KC Bike Week 2009 - Day 4

Damn those South winds. Nothing like fighting winds first thing in the a.m. This morning commute was hard going, but at least the legs felt better than yesterday. Maybe it was the Breakfast Cookie that Carolynn bought for me. I downed it while I was taking out the garbage and recycling this morning. My little morning chores caused me to fall behind my schedule and I ended up not leaving my house until 0530. What a difference 30 minutes can make in the amount of traffic. With being behind in time, I had to use HOA (which could have a protected bicycle facility by 2012?). This sucked big time, especially crossing the bridge around 0615. At least they changed the grates a couple of years ago and you can now ride over them and stay close to the retaining wall. I can remember with the old grates your tires would fall right through them and you had to ride out in the lane to go around them. Or try to bunny hop them if you had the speed. Morning commute was only 19 miles. My normal route that I take on safe roads is 25 to 29 miles (depending on the lights I hit and traffic flow) and uses the Choutea bridge to cross the Missouri river. A longer route, but much safer. The added 35 to 45 minutes is worth it to me. I thinking I need to get me one of those Fibre Flares to make myself more visible.

Just as I was leaving work to head home it started to rain. Funny thing, my legs felt great on the ride home. For some reason I always feel great riding/racing in the rain. Must be all those times I rode in the rain down in Florida. The rain always brings back some good memories for me.

I did a little testing today and ate the same snack prior to today's ride that I ate yesterday (when I felt like crap). Fig newtons, 2 FSR cubes and a cup of hot tea. Today I felt fine with no problems. I kind of thought something was all jacked up with my sugar level, but now I am unsure.

Some pictures from the ride home. Always nice to hit the gravel via the levee system along the might MO.


Don't forge tomorrow The Wheel Cyclery and Starbucks are serving up some goodies. There will be coffee, as well as, pastries. We will also hand out stickers that allow participants to go to Starbucks up until 10p on Wed. and receive a FREE ICE TEA. The Wheel is one block North of Vivion and Antioch - located directly across from the Metro park-and-ride lot that is next to Walgreens.