today was a pretty standard morning... minus the walk of the dog the boys were slow out of bed and so was I like a cowboy corralling cats lisa got us up and out of bed issuing orders... brush your teeth... get dressed... get some breakfast... what you are not out of bed yet? before getting dressed I stumbled downstairs for a coffee and a banana stretching my legs while waking up I felt the dreaded onset of a leg cramp had a good ride yesterday after work went pretty hard until things got social ran into mike of the itakebigdumps blog which downgraded my pace from fast to quick and social mike turned off for his MacArthur Blvd ride which left me chatting with a guy on a fresh new Surly Cross Check that was built up nicely for commuting.... fenders rock
I went fast and slowed as I felt he was living in my shadow
would rather slow and chat than try to shake the shadow there had already been over an hour of big ring hammering so slowing down for thirty or so minutes of healthy paced spinning worked out fine this harder than normal post work ride left my body somewhat depleted the banana was well deserved in the am and maybe a bit late the boys were dressed I was running late each of the boys got a granola bar as they went out the front door
ninetendo ds was a barrier to getting the boys moving lisa took brutus with her and the boys I left out the back with the bike letting lisa walk the dog so I could arrive at work on time out the back gate and into the alley as I threw my leg over my Specialized cross bike I made a mental check of my gear helmet... backpack... camera... and correct shoes I hate when I jump on a bike with TIME pedals when I am wearing my cleats with Shimano SPDs
yesterday I left out with the wrong shoes
had I not looped back for the right shoes... the post work ride would not have happened out the alley dodging the arriving workers
work is being done on a number of neighbor's houses
additions... back decks... garages I am out of the alley before they are blocking the alley then through the streets of Mount Pleasant it is a short commute into work I would be stronger if my commuter were longer I would be more late if my commute were longer with the camera slung around my neck I scan the streets for interesting subjects all sorts of men and women on bicycles headed somewhere to start their day
dc is not Copenhagen but... dc has the potential to be a operable city by bicycle nothing captures my eye no need to capture a photograph lots of low end bicycles lots of bicycles from a different era
too many department style bicycles under immigrants to count many bicycles look like something that you would pick up from a garage sale while others are clearly from a box store it is humbling that a short commute like this can be done on a bicycle that costs the same as my cycling shoes without the cleats
yet I still commute on my race ready cross bike in my peacock gear a pretty girl comes up the hill the opposite direction on a mary poppins bike I do not bother to chase her down with the camera a bohemian man comes up the opposite direction on a mountain bike with a trail-a-bike minus the child passenger all sorts of commuters make pace with me on my expensive cross bike on their many decade old bicycles many of these bicycles from an era prior to the mountain bike... prior to the hybrid... from a time when there were just bikes and ten speed meant drop bars and a five speed freewheel in the back no issues with the car traffic one car slows to let me sneak into the lane in front of them as I make a rolling left on red they make a face I gesture an empty thanks I slow in an effort to thank them but alert them to the fact that they do not need to stop for me as I was going to sift in then I realize that it is too difficult a conversation to have between a cyclist and a car driver to have this early in the morning just be thankful that this person does not want to run over cyclists there are not enough drivers like this most drivers are out seeking the high score for running down pedestrians and cyclists always scoring bonus points for blue haired ladies and women with strollers the camera is dormant around my neck until a block from my office a mr. bean like character comes bombing down the street on a singles speed beach cruiser no helmet... large headphones working the bike in such a way that he risks breaking a sweat I chase him down I snap a few shots we have a friendly exchange while on the move
who knows if I got the shot I turn back and roll into the back door at work with my bicycle at work in time to suit up and be at my desk in time to be on time a few things for the morning a few words as I finish a second cup of coffee
I went fast and slowed as I felt he was living in my shadow
would rather slow and chat than try to shake the shadow there had already been over an hour of big ring hammering so slowing down for thirty or so minutes of healthy paced spinning worked out fine this harder than normal post work ride left my body somewhat depleted the banana was well deserved in the am and maybe a bit late the boys were dressed I was running late each of the boys got a granola bar as they went out the front door
ninetendo ds was a barrier to getting the boys moving lisa took brutus with her and the boys I left out the back with the bike letting lisa walk the dog so I could arrive at work on time out the back gate and into the alley as I threw my leg over my Specialized cross bike I made a mental check of my gear helmet... backpack... camera... and correct shoes I hate when I jump on a bike with TIME pedals when I am wearing my cleats with Shimano SPDs
yesterday I left out with the wrong shoes
had I not looped back for the right shoes... the post work ride would not have happened out the alley dodging the arriving workers
work is being done on a number of neighbor's houses
additions... back decks... garages I am out of the alley before they are blocking the alley then through the streets of Mount Pleasant it is a short commute into work I would be stronger if my commuter were longer I would be more late if my commute were longer with the camera slung around my neck I scan the streets for interesting subjects all sorts of men and women on bicycles headed somewhere to start their day
dc is not Copenhagen but... dc has the potential to be a operable city by bicycle nothing captures my eye no need to capture a photograph lots of low end bicycles lots of bicycles from a different era
too many department style bicycles under immigrants to count many bicycles look like something that you would pick up from a garage sale while others are clearly from a box store it is humbling that a short commute like this can be done on a bicycle that costs the same as my cycling shoes without the cleats
yet I still commute on my race ready cross bike in my peacock gear a pretty girl comes up the hill the opposite direction on a mary poppins bike I do not bother to chase her down with the camera a bohemian man comes up the opposite direction on a mountain bike with a trail-a-bike minus the child passenger all sorts of commuters make pace with me on my expensive cross bike on their many decade old bicycles many of these bicycles from an era prior to the mountain bike... prior to the hybrid... from a time when there were just bikes and ten speed meant drop bars and a five speed freewheel in the back no issues with the car traffic one car slows to let me sneak into the lane in front of them as I make a rolling left on red they make a face I gesture an empty thanks I slow in an effort to thank them but alert them to the fact that they do not need to stop for me as I was going to sift in then I realize that it is too difficult a conversation to have between a cyclist and a car driver to have this early in the morning just be thankful that this person does not want to run over cyclists there are not enough drivers like this most drivers are out seeking the high score for running down pedestrians and cyclists always scoring bonus points for blue haired ladies and women with strollers the camera is dormant around my neck until a block from my office a mr. bean like character comes bombing down the street on a singles speed beach cruiser no helmet... large headphones working the bike in such a way that he risks breaking a sweat I chase him down I snap a few shots we have a friendly exchange while on the move
who knows if I got the shot I turn back and roll into the back door at work with my bicycle at work in time to suit up and be at my desk in time to be on time a few things for the morning a few words as I finish a second cup of coffee