Another random bicycle picture of the week...

No its not a Tour de France team support car, its what your car looks like when you go on vacation and cannot be away from your bike for even a week.....


We dubbed it the "Ridiculousmobile."


Read more!

Alleycat Prizes What What!

Who said the Beat Bike Blog doesn't treat you right, baby? You thought the Wear Your Rubbers race this Saturday was going to be blood, sweat, and tears with no hot prizes? Come on, now! Our best friend at Manhattan Portage, the lovely and talented Lauren "Vermouth Criminal" Hoffman, came through with a nice new messenger bag; Our Brooklyn connect, Chris "Bed-Stuy Massive" Kim, is sending some Monstertrack 8 DVDs, courtesy of Play In Traffic Productions, and a complete set of t-shirts from the 5-boro Generals series of races (go check out the links, give love to our sponsors, who are also our friends). There will be live music. There will be the greatest agglomeration of pre-recorded music ever witnessed by human ears, courtesy of Mixmaster Chillwill. There will be human beatboxing. There will be booze. You know who will be there? Everyone who's awesome. You know who will not be there? Suckers. Read more!

Food for thought: Utilitarian Cycling vs. Sport Cycling

A post at www.commutebybike.com (which, as the name suggests, is a blog about sous chefs), argues that there is too much emphasis in the U.S. on high-end sport cycling, to the detriment of commuting and such. I have often been frustrated by this at bike shops in Connecticut, where all the floor space seems to be devoted to multi-thousand-dollar road machines, but I don't know if I agree with Commute By Bike guy, who says we must "take bicycling back from the sports enthusiasts." What say you, dear BBB readers?

And here is the rest of it. Read more!

How bike cops get to be so awesome

I like the idea of cops on bikes. It makes good sense for an urban environment, where bikes are often the fastest and most versatile way to get around, and it makes the cops seem less disconnected from ordinary people than they would in an idling cruiser. (Also, gasoline costs, environment, carbon, etc.!)

One of the things I've often wondered, though, is how the departments choose their bike cops: Do the biking enthusiasts who are already on the force volunteer for bike duty, or is it a punishment ("O'Malley, because of your failure to obtain a warrant, the chicken bomber got off on a technicality! You're gettin' six months of two-wheel duty!" "OK, Sarge.")? The main reason I wonder this is because I think it would make a difference if I ever had to outrun a bike cop on my bike, something I don't recommend but always like to think about. Because if bike cops are actual bicycling enthusiasts, they might be able to catch me. But if they're just regular cops who have been obliged to ride bikes, I might have a shot.

I mention all this is because I got a rare glimpse on Tuesday into the rigorous process by which ordinary police officers are hardened into nimble, fast-moving dispensers of two-wheeled street justice. I was at the University of Bridgeport, which is right by Seaside Park, and there in the park, about twenty cops were straddling their mountain bikes while some other guy on a mountain bike (presumably some sort of bike cop expert) talked to them and showed them moves. I watched for a while, and while I was unable to discern whether the trainees were cycling aficionados (although I might hazard a guess about the guy in the orange shirt on the far left of the photo below), I did learn something important: Bike cops learn how to do some super-tough bike-to-bike grappling! Seriously - the instructor guy would ride up to his trainees and do crazy judo-style takedowns while remaining on his bike. It was very impressive, in a wow-I-really-don't-want-to-fuck-with-cops kind of way.

Here is a photo of the learning process in action. You should definitely click on it to see a larger version with more glorious detail.

Read more!

A ride gone wrong...

So while about 90% of the time I get lost while riding it can be attributed to google maps telling me there are roads where there are not a recent ride gone wrong I can only blame on myself (or perhaps as I later found out, the town of Simsbury).

A couple weeks ago I was scheduled to work a six day week which meant that on a couple days I was going to get out at 2.00. I had not been out on a 40+ mile ride yet this summer so I figured this would be the perfect opportunity. Unfortunately, however several factors would prove to derail my plans, shorten my ride, and leave me cold and wet trapped in the rain.

While I had planned to leave work at 2.00 this happened to be the week (much like this week) where we saw rain and thunderstorms every single day. The day had been fair but at about 1.45 a brutal thunderstorm rolled in that soaked the roads and kicked up the wind. I saw no point in trudging through the rain so I delayed my departure till the rain stopped at about 3.15. I raced home, quickly changed, and pulled up the radar. It showed a series of small thunderstorms moving in a line with 30 minute gaps between them. Not a fan of modifying my plans due to the weather I calculated a route by which I could race ahead of the storm, head West, and loop through Simsbury, into Barkhamsted, and South around a second storm. I wrote down my route which was a loop along routes 309, 179, 219, and 44. I stepped out the back door to the sounds of rumbling thunder, again questioned the intelligence of my decision, and hopped on the bike. As I rode North along Quaker, Asylum, and Steele St. and jumped onto 185. The whole time I was right on the edge of the storm as a picture taken over my shoulder along Elizabeth Park looked as such:


And this...


After moving down 185 towards Bloomfield the view to the West looked like this...

The view to the East however, was less inviting...


I headed up over Simsbury Mountain and noticed this foreboding sign on the way down which made me again question my choice to venture out...


READ MORE after the jump!



The weather was great though and I continued on through the back roads of Simsbury which turned out to be much more scenic than I thought. Here are a few pictures of the rolling hills and fields that remain in this increasingly sprawling area...


And...


I wanted to ask this little lady the answer to the proverbial question but left her to her bug hunting...



