May 13, 2025

 Kinda looks like the weather is starting to warm up finally. I've been leaving a bit earlier in the morning and started to extend my mileage before work. Dressed for work and hauling my backpack I've been trying to hit that 20 mile mark before getting locked in doing tune ups all day. Been riding road bikes since they are the most efficient on the road. I started off with the single speeds but a never ending NE wind got me really tired and I switched to gears. 

I hope to extend my range mileage wise and get into the 50 mile range, then 100km, then the coveted 100 miler. One of my goals this year is to do another 100 miler on my SS. I couple years back I did one on the fixed gear with the help of my friend Bruce. I also clocked in one ride with the local road group and that felt ok. I was still battling a cold that would let go but managed to finish the ride. 

And time does fly nowadays. I blink my eyes and 3 months go by since I last made and published a post. The spring here in Chicago has been a very strange one. Cold and windy for the most part. Cold in the morning, warm in the middle of the day then cold at night. It has been hard to find a rhythm on the bike to be honest. I am still wearing most of my normal winter kit until it decides to warm up for good. 

I am sitting close to 2,000 miles for the year so far. Last year I was able to click in over 10K and this year I really don't have any goals. I will let fate decide how much I will ride. 

I have been circling thru all my bikes and have been enjoying the rattier ones in the stable. Some old Diamond back Fixed gear, an old Trek steel bike, my reliable Giant Contend. Mountain bikes, and other bikes that had been collecting dust for a while. 

About a month ago I had my right eye repaired since a nasty cataract had taken over my vision. I had no sight in my right eye and all I saw was white light. My eye surgeon was able to blast the cataract with the laser, cut eye open, clean it out and install a new lens in there. Now I can see well out of both eyes but will still need a bit of correction with some glasses. With the loss of vision in right eye I had brought my city cruises to a halt. I had no peripheral vision to see cars. 

I'm looking forward to perhaps seeing some friends and family that I have not seen in a long time. Maybe this year will be the one to catch up with people. It really would be nice. 

thanks for reading and hopefully 3 months don't slip by unnoticed. 

Ari