I just want to show some love for my man Chris at Bridgeport's only bike shop, the Spoke and Wheel at 2355 East Main Street. (That is not a picture of the Spoke and Wheel above. I unfortunately don't have a picture of the shop, so I hit you with a photo of another awesome building in Bridgeport, the crazy mannequin house on Seaview Ave. Click to enlarge it and be disturbed.) I was in there today to buy a blinky light because something came up during the day that is forcing me to work late and I may find myself riding in the dark, and safety first, knahmean? Anyway, I stopped in and was telling Chris the situation and asking for the cheapest blinky he had, and he pulled out this one light and said it was new and had a weird clamp and if I would test it and report back, I could have it for free. How cool is that? I already prefer to take my bike to Chris because (a) he has old parts for cheap (b) he knows and loves bikes, both old and new, and (c) he does his work well and for a reasonable price while accommodating the customer's level of knowledge graciously and without condescension. (Wow - that was a mouthful. But it's true.) And now he gratuitously threw me some loyal customer-product tester love.
So the next time you're in the Park City or anywhere near it, stop by the Spoke and Wheel and spend some dough.
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Monday, June 9, 2008
Chris's Spoke and Wheel in Bridgeport
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Manhattan Portage goodies: First impressions
As previously reported in this space, there are some bike-related companies with unerring business acumen and a finger on the pulse of the merchandise-buying community. The two I know of are Manhattan Portage and Xootr (maker of the Swift Folder bike) , and the reason they have earned this designation from me is simple: They are my official bike commute sponsors. Both answered my call for free stuff in exchange for clear-eyed reviews andpublicity, and now both have come through: On Thuersday, I got a delightful care package from Manhattan Portage, and on Friday, one came from Xootr. I haven't gotten to photograph the new bike yet, so after the jump, I'll hit you with some first impressions on the bags. Check back for updates as the bags get used and abused.
Lauren Hoffman of Manhattan Portage, the greatest champion of all time, sent two sweet bags and a bunch of promotional red tote bags and lanyards (a lanyard, I recently learned, is a fat shoelace fashioned into a necklace with a clip on the end). You can see the whole spread of goodies, arrayed attractively in my living room, below.
On the left is the Wallstreeter, a briefcase-type bag with hideaway backpack straps that I specifically requested for my cyclist/lawyer lifestyle. More on that below. In the middle is an orange New York Bike Messenger bag (I capitalize and add a hyperlink because I'm not just being descriptive; "New York Bike Messenger" is the name of the model). Lauren said she sent the orange bag because it is the exact opposite of the Wallstreeter, which is true. What that means, unfortunately, is that I can't really integrate it into my everyday routine (dayglo orange bags being too risque for even a public interest lawyer). So . . . the rest of the Beat Bike Blog crew will take turns using and abusing it for the benefit of you, our loyal reader(s). On the right is one of the handsome red tote bags and in front of it, a lanyard. Want one? Drop a note in the comments - I have plenty.
As for the Wallstreeter, I haven't gotten to give it the full, exhaustive field test yet (my very selfish four-year-old son insisted on being driven to pre-school on Friday, so I didn't get to bike to work). I did take some pictures, though, and can give you some first impressions.
There's what the public sees - not bad, I think, in terms of professionalism. (Maybe not worthy of a white shoe law firm, but I'm not in a white shoe law firm, I work with poor teenagers, so this is fine.) Also, lawyerliness aside, the bag is cool looking, in my opinion. I've always been a fan of the Manhattan Portage style, with one color and the black accents - it just looks sharp, dontcha think? Lauren told me Manhattan Portage was out of stock on all but the olive green, but I think that's a blessing in disguise: given my druthers, I would have gone for black (it's slimming), but now that I have the green, I like it.
The strap, as you can see, is of the two-buckles adjustment type, which I tend to scorn, preferring the one-buckle messenger style, since it makes for easy, one-handed, on-the-fly cinching up. I recognize, however, that the two-buckle arrangement is probably better for people who mostly walk around with the bag slung over their shoulder while walking as opposed to riding, and that I'm looking for a bag that will bridge the bike-office divide. So I resolved to give this strap a fair shake (especially because on longer rides, I will bust out the hidden backpack straps). Surprisingly, the shoulder strap wasn't half bad for a two-mile jaunt by bike - the shoulder pad, which is another thing I usually scorn, does a really good job of keeping the bag from flopping around, which obviates serious cinching.
Also, for my lawyering steez, the top carry handle is a good thing.
So what's inside?
Here's the front, under the flap: two big pockets with snaps (perfect for the old U-lock, as you can see) and a large, document-sized zippered pocket, then the voluminous main compartment . . .
. . . then two more, smaller zippered pockets at the back of the main compartment, then one more large, unzippered pocket behind those - oh, and there is another pocket across the back of bag, and one more zippered one across the front. That is a lot of pockets! I like pockets! Very much!
The main compartment, as the above photo amply demonstrates, is pretty damn big. Obviously, it is not as big as a messenger bag, but it comes a lot closer than other businessy shoulder bags I've looked at. It is big enough for a fat stack of important legal documents and two tupperwares (arroz con pollo and salad). I later added my seventeen-inch laptop into the large inside pocket, and it fit snugly with all the other stuff still there, and the bag still closed fine (although it weighed a ton, because my laptop is too damn big, and thank god I have a work laptop that is smaller).
