M Squared

As the sun sets on the south hills of Eugene, my bike commuting season comes to an end. The number of bike commuting days per post has dramatically increased over the summer. At this rate, next summers entire bike commuting season will be covered by a single post... Hmmm, that sounds about right! Here's a summary of the late summer pedaling; 09.05 This is the last day of summer for the kids. There's an open house at school tonight so I rode in with Jolyn. She's working at WCC right now. No sense in driving two cars to and from the same location. Tomorrow I'll be driving the kids to school again. My route will return to the original path and distance when I started all this. 09.15 Nice wind last night (up around 15) for the last race of the Thursday night series. We also had a little rain but I'll take rain and wind anytime over no rain and no wind… The weather was a little threatening this morning but I didn't get wet at all. [Have you noticed my Bike Commuting

No, I haven't bailed on the whole concept of bike commuting. I've just been really poor when it comes to blogging about it. Perhaps it's getting routine. Here are the highlights for the past 24 B.C. days; 06.26 HOT… It's warm for this area. It was 76 this morning. It was hot all weekend but very nice to be on the lake racing. Needed to get the tires rotated this week so took the opportunity (if you can call heat that…) to drive to Costco and ride into work from there. Just a ten minute ride. That will be nice at the end of the day when the temp. will likely be in the 90's (which is hot for this area but not really bad). 06.28 What's with the weather whiplash? I mean we almost reach triple digits over the weekend and the early part of this week… and this morning it's 55. It was a little chilly… even with two layers on top. Nice for sleeping that's for sure… The ride home should be nice (forecast calls for about 80). Thursday - sailing, Friday - WFH. 07.11

Well it was HOT over the weekend but I couldn't have asked for a better place to be than racing on the lake in the TYC Emerald Cup Regatta against 14 other Santana 20's. The wind was exactly the way we like it… heavy. On Saturday , we sailed in steady 13 knots of wind (15 mph) in the early afternoon. There were three races were we finished in second place twice and won the other race. Both second place finishes were by less that half a boat length. The race we won was epic (an over used term for something legendary and (in the extreme) life threatening). We won the start and reached the first mark with a nice lead. Unfortunately as we approached the rounding on the starboard lay line, we were blown slightly below the mark. Gordon decided we would shoot it -- meaning we'd head up... into the stiff breeze and use our momentum to carry us up and around the mark. Well this has worked before... but not in 13 knots of wind... we stalled.. parked it right at the mark... started

On the way home this evening (6.20), I decided to count commuters again. I was thinking it would be a good number for comparison. The last time I counted, school was in session and it was the morning ride. Starting out I counted 16 riders between work and campus. That seems consistent with previous experience. On (a very quite) campus there were only 11 bike commuters which is exactly half the number I counted previously. Now the rest of the trip is a bit longer (about a mile) since I've changed my Park & Ride location. In addition, I remain on the Fern Ridge Bike Path for all of that extra distance. Are you ready? I counted 39 cyclists on the final leg of the trip. I think it would have been in the mid twenties, if I had left the trail where I normally do. That still beats the 50 I counted last time but a grand total of 66 is impressive for a small count on campus. The count this morning (6.21) was 23, 2, 7 and my time was 38:40 which included a walk across the Autzen bike bri

It's been a while and there have been a few changes. First of all, I was reminded of the problem with cylinder style locks on the otherwise secure U-shaped locks. Mine is from Rhode Gear but Kryptonite is more popular and was at the center of the discovery that these expensive locks could be opened with a cheap, plastic bic pen . Kryptonite has a class action settlement site . Rhode Gear... doesn't exist any more (apparently bought by Bell ). So... should I be worried? What are the chances that someone will find that my bike is secured by an old U-Lock that can be opened with a bic pen? What are the chances that such a person will possess the requisite bic pen and knowledge to defeat the security of my otherwise formitable locking system? Well, according to an article in our local paper on Thursday, Eugene ranks sixth on the list of Top Ten Worst Cities for Bicycle Theft . Yeah! We're right there behind New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington and Boston. Hey, this is

After a flat tire on Monday , I've had several very uneventful rides… thankfully. Still no problems with the flat repair… I think it'll hold. I've been thinking about the number of bike commuters I see regularly. Brandon frequently give a count of the bikers he sees during his ride. I might have an skewed environment (now that's an interesting description of Eugene...). I mean the number of bike commuters along my route is significantly influenced by the UofO . Therefore, I think it's appropriate to break up the count into three segments: before campus, on campus and after campus. So, this morning in the first three miles before campus I saw 15 other commuters pedaling to work (or school). Then over about a mile through and near campus, I saw 22* cyclists actually riding... If I were to count the number of bikes I see locked up to bike racks, I'd still be there counting! Finally, in the last four miles of the trip I saw 13 more commuters. I think this is fairly

