I’ve ridden the Day-Tripper to work three days this week. That made the most mileage in a week (95 miles) for my entire 2010…Oh, how different this year is to last…

I had a job interview in June…Still with Camp Lejeune’s IPAC, but a much better position. I missed out, though, and they selected someone else. Here’s to hoping for more opportunities.

I’m trying the WordPress for iOS app again. I’ve become frustrated with it’s lack of advanced functions, inability to save changes in posts and a strange new quirk: It’s refused to stay in a particular folder on the Home screen and jumps to a new page all by itself. It’s got a week…Then I’ll be done with it forever.

Other than this few hiccups, my life is pretty good. Hope the same can be said for you!

Many Americans mock those of us that use bicycles as primary forms of transportation instead of the more common automobile. It’s a shame, because I believe that bicycles can be the future of a more prosperous America.

But while bicycles can save America in the future…They can save Africa NOW. Go check out the Bicycle Portraits site and if you have some spare cash, consider donating or buying the book.

More recently, I’ve gotten a set of Shimano M324 pedals. These babies have a platform on one side and clipless on the other. Flexibility is the purpose. Local cycling club (the Down East Cyclists ) president and local bicycle shop (The Bicycle Shop) guru, Steve, hooked me up with them after upgrading to Shimano A530 pedals. I’ve also got a pair of Shimano mountain biking shoes (last year’s model at discount) to go with the pedals.

I got a new bike computer, too. I love the Planet Bike Protege 9…It does almost everything I want. The only gap in function is that it’s not stem-mountable. On drop-bars, with already limited real estate, having to make space for the computer was frustrating me. And after 4,000 miles and several drops and scratches, it’s safe to invest in a newer model that does all the Protege does and more…Much much more. The Trek Node 2 was my computer of choice. It runs off the ANT+ wireless protocol, so it’s expandable as far as sensors go. Speed, cadence and heart sensors are available (Node 2 comes with a heart strap) from Bontrager and other manufacturers offer universal power meters. Of course, it’s so complicated it needs two instruction manuals…

I’m excited about the new utility Day-Tripper has…More data and more power from the pedals. Now I just have to start providing power to the pedals.

So there’s been a lot of driving. And I’ve been in several nearly-accidents. Just today I was almost hit twice by the same car!

And the traffic…I’ve spent uncountable hours behind the wheel trapped in traffic to or from my office on Camp Lejeune. Traffic was so bad last Friday, I literally drove through a community on the opposite side of the base, across the county to a highway that doesn’t get near the main exit and got to AM’s office before some co-workers were off base.

And we’ll not even discuss the return of bad habits or weight gain.

But I can definitely tell that the driving instead of riding has had emotional impacts. I’m generally in much grumpier moods, at work and at home. I’m more prone to shouting (especially in the car). And drive-throughs are much more tempting from a bucket seat than a bicycle saddle.

I’ve been in Commuter Hell since October and it’s time for a return to the bicycle…And sunshine…And happier days.

Tomorrow is National Bike to Work Day I’ll be bicycling the drive.

I recommend and ask that anyone interested in expanding Jacksonville’s trails and greenways and making our community more accessible to bicycle and pedestrian traffic attend the Commission’s meetings and speak up.

The proposed agenda is below.

I.​ CALL TO ORDER – Introduction

II. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES – Approval of February’s meeting minutes and review and approval of March’s and April’s meeting notes (there was no quorum for March’s and April’s meeting).

III. PRESENTATIONS – None

IV. OLD BUSINESS –
• Prioritized List of Proposed Trails
• Update to the Hwy 24/Lejeune Trail
• Water Line Project Highway 17
​
V. NEW BUSINESS –
• Expiring Terms
• Elections for 2010-2011 Chair & Vice-Chair

VI. REPORTS

VII. ADJOURNMENT

Soon, I’ll be riding the bicycle to work. I’m excited about it, too.

More, soon.

The goal here isn’t to mimic a road bike or gain speed or anything like that. The goal is to provide more hand positions for longer rides. And with drop bars, I’ll have about 5 different positions to choose from. The drops will also create a lower position on those entirely-too-windy days.

I was hoping for decent weather this weekend to give her a good test ride, but there was icy rain all day yesterday and it seems like the high today will be in the low-to-mid 30s. Monday should have highs in the 40s and the rest of the week should be in the 50s, so maybe I’ll get a commute in.

It’s been a while since I’ve commuted, so I’ll need to get a few longish (the Rails-to-Trails path should be long enough) to get comfortable with the new bars and controls. And I may need to adjust the seat a little because of the new riding position. All of that will work out after the rides.

I’ll try to get some better photos, too.

It’s a new year. And that means new goals. Many of my goals are the same as last year…Goals that I’ve failed at achieving. But, we never let failure stop us from trying to succeed. We’d really never get anything done if we did!

There’s a number of things I want to do this year.

Writing: I want to start writing more and better. 2009 saw me get hired on as one of the parent-bloggers for Onslow Memorial Hospital’s Mom-Talk blogging network. I’m hoping that will continue through 2010 and flourish into some new opportunities. New opportunities that include include publishing in magazines and other websites. I want to start and keep a journal. My goal is to write one non-blogging piece a month for submission to magazines. I’m focusing on publications that look for creative non-fiction like The Sun Magazine. If you know a similar magazine that’s looking for something new, please let me know.