Because of stupidity, I neglected to photograph the backpack straps, but the internet is a many-splendored thing:
Lauren warned me, when I was deciding what bag I wanted, that the backpack straps on the Wallstreeter were sort of half-assed, unpadded, etc., and that I might prefer the Commuter. I almost went that route, because carrying comfort is key - schlepping the laptop in the messenger bag is one of the main things that has made me seek two-strap support. But at the last minute I decided to give the Wallstreeter a chance because the Commuter seemed too small. Well, it turns out I find the straps pretty comfortable. I put the full bag, with large laptop, on my back and did some household chores, then rode my bike around the block, and it was comfy. The true test will be the next longish ride I take, and I'll report more then. But so far, I feel optimistic. If there's any problem with the straps, it's that the clips at the bottom press against my sides a bit until I remember to turn the straps so the clips don't touch me. That's pretty minor, though, and probably wouldn't be a problem for normal people, who don't have my broad, muscular physique. (Ha ha. I'm actually just large, not muscular.)
So that's all I have right now. The bag seems great, I'm eager to put it through its paces, and thanks again to Manhattan Portage for the hook-up. Stay tuned for further updates.
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Friday, June 6, 2008
New Haven to Bridgeport
As you may know, I live in West Hartford (if you call this living) but frequently work in Bridgeport. In a perfect world, I would ride my bike to work and back every day, without the aid of trains, automobiles, or other like conveniences. But 60 miles is a long way to ride and still both get enough sleep and get to work on time. So I have devised many variations and multi-modal commutes to keep it lively and avoid living my life inside a car. In the process, I've biked from home to Middletown, from Middletown to New Haven, and now, finally, from New Haven to Bridgeport. If you care, click to read more about the coastal stage of my Tour de Connecticut.
Basically, the New Haven-to-Bridgeport portion is far and away the nicest, owing in large part to Long Island Sound, which is pretty and fringed by beaches. I started out in New Haven at 7:00 a.m. by Wilbur Cross High School on Willow near State Street (don't tell anyone, but there is free parking there, in the lot farthest from the school). I headed over on Willow to Orange, then down all the way through downtown, on Union past the train station, then left on Howard, right on Kimberly, and left on First Avenue. From there I followed the beach through West Haven and into Milford, and it was really really nice. Unfortunately, I thought I didn't have my camera (I actually did), so I didn't take any pictures, but that West Haven stretch is perfect: Ocean, weathered seafood joints, and little beachy cottages. A bonus is that it's not the quickest way to get anywhere (Route 1 is about half a mile inland, and I-95 just beyond that), so there's not much automobile traffic.
Sadly, I plotted a route that would allow me some scenery while still getting me to work in Bridgeport by 8:30. So once Rte. 162 (which traces the shore) emptied into Rte. 1 (which traces every fucking car dealership in Connecticut), I took 1. Yuck. Busy, unscenic, smelly, etc. But quick - in twenty minutes I turned off onto Long Brook in Stratford, which got me to Main Street (Stratford), and from there it was just a hop, skip, and a jump to Bridgeport's lovely Harding High School. 20 miles in an hour and twenty minutes, and I arrived feeling relaxed, rejuvenated, and generally awesome.
I can't believe we actually have to convince people to ride bikes! This shit sells itself like Hondas.
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Something fun tomorrow morning
11th Annual
TRAiLS in MOTiON
Saturday, June 7th, 2008
Start/Finish at:
Iron Horse Blvd., Simsbury, CT
10, 30, & 50 Mile Bike Tours
5K and 10K Running, Walking, and Inline Skating Events
Fun for the Whole Family!
Registration is now available online,
via Mail-in Registration Form,
with fliers available at local outlets
Or call (860) 677-9462
For Registration Materials
Scheduled Starts:
8:00 AM: 50-Mile Bike Tour
9:30 AM: 10K Walk/Run/Skate and 30-Mile Bike Tour
10:30 AM: 5K Walk/Run/Skate and 10-Mile Bike Tour
Please print and display this poster as often as you can.
Thanks for helping make this Trails-in-Motion GO!
Johanna and I did this last year and had a really good time. I'm not going to be able to do it this year, but wish I could.
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Thursday, June 5, 2008
Heroes
I think I've seen that hat for sale recently at a bike shop.That made me think about bicycles and cycling. There's a lot of marketing going on with that right now, but they don't seem to have the same approach at all. Bikes seem to be marketed to people who don't ride bikes with newspaper articles about boring alternative transportation non-profit types on hybrids telling you about gasoline savings. Or, if you already ride a bike, marketing consists of pictures of bike parts. To that end, a lot more people wear nike, drink gatorade, or drive buick rendezvous's. Well, not that many people drive those, but I bet there are more people around here driving a buick rendezvous to work than there are people riding bikes to work.
Nike and gatorade are so ubiquitous because they've moved passed being sporting equipment and into the territory of lifestyle accouterments. The people trying to do for bicycles are the aforementioned dorks. They're not going to be successful. That's not a lifestyle that very many people want to emulate. To make cycling a lifestyle accoutrement for more people than who are already involved in it (people with dui charges, fixed gear freestylers, mountain bikers, road bikers, bike messengers, and some other people), I think some cool sport/music person should do a commercial where they ride a bike, like Kanye West on his Cinelli track bike. (Or anything but Kanye West on his Cinelli). I guess current cycling heroes could be used, but people have only heard of Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis. I don't know why Lance isn't successful. I guess winning the Tour de France doesn't translate in people's minds as riding your bike to work and Floyd Landis makes people think that you need steroids to ride a bike.