Things were going smoothly until I get to the intersection of Stratton Brook Rd and Rt 309. My route list informed me to turn left on 309, however I came to realize at this point that none of the roads are signed with route numbers!! (I found out the next day from a customer at work that allegedly Simsbury only recently moved away from the route numbering in favor of road names. Perhaps the numbers were a little too urbanizing in a pristine town like Simsbury (note sarcasm)). This I knew would turn out to be quite the problem as I would have to guess which road was which. I made my series of turns not confident that I was heading in the right direction. Eventually, however, I turned onto a major road which I sensed was Rt 44 and felt a little better as to my situation. After a couple miles, however, I realized that I was rather on Rt 202 and not only very far from my intended location but heading right back into the heart of a round of storms.

Along the river....


Clouds coming...


I had meant to travel counter-clockwise but somehow while making the same series of left and right turns had gone clockwise and was now heading South back into Simsbury. This meant that I had not only lost about 10 miles of my intended ride but that I had NOT ridden around the storm and would soon be soaked. The rain started slow at first and I rode on but soon it was coming down in sheets and the lightening started to pick up. At first I grabbed a spot under a tree but then noticed a nice awning across the street.

Here is my pathetic set-up as I waited for the rain to clear.


After about 20 minutes the rain cleared and I made my way back over Simsbury Mountain and home again. A few shots along the way proved that had I been about 20 miles West I'd be nice and dry...



The roads were quite wet...

As was I when I got home...


All in all still a pleasant ride but I sure learned never to ride without as much route information as is possible. Because everyone remember, Simsbury hates route numbers!!!
Read more!

How to make a new trail

Whenever I try to take a picture of a trail, it doesn't look like a trail. It just looks like some rocks.

I haven't subscribed to a mountain bike magazine for awhile, but when I did, they would tell you once a year in some advice column to ride the trail you ride the most in the other direction. I suppose the only applies to loops. I never really did. I'm a boring nutmegger.

So, for the first time in my ten or so years of riding the West Hartford Reservoir, I rode it counterclockwise. It was crazy! It was a totally different trail. The lighting is different. The rocks are sharper. Curves are banked differently. There's more climbing (that may have just been in my head). That walk-a-bike section at the far southern part of the powerlines is not actually a walk-a-bike section; you can go down it.

Those mountain bike magazines are right. It's definitely a way to get out of the local trail doldrums.
Read more!

Get out and ride somewhere!

The beatbikeblog’s day by day, play by play calendar for a mad busy week of great events. Wow. Summer is in full MF’n effect! Lots going on, great rides, parties, food and people. Check it:

Tuesday

Bicycle Commuting Clinic
July 22, 2008, 7:00 to 8:00 PM REI West Hartford
Want to refresh the basics of commuting on your bicycle. Enjoy the
summer weather and reduce the amount you drive your car by commuting to
work and around town on your bicycle! This July 22nd from 7-8pm will be
reviewing safety, equipment, rules of the road, defensive riding, and
how to pick an appropriate commuting route with Central Connecticut
Bicycle Alliance member Dave Enos. Please join us for this very
important clinic that is geared to keeping you safe on the roads.
Space is limited please call REI customer service to reserve your spot today
860-233-2211. This clinic is free and open to the public.Bike Commuter Clinic


Wednesday

Critical Splash @ Goodwin Park Pool 6-7:45pm
Julie sez, “Celebrate adult swim hours and assert our adult swimmers’ rights!”
Organized by Julie from liveinhartford.com cool off, swim laps, chit, chat, enjoy the hot summer night with some new and old friends. There’s no charge and be prepared to hand over all belongings to an attendant of the storage area.
More Details here!


Thursday

Farmers’ Market @ Billings Forge 11am – 2pm
Broad St. 2 buildings south of Capitol Ave.
buy fresh! buy local! Corn, pies. fruits, meats, eggs, cheese,
and live music too!
Farmers' Market at Billings Forge

Friday

Bike to Work @ the Old State House 7am – 9am
A free monthly breakfast organized by the CCBA for bike commuters in the middle of downtown that attracts about 100 people. Wake up with coffee, drink some juice, make a bagel or eat some fruit. There’s always a great spread and lots of mingling, smiling and stories to share. There’s a raffle too with great prizes like tents, sleeping bags and other goodies. Don’t forget to grab some flyers, stickers and schwag.
This month’s sponsored by Healthy Gears
Bike to Work

Critical Mass. meet at 5:30pm, Bushnell Park Carousel.
It’s the last Friday of the month! Celebrate with riders around the world for this global, grassroots celebration. Join a hundred of your newest friends on a ride around the city at a chill pace for about an hour and a half. Check old posts to see past rides. This summer’s rides have been wonderful, especially last month’s meandering through Keney Park.
Anything can happen!
http://critical-mass.info/

Saturday

Wear Yer Rubbers! alleycat race.
5:30pm register for race, volunteer for checkpoints @ Bushnell Park Carousel.
6:00pm race starts
This will not be a short, fast race; expect to pedal fast and long!
prizes include: messenger bags from Manhattan Portage, Ghostship clothing, schwag, condoms, water bottles, and special love for DFL.
race ends/afterparty backyard 364 Laurel st.

Bike Everywhere! to Bloomfield
Meet at Elizabeth Park at high noon and seek out some lunch. Then pedal to Bloomfield to tour to the Hooker Brewery and sample some tasty beverages. The tour costs $5. see links for more info.
Bike Everywhere!


LoRes Fest 3.0
A whirlwind weekend of community video fun in Connecticut’s Capital City.
Make your own short video in Hartford! In 24 hours! No experience or equipment needed. Watch yours and other LoRes videos at the 3rd Annual Hartford InternationalFilm Festival in November!

