How do you get to Dinner?

Ride to the Bike Walk CT Dinner

Meetup in Hartford - Bike Ride to CCSU

Monday, November 24th

Leaving 4:45PM from DEEP near Bushnell Park

(79 Elm St, Hartford, CT 06106)

Dress warm and bring lights.  It's about 15 miles each way.

Bike Walk Connecticut has an Annual Dinner each November.  It's a wonderful event.  There is an expansive silent auction of donated items.  You won't find a higher concentration of active transportation advocates anywhere else in Connecticut.  It's refreshing since we are still largely a car centric state, even in our urban centers.  You will come away inspired.  This year's speaker is Dan Haar, who walked across CT bit by bit on Route 44, writing about the journey in the Hartford Courant.

8 bikes - on a below freezing morning.  Low impact healthy travel.

Curiously very few actually ride their bikes (or walk) to the dinner.  That's the current state of bicycle commuting in Connecticut.  The percentage of bike trips from point A to B is less than 1%, and that means that many bicycling advocates don't ride their bikes that often for transportation, particularly on a cold and dark winter evening.  While living in Urbana, Illinois, now a Gold Bicycle Friendly Community, the bicycle commuting didn't stop for Winter.  If you've ever traveled to Chicago, NYC, or Boston, they don't stop cycling either.  What's different about Connecticut?  Are CT cyclists wimps?

Well, this isn't okay.  We know that metro Hartford citizens are hearty.  They drive hours to ski in the same weather and temperatures that stop bicycle commuting dead in its tracks.  I think it's basically a cultural stumbling block.  "Of course.  You can't bike in the winter.  That would be crazy."  The outfit required to handle the cold is greeted with disbelief.  "My aerodynamic spandex wouldn't be warm enough and what about my silly plastic racing shoes?"    Its damn easy folks.  Put some flat pedals on, and wear footwear and clothes similar to what you might wear outside walking on a windy day or skiing.  Good gloves are nice and you might need a balaclava to keep the wind off your face and ears.  To demonstrate that winter cycling is in fact possible, even when attending a semi-fancy dinner, we'll be meeting up as a group on Monday night and riding over to the dinner, making room for the calories we are about to consume.

On the topic of promoting year round active transportation, we held our first IceBike to Work of the season this past Friday in East Hartford at the diner across the street from Pratt & Whitney.  Eight folks showed up, and two were women.  That's actually a milestone for IceBike.  The first P&W women I've seen bike commute in the winter.  It's super easy to set up an IceBike breakfast.  Just pick a diner and send out a meeting notice.  You can send it your local cycling club and post it up on the Facebook.  It's a low key event, and you pay your own way.  No pesky sponsors or organizing headaches.  Just a friendly breakfast and coffee while your face-icles melt. I challenge someone from Hartford and West Hartford to do the same.  It's rather embarrassing when East Hartford is leading the way.

PS - A couple of last minute tickets for the dinner may be available.  They added another table of ten.

Notice the WSD frame.  Ladies bike commuting to P&W in the winter!

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Learning the Hard Way

Here's a question to get you thinking.  How did you learn to cross railroad tracks at a ninety degree angle?  Did you learn about the safer method in gym class at school, during your driver education course, or via a public safety announcement?  Probably not.  If you're like me, you learned the hard way - by having your bicycle abruptly disappear and finding yourself pitched head first into the traffic lane.  I won't forget that lesson, but I would rather have learned it minus the crash.  This is but one example of many dangerous situations that arise for cyclists that haven't taken a course in cycling safety.  Based on the crash data, just knowing what those dangerous situations are and having a basic safe cycling skill set can address a large majority of the risk in using a bicycle - for both transportation and recreation.

There is a dearth (scarcity) of education for cyclists that are looking for information and skills on how to ride safely and competently.  From  grade school through teenage years and into adulthood,  there really isn't embedded education that familiarizes cyclists with the tools needed to ride safely.  Imagine if a fraction of the time and effort spent teaching teens how to drive was dedicated to education on safe cycling, pedestrian safety, and transit.  The focus on one preferred means of transportation, the car, biases those teens toward driving as the socially acceptable option.   It also leaves those that choose to do something other than drive a car pretty clueless.  As captured in the introduction, I initially took the clueless route to earning my stripes as an occasionally bruised, but now much safer, bicycle commuter.

It's clearly not efficient, or safe, to learn how to ride by screwing up a lot and gathering advice in bits and pieces from other more experienced riders.  After a lifetime of going about this the hard way, I took Traffic Skills 101 (TS101) and followed that up with the League Cycling Instructor (LCI) training.  Now I can do my part to spread some very powerful information by teaching Traffic Skills 101 to other riders.  The next course in Hartford is planned for Sunday, March 30th.   You can register online through Bike Walk Connecticut.  If you want to spread the word about the TS101 course, you should invite others to this Facebook Event.