What do other people think? It seems like for anyone to do anything anymore a big PR campaign needs to be undertaken. Bikes need to be rebranded as something other than a transportation alternative or something really difficult like racing in the Tour de France. Or, maybe everything is fine the way it is and we don't want anyone else riding bikes.
Also, there's been some really fucked up stuff happening in Hartford, the Nick Carbone and Angel Arce Torres incidents. People have a lot of opinions about Nick, but I've always thought he's a good guy. I don't know Angel, but I've met his son, Angel, on a number of occasions and he's a good guy, too. I don't have solutions, but we've got to do something before this becomes a fucked up summer. This is way too much violence.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Purple!
My new, shockingly purple middle ring.
This chainring doesn't work anymore.
Your random bike picture of the day
It's hot outside. Here's a picture of a bike covered in icicles to help you cool off.
Don't Click Here Because You Cannot
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Blog post and video from NYC Critical Mass
BikeBlog (NYC) has a great post about the May Critical Mass in NYC. Reverend Al Sharpton showed up and either made a great, quick speech or hi-jacked critical mass; depending on how you see it. There's some great ideas to think about in the post, especially as the Beat's mass grows and has to deal with new issues and differing opinions on how things should go and what the ride is about.
There's some interesting twists and turns to the NYC story and i think if he had done a few things differently, he would have been embraced; but sending out press releases saying he was working with the bicyclists for a "slowdown" protest....not cool! Not true. We should all be united, i'm down with that, but you can't unite when you also alienate and divide by saying things that aren't true. Then we all loose and divided we fall.
Here's the LINK to the post. Give it a good read and definetly watch Chris Ryan's video.
I also have to give mad props to both BikeBlog(Michael Green) and Chris Ryan for lots of great reading, videos and inspiration. Its a great site! Check it often. Thanks guys!
Please also know, the NYC CritMass has had a long(and documented) history of serious police harrassment since the 2004 Republican National Convention when some serious stuff went down. Much serious stuff has happened since then as well. Google it and check it out. Lots of videos and posts from the two guys above.
More Critical Mass Reading
CM Tickets
Critcal-Mass.info
Team Spider
Wikipedia
Check this movie out! Ted White makes some great films. i got many great quotes for my flyers by the original organizers in their interviews.
We're Not Blocking Traffic, We Are Traffic
Eastern Mountain Sports in West Hartford will be showing the above movie and a second bicycing movie on Friday, July 18th. I'm not sure if the second movie will be Return of the Scorcher or a documentry about the August 2004 CM in NYC with the RNC crackdown.
There isn't more to read,
so click it, but you'll get no ticket!
(i have no idea what that means)
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Drunk Drivers!
So while we like to keep a humorous air to the blog it becomes necessary at times to take a more serious tone. A friend just passed this story along to me which is posted on CNN. It reminded me of another incident, previously unmentioned on the blog, in which a friend and co-worker (we'll call him Joe Biker) was involved in a hit-and-run by a motorist right on Route 4 in Unionville. After running a red light and running over Joe, the driver took off. A passing motorist checked on Joe, made sure he was alive, and chased down the driver! After getting his plate number the police found him and discovered he had been drunk!! As far as I know the case is still pending but little more than a slap on the wrist can be expected. Despite actions that potentially could have killed Joe it is doubtful that charges to this effect will be applied. The repercussions of the accident have left Joe unable to walk for the last month thus forcing him to back out of buying a new house and cancel an epic backpacking trip to Alaska. The good news is his doctors hope Joe will be back on the bike by next summer.
The moral of the story friends is not just to be careful as there is only so much you can do, but also to be aware of everything around you and to take initiative when you see motorists acting in a hostile manner towards cyclists. We have rights! Make sure to grab plate numbers, and id cars breaking traffic laws. Acts as simple as speeding or running a red light may not seem as dramatic as Joe's case and not nearly as tragic as the incident in Mexico but they can have huge implications. We aren't hiding behind two ton metal shells, so ride safe, take the lane, and be confident.
Read more!
Monday, June 2, 2008
Middletown to New Haven
A week and a half ago, I took another step on my quest to try every conceivable bike-commuting permutation in the state of Connecticut: Car from West Hartford to Middletown, then bike from Middletown to New Haven (then reversed at the end of the day). It was pretty fun, and I learned an important lesson: Never trust streets to keep being the same streets. Here's the deal - I knew I needed to take Route 17 south from Middletown all the way to N.H. I also knew that Main Street in Middletown is Route 17. So I headed south on Main Street. What I didn't realize is that actually, South Main Street in Middletown is Route 17, but Main Street is not. That alone wouldn't have hurt me, if I had just realized that to get from Main Street to South Main Street, you don't just, you know, go straight south. Instead, you must execute a hard right (to the west) off of Main Street onto Pleasant Street, which will lead you to South Main: 
So . . .
Here's what I should have done:
And here's what I actually did:
That doesn't look like a much farther distance but (a) you forget that I am weak and lazy and (b) it is much more hilly, which was made more complicated by (c) the fact that I kept dropping my goddamn chain. So what was meant to be a sort-of efficient hour-and-a-half-long ride turned into a not at all efficient, finger-dirtying two-hour trip. Luckily, the people I was meeting with in New Haven are all into the biking-not-driving, so they didn't mind my being late. Also, I got a much more scenic route, with real-life cows and farms and stuff. In fact, I would recommend my errant ride to anyone not in a hurry to get to New Haven.
