[Rec_bike] One Month Status

[Arne Freyberger]

FCCC ReadOnly SpreadSheet: 
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0Ah5uEZzUBf-udEVBOEtPYW9WM2tNVndHRFltMTBucUE&gid=8

One month since the start of the Fall Cycling Challenge.      To date  
1810 commute miles, or from JLAB to South Dakota 
(https://goo.gl/maps/Y6EXn).

It is a battle between Chris and Dave  for the most mileage.   I had 
thought this was going to be a three way battle but Will Oren has been 
off the bike for a while due to travel and a mechanical. While the 
individual competition is entertaining, the goal to me is to document 
more total FCCC commute miles than the previous years, so if you have a 
bike mechanical/issue, ask around.  Many of us have spare parts, and 
even complete bikes in our garages.

Mat, myself and Tony were all at 100% up to today when Tony missed his 
first day of the challenge, leaving Mat and myself to battle it out.   
Sp far the weather for Tony in Pocatello Idaho has been cooperative.  
The cool Monday we had here (40'ish) is close the temperature Tony's 
been exposed to, so no excuses for Tony!   This may change going forward.

Marcy has wrapped up both the the womens mileage and consistency 
category!!!

Weather for this years challenge has been much wetter than the previous 
two years.  Those of using the Cannon Blvd to Residence Facilities trail 
have been suffering with 30yds of mud between the road and the trail.   
I am one these unlucky souls and have gone wheels up twice in the last 
month due to some deep thick holes in this region.  Fortunately the 
landing was a soft, two inches of thick mud so no harm done, just a mess.

After  Friday Oct 31st we will be commuting in Daylight Saving time, so 
more of our riding will be in the dark.  To get a feel for what it is 
like to ride in the dark, I recently recording my morning commute which 
at 6:20am is quite dark.  You can find the video at: 
https://userweb.jlab.org/~freyberg/BicycleCommuting/BikeRoutesToJab/Videos/MorningDark.AVI 
It is really boring, but I hope it stresses the need for good lighting 
for the last two months of this challenge.   The camera is rather 
insensitive, so it doesn't pick up my headlight at all,  the headlight 
is one of the brightest lights I've had in 30 years of bike commuting.   
The take away from this video is that when riding in the dark, you are 
defined by your lights, you and your bike are more or less invisible.

One week left of enough daylight for the long way home, so pad your 
commute mileage while you can!

I am still working on prizes!

Keep the wheels down, and keep riding to work and working to ride!

Arne

-- 
Arne Freyberger
Director of Accelerator Operations
Jefferson Lab
12000 Jefferson Avenue      Cell: (757) 876-6289
Postal Suite 19             Email:  freyberg at jlab.org
Newport News, VA 23606