Traffic Skills 101 is a  comprehensive, full-day program for adults and mature teens who want to improve their street riding skills and increase their cycling knowledge. The course includes classroom time, parking lot drills, and a road ride.   Many different types of cyclists will benefit from taking TS101.  It is ideal for cyclists who want to build upon the basics, those returning to cycling from a long hiatus, people who want to be more independent on their bike, and those looking for more confidence cycling in traffic. The class also satisfies the requirements to pursue a League Cycling Instructor certification through the League of American Bicyclists.

Part of the reason for holding this early Spring course is to support the League Cycling Instructor course planned for April 17th through April 20th in Simsbury.  The LCI course is a specialized bicycle boot camp to train the trainers, and it is intense.  Those that pass the weekend course go on to teach courses like TS101 and other critical courses, including school based programs that have started in several CT communities, such as South Windsor and Simsbury.  Educating children and teens about bicycle safety is part of the solution to allow a safe transition toward a less car dependent future.

I'm also excited to be organizing a June 7th event in Hartford, Dinner and Bikes.  There will be a vegan buffet dinner, bicycle short films, and a book talk by Elly Blue on Bikenomics, How Bicycling Can Save the Economy.  More info to follow in a later post, but make sure you leave that Saturday night open.  Put it on your calendars now, as I know June can be a busy month.

Note to Loyal BBB Readers - I would love if all 9 of you would share in the comments something  you "Learned the Hard Way".  It doesn't even have to be about cycling.  I've got so many that I could write a book.

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Rising from Ashes - Movie on February 4th

Heya bike folks.  I know you are jonesing for your bike that was put away months ago or is perhaps suffering with you through the winter on your stationary trainer.  Since Hartford loves you and we know that S.A.D. for cyclists is particularly harsh, there is a cycling movie at the Wadsworth on Tuesday, February 4th.

Here's the blurb.  Hope to see a bunch of folks out there.  Discount for Bike Walk Connecticut members.

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Don't miss the inspiring film "Rising from Ashes" on Tuesday, Feb. 4th at 7 p.m. at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. “Rising fromAshes” is a feature length documentary about two worlds colliding when cycling legend Jock Boyer moves to Rwanda, Africa to help a group of struggling genocide survivors pursue their dream of a national team. As they set out against impossible odds both Jock and the team find new purpose as they rise from the ashes of their past.


Informal happy hour meetup at the nearby Arch Street Tavern at 5PM, a short walk from the museum. In addition to popcorn, candy, and soda the theater has beer and wine available at their concession if you can't make it in time for happy hour.


Previous cycling films at have SOLD OUT so your best bet is to secure a ticket online ahead of time. For tickets, go to http://www.thewadsworth.org/events/films/. Discounted $10 admission for Bike Walk Connecticut and museum members, otherwise $12.

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Tomorrow, I wear gloves

Brendan put on a great Eel and there was much bike diversity and trail diversity.  Only at an Eel will there be a Huffy and a Peter Mooney with pretty much everything in between.  I was nervous for Dario's skinny tires, but I think he only weighs 100 lbs - and they were sew ups.  We rode train tracks, rooty single track, sheer rock ridge, flood plain powder silt, sand pits, river bluffs, mud truck stomping ground, banked quad tracks, and even some paved roads.  The length of the ride was perfect.  Tired, but not bonked.

This is a time of change.  Change of season.  Change of outlook.  Changing out my summer clothes for the bin of wool socks and layers.  Putting on gloves in the morning and considering when it will be time to christen my new winter shoes.  Cold weather is a welcome change to me.   It gives me an excuse to pull out the feather comforter and double up my socks.  Things summer just won't support.  Tomorrow morning will be in the 30's and I'll get out the light gloves.

The Eel busted my saddle rail, but Terry said they would warranty.  Excellent.

As a bicycle commuter, I've found that hands are my first priority.  Holding onto the handlebar and actuating the brakes are activities requiring at least some functionality in my fingers.  Appropriate gloves are key to keeping my hands in a condition that isn't just comfortable, but useful.  Skiing mittens are capable down to about 5F, and they seem to work with both bar-cons and brifters.  Below that, I've heard that folks use silly looking Pogies to keep the wind off their mitts.  At that point, I typically just take a walk and put my hands in my pockets.

