Virgin. Never seen grass before. I know you're dying to try it. I haven't mowed yet, so come on over. You know you want to.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Time to mow
I know everybody's busy taking care of their lawns. Just wanted to take a moment and share my newest purchase.
Virgin. Never seen grass before. I know you're dying to try it. I haven't mowed yet, so come on over. You know you want to.
Virgin. Never seen grass before. I know you're dying to try it. I haven't mowed yet, so come on over. You know you want to.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
VelociPete's Bicycle Maintenence Tips
Today's Tip: Quick and easy chainring cleaning
In today's maintenence tip, I'm going to tell you how to quickly clean the dirt and grime from your chainring.
1. Walk bike up to your children's bus stop and see them off on their way to school.
2. Swing right leg over bike as school bus pulls away. Listen for tell-tale ripping sound, indicating you've torn a seam in your pants.
3. Ride back into the driveway so you can change your pants before going to work.
4. Accidentally get your foot stuck in the clipless pedal.
5. Totter precariously, about to fall over because you can't put your foot down. Flail your arms a bit for the neighbors' entertainment.
6. At the last minute, regain your balance and plant your right foot. Here's the important part. As you plant your foot, make sure your calf scrapes the chainring. This will ensure that all the grime transfers from the chainring to your leg. And the blood will act as a lubricant and cleanser on the chainring.
That's it! Depending on how large your chainring and/or calf is, you may need to rotate your cranks partially and repeat the process. Try to get the cuts on your calf to overlap so you can get a totally bitchin' scar out of the deal.
Tomorrow's tip: How to diagnose early signs of lockjaw.
Date: May 8
Mileage: 20
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
May mileage: 125
Year to date mileage: 1413
In today's maintenence tip, I'm going to tell you how to quickly clean the dirt and grime from your chainring.
1. Walk bike up to your children's bus stop and see them off on their way to school.
2. Swing right leg over bike as school bus pulls away. Listen for tell-tale ripping sound, indicating you've torn a seam in your pants.
3. Ride back into the driveway so you can change your pants before going to work.
4. Accidentally get your foot stuck in the clipless pedal.
5. Totter precariously, about to fall over because you can't put your foot down. Flail your arms a bit for the neighbors' entertainment.
6. At the last minute, regain your balance and plant your right foot. Here's the important part. As you plant your foot, make sure your calf scrapes the chainring. This will ensure that all the grime transfers from the chainring to your leg. And the blood will act as a lubricant and cleanser on the chainring.
That's it! Depending on how large your chainring and/or calf is, you may need to rotate your cranks partially and repeat the process. Try to get the cuts on your calf to overlap so you can get a totally bitchin' scar out of the deal.
Tomorrow's tip: How to diagnose early signs of lockjaw.
Date: May 8
Mileage: 20
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
May mileage: 125
Year to date mileage: 1413
Catsup
I feel like this blog is about a week behind. Must be some kind of blockage in the system. I've been riding a lot, writing not so much. I haven't even been reading much, preferring sudoku to fiction as of late. Some highlights:
- Wednesday took the long way home over into St Paul and all the way down the River Road/Shepard Road trail to 35E, and then the Big River Regional Trail home from there. A nice change of pace.
- Did the airport loop with the Boys of Hiawatha on Saturday. I ballparked it as 13 miles, but I'm totally guessing as I have no idea where I was most of the time. Plus the 10 mile to the shop and back.
- Got soaked on the way home Monday evening. It was a lovely warm rain, I could have ridden all day in it. But a hot shower felt good too.
Now you're up to date. May is Bike to Work month, and I'm going to try and bike every single day of May. Does the fact that I missed May 1 make this a completely futile gesture? Who cares.
Date: May 2
Mileage: 24
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Jamis
May mileage: 24
Year to date mileage: 1312
Date: May 3
Mileage: 18
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
May mileage: 42
Year to date mileage: 1330
Date: May 4
Mileage: 20
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
May mileage: 62
Year to date mileage: 1350
Date: May 5
Mileage: 23
Ride type/Bike: Hiawatha/Schwinn
May mileage: 85
Year to date mileage: 1373
Date: May 7
Mileage: 20
Ride type/Bike: Hiawatha/Schwinn
May mileage: 105
Year to date mileage: 1393
- Wednesday took the long way home over into St Paul and all the way down the River Road/Shepard Road trail to 35E, and then the Big River Regional Trail home from there. A nice change of pace.
