Cross Racers Will Descend on Hartford

Cross racing.  Have you seen it?  Not a horde of queens sprinting in heels, although that would be equally awesome.  Cyclocross is a newer format of bicycle racing where masochists on road-like bikes hammer around a snaking route through a field or park.  Consumerism has morphed the road bikes into race specific rigs with carbon wheels and tubeless low pressure tires.  The course is set up to maximize punishment and spectator viewing.  Weather be damned, the event runs in rain, sleet, or snow.  The obstacles and mud/sand pits have cyclists running with the bikes over their shoulders.  The crowd is encouraged to ring bells, holler, and even heckle the racers to eek out their deepest energy stores.  It's a hoot, and "Hartford Has It."

When there is an obstacle, you'll see running.

Just announced!  

Hartford will host the 2017 Cyclocross Nationals.  

We were chosen over many other cities based on an impressive cooperative bid by Connecticut Cycling Advancement Program (CCAP), the City of Hartford, and the Connecticut Convention and Sports Bureau.  Hartford is well situated in the Northeast where cyclocross racing is booming and the population density allows for many nearby races, racers, and spectators.  This is a big deal folks.  The influx of bike racers and spectators to Hartford, up to 20,000, for this national event in December will be a great off-season economic boost.  Hartford gets to show off as a destination on the national stage.  Leading up to the Nationals, there will be more regional races in Riverside Park and Colt Park in 2015 and 2016.   With the 2017 race on the horizon, the regional races will have increased exposure.  To get full bang for the buck on a national race, we need to grow and expand the regional races both before and afterward.

This national opportunity didn't materialize out of thin air.  In 2013 and 2014 there were two cyclocross races in Hartford proper and a series of other races across the state.   One of them was right next door to my home in Colt Park.  You may have missed the races in Hartford.  For some reason the larger cycling community in the area didn't mobilize and show up to cheer and spectate.  I'm still trying to understand why.  Connecticut has a bevy of bicycle shops.  Those shops have mailing lists and Facebook pages.  Growing cyclocross as a racing and spectator sport is a clear way for our local bike shops to extend their customer season into the otherwise quiet Fall and Winter.  I'm imploring our cycling community, riding clubs, and bikes shops to do better publicity in 2015.  Let folks know that this is an engaging spectator sport.  There are always beginner races for those that want to try it out for themselves.

There should be a hipster bike category.  Single speed required.

In addition to the racing community the event publicity must tie into the advocacy groups that promote bikes for both recreation and transportation.  A cyclocross racer who enjoys riding a skinny tired bike through cold, semi-frozen mud would be a champion bicycle commuter.  Bike commuters, like myself, often got their start as racers.  Explaining to a cross racer that bike commuting year round results in free and efficient training miles is an easy sell.  Also bike commuters and recreational (non-racing) riders love bikes, and often enjoy watching them being ridden in circles by others that are suffering (schadenfreude or sadism?).  Bikes aren't just toys, although they are really fun all around - for racing and commuting.  I'll do my best to connect Bike Walk Connecticut and Transport Hartford to the 2015 cross races.  Cross promotion and cooperation between racing and advocacy is the next step in Connecticut.

Another item to improve for 2015 - food.  These cross racers are hungry and thirsty.  I didn't make it to the Riverside Park CCAP race, but I noticed a lack of food and drink at the Colt Park Veteran's Memorial Race.  We've got great food trucks in Hartford.  They will show up if you put a call out and let them know there will be hungry customers nearby.  If you need suggestions, here are a few - Whey Station (gourmet grilled cheese), Amor (healthy, vegan), and Lucky Taco.  It's also relatively easy to get a permit for beer sampling or a beer tent at a park event.  Let's get some Hooker, City Steam, or Burnside beer out there for the 2015 races.  For the Colt Park race, there is also a nearby grocery store, C-Town, for racers looking for Gatorade or some hot rice and beans.  Just across Wethersfield Avenue.

