Today I got out relatively early, before 8:00 AM on my cross bike with my Bar Mitts. I finally cast aside the studded tires and rolled on my new set of 32mm Gravel Kings. I be leaving my winter wheels on for a few more weeks although. I rode 40 miles out through Carlisle and back to Waltham meandering through Weston, Lincoln, Acton and Concord in the Process. It felt so exhilarating to be back in roads that I haven’t cycled on since December. It warmed up as I was out there.

I did manage to steer around most of them. Thankfully the few I hit thankfully didn’t send my to the sidelines with a flat.

i got out at 0500 this morning for a 1.8 mile ride! Despite being in the upper 30’s there was enough visible ice and black ice that I knew that there was no shame in turning around and going home. I knew this might happen if I take the studded tires off. Thankfully I went out for 25 more on my lunch break. It was a wet grimy slopfest.

Probably only time of year those conditions are considered good

This morning I got out for 17 miles. I was snuggled up in my Bar Mitts, SPD boots, full face balaclava and goggles. I hit a stealthy pothole that I was sure would give me a flat, it didn’t. When I put the bike on the stand I found the wheel to have a new hobble. I’m still using my stock Bontrager “winter” wheels that came with the bike, I’ll have to have that trued when I switch over to my good wheels. I snuck out for another 23 miles during my lunch break. It was a bit warmer.

Commute in shorts today, 58f, partly cloudy, and the smell of bbq - so nice

Yesterday first joy ride to Boston. (Well, it was really an errand run to Hmart, but took the long way from Harvard Square.)

Surprised by the Mass Ave bike lane changes when I crossed the Harvard Bridge. Where have I been? (Oh, right.)

But leave it to people whose precious is their cars, there’s a parking lane, a painted buffer, and the bike lane, so they parked their precious in the buffer.

Anyhow, even the slalom in North Cambridge makes me happy.

-mr. bill

Surprisingly I catch a whiff of weed from passing cars when I am out in the early morning riding through the metro west suburbs far more often than I ever would have expected,

Rode to WFM on Saturday in Fresh Pond to gather the last of the St. Patrick's Day supplies. Didn't bring my poles for the first time (since I'd only be walking from the "parking" to the store), but ended up with carrot tops sticking out of the side of the messenger bag. No buns sighted on the way home chasing after me.

Sunday spent the afternoon in my kitchen. My homemade corned beef (which is actually brined for a week) came out terrific for the traditional New England boiled dinner. The corned salmon (which is actually corned) was wonderful too.

But the surprise was my soda bread. One version of brown soda bread is the wheaten bread, of which there are many variations. Often a 50/50 whole wheat/APF with buttermilk, often a bit of sugar, usually toasted wheat germ, and sometimes butter or margarine. Since there are so many variations, I felt no qualms of doing one more. Mine was a 50/50 rye/APF, 50/50 buttermilk/Guinness stout, barely malt syrup replacing half the sugar, toasted ground flax instead of wheat germ, and made it lean without either butter or margarine. Sort of an Irish/Danish mashup.

(Wonderful thing about quick breads is they are easy to experiment with. Next time I might use rye sour starter discard instead of buttermilk, and add some rye chops and pumpkin seed and whole flaxseed too.)

Anyhow, pulled some pics from Friday, and found my "last ride" labor day weekend too:

From Friday:

The new (to me) protected bike lane at MIT:


At the "IRE PROOF", the right hook at this corner was always a problem. But now there is a bike signal for the bike lane, the general traffic lane gets a red arrow, and there's a NO TURN ON RED SIGN. (Similar to Arlington Center.) Uber don't care:


Bus/Bike lane. Bus stop. (Bwahaha! This is a good place to stop!):


Door door door door door door door door...



From Labor Day Weekend:

The deadly gauntlet:


Longwood Valley:


Medical parking:


Porter Square:


-mr. bill

More of the same with me. Saturday I racked up 42 miles on my cross bike. It was a wet and sandy muck fest. Sunday mornings 35 mile ride I was regretting doing a haphazard job cleaning the bike and not thoroughly cleaning and lubing the drive train. That afternoon I gave it a proper cleaning and lubing. I pulled the gritty headset bearings and popped in a fresh pair and pulled and cleaned the awful internal shift cable. It’s open at the bottom below the bb so it ensures that wet sand propagates where the cable enters the housing that goes through the chain stay. After this bike having internal routing and my old Roubaix having internal cables and their awful shifting, I will never buy another. My steel road bike and touring bike both have external cables and both shift superbly. Tuesday and Wednesday mornings I rode 22 more each day as I settle into my yearly routine of chasing miles and living every second.