Anyway, here are some pictures:
Equipment check on Main Street in Middletown: I have everything I need, except a brain!
My detour took me through the real America.
This street, which crosses Route 17 around Northford, may be the inspiration for my new rap name.
I liked the way the letters looked on this building on Middletown Ave. in New Haven.
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On the importance of carrying a large bag
Last Thursday night, I once again found myself in the position of needing to bike to Middletown to collect a car, although this time instead of a raw mid-spring night with drenching rain, it was the very definition of May biking perfection - 65 degrees and clear. So I threw on a bag with some tools and a pump and a spare tube and had myself a marvelous jaunt.
A nice bike ride on a nice night would, by itself, have been more than enough to make me happy. And in fact, when I got home I had received the news by e-mail that I would be getting a free Swift folding bike, so it was an especially good night. But on top of all that, the ride provided me with two extra goodies - (1) an object lesson in why it is always good to carry a large bag and (2) a cool found item:
If my dear wife hadn't known me for almost ten years already, she might have seen me heading out with a huge back and no stuff and asked, "Why are you carrying that huge bag with no stuff?" But she does know me, and she knows that if she had asked that, I would have said, "You never know. I might find something cool." And that night, I did find something cool, which made me very glad to have a huge bag with me: A perfectly good pair of galoshes that actually fit my size 13 feet!
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Sunday, June 1, 2008
Saturday Evening’s Thunderstorm
The sudden addition of pea-sized hail to the light rain distracted me from my book with all its bouncy pings and dings, especially on the metal roofs of cars. Dark storm clouds dominated the sky but several stark patches of light fought to shine through making for some amazing light. The hail ceased as quickly as it appeared and the rain continued on, keeping the same beat the whole time, though the clouds slowly grew thicker and the sky darker.
Not more than twenty minutes later I glanced out my back window and fire escape door to see a rainbow and the Beat’s skyline bathed in some wonderful light. I shot this picture from the fire escape in a cool, light sprinkle. It really doesn’t come close to the colors of the whole sky and the rich, warm ambient light was amazing! A small section of a second rainbow faintly appeared on the outer side for a few minutes.
I grabbed my bag, threw on my rain jacket and pedaled down Capitol Avenue towards the pedestrian bridge into Bushnell Park and then meandered through the park and up to the parking lot of the Capitol Building. I really like photographing the struggle between human-made infastructure and nature.
Retracing my tracks back into Bushnell Park I continued east, out of the park, across Main Street and onto Constitution Plaza to check out the roof of the new Science Center. If anyone knows why the construction company and the state didn’t build this and the Convention Center OVER i91, instead of next to it, please let me know. We’re they really trying to showcase the beauty of the interstate while at the same time keeping the riverfront separated from the new buildings by hundreds of thousands of speeding cars? 
Well, atleast the view west towards the Old State House from the plaza where it bridges over State Street was a bit more scenic. I wish I coulda exposed this a bit less to capture the deep color of the sky. It was a great time to pedal around aimlessly under an amazing sky and feel cool, delicious air and no sticky humidity. mmmm……cool, delicious air.
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Saturday, May 31, 2008
"Hey hippie! Get me some drugs!" ....... Critical Mass May 2008
The best quote from the entire ride was yelled at us from the sidewalk on Park Street just after crossing New Park Avenue.
I am pretty dang sure i can't sum things up better than Karma, but i have something he doesn't have....photos from the ride! ha! i will add photos and a few words to his thousands of words...
We unfortunately lost a few riders enroute, but happily actually picked a few along the way and they rode for the rest of the ride. Kick ass! Next month will be even bigger and better!
Some new people had the same reaction I did my first time, concerning when the ride starts. i was kinda annoyed to arrive at 5:30 and not leave for 45 minutes. Well, we meet at 5:30, but never leave before 6pm, which is a good thing, because then we can all pass out the new flyers we made, talk about where to take the ride and, of course, socialize a bit. Its all good! We're in a beautiful park! Enjoy it!
here's my soapbox 2cents and then i'll shut up about such things. Its everyone's ride, which i love and respect, and there aren't really any rules, which is awesome, but we all should take ownership and try to make the ride the way we envision it. so i will!
my critical thoughts about the mass:
We shouldn't take up two lanes, or ride against opposing traffic when we don't need to, but that said, we do need to take a full lane at all times. ALWAYS! Take the lane! Its ours! We should stop at red lights, but if the light turns red as the group is passing through, we should cork the street and keep the group together (google critical mass and corking for a primer.) Stopping at red lights allows helps the mass to regroup. same with speed. we have to keep a pace that keeps us as a group. Together we conquer and we are safer. Divided we are not so safe and not so much of a mass. I am all for drinking beer, mmm...beer, but not littering. Please don't throw your shit in the street y'all, not a good look.
ok, agree with me, hate me, its all good. That's what the comments are for! ride your own ride. ride daily, celebrate monthly. off the soapbox and on with the ride!
Riding down Farmington Avenue in West Hartford.