Feet are second, and become more important if the ride gets to be more than a half hour.  During the winter in Connecticut the roads are often clear and I'll go out for multi-hour rides with the temperature in the teens or 20's.  I'm seriously addicted to clipless pedals, which are evil when it comes to heat conduction away from your feet.  This summer (looking for sales) I upgraded to Lake MXZ303 boots.  They look much hardier than any other winter cycling shoe I've ridden, and I bought up a couple sizes for extra wool sock layers.  I have a suspicion that this year will be nearly into the comfort zone for my feet, whereas last year there was some near frostbite.  I'm getting ahead of myself.  It's not that cold out yet, and if you're bagging you bicycle commute right now you are an intolerable wimp.

In honor of the change of season I'll be making the work-a-day-commute a little less lonely with the first IceBike to Work of the season.  Thursday, October 31st, we will be informally meeting for breakfast at Maddie's in East Hartford.  Maddie's is on Main Street, right across the street from Pratt & Whitney.  Anyone passing by on bicycle, walking, or just curious about non-car transportation modes can stop by between 7AM-8AM and they will find some folks to chat with.  It seems the folks in Canada really take their winter bicycle commuting seriously.  They have an international conference or some such in February - International Cycling Congress.  Registration for the conference is north of $300 - that is f'ing serious.


Reminders for some upcoming bicycle goodness:

• Aforementioned IceBike to Work on Thursday, October 31st.
• There is this mysterious under promoted cyclocross race on November 5th in Colt Park.  I live right next to Colt Park, so I guess I'll wander down there to see what kinds of carbon, cross specific curiosities show up.
• Sunday, November 10th.  Traffic Skills 101 Course.  Taught by yours truly and the honorable Chris Brown.  Registration is open, but capped at 20 students.  Last I heard we already had 11 registered.
• Tuesday, November 12th.  Bike Walk Connecticut Annual Dinner and Silent Auction.  If you want to get a seat at my table let me know.  All you have to do is hand me two double sawbucks.

Everybody loves riding the train tracks into Middletown.

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And then the days got short.

But did we stop riding?  No.  We did not stop riding.

It's pretty time.

In doing my part to extend fair weather cyclists and commuters into the Fall and Winter, I want to tell you about some upcoming events.

More pretty time.

1. Thursday, October 31st.  East Hartford IceBike to Work.  7-8AM at Maddies on Main Street.  Right across the street from Pratt & Whitney.  Don't forget to bring lights.  Rain or shine, and if there is another freak snowmagedon - we're still on.  An informal meet up of bicycle commuters (and aspiring bicycle commuters) to chat about miscellany - often bike related but not necessarily.  Something I try to organize (informally) once a month.
2. Saturday, November 9th.  There is going to be a cyclocross race less than a block from my house.  Colt Park.  Get yer bike dirty in Hartford and do your best to beat Brendan.
3. Sunday, November 10th.  Traffic Safety 101 Course in West Hartford.  Chris and I (certified League Cycling Instructors) will be co-teaching this full day course.  Classroom, parking lot drills, and a guided road ride will hone your street cycling skills and working knowledge.  Registration is now open.
4. Tuesday, November 12th.  Bike Walk Connecticut Annual Dinner at CCSU.  This years event will be even bigger and the silent auction items are better than ever.  A good time for a very effective organization.  Celebrating our accomplishments and energizing the Connecticut bicycle cognoscenti for another year of bike and ped progress in 2013.   I'm going to fill up a table of ten with friends.  If you are interested in a seat at the table, drop me a line.

Pretty awesome that the bike-ness is spilling into November.  Am I missing other bike stuff in November?  If so, point it up in the comments.

I saved like five turtles on a ride.  This one was really cranky.

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How much awesomeness can Hartford handle?

In a previous post, I waxed on about the overwhelming bicycle packed weekend approaching in September.  In this post I'll break it down a little and focus on Saturday, September 21st.  The weekend has become so saturated that I can only process it one day at a time.  We start with the Discover Hartford Bicycle Tour, the best way to pedal around Hartford and take in the history, beautiful parks, and diverse neighborhoods.  10  mile and 25 mile routes stay within Hartford proper, and the 40 mile includes a loop over into Windsor, South Windsor, Manchester, and East Hartford.  South Windsor was particularly keen on getting into the tour, as they are now a Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community.  All three routes include updates, improvements, and route changes from previous years.  Bike Walk Connecticut is looking to far exceed 1,000 riders this year. The success of the tour is key to BWCT's 2014 state-wide advocacy and education efforts, as this is their biggest annual fundraiser.

