Eel X(treme)!

All zero of you readers probably thought that (a) the eel didn't happen or (b) I never came back.

Well, I'm here to tell you that it did and it was probably the best one since the first one.

There was nearly 20 people and all but two made it all the way through the ride in some fashion. No one did the 70 miles route the right way. Since even though I came up with the thing, I led a group astray through People's State Forest. Though in sacrificing some dirt, we rode the extremely fun road ("road") descent through the middle of the park. 

I think the route road extremely well, so no plans to change it for next year in an meaningful way and I think the date was perfect for "fall color". Maybe I'll charge $2 and get some kind of food option. Maybe not. I got a whole year to think about it. Read more!

Eel eel eel eel!

Remember The Eel? I've thrown like sixty or five of them, but now I'm bringing back. Bringing it back to the level putting it on BIKEREG! https://www.bikereg.com/eel-x/

~70 miles on Oct 13 at 9am. Meet on Tunxis Road in Tariffville. Plenty of parking on the street if drive here. Up to Mass and then back to here. And, of course, it's free!

These are pictures from the actual route. Can you believe it???

This ride has a river-centric air to it, too-- headwaters of the Farmington, another river containing eels https://lowerfarmingtonriver.org/learn-about-the-river/biodiversity/.

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Pygmy Village

If you've ever gone passed the DMV in Plainville, you end up in a weird place. I went there one time in high school with my friend Bobby and it was our mutual opinion that it was weird. Later, I learned that it's the site of the Pygmy Village on Rattlesnake Mountain. While some dispute its spookiness, the rest of the internet is convinced of it spookitude. I had never been from the New Britain direction, so I set out that way on Saturday. 

Crossing the I-84 overpass on to west side of the highway, there are these walls made of giant concrete blocks that are about eight feet high on both sides of the road, creating an Escape from New York aesthetic. The blocks end and there's a fenced off area with a lot of no trespassing signs where someone was mowing followed by two rundown occupied houses and one abandoned one. My goal was to ride down North Mountain road back into Plainville, but what appears to be North Mountain road is just a cut for powerlines. Perhaps that's where the Pygmy Village lies, but it did not particularly possible to ride that way. Instead, I continued on what was sort of Long Swamp Rd up Rattlesnake Mountain and eventually came out at the Tilcon quarry. There was some very impressive corduroy.

I'll admit that the spookiness of the area discouraged me from checking out the powerline cut further. Perhaps that's where the Pygmy Village is, but I'll never know for sure. I am interested in exploring more of the ATV trails on Rattlesnake Mountain. I once rode the Metacomet over Rattlesnake, but it was mostly unrideable, hike-a-bike stuff. It looks like it would be possible to do a Tour de Talcott-type ride, but south from the West Hartford Reservoir. I rode once from there to Southington and the Rattlesnake section was the most discouraging. Other than that, it was ok. Discovering these ATV trails and dirt roads make for a pretty good alternative.

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My study plan

It is once again the sad time in during the year when I have exams. It's sad, because I have free time all of the sudden, but it's free time during which I'm supposed to be studying. As you can imagine, I am terrible at this and sneak out for a bike ride every day. While obviously I have done this the past two semester, strangely I haven't failed out yet. I wish that I rode with headphones, because I could probably find "Evidence on Tape" or something like that.

Anyway, here's a picture of a really, really rocky trail I found the other day at the Reservoir that I don't recommend.

Unrelated, I am taking "Boats" this semester, but I really wish they offered "Bikes". Sadly, most cases, except Blonski and Martel and mountain bikes involve divorces. I am encountering the same thing with canoes for the paper I'm endeavoring to write about canoe law.

Also, I just discovered that they have mountain biking license plates in Idaho. See I.C. § 49-419E. I thought they were for your bike, which is bizarre, but they're for your car, like the Sound plates or those greenway plates here.

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Wound update

My gross wound from this weekend is getting better, but walking to work is actually pretty nice. Time to collect my thoughts, look at flowering trees, say "good morning" to people, document things on see click fix. Also, I've ridden passed this bike balcony at least a hundred times without noticing it.

Rain was threatening this morning and I wanted to see if I could pedal. I can, so it looks like I'm still on for Salem's ride on Saturday.

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Violations

I've been sort of derelict in my blogulatory duties lately. Perhaps my interest in blogging waning. Perhaps I'm a crappy writer. Perhaps I've got writer's block. That would be funny, because I'm not a writer. Some stuff:

1. Riding a bike in a Hartford park is now legal, even if you do it off road. This allows you to ride a bike in Bushnell Park... not that anyone was being prevented before. In fact, bicycles were technically not allowed on the bike path along the CT River. However, this is also opens up the opportunity for riding on dirt. So, Keney Park "mountain biking" is now legal. As you can imagine, I had a little bit to do with this ordinance.


2. I'm not very good at riding a rigid bike.

I thought that I was, so I rode my rigid stumpjumper at the Winding Trails race. I came in 11th (14 seconds out of points). Fun & fast race, though.

this isn't winding trails.

3. Thai Food on the Wheels in back in Bushnell Park, so my lunch opportunities have been expanded.

this is fungus soup in a bowl

4. Hi water has receded, so one can ride near rivers again.


5. I'm sort of antsy to go to Vermont and ride for long on dirt.

6. I fixed my mom's bike (well, as well as I can fix a bike). Maybe she'll start riding it again.

that gel thing + the giant saddle weigh as much as the rest of the bike

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a little Key Wierdness to warm your day

Handcuffs for bike locks are as common as rusty fenders here in Key West; but this awesomely strange combination of handlebar and bar ends is certainly not. I wondered who the rider was as I passed this bicycle going into the Bottle Cap Lounge as well as when I left. Perhaps the owner was sitting next to me? Perhaps they are seven or eight feet tall? Or enjoy riding standing up with good posture? I dunno, but bless them for making me smile!


Many people here simply do not have cars and use bicycles for everything; commuting to work, grocery shopping and towing their jet-skis! This dude prolly ain't getting into the large chainring anytime soon.


A fixie with a basket isn't too weird, but jumping sharks!?!? Really!?! Luckily we didn't have to dodge any this night during our pier tour. I bet a bite from one would mos def leave a bruise.


But...if a jumping shark had attacked us, I would have whipped out my sword and used my pirate skills to battle to the death! I have also found it to be very effective when drunk tourists stumble into the street in front of me while riding. A loudly yelled "ARRRRRRR" and a sword over my head usually sends them running back to a sidewalk of laughing bystanders. (yeah, go ahead and call me trash for not yet taking down my Christmas lights!)



We've all seen the Hartford messengers stacking their fixies on parking meters and poles in front of Mad Dawgs, Vegas and other spots. Well, down here in Key Weird, we hang our cruisers in trees when going out for swanky dinners. There's actually a second cruiser in the back of the tree and both are locked up in the branches.

a few more after the jump...




This installation, part of Sculpture Key West can be found at Fort Zack until April. Have a seat here in the shade if the sun and beach gets too hot for you.



Considering I took this during the Holiday Lights Bicycle Tour, it isn't really weird. There were also a few other bicycles with dogs, actually a lot, but only one trike with a dog and so many lights. Well done!


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