Work Too Much Ride Too Little

Due to my ridiculous work schedule as of late, I've been driving to the office more and more and riding less and less, which makes me fat, tired and sad.
The fixie calls to me every morning when I wake up and the Raleigh Clubman glares at me each time I open the shed.

The only saving grace is that we've had great mountain biking weather on the weekends.

Untitled from Neal Poland on Vimeo.

New Helmet Camera Setup

Recieved a GoPro Hero camera for an early Christmas present. Here's some poorly edited footage of a quick winter cruise in the country. I'm currently using Open Shot for editing, but I've been having some issues with it as of late. Any suggestions?

Lights, UFOs and Coffins

One of the smart ass sales guys at work sarcastically inquired as to if I had enough lights on my bike. After  debating whether or not to piss in his coffee, I realized that non-cyclists don't think about things like being seen.

You have lights on your motorcycle and on your car, so why wouldn't I have lights on my bike?
I ride 17 miles each way to work and back. This time of year, it's generally dark during my commute.

I need to see where the hell I'm going. I also need to make sure that all the idiots on the roads can see me.  If three taillights, a pair of headlight and SpokeLits are too many lights, then I'm guilty.Wouldn't be the first time I'd been charged with a crime.
Even with all those lights, I still almost get hit on a daily basis.

Does it look dorky?
Yep.
But I'd rather look stupid than look at the inside of a pine box.

  

Panaracer Urban Max 32c Review

You would think that a 17 mile commute down Mountain Highway through towns such as Elk Plain would be a fun and scenic ride....but you'd be wrong.

While the area I live in may have been fertile and serene farm land at one time, it is now overrun with mobile housing, meth addicts and hicks.
Well....it's a small town, so I'm sure the hicks have always been here.
While the roads are generally in good condition, the shoulders and bike lanes through Spanaway are strewn with man eating potholes, glass, gravel, used needles and general Pacific northwest trash.

Only in Spanaway. What a classy town!

That all being said, I look for battle tough tried and true tires so I don't have to fix flats at 5AM in the dark and the rain.

I've run Panaracer tires on my commuter bikes on and off for about 10 years now. They are a viable, budget friendly alternative to Continental Gator Skins.

Not  as supple or performance oriented as the Contis, the new Panaracer Urban Max tires seem to be pretty bomb proof thus far. I'm running 32c on my Redline 925 fixie. They roll through the trash, absorb the potholes and ride like big, cushy balloon tires. They are certainly heavy and loud, but I'm willing to accept those downfalls so I don't have to sit in the parking lot of the Dollar Tree picking glass or heroin needles out of my tubes.

I'll give you guys an update in a few months after I've gotten more miles under the belts.