noglider 

I bike-commuted twice this week. I'm really happy with that. It's not as hard as it was a few years ago, and I'm not sure why.

I noticed that doing some exercises like dead lifts and pushups before I head out helps a lot. I'm not sure, but I suspect it's because I take it to a point of high intensity, even just momentarily. On Tuesday, I had a crosswind that felt like a headwind going in both directions. It was cold, too, but my clothing choices made that a non-problem.

I've had a lot of flat tires! I was out on the river path, putting in a new tube, and the valve core kept coming out. I was not in a position to patch the punctured tube. Oh no! I flagged down a road cyclist and borrowed his pump. Thank you very much! But I didn't get enough pressure, and from there, my tire kept bottoming out. I rode really carefully to the bike shop which is right on my route. I bought a new rim strip, because my rim strip caused this latest puncture. It shifted to the side, exposing the sharp edge of the spoke hole. I bought another tube and pumped up the tire. Back at home I replaced that rim strip. I still haven't found a better rim strip than the Zefal, formerly known as Velox. Totally worth the $5. I ended up being an hour late to work!