Excited for this announcement.  We need to ramp up the events in 2015 and 2016 so Hartford is ready to blow the doors off in 2017.  Let's do this!

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Squatting. That's a funny word.

I'm squatting.  On this hashtag - #HartfordCyclocross.  Look.  There it is on Beat Bike Blog.  First.  Nobody can Columbus that.  Except I don't know how to use the Twitter.  Can somebody competent help complete this transaction?

Cyclocross in the dark.  Whiskey assist.

If anyone of consequence (or intelligence) reads the Beat Bike Blog and races bikes - the course is pretty damn soft.  Just sayin'.  You might want to choose your tires accordingly.  Last year was hard and jittery.  Not this time.

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Cyclocross Racing in Colt Park - This Weekend

First - a big deal announcement.  Hartford is a finalist city for the Cyclocross Nationals in 2017 or 2018.  There are four finalist cities, and two will be selected, one for 2017 and the other for 2018.  It's time to start ringing our cowbells, as this is a competition and Hartford has to WIN it.  The other finalist cities are Bend (OR), Louisville (KY), and Reno (NV).  Hartford (in the city proper) hosted two cyclocross races in 2014, and a downtown criterium race.  There is a growing bike racing scene in the Hartford metro area, and our fair city is an excited and helpful host city.  Stay tuned to the Beat Bike Blog for more info on how you can help secure this national cyclocross race.

Cross racers mounting the stairs at the base of the Sam Colt Statue.

For those that don't know much about cross racing, this weekend is your chance to get a crash course.  On Saturday, November 8th there is a full day of cross racing in Hartford's Colt Park starting at 8:30AM.  There is still time to register (REGISTER HERE) and it's a cheap entry fee (only $30).  There are races for all skill levels, and even a kids race.  If you don't race, you can just stop by and spectate.  Bring a cow bell (marathon left overs) or a kitchen pan and holler at the riders.  They need the aural flogging to reach peak performance levels.  Cyclocross has a tradition of goodhearted heckling. I'll see y'all out there, I'm going to volunteer in some shape or form.  There is more info on the Team ERRACE facebook page.

Heckling is part of the fun.  

In the vein of healthy hecking, I challenge any of the racers or attendees to actually ride their bike to the race. Imagine that.  Using your bike as transportation in addition to a shiny fast toy.

There are obstacles on the course.  And crashes happen.

And now for something not bike related.  It could be bike related though.  You can ride your bike there.  Next week there is a week long series call The Thread.  You can find more info here.  Four consecutive days of story telling right here in Hartford.

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A Slow Roll Toward a Sustainable Hartford

After gorging on walking and biking this weekend, I'm ready to go to bed early.  Late night dancing my arse off at a birthday party has contributed to the battery drain.  Before I nod off to sleep, I wanted to give the good people of Hartford a heads up on some bikey things not to miss.

Chris Clark jumping off some big stuff next to the Wadsworth at Envisonfest

Slow Roll - On Monday, September 22nd you can meet up with some friendly folks to ride in a leisurely manner (a Slow Roll) around Hartford neighborhoods, finishing up at a local establishment for food and drinks.  They are meeting at 6:00PM at the carousel in Bushnell Park and heading over to Red Rock Tavern after the ride.  You really should bring lights with you, and don't expect to go fast.  The group will also be making a point of riding safely - so aggressive a-holes may find themselves unwelcome.   Although this is a slow ride, informal events like this are making big steps toward building a future sustainable Hartford with more residents living in the city (not suburban commuting), using efficient and city friendly transportation, and frequenting local businesses.

Walk Hartford - Hartford's new and bustling group Transport Hartford is organizing the Slow Roll rides.  Transport Hartford advocates for more complete bicycle, pedestrian, and pedestrian infrastructure.  In addition to the Slow Roll events, there will be "strolling" events with a similar theme.  The first "Walk Hartford" is planned for September 28th.  The group will meet up at 1PM at the Bushnell Park Carousel.

