Commute to school

I don't usually note these rides here, but I try to bike to school in Pordenone as often as possible.  Today I got a late start and didn't get underway until 7:45.  I stayed in the big ring (52) the whole way and gave it my best shot, ending up with 26km in 53 minutes.

On the way home I was enjoying the gorgeous weather- I was comfortable riding in only my Craft base layer.  I took it easy until near San Quirino, when my front tire went flat.  The tube was quite difficult to remove, as it had been installed so long (maybe 5 years?) it was stuck to the rim and tire.  At the end the valve stem wouldn't budge, so I found a large rock in a nearby field and gave it a good whack.  The new tube went in fine, and as I was finishing up a fellow on a bike rolled up to see if I needed help.  This is one thing I love here- if you break down people will stop and try to help.  It's like everyone is looking out for one another.

The remainder of the way home I tried to make up lost time, and was quite tired at the finish.  This commute is actually a pretty good workout- I'll try to keep it up biweekly until end of courses in May.

Note:  After parking the Trek 1220 I replaced the front cartridge bearings on the Viner Maxima RS front wheel (Fulcrum 7).  Spins much smoother now.  I was greatly helped by the hints here: Fulcrum 7 front wheel bearing replacement