- Did the airport loop with the Boys of Hiawatha on Saturday. I ballparked it as 13 miles, but I'm totally guessing as I have no idea where I was most of the time. Plus the 10 mile to the shop and back.
- Got soaked on the way home Monday evening. It was a lovely warm rain, I could have ridden all day in it. But a hot shower felt good too.
Now you're up to date. May is Bike to Work month, and I'm going to try and bike every single day of May. Does the fact that I missed May 1 make this a completely futile gesture? Who cares.
Date: May 2
Mileage: 24
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Jamis
May mileage: 24
Year to date mileage: 1312
Date: May 3
Mileage: 18
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
May mileage: 42
Year to date mileage: 1330
Date: May 4
Mileage: 20
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
May mileage: 62
Year to date mileage: 1350
Date: May 5
Mileage: 23
Ride type/Bike: Hiawatha/Schwinn
May mileage: 85
Year to date mileage: 1373
Date: May 7
Mileage: 20
Ride type/Bike: Hiawatha/Schwinn
May mileage: 105
Year to date mileage: 1393
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Ironman Ride Report
I had a great time at this year's Ironman ride. The weather was nearly ideal, at least as ideal as you're really going to get in late April in MN. According to Kevin's fancy bike computer, here's what we rode:
Distance: 104.33
Riding time: 6:52
Avg Speed: 15.2
Max Speed: 33.8 (whee!)
Feet Climbed: 3054
I'm sure that our stats varied somewhat, but we rode together enough that it's probably pretty close for me as well. Here's a few high points that I remember from the ride, in more or less a chronological order.
Kevin, Doctor Bob and I headed west toward Belle Plaine and even though the wind was fairly stiff we made good time. After the first rest stop in Jordan we felt good, and decided to skip the Belle Plaine stop. I think we had met up with Mark and his friends at this point, but it's a little hazy. Mark kept joining and leaving and rejoining us through the day. Somewhere near Belle Plaine we met up with Doug of MNBicycleCommuter fame. I'm realizing now that I've somehow become unsubscribed to his blog, but I've corrected this error now. It's worth a read so check it out.
As we went through Belle Plaine Doctor Bob and I were riding a bit ahead and breaking wind for a growing peloton. After about 5-10 miles the route changed and the wind became a fantastic tailwind. About the same time two of the guys who had been drafting behind us offered to take over. So we ended up in the perfect sweet spot and were getting sucked along at around 26-27 mph. It was amazing.
The amazing part only lasted until the next rest stop. For the rest of the day, the wind was shifty and unpredictable. We ran into a whole lot of nice people throughout the day. I met Lynne, though I didn't know it at the time. We also met a few less than nice folks along the way. I'm not sure why, but there were some crabby people out riding. It's not the norm, but whatever.
I don't know why, but this was a hard ride report to write. Last year was my first century, and with the weather I really suffered. I think last year there was a part of me that wondered if I could really do 100 miles. This year I knew it could be done. And the conditions were much better. I could tell I was fatigued for the last 30 miles and was going slow. But looking back, I never felt like I wouldn't be able to make it. I knew I wouldn't make it quickly, but I knew I could grind it out.
I don't think the fatigue was physical as much as mental. The next day my body felt good. While I was riding I felt fairly strong, albeit slow. I think the fatigue was mental. After we turned west I was expecting a tailwind. We got it, but not all the way. I need to figure out how to mentally say "It is what it is" and ride the ride, regardless of conditions.
Date: April 29
Mileage: 104
Ride type/Bike: Ironman/Jamis
April mileage: 379
Year to date mileage: 1288
Distance: 104.33
Riding time: 6:52
Avg Speed: 15.2
Max Speed: 33.8 (whee!)
Feet Climbed: 3054
I'm sure that our stats varied somewhat, but we rode together enough that it's probably pretty close for me as well. Here's a few high points that I remember from the ride, in more or less a chronological order.
Kevin, Doctor Bob and I headed west toward Belle Plaine and even though the wind was fairly stiff we made good time. After the first rest stop in Jordan we felt good, and decided to skip the Belle Plaine stop. I think we had met up with Mark and his friends at this point, but it's a little hazy. Mark kept joining and leaving and rejoining us through the day. Somewhere near Belle Plaine we met up with Doug of MNBicycleCommuter fame. I'm realizing now that I've somehow become unsubscribed to his blog, but I've corrected this error now. It's worth a read so check it out.