The begining of the Park Street adventure which was also my favorite part of the ride. Unlike much of West Hartford, where lots of drivers were in a rush and speeding around us, here most of the drivers waited on the side streets or drove slowly behind us; beeping, yelling, smiling and waving. People were ALIVE and full of life. 
I'm not really sure how Jimmy managed to make himself in focus, but as long as he continues to use his special powers for good...its all good. but he's tarnishing my blurry photo rep.
Want to see more photos and read about how Poser Dave's bike got stolen on Park Street while he was peeing in the bushes?
Want to see the strangest butt photo ever taken at Mad Dawgs?!?
click READ MORE below!
While poser was doing something in the bushes involving whipping it out, he just left his freakin' bike on the grass near the sidewalk. Krash promptly cut infront of me announcing he was stealing the bike. I wasn't really sure if he was going to A) trade bikes B) hide it somewhere or C) i have no idea what C was!
so Krash just grabbed it and rode off with the two; holding his new bike with one hand and steering his own bike with the other. Eventually Poser finished and started running after his bike. and running. and running. Several of us almost crashed laughing at the shananigans. I am super glad someone decided to detour us through Pope Park. Great idea!
Ahhh, back onto Park Street, which, except for the pendejo who tossed the plastic bottle out an apartment window and hit Corey, was mad fun; full of people, life and energy. The Puerto Rican Day Parade is on Sunday and vendors were selling Boriqua merch everywhere and a few riders bought flags and joined in the celebration. Most everyone on the sidewalks and in cars cheered us on as we cheered them on. Life was GREAT!
MaryLynn rockin' the aforementioned Puerto Rican flag on Main Street on her sweeeet cruiser. Niiiiiice! She even managed to buy a hotdog a little later and ride and eat at the same time. Skills!
Pratt Street was owned!
bicyles! bicycles! bicycles! bicycles! bicycles! bicycles!
The post ride party was at Mad Dawgs which was great for many reasons.
Lots of Misfits got play on the juke.
Free happy hour 6 foot grinder.
$2 Miller High Lifes and $5 40's.
mmmm...beer.
Alcohol is a hell of a drug!
Read more!
Critical Mass and the Impromptu Puerto Rican Pride Parade
First of all, and most importantly, I just want to say thank you to everyone who came out yesterday afternoon to participate in Critical Mass. It was not only a huge success as far as the number of people who came out (a rough count reached into the mid thirties) but overall it had the feeling that we have only just begun to tap into the beast's potential. If one was to refer to the aforementioned Wikipedia definition you might say that we are far from reaching our own critical mass.
For those that missed it, your loss but there is always next month, be there! Regardless of whether or not you deserve it I still will give you the details if only to taunt and entice you to come out next month. The afternoon began with several post-work brews with a few co-bloggers and a couple of fellow riders at the Hook and Ladder. The weather was obviously gorgeous and we took the opportunity to sit out on the patio while we drank our beers and tried to lure in more bikers by a combination of yelling and throwing fliers at them. Not much luck as due to the fact that we were about 15 feet from the road and most people just thought we were a bunch of crazies who must have gotten out of work at like 2 and were already half in the bag (kind of like the kid sitting next to us in the Led Zeppelin t-shirt going on and on about the huge Bob Weir and Rat Dog show that we just couldn't miss, I mean Trey is going to be there man its going to be far out). The best part in my humble opinion, however, was the fact that we must have seen upwards of a dozen bikers fly by in the 30 minutes we were there. Who knew Main Street was such the bike thoroughfare at 5.00!
After finishing our beers we zipped through the back alley and cruised over to Bushnell Park where we found a gratifyingly large group of people ready to ride. What a great mix of people as well. I don't think we broke into the AARP demographic, however, better luck next time. We loitered for a while discussing why there was a huge spread of food and hundreds of kids running around in the carousel and looking for children who might be willing to grab one of us a slice of pizza. Around 6.00 ambitions started to stir and the biomass trickled onto the street. After a bit of a delay getting everyone organized (its not easy to coordinate something that is inherently meant to be non-organized and even harder still to do so while maintaining the aura of informality) the group eventually coagulated on Farmington Ave. just past the semi-suicidal intersection with Asylum and we were on our way.
We rolled down Farmington taking up one and periodically two lanes. In general motorists were annoyed but not deliberately hostile. A few honks were heard but no direct threats were vocalized. Passing bicyclists were urged to join us and one did after he was coaxed from his bag of donuts! Continuing down Farmington Brendan made the excellent call that we should ride through Blueback Square. Turning onto Memorial Rd. the group started to hoot, holler, yodel, and yell, utilizing the tall buildings and small space for all of its acoustic value. The sound was excellent and the looks on the faces of locals out for an evening stroll was even better. You could just see them thinking, "I thought our taxes were so high in order to keep riff raff like this out of West Hartford?" Much to their chagrin we weren't going anywhere and the looks continued as we continued on Main St., back onto Farmington, and down La Salle Rd, before eventually arriving on Park Rd.