Friday, July 25 to Sunday, July 27 LoRes Fest ‘08 Headquarters: Red Rock Tavern, 369 Capitol Avenue, Hartford. Registration- $50 ($60 after July 23)-includes video equipment and LoRes Fest ’08 DVD

For more information and to register contact info@capitolcinemacollective.org or (860) 830-6222.

don't read more...ride more! Read more!

Concerning the usefulness of comments on newspaper websites

Every blog post deserves a picture, even if it is unrelated to the content of the post. So here is a picture of a billboard for Super Duper Weenie, in Fairfield.

Hey, remember that whole kerfuffle concerning the comments on the Courant's website, and how they're racist and stupid? Sure you remember - Hartford's dear Mayor, Eddie Perez, had a rally to decry the Courant's lax monitoring of the posts, and BBB's own Chillwill held a one-man counterprotest, which got him in the Courant, which took pains to point out that he is a high school graduate (it is worth remembering). (Oh, and later, Stan Simpson mentioned Chillwill in his column, suggesting that Will mounted his protest not out of civic concern but as a stooge of the Courant's corporate owner, New Mass Media, which employs Will.)

Well, I read a much more articulate argument for getting rid of comments on newspaper websites today at Gawker.com. Their thesis is, "Newspapers have professional reporters who break news. Well-reported news is useful, while most user-generated content is crap. If people want to respond to what they read in the paper, they can sit down and write a letter to the editor, just like in the good old days, and leave the ignorant vitriol for the blogs." I like this thesis.

What say you, denizens of the interwebs? Putting aside Chillwill's excellent point that the mayor of a city with the second highest child poverty rate in the nation would do well not to spend time sweating the comments section of a failing newspaper, is there any real value to having a comments section on a paper's website at all?
And here is the rest of it. Read more!

Some pictures from my bike riding around our lovely state

We're always singing the praises of bike-riding here at the Beat Bike Blog ('cause it ain't the Meat Bike Blog, you know?), and one of the great things about the old two-wheeled locomotion is that you go at just the right pace to see and enjoy everything around you, and if you want to stop and take pictures, you can. (You can achieve this with a golf cart, too, but bikes are cooler and never run out of gas.) So here are some pictures from around the state that I've taken lately while riding my bike (or taken a while ago but only had developed lately) (click on each for a larger view, if you like):


Bridgeport


Norwalk


Hartford


New Haven
And here is the rest of it. Read more!

Sponsor update: We still love Manhattan Portage

Hey - remember how Manhattan Portage sent us some free bags to review and enjoy? Well, they're sending along another to be a prize in the alleycat on Saturday, so I might as well hit you with an update on that businessy bag they gave me. (Also, any other folks want to throw some prizes into the pot? We have some good stuff, but if we have more, then we can give more away, which makes everyone happier, increases the profile of the fine companies that donate prizes, and generally keeps the terrorists from winning.)

First of all, my MP bag continues to serve me well in a business/bikin' capacity. I took it to Cape Cod a couple weeks ago and it smoothly made the transition from workaday bike riding bag to weekendy child-provision-carrying bag. Here is a nice picture of the bag soaking up the sun on the beach in Provincetown, Mass.



Also, I busted out the needle and thread to make a modification to the bag. You can learn more about this oh-so-exciting development after the jump (along with a slightly NSFW picture of the best graffiti ever).

When Lauren (our favoritest person in the whole world, who works at Manhattan Portage) sent me the bag, she conceded that the backpack straps weren't the most comfortable. And while it is true that they are simple nylon webbing straps, at first I didn't mind too much. But another problem they do have for me is that they are not long enough propoerly to span the rippling musculature of my strong, sun-dappled back and powerful shoulders. After a couple trips carrying heavy stuff, I started to see the shortcomings of these straps. Luckily, I had an old backpack from Target, a pair of scissors, a needle, and some thread, so voila:



Not bad, right? It took about 45 minutes, and increased the comfort of the bag by about one bazillion percent. There's not much to it - luckily, I was able to connect up the buckle-strap-holding thingy on the original MP strap to some webbing on the new strap, so I only needed to sew the two straps together at one place - right at the top. Also, because I used black thread with black webbing, you can't see how haphazard my hand-stitching is.

I know this is sort of a boring post, so here's a photo of the best graffiti ever in the whole entire world, which I saw on the inside of a porta-potty in Truro, Mass.



It says,

Derek Jeter blew me here, 7/2/02 (he did swallow and applied the "shocker")

Crass? You bet. But strangely earnest.
Read more!

no subject

I didn't use one of these to move furniture. Would people have respected me more if I did?

I didn't get to ride much this weekend because Johanna and I are moving. In fact, I think the longest ride all weekend was either to the uhaul place to pick up the van or to my friend Jacob's house to play ping pong.


However, I just discovered this: http://mtbdee.blogspot.com/. It belongs to a mountain biker in Rhode Island named Brendan. Finding that was weird, but not that weird. He's into the Drop Kick Murphies and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. I'm not into them. Cool blog, though. What was weird was the time a Brendan, with the same last name as me and the same age, was prank calling the Ned Lamont office I ran in West Hartford. That was totally bizarre. I thought he was going to try to kill me, but according to the police he just wanted an absentee ballot.

Here's that oft-viewed Street Films thing about moving by bike. Read more!

Busy Bicycle Calendar!

I missed the CCBA general meeting last night due to a work shift, but there is much going on the next few days...the next week actually! Check out these events:

Tonight! Thursday, July, 17th:
Bike Everywhere! to Happy Hour!
Prospect Café, Corner of Park & Prospect
Eat, Drink and be Merry! socialize,
talk bikes, talk beer, its all good!
this will also be a Bike Everywhere monthly meeting.

perhaps a jaunt to RAW for CCH afterwards?