As we went through Belle Plaine Doctor Bob and I were riding a bit ahead and breaking wind for a growing peloton. After about 5-10 miles the route changed and the wind became a fantastic tailwind. About the same time two of the guys who had been drafting behind us offered to take over. So we ended up in the perfect sweet spot and were getting sucked along at around 26-27 mph. It was amazing.
The amazing part only lasted until the next rest stop. For the rest of the day, the wind was shifty and unpredictable. We ran into a whole lot of nice people throughout the day. I met Lynne, though I didn't know it at the time. We also met a few less than nice folks along the way. I'm not sure why, but there were some crabby people out riding. It's not the norm, but whatever.
I don't know why, but this was a hard ride report to write. Last year was my first century, and with the weather I really suffered. I think last year there was a part of me that wondered if I could really do 100 miles. This year I knew it could be done. And the conditions were much better. I could tell I was fatigued for the last 30 miles and was going slow. But looking back, I never felt like I wouldn't be able to make it. I knew I wouldn't make it quickly, but I knew I could grind it out.
I don't think the fatigue was physical as much as mental. The next day my body felt good. While I was riding I felt fairly strong, albeit slow. I think the fatigue was mental. After we turned west I was expecting a tailwind. We got it, but not all the way. I need to figure out how to mentally say "It is what it is" and ride the ride, regardless of conditions.
Date: April 29
Mileage: 104
Ride type/Bike: Ironman/Jamis
April mileage: 379
Year to date mileage: 1288
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Happy Belated Birthday, Jim
Friday I ended up working from home, so I didn't get a commute in. But after I finished my office duties I decided to go visit Jim and see if I could get a free slice of cake. I spent a little time in the garage and got the Robin Hood all ready to roll and rode that up to the Shop. This was the longest distance away from home I'd ridden this bike, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Especially going across the Mendota Bridge. Some roadie looking guy jumped on the bike path just ahead of me before we started to cross, and he kept looking perplexed because he wasn't dropping the guy on the old bike. Granted, I was pushing pretty hard to keep up but it's fun to screw with the roadies.
I picked up a new tire for my Jamis, since I had the catastrophic tire issue last week at Lake Pepin. I probably could have ridden the Ironman with the "dolla dolla bill y'all" boot in there, but why take the risk? After I ate cake and chatted with Jim and then headed home with my new tire. I'm going to start riding some of my other bikes on a more regular basis. That's part of the fun of having more than one, right?
Date: April 27
Mileage: 10
Ride type/Bike: Errand/Robin Hood
April mileage: 275
Year to date mileage: 1184
I picked up a new tire for my Jamis, since I had the catastrophic tire issue last week at Lake Pepin. I probably could have ridden the Ironman with the "dolla dolla bill y'all" boot in there, but why take the risk? After I ate cake and chatted with Jim and then headed home with my new tire. I'm going to start riding some of my other bikes on a more regular basis. That's part of the fun of having more than one, right?
Date: April 27
Mileage: 10
Ride type/Bike: Errand/Robin Hood
April mileage: 275
Year to date mileage: 1184
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
First rate work, officer.
I was running a bit late tonight so I decided to take the train part way home, to save time. When I take the train home, I ride all the way to the Warehouse District station so I can get on first and don't have to squeeze my bike past the hoards of commuters that get on at Nicollet Station. I was riding down 9th Ave downtown in the bike lane, passing car after car after car. Traffic was ugly, but I was flying.
I came up to a parking ramp that spills out onto 9th. As usual, there was a Minneapolis cop there making sure everybody gets out in a civil fashion. I slowed down in the bike lane and waited for the cop to see me. Once he did, he waved me forward and said, "Go ahead." Then he followed it up with "Be careful. You're fuckin' crazy." I was riding in such a non-crazy manner, I can only assume he meant for biking downtown at all. I thanked him for his concern and pedaled on.
I hung a right onto Hennepin, home of the two-way bike lane. One of very few two lane bike lanes in Minneapolis, at least as far as I'm aware. Just wide enough to park a cruiser in.
Now, I realize there could have been an emergency inside and this was the best option for everybody's safety. But...
