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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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!

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!

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!

Rocking the Lobstah'

When the colonials came to this country they found lobsters up to six feet tall!

So as with most things when I think about purchasing new things I try to minimize my environmental impact. This results in buying less and buying things that are supremely functional and encourage good behaviors. This usually means that I have exponentially less issue buying things for bike commuting that have the potential to make my rides more comfortable, or less likely to be derailed by inclement weather. Such it was as the temperature started to drop as we inched into the depths of winter through December. As I found my fingers starting to get wicked cold I searched out new gloves. I tried my ski gloves but these were bulky and awkward on the bike and made riding quite uncomfortable. They also were not as warm as I had hoped as the windchill really started to show itself above about 15mph. I thought about mittens as I prefer them to gloves for their absolute warmth and comfy feel, however they would reduce my ability to operate the brakes which I consider an important aspect of stopping on the geared bicycle I use for commuting (as can be found here).

After this I remembered seeing some sweet lobster gloves designed for riding made by Pearl Izumi....

These gloves balance the functionality of gloves and the warmth of mittens. They are wind and waterproof and they also have nice reflective piping and a super soft snot spot on both thumbs which is a nice feature for cleaning up after the inevitable cold weather snot rockets. I bought them and so far i'm enjoying them. They are perfectly warm below about 25 degrees where is around where my other gloves start to get chilly. On the downside the cuffs are on the tight side so they don't ventilate well when its warmer so in some occasions my hands really overheat. I'm thinking about modifying them by surgically removing some of the elastic around the wrists but don't want to wreck them.

I think having warm hands has to be the most important part of winter commuting. Ears would have to be second, but numb ears have little to do with steering and braking the bicycle (at least personally) plus they make your hands look like ninja turtle digits, cowabunga! I think these glove mittens (glittens perhaps) are a justified purchase. So with that said how are all you winter commuters making out so far and what have you added to your gear closet to make your rides easier? Hasn't been too mean of a winter but its always a challenge to head out and ride when its nasty out.

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