Friday, July 18th. 7pm FREE
Bicycle Movie Night @ Eastern Mountain Sports in West Hartford
We’re Not Blocking Traffic, We Are Traffic, a Critical Mass Documentary and a 2ed undecided movie, we'll vote on it! Action packed mountain biking? another film on bicycles around the world? we'll vote!
free waterbottles to all who arrive on bicycle!

Saturday, july 19th. 10AM
Summer Cycling Celebration
East Rock Park, New Haven!
Time Trial Hill Climb, events
bring yer fast bike, sweet bike,
old bike, first bike, just go!!
http://www.thedevilsgear.com/calendar/summercyclingceleb/

next week? REI bicycle commuter clinic, bike to work, critical mass and an alleycat race! Read more!

Long weekend at the beach!

I established a sweet homestead last weekend at the beach for four days and nights and had a wonderful procession of friends drop by for a night or two or just a few hours. We biked to beaches, paddled to secluded beaches, paddled at night and ate like royalty thanks to Joel and Kristen who really hooked it up! I also took hardly any photos, but did spend some time pedaling around Mystic on my way home Monday afternoon and took this:


I always really liked this pub, but its been a few years and i didn't remember the bikes and the sign. very funny. I reakon the bikes would be a great bike rack too! well done!


My hand was still healing with stitches and it wasn't supposed to get wet; which as you might imagine, is a bit of a problem when spending time at the beach! I used a plastic glove and lots of tape the first few days and later went rawdog and just patted it dry when splashed. no worries! but no swimming either :(

more after the break, but its not bicycle related. well yeah, maybe it is! a chunk of wood in the fire was brought home on my bicycle returning fron the beach. i had to ride bow-legged as the log was like 8 feet long and bungied to my crate, extending along my top-tube infront of the bike as well sticking out the back for several feet!

Read More!



We should have a blog tag for Joel and his meat. that dude is always doing great things with steak!


Marisa spotted this buoy floating and we all watched it for like an hour until it got close enough to shore for me to grab. The whole thing came alive after being out of the water for a few minutes. If all of southern Rhode Island is wiped out from some creatures from the deep...its all my fault...sorry y'all!

Read more!

Riding home after dark in the city

I use my bicycle for transportation around the city and the 'burbs. If I am not mindful of the roll of the wheels, the rush of wind passing by, and the strength of my legs, I sometimes forget that I'm riding a bicycle. If I pay attention, the city allows the opportunity to refocus.

Tonight I pedaled home from a farm in southern Wethersfield. I was loaded down with gear: work clothes, thermos, lunch remnants, bicycle tools, and notebook in my trusty backpack; cleats, sweaty clothes, and water bottle in my old Mountainsmith shoulder/ass bag slung over my shoulder. After stopping after dark at a warehouse-y grocery store with cashiers and managers cranky and eager to get home, I had added more items to my backpack and gained a plastic grocery bag tied to the the outside of my shoulder/ass bag. As I approached the Hartford line, the street lights dimmed, the presence of the Wethersfield police vanished, and the undeniably gritty atmosphere of South Hartford and Wethersfield Avenue rushed over me.

I had lost some mindfulness to that point, with my mind drifting to other places and times, but the lively, dark feel of the city put my attention back to my grip on the handlebars, the movements of my eyes, and the timing of my pedal strokes.

There were a few kids riding bicycles leisurely on the sidewalks, occasional groups of men and women on stoops and porches and street corners, escaping the lingering evening heat of city apartments in summer. Underneath the darkness and smells of the street- garbage, trees, pavement, rubber, cigarette, exhaust, dirt- there was the sure feeling that I'm riding a bicycle, and that's all I'm doing.

What a gift to bicycle home through the dark city! Read more!

Three idignities in the last 24 (or so) hours

The first indignity is entirely my fault. I was hungry yesterday before I wanted to go mountain biking, so I decided to cook myself a quick meal. I started making tabbouleh, but realized it wouldn't be ready for a few hours. I had a really big craving for it, so much so that I didn't read the entire recipe. Making tabbouleh didn't satisfy my hunger, so I moved on to the left over couscous. I wasn't sure what to eat with it, but I knew that the jar of tamarind paste that's been sitting in my refrigerator for year was going to factor in. Day after day I've been questing to figure out what the hell you do with tamarind paste. I knew once, because I bought it. No wait. Johanna bought it for me. Anyway, I googled "tamarind paste couscous" and found a recipe for a real simple vegetable curry that goes on top of couscous. Since I had been thinking so hard about the tamarind paste, I decided to put on a heaping tablespoon. It looked pretty edible when I put it on the table, and it almost was. Clearly, tamarind paste is powerful stuff. I washed it down with a couple of miller lites and headed for the reservoir.

Needless to say, the 90 degree heat and that stuff sloshing around in my stomach made me feel bizarre and unable to correctly operate my bike.

I guess this is how they make biodiesel.

My second indignity was this morning. I was riding to through the Farmington Ave Asylum merge and starting to go down the hill. I watched this rumbling Rabbit coming off 84 west turning into my direction. He clearly wasn't paying attention, because he almost ran me off the road. Riding behind him, I noticed a bumper sticker that indicated that his car was fueled by vegetable oil. I guess it was really hard to see me through all that smugness.


The last indignity happened on the way home. I left work slightly early, so I decided to go ride across the river to East Hartford. Nothing much happening until I was about to get on the Charter Oak Bridge to get home. I hit a groundhog by the 5/15 entrance and crashed into the guardrail. I wasn't going that fast, so it wasn't that big of a deal, only a bruise on my butt and a cut on my finger. The upside was I learned the unique grunt made by a groundhog when you run one over with a bike. At first I was mad at the groundhog, because it ran at me and made my crash, but in retrospect, I see it had a tough decision to make. I startled it and it went to run away, but it only had two choices: risk getting hit by a bike or run on to the highway entrance and probably get hit by a car. I hope he's ok. Read more!

