AAA considers B's

AAA (the American Automobile Association) has not generally been known as an ally of cyclists. They've lobbied against bike infrastructure, public transportation and more bike friendly laws. However, starting in Portland, OR in 2009 and now migrating into Colorado and Southern New England, they're providing pickups for stranded cyclists. 

This doesn't seem to have an effect upon their lobbying efforts, though there are some scattered reports that AAA supports bike infrastructure as long as it does not involve diverting money from road projects. The catch with the pick for cyclists, though, is that they'll only take you ten miles. If I'm only ten miles from home, do I really need a ride? Although, the base towing with the regular AAA card is only 5 miles. I guess the ten miles is something. It's a 100 miles of towing/year with your car if you have the higher end memberships. It'd be nice if the better membership brought you increased bike pick-up service, too. 

It would be interesting to see if anyone is using this service. Moving a broken car a few hundred feet can be pretty much impossible, but moving a few miles with a broken bike is not too hard. I sort of want to test it out just to see what the service is like and if it really exists.

UPDATE! I confirmed with greater Hartford AAA that the service is available here, too.

Read more!

Race, class and bike infrastructure

So, I was at this conference at Yale over the weekend. I had originally wanted to go by bike, because I like the ride down to New Haven. The weather forecast called for horrific thunderstorms, so I drove. I stayed overnight at my friend Marko's and brought my bike because I'm bad at parking and didn't want to worry about my car the next day because I was moderating this panel. Also, you can probably imagine that I like riding my bike.

New Haven has bike infrastructure. Lots of it. It's pretty cool. There are racks everywhere, sharrows and a bike path that'll take you all the way to Cheshire. People use it, too. This includes a person who locked up their Richard Sachs and left it in the rain. I was happy to be able to use it, because Hartford is not as excited about bike infrastructure.

I was thinking and I never think positive things. I saw lots of people on bikes in New Haven, but they generally looked white and middle class. That in and of itself is not upsetting. I fall into those categories. And really, it didn't make me upset with New Haven. Instead, it made me upset with Hartford. People ride bikes in Hartford. Not just people who look like me, indeed mostly people who don't look like me. We've got some racks downtown, but not in very many other places. Although, they're put in a front places where bike riders don't usually go. There was this big master plan to put them in all neighborhoods, but that seems to have stalled. It would seem that not the right people are riding bikes in Hartford, so we aren't going to do anything to help that mode of transportation.

This led to other dark thoughts. The City never clears its sidewalks when it snows and people have to walk in road. Are non-automotive-base transportation modes only invested in or maintained when they're tools of gentrification? It reminded me of the hearing for the destruction of the skatepark/Downtown North. In trying to attract the affluent, we keep hearing about complete streets, walkability and bike lanes. I'm tired of bikes and walking being leverage points for something bigger development project. They're good ways to get around, but please stop co-opting for your luxury condos.

It wasn't always this way either. Ten-twelve years ago, sharrows showed up on Babcock and Lawerence, the bus lane north of Windsor Ave is also a bike lane and Tower Ave has a bike lane. I think this debate went on a long time ago in Brooklyn and it was determined that bike lane marking was a gentrification tagging. Of course, this doesn't explain the bike lane on Maxim Road that goes to the sewage treatment plant. I think that was bike lanes as means to try and stop street racing.

So, anyway, I've decided that I'm against bike lanes now that they're tools of the oppressor.

Ed. note:
This guy did some writing about it and I thought it was worth reading. Read more!

The Winds of Change are Blowing

Brendan accused us of not blogging.  Perhaps we've been riding too much?  Such thing as too much riding?

Before we start, I wanted to put a plug in for the deliciously beautiful sufferfest that Salem has arranged for next weekend, the DeTour de Connecticut.  Approximately 120 miles of the roads and trails less traveled.  Bring your chubby tires and buns of steel.  Don't forget to print up the cue sheets and bring a map and / or GPS device.  It's going to be a blast!

I noticed this past week that the bike racks outside my building at work were full.  Facilities had just added a third rack.  It seems that our Connecticut bicycles made sweet productive love this balmy winter in their dark garages and basements.  This Spring their energetic progeny is out frolicking on our streets and clogging up bike racks.  It's amazing really.  Overnight it seems some people are realizing that the world is changing / has changed and their old habits just won't work in the long term.  Not everyone.  But I feel it has begun.

Read more!

