devastate me. If I didn't have the Ambrotose to put my cells on high alert, I think this whole thing would have been much worse.

So, I didn't bike communte on Monday because that is the day I deliver cookies, and I didn't on my feverish Wednesday, but I still got three days of commuting in. In all, I only missed 1 hour of work.

The heir and the spare

On March 15 I purchased a 2nd bicycle for $100. I got it off of Craigslist, and it's an inexpensive Next brand, which is sold through Walmart. I purchased it with the simple idea of having a 2nd bike for when a friend comes to visit this summer so that we can go riding together. She is quite anxious to ride down to the beach and all around. So, I figured $80-$100 would be my budget. It was purchased in my neighborhood, so I walked the 1.5 miles to where it was and rode it home. The tires needed air, and the seat is quite springy - almost like riding in a car with shocks that need to be replaced, but otherwise it felt solid and would do for what I purchased it for. It's basically a hybrid like mine. I have since outfitted it with a bell, water bottle cage, and I have a small front double pannier on its way from China. That will be as much as I accessorize it. I actually ended up buying two bells, but I couldn't get the first one to secure around the handlebar, so I purchased a 2nd one that was identical to mine, and which I KNEW would fit. Now to figure out what to do with the first one. Donate it or something. I am not sure how long I will keep the bike after my friend leaves because it does take up a fair amount of living room real estate. However, I have also been thinking that maybe it could be the bike for local errands that I am not willing to take my more expensive bike on, so the jury is still out to its fate.

Lock, Stock and Barrel

Today I finally redeemed the $25 gift card to Helen's Cycles that I had been given by my parents for Christmas 2011. I had been wanting a bike lock for a long time, even though I know it will still be a little scary to leave it locked up, even for short periods. Due to the shape of my bike frame, however, it is impossible to mount it onto the hybrid, not to mention the two lower water bottles get in the way, mostly for lack of room. However, it is just the right size to travel in the pannier. The lock wasn't $25, btw, but $45, and I might get another of the Kryptonite cords for $10. I actually had to ask how to best position the lock on the bike to be sure the bike would still be there when I came out of where ever, so I got some advice on that. I'm hoping that having a lock will facilitate me being able to expand my life on two wheels because normally the bike doesn't ever leave my hands when I'm out and about.

After I went to the bike shop, I. Martin Imports, which is a subsidiary of Helen's Cycles, I continued to have a regular bike ride on one of my routes. When I was in the Beverly Hills area heading west on Cashio to Doheny and getting ready to turn north on Doheny, I found myself with a cycling group heading east on Cashio and also turning north on Doheny. I stayed at the back of their pack so as not to interfere with them, but the interesting thing was, my hybrid kept pace with them! They were doing about 15-16 mph going up Doheny, and then the group split apart at the Santa Monica Blvd crossing with some continuing north on Doheny and others heading east on Santa Monica Blvd. I followed the ones on Santa Monica Blvd since I was going that way anyhow, and they got up to speeds of 20 mph , and again, I met their speeds. I even broke my own record and got up to 21 mph! I was so excited. However, we got separated at a stop light with me getting left behind, and by the time the light changed they were far gone. However, I was tickled to have kept up with them for about 2 miles! So, if I can keep up with them on a hybrid, I should easily outpace them on a road bike. Ha!

Collision 101

I keep forgetting to mention that I saw a bike crash the other day. I was in the drive-through at Jack In the Box, and was behind a limo. The drive-thru was sort of an alley situation. When the limo driver got his food and pulled forward, he was struck on the rear passenger-side door by an east-bound cyclist on the sidewalk. The cyclist went down and seemed to have banged his elbow pretty good but was otherwise all right, and the limo driver kept inspecting his car for damage.

The one at fault was the cyclist. First of all, although there is no law in California against riding on the side-walks, this cyclist wasn't using common sense to slow down at driveways and alley ways (danger zones for sidewalk riding). Second, he was heading east but on the north side of the street, which wasn't even flowing with traffic. If he was going to be on the sidewalk, he should have at least been on the south side of the street. Actually, though, he should have been riding in the street and flowing with the traffic. Had he been doing that, the accident never would have occurred.

I ride in the streets about 95% of the time. If I should happen to pop up onto the sidewalk, it's only temporary to avoid a traffic snafu that is potentially hazardous.

This is a great instructional video on safe riding (in Colorado, but it is broadly applicable):

Safe Bike Riding

Robertson

Today I again took my bike into the bank on the way to work, but afterwards had to make a decision which way I would then head south. Normally I wouldn't consider Robertson Blvd. as it is too crowded, single lanes, and just downright obnoxious. However, I'd never ridden the northern end of Robertson before. I've ridden the southern end from Robertson/Guthrie to one mile south underneath the 10 freeway to catch the bike lane on Venice Blvd, but I had avoided the upper part. However, I did take it down to Olympic Blvd today, then headed east on Olympic two blocks to Shenandoah, then headed south to my destination. I have to say, I don't like Olympic blvd either for the fast traffic and the city buses - something that continues to scare me. It would be helpful if Olympic had bike lanes, but it does not.

I was delayed a little at work from leaving at my normal time (5:00), so I ended up leaving closer to 6:00 and by the time I got home it was pretty dark. I need to investigate getting some lights for my wheels to help be more visible to others, even though I have flashing lights in back and the front.