I think this is cool

Someone on Hartford craigslist is selling this patent-pending item called the Gravity Dropper Seatpost. From the description, I glean that it rises and lowers four inches at the flick of a switch (you have to take your weight off it to make it go up and sit on it to make it go down, so it won't accidentally ram you in the hindquarters). Apparently, hardcore mountain bikers (of whom I am not one) sometimes face a dilemma between having the saddle lower for technical descents ("technical" means "difficult") and higher for better leverage when going uphill.

So basically, I don't need this item at all, because when I need to handle downhill riding, I stop pedaling, and when I face uphill riding, I shift into a lower gear. But damn, it sure does look cool in a weird sort of way. Not $200 cool, but cool. (They should make something like this for stems, too, so you can easily go from hunched-over, racy stance to laid back pimpin' stance with the flick of a switch.) So, could someone else please buy the Gravity Dropper and report back to me? Read more!

Drinkin' and Bikin': What Does The Law Say?

Well, Brendan kinda threw down the gauntlet a couple posts ago, asking, "What the hell is up with your laziness, my fellow beatbikebloggers?" I had meant to write another in my series of "why we should always ride bikes" posts, extolling the virtues of riding home in the summer nighttime after a few drinks (especially after going to see "Wanted" ("an ultra-violent shoot-'em-up with Angelina Jolie, her many tattoos, and some guys") and spiking your extra-large coke with a lot of rum), but then I decided it would be more useful and servicey for our readers (of whom we have one in India, another in Germany, and one in Puerto Rico!) if I answered an important and related question: Is it illegal in Connecticut to ride your bicycle under the influence of intoxicating liquor? It’s the sort of question you’d like to have a lawyer handy for, and I am a lawyer, so here we go:

There is no law that says it is illegal to operate your bicycle under the influence of an intoxicating liquor. In fact, there isn’t that much in the Connecticut General Statutes about bike riding. I put some key highlights at the bottom of this post. The only thing in the law that makes me think they might get you for drunken biking is in Section 14-286a: “Every person riding a bicycle, as defined by section 14-286, upon the traveled portion of a highway shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of any vehicle subject to the requirements of the statutes relating to motor vehicles, except as to those provisions which by their nature can have no application . . .”

Now, that tends to suggest that if car drivers have a duty not to drink while driving, bikers do too (although, on the flip side, you could argue that “duty” means things like signalling turns, and that the whole notion of “operating a motor vehicle” just can’t apply to bikes). Some courts have considered this, but they haven’t come to a uniform conclusion: A Superior Court judge ruled in 2007 that a guy who was found to be riding a moped while drunk could not be convicted of DUI because the moped didn’t have enough ccs to count as a motor vehicle (which would suggest a similar outcome for a bicycle, which has no motor at all). On the other hand, a different judge ruled in a 1993 civil case that the bit I quoted above about cyclists having all the duties of drivers means no drunk biking. Of course, that was a civil case, so the interpretation of criminal law wasn’t really the point. And that’s it - no further guidance from the legislature or the courts.

So, as your blog-o-lawyer, here’s my advice to you:
1. If at all possible, don’t ride your bike when you’re drunk (here's a random blog post that breaks it down nicely);
2. If you do ride your bike while drunk, follow all other applicable traffic laws so as to lessen the likelihood you’ll be stopped - this includes the use of a front light and rear and side reflectors at night. (You also have an affirmative duty to administer help to any dog you strike while riding your bicycle on a public road and to attempt to contact the dog’s owner.);
3. If you are stopped, don’t submit to a breathalyzer test! Only operators of motor vehicles have to do that;
4. For the love of god, don’t consent to a search of your bag or pockets. James Madison didn’t die at the hands of the British Redcoats so that some police could make a mockery of the Fourth Amendment! In fact, James Madison wasn’t killed by Redcoats at all, but still, it’s foolish to consent to a search.

Bike Law Highlights
Sec. 14-286. Use of bicycles and bicycles with helper motors. Regulations re bicycles on bridges. Use of high-mileage vehicles. (a) Each person operating a bicycle upon and along a sidewalk or across any roadway upon and along a crosswalk shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give an audible signal within a reasonable distance before overtaking and passing a pedestrian. Each person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall within a reasonable distance give an audible signal before overtaking and passing a pedestrian or another bicycle operator. No person shall operate a bicycle upon or along a sidewalk or across a roadway upon and along a crosswalk if such operation is prohibited by any ordinance of any city, town or borough or by any regulation of the State Traffic Commission issued or adopted pursuant to the provisions of section 14-298.

. . .

"bicycle" includes all vehicles propelled by the person riding the same by foot or hand power or a helper motor;

. . .

Sec. 14-286a. Rights, duties and regulation of cyclists. (a) Every person riding a bicycle, as defined by section 14-286, upon the traveled portion of a highway shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of any vehicle subject to the requirements of the statutes relating to motor vehicles, except as to those provisions which by their nature can have no application and except that each town, city or borough and the State Traffic Commission within its jurisdiction as provided in section 14-298 shall have authority to regulate bicycles as provided in section 14-289 and said section 14-298, and except as provided by section 14-286c. No parent of any child and no guardian of any ward shall authorize or knowingly permit any such child or ward to violate any provision of the general statutes or ordinances enacted under section 14-289 relating to bicycles.

(b) Every person operating a bicycle solely by hand or foot power upon and along any sidewalk or across any roadway upon and along any crosswalk shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to pedestrians walking in such areas as provided by the general statutes, except as provided otherwise by any ordinance of any city, town or borough or any regulation of the State Traffic Commission issued or adopted pursuant to the provisions of section 14-289.