Bike racks come downtown en masse

I think some early beat bike blog post was about a coworker and me wondering around downtown, marking spots on the sidewalk and then making a map of where to put bike racks. This was like four years ago. There were subsequent spreadsheets and meetings and boring government things you don't want to know about it. Then, nothing happened.

I gave up on the whole concept of anything ever happening, but I got an email from Kevin Sullivan (the ccba guy, not former lt. Governor) earlier this week declaring that some had gone in and they're going to continue to put them in this week. I haven't seen any yet with my own eyes, but I saw a picture of some in front of the library. Why the library got priority, I don't know, seeing how they already had some by the arch street entrance and there's a city hall bike rack right there, too.

Anyway, I'm going to stop complaining in the hopes that I can stop locking my bike to trash cans.

Read more!

Workbench from Heaven.

Just a short errand ride this morning.  My route was prescribed by the unnoticed ejection of my cable lock the night before while riding home from Hartford along the slippery Hockanum River boardwalk.  Heading back along the boardwalk just past the transfer station I found Salem, his bike rubber side up changing a flat.  We bs'd shortly about how bikes are great because you can jerry-rig just about anything.  Salem's rim strip had snapped during the repair, so he tied a knot in it and was cutting a piece of plastic candy wrapper to cover the gap.  On to the post office, I changed my address to downtown Hartford and if I'm lucky the closing will come off on Tuesday.  Bike move will follow on Saturday (2/4) and I hope to find one or two friends that think this will be a fun adventure.

My next stop was the Glastonbury Home Depot, but I decided to detour along the path that starts behind Kahoots.  Passing under the bridge I noticed that the hut was being rebuilt.  You may remember that Brendan bemoaned the burned camp in a recent post.  I stopped and started up a brief chat with the fellow who has been living at this industrious camp.  Carl (name changed) said that he'd gotten out of the hut before getting crispy himself, meaning he must have been inside when it started.  So far no one seems to bother him, and it looks like he's up-sizing his accommodations.  My initial impression was that Carl is a friendly sort.

While rolling along Main Street doubled up for a while with a fellow from Portland on a short road ride.  I kicked it up a notch to ride even and show that even with knobby studs, jeans, and panniers his pace wasn't that impressive.  Can't seem to kill the competitive bug, although I've been able to hide it mostly.  Being slow helps.  At Home Depot I reviewed their appliance selection and decided to pick up a couple of Rubbermaid bins and miscellaneous home goods.   As you can see, they fit nicely onto a rear bike rack - hint to those that might want to help me move stuff to Hartford.

Just a block from home (in East Hartford for now) there was a curbed home made work bench, complete with a functional bench vise. No shit.  From heaven.  I walked back and lugged the awkward and surprisingly heavy load home.  How did the universe know that I needed a workbench?  I can't wait to install my TS-2 and true some badly neglected wheels.   

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!

Read more!

Bicycle survivalism

While riding home in the rain from school with a pannier full of books, cat litter (unused) and groceries, in addition to a 12 pack of Miller Lite on my front rack, I realized that the zeitgeist of the beat bike blog is bicycle survivalism. We don't really race all that much and we're only mediocre advocates, but we really enjoy talking about putting our bikes in weird places and carrying weirder things around. Things are scavenged and jury-rigged together, but it's not really DIY in the cool sense (like this, I guess?). It's more functional, but irrationally functional.

While riding, I was trying to consider why we do this. It is generally much more fun to get around by a bike, even if it's in adverse conditions. Yet, carrying heavy loads in freezing rain on icy streets in the dark on your bike is very perverse fun. So, I'm guessing our attitude is something like akin to smugness, but more along the lines are a feeling of superiority of beating society at is own game by developing self-imposed rules to make it more difficult and then claiming that's all possible with reliance status quo. I don't know. What do you think? Read more!

World's greatest panniers

I think cyclists fall into three camps when it comes to moving things by bike: bag on bike, bag on person or basket. And, then there are some weirdos use pockets or plastic bags hanging from bar ends.

I used to always put my bag on my back, but then I started carrying heavier things longer distances. That makes for back pain and sweat. So, I invested in Ortleib Roller Classics (for the back rack) and my life has changed in so many positive ways. They're so waterproof that it's incomprehensible and practically take themselves on and off the bike. Even yesterday as I was ruining by hubs and bottom bracket in the flooded meadows, my pannier contents stayed dry.

Speaking of carrying things around. Soup art returns! Tomorrow at 7pm!