Date: April 25
Mileage: 11
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
April mileage: 265
Year to date mileage: 1174
I came up to a parking ramp that spills out onto 9th. As usual, there was a Minneapolis cop there making sure everybody gets out in a civil fashion. I slowed down in the bike lane and waited for the cop to see me. Once he did, he waved me forward and said, "Go ahead." Then he followed it up with "Be careful. You're fuckin' crazy." I was riding in such a non-crazy manner, I can only assume he meant for biking downtown at all. I thanked him for his concern and pedaled on.
I hung a right onto Hennepin, home of the two-way bike lane. One of very few two lane bike lanes in Minneapolis, at least as far as I'm aware. Just wide enough to park a cruiser in.
Now, I realize there could have been an emergency inside and this was the best option for everybody's safety. But...
Date: April 25
Mileage: 11
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
April mileage: 265
Year to date mileage: 1174
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Throw out your gold teeth, and see how they roll
I don't have any gold teeth, but I do have a few fillings from when I was a youngster and ate way more sugar than I do now. But I haven't had a cavity for longer than I can honestly remember. But that's not through any particularly diligent dental routine on my part, mainly just good luck. About a year ago, I decided to straighten up and fly right and start getting in to the dentist for the regularly scheduled cleaning that my insurance pays for. No sense paying for the benefit if I'm not using it as often as possible, right?
Last spring my new dentist told me that I should have my wisdom teeth taken out. Sure thing, no problem, sez I. I'll have it done before I come back in November. But, no sense losing out on good cycling days during the summer being knocked on my butt for a few days by oral surgery. I can put that off until the weather starts to turn. October, no later. I swear.
At my 6 month cleaning in November both my hygenist and dentist scolded me, gently, for still having the same number of teeth as I'd had on my last visit. Sure thing, no problem, sez I. I'll have it done before I come back in May. You see where this is headed, don't you? Things are so hectic around the holidays. Plus, I'd rather have Lasik than oral surgery. I can put that off until January, when being outside is a bitch. February, no later. I swear.
Last night I thought I had something caught in my teeth as I was watching The Riches. I'd been eating some chips and salsa and assumed it was just a chunk of chip. So I hit it hard with the fancy toothbrush thinking it would dislodge the offending snack item. It turns out I dislodged a chunk of filling. And unfortunately it's on a tooth that borders one of the aforementioned wisdom teeth. Long story short, the dentist says "Sorry, can't help you. Get thee to an oral surgeon." So I've an appointment for May 1, and I'm hoping like hell my mouth holds together through the weekend. And in a bit of irony, or at least amusing juxtaposition, my Ironman rider packet showed up in the mail today.
Edit: In another bout of amusing juxtaposition just after I posted this, iTunes' random protocol served up the classic Metallica nugget: "(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth" It's a mainly crappy bass solo, with some drums and guitar thrown in at the end. In the harsh light of honest appraisal, the worst track on Kill 'Em All. But the all out onslaught of the next track, Whiplash, makes up for it. But tonight the title alone made me laugh and not fast forward to the next track.
Date: April 24
Mileage: 10
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
April mileage: 254
Year to date mileage: 1163
Monday, April 23, 2007
Lake Pepin ride report
There actually wasn't a lot of suffering on the Lake Pepin loop this Sunday. At least on my part. Byron, the guy who had ridden a total of 15 miles this year before the ride did a little suffering, but somebody's got to. Thanks for taking one for the team, Byron. We rolled out in crack military road trip formation for the caravan down to Red Wing. Big props to Rob for giving me a ride down and back. Not only saving gas but maybe lives. I might have dozed off if I'd been driving solo on the way home.
I found out I'm a lousy bicycle photojournalist. I took a grand total of 11 photos on a ride that lasted nearly 6 hours and had about that number of rest stops. Most of the rest stops involved food. That's a ride I can get behind.
I learned a couple of things on this ride. One, my rear tire needs truing. Two, industrial sized staples can go all the way through a 25mm tire and come out the other side. And you can ride that way for about a mile and a half before the tube blows. I also learned I can change a tire on the side of the road while logey from a big cro-bag sammy and being heckled. And I even learned a skill, booting a tire with a $1 bill. If I was a wealthy bike shop owner I would have used a $20. Rumor has it there's carbon fiber woven into the twenties these days.
Even though the forecast was sketchy we only got rained on the last 10 miles or so. I even managed to get a little sunburn on my nose and forearms. Just enough to remind me to pack sunscreen for the Ironman, no matter what the forecast.
