The wheels of inevitability?

Dr. King said, "Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle." I think my plan to try commuting by bike this winter may be a bit of a challenge. I'm pretty sure I'm up for it. . . once I pass the first hurdle of getting my new studded tires on my mountain bike wheels.

I took my old tires off, but one of the tubes was nearly impossible to remove due to the stem being lodged in a weird rim tape, uh, trough, for lack of a better word. I got it out but realized the rim tape is totally not in the right place on either rim, making my tires more susceptible to flats. So I guess tomorrow I'll teach myself how to install rim tape. It should be relatively straightforward, although I can complicate any simple task.

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/MS150Maggie2016

(The more full quote, which I like, especially in light of current events in Minneapolis: "Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent." - MLK, Jr.)

Amiable Acrostic

Today, I dusted off my fat bike and went for a short ride. I learned a few things. In no particular order: 

• Eye protection is important when it is snowing, even if it isn't cold, to protect the eyes from getting attacked by snowflakes.
• My rain pants are no longer waterproof.
• My big gloves don't work for shifting when using Dan's pogies/bar mitts. 
• We've had an inordinate number of geese down the block, if the mess they left on the paths are any indication.
• The creek is really full, due to our wet Fall. 

Minnehaha Falls will be pretty spectacular
when the water freezes.

I am thankful this Thanksgiving for a number of things including:

Truly great family and friends

Healthy family members

Awareness of my good fortune

Network of supporters for my MS fundraising efforts

Kids, in the form of nieces, nephews, friends' kids, cousins' kids, etc.

Stable home and work lives

Great, long biking season in 2015

Improvements that are sure to come due to the protests and demonstrations in our city

Very cute dog

Interests and hobbies that are always evolving

Nature is close by

Good books and music to read and listen to

One thing I love about my messed up city:
nature is always close by.

Alaska's Golden Heart

It got cold in Minnesota when I was in Atlanta last week.

When I left home this morning to ride to yoga, it wasn't much warmer than it was in Fairbanks, "Alaska's Golden Heart." Despite my wool socks and shoe covers, my toes froze and were numb throughout yoga, even though I wore socks during the entire class.

It was a bit warmer after class, though, and after spotting a neat owl, I warmed up enough to stop for a photo and to unzip the many assorted vents on my jacket by the icy mini-cliff by Mendota.

I've got a lot of work things on my mind, I'm behind on my bike captain duties, have some household balls that I've dropped, and have been spending a lot of time reading about what's been happening in Minneapolis after the shooting of Jamar Clark and keeping an eye on the idiotic grandstandish remarks made about Syrian refugees. I'm glad to be able to get out on my road bike still to shake loose some of the cobwebs and to have passed my somewhat arbitrary and fluid 3000-mile (the distance from Minneapolis to Fairbanks!) cycling goal, but am lacking some creative, blogtastic inspiration on this Sunday night. 

So, on that note, I leave you with a photo of this cute... salamander? who lives in my nephew's bedroom. The quality of this photo isn't as good as some others I took, but I love his? little adorable direct gaze. 

Rails *on* trails?

Out of all of the images on the Internet, you'd think I could find one of a person with bricks as quadriceps, so that I could illustrate how my legs feel right now, after today's bike ride to the Coon Rapids Dam. I don't think it was the distance, but rather the temperature and my failure to stretch before walking the dog when I got home.

It was a nice day and a great ride up the east side of the Mississippi, despite the fact that there was a point where my occasionally-frequent riding partner Matt and I nearly collided, some young guys in a crappy car thought it would be cool to spin out on the pavement a bunch of times and we got hit by some rocks, my feet were numb for 3/4 of the ride, and we had some unintended detours. We explored some new streets/paths, which will make their way into a group training ride in the spring. 

The river isn't as scenic as it can be other times of years, but it still was really pretty, and we got really good views of the historic Minneapolis Water Works buildings in Fridley. I can't find any good photos of them, either, online, but did learn that Minneapolis first started distributing water for firefighting purposes and later for drinking purposes, and Minneapolis had a big typhoid outbreak in the early 1900s. 

When we looped back to the Fort, we took the Hwy 5 bridge, which we learned has these rail things to help you get your bike up the steps. I had been carrying it, but tested out this newfangled technology.

The sun on my face makes me look other worldly.

We've had a great, long riding season in 2015. I feel really lucky to have gotten out for a big ride today. I'm really close to hitting 3,000 miles for the year, which isn't a lot for people who commute nearly every day by bike, but is the most I've ridden in a year - - a year in which I had to take a few weeks off due to injuries. 

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/MS150Maggie2016

Following the curve

My friend Jen sent me the sudden curve sign, which made me think of this crazy bike-crash-on-a-curve video.

That, in turn, made me think of a great blog post I read this morning by a woman I admire who did a race with a super challenging nighttime climb up a windy mountain.

I recently started following more women cyclists on Twitter and Facebook, which is having a weird effect: I'm more inspired to go outside my comfort zone and feel that the community of women cyclists is more supportive than I knew, and yet I am feeling sort of intimidated and overwhelmed.

It all will sort itself out, as long as I generally follow the curve of wherever this road goes, I guess, with bent knees and loose shoulders.

Recipe for success

An entirely pleasant weekend consists of things like:

- Going to see comedian Jim Gaffigan late Friday night (not hilarious, but entertaining) after walking the dog by the lake down the street at sunset.

- Biking about 50 miles in some new places on a crisp, somewhat windy, but nice and sunny Saturday, and having a nice riding partner who doesn't get upset when you are a, for lack of a better term, backseat driver.

- Touring a local brewery and getting to sample different styles of beer for free.

- Enjoying a quality dinner at Craftsman  with nice, funny, smart people like Andre and Jill.

- Cleaning up your biking mess, packing up the dog, and driving to the north woods.

(When I wiped out on a wet, wooden bridge a few years ago, I assure you the tire marks didn't follow a path like this, but the point of this sign along the Luce Line trail is well-taken.)

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/MS150Maggie2016

A clean bill of health

I commuted a lot by bike this past week and was greeted by a bike shop guy the other day, who shouted out "Maggie Mahoney Super Commuter!" He said I looked fast.

Well, I was slowed down today because I had to get my bike to the shop for a check-up. Yesterday, when my bike was locked up outside of work, a likely church-goer apparently hit it while attempting to parallel park, wedging it into the most difficult spot to unlock, scratching off a goodly amount of paint,  forcing off the front wheel, wedging spokes in the fork, etc. I was able to ride it home, although I was worried about its integrity.

Apparently it is safe to ride, with the front wheel just a little untrue, but nothing cracked or stripped.

I missed a great fall riding day because of that bozo, and was worried that this might be the end of my old faithful Giant Avail.

First world problems.

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/MS150Maggie2016