Detour to A Dong

A Dong, the giant Asian grocery store on New Britain Ave, is a staple in many people's lives around here. I can't really remember how long they've been open, but it's been a long time and I've been going there since whenever that long time began (I think some time in middle school). One would think that since I've been living within two miles of it, I'd be going there far too much and eating more ramen than ever. But, in the three, almost four years, that I've been living in the South End, I've been going there less and less. While the Stop & Shops are on sort of bike friendly routes, the obvious way to A Dong is New Britain Ave and I hate riding on New Britain Ave. I think riding on that street with a bike loaded with groceries is especially unattractive.



Two weeks or so back, I bit the bullet and rode over there and it wasn't terrible. I forget that it's so close that my time on New Britain Ave is pretty inconsequential. Last night I went over there for a new cleaver and bottle of Sriracha sauce. Johanna and I are going up to Vermont and food prices are high up there. However, the most overpriced food of all is Sriracha. If you want to make good money in Glover, VT, sell Asian condiments (or tofu or kimchi). If you sell them at 250% markup above A Dong retail and undercut the present 300% markup, you'll make a killing! To wit: the big bottle at A Dong is $2.95 and at the Parker Pie store the small bottle is like $7! Not that I have anything against their pizzas, beer, chicken wings, salad, etc., but things vaguely Asian are super expensive! Those aforementioned things are not expensive and I really like them. Anyway, I digress from my digression.

Anyway, I took the scenic route and encountered a man who pointed out some lichen that looked like a panda bear and kept the A Dong trip on about 50% dirt. I think once you ride the De Tour, you will only pick routes that are 50% dirt and quintuple the travel time. 

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In praise of the swamp thing

In which I become the tallest midget...

Yesterday was the Winsted Woods race. As you may have noticed, it rained a lot. When it rains a lot, people make a big deal out of tire choice. I suppose they probably have a point. Originally, I was going to run an IRC Serac, but I brought another wheel with a Maxxis Swamp Thing just in case. It was a good decision. The Swamp Thing is magical in nasty mud (terrible the rest of the time).

In terms of actual racing, I didn't do very well. I had a good start, but on the first unrideable climb (a tire can only do so much), I started running and my heart rate went through the roof. It took like a mile to recover. I went from second to fourth and never found third again. Although, judging by results, I was pretty close to catching third by the end. Too bad they shortened it to two laps. Three wouldn't have been a problem. I did two in 1:07, so it would have been three in 1:40. I think the officials just wanted to go home. Also, I hit all the jumps and the log thing, and didn't crash at all!

I'm not generally one to Monday morning quarterback by suckitude, but I chalk up some of my problems to warming up inadequately. It was raining, which was unpleasant, so I wasn't eager to go out on the course and since it was muddy, I didn't want to ride very far for fear of seizing up my bike before the actual race.

But, anyway, my 3rd place at Winding Trails and fourth yesterday narrowly made me the Connecticut State Champion (CAT 2 19-29)! I got a medal and everything (the medal was everything). Being the CAT 2 State Champion just means that it's finally time to relegate myself to the back of the pack in CAT 1.

I went for a pretty kick-ass ride to the blowhole on Friday and found some nice connective and fun trails in Dividend Park. And, I did some intense grocery shopping training on Saturday. I can fit $80 worth of Stop and Shop food on my bike, so I can fit like $200 worth of Whole Foods food.

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Lettuce Ride

Not all outings threaten to mangle ye olde she-taint. Today's ride was simple -- a very familiar, somewhat short ride to my garden. Another fine use for my basket: carrying a claw and hoe in it makes for easy access to self-defense tools, should they be needed. It also holds less lethal items, like fresh-picked lettuce.

After one of many trips here, I noticed a certifiable bike rack in the vicinity. This means not needing to wheel my bike into the cluttered garden anymore!

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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...


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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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Weekend

The Aetna Viaduct is boring and lame, so I'm glad that's over.

This weekend that just happened was neither boring, nor lame. In fact, it probably had the nicest weather of the year so far and the trees were starting to bud. I was so strongly moved by this that I had to start my weekend early by leaving work at 1 on Friday.

As you can see, mountain biking made me very happy. I tried to get a picture of my bike smiling, but you can't really tell from that picture. However, the picture does show that I indeed have a bicycle that is in the woods and that it has lame bar ends. I'm supposed to be in a race next Sunday with those bar ends. I'm sure they're one of the reasons that other people I see in the woods ridicule me.

Since the nice weather continued, Johanna and I rode out to Simsbury to figure out how long it would take her to ride to work if she wanted and to see how much more of that Farmington Valley greenway had been completed. It takes about 50 minutes for her to ride to her job. However, she decided that she would be too hungry in the evening to ride her bike home. So, she will not begin riding her bike to work. The greenway had a similar problem. It was nicely paved and connects the Granby part now. Well, "connects" should used used loosely, because there's an incomplete bridge over the Salmon Brook that allows someone in Simsbury to wave to the Granby side, but not actually go there. I read somewhere that the DOT forgot to build it last year, but might do it this year. I hope they do. It would allow a bike path riding person to go all the way from Unionville to Massachusetts. At some point, I heard that in Massachusetts, they'll have something that goes all the way to Northampton.

On Sunday, I went to this thing at Keney Park and a kid tried to steal my helmet. The thing was trying to raise money for blood testing kits to be sent to Africa, but I really wish that kid hadn't tried to steal my helmet. It cast a pall over the whole thing for me.

I didn't take any good pictures of Saturday or Sunday. But here's a picture of what my feet looked like:
I also went to Stew Leonards yesterday!
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