Chin Strap - November 4, 2010

It was a mostly uneventful commute, but I felt uneasy when I started out so I was a little more watchful today -- probably kept me out of trouble in some spots. The excitement of the day started when I transitioned from the 5 to the 210 freeway. As I *allegedly* hit about 85mph (flow of traffic was 80mph) I heard a "thwap thwap" sound coming from my helmet. I forgot to buckle my chin strap! Now this is only a problem if you crash ... but if you crash it can be a huge problem. I have never buckled my strap 1) with one hand, 2) while moving, and 3) with gloves on.

Yeah, I could've pulled off the freway and fixed it, but I didn't want to. I figured I would pull over if I was unable to attach it on the go.

So there I am, flying down the freeway, with my gloves on, using one hand to figure out where everything was (the strap was tucked up into the helmet), and picturing what it was that I was feeling. I had a couple of mis-starts, but when I finally got the strap through the first part of the buckle I knew victory was mine! I manhandled the strap through the second part and snapped the end in place. Woohoo! No time lost, kept my speed and lane position consistent, and did something new.

As I was getting back into the rhythm of riding, and had slowed slightly because I was blinded by the rising sun, I realized I was coming up on the back of a Sherriff's SUV. If I hadn't been preoccupied with the buckle all that time, I probably would have blown by him. I slowed down in time to not grab his attention.

I Scared Myself - November 3, 2010

I scared the crap out of myself on Lilith yesterday morning. As I turned down a street near work I saw a large truck in the middle of the street. The driver was putting out cones and blocking the street in both directions. I didn't want to turn around and find an alternate route (I was 60 seconds from work), so I decided to use the sidewalk to get around him. I took off a little too fast and cut the corner, and my back wheel dropped off the cement and onto the grass. It spun and slid out, and I nearly dumped the bike. It was an adrenaline-filled few seconds as I manhandled the bike to both stay upright and not launch myself into the retaining wall. Scary and fun at the same time. I thnk I need a dirt bike. lol!

Gold SUV - November 1, 2010

On this morning's commute I was run out of my lane and onto the shoulder by a gold SUV. I don't know if the guy saw me or not, but right before I was fully out of my lane I was next to his door and hitting the horn, and he didn't seem to react. Luckily traffic was light at that point and I hit the throttle harder and took off with the satisfaction of knowing that soon he'd be stuck in traffic and I wouldn't.

As a reminder, please double-check before changing lanes. The life you save may be mine.