Lot's of Discover Hartford Bicycle Tour links and info below:

• The tour is Saturday, September 21st and starts at 9AM.  I recommend arriving by 8:30 AM if you've registered online and by 8:00 AM if you are registering that morning.
• To save $15 and avoid the chaos of day of registration I recommend registering beforehand online.
• The tour is also registering event volunteers.  Those that want to make that extra effort to make the tour amazing can pitch in.
• Are you a local or regional business that would be interested in presenting at the event Expo in Bushnell Park?  Expo Registration is now open.

Following the bike tour, cultural institutions and creative leaders of Hartford take the ball and run with Envisionfest.  What is Envisionfest?  Straight from the website - 

• "Envisionfest Hartford is a free one-day festival on September 21st and a unique opportunity for people of all ages to discover and celebrate the capital city’s transformation.  Every aspect of the free city-wide event will showcase Hartford’s abundance of innovative history, arts and extraordinary cultural assets. Hundreds of live entertainment and hands-on activities will stimulate the senses, from free live musical entertainment and dramatic performances on six stages, to free admission to more than eight museums, landmark building tours, and lawn games in Bushnell Park."

And what's better, all of the Envisionfest activities are within easy biking and walking distance of Bushnell Park.   Check out this exhaustive list of ways you could spend your afternoon after the bike tour.  Last year post tour I just wandered around clueless and was amazed by how many different events and activities were available.  Perhaps this year I'll be more prepared.

And the cherry on the sundae.  Wait for it.  Are you ready?  THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS.  Free concert at 6:30PM in Bushnell Park.  What the Hell?  TMBG has fans from teens to folks in their 40's and 50's and they keep pumping out music.  I saw them seven or eight years ago at a free show in Boston, and it was great.  Looking forward to sitting on the lawn and unwinding (and maybe bouncing around a bit) while listening to the diverse grab bag of tunes that TMBG might pull out.  FYI - There is liberal BYO activity in Bushnell for concerts.  Great opportunity for a picnic.

On Saturday, September 21st my head is going to explode.  Apologize ahead of time for the mess.

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Chris is a Richard.

Not really.  We love Chris.  But I did take a compromising picture of him on the way back from Middlefield.  Although we didn't have the promised breakfast at O'Rourke's in Middletown, we did meet up with a fascinating group of ladies from the New Haven area at the orchard and they gave us cider donuts to avoid the bonk.  A stop at the Blackbird Tavern provided the fuel for a trip back north.

Note.  The Yuba (loaded with Chris's 20lbs of miscellany) is not the best bike to take on a hilly 60 miler.  Quite capable on dirt and train tracks though.  I couldn't decide which train track photo I preferred. Your thoughts.  Maybe we could do a long river ride before it gets too cold to enjoy it properly.  I really enjoy the out of control feel of floating on leaf litter.

And then my sister came to Hartford.  We rode bikes, marched in parades (as a Dragon and Foot), and danced until we nearly collapsed.  Kristen knits and I tried on her hat.  It made me evil.  Maybe Kristen will come back and stay a while... All in favor?

I woke up late for the Bike Walk CT Traffic Safety 101 course on Sunday, but one of the instructors, who I insulted in the title, gracefully let me sneak in.  I've decided to take this course because I'm an incorrigible scofflaw and need re-education.  That and being a League of American Bicyclists Cycling Instructor seems like something I could use in the future once I tire of silly jet engines.  One poor fellow managed to endo during the emergency stop exercise - no permanent damage though.

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Are you ready to get out and ride (greater) Hartford?

Open letter to folks that like to have fun,

Get off your ass and ride both these great events in Hartford happening within a week of each other.  Tell your friends, co-workers, and perfect strangers that they are total dorks if they don't show.  Hartford's bike culture is rising like ocean sea levels - started slowly, but now we're picking up speed.  Watch out for bike flooding in low lying areas.

Real Ride - Riding Around a Tree - Saturday, September 22nd.  

• There will be three sound systems (think boom box times 10) blasting tunes from bike trailers.  Front, middle, and tail of the group.  An upgrade over previous rides.
• Meet at Real Art Ways (56 Arbor Street, Hartford) to fancy up your bicycle. Cover yourself with things that glow and blink. We ride once the sun has set. Light up the night on this guided bike party through Greater Hartford.  We all leave together, pause a few times to regroup and finish at Real Art Ways for snacks, sips and tunes. 
• Highlighting this ride: Adam Niklewicz 's "Walking Around a Tree" projection will make its debut on Saturday, September 22 on the facade of the AT&T building downtown. "Walking Around A Tree," along with the sculpture/installation "The Charter Oak" on 215 Pearl Street, is a collaborative effort between the artist, the City of Hartford, The Wadsworth Atheneum and Real Art Ways. 
• The ride is FREE. Refreshments and light-up accessories will be available at the cafe for purchase.

