Camera

My trusty new cell phone, with a functioning camera (I'm not ready for a real one yet), and I rode around a bunch this weekend. As you may recall, the weather was wonderful and practically required the riding of a bicycle.

On Saturday, I rode around on the packed plains of the Wethersfield / Rocky Hill sod farms. I'm sorry I didn't go ride the Coffee Cat in New Haven, I couldn't find anyone to come with me. I'm not ready for the big city on my own.




On Sunday, Johanna and I did a loop down to Middletown and back.


I should really clean my gloves more often.

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CT (and MA) Stage Race

I was just looking at twitter and saw an interesting tweet from "bikeride", who is out of Colinsville. It looks like there's going to be a stage race in May over two days with a time trial, circuit race, and a road race. I might be interested in the road race for some early season humiliation.

Check out the goings on: http://groups.google.com/group/connecticutstagerace?hl=en
Check out the more abstract goings on at: http://www.connecticutstagerace.com/

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Also, have you ever had a headset seize? I did yesterday. I was riding the old stumpjumper home from work and it happened to me. Turning became like getting a cork out of a wine bottle with a car key. It was weird because I'd just fixed the headset a few months ago and got the play out of it. I had been feeling pretty satisfied with myself. The grease was new, so what could be wrong. I opened it up and things looked ok, but I put in some more grease for good measure. It didn't help at all and I realized that problem was coming from the race. I don't know how to grease in the there and I became very depressed.

Then I remember I had a can of WD-40. I sprayed it at the race and now everything's fine- like instantaneously fine.

Damn salt :-( Read more!

Bikes of the future

As Will now pedals around on whatever it is that he's pedaling around on, here's another view of what's to come in bicycles. It's been reposted on a few other blogs and now it's on here.

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Also, I finally got a new cell phone, so I can start putting some "taken by me pictures" in my posts. (Yes, I don't own a real camera.) Read more!

getting’ paid to ride!

Its official! I am a licensed and working pedicab driver...errr rider…make that pedaler! It’s pretty much a really super duper awesome job. I am working for Perfect Pedicab, which as glorious fate would have it, sits directly across the street from The Green Parrot, my favorite bar in the world (think Sully’s, but in the tropics). For the last three days, I have been riding up and down Duval Street picking up people, and pedaling them around while talking about the shitty weather back home and sharing crazy stories of Key West. At their destination, I drop off my passengers and they give me cash money! Money! For riding a bike and talking about interesting shit. I love this job!

Friday, being my first day, started with Kim training me on the trikes and reviewing the rules of the city pertaining to how to park, how to ride, where not to go and other buerocratic and safety type stuff. I also got a playful warning not to hit any parked cars!! (yep, its been done before) Then they let me loose on the streets of Key West. Woooo-haaaa!

My first fare was a mom and daughter from Chicago, who needed to make a stop to shop enroute to their hotel near the Southernmost Point. Another was a couple from Kentucky wanting to stay longer. Three 20somethings working on the Pearl, a rerouted cruise ship, were loving their unexpected trip to the island. Colorado, Australia, Bosnia, France, NYC, people from all over were excited for the ride and really enjoyed themselves. It felt great. I am getting paid to pedal, meet people from all over the world and tell stories. Sweeet! Well, except for the lack of insurance, no medical benefits and the pillaging I am doing to my bank account when grocery shopping. And slow days can really suck because each day starts in the red and only getting enough fares will get you into the black, and hopefully far enough to survive. But still, seemingly a super sweet gig for me, and I am absolutely, totally enjoying it.


"Coco frio!" Saturday’s highlight was meeting Manny, the coconut man. Towards the end of the work day, several of us were hanging out on Whitehead Street behind a pick-up truck full of coconuts and their delicious water. Manny was chopping one end, leaving a quarter-sized hole, perfect for drinking with a provided straw, or just straight up as we were…au natural. mmmm……. sooo fresh and sooo good. He’s a pretty freakin’ funny character. Tourists were all smiles with a well spent $3. Go check him out while in town. Manny, thanks for the hook up, I got you when you need that ride! "Only three coconuts left!"

Sunday. Day three. I now know where all the hills are on Duval, Fleming and Southard Streets. If you’ve been here, you prolly think it is flat. Shit! The highest point on the island is only 18 feet. But trust me, when pedaling three passengers you suddenly notice even the slightest slopes. Now it seems so obvious. Even with 21 speeds, I tend to stay in the middle chainring; occasionally using the large ring if I want some speed with an empty cab. 