Only two riding days last week with the holiday at the beginning of the week and a class field trip with Trevor at the end of the week (and sailing on Thursday). This week should bring the possibility of four days on the bike. It was even more humid this morning than last Wednesday (83% vs. 72%) but a few degrees cooler (60F vs. 63F). Even though it looks to be partly cloudy all week, I'm still shopping for fenders. I was close to buying the clip-on kind but read they are only slightly better than no fenders at all. My friend Tim confirmed this and so I'm planning to get full fenders with stays and mud flaps. Should keep me and bike clean and dry (at least from the water coming off the tires). Speaking of Tim... During our bike commuting conversation, he hands me a pair of exam gloves (he's a PT at the U of O ). His philosophy is that the more you ride the less gear you find that you need. It's similar to the approach I've been taking in that I'm waiting to put

The Eugene Yacht Club hosts the Memorial Day Regatta every year the lake has water ... With a brand new dam , the regatta was back on after being cancelled the last two out of five years for lack of water. This year there was no shortage of water! The lake was full and the weather provided plenty of moisture from above. Despite the rain, twenty six Santana 20 teams came out to compete in the much anticipated Western Regionals . The Boa Boys struggled a bit early on but took advantage of three good races (all seconds) to finish the regatta in second place.

"Wet ride?" Well it started out pretty dry (relatively). It wasn't really raining (even my my standards of humidity). Then it started raining about half way but not too bad. I didn't wear my "rubber pants" and stayed dry (again relatively). No rooster tail up the back side. Trevor's fender works as expected... I gotta get me some of that. I've ridden almost 130 miles and saved about $19 (just in gas)... but I've spent a little bit more than that on bike lub., tire levers and a pump... and obviously fenders are next. Still it saves gas and mileage on the ve-hicle (the four wheeled vehicled and internal combustion engine vs. the two wheeled vehicle and internal digestion engine). DAY Date Time Distance Cumulative Distance Savings Total Savings Weather 8 5.24.2006 0:41 7.96mi 118.96mi $2.35 $18.73 EUG 7.96mi 126.92mi

It's all about fenders... Well more of the same type of light rain today. Given my experience yesterday, it was easier to decide I could ride in this stuff today. Calling it rain is a little misleading. It's OR rain which is to say it very light, small drops… or heavy humidity as I call it. It's not that it rains heavily here... it just that rain logs a lot of hours. This time I borrowed my son's rear fender and donned some waterproof shorts (kinda like short rain pants). That did the trick in preventing the rooster tail. It was actually double protection. With my Kokatat paddle jacket and added protection from the waist down, I was actually a little too warm. We'll have to see how well my water sports top crosses over to a more aerobic activity like cycling. Fortunately, it's been cooler on these wet rides. No time information these days. I'm just trying to pick my way through all the debris dumped on the trail by the rain and wind (from a storm over the

Sailing and WFH last Thursday and Friday. Back to typical OR spring weather this week. Wet! I picked up some gear over the weekend… none of it help prepare me to ride in the rain. I'm now equiped with a tire pump and levers. I had a patch kit but now I feel a bit less anxious about getting a flat. I also bought some White Lightning ... which I really like so far. My son, on the other hand, bought a rear fender... smart! And he's not riding to work... Very few other bike commuters out in this weather... a few and I guess I have to say they're the committed ones. I didn't really mind the light rain and with a little more preparation it should be now trouble at all. It was actually nice to be out and see Amazon Creek and the Willamette River with higher flow rates. The ducks seem to enjoy it. The weather also made me think of the guy I met a while back who was starting a cross country trip. I had the choice to ride today. With such a long trip ahead of him, I'm sure

This morning, I was riding for time. I was just trying to get a better idea how fast I could push it. Certainly one of the limiting factors (besides me) are all the stop signs along 15th Ave. It's part of the city bike route and typically has many bikers. However, it's a pain to stop of couple of blocks (sometimes more). At any rate, I was moving pretty well and it appear I was going to be significantly quicker than norman (by about 5min or more). I was determined not to stop for pictures or clothing adjustment (which wasn't necessary). I was into the sixth mile and see a strange site in front of me... What the... That guy (in front of me) is wearing chest waders... and oooh, they're breathable ... and he's carrying a fly rod with a fighting butt . Well, I couldn't resist. I ask him if he's heading to the McKenzie but he's says he's heading home from fishing the Willamette . Is this a great place to live or what? Turns out he caught an 8-10 lb. stee

Another warm day but if this is on the hotter end of the scale, I don't think I'll mind the summer heat. This was my first time commuting on consecutive days. It didn't kill be to get in the saddle this morning but I noticed... Meanwhile, back to my hybrid commuting solution. No, I'm not talking about riding a hybrid bike . It's my creative use of a Park & Ride location where I drop off my kids at school. I'm pretty sure this isn't exactly what LTD had in mind but I leave my vehicle there ( Willamette Christian Center ). As far as I know, I'm the only one who implements the Ride portion of this concept on two wheels... (at least from this location). So if you need to transport others part way to work, find the distance to work too much or want to avoid certain traffic areas, consider the hybrid Park (your vehicle) & Ride (your bicycle) solution. DAY Date Time Distance Cumulative Distance Savings Total Savings Weather 4 5.16.2006 79min 15.92

