Ass pain & commuting

I may have mentioned that the building where I now work, at Knorr Brake Corporation is only 7.5 miles from my house. As such, I could not wait to begin riding my bike to work. Riding to work always guarantees a great day. I always feel fantastic after spending a half hour or so, on the bike in the morning. I commuted to work in NYC a bunch of times which was really exciting; blasting up Broadway through the Bronx and into Yonkers. And years ago, from 2003 to 2007, when I lived in downtown Baltimore, I carried out my longest streak of bike commuting ever; four years. I was a machine. I was regularly racing crits and I rode my fixed gear to work in rain and snow; my body was über race-hardened. Very unlike my body today which is … über slug softened.

This week, my first week at the new job has been awesome. Though I do not have my own office yet (I’m waiting for the guy who I’m replacing to retire in June) my temporary cubicle is pretty sweet. The people I work with are awesome and professional. And I could not wait to top all that awesomeness off with the added bonus of riding to work. So, last night I prepped the fixie. Nostalgically, I prepared my bike the night before. I dug out my lights and mounted them to the bars and seat tube. I slapped my fender on; lubed the chain and aired the tires to 90 psi. I blew the dust off my messenger bag and pulled my U-lock from its shelf. After I ironed a set of clothes and packed them neatly in my messenger bag I settled into bed with visions of a chilly but fun ride to work; just like the good ol’ days of my hipster, in-shape youth.

In the morning I squeezed into my winter riding gear.  Over the years, my chamois have managed to shrink somehow, but I fought myself into them, like pork into a sausage casing.  I wrapped my feet in tinfoil, for an extra layer of wind protection & reflective heat on my piggies.  One day, I'll have to break down and buy a pair of booties.  As I pedaled out of the porch-lit driveway and into the dark and arctic 14°F morning, my ass and rock-hard saddle, "Rocky", were painfully reunited. “Mamma mia!” I sucked it up and pushed my 48 X 17T combo up the first hill where the road then leveled off gradually, and pleasantly descended through the darkness. Though my ass bones got sore quickly, I got used to it and I settled into a comfy rhythm. Under my face mask, a smile stretched across my already snotty, snorting face as I enjoyed my silent propulsion though the chilly dawn. The fixie is dead silent; no creaks; no chain noise at all. Total silence.

At about mile 4, reality struck; holy crap I’m out of shape. I wondered if any of the passers-by had a set of charged defibrillator paddles in their car. What I thought would be a 25 minute commute began its stretch into a 45 minute pain game. I had hoped to get to work well before my 7:00 start time so that I could hit the locker room, and shower before anyone got there. The goal here was limiting the amount of time I had to be naked in that locker room. The hills and my single fixed gear were working hard against me. They mocked me; laughed at me; became so vane in their very topography. Not only the climbs, which I attacked with all the speed of a slug on a salt lick, but also the descents. I flew down a long steep stretch of Route 27 with a death grip on the bars and flames shooting out of my quads. I thought my legs were going to jettison from my hip sockets and flail off into the bushes along the roadside. My tachometer was redlined as I tried to keep my RPMs down to a leg-sustaining cadence. Oh, how I wished for the freewheeling beauty of my road bike. To coast would have been divine. When I reached the bottom of the hill I was so exhausted, that I was already dreading the imminent Bataan Death Ride that would be my commute home. What have I gotten myself into?

Work ensued.  My ass bones taunted me all day.  BUTT, it was a great day, and I felt like a warrior for toughing it out on such a chilly morning.

The ride home, surprisingly; nay miraculously, was not as painful as I had imagined. Yes, I climbed the long hill on Route 27 at a walking pace, but I refused to quit. I have walked hills when mountain biking. This I will admit. But, I have never walked a bike on pavement. I couldn't let that happen. I just couldn't let myself be that guy on the side of the road, walking his perfectly functional bike home. I just put my head down and slowly pushed myself home. And, I made it! By golly, I made it! 

The road to fitness is a long one, I think I’ll take my road bike.

Not so fixed gear

Friday at last and I feel great after another week or riding to work. I have an ideal seven mile commute. Not too short, not too long: juuuust riiiight. (that's what she said?)

With the onset of cooler temperatures I am really excited for fall to come. I enjoy commuting during the fall and winter much more than during the summer. I like the warrior aspect of it. I'm out there in the elements, completely comfortable, pedaling around the city.

I did have a mechanical issue this week. The lockring came loose on my fixed gear causing the gear (16T cog) to become not so fixed. It was a quick five minute fix to remove the wheel and honk down on the lockring, but it definitely scared the sh!t out of me. Aside from that I haven't had a mechanical issue in almost a year. Sweet. I must say, this is the first time I have used the Pedro's multi-tool for anything other than removing my wheels to fix flats. Worked great.

