SpringfieldCyclist.com – Tracy Wilkins’ Cycling Weblog

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 definitely 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