Discover Hartford Bicycle Tour - Saturday, September 29th (NEW ROUTES)

• Family-friendly, leisurely ride to discover Hartford's neighborhoods, parks and architectural and cultural gems.  Choose from 10-,  25-, or 40-mile routes.  Registration / check in begins at 7AM in Bushnell Park and the rides leave at 9AM.
• Online Registration is open.  $30 for Bike Walk CT members and $40 for non-members.   Online registration ends on September 27th, and goes up to $45 for everyone day of the event.  
• Proceeds benefit Bike Walk CT, the organization making you safer with the 3-foot law and vulnerable user legislation.  Bike Walk CT gets more bike commuters on the road with the very successful Bike to Work events.  You can learn how to ride the streets safely with their Traffic Skills 101 course.
• Volunteers are still needed.  You can sign up online.
• Spread the word by inviting your bike loving (or bike curious) friends to the event on Facebook.

See you out there.

Tony C

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I need some bike mechanics.

Heya kiddos.  The Discover Hartford Parks Tour is Saturday, September 29th.  I'm looking for 6-8 mobile bike mechanics / route marshals.  Anyone interested should drop me a line.

You'll need some basic bike maintenance skills, and the ability to ride 10-25 miles - slowly.  Will also want 1-2 folks to be mechanics / sweeps for the 40 mile route.  I've heard that there are some world class bike mechanics that read the Beat Bike Blog.  Time to come out of the shadows and support a great event.  You'll need to bring your own basic tools and a pump - basically what you might bring on a multi-day tour.  I'll round up some tubes and patch kits to distribute.

You also get a free entry - and probably a t-shirt from the event.

Note:  Registration for the tour is now open.  If you don't want to volunteer, you should register now.  It's only $25 for Bike Walk CT members if you register before August 29th.  And help us spread the word with this Facebook invitation! Read more!

Bike to Work this Friday, May 18th

Get on your bikes and ride down to the Old State House  in downtown Hartford for some camaraderie and free breakfast.  I'll see you all there.  There are actually events throughout Connecticut on the 18th, not just in Hartford.

While you're at it, register for the National Bike Challenge.  This is an online tool for logging your bike commute miles where you can compete with friends and other employers to show you're the baddest ass bike commuter(s) in the state.

Some National Bike Challenge Stats:

• Pratt & Whitney is handing it to Travelers.  Engineers trump accountants?
• As of May 13th, Connecticut is ranked 21st of the states in the National Bike Challenge.  This curiously is the League of American Bicyclists most recent bicycle friendliness ranking of our state.
• Mississippi is as expected DFL in state rankings.  Sorry Mississippi, you suck.
• Metro Hartford is whipping the rest of the state on the community leaderboard.  Next runner up is Norwich-New London.

I think we can do better than 21st.  Come on folks!

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Ghost Bikes Return

Put back up a couple of ghost bikes on Burnside Avenue in East Hartford.  The CT DOT removed the originals last winter before one of the snowstorms, which was understandable.  The only irritating thing was they took them down the day before I headed over to get them myself.  So.... we painted a couple more bikes and replaced the memorials.  Lots of bicycles on the road in May, and everyone could use a reminder that we need to ride and drive safely.

Odd thing, when I was placing the first bike in front of the little grocery store I was immediately approached by "The Press."  It was odd because I'd told no one that I was placing the memorials today.  A friendly reporter from the East Hartford Gazette, who is also a cyclist, had seen me riding down the street with the ghosts in tow.  Recognizing them from last winter, he stopped and got the scoop.  I expect to see something show up in the Gazette in the near future.

With that in mind, the surviving partner of William Laramie, Linda Piotrowicz, is working with friends and family to organize the First Annual William Laramie Memorial Benefit Concert.  The event is Saturday, June 17th at the East Hartford Cultural Center from noon to 4PM.  The band lineup is amazing and entry donations will go to East Hartford school music programs and Bike Walk Connecticut.  Spread the word about the event with this Facebook invite.

On a totally different note, and I think a positive one, I have a P&W intern moving in late tonight for 10 weeks. He doesn't have a car, and I'll be setting him up with one of mine and showing him the routes to and from work.  The intern is actually in my group.  Either this is just a happy coincidence, or there is actually a wave of young college grads that don't automatically think they need a personal automobile.  I've read a recent article to that effect, and know of another friend that is housing a carless intern.  If the baby boomers and gen X'ers can't kick their car addiction, at least we can look to future generations to adapt as we pass from the scene (AKA die off). Read more!

