bikes versus buses

It's official, riding the bus sucks. I took a slightly different route today to cut the climbs off my ride and it worked pretty well. I actually got home faster that I got to work even though home is 100 m higher in elevation. I only saved 14 m in total climbing but the route was a little shorter and the wind was behind me on the way home. Still, as I was leaving work, my normal bus was just leaving my stop. As I was turning in for home, possibly the same bus was just ahead of me again. If it was on schedule, it was the same bus. This is the "express" bus.

Due to traffic, the bus to work takes longer than the one home. Normally, I have a five or ten minute wait for my bus to come. On Monday, I left work just after my last express bus was scheduled. I waited five minutes for the 301 which has limited stops and is supposed to be fast. I transferred buses and had to wait 15 minutes for the 46. Then, I had to sit in the 46 for 15 minutes waiting for it to start since it must have been ahead of schedule. A minute after I sat down, the 146 came and went; it's another option to get home if I take the 301. I would have taken it had I known the 46 was first in but not going to leave for so long. On Tuesday, I waited 20 minutes for a bus which comes every six to ten minutes.

I hope the weather stays nice so I can ride more. Cycling is faster, healthier, more convenient and more fun. I need the exercise 'cause losing weight hasn't been going well. Halfway through our work challenge and I've only dropped eight pounds. I'll be much happier when I drop 20 more and my goal for cycling means dropping 30 more. I now weigh myself everyday when I arrive at work. If I'm down a bit, I'm encouraged to keep it up. Up a little and I know I need to do better.

Fighting traffic, literally

Here's the summary of my commute home from MotionBased.com. If you're using that service, let me know and I'll deprivatize a few of my commutes so you can view them. I'm getting 30 km a day going to work and back and I hope that'll help if I decide to race this summer. I'm thinking about doing time trials and then cyclocross in the Autumn. Maybe I'll do a few criteriums too. Three posts ago I have a picture of my elevation profile for the ride home. The one day I rode my mountain bike, I posted a time of 40 minutes getting to work and 50 minutes getting home. Obviously, a road bike with slicks is much better on the road. I'm actually using my cyclocross bike at the moment but I've shaved 5 minutes going to work and 12 minutes coming home. I was a bit surprised that the difference in time to work and back on my 'cross bike was only three minutes because the difference in elevation is 100 m between work and home. It appears to be because on 4th St. there are some long, gradual climbs on my ride to work. They're barely climbs but while I'm going to work, there are long sections that I'm averaging 20-25 km/h but I come back home at about 40-45 km/h. I'm obviously not a climber so the two big climbs near my home really slow me down. I'm still carrying over 10 kg more that I would like. It seems odd that, for racing, I spent quite a bit of money for a nice, light, stiff bike yet I'm carrying a pile of extra weight on my body. For you skiers out there, it's like the difference between the Birkie and the Birkie Lite but I've got two packs on. Oh well, compared to two months ago, at least I've almost gotten rid of the third pack I was carrying.

Let them eat cake

Just a photo for this post. Sonja invited Ying and me to her daughter's first birthday. Sonja's nephew, Logan, took a cue from Sidney and tried to grab a little cake before he was cut his own piece. He was quickly stopped from helping himself and had to wait like the rest of us. I rather like this picture I got of Logan wondering if the next piece of cake will be his.

Welcome to this world

I'm happy to report that Alex and Bobbi welcomed Felix Robert Julian on Tuesday. This one gets special mention because I happened to call Alex on Wednesday and caught him at home during a brief break from the hospital and I got a demonstration of how much the birth of your first child can really take out of you. Here's a snippet of our conversation, to the best of my memory.

Alex: Felix was born last night at 11:37.
Darcy: let me get this all officially entered into my calendar. So, 27 Feb at 11:37.
Alex: No, 28 Feb.
Darcy: today is 28 Feb and you said last night.
Alex: it was last night. Isn't today Wednesday, 29 Feb.
Darcy: it is Wednesday but it's the 28. Plus, this year isn't a leap year so tomorrow is 1 March.
Alex: are you sure?

Alex was never the best at keeping track of dates and times and I can understand that childbirth is a stressful event so his disorientation can be forgiven. It was also kind of amusing for me; especially the 29 Feb part.