Read more!

Flinging Mud

In the spirit of the Red Sox, I also had a completely bootleg opening day for cycling. Now, it's not that I stopped during the winter. It's just that my cold weather cycling was transportation-only, not joy riding. So, with today's forecast of temperatures in the 50s and sunshine, I was excited to get out and go down by the river, where it would not be flooded anymore.

I loaded up the Jenny, who does not go out when there is snow and ice on the ground. The plan was to ride around, read a book in the sunlight, and maybe stop for coffee before meeting up with friends on the other side of town. Everything is all set and ready to go, and I realize the tires are really soft. I usually make such observations once I'm miles for home. Oh, and I have no idea where my pump is. I had to unload everything and take Starry Starry Bike, which does not have a basket and which still does not have the seat/handlebar arrangement quite to my liking anyway. I like to sit upright, not hunched forward.

Since the tires are all inflated and I needed to get out for fresh air, I was not going to be too annoyed about it. Anyway, it's got working brakes, which is more than can be said for most local bikes.

The first thing I notice is that everything is out of whack. The shifting is rough. There are three separate sounds coming from the bike that ought not be. But the brakes work and the bike can move, which is all I need for the time being. I just wish it would be a more stealthy ride.

The public path is, of course, blocked with a gate. There's enough room to walk my bike around it, but a cargo bike wouldn't fit. This is total bullshit and there are other barriers that could be put into place that would allow bicycles to go through more easily, while blocking cars. Patrolling of the Riverfront is sporadic -- heavy during the week and less so on the weekend -- which is only a concern in so far as I wanted to immediately complain about the gate to someone.


So, there is a new crop of graffiti, none of which is impressive. Really, if you're going through the trouble of making illegal "art," why not write something worth reading? Step it up guys!

My irritation with how inaccessible this awesome path is continues. The elevators to the elevated plaza were marked "closed for season." It's April, sunny, and warm. What season are they waiting for? So, I have to either go all the way around from the edges of the Riverfront path (which I do) or I have to portage my bicycle up all the friggin steps. I can't walk up half the stairs without getting winded. Those are crap options.

A large section of the path is now muddy from what the Connecticut River gifted us when it overflowed its banks. It ended up being better that I took Starry Starry Bike because the Jenny's tires probably would not have liked it. As sloppy as it was, the mud only got on my boots, thanks to my fenders.

It was fun watching people sliding around on the path. Looked like the MDC trucks had trouble with the path too. Suckers.


When I got to the Riverside Park I saw that there was a festival of fire or something on the East side of the river.
One marvels at the things that go on over there. Fires. Dirtbikes on sandbars. It's comforting to have a river in between us and that nonsense. We only have to contend with uninspired graffiti and drunks passed out on the stone benches.

Like a drifter I was born to bike alone.

When I finally abandoned the riding around in circles aimlessly, I thought I'd stop off for a late breakfast. After manhandling the quaint sidewalk cafe so that I could lock up my bike, someone came over the inform me that the new cafeteria-with-canned goods has a bike rack inside of the parking garage next door. They might want to post signs advertising that. Anyway, I sat where I could see my bike just in case some ironic young professional decided to mess with it. Next time, the bike is coming in with me. If people can bring strollers into stores, I can bring my bike. There's nothing on my bike, after all, that wails or shits itself.


Read more!

Incredulity

It was the discussion of banana portaging that grabbed my attention while reading Bike Snob NYC yesterday, but the part of his post that had real staying power was something I had basically buried in my brain as I read it. At night, I went to some semi-glitzy, social networking event, and yeah, I rode my bicycle there. I hadn't ridden in a few months and was tired of that, plus, this event always creates a traffic jam and I have has much patience for sitting in traffic as I do for incompetence in the workplace.

Before even leaving the house, I was hearing how basically I was crazy for riding my bicycle when it was this cold outside. I'm not going to sugarcoat it. I've ridden in more pleasant weather, but I have been regularly walking to work, and the cold has bothered me far less than the impending doom promised by uncleared sidewalks. There were days when I would have worried less about such things, but I have a mortgage and no health insurance; I am constantly calculating how much a slip would cost me should I have to go to the emergency room for a broken bone. It's exhausting to feel so much contempt for fellow earthlings who are both too lazy and immature to take care of their shit.

