It reached 100 degrees here before 11:00 am yesterday. It stayed over 100 degrees until after 8:00pm. In the middle of my ride home at 4:00 pm, it was 109 degrees (officially at NOAA; my bike computer was reading 118). My sandals got so hot they were burning my toes. Whenever I grabbed the bike’s brake levers, they burned my fingers. I can’t say that it was as much fun as my ride home usually is. So did I ride to work today? Of course. This afternoon’s forecast? 110 degrees. I can hardly wait.

They’d have to switch to a recumbent pedicab first, though. From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

FORT WORTH — Last year, Robin Glaysher found herself laid off from her job in corporate marketing, unsure of her next step.

“I started thinking about things that I actually love to do,” Glaysher said. “I love cycling … I love my neighborhood.”

That reassessment led Glaysher to months of research and planning, culminating this week in the launch of a business already drawing interest around Fort Worth’s rapidly revitalizing near south side.

After working through regulatory hurdles and zoning issues at City Hall, Glaysher says she’s ready to kick-start Fairmount Bike Taxi, a pedicab service focusing on serving downtown and south-side neighborhoods including Fairmount and Ryan Place.

Pedicabs — three-wheeled, human-powered vehicles — have been operating in Fort Worth since at least 2005, mostly around downtown.

The growth of businesses in the near south side, most notably along Magnolia Avenue, gave Glaysher the sense that pedicabs could work in a larger portion of the city.

When Glaysher first began planning her business, she learned that only downtown and the Stockyards were zoned for nonmotorized vehicles. In May, city officials agreed to allow the pedicabs on the south side, according to Gerald Taylor with the Ground Transportation Office.

The pedicabs will have to avoid major streets like Rosedale and Eighth avenues, Taylor said.

Glaysher plans to be her business’s first pedicab driver, along with another cyclist. She’s heard from others interested in joining her enterprise.

Drivers will operate as independent contractors while renting their pedicab from Glaysher’s company, she said. She also plans to sell space on the pedicabs to local advertisers.

Fairmount Bike Taxi will officially debut Friday at First Friday on the Green, a monthly concert series at Magnolia Green Park.

Glaysher said she plans to have her pedicab drivers work for tips during special events and when operating downtown. Otherwise, she expects passengers will be charged flat fees such as $5 for one person to be transported down Magnolia Avenue.

She hopes the business will eventually gain popularity among out-of-towners staying downtown while attending events at the Fort Worth Convention Center.

“We’ll be able to tell them about places they normally wouldn’t know beyond Sundance Square,” Glaysher said.

I did the 69 mile route at Goatneck this morning. Paul came down and spent last night at my place, and got up and followed me to Goatneck this morning. It was great seeing you, Paul!

I was a lot slower than last year at Goatneck, and pretty wiped out at the finish. After never having to use the granny chain ring on this ride last year, I needed it on both County Line Hill and Goatneck Hill this year. I don’t know if riding to work all 5 days this week had me on tired legs, forgetting my carb drink mix slowed me down, or if I’m just getting feeble in my old age.

Goatneck 70 mile route.

Here’s a video of the ride from Mark Leuck.

I rode to work all 5 days this week. It was just a tad warm riding home in the afternoons. I rode to work 19 days in July. It looks like I’ll end up with 840 miles for the month, not a bad total I’m thinking, considering it was 100+ degrees every day of the month but one.

2011 days ridden to work: 127
2011 commuting mileage: 3094.7

Commute route

I rode over to Pecan Valley Park at Benbrook this morning, then joined Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price and 20 or so others on a 20 mile ride around Benbrook Lake, then rode home for 52 miles overall.

I took a day of vacation on Tuesday, so only rode to work 4 days this week. It was 100 degrees as I rode home yesterday afternoon, our 21st straight afternoon of 100 or higher temperatures.

I seem to have finally reached my target weight this week. I would have suffered less on my early summer rides if I’d reached this weight in May like I did last year, but I guess better late than never.

2011 days ridden to work: 122
2011 commuting mileage: 2972.2

I joined a couple of tandems and rode my Crowley Cricket Crunch permanent this morning. I rode to the start and rode home afterward, ending up with 102.7 miles.

Crowley Cricket Crunch route

I rode to work all five days this week. It was some seriously hot afternoons. I’ve been just standing under the ceiling fan in the living room and cooling off for a while after I get home before I finally head for the shower.

I had a flat on the way home Friday. Thankfully, there was shade nearby. A piece of glass came through the tire so far it’s a wonder I didn’t slice my finger when I found it. If glass is starting to penetrate that far into the Gatorskins, it’s probably getting near time to replace them.

2011 days ridden to work: 118
2011 commuting mileage: 2874.2

Commute route

It was 82 degrees when I left for work Wednesday morning. You know it’s going to be hot when it’s 82 degrees at 4:45 am.

On the Crowley Road shoulder, just north of Risinger Road, I hit a rock just wrong and pinch flatted. It was my first flat in quite a while, and my first front flat on the SXP in over two years.

Rose pointed out to me early in the week that there’s getting to be quite a collection of spider webs from the bottom of my truck to the driveway…….LOL. It had actually only been a week since I’d driven it.

I rode to work all five days this week. I heard the weatherman say that June was the 3rd hottest June ever recorded. I believe it; it was the hottest June I’ve seen. I ended up with 826 miles in June, a good mileage month for me.

2011 days ridden to work: 109
2011 commuting mileage: 2653.7

I did 20 miles from home this morning, then did the FWBA club ride that started in Crowley. There was heat and wind and hills, everything you love in a bike ride. I ended up with 83.6 miles.

FWBA Crowley route