Running Short! – Pam and I got about two blocks into our three mile run this morning before it started raining on us. Sheesh! I looked at the radar when we got up and everything in sight looked far away. By the time we got out there it had turned into the same light rain/heavy drizzle that plagued us last week. We cut our run short at 2 miles because we were getting soaked through and Pam grabbed the last mile on the treadmill. I went ahead and rode to work, and by the time I got there it had pretty much quit.
Grind ‘em baby! – The last time I rode my road bike, I noticed the brakes grinding pretty badly. I attributed it to grit from the constant rain and drizzle I was riding through but last night I went down to clean that bike and discovered that I had worn the pads to the point where I could see metal showing through. Got new ones ordered and on their way.
Speaking of Crud! – I’m amazed that those brakes were even still functional. I pretty much had to completely disassemble, clean and lube them to get them working smoothly again.
Doh! – I took off work yesterday afternoon to run some errands. When I got home, I stopped in the garage to tweak the saddle position on the Surly, then merrily went about my business. This morning as I was leaving for work I couldn’t find the gloves I had home yesterday and realized I had probably left them laying on the back of the Jeep and driven off with them still there. Darn…that was a nice pair of warm-weather full-fingered gloves!
Magnetic Presence! – I forgot to turn on my Spoke-Lights this morning, so I stopped to do so at the stoplight at Sunshine and Eastgate. When I looked up, I had a green light…and there were no cars anywhere to have triggered it for me. I guess the Surly has enough steel and mass to trigger that light. That’s pretty cool, because it’s one I usually resort to running.
Spoke-Lights Rock! – No, I said Spoke-Lights, not Spook Lights! The Nite Ize SpokeLit is an awesome little device that clips to the spokes of your wheel and emits a nice spinning glow as you ride. I use one on both wheels, and they definately add a little bling to the bike! For dark commutes, these things do more to command respect from motorists than anything I’ve seen or tried. I couldn’t use them on the Giant because of the low spoke count wheels, but they fit the Surly just fine. I noticed the first ride with them that cars were doing a lot more sitting and waiting for me to pass rather than pulling out and going. It’s funny to watch their eyes follow your wheels as you pass them! If you’re a commuter who rides in the dark, you need to get some of these things!
God bless…
TW
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