One Year!

On 22 November 2010, I began working at the cannon. OF course I can't just be content with driving to work, so I began my usual form of commuting, on the bicycle. I estimate that I've ridden about 3500 miles in the area, over about 300 hours. (This is based on my garming connect account. allowing 1000 miles and 100 hours for rides in other locations, mainly the abq area).

It's been quite a year. When spring and longer days came, I began riding west and northwest, into the wind, when leaving the office. I saw many, many miles of farmland, cattle land, and flat to rolling terrain. I enjoyed going through the northern valleys, on dirt or pavement, and coming back on the highway from the north, through Ned Houck Park.

When the standard winds calmed a bit, I started riding south a little; one day to Oasis Park and back into town. Heading out the south gate gave me route possibilities that led to a loop ride, used on the weekly evening rides from the Quest building. I enjoyed the ride south, east, north, west, and south back into town. Made for a great evening activity. And this provided turns, and curves, to an otherwise straight road section of the state.

Even after a year, and that many miles, I still have unridden routes to do, destinations to reach, and friends to meet. I met a large group of folks, mostly non-cyclists, who come together to assist the Texas 4000 ride each year, with lodging, meals, and such. I've met a local who rides year round, and even crashes ocassionally, but gets back on the bike. I met a local mountain biker, who is getting into endurance series type races. I met a rider who wants to do every century in the state. I met some triathletes, who stay very busy with events in the east side of NM and west Texas. I met the Bicycle Guy, (local rqadio personality and bike shop owner). I met a kid whose bike was stolen.

I know there are many, many cyclists there that I haven't met. There are about 60 people on the CloviCycle email list. As the next year of my time in Clovis begins, I want to help more people ride bikes. I have set up a lunch ride schedule at the cannon, and I hope to formalize this with the base. (I actually saw a rider out at lunch two weeks ago, on the backside! I was driving.) How long will I be in Clovis? I don't know. It's danged tuff being away from family during the week, even though it's only 14 nights a month, max. Where will I be on 22 November 2012? Probably on a bicycle somewhere, riding to work, in the cold, thinking of Clovis, or Albuquerque, while I pedal, and smile!

Moo!     

Chilly Ride in Yesterday

I haven't yet discovered why I try to ride to work all winter. I've been doing some deep soul searching, looking for a speck of reason or sense, in this almost daily exposure to the early morning cold. Why? Yesterday, it was probably 23 degrees. I say probably because I don't have a temp system, I use internet sites, and I'm not always sure where the actual thermometer is located. I beleive it was cold though.

Clothing-
Helemet
full balaclava
helmet liner
100 weight fleet long sleeve
long sleeve team jersey
Sugoi winter jacket
tri shorts
Specialized winter bib pants
Specialized Primaloft "lobster claw" gloves with toasty liners
tall Smartwool sox
Specialized Defroster winter shoes (high top)

Did I get cold? The back of the pants breath, so I when I first got outside, the back of my legs were cold, but warmed quickly. Next my nose was getting cold (the only exposed skin was nose and mouth, eyes were covered with glasses). As body heat built, the nose stayed unfrozen. With the very warm gloves, I was still losing digits all the way in. A good arm swinging session helped ocaissionally. A few miles from the office, my toes starting going. Not a big deal since I was almost there, but that killer pain when when they come back was awful.

After all that, why do I insist on riding on the cold days of winter? Experiences like that make it even harder to decide why.

Moo