Anyway, what I learned on the route there was that Starry Bike, for the most part, can deal just fine with ice. While I was a bit out of shape and winded, the trip didn't take very long -- much less than it would've if I walked and less than if I drove -- and I never got too cold. I was able to lock up at a bike rack (thanks to Tony for the tip), use a locker inside where to stash helmets and unsexy accessories, and enjoy a child-free event. It's not that I don't like some children. It's just that there is a certain pleasure to be had in cussing up a storm in a space that is usually lousy with youths.

When they turned off the lights and kicked us all out to the curb, it took us awhile to get our bikes unlocked. People were streaming by and some drunk (I'm hoping drunk, because otherwise he is just an ass) guy is all like "Oh my God! She's gonna ride a bike." Now, my response was a passive aggressive comment to Interstatement about how people stupidly don't understand the way sound actually travels, and people who are being talked about can hear the conversation too. In younger days, I would've just gotten up in his face for that spewing of dumb.

That's when it clicked. I remembered a key part from the Bike Snob NYC post:

One of my favorite aspects of any bicycling-themed news report is always the reporter's total incredulity that someone actually rides a bicycle. Note her inflection when she says the following at 44 seconds:

His bikes have more miles than his car!

I love how she says it as though that's the epitome of insanity, in exactly the same way she'd say something like: "He keeps an incredibly rare Fahaka puffer fish in his toilet!"

The intonation of the comment was absolute incredulity. That's the perfect word. If I said I was going to birth eight babies at once without a partner, he may have been less amazed. Out-of-control breeding is more normalized than using self-powered transportation.

This is not the first time I encountered this incredulity.

Months ago, I wrote about (but never published) an account of an unfortunate exchange between some Audi-driving moron and myself. I found myself at an event that had jumped the shark so long ago that simply calling it "tired" will suffice for description. I was jubilant to get the hell out of there but had to fumble with two locks first.

Meanwhile, this uncreative, blonde-haired pustule was standing nearby, trying to get my attention. Imagine his lines slurred:
Audi: Hey Dorothy! Dorothy!
Me: *ignores*

I had gotten the locks off, attached the back light, and had to rig up the headlight. Since there is no proper way to attach the light on the Jenny, this was taking awhile. At some point, I made the mistake of turning around and making eye contact.

Audi: Excuse me?
Me: Yes? [read that with rudeness and annoyance in tone]
Audi: Let me just tell you two things.
Me: *rolls eyes* What?
Audi: That is an amazing dress. Are you going to put that basket on the bike?

It should be mentioned that the basket had already been affixed to the bicycle. Three beers fewer and he might have noticed this.

Audi: Where did you get your basket?
Me: My BOYFRIEND gave it for me, so I don't know where HE got it.

I hate having to do that, but my memories of being a pugnacious youth taunt me and I don't want to wind up with a public defender for kicking some deserving brat in the shins.

At this point another woman walks by to retrieve her bike. He begins to annoy her.

Audi: Hey, how come you don't wear heels and a dress like her?

The woman mumbles something back and quickly maneuvers her bike out of there. The jerkwad turns back to me.

Audi: How're you gonna get home? You're gonna have a tough time riding home in the dress and heels? How're you gonna ride side saddle?

Me: I fucking got here didn't I? I rode here wearing the same thing I'm leaving in.

Still futzing with the light, I gave up and rolled it somewhere away from Audi Guy so that I could attach the light in peace.

This incredulity, as described here, can be rude, but sometimes it's more innocent. Whatever the case, I don't get it. How do these people control themselves when they see something truly amazing? Do they awegasm at the sight of a bear riding a tricycle or while watching a child get born? Do their brains explode on spot at the sight of a Tiffany's diamond display case? I can't even imagine what it must be like to be so simple-minded. Read more!

Bike Raquiem

The bike rack in the parking lot at the corner of Ann and Pearl Streets was a nice, albeit poorly installed, one. The "Wave" or "u-n" configuration is one of the more useful forms a bike rack can take, and it was even a nice shade of green. The half-assed and ham-fisted manner in which it had been bolted to the ground made it loose and wobbly, but it was large enough that I felt secure leaving the Yuba there for hours. It was also visible from the office of my employer for added peace of mind. Here it is this past autumn with the Yuba and some selfish asshat's obnoxiously-parked BMW:

For the past week or so, the rack was concealed by a giant mound of plowed snow. I locked my bike to a signpost across the street and grumbled at how inconsiderate it was to completely bury the only bike rack in a section of downtown that is disproportionally over-devoted to car parking. As the warmer weather melted the snow, however, it was revealed that the plow-hack had in fact destroyed the rack as well.