Sunday was super slow. So slow, that the bored  strippers ladies from the Key West Entertainment Club, were in front of their building, on the sidewalk, with signs reading, “free hugs.” I love this town! My apologies for the lack of a photo...


click Read More
for some random photos I shot the last few days.




With temps in the 50’s at night and 60’s in the day due to the nasty cold front, I’ve been needing to wear a fleece and scarf with my shorts to keep warm. Very strange weather.


Last week I knew I was tempting fate as the laundrymat would close before my clothes were dry. AndIi was ok with that and prepared to leave with slightly wet clothes. As things turned out, the manager dude pulls up, talks to me and then starts explaining how to lock up the joint after I am done! This does not happen in Hartford...ever! Anyways, here's a pic of the laundrymat and mi bicicleta after locking up. Yeah, there are no windows, just security bars to try and keep it breezy.


A random colorful bike next to mine near sunset! Mallory Square Grouper...


A dude from NYC fishing at sunset. yep, we troll by bicycle in Key West!



My normal commute home from the big grocery store along a waterfront pedi/bicycle trail. 


The southernmost Menorah!


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Of Coffee, Cycles, and Council

Come check out an alley cat in New Haven this Saturday. You'd think with the coffee theme that it'd be at like 6am, but thankfully it's in the afternoon. We're gonna try to make it down. The Scorchers got more to say on their blog.

Also, for those interested in the saga that is the Hartford City Council, tune into channel 96. I'd live blog it, but that doesn't really have any place on blog about bikes. Read more!

A Message for my West Hartford Neighbors

You know what I would have liked to do on Sunday when the weather was grand? Go for a bike ride. You know what I had to do instead? Drive all over the damn state looking at beat up old cars to buy. And you know what got in the way of getting that miserable task done? Some neighbor of mine called the town to complain about my failure to clear the sidewalk in front of my house, so the cops came and told me to do it, so I had to do it.

Now, I know what you're saying. You're saying, "Cry me a river, El Prez. It is your civic duty to make the sidewalks passable, and as an advocate of non-motorized transportation, you, of all people, should take this sacred trust seriously." To that I say, Fair enough, but peep this: My house in on a corner and there are sidewalks on two sides. On one side, the sidewalk connects to the rest of the block and is used by schoolchildren on their way to, you know, school. On the other side, the sidewalk dead-ends at my driveway and there is no more sidewalk on the rest of the block. (See diagram below; click for larger, legible size.)



So I cleared the sidewalk that goes somewhere and left the sidewalk to my driveway completely unshoveled. Why? Because if that part is unshoveled, you have to walk in the street, but if it's shoveled, you still have to walk in the street, because there are no sidewalks on the block!. But apparently, that's not good enough for some suckers, so I had to spend a couple hours chiseling away at the six inches of ice that had accumulated under the foot and a half of snow. And for what? So that some people get to walk thirty feet more on a sidewalk before they have to go in the street, which, by the way, they can only do by trespassing across my driveway. I am strongly tempted to build a little wall on my driveway at the end of the sidewalk, just to spite the trife individual who complained. But then the mail wouldn't get delivered.

Honestly, I just want to be done shoveling and scraping and buying a stupid car and get to the important business of riding my bike around. I totally need Voltron right now. Read more!

The anti-Wednesday

Rainbow Road and International Drive in Windsor look much better than this now. I think International Drive also has the biggest building in the entire state of Connecticut.

I know people are probably preoccupied with some sporting event right now, so just a quick thought. If you didn't ride today you really missed out. These days are few and far between in winter, but there did not appear to be anybody out on the roads (mountain biking was probably a little impossible). I saw one guy in Tariffville, three kids in Hartford and nobody else. The Tariffville guy was smart; he had fenders. None the less, a little road spray was no excuse to stay in. Read more!

Voltron is Needed Once More

You know what show was totally stupid? Car Voltron. Because seriously, it's like they just drew a big-ass robot and broke it into boxy components that looked only slightly like actual cars, plus there were a bazillion of them, so no character development, etc. But you know what show rocked? Lion Voltron. In addition to having a kick-ass robot made out of five kick-ass lions, each of which had a specific realm of influence, Lion Voltron had the following cool opening narration:

From days of long ago, from uncharted regions of the universe, comes a legend. The legend of Voltron: Defender of the Universe. A mighty robot, loved by good, feared by evil. As Voltron's legend grew, peace settled across the galaxy. On Planet Earth, a Galaxy Alliance was formed. Together with the good planets of the Solar System, they maintained peace throughout the universe until a new horrible menace threatened the galaxy. Voltron was needed once more. This is the story of the superforce of space explorers. Specially trained and sent by the alliance to bring back, Voltron: Defender of the Universe.