Bike History - Through the month of September there are two bicycle related history exhibits in Hartford.  Running through October 7th, there is a FREE Hartford bike history exhibit at the Hartford Public Library on the 3rd floor - Pedal and the Path.  And last but not least, there are some very old bicycles in a small exhibit at the Butler-McCook House.  The Butler-McCook house is jam packed with Hartford history and housed continuously one family lineage for 4 generations and 200+ years.  I highly recommend all both the library and the museum, and not just for the bicycle exhibits.

Certain to be under publicized Cross Race - 2014 is the year of multiple events for Hartford.  Recurring Slow Roll events.  Several bicycle history exhibits.  And now two cyclocross races.  Just last weekend there was a cyclocross race at Riverside Park, and coming up in November (the 8th), there is a race right next door to my house in Colt Park - the Veterans Memorial CX Race.  I doubt the navel gazing cyclocross race organizers will bother to invite the general public.  If you haven't seen cyclocross racing it's rather fun to spectate and / or volunteer.  The course in Colt Park is stacked up on the hill such that you can see the entire course from one spot.  If one cross race makes Hartford more bikey than New Haven, then we're leaving them in the sand pit with two cross races in the same year.  Now if they could just figure out how to get some spectators (and potential future club racers) off their couches and out to the park.  Save the date!

Nightfall - Another plug for this great event coming up on October 11th in Colt Park.  Starts at 5:30PM.  FREE.  And there will be a designated bike parking valet.  BYO food and beverages.  There will be surreal puppetry, music, dance, and spoken word.   Nightfall Hartford.  I'll be organizing a neighborhood cleanup that morning on October 11th to put some shine on before we have a park full of visitors.  Meet at the Sam Colt statue near Wethersfield Avenue at 9AM.  Bring trashbags and gloves, as I'm not going to bother with getting the city or sponsors involved.


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Cyclocross and a Cycling Festival in Hartford

The next two weekends in Hartford are not to be missed if you are a bicycling enthusiast, or just enjoy sporting events in general.  This Sunday, September 14th the Riverfront Cross Fest will be zipping around the trails and open areas in the parks near the Boathouse.  You can access Riverside Park by car from the North using Leibert Road.  If you're walking or riding in (earning your karma points), Riverside Park can be accessed via the river front path that starts at Charter Oak Park, runs past the Founders Bridge riverfront plaza and on up to Riverside.  There is also a fun ramped flyover (up and over I-91) bike/ped bridge that connects the north end of downtown (via Pequot St) to the park.  Seriously though, if you're less than 5 miles from a bicycle race, why would you drive there?

The very next weekend is fully loaded with the Connecticut Cycling Festival.  Saturday, September 20th cycling options include a Gran Fondo format with 45 and 100 mile route options.  If you're the competitive type, the rides will be timed.  If you're not competitive, I'm certain that they will be more enjoyable at a reasonable pace, soaking up the beautiful early Fall weather and Connecticut countryside.  If for some reason you haven't ridden in the Hartford area, it only takes a couple of miles to get out into awesome territory and country miles.

On Sunday, September 21st, the CT Cycling Festival will be bringing urban criterium races to downtown Hartford.  If you haven't seen criterium style bike racing it's a hoot.  Super fast and right up close.  Hard and fast turns, and the group screams by your spot every couple of minutes.  Last year I camped in front of Bin 228 and watched a couple of races with my parents who were visiting that weekend.   There are going to be many food vendors and other related events.  In addition to the fun for spectators, they are certainly looking for volunteers that can put in a couple of hours to help make the event successful.  

If the bike racing that weekend wasn't enough, Hartford Envisionfest is all day Saturday, September 20th.  Another reason to walk and bike about in Hartford.  I'm not one for group rides that cost money, so you'll find me puttering about downtown on foot or two wheels on Saturday getting more than my share of arts, entertainment, music, and camaraderie.  Check out the full schedule here, if you prefer to have an itinerary.