It's Easier Than You Think

With an early Spring and $4 gasoline there are welcome new rumblings around the water cooler.  A perfect storm that lines up with the efforts of Bike Walk Connecticut, the statewide bicycle advocacy organization, to grow their successful Bike to Work program.  The Connecticut Bike to Work events started back in 2004 in downtown Hartford, and grew to include satellite events in the surrounding towns.  This year Bike Walk CT is donning the "statewide" mantle and promoting bicycle commuting across the vast lands of Connecticut.

Being a non-profit organization with limited resources, the statewide Bike to Work campaign doesn't include bagels and coffee in every little CT town, although many non-metro Hartford cities are now holding events.  For example New Haven and the Elm City Cyclists have a very well organized Bike to Work program.  Other cites interested in joining can contact Sandy Fry, who has all the details you'll need to set up a satellite event.  All you'll need is a food sponsor (employer, city, or yourself), a folding table, and some sweat equity. 
For those that don't have a local Bike to Work Event but still want to get in on the movement, we present to you -- the power of the internet.  Bike Walk CT has oddles of resources on their website for first timers.  Connecticut will also be competing in the National Bike Challenge.  The Challenge puts Connecticut head to head against other states, and hopefully the cyclists in our great state won't leave us with some embarrassing rankings. 

The Bike Challenge website gives you the tools to track miles, set up corporate teams, and show the nation that CT is serious about bicycle commuting.  I'm personally interested in the corporate challenge, and am certain that Pratt and Whitney will dominate the leaderboard.  Engineers respond quickly to the pocketbook pressure of high gas prices, and our bicycle racks are already overflowing.

Let's bike to work Connecticut.  It's easier than you think!

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Do-Over

For the second Tuesday in a row, we had another unseason- ably warm weather forecast, so I went ahead and followed the basic formula that had worked so well the previous week. Once again, I rode the Yuba something a bit shy of 30 miles, passed farms, got very hungry, consumed a lot of eggplant grinder, headed home, and finally got around to publishing a post about it one week later.


This go-around was more refined in nearly every way:
-This was a more thoroughly planned trip/route*- I was tabling for Bike Walk Connecticut's bike education programs at an all-day event in Cromwell. Their tabletop display fits nicely on the cargo bike, which made packing easy.
-More farm animals and equipment- There were goats, ducks, geese, chickens, and vintage tractors to be seen along the way.
-Superior eggplant grinder- my return through the South End made for a well-timed stop at my favorite grinder shop. So very good.

This was my first ride through Wethersfield on the packed gravel surface of the Heritage Way Bike Trail since last September. It was definitely more muddy and rutted this time around, but still passable on semi-slick tires. A good freeze would fix the mud issue in a jiffy, but who knows when that will happen? As nice as these rides have been, I'm finding these warm temps disturbing.


*which is not to say that thorough planning is necessarily better, just that it is more refined. Read more!

Bike job

Want a job involving a bike, but don't want to work in a bike shop or be a courier? Be executive director of Bike Walk CT. See the press release:

Bike Walk CT Seeks Full-Time Executive Director
Bike Walk Connecticut, a 501 (c) (3) organization working for a bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly Connecticut, is accepting applications for a full-time Executive Director who will work from its office in Hartford, Connecticut. Become part of this growing organization and help it achieve its potential as Connecticut's premier statewide bike/walk advocacy and education organization. The Executive Director is responsible for managing the overall affairs of Bike Walk Connecticut including the implementation of Board-approved projects, programs, policies, and procedures in fulfillment of its mission and strategic plan.
Details will be are posted at http://www.bikewalkct.org/resources/news-items/executive-director-2011/, or you can e-mail EDsearch@bikewalkct.org for information and job description. 

The above picture was taken when I threw a picnic for the 30th anniversary of Carl Andre's Stone Field Sculpture. It is entirely unrelated to riding a bike. Read more!

Bike Walk Connecticut's Annual Dinner at CCSU

The ride from Hartford to New Britain for the annual Bike Walk Connecticut dinner could have been worse.

But, it could have been much easier.

Imagine a direct route, one that does not involve speeding motorized vehicles with their operators honking for everyone to move out of their way. Imagine not having to constantly weave around smashed bottles, tree limbs, chunks of asphalt, and potholes.

According to James P. Redeker, the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Transportation, the route will soon be easier. Part of the oft maligned* New Britain-Hartford Busway will include a bike path, allowing cyclists to make this very trek without wondering when the shoulder is going to suddenly drop off or which driver is going to back out of his driveway without checking his rearview mirror first. Though this will not be completed overnight, having a reduced risk route between these two cities increases job options for many, including myself.