Sec. 14-286b. Operation of bicycles; attaching to moving vehicle prohibited; carrying of passengers, packages, bundles and other articles restricted; at least one hand to be kept on handle bars. Operators of roller skates, sleds, skateboards, coasters and toy vehicles prohibited from attaching to moving vehicle. Penalty. (a) Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable, except when (1) making a left turn pursuant to subsection (b) of section 14-241, (2) overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction, (3) overtaking and passing pedestrians, parked vehicles, animals or obstructions on the right side of the highway, and (4) when the right side of the highway is closed to traffic while under construction or repair.

(b) Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway shall not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles. Persons riding two abreast, as provided in this subsection, shall not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, and, on a laned roadway, shall ride within a single lane.

(c) No person riding upon any bicycle, roller skates, sled, skateboard, coaster or toy vehicle shall attach the same or himself to any vehicle moving or about to move on a public roadway nor shall the operator of such vehicle knowingly permit any person riding a bicycle, roller skates, skateboard, coaster, sled or toy vehicle to attach the same or himself to such vehicle so operated or about to be operated, provided any person operating a bicycle solely by foot or hand power may attach a bicycle trailer or semitrailer thereto, provided such trailer or semitrailer is designed for such attachment.

(d) No person operating a bicycle, as defined by section 14-286, upon a roadway, path or part of roadway set aside for exclusive use of bicycles shall carry on such bicycle a passenger unless such bicycle is equipped or designed to carry passengers, provided any person who has attained the age of eighteen years may carry any child while such person is operating a bicycle propelled solely by foot or hand power, provided such child is securely attached to his person by means of a back pack, sling or other similar device. The term "child", as used in this subsection, means any person who has not attained the age of four years.

(e) No person operating a bicycle, as defined by section 14-286, shall carry any package, bundle or other article which prevents such person from using both hands in the operation of such bicycle. Each person operating such bicycle shall keep at least one hand on the handlebars thereof when such bicycle is in motion.

(f) Violation of any provision of this section shall be an infraction.

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Courant feels same way about the bridge as I do

I hope the complete bridge looks like this.

There's an editorial today in the Courant about the Salmon Brook Bridge I keep talking about. As you can tell from the title of this post, the Courant and I share similar feelings about the bridge. I think it's pretty awesome that one will have the ability to ride over 40 miles without riding on a road. Think of the epic rides I can take with my mom and dad now! They have no excuse now.

Here's the complete editorial:

Happy Trails

July 15, 2008

The Salmon Brook Bridge looks like a go, and that's good news for hikers and bikers in the central part of the state.

The new bridge will replace a derelict 300-foot-long railroad trestle in East Granby. It will fill the last major gap in a 21.5-mile section of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. The new bridge will allow bikers and hikers to travel from Farmington through Avon, Simsbury, East Granby and part of Suffield to the Massachusetts line. Another seven-mile section is being paved in Southwick, Mass., so a trip of nearly 29 continuous miles will soon be possible.

With this section of trail completed, planners now look toward the completion of the entire 84-mile route from New Haven to Northhampton, Mass., along the path of an early 19th-century canal and a later railroad. Work in Westfield, Mass., will substantially complete the Bay State section; the major bottleneck in Connecticut is in Plainville, though advocates are hopeful some local routing problems can be resolved.

Completing the 21.5-mile section is a victory of persistence. The nonprofit Farmington Valley Trails Council, which has been working on the central part of the trail for 16 years, raised $70,000 to augment public funds to build the new Salmon Brook Bridge and spent years negotiating with the state Department of Transportation, which has been slow to embrace trails. With formal approval by East Granby officials, construction of the new bridge could begin as early as July 21.

The effort will be worth the trouble. The trail brings bicyclists through the centers of most of the towns, which means they can stop to shop or eat, or commute to work. The trail is immensely popular; it's not unusual to find cyclists from Massachusetts and Rhode Island as well as all parts of Connecticut.

The success of this trail should encourage local and state officials to finish other ones in the state. Trails are a source of exercise and fresh air. They can be used for bicycling vacations or short trips that otherwise would have been taken by car. They are much safer for children and adults than biking on the road. In short, they add greatly to the quality of life that is Connecticut's competitive selling point.

Copyright © 2008, The Hartford Courant

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Only ten days late! And two more things!

This is not Johanna's Masi.

At Will's behest, here's a fuzzy recap of the July 4 alley cat that went around Hartford.

Things started off optimistically. Johanna let me ride her Masi, so that I could go kind of fast. I ate breakfast and I was wearing clothes. The checkpoints were Stop & Shop, 1010 Wethersfield Ave, under the Founders Bridge, and Heaven. They weren't written in that order, but that's the order I went. The one interesting part was that you had to take a can to S&S, return it, and get the receipt. It wasn't a checkpoint with a person. Wait, no, two interesting things. TJ and a fellow, whose name I forgot, were both riding tandems (with people on the back, whose names I also forgot). At the start, their plan seemed to be to put their tandems on top of other people's bike. It was a good plan, but I thwarted them by moving my bike. Don't let it be said that I'm not crafty.

The race started and I headed to S&S from Evergreen by taking New Park and for reasons I can't understand, I was the only person besides TJ who decided to do that. I arrived at the grocery store first, only to find that all of the machines but one were full. Valdez, because he's fast at everything, showed up a little while later. Unlike me, right directly to the correct machine, while I was wandering around confused and was quickly out the door. I followed suit, left, and set off to Wethersfield Ave via Flatbush/Zion/New Britain/Webster/Benton. Things were still looking pretty good, until my left crank fell off.