The person or persons responsible for plowing this lot should replace this bike rack at once. Failing to notice an 8 foot long bike rack, or any fixture on your customer's property is inexcusably unprofessional and incompetent.

Also, can the BMW drivers please give it a rest and park within the lines? The owner of this X3 is fully deserving of the term Masshole.

Read more!

Bikes Outside: Pratt Still Lacks Racks in Fact

I've seen this hardtail on Pratt Street dozens of times. It's one of the regulars at the ornate iron fence in front of the late, lamented Tanuki Japanese Noodle Kitchen. It's still not a proper bike rack, mind you, but it is one of the prettiest improvised bike racks in town.


Circumstantial evidence points to bike messenger usage though a derailleur-geared mountain bike with disc brakes is a bold departure from messenger orthodoxy. It's not a bad idea, though, as there is plenty of off-road goodness to be had near downtown Hartford. What better way to cap off the workday than a knobby-tired happy hour?

Here's mud in your eye!

Read more!

Sky Pilot

With my recent trip to Oregon came all the excitement and uncertainty of plunking myself down in a completely unfamiliar place. I knew I would surely want to do a lot of exploring. My natural inclination was to bring a bike along, but I was quickly discouraged by the steep asking prices from the airlines and parcel carriers. Even the 26" folding bike frame I own would have been considered "oversized" and subject to their steep penalties. Renting a bike for a three-week span of time would have also cost a small fortune.

My solution: find a cheap beater bike on Craigslist, ride it for the duration of my stay and unload it as I prepared to leave.

I started seriously surfing the Portland craigslist a few days before my departure. Several promising bikes were gone the day they were listed. It seemed that used bikes moved fast around there. I found an ad for a Skykomish Granite Point, a Pacific NW regional brand mountain bike with Shimano Deore components, a huge seat, a pair of clip-on fenders, and an asking price of $60. I called the number in the ad. The woman who answered still had the bike and was willing to hold it a couple of days and meet me somewhere after my flight arrived. We stayed in touch by phone and arranged a meetup.

Upon arrival at PDX Airport, I took the MAX light rail to a nearby stop and met the seller (and her father, a wise precaution for a rendezvous with some random stranger from across the country) in a nearby parking lot. The bike (and for that matter, the seller) did not disappoint in person. It was a solid machine that looked to be of an early 1990's vintage, with Tange Chromoly frame and forks, Shimano Deore components, and a paint job that was even more obnoxiously bright than in the photo. The only downsides I could see were excessively brake-worn rims, a clunky adjustable stem and the aforementioned huge seat, which proved as chafingly uncomfortable as I had imagined. It was easily worth $60 or more, especially given how cool and accommodating the seller had been.

I paid and thanked the young woman and hopped back on the MAX. Upon arriving in downtown Portland, I got off and quickly found an upscale bike shop. I bought a big Wald basket (under $20 new) and proceeded to crudely and quickly install it on my new Skykomish right on the sidewalk in front of the bike shop. I later refined and lowered my quickie basket install, bought and installed a nice used Zefal rear rack (in which my U-lock stowed snugly) added water bottle cages and swapped on a better used stem at the excellent Citybikes co-op (public workstands FTW!) I love it when a plan comes together! I took to my new ride immediately, and it took me all over Portland and beyond, on and off-road, with little complaint.

There was one problem. I was growing fond of this bike. Trips to bike shops and bike co-ops had allowed me to customize the fit and specs of the bike to my liking, as well as meet and chat with some cool people. I traded in the ginormous "comfort" seat for credit toward a new saddle that suited me better at Citybikes. The twice-weekly evening sessions at UBI (where students can work on their own bikes after class) had enabled me to get it functioning better than ever with a new 7-speed cassette and new bearings in both hubs and the bottom bracket. The rims were pretty wasted, so that was a strike against selling or donating it to someone who might keep riding it until a rim failed. I did not need another bike, certainly not another mountain-cum-commuter, as much as I approve of the genre. My rationalization powers (they can be formidable at times) kicked in and I decided to send the Granite Point back east.