Reading: I want to actually finish a book this year. I’ve read horribly little the last few years. I want to read some creative non-fiction to help build the writer I want to be…But I also want to read good fiction. My goal is to read one book a month. Starting this month with Jack Kerouac’s Town and Country. I’ve been reading off and on (mostly off…) for months. I’m looking for recommendations, so if you’ve got them, send them my way.

Photography: I want to start taking photos…Again. To that end: I’ll be taking a self-portrait a day. Today it’s with the iPhone (at left). Future self-portraits may be well-planned shots, others on-the-go. The idea is to get back into the habit of taking pictures. I also want to start using my Nikon D40 more. I want to take more photo-walks and maybe even take the camera along on some bicycle rides and commutes. My goal: Post weekly to the Photography blog. Post daily self-portraits there, here and on Twitter and Facebook.

Bicycling: I have been extremely lazy when it comes to bicycling since October. I want to get back into using the bicycle as my primary form of transportation. I also want to get back into blogging more about bicycling and working harder to advocate for the bicycle as a viable form of transportation in Jacksonville, NC. My goal:  250 miles ridden a month by bicycle.

Fitness/Weight-loss: I have completely failed at all previous attempts to get into better shape. This year, I hope to make real and lasting lifestyle changes to get back to a reasonable weight. My goal is to lose 25 pounds by May 2010. I can achieve this by making better food choices, exercising and bicycle commuting more. Tools like the Lose It, 100 Push Ups, 200 Sit-Ups and 200 Squat iPhone apps will help me. As will getting to the gym and not being a slave to sodas.

Activism and Issue Advocacy: I’ve been remiss in advocating for the issues that are important to me for some time. In 2010, I want to take a more active role in the world around me. That means making more time to research issues and contact the elected leaders that can influence them. More letters to the editor, more letters to elected leaders (local, state and national) and more work pushing the ideas and ideals that I believe. It also means a more active role in the City of Jacksonville Recreation and Parks and Trails and Greenways Commissions.

So. Those are some of my goals this year. What are yours?

So, as I’ve been driving to my office aboard Camp Lejeune, I’ve spent plenty of time in stop-and-go traffic. This has afforded me to observe bicyclists’ behavior from the car. Coincidentally, I was listening to this NPR story about road rage against bicyclists in California when I witnessed the most egregious act I’ve seen committed on a bicycle. Can you pick it from the list below? (I’ll put the answer after a jump below).

I’ve seen the following violations of good bicycling behavior (not to mention common sense)  in the last week:

• Bike-Salmon – Riding against the flow of traffic. Bicycles are vehicles, for all intents and purposes. That means we should be riding on the right side of the road, with the flow of traffic. Usually it’s a day-worker or some other fellow without lights, which makes it even worse.
• Splitting traffic – Witnessed last week. A rather dapper looking fellow in full racing kit on a very nice looking powder blue bicycle with silver fenders traveled almost the entire length of Brewster Blvd on Camp Lejeune between two lanes of stopped car traffic.
• Running traffic lights/signs – Same guy that was splitting traffic. He’s a repeat offender, too. I’ve seen him cruise through traffic lights at the intersection of Gum Branch / Bell Fork and Hwy 17/Marine Blvd. I’ve also seen him run the stop sign at the crosswalk on Brewster Blvd to leave Camp Lejeune just to weave through two lanes of traffic to cross the street.

It’s depressing to me to see so many bicyclists, whether commuters, road-racers or whatever, breaking common-sense traffic laws. And, really, the only they reason they do it is because they can and they can generally get away with it.

It’s also frustrating to me. I work with two City of Jacksonville Commissions to make this community a better place to bicycle, yet, for every point I make to increase bicycling facilities and access, some jerk in spandex runs a traffic light and undoes all my effort by destroying good will towards bicyclists.

I’m asking all of you in the bicycle community…Pull your heads out of whatever orifices they’re jammed in and follow the traffic laws. Just by doing that, you’ll make the world just a little bit better.

It was the splitting traffic. I was completely shocked when I saw that dude. Especially since there was a completely unused bicycle path just to the right of the roadway.

On behalf of the Down East Cyclists’ bicycling club, I’d like to invite you to participate in the Down East Cyclists Family Fun Ride on October 10th, 2009 at 9 o’clock in the morning.

The Family Fun Ride will begin at the Onslow County Tax Office on Court Street and will follow the Rails-to-Trails Greenway to the Rev. Wooten Park.  At the park, there will be refreshments and a safety demonstration by the Jacksonville Police Department for children. For more advanced riders, the ride will continue to Camp Lejeune’s Main Gate facility where the riders will turn around and return to Rev. Wooten Park. The half-ride is approximately 5 miles and the longer ride is 13.

The "price" for admission is an item of non-perishable food, to be provided to the Onslow County Women’s Shelter. There will be prizes and gift bags for  participants.

Please send RSVPs to bicyclists@embarqmail.com. More information can be gotten at the Down East Cyclists’ website, www.downeastcyclists.com.