I went back and got it. It's around that time that I remembered why you're supposed to ride with a tool. It's also when I remembered that two piece cranks are dumb. I pedaled with one leg for awhile and people passed me. TJ almost passed me, but then offered to pull me down Wethersfield Ave. It was very nice of him. He pulled me for about a half mile or so and we arrived at the checkpoint. I implored Lauren for a tool and offered her money. She misheard me and thought that I was trying to sell her my broken cranks. We resolved that and she lent me a hex wrench and I got the crank back on. There were still two more checkpoints and I sort of took my time. My issues weren't over, on Locust, my pedal detached from its spindle. It's easy to put back on, but it was yet another bizarre thing to fall off the bike.

No mishaps after that. I came in last for the one-man bike group. Valdez won. Then there was a party for TJ and the United States.

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I can't remember seeing the fountain ever working this good.

Burr Mall, a high-ranking Hartford chill spot, is back in action. That elevated concrete across the street at the MDC is not far behind.

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Should I wear capris, too?

Also, Cameron Diaz and I ride the same bike (more or less).

I'm sure it's old news, but I didn't know about it. I'm also withholding any comments about her playing bike polo.

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Are we losing our relevancy?

So, I was reading through our venerable blog this afternoon and it made me glum. Back in May and June we were posting constantly. Often, we'd have multiple posts in a day. It was great. Readership was increasing and everyone seemed to want to know about us riding around on our bikes. We've entered the doldrums of July, though, and the pace is really flagging. Has riding a bike become boring and un-newsworthy? I mean, I drove my car to work today! I went mountain biking on Saturday and had a good time, but I felt no desire to subsequently blog about.

So, what can be done? Am I the only one who feels this way or is this a problem facing all of the web-based amateur cycling journalism community? Are we suffering from bike fatigue (in the middle of the Tour de France no less!)? Does this post sound like Carrie Bradshaw wrote it?

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Hartford Hardcore reppin' in Rhode Island

Wow. Blue Shutters Beach is a long ride from Hartford! But a super short ride from Burlingame Campground...which makes me happy! really happy!

Anyways, I was camped out down there a few weekends ago and noticed the sticker and snapped a shot. I met a bunch of those guys one night whilst leaving Mad Dawgs post crit-mass feeling quite influenced. Hope to see y'all around and about again. Read more!

Bag Review

El Presidente de China recently loaned me a piece of schwag he received in his new role as unofficial Xootr/Manhattan Portage outreach guy. The item is an orange NY Bike Messenger bag from Manhattan Portage.

This bag is tough and waterproof. The toughness is obvious from the significant weight of the bag and a glance at the stitching. The ingenious part of the design is that the waterproof membrane is the inner lining of the bag, so it is protected from abrasions and rips by the cordura exterior. You could lay your bike down and skid to stop and this bag stands a good chance of remaining waterproof.

The closures on the bag are also tough, with strong velcro and buckles to close the flap on the main compartment. The shoulder strap doesn't come with a pad, but it will last for a long time as long as you don't let it get moldy or something.

I enjoyed using this bag, but I prefer my old knapsack. I don't understand how bicyclists prefer over-the-shoulder-type one-strap bags. It usually ends up swinging down off my back onto my side, where it throws my balance on the bike for a moment and gets in the way of my leg. Also, I like my knapsack because it has some closure-free exterior mesh pockets that I can access without taking it off my back. Most messenger bags don't have pockets like this. I know that these pockets might take away from the sleek, bombproof look of the messenger bag, but they are handy.

Overall, if you want a messenger bag, you can't go wrong with this NY Bike Messenger bag from Manhattan Portage.

And here is the rest of it. Read more!

Hand Signals, etc.

So, I was riding my bike down Farmington Ave this morning. It was pretty pleasant, no one was driving strangely. Then, a red Jetta that was behind me honked at me and passed me with about a foot and a half of room between me and their rear view mirror. I did what I always do in situations like that: I flipped him off.

Right after that, a gray Audi passed me at a much slower speed and gave me a lot of room. The driver of that car waved and gave me a thumbs up, I'm assuming for flipping off the Jetta. I waved back. It's nice to know that some drivers are on our side.

Some more silly stuff after the jump!

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Another thing: has anyone but noticed that unlike the vast majority of national political blogs, blogs about local and municipal politics are extremely conservative?

Funny video

The hills of Connecticut this weekend

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Why we should always ride bikes: Childlike joy

If you're in Hartford or Bridgeport, the sort of cyclist you're most likely to see is utilitarian in the extreme: riding a squeaky, ungreased department store bike, hauling some large parcel, and looking more than a little beleaguered. In New Haven, the typical two-wheel pilot is an academic commuter type: oversized backpack, hand-me-down ten-speed, hurrying to somewhere and wearing a far-off look. And if you take to the suburban hills and dales surrounding our big cities, you find the roadies in full kit, gritting their teeth, checking their cyclocomputers, and generally looking as though the task of cycling was imposed on them as a punishment. All of this is fine: People should ride bikes to class and work and to carry large things to important places. If people get some kind of pleasure from serious road riding and wearing those absurd get-ups, well, god bless them. But there is another kind of cycling experience, of which I was reminded this weekend when I went to Cape Cod: unadulterated, childlike joy.