Today, I was tired but not overly so. And I was kind of sore, but again not overly so. I think I could have gone the additional 30 miles yesterday to make a full century. But at the same time I'm glad we only did 70.
Thanks for a great ride, gentlemen.
Date: April 22
Mileage: 70
Ride type/Bike: Lake Pepin loop/Jamis
April mileage: 244
Year to date mileage: 1153
Friday, April 20, 2007
What is that, 90% Rayon?
Conversation with my wife upon my arrival home.
Her: Oh, is that your new biking shirt?
Me: No, I wore this to work today.
Her: (dismayed) Oh no. Really?
Me: Really.
Date: April 19
Mileage: 12
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Jamis
April mileage: 156
Year to date mileage: 1065
Date: April 20
Mileage: 18
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Jamis
April mileage: 174
Year to date mileage: 1083
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
The Ironman Cometh
I signed up for the Ironman last Friday. Today's the last day to register, I believe. But now that I'm signed up I'm starting to realize how woefully unprepared I am. I'm sitting at just over 1000 miles for the year, but I think my longest ride so far has been about 35 miles. I'd hoped to get out this past weekend for something longer, but since I'd procrastinated and not done my taxes yet it wasn't meant to be. This seems to be a somewhat common theme among cyclists. Perhaps not riding is my punishment for waiting until the last minute.
So now I'm 11 days away, and haven't ridden since last Friday. I'm hoping to get out on Sunday for the Hiawatha Lake Pepin trip, but even that could be a suffer-fest.
Date: April 13
Mileage: 24
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
April mileage: 144
Year to date mileage: 1053
So now I'm 11 days away, and haven't ridden since last Friday. I'm hoping to get out on Sunday for the Hiawatha Lake Pepin trip, but even that could be a suffer-fest.
Date: April 13
Mileage: 24
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
April mileage: 144
Year to date mileage: 1053
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
What's missing?
Those of you with sharp eyes will notice there's something missing from this photo. It's the little thumb screw part of the presta valve that screws down and keeps air from leaking out. It came off inside my frame pump when I was fixing yet another flat a week or two ago. Finally remembered to upload the pics from the camera.
I also replaced the brake pads. The old ones, shown at the bottom, were significantly thinner than the new ones. No wonder I wasn't getting any stopping power from the rear wheel.
On the plus side, I got a batch of beer bottled tonight. Irish Stout. But you probably already knew that from the shamrocks.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Arrogant Worms
I've had the following song stuck in my head for the better part of a week. I am now trying to publicly exorcise the demon.
Oh the Wolfe Island ferry is a very nice ferry
It's a very nice ferry it's the Wolfe Island ferry
The Wolfe Island ferry is a very nice ferry
It's a very nice ferry it's the Wolfe Island ferry
General Wolfe beat General Montcalm on the Plains of Abraham
And because of this they liked him an awful lot in Kingston
But the town was named Kingston in the county Frontenac
So they spotted an island and they called it Wolfe Island
Chorus
It's got a couple highways and a really nice restaurant
Called the General Wolfe and it's named after General Wolfe
Who won a couple battles and had an island named after him
It's a really nice place and a good port to smuggle booze in from the States
Chorus
Oh the Wolfe Island Ferry doesn't carry many wolves
Or any sorts of animals except a couple of seagulls
Who are really lazy so they ride on the ferry
and that way they don't have to fly all the way to Wolfe Island
Oh the Wolfe Island ferry doesn't carry any fairies
Cause fairies unlike seagulls don't really mind the flying
They fly over to Wolfe Island sprinkling fairy dust all over
But it's really more like battery acid so you burn your skin until you die
Oh they got lots of potatoes and Anne of Green Gables
Oh crap that's Prince Edward Island
Sometimes I get confused when I switch my medication
But I can see the bunny
Chorus
Date: April 3
Mileage: 26
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Trike
April mileage: 52
Year to date mileage: 961
Date: April 4
Mileage: 20
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
April mileage: 72
Year to date mileage: 981
Date: April 5
Mileage: 24
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
April mileage: 96
Year to date mileage: 1005
Date: April 9
Mileage: 24
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
April mileage: 120
Year to date mileage: 1029
Oh the Wolfe Island ferry is a very nice ferry
It's a very nice ferry it's the Wolfe Island ferry
The Wolfe Island ferry is a very nice ferry
It's a very nice ferry it's the Wolfe Island ferry
General Wolfe beat General Montcalm on the Plains of Abraham