The general consensus at this point was that it would be a great idea to take Park Rd. all the way back into the Beat and we made our way out of West Hartford. It was here that the most automobile hostility was felt as cars zipped past us by crossing into the oncoming lane and flooring it. Things got much more pleasant, and interesting, as we inched farther towards Parkville and into the aftermath of what seemed to be a Puerto Rican pride celebration. Flags festooned from buildings and cars, carts were out on the street selling flags and food, and people were everywhere. Several riders pulled over to buy flags and the impromptu bike parade was born. The locals didn't really question what we were doing, preferring to honk their horns and wave. Besides the plastic bottle thrown from a building that hit one of the riders in the head (helmet? check.) this had to be one of the most fun parts of the entire ride. The vibe was great and people were everywhere. It was hard to leave Parkville but there was still the need to hit up a park and ride through the city. We rode through Pope Park and headed back towards Main Street, down Pratt (the wrong way), back onto Asylum, and up High St. (again the wrong way) where a giant inflatable beer can seemingly sapped ambitions from the riders and summoned us towards post-ride libations. Mad Dawgs was the venue of choice and beers were partaken in 12 and 40oz forms on the sidewalk as we all took in the sight of 30 bikes stacked, piled, and hung from every instrument that would accept a lock. We drank, talked, and faded into the evening to the cooing melodies of Black Sabbath. See you next month. Cheers!
Read more!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Bike Sponsorship Success: Mad Props to Xootr!
What is Xootr, you ask? Only the coolest bike company in the whole wide world, as far as I am concerned. They make the Swift, the folding bike pictured above, and today Xootr gave me the best Nigerian Democracy Day present I have ever received. Read the e-mail after the jump from Xootr founder Tom Miner to see what I'm talking about.
Hi Josh,
You might have discovered, were not big on marketing. We work hard on designing really good products and hope that word of mouth gets things going. That approach has worked pretty well for us so far. Nonetheless, we like what you are proposing because it is consistent with our grass roots approach to "spreading the word".
Let's give it a try. We'll send you a Swift and you test it out. If you like the product, keep it in exchange for your promotion efforts. If you don't like it, send it back. Your part of the bargain would be to promote as you describe in your proposal and to let us know periodically what you've done. No need for a written contract, we take you at your word.
Let us know what size and color you want and where to ship it and will get this proposition rolling...
Best,
Tom Miner
Xootr LLC
Isn't that something? Can we all just take a moment to appreciate Tom's no-nonsense, earnest way of doing business? What a guy.
Needless to say, you will soon be reading about my adventures on the Swift (most of them, of course, undertaken while toting my necessaries in a high-quality bag provided by Manhattan Portage). In the mean time, let us all bask in the glow of Xootr's do-right, bike culture awesomeness.
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Thursday, May 29, 2008
Crit!
So the day has finally come. As the anticipation has built over the four weeks I almost didn't think the day would finally arrive. Better than laundry day, better than pay day, and even edging out beer day, tomorrow is the day we all have been waiting for.
For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, I happen to be speaking of Hartford's Critical Mass for the month of May. Yes my friends, our own city of Hartford has its own Crit and tomorrow is the day for all like-minded, bike-obsessed, environmentally-concious individuals to take to the streets to show our support for our non-motorized two-wheeled friends.
What is this Crit I speak of?
Well, according to Wikipedia critical mass is, and I quote,
"A critical mass is the smallest amount of fissile material needed for a sustained nuclear chain reaction. The critical mass of a fissionable material depends upon its nuclear properties (e.g. the nuclear fission cross-section), its density, its shape, its enrichment, its temperature and its surroundings."
However, while this may on some abstract level define what we are talking about I think another Wiki definition is more appropriate, again I quote,
"Critical Mass is an event typically held on the last Friday of every month in cities around the world where bicyclists and other self-propelled commuters take to the streets en masse. While the ride was originally founded with the idea of drawing attention to how unfriendly the city was to bicyclists,[1] the leaderless structure of Critical Mass makes it impossible to assign it any one specific goal. In fact, the purpose of Critical Mass is not formalized beyond the direct action of meeting at a set location and time and traveling as a group through city or town streets."
And I continue....
The definitive Critical Mass information site writes,
"Critical Mass has no leaders, and no central organization licenses rides. In every city that has a CM ride, some locals simply picked a date, time, and location for the ride and publicized it, and thus the ride was born.
CM is an idea and an event, not an organization. You can't write to "Critical Mass"
Some CM riders try to tie up traffic as much as possible and be otherwise confrontational with motorists. Such riders are missing the point about Critical Mass. CM is a celebration of cycling, not a war against motorists. CM is about asserting our right to the road, not denying others their right to the road. Those who want to play juvenile games are encouraged to stay at home instead."
Now that sounds like fun, does it not?
So, be you messenger, commuter, spandex-clad roadie, hipster, or noob, join us tomorrow as we take to the streets to reclaim what is rightfully (and legally) ours. We will meet at the bucolic Bushnell Park, by the Carousel, @ 5.30PM and will ride when we feel all stragglers have made their way into our ranks. So don't think that because you get out of work at 5.00 that you can't possibly make it, I say try, try, try. There is always time.
Remember this is an opportunity for you to display to the automotorists of Hartford that we can share the road, and illustrate to all the fact that the bicycle has a home on our city's streets just as it does on the avenues of what some might (unfortunately) call more progressive cities.
So..............
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Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Your random bike picture of the day
Here is a picture of a guy on a bike waiting for a drawbridge to close. You can click on it to see a larger version. One free beer for the first person who can tell me the exact location where this photo was taken.
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Happy hour to last call in the Beat!
