on new years eve

on new years eve
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

a family outing to the woods
on a warm sunny day
to close out the year.

It's Friday!

It's Friday!
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

a christmas gift from my wife

It's Friday in California.

2010 Commuting Stats

today's my last day working for the year.
another nice long weekend approaches.
thus 2010 commuting wraps up this evening.
i wasn't as diligent with keeping records this year
but i've got a pretty good idea/guestimate anyway.

days i drove to work = 10
days i rode to work = 225
average roundtrip distance = 28 miles
total = 6,300 miles (give or take)

vast majority of that was via a fixed wheel.
simple mile crunching machines rule.
i highly recomend them.
next year looks to be more of the same
since we're a one car household.
plus bookending my day of desk drudgery
with daily mileage makes work less tedious.
get out there and give it a try.

salty

salty
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

view from the backyard

view from the backyard
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl
meanwhile oona runs around
all crazy in the snow
chasing her tennis ball.
that dog is nuts.

back to work

well that was a lackluster storm.
the winds are whipping
but the accumulation was little.
got a ride with a co-worker anyway.
bike commuter fail.
studs remain unmounted
and now i’m debating even bothering.
freeze-thaw the next few days
but warming as the week progresses.
maybe i’ll just get by
with slick tire caution.

out making tracks

out making tracks
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

wintery

wintery
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

a concession

a concession
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl
i may not have ridden that much this vacation
but i've walked that dog more than twenty miles.
additional mileage slated for this afternoon too.
our first real snowfall is on it's way
with six to ten inches of blowing and drifting.
studs will get mounted to the bike tonight
but another vacation day may occur tomorrow.

christmas morning

hoping yours was as fun as hers.

It's Friday!

magic hat
black-as-night winter lager

another afternoon in the woods

another afternoon in the woods
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

as sunset approaches

as sunset approaches
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

the view from mt penn
a quick spin up there
via the fixed crosscheck

hiking with oona

hiking with oona
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

the start of xmas vacation

the start of xmas vacation
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

sunset on the way home
five days of no commuting
a nice long break
from the daily grind

that moon

rode home as it rose above the horizon.
growing brighter as the sun became a memory.
illuminating thru the passing clouds.
maybe i'll get up tonight to see the eclipse.
or maybe i'll hope for a glance in the early morn.
either way i'm glad for the solstice
and the forthcoming increase of daylight.

early morning

early morning
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

reflection in the kitchen window.
glad this is a short work week.

•

i was up at six this morning
taking the pup out.
i thought of staying up
and getting out for a ride.
but the predawn dark cold
pushed me back into bed.
the commute demands facing
these conditions daily
just to make a buck.
but the prospect of waiting
a few hours and riding in daylight
wins out this time of year.

It's Saturday!

It's Saturday!
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

It's Friday!

It's Friday!
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl
sometimes the seasonals hit the spot.

It's Friday in California.

tis the season

tis the season
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

four straight days of subfreezing temps.
summer shoes and booties put away.
heavy boots become the norm.
kind of early for a cold streak like this.
but the daily commute continues on.

the little details of a steamroller with fenders

posted some detail pics of the steamroller over on flickr.
tires shown are 28mm ribmos matched up with 35mm sks fenders.
ample room at both the fork crown and the seatstay bridge.
could get tight at the seat tube depending on your gear combination.
lack of eyelets called for p-clamps to mount them however.
not a deal breaker to me but they took some time and patience to set up.
haven't needed fenders yet but i'll be glad they're on there soon enough.
there is a bit of toe overlap even with a 59cm frame but it's not a major issue.
overall i'm really pleased with how this bike is set up.

our new family member

our new family member
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

say hello to oona.
a six to eight month old female pitbull.
picked her up this afternoon
from the animal rescue league.
incredibly sweet and loving.
our house was too quiet after losing milo.
we've debated about another dog
but decided to go for it after meeting her.
here's to many happy years together!

It's Friday! (belated)

It's Friday! (belated)
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

It's Friday in California.

heading home

heading home
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

rotafix is your friend

when your fixed cog is too tight for a chain whip
and if by chance you break your chain whip trying to remove said cog
the rotafix method is there to help you.
even doing so i managed to bust the chain while applying pressure.
not deterred
i persevered and removed the broken link.
more muscle
the cog spun free on the still greased threads.
the eai 18t was bound for the steamroller
to replace the stock 19t which came off with little trouble.
props to surly for greasing both the cog and lockring threads
on their complete builds (as they should be).
47x18 will get me to work in the morning.

nineteen degrees

nineteen degrees
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

ice beard season has arrived.

that winds been relentless all week

that winds been relentless all week
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

the surly steamroller

the surly steamroller
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl
yup, i went and bought another surly.
guess i'm a fan of their designs.
59cm stock build for the most part.
swapped bars, stem, saddle, and tires.
added lights and fenders via p-clamps.
the new dedicated daily commuter.
hundred miles on the road so far and all's well.

as for the other bikes;
you can see the xcheck configuration below.
the karate monkey gets studded tires for winter.
the paris sport track bike sits in pieces.
and the pacer, well...
anyone want to buy it? (locals only please)
getting posted to craigslist otherwise.

so the fleet of bikes will return to all one speeds.
i think i prefer it this way afterall.

out on a sunday morn

out on a sunday morn
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl
three and a half hours in the cold wind
snow flurries mixed with bursts of warm sun
miles of rail trail gravel emptiness
the 40x18 fixed fat tired crosscheck
retired from full time commuter duty
now the do all go anywhere rig

It's Friday!

It's Friday!
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl
I'm glad to have made it thru the week.

riding the bike to work

the new daily commuter.
fenders will be mounted soon.
maybe swap the fixed cog.
ready to rock otherwise.
simple machines rule.
(more pics once the builds complete)