Fabric Horse U-Lock Holster

I've been carrying my current U-lock for nine years now, and in those nine years it's home, while in transit, has been my back pocket. That's where it lives. Location is everything: From my back right pocket its easy to pull out when I need to shake it in a threatening manner or retrieve it to lock up my ride. My lock is my friend; my protector. I've depended on it for many years now and it's never let me down. When I stumble out of the bodega with my Red Bull, hoagie, Bike magazine and canned ham, I'm always relieved to see my bike safe and secure. Thank you my little steel friend.

While my lock does fit nicely in the back pocket of my shorts, pants and shants, last month I discovered a new product from Fabric Horse which piqued my interest: The U-lock Holster. My initial reaction to the holster was one of disinterest and snobbery. With a head-shake, a single "tsssssssss" escaped my lips. What's wrong with the back pocket? I grumbled.

Flash forward a month. It's August 29th and I'm standing at the counter at Mod Squad Cycles in Harlem. I'm wrestling a new mustache bar into my messenger bag and joking with one of the shop workers about shanking unsuspecting pedestrians on the way home with this oddly shaped piece of aluminum protruding from my bag. I'm about to leave when I spot a pile of these holsters on the counter marked: $9.99. So I buy one. What the hell I say. Living in a city of hipsters ensures a respectable resale value if I don't end up using this thing. Thank you Craigslist.

Now flash backward one day. It's August 30th, 6:15am. I'm rubbing a crusty eye-booger from my face while slipping my belt through the loops in my shorts. It is then that I spot the holster draped over the back of a chair. Oh yeah, time to use that ten dollar piece of seat-belt. Positioning the holster in the back, just right of center, I drop my lock in. As my elevator takes me to the ground floor I'm going over things I wasn't supposed to forget: dress shoes, dress shirt, khakis, a couple of slices of pizza from the fridge... then the door opens and I roll down the hall and out on to the street.

As soon as I throw a leg over my bike I realized, perhaps the single most important benefit of the holster, which is: ass pressure reduction. When you shove a U-lock in your back pocket it really presses against your ass. That pressure is now gone because the lock, no longer fights the curvature of your badonkadonk. It simply hangs straight down "off the back" (a position I am quite used to from my road racing daze). So, to the two Phillies at Fabric Horse; thank you, I dig it, nicely done!

Super Commuter Man

This morning's ride in to work was fantastic. I left phattire headquarters at 6:25am and stepped out in to a cool 60° morning. Not a cloud in the sky; a bit of dew on the grass. I zipped off on the fixed gear taking Broadway north out of Manhattan, through the Bronx and into Yonkers. I'm really loving the new mustache bars. I was totally flying up Broadway this morning. I stopped for a quick moment to snap a couple of photos of the morning fog rising off of Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx (pictured above & below). 7 miles later I rolled through the gate at Kawasaki. At work, while I was passing my U-lock through my frame, a production worker approached my bike and I asking "Fixed gear?" which led to a quick conversation about messaging. Turns out, this guy used to be a messenger here in NYC. We talked for a quick moment before I went inside to find a conference room to change in. Now changed out of my commuting clothes, I am no longer Super Commuter Man but instead; a mild mannered QA Engineer.

Today's Yehuda Moon

I rode to work this morning. I can relate to this Yehuda Moon comic. Though I don't usually fight traffic on the ride in to work; the ride home is a different story.

Ebb & flow after work

Today was the first really warm day of Spring. Temps stretched up into the 70's and all day long I anticipated grabbing my bike and spinning the cranks for a while. As soon as I got home I did exactly that. I tossed my camera in my bag and took off for a little adventure ride. I crossed the George Washington Bridge into NJ, turned around and came back to NY. I love riding across this bridge. I always stop half way and look south over the Hudson River. Seeing Manhattan quiet and still from my vantage point far away and high upon the swaying bridge, fools me into thinking that the city is a solid, unmoving mass. In reality it's as fluid as the rest of this world. Cars and trucks pulse past me in both directions, in and out of NY, like blood pumping through the veins of the city. Each vehicle carrying life, experience, emotion... cause and effect. Myself; carrying the same.

Coming back across the bridge into NY I turned south to grab some groceries at Fairway Market in Harlem. The golden sun was setting over NJ and a warm breeze swept across my bare legs as I locked my bike. Before going into the market I sat on a bench overlooking the Hudson River and soaked up the scene. Kids played on a welded sculpture of a fishing rod's tip. Commuters biked north and south along the Manhattan Greenway. A mother sitting next to me, peeled grapes and fed them to her 1 year old she held on her lap.