And because of this they liked him an awful lot in Kingston
But the town was named Kingston in the county Frontenac
So they spotted an island and they called it Wolfe Island
Chorus
It's got a couple highways and a really nice restaurant
Called the General Wolfe and it's named after General Wolfe
Who won a couple battles and had an island named after him
It's a really nice place and a good port to smuggle booze in from the States
Chorus
Oh the Wolfe Island Ferry doesn't carry many wolves
Or any sorts of animals except a couple of seagulls
Who are really lazy so they ride on the ferry
and that way they don't have to fly all the way to Wolfe Island
Oh the Wolfe Island ferry doesn't carry any fairies
Cause fairies unlike seagulls don't really mind the flying
They fly over to Wolfe Island sprinkling fairy dust all over
But it's really more like battery acid so you burn your skin until you die
Oh they got lots of potatoes and Anne of Green Gables
Oh crap that's Prince Edward Island
Sometimes I get confused when I switch my medication
But I can see the bunny
Chorus
Date: April 3
Mileage: 26
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Trike
April mileage: 52
Year to date mileage: 961
Date: April 4
Mileage: 20
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
April mileage: 72
Year to date mileage: 981
Date: April 5
Mileage: 24
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
April mileage: 96
Year to date mileage: 1005
Date: April 9
Mileage: 24
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
April mileage: 120
Year to date mileage: 1029
Monday, April 02, 2007
DHL
In 2003, DHL purchased Airborne Express for about $1 Billion dollars. Their intent was to use Airborne's existing domestic fleet to augment their international network and become a threat to UPS and other shipping giants. Since 2003, the once familiar grey Airborne vans were quietly repainted and/or replaced , and the grey fleet became bright DHL yellow. Highly visible trucks, vans, and planes. They want to grow, according to the new combined company's chairman Carl Donaway. Donaway said, "And if we're going to grow, we're going to need more capacity."
This morning I was heading toward work, traveling north in the bike lane on Minnehaha Ave. As I approached 45th Street a DHL van turned north onto Minnehaha about 50 feet ahead of me. Traffic was fairly light, but the DHL van decided not to utilize the nearly empty main lane. Instead, the driver drove north in the bike lane. Apparently he was looking for a house and couldn't quite read the house numbers from the actual car lane. After a few blocks(!) he found the house he was looking for. Because there were a few cars parked in front of the house he wanted, he just stopped in the bike lane. Looking for an address is arduous business, so he'd been driving slowly. I'd been pacing him at about 50 feet behind for those few blocks. But once he stopped, I had to pull up and stop. There was, of course, traffic blocking me from taking the auto lane to go around the DHL van.
I pulled up behind the van and stopped. After waiting a few seconds, I gave the back door two quick open-palmed smacks to get the driver's attention. He looked at me in the rear view mirror, and I gestured for him to pull forward and park somewhere other than a valid lane of traffic. Instead of doing the considerate thing and moving, he shut off the van and got out with his package. I said, "You can't park here, this is a bike lane." His response? "Yeah." And then he walked off toward the house to deliver the package.
So, with the "How's my driving?" bumper sticker staring me straight in the face I pulled out the cell and called 800-827-SAFE. I informed them that the DHL truck number ZE506 had both driven in the bike lane and was currently parked in the bike lane. I'm not sure what's done with those reports, but it made me feel better. Carl Donaway says his company needs more capacity to grow. I would disagree, Carl. If you're going to grow, you're going to need more courtesy.
Date: April 2
Mileage: 26
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
April mileage: 26
Year to date mileage: 935
This morning I was heading toward work, traveling north in the bike lane on Minnehaha Ave. As I approached 45th Street a DHL van turned north onto Minnehaha about 50 feet ahead of me. Traffic was fairly light, but the DHL van decided not to utilize the nearly empty main lane. Instead, the driver drove north in the bike lane. Apparently he was looking for a house and couldn't quite read the house numbers from the actual car lane. After a few blocks(!) he found the house he was looking for. Because there were a few cars parked in front of the house he wanted, he just stopped in the bike lane. Looking for an address is arduous business, so he'd been driving slowly. I'd been pacing him at about 50 feet behind for those few blocks. But once he stopped, I had to pull up and stop. There was, of course, traffic blocking me from taking the auto lane to go around the DHL van.