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How Much Bike Can Connecticut Handle?

A veritable fire storm of bicycle events in September.  Toss some logs on would ya?

I've been off the radar lately, largely due to mandatory Saturdays at my employer.  Depressingly my last post about the death of Paul Hughes graced the Beat Bike Blog pole position for an extended time.  With corporate responsibilities on a three day weekend, I'm able to catch up and provide Hartford with a deluge of upcoming bicycle (and pedestrian) events this Fall.  As a BBB reader and all around good person, it is now incumbent on you to further spread the word - either by voice, Facebook share, email, text, tweet, fart... whatever your preferred methods.

• Discover Hartford Bicycle Tour.  Sadly.  One event that isn't happening this September is the Discover Hartford Bicycle Tour.   Here's why.  I'm listing the non-occurrence of this event to head off questions about, "When is the Discover Tour this year?"
• Slow Roll.  Gladly - there are other rides in Hartford that you should know about.  The first is a "Slow Roll" happening on Monday, September 8th (corrected) and organized by Transport Hartford (www.transporthartford.org).  Meet at 6PM at the Bushnell Park Carousel for a short and slow ride around Hartford.  Transport Hartford is filling the active transportation (bike/walk/transit) void in Hartford.  The organization treats bikes like transportation, with a side of recreation.  For years motor vehicles have been the sole design driver of our infrastructure, even in dense cities served poorly by the resulting space hungry (and resource heavy) designs.  It's past time to get organized and push back for Complete Streets and high quality transit service across Hartford.  Sign up for Transport Hartford's email list to stay informed about upcoming events and advocacy opportunities in our transitioning city.  Spread the word via this Facebook invite.
• Pedal and Path: Hartford & the Bicycle.  From September 3rd through October 7th, the Hartford Public Library "will showcase vintage Connecticut bicycle maps and images from Hartford’s past association with the bicycle, as well as a 1924 velodrome track bike, featuring components manufactured by famous African-American cyclist [] Major Taylor."  Hartford was home to Columbia Bicycles started by Colonel Pope and can claim many significant moments in bicycle history.  Get over to the library to learn more about Hartford's bicycle roots.  The exhibit is up on the 3rd floor.
• Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts.  On September 9th through 14th the Hartford metro region planning organization (CRCOG - Capitol Region Council of Governments) is gathering volunteers for bicycle and pedestrian counts at intersections across the region.  I'll be traveling that week for work, so I set up an alternate count day on Sept 28th for an intersection in Hartford.  More data leads to more action, and data driven action is harder to ignore.  It only takes a couple hours of sitting in a lawn chair.  Contact Mike Cipriano  (860-522-2217 x223) with your preferences for count times/locations.  Map of locations here.
• Riverfront Cross Fest.  Get your bike dirty or yell dirty things at the cross racers on Sunday, September 14th.  Starting at 8:30AM and the pro race starts at 3PM.  The racing starts at the boathouse in Riverside Park, the northern part of the Hartford riverfront.  You can walk or ride there from downtown.  If you drive there, I'll make fun of you.  That's because cross racing includes a healthy dose of heckling ('cross heckling is de rigueur) - and therefore I'll heckle the wankers that drive to a bike race.
• Connecticut Cycling Festival and Hartford Envisionfest.  A weekend of awesome events with arts, music, and fast bicycles.  All within walking or biking distance of downtown Hartford.  On Saturday there is a "Gran Fondo" with 45 mile and 100 mile distances.  For some reason, they time the riders, and I'm guessing that leads to pretty irresponsible behavior at intersections (if you get creamed blowing intersections it's your own fault).  On Sunday a closed course criterium zips around downtown and is surprisingly fun to watch.  All over Hartford on Saturday there is a rolling festival at your own pace - Envisionfest.  Check out the day full of events and formulate a plan, or just wander around finding fun stuff willy-nilly.
• Nightfall at Colt Park.  An evening of music, dance, spoken word, and GIANT puppets to mark the seasonal transition.  This event embraces sustainability with valet bicycle parking.  Bring your bike or walk over from the nearby Hartford neighborhoods.  Nightfall has several community outreach arts events leading up to the main performance on Saturday, October 11th.  Nightfall starts at 5:30PM (get there early for a good spot) and seating is on the hill near Wethersfield Avenue.  BYO blankets, chairs, and refreshments.  I'll be organizing an informal neighborhood and park cleanup that same morning, meeting at 9AM at the Sam Colt statue (also near the Wethersfield Ave entrance).  
• Interstate Multi-use Trail Summit.  From New Haven to Northampton, MA there is a paved trail that is almost all the way complete.  I've ridden all of it and am excited to see this non-motorized trail connection close the gaps.  On Saturday, October 18th there is a summit in Simsbury, CT for this this cross state (and multi-state) trail.  You should register now.

