For the past couple of weeks -- now that we have more evening daylight -- I've cycled in the evening, going out across the dam and around the park/wash area in lower Sunland.

It's a nice 13-mile ride, however at this rate I'm getting a flat tire about 1 in 7 rides. I suspect the new bike's tires are softer than the other one, and sharp things stick to them and work their way in better.

So I decided to try a new kind of inner tube, one that has a self-sealing goo on the inside. With this, no patch kit is needed: just remove the offending bit of glass or metal, pump the tube up, and spin it. So far it's worked fine after its first puncture.

Yesterday, after riding the regular route with Shelley, I rode up La Tuna Canyon road, which rises all the way when going east. Going back west, however, makes up for it quite nicely. From the top of the hill, I sprinted downhill and reached 43 MPH, which tops my old speed record of 37 MPH. Gotta watch out next time, because the speed limit is 50 MPH there. Heh.

I plan to join the San Fernando Cycling Club real soon, to get in better shape and work up for some seriously long rides before summer's end. Problem is they ride at 8 am on Saturdays and Sundays, which is hard to get up for after gaming at night. Plus long rides take much time, and they cut into other things, like Battlefield:Glass work-time.