thru the park

thru the park
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

quiet for now

quiet for now
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

.
the commute resumes
a cold morning of pedaling
sunrise is noticeably earlier
but another storm approaches
winter trudges along
.

on the bike, in the snow

plans are made, the musette gets loaded.



we hit the road as the snow rapidly accumulates.



a stop within the treeline to enjoy a drink.

more riding. more pedaling. more fishtailing. a little walking. snow piling up.



one more stop to empty the musette.



into the pines for shelter. branches give way under the weight of the snow. chill sets in. time to go but the snow is deeper. hiking ensues. plowed streets are passable but the limit of my slick tire is found. a good return to the bike.

It's Wednesday!

It's Wednesday!
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

.
deadline reached at work
snow is currently falling
and
the bike will be ridden tonight
.

twelve hours later

twelve hours later
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

a week later...

and still no riding.
saturday morning was 6 hours at work.
afternoon/evening was philly;
franklin institute and blackbird for vegan pizza.
sunday morn was random work around the house.
a ride was planned
but the bathroom sink disagreed;
a slow running drain turned into a clog
that was finally resolved 4 hours later
after tearing everything apart.
and another early arrival at work today
kept the bike parked once more.
this pattern will end soon
but i'm still impatient.

It's Friday!

It's Friday!
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

-
a cold night wrenching in the garage
-

an odd week

i haven't ridden a bike since monday
that's a long time out of the saddle for me
work and weather have altered the routine
two seperate winter storms
hours of deadline driven overtime
little motivation at the end of the day
saturday's looking like another workday
sunday is open at the moment
but an arctic blast is pushing thru
i have rollers waiting in the garage
but really don't want to use them
hopefully next week the commute can resume
cause this level of inactivety
is unbearable.

home to mt penn fire tower

home to mt penn fire tower
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

6 miles
1,000ft elevation gain
31 minutes
40x18 fixed
ouch

a rare night without kids

tim's 35th was the occasion.
good food, drink, and company.
bell's java stout was the choice
of the various beers on draft.
and evey did fine at home
with angela's mom too.
more nights out sans kids are in order.

thru the snow covered hills

thru the snow covered hills
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

Save the Date

Crush the Commonwealth 2011
5am April 29th
PGH to PHL Unsupported
I'll see you there

from the 1910 tdf

from the 1910 tdf
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

inspiration from the past
single cog on a dirt road
racing sure has changed

It's Friday!

It's Friday!
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

pedaling

a little black ice
a hearty dose of wind
some sections of drifting snow
but not bad overall
leaving at 5:30 am
minimizes traffic too.

today's topic

some commutes aren't worth the struggle.
narrow lanes
shoulders covered in plowed snow
impatient drivers.
the 45 mph two lanes are dangerous
and tough to avoid.
i've done it many times before
both by dealing with traffic
and by swinging wide out of the way
onto minimally treated hillier back roads.
neither scenario is ideal
and i guess my perceptions have changed.
1" to 2" of snow is a good time.
3"+ and it becomes a struggle.
we got around 4" overnight. 
i'd rather ride in a car today
so i'm still able to pedal tomorrow.

It's Tuesday!

It's Tuesday!
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl
bikes + snow + beer = fun.

found in the bottom of my bag

found in the bottom of my bag
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

-
i always carry a couple of spare links
just in case of an inopportune breakage.
over the years i've never had to use them
but i make sure they remain in the repair kit.
just a little surface rust to show their age
but otherwise these are waiting at the ready.
back to the depths of my bag they go.
-

a winter sunset

-
it's the right time of day to be on the bike.
-

early on a monday morning

early on a monday morning
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

-
very quiet on the roads at this hour.
-

it's snowing again

it's snowing again
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

right now play-doh
then lunch
and if conditions permit
a real snowman.

It's Friday!

I'm just glad this week is over.

It's Friday in California.

a snowy morn

a snowy morn
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

lots of seated climbing
some controlled slip & slide
skinny tires didn't fail

changes

after 500+ miles in the past month
the steamroller is pretty dialed in
back to the stock 47x19 gearing
gone is the front brake
breakaway fender tabs added out back
everything else is good to go

night riding

night riding
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

the view from my desk

the view from my desk
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

the daily commute
on the bike
is a good time to collect
your scattered thoughts.

.

.
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

i took oona back to the rescue this morning.
this wasn't as easy decision.
emotions have been running high lately.
the time and commitment she deserves,
we just couldn't provide without ruining ourselves.
it just wasn't the time to add a family member.
i'm feeling like shit but hoping the best for her.

in the pines

in the pines
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl