In a word, today was WINDY!
After having to drive the last couple of days last week due to a confused schedule, I was looking forward to commuting by bike this morning but was a little apprehensive about the 25-30 mph winds with gusts into the 40′s.
After lifting weights this morning, I consulted the trusty thermometer on the back patio, then decided that I had better dress for the wind chill instead of it’s 30 degree reading. In hindsight, I should have split the difference because by the time I left the house, my base layer was already sweaty from lifting and when I eventually made it to the office, my mid-layer was soaked through as well.
I knew it was going to be a tough grind as I started up the hill out of the river valley and found myself cranking along at about 6 mph into the wind. When I got to the top and turned north, the wind was at my side, and it literally pushed me all over the lane as I descended the hill past the fire station. I know I must have looked like a drunken sailor to the car that was following me down the hill. I didn’t dare get too close to the road’s edge for fear of getting blown off by a gust. Luckily, it was along that stretch that I encountered the worst gusts of the trip and the rest of the ride was just more of a grind instead of the out of control roller coaster I experienced for a few minutes.
Other than being slower than normal, the rest of the trip in was uneventful. The wind held for my ride home this evening. After having to work so hard getting to work, it was pretty cool to just let it push me the biggest part of the way home. For some reason, traffic this evening was pretty light as well, and I was also thrilled at the amount of daylight I had in spite of leaving the office about 15 minutes later than normal. I’m getting antsy for spring!
Yesterday was preventative maintenance day for bicycle computers at my house. I changed the batteries on three of the five computers in use on our four bikes. A fourth is awaiting a change, but Pam’s bike is hanging in the barn and wasn’t very accessible because the boy has a bunch of junk in front of it that needs to be moved. The fifth is just a couple of month’s old, so it should be good for another year. I still need to buy a battery for the wireless transmitter on the tandem’s Flight Deck, but I keep forgetting to see what kind I need. Hopefully I’ll remember that before it goes bad!
How about you? Have you changed the battery in your computer lately? Better to do it now than wait for it to die at some inopportune time!
God bless…
TW
