Mid-Winter Report

Sal and Arthur enjoying a hike in the Bob Cross preserve.



This is my 'forced smile' after finishing the City of Lakes Loppet (35km XC ski race).

Daily Commute

I have been bicycle-commuting for almost half a year*.

My bike of choice...is a brand new Surly Pugsley with a 100mm wide bottom bracket, 135mm rear hub o­n the front wheel, 3.7" Endomorph tires, Truvativ crankset, Avid BB7 disc brakes, a Cobalt headset, and Mallet pedals. That's my bike of choice. Of course, I don't have one. The bike I have (and ride) is an old Trek Multi-Track with a loose headset, that Sally got when she was in Jr. High. I painted over the pink/purple frame and threw some fenders on it. My head light is a Petzel Tikka headlamp, strapped to the handlebars with Velcro. Push its button four times and your on 'blink' mode! The 'saddle' was found in a thrift shop's sporting goods bin, among plastic hockey sticks and old bowling balls.

As tired as it is, for the last six months this bike has faithfully carried me the three miles to work and the three miles home again, each day. Only twice have her tires fail me, on glare ice, sending me 'down'.

Last week was very cold. It may end up being the coldest week of the year. My coldest morning commute was through -33 degree air. That's the actual air temp, the good old mercury - no factoring for the 15+ mph 'wind' I was generating as I rode.

This week has been balmy...well above zero.

I'm not sure why I do it. Some probably suspect I have a D.U.I. and a suspended license (riding, not by choice but by necessity, through Minnesota's winter), so I try to make a point of mentioning to people at work how "I drove to..." here or there over the weekend. I guess the main reason I ride is so that Sally and Arthur are not stranded at home all day. I certainly save gas too, and sometimes I think I save time (St. Cloud's rush hour is horrendous in a car). I also get consistent exercise out of it too. And I always show up to work awake.

- MG

*I drove a motorized 4-wheeled vehicle 4 or 5 times in six months.