Above: Children playing outside of Fairway Market in Harlem.

Above: The Jersey Shore silhouetted against the evening sky.

Above: A pair of sneakers hung in the sunlight next to a park off Broadway in West Harlem.

Above: The George Washington Bridge and myself.

Shants...

While sewing a button back onto my trench coat this afternoon, I was reminded of my shant design I thought up years ago. Using needle & thread reminded me of how difficult they might have been to make. They were the ultimate urban riding shant (a cross between shorts and pants but not capris or "manpris"). They boast such handy features as heavy stitching, D rings, Velcro cinching and the ever-important leather crotch piece! Laughing at my sketch from 2007 I got a kick out of my "for long life" notation. Would there be a long life guarantee? Life of the pants? Life of the crotch? Life of the wearer's crotch? I'll have to work on the fine print...

Let's wrap this up

Life has been crazy lately. My wife's Grandpa underwent triple bypass surgery this past Tuesday. Internal bleeding had the doctors operating on his chest two additional times. Remarkably, Harold is doing wonderfully well now. We have been spending all of our time at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital on 168th Street, keeping him company. He's going to be OK. He's in fantastic shape for a 90 year old.

All of the hospital visits and a handful of other unpleasantness I've recently been dealing with, have drained me of my holiday cheer this year. I'm ready for the holidays to be over already. I've been a bit scatter brained about buying gifts for people and I forgot to buy wrapping paper. So I found myself making a late night run to find some Xmas wrapping paper. I took my Bianchi and rode down Broadway on an Xmas even quest. Luckily, I found a couple of rolls at a bodega. After leaving the bodega I popped into the hospital to say goodnight to Harold and then rode back home.

Now I find myself sitting on the couch staring at the Xmas tree which is pretty much bone dry and dead, despite religiously watering the sad thing. Still, it's better than a fake tree. It smells fantastic. There are no decorations on the tree this year; maybe next year. Just some colored lights. You should see the lobby of my building though; wow. The Super really went all out. It's like walking through Candy Land or something. Anyway, let's just get this Xmas wrapped up. I'm off next week and hopefully I'll be putting in some miles in the woods on frozen earth. We shall see.

Busy Sunday

Yesterday was a good day. Got a lot done. I'll sum it up like this: Up at 8:00am, worked on the Cannondale 1X9 installing a new chain guide, rode down to Fairway Market (scored a 2lb bag of Scandinavian blend coffee, some cheeses and two loafs of killer bread), took some snapshots in Harlem, met a friend for brunch at the Popover Cafe at 86th & Amsterdam, rode through Central Park and hung out for a while, hit up The Met and saw the current photo exhibits, stopped by Mod Squad Cycles and picked up new head & tail lights by Knog, helped cook one of our two turkeys for thanksgiving, ate two giant ham sandwiches for dinner, watched 3 episodes of Madmen (I'm on Season 3) passed out at 9:30pm.

Riding with turkeys

For the last three years, Kawasaki Rail Car has handed out turkeys to its employees. They're big birds; tasty albeit chock full o' steroids and hormones. Seeing as how we'll have close to 15 people in the apartment for thanksgiving, I took an extra turkey that a coworker offered me. Having ridden in to work today, it was all I could do to fit the two 20 lb frozen turkeys in my bag. I was actually worried about my wheelset giving out. I run a pair of Mavic Cosmos on my road bike and was especially watchful for pot holes and other debris. I weigh 200 lbs; 240 lbs when I ride with turkeys. Luckily I was stopping by my father in-laws place to fix a computer problem for him. He took one of the birds off my hands which felt great. On the way home I stopped on the Broadway Bridge and snapped the shot you see here. It's been a hell of a week. I'm ready for the weekend.

Pharcyde commute

When I got home, last night, around 11:30pm I wasn't very tired. I was stoked from having such a great exploratory ride home from midtown. I stayed up playing around in Light Room, processing some images I took during the ride home. Afterward, I roamed the web for a bit and before I knew it, it was 1:00am. Crap! I closed the lap top and hit the sack, doubtful that I'd be able to follow through on my intentions to ride to work in the morning. A nanosecond later, my alarm was blaring and it was 5:30am. I hit the shower, packed my bag and grabbed the bike I had stepped off of only 6 hours ago. When I stepped outside I could tell that it was going to be a great day. I selected a Pharcyde album to listen to and set off through the park, down winding leave covered paths with old hip hop in my ears. The paths dropped me out on Broadway which I took north out of Manhattan, through the Bronx and into Yonkers. I got to work on time and chuckling at the lyrics in Pharcyde's "Ya Mama". My commute to work is a fun 7 mile ride that took me 28 minutes this morning. Click the iPhone screen shot if you want to see the Google Maps route and other info.

