A carnival of technology

I’m back on the bike.  It’s been over a year since I graduated from learning-to-walk-again school, and I went and got fat.  I cleaned and fiddled and replaced all the parts I could, and the friendly neighborhood bicycle shop helped to fix the last bit that needed fixin’, the rear cogs thatI had ground into uselessness at some point in the last few years.  They didn’t charge for labor, which I guess is fair since it only took like a minute of actual work between talking about wooden fenders and the various uses of a chain whip and other nerdy bicycle things, but it was pretty nice either way.  Maybe Suwanee isn’t half bad after all.

I’m back on the bike.  I’ve been only two days commuting now, and I already have a wish-list a mile long.  My mid-weather full-finger gloves don’t really have fingers to speak of anymore, I need a brighter headlamp to offset Gwinnett’s lack of street lights, I wore out my pedals and the stock pair I switched back to don’t work as nicely with the toe clips, I could use some shoe covers and a helmet cover for the various kinds of weather, and some long underwear would be nice for these frigid mornings.  Maybe it’s finally time to take the plunge and switch to clipless pedals and fancy clicky cleated shoes.  I broke my 120dbB golf cart pitched horn during the great repair, but I don’t think I’ll miss that.  Much like the rear view mirror that I no longer miss, the horn was probably a crutch I can do without.  Shouted swears are just as effective and so much more satisfying.

I’m back on the bike.  It’s been pretty freaking cold lately, and I no longer have the advantage of a drafty apartment to help me guess outside temperature based on inside discomfort.  I’m getting there; I don’t have to worry about staying warm at bus stops anymore, and as I’m figuring out how warmly I need to dress I’m able to shed some of the weight of the various spare clothings I’ve been packing.  That ridiculous looking high-vis yellow jacket I bought a while back turns out to be pretty effective in the cold as long as I’m moving, even though it doesn’t have any lining.  It’s basically as effective as that mangled blue thing I used to wear all the time, except it can breathe a little so I don’t drown in my own sweat.  If I just get something for below the waist I’d be riding pretty comfortably.

I’m back on the bike.  It’s only been two days commuting so far, and I feel fantastic.