On the rain

First, let me apologize for how quiet it’s been around here recently. Kurt and I happened to go on family vacations at the same time this year (not together) and that, a week or so off of work, always comes with a week of frantic preparation and a week of frantic catching up. Or, at least, that’s my excuse, I think Kurt’s probably still lost on some beach in Hawaii.

I spent about 8 days on the California Central Coast and, between beaches, drives down to Big Sur, trips to the aquarium and shuttling around my wife’s 15 year-old half-sister, I managed to get out for a couple of bike rides in pretty fantastic weather.

I returned home only to find that the rain we’d been missing all winter was due to arrive just in time for my (now dark) morning commutes,

Thirty minutes (or just under) is about perfect when you’re talking about riding in the rain. At 50° it’s not cold enough to get the chills and just as the water starts to slosh around in your shoes and breach the “water resistant” barrier jacket you’re wearing, you’re pulling into the parking lot at work and (careful not slip due to the wet tile, cycling shoe combo) heading into the locker room to change into some dry clothes.

Then, after you’ve hung up socks and jackets and laid out your shorts and jersey to dry in the back of your cubicle, people walk by your desk and say, “you didn’t ride today, did you?” And suddenly you become a hero, at least temporarily, for braving the elements and showing dedication to the cause. Or, maybe they add it to the list of things that make you weird, right after “wears Lycra in public.”

At least, that’s my experience.

Lifecycle

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Bike Art.

“Ai Weiwei’s most recent work, Forever Bicycles, installs 1,200 bicycles–some hanging from the ceiling, some standing upright on the floor–one behind the other. The bikes have no handlebars and no seats and instead use those parts of the frame to extend upward and outward to connect to other wheels and other frames, creating the illusion of a labyrinth-like space in a three-dimensional area.”

I can’t help thinking they’d be better off being ridden. But it does look cool.

Sera

Attention Children: Bikes are Dangerous

Hey, look, LEGO included a cyclist in the LEGO City Town Ambulance set:

Hey, look, the cyclist is being loaded into the ambulance because cycling is dangerous and always results in a trip to the emergency room:

Hat tip to @thekvr.

Also:

flip…

…because today we get a little more daylight than yesterday.

Update: (12/23/2011) Because I can’t read a calendar, in fact, today is the first day with more light. Start flipping.

Bikes will save us

Created by: Healthcare Management Degree – healthcaremanagementdegree.com

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is that a DSLR in your shirt…

Photographer Justin Olsen wanted a better way to take high quality MTB images, so he rigged up a chest mount for his DSLR. 

I can’t really imagine riding around with full sized DSLR strapped to my chest – but Justin is getting some pretty cool shots.

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nutter!

I’m tempted to compare this face to the one I made when I realized I’d left my cycling shoes at work on Friday and would be forced to drive this morning, but that would trivialize the pain this guy suffered.

Or would it?

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Yes, I dug out my arm warmers this week…

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on two wheels…

…for the first time. Sure, he needs a little help, but he’s not even a year yet.