My view this morning.

In other news, I took the opportunity on this extended weekend to do a quick overnight camp - within city limits.  It can be done, and done well.  Rather convenient to camp within a 10 minute ride of your home.

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How to make yourself tired

I like to think I'm a tough guy and that I'm a fairly in shape one, too. I'm not so sure.

At the Hartford 'cross race last week, Doug proposed that we ride to the Cheshire race. I love the Cheshire race and try never to miss it. There are trees and rocks and those things make for 'cross course that I like. It's pretty much the only time that I feel like I'm a competent mountain biker.

So, Doug, Tony and I met up in the south end of West Hartford and rode down. I think we must have had a tailwind, because even our speed-capped singlespeeds made it there in just over an hour.

The race went ok, but I've realized that I can't go fast. I can do the bike handling and catch people that way or ride away from them, but when it came to pedaling through the flats, I just couldn't hold on. I don't know if it's these zip-tied folks shifting or being able to better select a gear day-of after riding the course or I just suck. I'm leaning towards the sucking thing. I still had fun, but I think you have more fun when you're not sucking. I even had a good start this time. I was like 7 or 8 coming out of the woods on lap one, but I ended up finishing 16. I mean, I gave up like three spots at the end of the last lap. That is not good.

I also bent my front wheel when this guy in front of me went down and I crashed into him. My fear of taco'ing and brake drag probably didn't help much on the last lap.

I've been having this general feeling of sluggishness lately. I went mountain biking on Thursday and explored the trails around Bolton Notch, some of which are pretty awesome and some of which strand you in people's backyards. I wasn't feeling like I could really get my bike moving too well. I was trying to blame it on the leaves being really slippery, but I think it's just that I suck.

Part of me feels like I still have some of that nasty cold from a few weeks ago in my lungs. My chest has been tight a bit lately and I'm still sort of phlegmy. Maybe I have diminished lung capacity from it. Or, maybe I just suck.

Anyhow, riding to and from the race was actually a lot of fun. We went through the scenic and industrial sections of New Britain. We also avoided that sense of regret from racing on a really nice day wherein you only rode for 45 minutes, but invested the whole nice day in the race. Instead, we got a nice 50 mile ride in plus a 'cross race for good measure. Of course, this makes your 60 miles feel a lot more like a hundred. Today I've got some tired legs.

I only took pictures of the kid's race for some reason.

 This guy doesn't worry about sucking at cyclocross. Also, secret tip: there's a spigot right behind him if you're running low on water during a ride through Cheshire.

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Smiley Face

There in fact was a cyclocross race in Colt Park this past Saturday.  Supposedly there is another cross race in Cheshire this weekend, and Doug is trying to get folks to ride out with him from Hartford.  At the Colt Park race I played a small part by walking the course and tagging hazards.  I get an out-sized amount of fulfillment from spray painting route and hazard markings.  It feels illicit, but at the same time I know I'm not going to get in trouble. Is this my inner Midwesterner getting its kicks - but safely?

A young Sam Colt watching the silly cross racers scrabble up his steps.

