A while back, I bought a Topeak “Beam Rack” seat post rack to use with my fixed-gear bike, which lacks rear eyelets for mounting a standard rack.  I also bought an optional accessory that allows me to use it with panniers.  This setup works really well, but it’s a bit of a pain moving the panniers back and forth between my two bikes (my other bike has a standard rack).  Then I had an idea: why not take the standard rack off my other bike, and just use the beam rack back on both bikes?  The rack has a quick release, so I can move it from one bike to the other easily without tools, and this way I can just leave the panniers attached to the rack all the time.  Today I tried it out, and it seems like it’s going to work out fine.  I’m always looking for ways to make it easier to switch bikes.

There’s one thing I don’t like about the beam rack.  The quick release mechanism is on the large side, and it sits right at the base of the seat post where it enters the frame.  In this position, my legs tend to brush it as I pedal.  This is a little annoying at first, but eventually I get used to it and don’t really notice it.  It seems like an acceptable price to pay for a convenient quick-release rack.

The weather is definitely warming up, although it’s very windy, which is typical of March around here.  We’re getting close to that time of year where I have to dress warmly in the morning, but can wear shorts in the afternoon.  As such, I’ve ditched the long pants and am now riding with shorts and leg warmers.  Last week’s temperatures in the 70s erased all remnants of last month’s snowstorms.  I’m seeing a lot more riders out, particularly in the afternoon.

It’s March, which means it must be raining.  The big rain isn’t supposed to hit till overnight, so this morning, despite a steady drizzle, I was able to squeeze in one last ride before Spring Break.  I wore rain gear over a long sleeve jersey and cycling pants.  At long last, I was able to switch back to clipless pedals.  The timing was perfect..  last night’s rain washed the last of the snow off the park access road, and I only had to dismount to get past the gate.  And neoprene shoe covers do a much better job keeping my feet dry in rain than hiking boots.  I highly recommend the Performance brand shoe covers.  Get the ones with the rubber soles, and order two sizes larger than your normal shoe size.  I wear size 11 cycling shoes, and the size 13 shoe covers fit perfectly.

This is my last day in the office, and therefore my last bike commute, until Tuesday, March 23.  If the weather cooperates, I hope to get a couple of rides in next week, though.

What a difference a month makes.  Today marked my 8th ride of March, eclipsing my total for the entire month of February.  Amazing how quickly the conditions improve as Spring approaches.  Now if we could just get rid of the pesky snow on the park access road, I could finally ditch the hiking boots and go back to clipless.

I managed to get two rides in on the road bike this week before switching back to the fixed-gear today.  Later this month I’m going to pick up a set of clip-on fenders for the road bike, so I can ride it in slightly wetter conditions.  Then for the summer, I may take the fenders off the fixed-gear and use the road bike with the clip-ons for days when storms are forecast.  In these parts, there’s really no need for full fenders during the summer..  they just rattle and get in the way.  But this time of year, they’re indispensable.

Today is our fifth nice day in a row, a truly rare occurrence this time of year.  Not to fear, though, as we’re expecting a return to our usual crappy weather later this week.  I took the road bike out, with the initial intention of doing 18 miles through Oella and Catonsville, but I was dragging this morning, so I shortened the ride to 15 miles and went through Patapsco instead.  No snow anywhere, although the access road still looks snowy.  It’s getting tempting to bring a shovel with me and clear a path.  Otherwise I’m going to be riding with hiking boots at least into April.

A week or so ago, I replaced the derailleur pulleys on the road bike, in hopes that it would stop an incessant squeak when I shift.  This was my first ride with the new pulleys, and no squeak so far, but I’m not calling it fixed until I’ve been squeak-free for a few hundred miles.  The old pulleys didn’t look terribly worn in comparison to the new ones, so I’m wondering if lubrication has something to do with this.  I made sure to grease the bushings when I put the new pulleys in.  We’ll see I guess.  The front derailleur is going to be the next challenge..  seems like no matter how I set the cable, it’s either too tight (trouble shifting onto smaller chainrings) or too loose (chain rubs derailleur cage when the rear is shifted onto a small cog).  Maybe it’s bent?

Assuming I ride home today, I’ll have my first hundred-mile week of 2010 this week.  As promised yesterday, I rode out to Ilchester Rd and into the park on the Grist Mill Trail.  The trail was very twiggy, but otherwise in good shape except for a single really small snow-covered patch.  I expect that’ll melt down over the weekend.

It’s supposed to stay dry through Monday, so my plan is to dust off the road bike for Monday’s ride.  The only question is whether I want to ride with clipless pedals, or put on the platforms with Power Grips which I’ve been riding for the past month.  It all depends on how much more I think the River Rd entrance will melt down over the weekend.  I’ll see how it is on the ride home today.