I remembered that Greyhound ships parcels station-to-station for short money. I don't live far from Union Station in Hartford, so this option was full of appeal. I spent the last evening work session at UBI disassembling the bike and the wheels (I kept the hubs and tossed the worn-out rims) I obtained a bike box from one of the local bike shops and packed it full of the Skykomish, my "Thesis wheels" from the wheelbuilding course, books, tools, and protective padding in the form of scrap cardboard, pipe insulation and generous amounts of dirty laundry. On the eve of my flight home, one of my UBI classmates drove me to the bus station in his veggie oil-powered Mercedes 240D (The sole time I rode in a car during my three week sojourn was still unmistakably Oregonesque). Price-wise, shipping came to about a dollar a pound.

My parcel arrived in Hartford, well-scuffed but intact, one week later. My transplanted bike has been unpacked and awaits future tinkering in the basement. This bike is not a huge priority, but I do have a plan for its enhanced city commuter makeover: New handlebars (North Roads or some swept-back equivalent) new cables, a more permanent pair of fenders and a new set of rims laced to the hubs. I'm leaning toward building my first set of 650B wheels for it, as the frame has plenty of clearance for them and they would better suit the smoother terrain where this bike was at its best. Also, I have difficulty leaving well enough alone, but you probably knew that already. One way or another, the mighty Skykomish will ride again, and you'll probably see it around when it does. With that paint job, it'll be hard to miss.
Read more!

Lettuce Ride

Not all outings threaten to mangle ye olde she-taint. Today's ride was simple -- a very familiar, somewhat short ride to my garden. Another fine use for my basket: carrying a claw and hoe in it makes for easy access to self-defense tools, should they be needed. It also holds less lethal items, like fresh-picked lettuce.

After one of many trips here, I noticed a certifiable bike rack in the vicinity. This means not needing to wheel my bike into the cluttered garden anymore!

Read more!

Festival of Smug

Biking in the rain provides many surprises, especially when one is loath to check the meteorologists' predictions for the day. Needing to venture to West Hartford Center to do some banking, I opted to leave the house on the early side. There is an immeasurably unpleasant one-block stretch of Capitol Avenue that is most tolerable when the sphincteral drivers veering toward the I-84 onramp are at an absolute minimum. My timing was excellent and I arrived in the WH Center/ Blue Back Square area with nary a bead of sweat. What's more, I learned that it was the annual Celebrate! West Hartford Festival – which I had always avoided like the plague in the past, only partially because the sloganeers are punctuationally impaired. By the way, I have an amazing track record for avoiding the plague. But this time, on bike, I smugly and gleefully zoomed past the orgy of SUVs and minivans, all bedecked with that annoying WH smiley-face bumpersticker. Sometimes I like to rub wounds with salt. Big chunks of kosher salt. I rode in the middle of Raymond Road and made the traffic worse. This is not something I would do normally, but hell, the whole point, I thought, of a town center is for peeps to mingle. I had a choice spot on the REI bike rack. When I returned to it later, there were loads of other bikes on it. Quite pleasin' to the eye.

After taking care of the necessary errands, I decided to wander through the festivities to see what all the fuss was about. The arts and crafts were surprisingly non-kitschy (as a whole), so I added two photographs to my collection. I was hoping to find a gangsta Star of David belt buckle, but nobody had those. Maybe I need to have a booth next year.

Around this point, I realized how massive an event this was. They had all manner of adorable animals to get bitten by, and trust me, it's an honor to get nipped by a llama. Rides, food, a women's chorus, every bank in creation trying to expand business...impressive. The West Hartford cops were raffling off a “kids bike” which was basically the standard bike that adults in the aluminum returning business ride in Hartford, except that the one they were raffling was new, pretty, and not coated with a layer of beer residue.


Something terribly frightening is realizing that one is lost in Blue Back Square. Once in the middle of all the vendor booths and rides, I could not see a way out. I am forever in debt to the girl pushing the Park Road Playhouse for pointing me in the right direction. Meandered to REI. You are all on notice. Next time I say “REI,” just jack me up and take my debit card away. I don't know what happened, except that I definitely will need to show up for work every day next week to rectify the situation. Around my birthday, I justify a lot of things by saying that “nobody ever remembers my birthday, so I'll just get myself things I like.” On the plus side, three of the four items are completely practical, and the other item is brainfood. I've done worse.

Not planning to purchase every last thing that was not bolted down in West Hartford, it took me awhile to properly load my bicycle. Two minutes into my trip home, it began to rain. No rain gear, no lights, a new book, and two new pieces of art. Nothing much to do about it, so I just pedaled at normal speed and made sure that drivers didn't yank out in front of me. Only had to give the finger once, which is not bad. Lady Gaga needs to learn that the middle finger is a magical sign that should be used only when absolutely necessary. When at baseball games, you give the finger to an umpire who makes a lousy call. Not to everyone who looks in your general direction. The Lady is no Madonna, that's for sure.