For giggles I put a smiley face on this dirt pile in the middle of the course.  No one ran over smiley.  Right next to on both sides but not over. This is an interesting commentary on human nature that I'm still pondering.  Are smiley faces sacred ground?  Did everyone think that smiley was a hazard in disguise?  Perhaps this smiley face made the racers, teetering on the brink of anaerobic crash, smile each time they looped the course.  I can only hope. 

Making you smile despite the blurred vision and lactic acid.

In other news, I taught my first Traffic Skills 101 course as a League Cycling Instructor, co-taught with Chris Brown.  It went well, despite the cold rain that added an extra challenge to the parking lot drills.  Doing quick stop and instant turn drills on wet pavement wasn't in the original plan, but the students will be better for it.  Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures.
 

So many people that I ended up in the cheap seats.

Bike Walk CT held their annual dinner, and besides hustling a table I managed to score a pretty cool bottle opener.  Fortunately for Bike Walk CT the dinner has grown tremendously and has started to pull in active transportation advocates from across the state - not just Hartford metro.  Unfortunately for me, that means that there are no more screaming deals to be had at the silent auction.

This week I started wearing my new winter boots.  They are amazing.  What is your go to gear for cold weather cycling?  Just got an email from the planners of Winter Bike to Work Day and I'm feeling inspired.  There will be a Hartford(ish) event on February 14th, 2014.

PS - Someone should totally hook me up with some good products to review.

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Cyclocross Race at Colt Park - Really.

Cyclocross race in Colt Park this Saturday, November 9th.  
Only $25.  Race local, save gas, build the sport.

I found the poster.  You should race, or just check it out.  Tell your racing friends the season isn't over and they are wimps for bagging it and riding on their trainers in the living room.   Spread the word.  You can still register online until Thursday.  There is also day of registration, but it will set you back an extra $10.

The race director, Sean, specifically asked if Salem was coming out.  I think that is an invitation.

The Beat Bike Blog does what it can for bike racing in Hartford.

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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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A new cyclocross race in Hartford

Remember when some people and me put together a 'cross race at riverside park? It was pretty awesome, but a ton of work. Since I'm a lone wolf without a cycling club, I've never done it again.

Much to my happy surprise when looking on BikeReg the other day, I saw a race scheduled for early November in Hartford. It's being put together by the ERRACE/Central Wheel people and is going to be in Colt Park. Colt Park is certainly an interesting place for a bike race, but it's pretty awesome that it'll be in a popular and visible park.

No single speed race, so I guess I'll just have to get my ass kicked with people who can shift.

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Tim Johnson Summits Burnside Ave Bike to Work

*** Updated 4/23 with Burnside Ave info session details. ***

Ha!  Didn't think you'd read a post with such a purposefully confusing run-on title.  But it looks like you're doing it anyway.

I'm going to start in the middle.  Burnside Avenue.  It's crummy for riding on and deadly too.  After 3 cyclists died within 18 months, combined with several pedestrian deaths the CT DOT is proposing to drop the state highway down to one lane each way with bike lanes.  A road diet!  The first one the DOT has attempted.  Burnside Avenue is ripe for a road diet.  The dense neighborhoods, small local stores, and high percentage of non-vehicular traffic are a good fit.  The road was designed to carry much more traffic than it actually sees, and the DOT's traffic counts identified it as fitting for one lane each way.

Here's where it gets important.  You can't stop now.   There is a public info session on April 30th.  These are important.  The CT DOT and East Hartford officials need to hear why its important to you and the City of East Hartford to make Burnside Avenue a Complete Street.  A street designed for people, not just cars.  If you ride on Burnside, we need your voice.  If you live in East Hartford, we need your voice. If you would like to see the DOT look at road diets on other harrowing state highways, we need your voice.  This is the first domino.