The New Britain-Hartford Busway development was not the only change Redeker mentioned in his keynote address at the Bike Walk Connecticut Annual Dinner. His Powerpoint showed improvements and proposed changes to infrastructure statewide, from closing gaps in bike trails to installing bicycle racks at train stations. He noted how resistant Metro-North has been to bike racks on trains, even when others were willing to foot the bill.

He said that sometimes a bit of public embarrassment is just the ticket to getting others to do the right thing.

For years, the CT DOT has had a reputation for dismissing the needs of cyclists and pedestrians outright. Redeker's speech Tuesday evening intended to assure the public that the DOT has begun to move in a new (or very retro) direction by supporting the need of all residents to safely move from place-to-place.

Professor and author, Mary Collins, in her welcome speech, spoke of the importance of movement and how our youth yearn for it. She is the award-winning author of American Idle: A Journey through our Sedentary Culture.

When she had her own students at Central Connecticut State University consider movement in our culture, it became clear to her that gaming and virtual reality could not replace the need that many have for moving around outdoors, whether that happens on a frozen lake or on a basketball court.

Ray Rauth, the first chair of the CT Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, was the recipient of the President's Award.

Supporters, particularly those who were silent auction winners, left the event in high spirits, maybe energized by Redeker's urging for advocates to remain in touch with him and stay on the DOT to continue making more people- and earth-friendly decisions about our state's infrastructure.

Again, as with last year's fundraiser, very few people rode. Though there was rain last time, the weather was ideal for riding last night: clear and crisp.

One can only speculate the reasons for this-- no time after work? Fair enough. Afraid of riding at night? Be more visible. Uneasy with riding in an area that is not exactly bicycle friendly? Good point. Too far? There were plenty of folk in attendance who live within ten miles.

If bicycle and pedestrian advocates are not willing to ride to their own events, what hope is there for getting others on board?

*I suspect that much of the Busway hate is mainly not because it involves a bus instead of a train, but because of the deep fear off all things urban. What would happen when Hard Hittin' and Hartford are linked up more easily? There goes the neighborhood!

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Bike to Work Week, brought to you by the fender industry

I unwittingly got an early start on Bike to Work Week with a full-day Sunday work call in South Green. The weather was very accommodating, with the day's heavy rains backing off during the 8 o'clock and 5 o'clock hours for relatively dry commutes. Monday was less rainy, but dreary nonetheless. It's still nice to get out though, and the plants are looking especially lush and green these days, so throw on your rain gear and have at it. There's plenty to do.

Tomorrow, the Ride of Silence makes its solemn way from Elizabeth Park. Meet at the Pond House on the West Hartford side of the park at 7 PM.

Thursday, elementary school kids will attend a 169^th birthday party for Albert A. Pope, founder of Pope Manufacturing and Columbia Bicycle, with cake and prizes at lunchtime at the Pope Park Recreation Center, Hartford.

This Friday brings us Bike to Work Day of Bike to Work Week of Bike Month, designating Friday as the Bike-to-Workiest Day of all. Several area rides will funnel the masses to a 7 AM rally at West Hartford's Blue Back Square and subsequently an even bigger rally at the capitol taking place from 7:30 to 8:30 AM. The rally is said to be peaking at 8:15, making that moment the Bike-to-Workiest moment of the entire freaking year! Strange and powerful things have been known to occur at such a moment, so you'd be foolish to pass it up. Also, there will be coffee and bagels.

Bike Walk Connecticut's Events Page has all the details on this week's festivities. Read more!

Bikes Outside: It's Lonely at the Summit

This morning, Bikes Outside takes a field trip to a near-flung corner of hard hittin' New Britain. There, on the grounds of CCSU, Bike Walk Connecticut held their first Bike Walk Summit this past Saturday. When I arrived a little early to help with check-in, mine was one of only two bikes in front of the already-buzzing Memorial Hall. I braced for another embarrassingly sparse bike turnout at a bike event, but a few more bikes did arrive in time for the official start of the event. By the time the first break rolled around, there were eight bikes locked up outside including mine. Two more attendees rode their bikes and parked them inside on the stairway landing. While this disqualified their pampered rides from Bikes Outside immortality, it did bring the observed ride-in total to 10. While this is an improvement over last March's rainy annual meeting, it's still pretty underwhelming for an event with an estimated attendance of 160, and no, I don't think (m)any of the other people walked there. The weather was really beautiful this time, too.