Things are starting to heat up. The 9AM temp is already 63 ºF and it's supposed to reach 90! [SUNNY AND UNSEASONABLY WARM WEATHER IS FORECAST FOR THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TODAY...WITH RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES EXPECTED IN MANY LOCATIONS. HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO EXCEED 90 DEGREES IN THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY AND THE INTERIOR VALLEYS OF SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON TODAY...] I feel like I'm starting to get somewhere. I know my way pretty well so that doesn't slow me down. I had to stop a bit this morning to shed a layer. Even with that zero VMG I was about a minute under my usual time. I'm not keeping real accurate time but it seems like I'm getting faster. It's intriguing how you start noticing things once you begin to take more interest. I've started noticing cyclists and their machines. There are many students biking around campus. They're not very interesting. But I did see what might have been a professor on a goofy looking chopper typ

I took a couple days off (had a noon-ish meeting and then sailing ). This morning an older guy with a trailer asked me about the Fern Ridge bike path. We were at the end of the trail where it joins 15th Ave. I said the bike route continues but on the surface streets. He was looking for High St. Since it was about a half dozen blocks east and I was curious, I rode with him. Turns out he's riding across the country. He was towing a trailing and had paniers. I also noticed a solar cell on the back of his trailer. He said it charges a gel cell which he uses for his cell phone, GPS and camera batteries. He said he started near Portland and rode out to the coast, down to Florence and then started his "coast to coast" trip. He said it was just a childhood dream he was realizing. Pretty cool. This morning was just a little warmer than last Tuesday and I had an extra layer (wind shell). So I was dressed just right. The route was a little different as I continue to experiment. Afte

This was my first day bike commuting in Eugene . I've ridden my bike to work before but that was when I worked at Purdue or when we lived just a few minutes from work. Now we live 20 miles away from where I work. Our kids go to school about 10 miles from home and I'm the morning bus service. So, this morning after dropping them off, I hopped on my bike and headed for work. The downside is I got to work later than if I had driven... but that's about it. The upside includes exercise, fresh air, scenery (Amazon Creek, ducks, geese, a green heron, other birds, Willamette Rive r) and gas/$$/environment savings . It was a little cool this morning (46 ºF) but I was dressed just about right. My hands were cold a bit but everything else was fine. I was a little cool but that's better than being a little hot. I'm gonna get a few more trips under my saddle before I start concluding what things I need to tweak for future trips. DAY Date Time Distance Cumulative Distance Savin

Yes, winter is winding down and summer seems to be on its way... I guess that's the definition of spring. Around here (at least on the "Wet Side") it starts in February and continues... more or less through May. April was a very interesting month for outdoor activities in our household. On the first, Trevor and I went downhill skiing . We took a friend of Trevor's and his brother and Dad. The four of them had taken snowboarding lessons earlier in the winter. Seemed a little strange to be skiing on April Fool's Day but the joke was definitely not on us. We had a great day. Then sailing started the following week. We're happy and thankful to have our local lake back again. The original earthen dam was build in the 40's and the drainage system was failing. (Earthen dams actually leak but it's supposed to be a controlled leak...). Somehow the Army Corp. of Engineers prioritized the repair project higher and found the money to fix it last summer. We were p

In his second foreign policy speech (in a three part series), Tony Blair addressed the Austrailian PM and Parliament. He continues to make a good case for a broader concept of globalization based on shared values. He said, "Globalisation is a fact. But the values that govern it are a choice." Driven largely by technology and capitalism, globalization's primarily impact has been on economics, communication and culture. Blair contends it must also include politics which will influence and define the "values in the common ownership of humanity, universal values that should be the right of the global citizen." He calls for the building of a global alliance for these values. As the world becomes more interconnected we don't have any other option. It's also a matter of consistently applying the values throughout the world... not selectively. Whether it's world trade, global climate or "Islamist extremism", we are all in this together. Good stuf

In the HS boys small group , we've taken a break from Blue Like Jazz and to watch and talk about 24 . Our discussion has focused on the moral dilemmas faced by individual characters. Although part of the show's appeal is the ongoing real life struggle to counter terrorism, it hasn't really come up in our discussion. I think that's (in part) because this season of 24 deals with Russian separatists rather than "Islamist extremist". At any rate, I think most of the time we think of counter terrorism as it's portrayed on 24. IOW, the prevention and reaction to terrorists (as directly as possible) by law enforcement or the military. What about the bigger picture? Aren't you forced to deal with the problem continuously by only treating the symptom? IOW, shouldn't we focus on the reasons that people become terrorists in addition to the terrorism. It seems to me that without addressing the former we're going to be fighting the latter for a long time