Carrying the hiss

So much did I enjoy myself yesterday, that I decided to ride to work again today. Stepping out into the brisk, moist air, it was noticeably darker than yesterday morning. Though I stood on the same patch of sidewalk, in front of my building, looking east, exactly 24 hours ago, I was not greeted by the same awe-inspiring, golden sunrise. Instead, I stood immersed in a foggy, dismally, dank scene, barely able to make out the desaturated cityscape. The brick buildings; devoid of any contrast against the sky with their tops disappearing into heavy grey clouds. Muted streetlights, nearing the end of their shift, gave off a hazy, tired glow. While standing there, I felt the fine mist that hung in the air on my face and exposed calves and made my first decision of the day, not to go back inside for my fender. The streets were wet from the fierce storm that rumbled through in the night and were littered with small limbs and fresh, green leaves. The rich color in the leaves punched through the monochromatic, dream-like ambiance. Pedaling smoothly through the darkness, my tires made a hissing sound on the greasy wet pavement and left a momentary line on the road that would fade over time. The fading line; the only evidence that I had traveled the route. I hissed along through Fort Tryon, down to Broadway and found more people beginning their days. Carrying my hiss north, I crossed the Broadway Bridge into the Bronx, unable to see the canal below through the metal grid work. Peering down at the canal is one of the comfortable familiarities I look forward to when I ride to work. Today I would have to go without. Seven miles later I arrived at work, a bit damp, but energized from the ritual and anticipating an equally satisfying ride home in the evening.

Above: Arriving at the office, getting ready for a day of work.

Check out Guitar George... he knows all the chords.

I rolled out of bed late this morning at 5:50 and almost bailed on my plan to ride to work. However, a speedy shower and quick hustle around the dimly lit apartment bought me some time. I tossed the bare essentials (work polo, deodorant & shoes) in my bag, and threw a leg over my road bike at 6:22. In front of my building, with the golden-orange glow of sunrise lining the cityscape to the east, I selected Dire Straits for this morning's commute. The weather was ideally brisk and I settled into a comfortable rhythm as I rolled north through the Bronx. By the time I reached work I was on track five, Private Investigations, of their "Best of" album. Although, when I stopped in Fort Tryon to take the picture below I did restart Sultans of Swing. How could I not? My road bike works remarkably well, despite having a completely worn out drive train. Albeit shark-toothed, the teeth on my chainrings and cassette mesh wonderfully with my stretched chain and amount to a perfectly harmonized trio of buttery smooth shifting excellence. I used the Runmeter iPhone app to clock my time and mileage, click the screenshot at right to take a look-see.

Evening commute

The ride home from work tonight was pretty uneventful. I had planned on exploring a bit, but decided it would be best if I just got home so I could grab groceries and let the mut out for some relief. I did, however, chase down and blow away a couple of guys on motorized bikes. (It's the little victories that sometimes make life so great right?) They were loud and smelly, but it looked like they were having fun on them. I stopped soon afterwords to take a snapshot of the elevated tracks I enjoy riding under so much.

Before stopping home I swung in the grocery store and picked up a bunch of random items: bung wad, gherkins, jalapenos, BBQ riblets, fake chicken patties and some Stoufer's french bread pizzas. Staring at those pizzas through the foggy freezer door made me realize how much I miss meat. I used to love those "deluxe" pizzas with the little sausage & pepperoni chunks... Now the thought of it nearly turns my stomach. (Public Service Announcement: Don't read Eating Animals, if you want to continue eating that kind of garbage).

When I was unlocking my bike outside of the store I saw an old hunch-backed woman hobbling by with all the speed of a slug on a salt-lick. I never want to get old.

7.5 miles of morning bliss

Last night I went to bed entirely too late because I stayed up watching a good movie; Eastern Promises. So, I was pretty tired when I woke this morning. Tired and cold. I like to let the air conditioning crank all night and when I awoke, I was spooning Doris for all she was worth (She's a veritable hot water bottle). Nevertheless, I rose, showered, stuffed my clothes in my old messenger bag and walked my bike out the door at 6:00am. I threw a leg over my road bike and headed north towards Fort Tryon Park.

Being sneaky I poached the paths through the woods in Fort Tryon Park. I felt a bit guilty rolling over the stenciled "No bikes on pathway" warnings, but those feelings left once I had switched into cyclocross mode and was blasting through the woods. Too bad the paths are so short; I could have used more than the 30 second stoke I got out of that frowned-upon maneuver.