There is no photographic pixels or sound recordings of last Friday’s Happy Hour in downtown where G-Money, Hardcore (visiting from Hotlanta) and I reunited part of the old school happy hour crew and wandered around eating free food and drinking $2 drafts. Good. Keeps us out of trouble with the courts and that thing called “evidence.” But at 7, they drove and I rode to Sully’s Tiki Bar for Steve and Rod’s House Happy Hour. There were 4 or 5 bicycles locked up on the back fence and the crowd was moving to the beats and an amazing vibe fell upon the night. It was the first HHH of the season and one of the best! Such a good time indeed, except most everyone was still feelin’ it on Saturday. But what a night! Everyone was dancing outside to the house beats and great old school hip-hop. Inside, Sirsy, a two piece band was really making it happen, great music. Lots of fun dancing and being silly.
I cannot write anymore, so here’s some photos and crappy captions:
Chug water and wear a helmet! Go Amy Z and Rick! Two bicycles leaving, but more still there.
Rich’s Eyeglass Case amazed even more people. Rachel and Brooke were enthralled and maybe confused. I am not sure if this counts as yet another awkward picture of three people.
or maybe this? Hardcore looks pretty well done, G-Money is about to do something (goddess knows what) and Amisha seems to just be trying to smile in the midst of madness.
Unknown to me, my fellow bloggers have been quite busy with promo deals and cross marketing! Check Carol’s beer! She’s smiling, but if the BBB really has anything to do with brewing, I’d stay away from Chain Grease Lager!
Hey! There isn’t no more, but I can’t make “READ MORE” go away, so click it if you must, but you have been warned! Go click “READ MORE” on another post if you must read more.
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The Scruffy Peloton: Bridges and all the Windsors
I have only recently recovered from the adventures of happy hour til last call on Friday night and that’s not yet a full recovery mind you! So this is kinda late.
The Scruffy Peloton rode again on Thursday in pursuit of more bridges on a 30 mile ride mostly along the Connecticut River. We altered the end of the planned ride in order to cross the Bissell bridge. We left the Mark Twain house and headed north towards Keney Park. I really enjoy every ride through the park, its quite lush and green and there’s even an actual ravine there as well as ponds, trees, roads, greenways and a little bit of everyone. Cricket too!
Here’s 3 of us, blurry as promised, passing through the park the first time, headed north to Windsor Locks and the Rt. 140 bridge. Not too much to write except to continue to gush over Keney Park. The ride south, once in East Windsor, was fantastic! Farms with sheep, rams, turkeys and some randomn dude peeing on the side of the road. We cheered him on and he cheered back. 
Crossing the Bissell Bridge and not too blurry! check the Beat in the background.
We eventually made it back to Keney Park and altered our second route though a tiny bit and saw more of the area. I love this park! Later, after some of us showered (some of just went and bought beer instead), we had an afterparty with a few others. I had bumped into Marisa at the Billings Forge Farmers Market earlier in the afternoon and we schemed and decided to buy a fresh pie and some farmfresh ice-cream and have a party! Mmmm…….best idea ever after a bicycle ride!
there ain't no more
so don't click read more!
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Sponsorship Quest Update: Much Love to Manhattan Portage!
After having my folding bike stolen and learning that my insurance wouldn't cover it, I hatched the idea of becoming a sponsored bicycle commuter. While the idea (and accompanying blog post) was initially more of a joke than anything else, further reflection made me think that maybe I was onto something. (That tends to happen - I think my own ideas are brilliant.)
And then the internet gods smiled on me: Lauren Hoffman, who does some sort of marketing-type stuff at messenger bag company Manhattan Portage, came across this blog while Googling "Manhattan Portage." (Someone else found us by googling "pictures of elderly woman." Seriously.) Lauren left a comment on my post telling me to get in touch, which I did, and now she's going to hook me up with some fresh M.P. gear, and I'm going to show her company mad love on this blog and everywhere else, starting right now. (I should add that I have been a fan of Manhattan Portage since way back. In my bike messenger days in NYC, some 12 years ago, I used a Manhattan Portage bag. I also used to know a girl who was very petite, whom I could actually carry in said bag, which was awesome.)
Dahon, the company that makes the model of folding bike that some sucker stole from me, was not so into the sponsorship idea. They still make hot bikes, but you know what, I think they may have missed a golden opportunity. I mean, Scott Baio turned down the lead in Top Gun, and where is he now? Then again, Tom Cruise is totally crazy and I read somewhere that Scott Baio is notoriously successful with the ladies, so Dahon will probably do OK. Still, they should have sponsored me.
Now that Dahon said no to the best marketing bargain in the bike biz, I have sent my proposal to Giant, because as far as folding bicycles go, I think their Halfway is pretty cool, and to Xootr, maker of the Swift folder. Anyone else I should contact? Any other brands want to sponsor my commute? Holler at me. (And I don't care if you call me a sell-out - a new bike doesn't pay for itself, feel me?)
And here is the rest of it.
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Deja Vu
As our thousands of loyal readers may remember about a month ago we had a multi-installment segment on symbiotic bike and train travel as several Beat Bloggers journeyed to the Rotten Apple to partake in the 5 Boro. Their travels took them from the Beat to Waterbury by bike and from the Dirty Water to NYC by train. Well for those who didn't read the exciting "Burros," the tearjerker "Five-Borough Ride Prequel: Heartbeat to Dirty Water to Crooklyn," or the edge-of-you-seat thriller "The 5 Boro Walk Your Bike Tour," you may wonder why not take the train from Hartford or New Haven rather than trek to dark and mysterious Waterbury? Well the answer my friends is that our heroes made this trek due to the fact that Amtrack would not house their noble two-wheeled steeds in their cars. Well be it the pattern of the Courant but todays front page story is a mirror of the Beat Bike Blog's reporting a long month ago. Regardless, their story "Bicyclists Want to Take the Train, Too" is a good example of a growing consciousness of the lack of bike infrastructure and public transportation accommodation and is an opportunity to voice your arguments on the issue. So read the article, jump on the forums, make yourselves heard, and then head back here to dish our your ideas.
