1/27/98
The weather is much the same - rainy and windy, but not too rainy or windy. It rained kind of hard at night, but not so badly during the day
I've finished outfitting the Bianchi with used parts, and transferred the fenders from the French beater bike on to it. Now I have a fast commute/rain bike. I rode this bike this last weekend for the training rides.
I've also finally gotten the bike locker. I asked to be put on the waiting list about a year ago, and I've finally gotten one. It's right downstairs from the building I work at. Now, if I have to leave the bike for any length of time, I'm not worried. Not only is this locker hard to get into, you can't look into it. If a thief can't see it, they can't steal it. I've seen too many stripped bikes on lockers to trust locking it to a rack for any length of time.
My last Saturday's ride wasn't so great. Only about 20 miles or so. I was feeling alright, but I seemed to have a mild stomach flu, so couldn't go very far between restroom breaks. I did go up a fairly long hill for practice, though.
Sunday's ride was better. It was supposed to rain, but never did. It was just a bit wet from the water already on the ground. At the beginning, Don Perry, Don Wells, Matt Haldeman, Michael Gordon, and a bunch of women I did not recognize. Actually, one was Mariah, who last year raced for the Recycled Cycles team. All the women went off on their own ride before we did, however. I was kind of surprised that Don Wells was there. I guess I shouldn't be, since he has been coming to the Sunday rides much more often than last year.
We went south from the university to Seward Park, then to Renton. Near Renton, Matt and Don W. turned around and went home. Don P., Mike and I finished the ride, swinging up north, through Mercer Island, and accross the I-90 freeway bridge. We went pretty fast through Mercer Island. Don seemed much, much stronger than Mike or I. I think I may have been a little weak from whatever was making me sick the day before, and I think I needed a bigger breakfast. Mike wasn't as strong as Don, but seemed okay. He said later that he felt totally dead at times, but after he hung on for a while, he'd get strong again. I felt kind of the same way, until we crossed the I-90 bridge. I totally ran out of steam.
We made it back to the university, and I found Lan at school. We went to Cheng Du, our current favorite restaurant. It's all-you-can-eat Chinese food. It's really good. As a matter of face, we are going there tonite for dinner. They are supposed to have a special menu for Chinese New Years.
I'm taking off to LA tomorrow, driving. I'm going to take my shoes and pedals and try to get some rides in down in LA on my cousin Eric's bike again.
I think starting next time I write an entry, I'll mention my year-to-date bike mileage.