Popping out onto Broadway, I turned north and churned the cranks up through Inwood, across the Broadway Bridge, and into the Bronx. I really love riding under the 1 Train as it rumbles so loudly on the elevated tracks overhead. I rode under the train until it reached the end of its line at 242nd street where I shot out from under it and kept spinning up past Van Courtlandt Park.

The only real hill in my 7.5 mile commute greeted me just out side of Yonkers. I got out of the saddle and rocked the bars side to side to help reel in the climb. After a few minutes I plateaued in lovely (not really) Yonkers. Passing a White Castle, numerous bodegas, gas stations, auto shops and Latin restaurants, I coasted down to the Hudson River and stopped. Looking north and south through the morning fog, I could barely make out the Tapanzee and George Washington Bridges. It was 6:35am. I was early and had plenty of time to change into work clothes and grab some java.

I have to say, I'm glad it didn't rain on me. Although its really coming down right now. I forgot to bring my fender, so It looks like I may be getting the dreaded "wet ass" on the way home tonight...

Kindling for commuting

Tomorrow morning I'll be riding in to work. Forecast is calling for thunderstorms (oh my!). My commuting fire has officially been rekindled by a blog I've recently been following. I'm not going to let a few drops smolder these embers. Although it's not much of a commute from upper Manhattan, through the Bronx and into Yonkers, it's always awesome getting a ride in before work starts. I'm counting on those endorphins to propel me through the morning and, at least, get me to lunch. I'll be taking it easy, as I'm still hacking up a lung as residual crappiness from my cold refuses to leave me. I'll see if I can get some snapshots with the iPhone and squeeze out a lunch time post.

I put a brand new pair of Eggbeaters on my road bike tonight (Gosh they're purdy!) and as usual the bike is dialed in. I so love Crank Brothers. I've owned so many pair of their Candy and Eggbeaters over the last few years. I run them on both mountainbikes, the roadie and my fixed. The design is simple, performance is great and on top of that, they're incredibly easy to rebuild.

More riding.

I can't get enough of my new mountain bike. After putting it (and myself) through some serious abuse at Highbridge Park yesterday, I decided to ride it to work today.

I set out at 6:25 this morning which is the time I usually leave my house to catch the bus to the train to Yonkers. I arrived at work a couple of minutes before 7:00; my usual arrival time.

The ride was fantastic. The weather was beautiful; perfect for a commute from upper Manhattan through the Bronx and into Yonkers. I rode at a leisurely pace and enjoyed the sites, sounds and smells of NYC in the morning. Traveling north on Broadway, I crossed the Harlem Canal watching and listening to my knobby tires hum atop the metal grates. Below I watched the canal flowing by while bright morning sunlight pelted me on my entrance to Marble Hill. Continuing up Broadway I rode under the 1 Train. The loud rumble of train cars above me gave cause for some serious introspection about where I am in life and what I'm doing. I love my job, I love my wife, family & friends and I love being able to ride as much as I do. Life is good my friends.

Rediculously cold.

And yet I feel the need to dilly-dally on the ride home from work...

Sometimes I choose to bypass the hood' on Wilkens Avenue and take the Gwyns Falls Trail for a mile or so. When I do this, I always have to stop, ditch the bike (locked of course) and venture down the bank of what I think is THE most littered waterway this side o' Camden Yards. It's always great for odd findings: wheel chairs, street signs, crack viles (oh wait, I said odd findings - scratch the crack viles!), hair brushes, flip-flops etc.

Tonight's odd find was this little basketball player guy. (above) Number 11 for... ... the yellow team, he appears to be a power forward who's face is locked in a look of tenacious court dominance. He was happy to pose here and there; not a bit camera shy. And since I'm not comfortable taking photos of REAL people, we got along splendidly.

Again, #11 putting on a powerful display of riverside penetration. Evading swatting cigarette butts, broken glass and pebbles as he drives the lane.

- Mike.

Holy frozen eye balls!

No, seriously. It was 11° when I left phattire headquarters this morning. But, the only things truely cold this morning, on the ride in, were my eye balls. I think I'm going to start wearing some eye protection just to keep the ice off of my pupils. Bloody hell!

- Mike

Rainy daze.

Well, I can't complain. It hasn't rained in Baltimore for the last 2 or 3 weeks. I didn't mind getting soaked on the way home from work. I wish it weren't going to rain the entire weekend though; I really wanted to hit Patapsco State Park on the cyclocross bike.

- Mike