Provincetown, Mass., is overrun with bicycles, mostly beach cruisers and antique three-speeds, which live in guest houses, hostels, and bed-and-breakfasts and are ridden by whoever needs quick transit from one side of town to the other. The people doing the riding are on vacation, mostly, and are not serious cyclists. They don't worry about equipment or spandex or even seatpost adjustment - they just hop on and meander over to the next barbecue or drag show or whatever. And they look utterly delighted. Out for a little ride on Saturday, I must have crossed paths with ten people who were coasting gloriously down some hill, wearing those little half-smiles that people get when they remember a good joke or are especially happy. It reminded me (not that I really need reminding of this, but still) that being on a bike is just plain fun. Starting the day with a three-mile jaunt is about six bazillion times nicer than having a three-mile drive, and a little better than a three-mile walk, too. And it doesn't matter the bike or the shoes or any of that jazz - I rode almost 30 miles on Saturday on a cobbled-together three-speed that requires a special maneuver with the right heel to get into the highest gear, with squeaky front brakes and a less-than-ideal handlebar position, and at the end of it, I felt like a million bucks. Riding bikes is fun. Here's a video that is germane to this point:

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Good bridge news

Great news for those of you who want to cross the Salmon Brook bridge! I just received this email from the Farmington Valley Trails Council:

Dear Trail Friend,

Thanks to the truly extraordinary efforts of many dedicated people, construction is scheduled to begin on the Salmon Brook bridge during the week of July 21! This is an event we have all looked forward to and feared we might not see.

During construction, the trail will be CLOSED between Floydville Road and Hartford Avenue. While Hartford Avenue will be used as the main access for the construction, there will occasionally be equipment on Floydville Road.

We STRENUOUSLY encourage you to resist the lure of curiosity and stay away from the construction site because of the safety risks. Police will be monitoring the area, especially on weekends, but we really need everyone's cooperation on this issue.

We're certain you will understand and please SPREAD THE WORD.

Thanks,
Farm[i]ngton Valley Trails Council

So, there's the good news. But, don't hang out there because you'll get arrested. Also, be careful riding through Simsbury to get there, so as not to get injured by a poultry-based IED.


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I got baggage!

Its Wednesday! Delivery day! ARRGG! i wanna go back to sleep. My kayaking trip got rained out yesterday, so i got to drive into work this morning since i still had my van with me. otherwise, it would have been another early morning at Dunkin' Donuts trying to fit all this stuff in my bag. Anywho, here's an older photo showing my typical Wednesday morning cargo carrying commute! Read more!

"Heeeeey…..White People?!??" Critical Mass June 2008

The sweet, light rain really cooled things off a bit before blue skies began appearing along with the sun. Mother Nature appears to be down with the ride, good lookin’ out! The beat crew met up after work by the river to trade flyers, brews and bullshit a bit. We arrived at the Carousel to 20 people milling about; chillin’, meetin’, greetin’, hydratin’ and wrenchin’.


There was a floor pump courtesy of Dave and a few bikes were getting tubes swapped out and hubs debated. Rick! Another flat dude!?!?!? Super cool to see everyone helping each other out and sharing beta. Caresse's hands are blurry fast when she's working on a bike! Dang! Breck seems to be trying to pump with Jedi mind tricks whilst Dave handles the valves! Also super cool to see a banana seat! I really should have taken more photos, but this ride was just too much fun.

A few more riders arrived. Brendan returned from the portapotty. And then my dream came true… Critical Mass left for Keney Park! Woo-haa! There are a lot of lights between Bushnell Park and getting’ onto Main Street and we worked out the kinks of dealing with traffic lights. We quickly forked left on to Albany Avenue.


Yep, we took The Avenue!



Most everyone cheered and yelled as much as we cheered and yelled. One 'round the way dude looked up in honest bewilderment and a smile, “heeeeyyy…White People?!??!” We took a right onto Woodland and left on Greenfield. I corked the Woodland/Greenfield intersection and had a great conversation with a family in a mini-van, waiting at the green light for the bicycles to pass through safely as a group. I thanked them for waiting and keeping people safe and talked about the ride. I invited them to come next month and they seemed interested in coming! Right on! I saw them two more times with the pops giving us the thumbs up out the window. They were following us! I had a great time talking to drivers all along the ride and most were receptive, patient and super nice. The drivers of the North End were much friendlier than the drivers we encountered on last month's ride into West Hartford!


The ride through Keney Park was a mix of roads and car-free greenway. We saw the skyline of Hartford overlooking lush grass meadows, passed through dense forest and pedaled alongside a golf course. This is a great park. I always love spending time here on a road bike or exploring trails on mountain bikes. We didn't pass the pond and fountain though...this time.

We exited onto Rt. 159 and pedaled south on North Main, Windsor Street, left over the railroad tracks and crossed Weston Street; entering into the mess of traffic due to Pearl Jam and some jack-ass drivers. We got onto the riverfront via Riverside Park and continued south along the river to the Colt Building and Colt Park. Ahhh...riding along the river is always a good idea!


We passed the remains of the Virgin Mary Shrine and returned to Bushnell Park on Wethersfield Avenue.

more funny photos after the jump from the afterparty that happened afterwards, Read More!



After regrouping at the park the group split a few ways. We had already lost a few people needin’ to get to the concert and a few chilled in the park for a bit. A group stayed in the park and went to the Bushnell Park Café and another to Kenney’s (Red Rock Tavern) a few minutes away on Cap Ave. There’s some serious mileage of iron patio fence there, perfect for bike locks. The always-friendly Donnie keeps the show runnin’ smoothly and really makes sure everyone’s always got a smile on their face.


Check the reflection of the view of the skyline from our patio seats!


Check it. The rule of three people in a photo = weird shit continues!


I have absolutely no idea what the hell I am doing. Hi Joey Barber! I owe you a bell!


Brendan is a triceritops! And i just realized i never spelllchecked this before posting.

We really stepped things up on this ride as far as corking and Joel enjoyed sweeping and ensuring no one was left behind. Many others stepped up too! Thanks to everyone for making it such a great ride.


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