Monday, May 18, 2009

Dogs

My last post, just before my ride home on May 8, led to a dog bite. It was not the way I wanted to end that day. It was a perfect ride, a little on the cool side when I started, but I soon warmed up. I had just crossed the last major street of my ride and was relaxing when suddenly old Sport ran at me and took a hunk of flesh out of my right leg. We spent the evening at the Insta Care, where, fortunately, I didn't need stitches.

Now I'm sitting here at the end of the day looking at my trusty steed ready to take me home, but today it's near 90. Unseasonably hot for May. Hopefully I will neither faint from the heat nor be attacked by a dog again.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Bike Commuting

I'm sitting in my office at the end of Friday, looking at my bike. It's a beautiful day, mid-60s, sun shining, and I rode to work. Unlike last Friday, I won't need a pickup to get home because it's raining. This is perfect biking weather; too bad it won't last and in two months I'll be facing a 30 minute commute in 90 degree temps.

Last Saturday I attended the first ever Salt Lake City Bike Summit. A bike summit is a sort of convention for bikers. Not racers or even touring bikers, but those who promote cycling as a way of life. It was interesting to hear all the work going on behind the scenes to make cycling a legitimate form of transportation. In other countries, biking is "what we do". That was the theme repeated by several of the speakers who had interviewed cyclists in Europe, Asia and other countries where biking is the norm, not a fringe element. One day maybe the U.S. will be there, too.