I pulled up behind the van and stopped. After waiting a few seconds, I gave the back door two quick open-palmed smacks to get the driver's attention. He looked at me in the rear view mirror, and I gestured for him to pull forward and park somewhere other than a valid lane of traffic. Instead of doing the considerate thing and moving, he shut off the van and got out with his package. I said, "You can't park here, this is a bike lane." His response? "Yeah." And then he walked off toward the house to deliver the package.
So, with the "How's my driving?" bumper sticker staring me straight in the face I pulled out the cell and called 800-827-SAFE. I informed them that the DHL truck number ZE506 had both driven in the bike lane and was currently parked in the bike lane. I'm not sure what's done with those reports, but it made me feel better. Carl Donaway says his company needs more capacity to grow. I would disagree, Carl. If you're going to grow, you're going to need more courtesy.
Date: April 2
Mileage: 26
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
April mileage: 26
Year to date mileage: 935
Sunday, April 01, 2007
That's the cleanest chain I've ever seen!
After a rainy, cold commute on Friday with a(nother) flat tire on the Schwinn, I decided to spend the weekend doing some long overdue bike maintenence. I swapped out the tires on the Schwinn for my Panaracers, hoping that this will alleviate the constant flat tires on the Schwinn. The rear tire that was on there was so worn that I threw it away. I also swapped out the moustache bars for a set of cheapie road drops I picked up a week or two ago. The moustache bars just weren't working for me on that bike. They'll see service again somewhere, I'm sure.
I started looking at all the bikes hanging on the wall, and about maintenence in general. Figuring I should be a responsible bike owner, I took all the chains off and started cleaning them the Sheldon Brown way. I probably should have kept all the parts seperate instead of putting them into one giant bucket. But, it should only take me about 6 hours to reassemble everything. Time well spent, if you ask me.
Date: March 30
Mileage: 19
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
March mileage: 284
Year to date mileage: 885
Date: March 31
Mileage: 24
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
March mileage: 308
Year to date mileage: 909
I started looking at all the bikes hanging on the wall, and about maintenence in general. Figuring I should be a responsible bike owner, I took all the chains off and started cleaning them the Sheldon Brown way. I probably should have kept all the parts seperate instead of putting them into one giant bucket. But, it should only take me about 6 hours to reassemble everything. Time well spent, if you ask me.
Date: March 30
Mileage: 19
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
March mileage: 284
Year to date mileage: 885
Date: March 31
Mileage: 24
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
March mileage: 308
Year to date mileage: 909
Monday, March 26, 2007
What Headwind?
There's a scene in Groundhog Day when Bill Murray is lamenting the fact that he got stuck with a crappy day to repeat over and over. He says, "I was in the Virgin Islands once. I met a girl. We ate lobster and drank pina coladas. At sunset we made love like sea otters. *That* was a pretty good day. Why couldn't I get that day over and over and over?" Today was *that* day for this particular (and peculiar) bike commuter. At least as far as bike commuting goes. That whole "making love like sea otters" portion carries a fair amount of weight. But we're talking bikes here.
I got up this morning and checked the forecast, and saw that it was supposed to be in the mid 70's by the afternoon. Yippee! I dressed in a short sleeve jersey (for the ride home), with a long sleeved shirt over the top and my bike vest over that. And then I made the executive decision to wear shorts. Mainly because I couldn't find my tights, but still. I got out there and it was the perfect level of clothing. I love it when I nail the clothes for the conditions right on the head. When I got to work, there was an extremely attractive young woman in the entryway who handed me a plastic bag containing a bottle of Dasani, a Powerbar, a carabiner with a compass attached, and a big pad of post-it notes. It wasn't because I rode in, but rather some big promo at work. But I'm not going to sneeze at a free bottle of water and a Powerbar after biking 12 miles.
This afternoon, the weather was just so perfect I didn't really need anything else to go right. We ended up topping out at 81 degrees, shattering the previous record. And, the Minneapolis Parks folks reinstalled the handle on my favorite pump by the parkway. The perfect capper.