I like how fast and loose they play with the universe/galaxy/solar system distinction, but more importantly, I like the notion of a super-powerful force for good that is called upon only in times of extreme crisis. For me, that mighty force is the internet, and it has done well by me. Remember when my bike got stolen from my car in the Dirty Water? I posted about it here, and the internet came through: I got an awesome free bike.

Now, a new horrible menace is threatening my galaxy. To wit, my beloved Corolla has perished, a victim of acute arthritis of the motor. I was driving through North Haven on the Merritt on Tuesday evening when the oil light went on. I pulled over on the snowy side of the road, poured a quart of oil in there, and all seemed well, except that I almost needed Voltron to get me out of the semi-frozen snow beside the parkway (and I didn't even have the Xootr, so I couldn't have ridden down the Merritt to get help, which is almost a shame, because I saw a guy riding a bike on the Merritt once, and he seemed like a total superstar of toughness). Anyway, I was cruising along after getting back on the road when the ol' engine started a knockin' (if this toyota's a knockin', don't come rockin'). I pulled into a gas station almost immediately, but the engine was shot.

I got towed to a garage in New Haven (highlight: we had to cut through one of those emergency turnaround places on the Merritt, and the tow truck driver told me proudly, "I'm an emergency vehicle; I get to do all kinds of crazy shit"), and ultimately learned from the mechanic there that the car was properly dead. Thanks to the magic of craigslist, I found some dude in Meriden who had the car towed and bought it from me for $500. (He also asked me if a friend of his could call me to get legal advice about DCF involvement. I said sure.)

So now I have $493 ($97 went to the garage in New Haven, for the hour of diagnostic work and three (wasted) quarts of oil), but that doesn't go very far when it comes to purchasing an automobile. Case in point: This ad. That's why I need the internet.

CAR DEALERS, I AM SPEAKING TO YOU!!! Do you have some car that you are having trouble moving off the lot? Maybe the sales of this item would increase if you plastered it with advertising and allowed me to drive it all over the state! Have you considered how effective it would be to have a hip and handsome young lawyer like me incorporating your automobile into a complicated, earth-friendly, multi-modal commute? I have considered it, and the answer is, it would be very effective. Many young people would purchase the car. For you, I will do this for no cost at all - all you have to do is let me use the car! I will take good care of it! For you, I will even respect the speed limits.

Seriously. My work requires me to have a car. I need a car. I will take any car. I will take one of those bullshit, boxy, Car Voltron cars. There has to be some kind of deal we can make, right? Read more!

The Eel 2

Cool picture of a double rainbow, huh?

I said at some point that I was going to do a sequeel to the eel. However, we've been getting a lot of snow and the wooded environs are all unrideable. Judging by the weather so far this winter, they won't be clearing up any time soon.

So, I propose a new race for either Feb 21 or 28. It'll be a point to point road race, similar to the eel, but not a loop. You'll choose you're own route to some extent, but it'll be more structured than an alley cat.

What do you all think of this? Good idea? Bad idea? Anybody wanna race? What should it be called?

Ideas for names so far:
the hart
the crow
the squirrel
the least shrew
the Puritan Tiger Beetle (or just the beetle)
the northern harrier
the lynx Read more!

Grossest commute ever!

At one point, I road through this!

I guess there weren't frogs falling from sky or wads of mucus, but today was undoubtedly the grossest commute ever. Everything was six inches of ice-water-slush. Ugh. I guess it could be worse if Hartford didn't have paved roads and there was a monsoon.

Anyone have a pleasant experience today? Read more!

You Can't See Me

As regular BBB readers know, I recently became a fixed gear rider, and I'm lovin' it. But I'm not a messenger and I don't have that messenger Je ne sais quoi. I feel like I need a new outfit to go with my cool new bike. How about this:

Start with one of these great shirts.

Pair the shirt with this.

Then, get these to keep my hands toasty and lively. Read more!

What a joy it is to share the joy of bikes

That's my dad on the right. I don't know who the other people in the picture are.
My dad is, and has long been, a big fat guy. As a youth, I appreciated this quality, because I could playfully punch his belly with surprising force, and he never minded. As an adult, I have mostly been agnostic about my father's rotundity. Sure, I suppose that I'd like him to be in better health, since I want him to live longer, prosper, &c. But realistically, I'm more concerned with getting him to keep a job, manage his money properly, and close his mouth while chewing. (And frankly, I'm not that concerned with any of it. He lives far away, so I don't see him enough to be irked by his faults, but thanks to this modern interweb technology, and the telephone, I get to talk to him a lot, which makes me happy because he is a smart, funny guy.)

Lately, however, my dad has started to do things to slim down and improve his health, and I am delighted. Not because of the possibility for more productive years (he hasn't had one of those in ages), but because he sold his car, bought a bike, and is always conferring with me on two-wheeled matters.

Luckily for my dad, he lives in Portland, Ore., where they practically hit you with sticks if you don't ride a bike, and where public transportation exists and warmly embraces two-wheeled multi-modality. So he went to his local bike shop and they set him up with a used mountain bike outfitted for city riding: Riser bars, slick tires, fenders (a must in the rainy Northwest), etc., and my dad sprung for a Brooks saddle. Now he tells me every day about his latest triumph of mileage, as he does more and more of his commute on the bike and less and less on the train. For his birthday, I am sending him a little must-have kit for basic maintenance: Pump, patch kit, spare tube, tire levers, multi-tool, chain lube, wedge bag to carry stuff, and one of these, because, you know, Brooklyn represent. I almost can't wait to go visit him so I can give his bike a once-over and get more good gift ideas. It's nice. That is all. Read more!

State of the snow

This is not recent snow.

I'm a huge fan of Jill Homer's Up in Alaska blog. I think she's a terrific writer and an inspiring and talented athlete. She also reminds me that the winter in Connecticut is lame and manageable. So, when I think about driving to work, I remember that unless I carrying a large load or am injured, I've got it easy and should ride.




She spends much of her time riding around on the snow, because that's how it is in Alaska, so I also feel that I must continue mountain biking even when the ground is covered. I must admit that I'm totally baffled as to how she rides in deep snow. I went up to the reservoir yesterday and had a hell of time getting around. My singlespeed has 2.3"s and I was doing a lot of walking. This snow has had lots of time to compress and harden, but it's still pretty impassable. I suppose the Pugsley that Ms. Homer rides probably has those 3.7" Endomorphs. However, you'd think that lame Connecticut snow would be rideable with tires that are two thirds the size of Alaska-worthy tires.


So, anyway, that's the best I could do for a post today... How about the decriminalization of marijuana? Read more!

No Parking.... or be careful what you ask for!

I am now living in the Conch Republic, better known as Key West. Yes, technically it is in Florida, but the vibe and architecture is certainly far more Bahamian than American. Moving here after a dozen and a half visits over the last 10 years is a dream come true. The friendly people, the amazing weather, the island's charming general weirdness and the amount of bicycles have drawn me here year after year. So, how's living in a bicycle centric city!?

Lemme tell you, Portland and Berkley ain’t got nuttin’ on the bicycles here. Many people don’t even own a car to get around the four by two mile island. Bicycles, racks, pedi-cabs and trikes are everywhere! Unfortunately, this can actually be a problem when trying to get to work on time. My first waiting job ever is at the Turtle Kraals, right on the water at Key West Bight Marina; and finding bicycle parking at 10AM can be hard!


Here’s the restaurant’s employee only bicycle parking! Almost full! I got a spot this day!


But here’s a shot near the front of the restaurant with no less than seven actual bicycle racks completely full! Overflowing actually!


Even the giant anchor had bikes and trikes chained up to it! Dang! It's not even a bike rack!


This shot is for el presidente de china. Folding bicycles are actually super popular here. And the biggest retailer for such steeds? West Marine, a boating supply store! Why? Many live-aboard sailboats are anchored off shore and the owners will float in on a dingy with their folding bike and then use it to get to work, run errands around town or get to the bar. (or prolly a combo of all three) Now, that's a sweet multimodal commute!

There are many, many sweet rides all over the city and I’ll be posting more pics as soon as I can. There are mostly single speed beach cruisers, but also many mountain bikes with wide slicks. In the mean time, check out Conchscooter's blog, Key West Diary for two recent posts about bicycles: Duval Bikes and More Duval bikes. Great posts!

I met a dude who rides old school fixed gears, I mean OLD school as in pre-1900, but haven’t seen any of his rides yet! I hope to soon. I am told there’s a dude on a blue track bike too, but I haven’t met him or his bike yet. And that’s is for fixies! TJ, come visit and bring the Steamroller!

Its super convenient and really fresh to be in a town where the bicycle is truly the preferred way to scoot around town! Life is good! Ride on!


ps. there ain't no mo' to read!




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My last snowy post!

Here is my last post involving snow and ice for many months, my apologies on its tardiness, I’m on island time now!


Here I am on Krash’s back porch ready for a fun, slippery ride one cold night back in late December. Yep, that’s me, my bike and lots of snow encrusting my tires. yummy! The riding that night was mostly fun, except when there was a car on your ass on a narrowly plowed road with thoughts of getting run-overed trumping simple thoughts like just falling down. Away from the fright of immediate death due to cars and trucks on the slick streets, riding was actually a lot of fun, especially on a brakeless fixie. Fun indeed.


Riding in the middle of a massive snowstorm does have its advantages…like instant bike racks everywhere, just dismount your bike and put it in the deep snow! Krash and I chillin’ on the Founders Bridge a few minutes after midnight. I don’t think we were even that cold.


The view of the Connecticut River and its ice flows was absolutely beautiful. Traveling and exploring in a winter wonderland, whether high in the mountains of the backcountry or on the streets of the ‘beat, is always rewarding with fine views and excellent company.

Thank you Ken for all of our midnight rides and end of night sprints from Kenny’s to Columbia Street! Always a great time dude! Peace! Read more!

In Which I Continue to Hammer Away at a Point: Courant Editorial on Transit Spending

The Courant says Congress should spend more on alternatives to automobile transportation, like sea turtles (above).

This morning I rose at an ungodly hour (or, more precisely, I was rousted from bed by a two- and a four-year-old, both of whom are terrorists) and went to the grocery store as soon as it opened (7:00 a.m.). And you know what? It was really really cold out (13 degrees, according to the car's thermometer), and I did not feel bad that I was not riding my bicycle to the store. In fact, it's almost cold enough (almost!) that I would pass up the chance for a bike ride generally (the need to carry groceries and children necessitated the car this time around). Why do I tell you this, dear reader? Because I've been riding a little less lately, and that may explain why all my posts focus on news about mass transit.

Anyway, the Courant has a good editorial today, in which it points out that the coming recovery package should spend more on mass transit and not so much on building new roads. It urges the Connecticut congressional delegation to press for money to complete the New Haven-Springfield commuter line and the Hard Hittin' New Britain Busway (no mention of the BeatWater Commuterama train, but whatevs). My only hope is that the stern remonstrance of a foundering newspaper in an impoverished city will be enough to force the hand of Congress. Read more!

CRCOG, Grrrrr!

Above: The proposed Hard-Hittin' New Britain Busway.

Damn it, Capitol [sic] Region Coalition Of Governments! I want to hate you because your name misspells Capital and you never responded to my (very polite) e-mail about that matter, but I find I have no choice but to love you because you are so sensible!

Case in point, your Exexutive Executive* Director, Lyle "Fay" Wray, has a lovely op-ed piece in the Courant today about New Haven-Springfield commuter service and the (Hard Hittin') New Britain Busway. Wray points out that the existence of one big mass transit project doesn't mean others should wait in line, tacitly responding to recent comments by DOT Commissioner Joseph "Sault Sainte" Marie, who was cool to the BeatWater Commuterama train (Hartford to Waterbury) because the Springfield-New Haven line and the busway are in the pipe. Although he favors the busway over the BeatWater train, Wray rightly points out that all these projects serve different needs and will benefit the region in different ways (he enumerates these in the op-ed piece, but leaves out the fact that commuter rail service along the I-91 corridor could greatly reduce the incidence of agency commissioners picking up DUIs).

So good work, Sugar Wray. Now can we please talk about the Capitol/Capital distinction?

* Just as I was grousing about the misspelling in CRCOG's name, I included a misspelling (or, really, a typo - they are not the same thing) in referring to its chief. A commenter took me to task (gently) and I corrected it, but in the interest of transparency, I am making my earlier error manifest. Read more!

Heat Wave!!

Ok so maybe its not really a heat wave but compared to the last few weeks its feels almost tropical outside. Not much else of consequence in this post but I just want to say I hope everyone is taking advantage of the brief thaw to get out on your bikes. If the last few weeks of arctic temperatures were enough to keep you indoors or encased in steel on your commute to work, school, etc., today is the perfect day to get back out on your two-wheeled steeds and get the blood flowing again. It'll be nice to head out and not have to wear bulky (although pretty sweet) mittens, a facemask, and tights under my pants just to keep from going hypothermic. Might even be a nice night for an impromptu bike pub tour. Long story short, if you didn't plan on riding today, do so, as weather like this must be appreciated in January. Read more!

Bikes on Planes

First, I have to apologize not getting any pics of my fixie up on the blog. It is running great. I love the performance in snow, I love the elegant look, the quiet ride, and I love the durability. I am now shopping for digital cameras, so I hope to share pictures soon.

I have two work-related trips to South Carolina coming up, and I want to have my bicycle down there to get around. For the March trip, I've decided to load up my recently purchased (1974 good condition) slide-in truck camper (six pack heaven!) and trundle down to Myrtle Beach with my bicycle inside. For my February trip, I can't avoid the more boring option of flying down and staying in a hotel.

Question: How feasible is it to take my bike apart, put it in a bike box from a bike shop, check it as luggage, reassemble in the airport, and merrily ride away? Has anyone ever done this? Short of stealing El Prez's hard-earned Xootr Swift, what are my options?

Please use the comments section to share experience traveling with a bicycle. Read more!

Train Service to the Dirty Water? Yes Please!

Yesterday, a couple of Connecticut lawmakers said there should be commuter rail service between Hartford and Waterbury. Could I agree with them more? The answer is no. It's not that I love visiting the Dirty Water so much (I don't), or that I am frequently flummoxed by congestion on I-84 west of Hartford (I am not), but what I do love is having a rail connection to other parts of the state that is not in the avaricious grasp of Amtrak. If there were a train to Waterbury, you could go there and take Metro North to Bridgeport or New York or anywhere else on the shore, which would advance immeasurably the cause of freedom.

Naturally, the first response from the Commissioner of the State Transportation Department was to urge patience, caution, and other behaviors of dubious usefulness. He says we're already working on a New Haven-Springfield commuter rail link and the Hartford-New Britain busway, so we can't go crazy with this BeatWater project. (Because the last thing we want is adequte public transportation all over the state, all at once!) Of course, in real life we're not "working on" the New Haven-Springfield thing so much as we're deadlocked with stupid Amtrak over the use of its rails. So what the Commissioner should do is go to Amtrak, grab them by their fat heads, and say, "If you don't make me an offer I like on the use of your stupid rails, I will deal with some freight company, create a link to Waterbury, and steal away from you all of your coveted business between Hartford and New York!" That would be the way to show them what's up. (Except it wouldn't work at all because they're clearly not motivated by good sense or profit, so maybe he should tell the folks at Amtrak that they should help the Springfield-New Haven project go forward because it will help them be better at volleyball.)

I guess what I am saying is that any project that connects Hartford to the world via public transportation and simultaneously connects Amtrak to fuck you via deez nuts is OK in my book. Call your legislator or your governor or Santa Claus and tell them you support the BeatWater Commuterama.

ALSO
So, after writing this post, I read Rick Green's column, in which he says that the Commissioner of DOT, Joseph Marie, is a super-champion of rail transportation and bike-friendliness and helping old ladies cross the street. So maybe I should give him the benefit of the doubt and suppose there's a good reason he's so cool to the BeatWater Commuterama. I mean, is there a good reason to oppose the project? I (foolishly) looked at the comments on the Courant's website, and the posters who oppose the project don't offer much that's coherent (awesomest nonsensical argument: the commuter line would only be used by unemployed people anyway, so let's not build it). What do you say, dear readers? Read more!

In Which Your Humble Correspondent Falls on the Ice

I don't mind ice and snow, really. I am tough and hearty and young, and laugh at danger and adversity, so things that cause me discomfort are useful for the reinforcement of my self image. To that end, I endeavored yesterday to ride my Xootr from New Haven to Milford. Not only did I endeavor, but I was, in fact, successful, and realized the feat in a suit, arriving to a morning meeting on time and looking dapper. Unfortunately, this otherwise perfect inauguration day sojourn was marred by the inconsiderate behavior of a motorist. I was next to said horseless-carriage operator at the corner of Bridgeport Avenue and Schoolhouse Road, waiting on a red light. The vehicle to my left, a gold-colored SUV of some sort, did not have its turn indicator light illuminated, leading me to believe that the operator's intention was to proceed straight in a westerly direction. In fact, when the light turned green, the operator executed a right turn across my path, causing me to apply my brakes with improvident force, which, in turn, resulted in my falling upon the ice, cursing extensively, and shaking my fist (really! just like in silent movies when something bad happens to someone hapless) at the oblivious driver.

What is the moral of this story? On the one hand, studded tires might have helped. On the other hand, when we blame the bicyclist for the failures of the motorist, the terrorists win. So I don't know that there is a moral, aside from that it is always a good idea to check your mirrors before turning your automobile, even when you are in the right lane on Route 1 at 8:00 a.m. on a day too cold for any sensible person to be astride his bicycle.

Also, bike tires going through a thin layer of light snow make a cool sound which reminds me of the sound my feet make in the firmly packed, semi-damp sand of certain Oregon beaches. If you have an opportunity to hear this sound, either by strolling along the Oregon coast or biking in light snow on a cold morning, I strongly recommend you take it. Just watch out for turning SUVs. (Below, thanks to the magic of MS Paint, I have created a handy illustration to help you understand the bike-tires-in-snow / bare-feet-in-sand similarity. I do this as a service to those of our readers who are visual learners, and also because I like blog posts better when they are accompanied by a photograph.)

Read more!

This Great Nation of Ours; Concerning my Recent Travels Therein

As we approach the historic inauguration of our nation's 44th white president, the populace is feeling a great absence, a great need for enlightenment though reasoned discourse. I refer, of course, to my own recent absence from the blog-o-dome (not to be confused with the Blago-dome). Since the last week in December, I've been all over the damn place, with a weekend in New York (blissfully sans children), a couple of weekends in Boston (less-blissfully avec in-laws) and a marvelous week of vacation in San Francisco and Berkeley, where people are so civilized and sensible that they don't allow the temperature to get below 40 degrees fahrenheit.

Happily, I was able to bring the ol' Xootr to Boston and get in some quality blizzard riding, but there was no possibility of bringing it to the Bay Area (two kids + two adults = two suitcases and carry-ons, so no extra hardshelled bike suitcase). That said, being in San Francisco was eye-opening for me: Cities really can be totally bike-friendly! Really, it's more than that: We were walking through Golden Gate Park and came upon a municipal frisbee golf course (for real!), and I had an epiphany about how local government operates in east coast cities and how it operates in S.F. Over here, even the most progressive, forward-looking government initiatives come about only because of a well-organized campaign by some subset of the population. There is nothing wrong with this - it's democracy in action - but it establishes a certain limit: governments don't go looking for cool shit to do because they can; they aim to please political groups with influence (except Luis Cotto - that guy is hardwired for awesomeness and you should vote for him in the Advocate's Best of Hartford poll as best politician). But I'm pretty confident that even in uber-nerdy San Fran, the frisbee golfers don't have much juice in the corridors of power. I think someone in their Parks and Recreation department just said, "Hey, I have seen the dot-communists playing this game. Let's make a course for it, but we'll call it 'Disc Golf' to avoid trademark issues." That's because their government just does good stuff. Case in point (to return from a lengthy digression): bike-friendliness. Everywhere there are bike lanes. In Berkeley, they even have "Bike Boulevards" (pictured above), which are streets that run parallel to main drags where bike may take the whole lane and are generally favored over cars (sort of like those weird West Hartford power-up things, except for real). People bring bikes on the BART (which is the bay area way of saying "subway") all the time, to the point where the emergency evacuation instructions remind people to leave their bikes behind in case of train evacuation (unless, presumably, your bike is one of these). I noticed cares yielding to bikes in a manner I found downright stunning - they were actually, truly cautious and deferential. Anyway, I wish I woulda had my bike there, but having my wife and kids there instead was a fair trade-off. Here are some photos from my recent meanderings:


If I lived on the hill my sister-in-law lives on in S.F., I would be the strongest bike rider in the whole world.


A bike boulevard in Berkeley.


This ain't no Bay Area! It's bike-friendly Cambridge, Mass., which is like Berkeley with snow and funny accents.


Bike parking at the North Berkeley BART station. Click for larger image. Read more!

Cold

It's cold and not fun to ride a bike today.

So, try this instead: http://www.cbc.ca/kids/games/bmxpark/. My high score is 86467 94653 101582, which apparently is not very good.
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The John Boehner Tonic

I wonder if he rides the "Portland" so he can always be representing his district.


After Sunday's ire-inducing Face the Nation interview with John Boehner and the ire still smoldering with Will's post yesterday, I thought it'd be nice to post a link to an article in today's Times about Earl Blumenauer. It's repleat with such feel good quotes as this one from former Republican Rep. Sherwood Boehlert: "Bicycling unites people regardless of party affiliation". It's nice to think that Rep. Blumenauer is in the majority at this point while we're at the brink of a giant pork-barrel spending bill.

ed. note: Why do all these bike proponents and opponents have e's place in funny spots all over their last names?
2nd ed. note: I'm sure we're all also sad that Rep. Blumenauer didn't become Secretary of Transportation.

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Also, how come bike tires wear out after 3,000-5,000 miles while car tires go for 30,000-50,000? Bike tires are not 1/10 the price of car tires. This seems unfair.
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bike paths are a waste of money and shouldn't be part of an economic stimulus

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) was on Face the Nation Sunday morning and had some thoughts about the need to quickly pass a "responsible" stimulus plan. Here's a link to a story on the TheHill.com

“I think there’s a place for infrastructure, but what kind of infrastructure? Infrastructure to widen highways, to ease congestion for American families? Is it to build some buildings that are necessary?” He stated. “But if we’re talking about beautification projects, or we’re talking about bike paths, Americans are not going to look very kindly on this.”

I am an American and i am not looking kindly on the idea of widening highways during oil wars and impending depression while also disregarding bicycles as transportation. The irony is killing me. Its it that crazy of an idea to the federal powers that bicycles are freakin' transportation?!?! Widening highways would cause more problems than it would solve and eventually that solved problem will only be the same problem but bigger and wider!

and here's another similar situation, check out this post on bicyclespokesman.com about a bike path near Washington DC that is not being built, but a 6 lane highway will be built!

Anyways, shoupy gave me a heads up in this along with with Rep. Boehner's contact info.

We wrote him, you should to! Post a copy of your letters in the comments.

ps. By the way, "...widen highways, to ease congestion for American families?" What the hell is that supposed to mean? I didn't watch the news last night, or the night before, but did I miss some big story about the new biggest threat to our family life as we know it like: Millions of American families suffer congestion due to skinny highways...film at 11.

pps...don't read more....WRITE MORE! give 'em a piece of your mind!

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Critical Mass. Hartford, Dec 2008. The Holiday Ride!

LL Cool J said it best....I can't live without my radio!

Well, better late than never! Friday night...a few weeks back...was awesome! We had a real winter Critical Mass ride complete with lights, decorations and holiday music. It was great to see so many familiar faces as well as some new blood out to ride around the city. The weather may have been cold, but the ride was hot! Lots of people decorated their bikes with colorful lights, glow sticks and light-up santas. I am sure it was the largest ride yet in the winter months. There was a UConn game at the Civic Center (yes, i still call it that) and of course all the traffic that goes with it.

The boombox was blasting mostly punk and reggae covers of Christmas music. I found a few Chanukah and Kwanzaa songs on itunes and threw in the Ramones' version of "its a Wonderful World" just to round things out. Many people cheered, smiled and laughed as we did laps through the area.

We also rode to Constitution Plaza and around the decorative lights and Christmas trees up there. And all got separated for a while when leaving, until reuniting and enjoying more of the crowded downtown streets.

Eventually we headed down Asylum Avenue towards West Hartford and made it to Woodland Street when we found out someone needed a chaintool back at Bushnell Park. In the holiday spirit the whole ride made a 180 and sped back to save the day. We did several more loops around the Civic Center while repairs were made. Ya know... i might have some chronology wrong here; but just the same, it was a wonderful ride. Everyone was super friendly, sharing tools and libations and ideas for next year's ride. Thank you to everyone to braved the cold and helped make Hartford a brighter place! Wooo-haaaa!


Marylynn is always dressed for the occasion!


Chris laughed in the face of death with his lights. and looked cool doing it!


Coreylynn was rocking two peace signs radiating good vibes in all four directions.

What happened next? What bar did we go to? Want to see the neked group shot?

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Did i say neked? I meant natural light...I didn't use my flash! Sorry for any confusion.

We decided to ride to the Spigot and took the scenic route on Park Street for most of the way.


Brendan, is that your cable looking up my boom box along with the bikes? Thanks dude, good looking out!

And more photos here from Caresse!



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