Escape from boredom

A bit late, but now I have done another ten days, mostly delayed because of Anders being sick for a whole week. But now I’ve done yet another 360 kilometers. So now I would be passing Dovreskogen (Google Maps), where I could rest at Dovreskogen Gjestegård (Not much else there to mention here…). Been ten days without any incidents to report, no crashes or something like that. Have used my new phone which has GPS to confirm that the distance is pretty much 18 kilometers each way. Started using the speed sensor on my Polar 725X, but it is not accurate at all, so I was a bit afraid that the distance was much shorter for a while.

In my first post I mentioned Tveitablokkene, and this time I must mention a building which is not much to look at, but the name is quite funny. Located at Tvetenveien 30 you will find “Gresshoppa“, or “Grasshopper”. I know my friend Kent is well aware of the building, since Micromonsters have their shop there.

So now, 20 days biking to work this year, 720 kilometers.

After I had spent some hours editing my videoclips using Kino when all of a sudden Kino decided to lock itself, causing me to loose about 10 minutes of work I used the kill-command on Kino and went out skiing instead. About -7 today, and a clear sunny day, absolutely wonderful day for skiing. My second time this season, so I focused on doublepole and also diagonal without poles. I must say I was not aware of how hard diagonal is for my back when not using poles, good training!!

Was out for about 1 hour and 45 minutes, skiing across Nøklevatn where the picture is taken.

Last night we have had some snow here in Oslo, and combined with a bit of wind made it a bit of a struggle to ride my bike to work. For instance, downhill from Tveita I did not feel the urge for riding together with the cars, since it was pretty much snow and salt, almost like mud at the top of the hill. Under such conditions biking is like playing in the lottery, you’re never sure which direction the bike will choose for you. So instead I did ride on the sidewalk, but not an easy task that either since I had snow all up to the pedals. But as always, “speed is your friend”, so when having as much speed as I dared and doing my best to avoid one or two pedestrians I got myself all the way down to Helsfyr without falling of my bike.

Here you can get some tips on cycling in winter conditions. Also, I pretty much agree with the first guy in the video when it comes to equipment. When my chain and the gears are broken I will not buy new gears, but instead make it into a single speed. Less to be broken, easier to maintain.

[video:youtube:Drs6pD2rDMs]

Ok, the title being a bit misleading, I will not actually ride my bike from Lindesnes to Nordkapp, but to keep track of how much distance I have covered riding my bike back and forth from work I use that distance to compare with.

For now I have done ten days, about 360 kilometers, so now I’m passing by Drammen. What is there to say about Drammen? Anders and Eivind are from Drammen. Herodes Falsk, one of the members of Prima Vera is from Drammen, they also made a song about Drammen (…for jeg ble født i en jævla by, ja jeg snakker om Drammen…).

Another ambition is to write something about the things I see when cycling to work. So, the first thing worth mentioning which I pass by would be Tveitablokkene. Three big tower blocks housing no less than 819 apartments. Not the biggest cooperative in Norway, but I’m quite sure no other have so many apartments with only three buildings.

@Update: And as my best man Espen pointed out…he is born in Drammen…

Commuting with my bike has created the first system malfunction today. One of my barends broke when I applied to much pressure on it. Might have been caused by the accident I had last week in the parking house at Lysaker.

A bit funny, when using Google to search for barends one of the hits was this

Takket være sin konsekvente tro på ny teknologi, holdbarhet og attraktiv design fortsetter Nakamura, det anerkjente canadiske MTB merket, å gjøre suksess …

(Google translate)
Did not feel that today I must admit, durability when the barends are made of rubber and plastic…but, ok, the bike is Nakamura, but the barends are made by Specialized…

Pictures taken when I arrived at work this morning around eight o’clock.

And on my way back home I stopped at a pedestrian crossing. The first car stopped, no problem, but then came one up behind it – way to fast and then bang!!! No one got hurt at least and I could go on, passing the spot where I crashed yesterday, this time without any incidents…

On my way home today I had an accidents with my bike. Out at Lysakerlokket the fastest way it through the parking house. At first there is a bit downhill with a sharp left turn at the bottom. I did not think of it at all, but realized when trying to use the breaks that wheels with spikes and polished concrete is not a good combination at all. Luckily just a graze wound and a bracket for my rear light broken, apart from that nothing to complain about.

This morning me and Dag Anders agreed that we should go out running. We talked about using our bikes, but since it was a bit frosty we decided to run. Very nice weather when we started, and it seemed like we should get two very good hours…could not be more wrong. After about 15 minutes I stepped on a root and slipped causing me to pull my toe of all things. “No problem, we can continue…”, but after yet another 30 minutes I had to withdraw, I had to stop running and walk back. So no more running for a while…

(No doubt that my toe has taken some beating before as well…)

@Update: Elin did not approve the picture 🙂

Espen and I spent the afternoon in Lillomarka today. We met at Bjerke and took Gamle Hadelandsvei to Lilloseter, then to Sørskogen. From Sørskogen via Johnsens Hvile and following the ski trail ending up at Griseputten. From there to Solemskogen, over the top of the ski jump at Linderudkollen down to Årvoll. The last bit at Årvoll was a bit troublesome. We should have turned left instead of right and ended up in a construction area. Had to carry our bikes down the hill, and then at the shooting range at Årvoll we had to climb over the gate. Not to get in, but out…

Spent some time cleaning my bike and doing maintenance today. Really needed to tighten some screws and clean it after a couple of very good, but long and heavy rides the past weeks. After that I had just enough time to go out for about an hour or so. Very nice weather, a bit more slippery than yesterday because of the frost from last night. But at about three o’clock that was no problem, but it was a bit more wet than yesterday and therefore slippery. Very happy, it’s late October and I’m still able to go out on single trails and almost have no need to clean the bike when home.

Anyhow, my biking is nothing compared to this http://www.vimeo.com/3367095