Here's how you can be heard:

1. Show up at the public info session on April 30th.  The Connecticut Department of Transportation will conduct a public informational meeting concerning State Project 42-315, bicycle and pedestrian improvements on Route 44, Tuesday, April 30, 2013, at the East Hartford Town Hall in the Council Chambers (2nd floor), 740 Main Street, East Hartford, Connecticut.  Department personnel will be available at 6:30 p.m. to answer questions prior to formal presentation at 7:00 p.m.  For more information, please visit the ConnDOT website.
2. Send a note to the CT DOT's Bike Ped Coordinator Kate Rattan (Katherine.Rattan@ct.gov) and the Mayor of East Hartford, Marcia Leclerc (mleclerc@easthartfordct.gov). Let them know you support the project and what it means to you.
3. Do both!

And then I'll go back to the beginning.  Tim Johnson swoops through Hartford on Wednesday of this week (4/24).  He'll be traveling with a speedy group from Boston to Washington DC to reinforce the messages of the recent National Bike Summit. You might want to ride him (and his merry band of bike advocates) into Hartford or back out on Thursday.  There will also be a reception on Wednesday night at the Hartford Bike Studio, starting at 7:00PM.  Beer sponsor is Harpoon!

The Bike Summit.  Don't forget the Bike Summit.  That's this Saturday, April 27th in New Haven.  A responsible alternative to the DeTour de Connecticut sufferfest.

I'm on a roll planning a Bike to Work breakfast in East Hartford on May 23rd (a Thursday).  The downtown Hartford Bike to Work is on Friday May 17th.  Bike Walk CT is asking folks to register online, and it will put you in the running for a raffle of donated swag from local bike shops.  You can also sign up with the National Bike Challenge.  Last year Pratt & Whitney absolutely stomped Travelers in the National Bike Challenge.  Wonder if we'll do it again, or if Travelers and other Hartford employers might give us some competition this year.  P&W is looking strong.  12 bikes on the racks by engineering building this morning, in April.  Not something I would have seen a couple of years ago.  

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Diminishing returns

It's another one of those transitional periods when I start to neglect the beat bike blog. Sorry, beat bike blog.

Limed fields in the meadows look like summer snow.

In other news, I have become quite terrible at riding a bike. I went down to the Blowhole Monday afternoon and crashed five times! Really, five times! I also almost lost my pump. Maybe it's 'cross bike overload or something. I rode out to Penwood last week and double flatted. The bike is definitely trying to tell me something.

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Disc brakes on 'cross bikes and head injuries

Many are opposed and many are for disc brakes on 'cross bikes. I've ridden a 29er with discs, so I'm assuming it's the same thing: overkill. I guess I actually own that 29er, I don't just ride randomly one. I've never really had much a problem dragging the brakes after riding through gunk, except on like two occasions. Once, in a race a few years ago, I had frozen stuff on my rims and I tried to brake going into a corner and nothing happened. I careened into some trees and lost a position. Yesterday, I was riding on this sort of boardwalky thing: little sections of planks with gaps in between the sections. It was kinda technical and there was mud in between two of them. Since it was technical, there wasn't a lot for room for the brake dragging, so I had to use the brakes instead of dragging them before I used them. Needless to say, they didn't work so hot, I went off the boardwalk and landed on my head.

So, frozen mud and technical 'cross bike riding seems to be the application of disc 'cross bikes.

Also, the title of this post is sort of misleading because I didn't actually hurt my head. My neck was a little sore, though, but now it's better. Read more!

I think this is really cool

Go Stybar! Read more!

Chill

My torts professors, Prof. Chill, had advice for exams, which I have next week. Actually, it's Sunday, so now it's this week. His advice was to get lots of sleep and exercise. I though that was excellent advice and adhered to it closely this weekend.