Select quotes from the article:
"Bikers have no more 'right' to bring bicycles on crowded rush-hour trains than I have to haul aboard a steamer trunk." - Jim Cameron: retired TV anchor.
"People are starting to get the message," "The roads are not just for cars."
- Tom Kehoe Tom Kehoe, Democratic lawmaker and local bike legislation hero.
"Mass transportation is a nice thing for people with simple schedules. However, our society encourages us to have complex lives." - Uncreative commenter.
"Based on how much cost overrun we are seeing for the refurbishing of the railcars on the New Haven line, I'm afraid to see any of my tax dollars go to mass transit.
Finish Route 7 & 11, expand the Merritt. Thats what the average person wants."
- Self-proclaimed Iron Sheik from Fayetteville, Mass
So lets hear it friends. What does the "average" person want?!?!
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Bikes on Metro-North, Story in Today's Courant, and Battling Transportation Advocates
As of last week (in the wake of the theft of my beloved folding bike), I began traveling on Metro-North with a full-sized road bike - not just full-sized, in fact, but oversized (because when you are 6'5" and a tall frame comes your way, you acquire that frame, even if, upon further reflection, you realize the frame is more suited to someone 6'7"). I had acquired a Metro-North bicycle permit, and although the permit says bikes can only go on trains during off-peak hours, I felt confident that the peak-off-peak distinction simply didn't exist on the Waterbruy branch line. Why did I feel this way?
Well, if you look up the train schedule at Metro-North's website, for every train from Waterbury to Bridgeport (including the 6:40 a.m., which I take), there is a big "N" in the column labeled "Peak Fares Apply?"
So I felt good, and on my first attempt, there was no problem - the conductor didn't ask for the bike permit, didn't really notice the bike at all. Just the regular "All tickets please!" But yesterday, I got a semi-rhetorical line of questioning:
CONDUCTOR: "You got a permit for that bike?"
ME: "Yes sir." [I start to reach for my wallet to get the permit.]
CONDUCTOR: You ever read that permit?
ME [realizing now where he's going, but determined to play dumb]: Sure, why?
CONDUCTOR [producing a weathered paper schedule from one of the many specialized leather pouches hung from his belt]: This is a peak train. All the trains in gray are peak. There's no bikes on peak trains.
Anyway, you get the idea. I was polite, pleaded ignorance, website, etc., and he was cool, saying that I could bring the bike on as long as I kept in out of the way and it wasn't keeping people from sitting down. So, on the one hand, Thank you, conductor, for bending the rules for me in exactly the sort of no-nonsense, reasonable way that rules ought to be bent, and on the other hand, Damn you, Metro-North, for having this dumb rule! (Also, damn yoo, Waterbury car burglar, but that goes without saying.)
Apparently, I'm not the only one bemoaning this silly policy, which is great for leisure cyclists wanting to go to the 5-Boro bike tour, but not so good for regular commuters wanting to reduce their car use. In today's Courant, we learn that there is a whole campaign to get Metro-North to change the rule, which counts among its proponents none other than the CCBA's #1 Legislative Bike Pimp, Tom Kehoe (state rep. from Glastonbury).
But here's the weird thing: Jim Cameron, the head of the Connecticut Rail Commuter Council, opposes greater bike access to trains, because he thinks it makes seats too scarce. He says on his blog, Talking Transportation, "Bikers have no more 'right' to bring bicycles on crowded rush-hour trains than I have to haul aboard a steamer trunk." His post is actually pretty vitriolic. He also says, basically, that it's dumb to even want to bring a bike on a NYC-bound train because you could just take the subway once you get there.
Now, I agree that there should be room on the trains for everyone who needs to ride them, but I need to take ol' Jim to task on a couple things:some all of them don't have subway systems or reliable bus systems. (cough, Bridgeport, cough, cough)
All that said, let me add one thing: Bike commuters and train commuters clearly need to be on the same page. Jim Cameron et al. should not be so rude just 'cause they personally can't imagine the utility of a bicycle. On the flip side, people bringing bikes on trains should makes sure to accommodate them somewhere other than on seats.
Also, did I mention how cool the specialized leather pouches are that Metro-North conductors carry? They have one made just for their hold punches, and that shit is awesome.
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Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Vermont
Johanna and I went to Vermont this weekend:
This is not Savoy Mountain State Forest. This is some regrettable deforestation in Glover, VT.
That evening, after the opening, we soldiered on to Vermont.
I've heard many things about Kingdom Trails in East Burke. The first is that it costs money. That part kind of sucks. The second is that it's really good. It's true. It was very much worth its $10. Look how happy I am after about 90 minutes of riding:
There was a Mountain bike race this weekend in Vermont in West Fairlee, which is about 90 minutes from Johanna's cottage. That would have cost me $25, was shorter, and would have required me to get up at 5am. I'm happy with my decision. Read more!
