Bike Commuting Day 2 - Headwind vs. Tailwind

Headwind = bad
Tailwind = good

Today I learned that in addition to temperature it would be a good idea to check wind speed and direction and plan departure time accordingly. Or give up and take the damn bus.

Over the weekend I added to my gear and got a rear light (not installed yet), a mirror (also not installed yet), and a pair of gloves (good god how did I live without). The gloves were on clearance, and actually in my size (women's XL). I was shocked and amazed that they make them in XL. Normally I get the shaft on gloves. I feel that when commuting with the kid, the are a necessity. You spend a lot of time gripping the handlebars. A lot more than if you weren't in a constant battle for balance (and with the ever loving wind). I tried to do three blocks without after dropping M off, yeah, bad idea.

The other thing I learned today is that the city of Minneapolis sucks. Mayor Rybak pushes for bike friendly, brags about how bike friendly we are what he is doing to make it better when came to talk to my office, and then none of the websites have up to date or usable info. Phone calls get you someone who doesn't have a clue. They closed the bike lockers in the ramp by M's daycare and both the office where you rent them, as well as every website I could find, makes no mention of this. Worse yet, if you call the ramps, you get a barely understandable person with no idea what you are asking about. I finally had better luck sending an email. Stupid Twins stadium. It has ruined the street with the bike lane that I could safely ride all the way in on (there is a crater as large as a car on it), and now it has made the whole commuting with a kid thing much harder as well. I may need to stick with keeping my bike at work like I had been doing. I would have much rather stashed it by daycare. Bah!

By the time they resolve all of it, M will be too large for the seat, and I will need to figure out how to store a trailer. (or maybe I'll get lucky and she won't gain any weight for a year and a half)

My next day was going to be Wednesday, but something about 90 degrees and thunderstorms has me thinking "bus". Thursday is out for walking I think since Kristen has family in town, so I'll try to bike then stop at the Bike Festival at our local library on the way home.