Halloween day ride to the lake

Today, I finally gave Hedwig new shifter cables. I bought them about 2 months ago, and just now got a chance to change them out. So to test them I took a nice ride out to the lake. It had been awhile since I had ridden that way, and had never ridden Hedwig there.

The water had gotten quite lower since last time I was out there! I knew it had been dry, but I hadn't realized it was that dry.

I never would have thought it when I first brought her home, but I'm loving this little Kettler Mixte more and more everyday. And to think I was going to part her out to fix up a Fuji! Glad Brad talked me out of it. Still need to replace the grips, and find some better tires. These are a bit harsh.

Stormy Fall day

Guard change

I've made a small change to the clip system on Hedwigs Guards. What do you think?

All this week, when riding Helena to work, I've been hearing what sounded like something hitting my spokes. It sounded like it was in the front spokes, and I kept looking and never found anything. I was beginning to think that I was just picking up the occasional leaf, or the strap from my bag in the front basket was hanging down or something. Well, today I discovered the problem.

Apparently I had lost one of the clips that holds my guards on. Today, on my way home from Job 1 I heard the usual tick, tick, tick of the invisible something in the spokes, followed suddenly by a tick, crunch, tick, tick. The bit of guard that had been loose all week finally got caught and yoinked the clip next in line right off! So, now I've got a very dirty guard. Figures that I didn't Scotchguard this set! Meh. Oh well. :)

Also, since the days are getting shorter, my rides home from the Barn in the evening are always in the dark. I was apprehensive about this at first, but since I've been riding home in the dark everyday for just over a week now I've discovered that I like it BETTER than daytime riding! There is this wonderful calm that settles in once the sun has gone down. The night animals start to come out. I've so far encountered a barn owl, deer, two raccoons and a skunk.

It's also proving interesting dressing for the ride home. Temperatures can vary greatly here, depending on altitude, if you are near water, which side of the hill you happen to be on. I'm discovering that even though it doesn't feel like I need a hat, scarf and gloves at the Barn, once I ride down the hill and get about 1/2 mile away it is quite at lot colder than where I started. There is a creek through there, and it's in a bit of a valley so that may have something to do with it.

I do like the look of a bicycle with warm woolies at the ready. :)

Fall is falling

Hedwig got a new Brooks B68s. The B72 that was on there really wasn't working out for me. It kept getting caught in my back pocket every time I would hop up onto the saddle! The B68 is very nice, doesn't get caught in pockets and sits lower than the B72 did, so now Hedwig's 20" frame feels almost like it fits! (I still can't really sit on the seat and touch a toe to the ground, but I have very small feet, so that may be an issue as well).

And it's that time of year again. Broke out the ol' wellies, which aren't too bad to ride in, so long as it's plenty cool out.

Settling In

Now that I have been at my new job for almost one month, I'm FINALLY starting the settle into the routine. Now it is also time to start settling back into the routine of getting some posts up here. So, until I have something interesting to say (like about my search for and acquisition of a new saddle for Hedwig, realizing that this new saddle could be the answer to being able to reach the pedals on a DL-1, should I ever come to own one, and transitioning from commuting to one job in business clothes to commuting to the other in barn clothes), here are some pictures from a foggy Sunday morning ride to the Barn: