Bikes Outside: Pratt Lacks Racks

This Monday's bike outside was spotted downtown on Pratt Street. I was enjoying a Sunday morning coffee at Jojo's when someone in our city's government (who is neither Brendan nor Ben) rode up, locked up, and came in. This cheers me up for at least two reasons:

First, to paraphrase H.G. Wells, when I see a city official on a bicycle I do not despair for the future of Hartford.

Second, the fact that this city official had to lock his bike to a trash can means that one more of the powers that be is personally aware of Hartford's sorry lack of public bike racks.

My own bike was locked to a better suited (U-lock compatible) railing in the alley next to Jojo's at the time these pictures were taken, but that's no bike rack. Proper bike parking areas are few and far between in Hartford, but their absence on a downtown "showcase" street like Pratt is more glaring.

Like Pratt Street, this early 90's Trek 8500 could use a bit of sprucing up to recapture its former glory. At a distance, they both look nice, but the eye begins to get drawn to Pratt's cracked granite and loose bricks and the Trek's balding tires at close range. They're both solid and worthy of the attention, though. Other dings and scratches suggest that this mountain bike has been used for its intended purpose, which is cool.

I'm optimistic that we could see more bicycles carrying our city officials around. It could save the city gas money and parking woes. They don't require a license. One or two have shown promise, and could be convinced to ride more with a bit of encouragement on the citizens' part. I think it would put them in a better frame of mind.


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Bad ride

I rode my bike a lot this week, but the quality has been sliding the last few days. Yesterday, it was the weather and today, well, it was the bike. Obviously, a talentless dolt blames his tool, but today, it was not going my way. The front derailer was pissed at me and I couldn't get traction in my rear tire to save my life. The pedals had no desire to hold on to my feet and somehow I bent the metal thing inside my shoe where the cleat attaches. And, I crashed twice. It wasn't like other not-great-rides, where I'm either off balance or I can't seem to find a metabolic rhythm (not that I'm remotely good enough or in shape enough to have any like a metabolic rhythm). This was different, the bike just didn't want to operate right.

My Stumpjumper has always been a moody bike. I think it feels like I've bought other bikes to replace and spurn it. It's so not the case, though, I've showered this thing with cool parts and treat it like a member of the family. Maybe it really misses that Judy XC it used to have that fell apart. Who knows?

Oh, and since I don't have a helmet cam, check out my first cell phone cam artistry:

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Festival of Smug

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

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

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


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

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

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

Saturate

What's up with all this rain? My shoes can't dry fast enough to keep up. I'm gonna have to get some SPD sandals soon! Well, no, not really, but I think buying so many steel frames wasn't a great idea.

The pool is overflowing! Read more!

Pasta: still on the move!

This time it's macaroni and cheese.

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

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

Trail Description

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

Connectivity

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

Trail Users

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

Master Planning

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

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

UPDATE!

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

Brendan,

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

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

-Emily

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Thoughts on a name

Early this spring, the bombshell was dropped that the Central Connecticut Bicycle Alliance's familiar name would be no more. The organization is now known as Bike Walk Connecticut. They stressed that the full name was to be used at all times, so the abridgments that immediately sprang to my mind, such as BiWaCo and BikWaConn, or BWC are not approved. As both a slow typist and speaker, I lament this. I am always looking to maximize my syllabic efficiency, and this new nomenclature could prove persistently cumbersome. CCBA slipped smoothly and swiftly off the tongue like a wet Sucrets. I miss it. After a few months, I confess that I haven't gotten used to the new name yet.

Part of it is that I lament the organization is no longer an alliance in name. A word like "Alliance" can give anything a more appealing cache. If you and your compatriots are in any (non-Renault) alliance, there is an unmistakable sense of camaraderie. It makes you want to march (or ride, of course) with banners and sashes. It gives you automatic clout and presence. Your foes will cower. Soon your group will be referred to simply as "The Alliance" and everyone will know who that means. If anything, they should have gone with a more heroic-sounding name, like "Bicycle Liberation Front" or "Car-Smiting Velo Resistance"

My understanding is that the reasons for the name change were to extend the organization's reach state-wide and to include pedestrians in the mix. That's all well and good, but they could have done so with jazzier names. Here are a few:

Feet: Our Only Transportation (acronym: FOOT)- Easy to remember. Feet are integral to both walking and bicycling. The annual fund-raising dinner could be called the FOOT Ball.

Wary Eastern Riders Of Cycling Kickassery (acronym: WE ROCK)- A bit brash, perhaps, but also easy to remember. "You can too!" could be a recruiting slogan for prospective members who would also like to rock out with us (no rooster jokes, please)

Walking Impressively Tones Hindquarters, UnderStood? (acronym: WITH US)- The acronym is inherently inclusive! Slogan/rallying cry: If you're not WITH US, you're against us! (err, that may dilute the inclusiveness a bit, actually, but I'd still go with it) Sort of pedestrian-centric, but does reinforce the notion that exercise gives you a nicer-looking rump.

Alliance Against Autodependence (acronym: AAA) It's an alliance! Confused motorists would call the organization's hotline when their cars die. A svelte volunteer would arrive with a loaner bike, simultaneously performing both a field rescue and an intervention. What could possibly go awry in this scenario?

The more inspirations I have (and I assure you, dear readers, there will inevitably be more) the less I feel like BiWaCo will be ringing me up for advice. They will likely stick with their current name, and I will likely learn to get used to it. Read more!

Consternation

I'm sure people assume that I'm always pro-bike path. I'm in favor of most bike paths- old railroad right of ways, separate bike lanes, places that have already been developed, etc. But, if the land is untouched or only touched by unpaved trail, but I think it's better of to stay that way than add pavement.

To that end, I received an email from the Town of Windsor yesterday asking us to lobby on behalf of a trail from the Bissel Bridge to Mead Rd in Windsor. At present, you can make this journey without too much muss or fuss, by either taking relatively quiet roads or using a few trails along the train tracks that are rather pleasant. The DEP owns the land they want to pave. Below is the area:

View Larger Map

At first, I thought they wanted to pave the trail from the Bissel bridge up to Loomis, which be a shame, because it's nice and quiet in there, but I guess they don't want to do that.

So, the questions, I guess is pave or don't pave. Am I just selfish? The C&O Canal isn't paved and people love using that.

Those Hockanum trails are unpaved except for complex bridges. I like that.

Don't I have the dorkiest cockpit set up ever there?

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Lace it up

When I last left off, I had a pile of parts that contained the makings of two wheels for the Trek. Not one to miss an opportunity to over-analyze things, I took a good hard look at the hubs. The Shimano Acera rear hub had proven to be a sturdy workhorse and promised more years of the same, but the Joytech 95D up front was looking more and more outclassed. The spoke holes were kind of huge and made for a sloppy fit for my new spokes, which is a bad thing. Everything I read about wheelbuilding was stressing using top-quality components. The Joytech had never let me down, but it was definitely the weakest link in this pending wheelset. In the end, sturdiness trumped sentimentality.

Since I already had the spokes and nipples ready, I searched for a hub with the same dimensions as the original. I found a new discontinued 36 hole Shimano Ultegra hub on ebay that fit the bill nicely. A lower than "Buy it now" price offer was accepted, and it was at my door within a few days. Holding the replacement piece in my hands made me very happy about my decision to upgrade. Nice hub!

I did my homework, re-reading Sheldon Brown's article and Peter White's wonderful and knowledgeable rants on the subject many times over. I had sought a copy of the well-regarded book, "The Bicycle Wheel" by Jobst Brandt while visiting Harris Cyclery a while back but they were out of stock, so I picked up Gerd Schraner's "The Art of Wheelbuilding" instead. I was initially sort of disappointed by this pricey, somewhat thin booklet, but warmed up to it when I got to the easy-to-follow spoking diagram. All the other diagrams I had seen in the past were a side view with color-coding for each series of spokes. Schraner's 3/4 view diagrams were much more intuitive for me and a cinch to work with.