As I got closer to home, other cyclists – equally unprepared for the downpour – were giving me the whole “what's up” thing, but had the good sense to compliment Jenny so as not to seem overly skeevy. It was only upon arriving home that I learned that the rain storm had rendered my shirt completely transparent. Awesome. Read more!

Pasta: still on the move!

This time it's macaroni and cheese.

So, anyway, I've decided that I'm not really in favor the Windsor bike path because it involves cutting down trees and paving open space. If it were in a disused railroad corridor or part of another project, I'd be all over it, but not in this case, or at least how it's described to me.

But, you probably don't share my opinion. So, here are the details:

Trail Description

The proposed trail to be constructed will begin in the north at the DEP Boat Launch Area on East Barber Street and continue south approximately 3,200 feet ending at Meadow Road. The trail will be a 10-foot wide bituminous concrete path and will include a 10-foot wide prefabricated pedestrian bridge approximately 80 feet in length crossing Decker’s Brook.

Connectivity

This project is to construct the river trail that will eventually connect the Town of Windsor and the City of Hartford. The completed river trail will be an integral part of a trail system that crosses the Connecticut River and connects the Charter Oak Greenway to South Windsor, Vernon, East Hartford, Manchester and the East Coast Greenway. Riverfront Recapture, Inc. has endorsed this project as a link to their Riverwalk trail system in Hartford.

Trail Users

The existence of the river trail will increase the bike-to-work opportunities between Windsor and Hartford. Additionally, the trail will provide walkers, joggers, and others who are not able to use motorized transportation a safe travel way and the opportunity to enjoy the scenic beauty of the Connecticut River. Direct access to the river will be provided by clearing brush at various locations along the trail. Benches and landscaping will be installed along the trail and the riverbank to allow people to relax in a tranquil environment. Parking for people using the trail will be available at the DEP Boat Launch Area at East Barber Street.

Master Planning

The land is owned by the State of Connecticut, Department of Environmental Protection. DEP is considering further use of the area once the trail is constructed and in operation. This includes establishing tent areas, additional parking, canoe launches and educational opportunities.

The council's finance committee meets on Monday, June 14th at 7:00 in the Ludlow Room of Windsor's Town Hall (275 Broad Street) to determine if the town should enter into an agreement with the Department of Environmental Protection to construct the trail.

UPDATE!

So, I've been corresponding with Emily Moon, Assistant Town Manager in Windsor. She's the one who first told me about this. It would seem I'm entirely correct about trees being taken down. Here's her clarification:

Brendan,

One quick clarification. I just spoke with our town engineer. He said that the trail alignment will likely include some scrub brush clearing and some clearing of seedling overgrowth and a few minor, overgrowth trees. We will design the trail alignment to avoid large and significant trees.

I read your posting and it gives the impression that we'll be cutting down a lot of trees. That's not the case. We really are going to do everything we can to avoid cutting down trees. We have to construct a bridge crossing that will require us to clear some growth, but we'll largely avoid cutting down trees to create this trail.

-Emily

Read more!

Coverage

Thank you Lance Armstrong.

Since I'm a dork, I have an alert setup with nytimes.com to send me articles tagged with "bicycles". For years, I'd get like one a month or so. It'd usually be at the end of some important race like a Spring Classic or Grand Tour, or maybe every couple of months about some guy a bike. As there was that mini gas saving push to ride bikes starting in 2008, there were a few more articles and now they have that Spokes blog (and that stupid one about the reporter who rode a bike in France), but that hasn't changed too much. But, the biggest up tick in the number of alerts has occurred since Lance Armstrong announced his comeback-- like, there were daily updates on Paris-Nice and that article yesterday about the problems associated with televising bike races. That article was pretty surprising. I thought that complaining about bicycle racing on tv was provenience of weird bike bloggers.

Also, you ever try a front rack? They're freaking awesome! In the last 18 hours, I've carried a 12pack of Miller Lite and my lunch, so far it's like nothing I've ever experienced. I recommend this one: the Pletscher Athlete. It's simple, cheaper and can go on the front or back. It also has this cool mousetrap system to hold smallish items.

Read more!