On Friday, I took the quasi-singlespeed thing out into the woods. At present, it's a fixed/free rear end with one brake. The free is 32:16, to get to the trail slowly, and the fixed is 32:19, as to ride awkwardly and slowly through the woods. Upon arrival in the woods, I ran into Jeff of Central Wheel and another guy I've run into in the past with Jeff whose name I don't know. They rode away when I stopped to change gears, whereupon I realized that I had left my wrench in the basement (very zen). So, I decided to ride my over geared, single braked thing into the woods, which is where I broke my chain on the first climb. I had thought maybe this chain wasn't the best choice, since it had frozen solid with rust since the last time I rode this bike last winter. However, I'd spent considerable time, degreaser, WD-40 and chain lube trying to make it work again. And, when it snapped it was looking quite clean and moved freely. So, I walked back to the bike shop, borrowed a wrench and put the new chain on. Undeterred, I rode around in the woods for awhile overgeared and without my full stopping capabilities. It was fun.

During the race, I wasn't sure what that guy in the blue jersey was doing either.

On Saturday, the Silk City Cyclocross salvage edition happened. It was great. It was extra great that after the Halloween snowoctoberolopyse canceled it, the Expo Wheelpersons still put it on. The course was difficult, weird and very economical in its use of space. I can't recommend it highly enough for next year. Lots of off camber stuff, which just makes any race great. I even took some pictures of the 1's. See! Also, for finishing fifth, I get to take three people to a hockey game in Hartford with me. Excellent quid pro quo. That's a lawyer term about eating squid.

This means that I'm assured all F's and I'll have even more time to ride my bike in the Spring. Read more!

Balancing what I like with what I don't

I still have no idea why I got involved in this, but I'm nearing the final throes of my first semester of law school. The New York Times keeps telling me I'm a moron for going to this kind of school and I tend to agree with them. At the onset, I had the feeling I'd be able to ride my bike more. I was wrong. There are laws about this and laws about that. So many of them. I'm really only interested in laws about mountain biking, so maybe I should have got an LLM in mountain biking law.

There were some 'cross races, in which I did poorly, because I'm getting fat and don't maintain bicycles.

But, the big news lately is that I finally I figured out how to get to King Philip's cave. Only took a boy of the Farmington Valley 22 years.

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Training

I am not very good at racing the bicycles. Part of the reason for that is because I've never really done this training thing people have talked about. This year, on the other hand, I have done three training related things. I did two of the dog park cyclocross training races and last night I did Expo Wheelmen's ride down the Hop Brook Trail really fast at night ride. Up soon are actual races, I wonder what will happen.

Sweaty butt picture courtesy of Mike O'Toole. Read more!

Brendan and Class 4 Roads

I doubt that anyone reads this blog closely enough to recall my last foray up Mt. Hor. Willoughby State Forest is a big old state forest next to Lake Willoughby. It's got some trails and forest roads that are very awesome. For awhile, I've been trying to figure out how to get into the forest from the north. I finally figured it out (Big Valley Lane). I have a mediocre map of the forest and the late, great Dave Blumenthal did some mapping through there as part of XVT, but I kept taking some wrong turn and ending up back on RT 16. Once in the state forest, I ended up deviating from the road and riding/walking all the way to the Mt. Hor summit. Descending from Mt. Hor back to the CCC road was pretty exciting on a 'cross bike.

I also did some exploration closer to Shadow Lake and found an awesome descent down from the Sheffield Square area on Quarry Road back to RT 16, which led me to a climb that brought me through the Black Hills and right back to Shadow Lake. That was quite a find, but the final descent back to the lake was super muddy and kind of ruined my bike.

Anyway, it was a weekend of yard work and class 4 roads (I believe I was on a few that had been reclassified with trail status).

I got a new camera, what do you think of the image quality?

Next week I plan to explore Dunn Mountain.

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Spooky mountain rally

I've played with the idea for a little while and I think I want to go through with it.

It'd be a two hour race made out of Goodwin Park and Cedar Mountain, coming out to 9 miles or so per lap. I think that'd mean that you'd get two or three laps (you'd have to fit two laps in two hours, to start lap three). This could be fun, right? You'll be scored on speed, style and intelligence. Beginning of May? Rideable on either a 'cross bike or mountain bike, I'd say.

Anybody interested?

Another Eel!

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