I started with the front wheel. This would be the easier of the wheels to build, featuring all-new parts and symmetrical dishing. My readings have suggested that building a wheel should take about an hour or less from start to finish. It easily took two or more, but I'm really happy with the outcome. I oiled the spoke threads to ease tighteneing the nipples up to the proper tension. I used my new tensiometer a lot. It was fun and addictive. The wheel came out nicely.

I really like wheelbuilding. It's like a happy little safe house for all of my O.C.D. tendencies. I actually finished the pictured wheel shortly before I left for Oregon several weeks ago. I had a lot of opportunities to practice wheelbuilding and ply more experienced wheel geeks for tips while I was out there. Next up will be the rear wheel. I am going to reuse that hub for sure, but it needs some attention first. Coming soon: hub overhaul and freehub replacement, or how to make one solid hub from three somewhat tired ones.
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Bikes Outside: Bicicletas Fuera

This past weekend was a great one for Bikes Outside. Nothing short of the last Discover Hartford Tour put as many bikes on the street as this year's Puerto Rican Day. This year, Hartford's parade was moved from its longtime route down Park Street, A.K.A. "New England's Hispanic Main Street" to Main Street, which is just "Hartford's regular old Main Street." One of the nice things about this change of scene was that the added street width meant the parade floats kept to the right of the double yellow line as they headed north. This turned the southbound side into a handy bike-cruising lane. It was here that I made a few passes on the Mundo while Real Hartford's staff photographer snapped away from the cargo platform.

The Boricua bike representing was strong all weekend, with some classic cruisers and lowriders, vintage road bikes and three speeds, and a huge amount of BMX bikes, with Mongoose as the prevailing brand of choice. My favorites

included an early 1960's Royce Union 3-Speed and a 1970's Itoh 10-speed in a somewhat darker shade of the eye-assaulting apple green livery of my own bike.

Aside from a Sunday afternoon
downpour, the weekend was blessed with decent riding weather. The heavy traffic meant that pedaling was by far the fastest way to get around town, though you had to keep a sharp eye out for some of the
more rowdy car and motorcycle drivers engaging in smoky burnouts and other motorized jackassery. It would be a hoot to ride around, or in, the parade next year, but I saw that the loud paint color on the Mundo was not enough. Next year I will need a sound system, or at least a loud horn.

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First Fairy Ride of the Year: Ride to PRIDE

My Jenny would have been the perfect conversation starter if that's what I was looking for at this year's PRIDE. She got a lot of lustful looks, nearly straddled by an exuberant broadcast media icon of the queer world, and photographed by one of those "Page Six" type publications. Since Jenny's owner is as much of an attention whore as she is, this was welcome, harmless fun.

It was also another chance to feel smug. There were not many other people who bothered to walk or bike to the park. Not having to deal with finding parking when thousands of people are downtown? Awesome.







This guy was riding with a kid on his lap. I didn't want to get him in trouble by taking a picture of his face. People can overreact.

My basket makes hauling freebies so easy. Notice the fancy condoms that were given away. Why be limited to a mere handful of free condoms when there is a whole basket that can be filled with them?


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First ferry ride of the year

And I didn't see any fairies. :(

I also got caught in a thunderstorm in the Glastonbury Meadows. Spring is nice there; there's less gunfire.

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Big lots!

Look! I put a giant tire on my bike and made it very heavy.

And outfitted it with some big cranks and a king cage.

Deluxe!

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Brendan sucks at mountain biking

Riding a Nishiki Pueblo makes me nostalgic.

So, I got totally blown out of the water at the Coyote Hill Race this weekend. I don't know what it was, but I just rode really slow and couldn't figure out how to go fast. I think it was the worst I've ever done in a race.

But, the weather was beautiful and Johanna and I rode around Glover. And that made going to Vermont very worth it. (No pictures of Johanna riding without her permission)

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Bikes Outside: We Remember on Zion

This Monday, Bikes Outside takes us to the military section of Zion Hill Cemetery in Frog Hollow.

Far from complete, today's "bike" is merely the chainwheel for a British WWII Airbourne bicycle. I humbly suggest that your Memorial Day would be similarly incomplete without some time and thought devoted to its reason for being.

Ride safe, and have a good week.

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