The bikes that were representing were of the practical sort. Fenders and racks were the norm rather than the exception. The Kettler Elegance had internal gearing, dynohub lighting, a Trinity College decal and was made from alurad, a lightweight alloy of aluminum and radness (comparable, but not identical to the "aluminawesome" and "alubitchin' "alloys) A Breezer Uptown 8 rocked similar specs. A couple of Trek hybrids that I know well from years of CCBA Bike To Work breakfasts were there, along with a few more bikes, a tadpole recumbent trike and my own cargo bike (not pictured). The summit itself was a success. There was still plenty of bike bonding and policy discussion, etc to be had inside (which warrants another post when time allows), but not enough bikes outside.

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The Eel Again!

Remember The Eel? First, it was this cool off road race thing in the rain with a respectable number of participants. Then, it was an alley cat and not too many people came. After that, it was a short ride that Brendan, Salem and Dario took and we froze are our asses off.

Now, there's a new one. On Oct. 30, my plan is to start at 10am and ride the CT River in a mostly offroad fashion from Hartford down to Middletown, up to Windsor Locks and then back down. Does this sound like fun to you? It's not going to be competitive. It's going to be an adventure. Just the other day, Dario and I were riding part of the proposed course we were navigating fallen trees across treacherous canyons. It was awesome.

Email me if you're interested in participating. Soon, I'll try to make another sweet logo.

Speaking of the Connecticut River, our Source to Sea cleanup is back on for this Sunday the 17th at 10am. See you then?

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Thoughts on a name

Early this spring, the bombshell was dropped that the Central Connecticut Bicycle Alliance's familiar name would be no more. The organization is now known as Bike Walk Connecticut. They stressed that the full name was to be used at all times, so the abridgments that immediately sprang to my mind, such as BiWaCo and BikWaConn, or BWC are not approved. As both a slow typist and speaker, I lament this. I am always looking to maximize my syllabic efficiency, and this new nomenclature could prove persistently cumbersome. CCBA slipped smoothly and swiftly off the tongue like a wet Sucrets. I miss it. After a few months, I confess that I haven't gotten used to the new name yet.

Part of it is that I lament the organization is no longer an alliance in name. A word like "Alliance" can give anything a more appealing cache. If you and your compatriots are in any (non-Renault) alliance, there is an unmistakable sense of camaraderie. It makes you want to march (or ride, of course) with banners and sashes. It gives you automatic clout and presence. Your foes will cower. Soon your group will be referred to simply as "The Alliance" and everyone will know who that means. If anything, they should have gone with a more heroic-sounding name, like "Bicycle Liberation Front" or "Car-Smiting Velo Resistance"

My understanding is that the reasons for the name change were to extend the organization's reach state-wide and to include pedestrians in the mix. That's all well and good, but they could have done so with jazzier names. Here are a few:

Feet: Our Only Transportation (acronym: FOOT)- Easy to remember. Feet are integral to both walking and bicycling. The annual fund-raising dinner could be called the FOOT Ball.

Wary Eastern Riders Of Cycling Kickassery (acronym: WE ROCK)- A bit brash, perhaps, but also easy to remember. "You can too!" could be a recruiting slogan for prospective members who would also like to rock out with us (no rooster jokes, please)

Walking Impressively Tones Hindquarters, UnderStood? (acronym: WITH US)- The acronym is inherently inclusive! Slogan/rallying cry: If you're not WITH US, you're against us! (err, that may dilute the inclusiveness a bit, actually, but I'd still go with it) Sort of pedestrian-centric, but does reinforce the notion that exercise gives you a nicer-looking rump.

Alliance Against Autodependence (acronym: AAA) It's an alliance! Confused motorists would call the organization's hotline when their cars die. A svelte volunteer would arrive with a loaner bike, simultaneously performing both a field rescue and an intervention. What could possibly go awry in this scenario?

The more inspirations I have (and I assure you, dear readers, there will inevitably be more) the less I feel like BiWaCo will be ringing me up for advice. They will likely stick with their current name, and I will likely learn to get used to it. Read more!

May Bike to Work

Today was the monthly Bike to Work event, and from what I hear, the only one scheduled for the year. Finding this hard to believe, I read over the Bike Walk Connecticut website, clicking here and there, hoping to find evidence to the contrary. In the extensive spreadsheet of upcoming bike rides, I saw events listed throughout New England and New York, but no more monthly rides from wherever-to-downtown-Hartford for breakfast. What a shame! Could it really be that the first Bike to Work I managed to participate in will be my last for the year? I hope that Bike Walk Connecticut simply forgot to update their website on this matter. As lovely as all the legislation they are working on is, they must remember that the way to get asses on the bike seats, is, well, by getting asses on the bike seats.


Old banner?
I took some black and white photos, not to be artsy, but to remove the amount of neon yellow from the scene. Personally, I find motorists to be more attentive to my needs as a cyclist when I ride without my shirt. They respect the three-foot-law and slow down. Win win.


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