Date: March 24
Mileage: 27
Ride type/Bike: Hiawatha/Schwinn
March mileage: 239
Year to date mileage: 840
Date: March 26
Mileage: 26
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
March mileage: 265
Year to date mileage: 866
I got up this morning and checked the forecast, and saw that it was supposed to be in the mid 70's by the afternoon. Yippee! I dressed in a short sleeve jersey (for the ride home), with a long sleeved shirt over the top and my bike vest over that. And then I made the executive decision to wear shorts. Mainly because I couldn't find my tights, but still. I got out there and it was the perfect level of clothing. I love it when I nail the clothes for the conditions right on the head. When I got to work, there was an extremely attractive young woman in the entryway who handed me a plastic bag containing a bottle of Dasani, a Powerbar, a carabiner with a compass attached, and a big pad of post-it notes. It wasn't because I rode in, but rather some big promo at work. But I'm not going to sneeze at a free bottle of water and a Powerbar after biking 12 miles.
This afternoon, the weather was just so perfect I didn't really need anything else to go right. We ended up topping out at 81 degrees, shattering the previous record. And, the Minneapolis Parks folks reinstalled the handle on my favorite pump by the parkway. The perfect capper.
Date: March 24
Mileage: 27
Ride type/Bike: Hiawatha/Schwinn
March mileage: 239
Year to date mileage: 840
Date: March 26
Mileage: 26
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
March mileage: 265
Year to date mileage: 866
Friday, March 23, 2007
Wile E. Coyote, Super-Genius
At our household we receive news from the future. On Tuesday March 23rd the March 26th edition of Newsweek magazine appeared in our mailbox. It's kind of like that show where the guy always got his newspaper a day ahead of time. I'm still trying to figure out a way to make myself rich with all my advance knowledge. But, I suppose that would involve actually reading the magazine. For, even though my name's on the cover, I never read it. My lovely wife does, and sometimes she even shares interesting stories with me.
Next week's edition has a story about the relationship between exercise and the brain. The long and the short of it is that researchers think regular exercise makes you smarter.
The process starts in the muscles. Every time a bicep or quad contracts and releases, it sends out chemicals, including a protein called IGF-1 that travels through the bloodstream, across the blood-brain barrier and into the brain itself...[John] Ratey, author of the upcoming book "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain," calls this molecule "Miracle-Gro for the brain." It fuels almost all the activities that lead to higher thought.
While we cyclists are notoriously weak and spindly in the upper body, our quads do quite a bit of work. According to this, I should be figuring out how to cure cancer or something. So why is it I can still walk into a room and forget why I went there in the first place?
Date: March 16
Mileage: 24
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
March mileage: 136
Year to date mileage: 737
Date: March 19
Mileage: 26
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
March mileage: 162
Year to date mileage: 763
Date: March 21
Mileage: 24
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
March mileage: 186
Year to date mileage: 787
Date: March 22
Mileage: 26
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
March mileage: 212
Year to date mileage: 813
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Theme Rides
Jim was talking about maybe having a theme ride some Saturday morning. So, having a bit of free time on my hands I decided to visit my local eBay to see what kind of deal I could find on furry assless chaps. I certainly wasn't expecting this.
YOU ARE BIDDING ON A PHENOMINAL PAIR OF NASTY PIG BRAND CHAPS WITH A RED STRIPE DOWN THE LEG. THIS IS PERFECT FOR THE GUY WHO CANNOT JUSTIFY SPENDING ALL THAT MONEY ON A NEW PAIR BUT WOULD BE COMPLETELY HAPPY WITH A USED PAIR. THEY ARE MADE OUT OF A RUBBER NEOPRENE STYLE WITH A LOT OF STRETCH! NOW THESE CHAPS HAVE BEEN TO A LOT OF LEATHER EVENTS AND CURCUIT PARTIES. THEY STILL LOOK AWESOME EVEN WITHT THE LITTLE SPOTS. THE SPOTS ARE WHERE THE RUBBER HAS KIND OF WORN OFF BUT IS HARDLY NOTICABLE...ESPECEALLY WHEN YOU GO OUT. PLEASE LOOK CLOSELY AT THE PICS. I MADE SURE THAT THE SPOTS CAN BE SEEN WITH THE CAMERA. THIS IS ONE ITEM I WILL REFUND IF YOU ARE NOT FULLY SATISFIED. YOU MUST BE RESPONSIBLE SHIPPING COSTS IF YOU RETURN IT TO ME. PLEASE NOTE, BLACK MOTORCYCLE RIDING BOOTS AND THONG ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS AUCTION. THESE ARE PRETTY EXPENSIVE WHEN NEW. I WILL ACCEPT CHECK OR MONEY ORDER, BUT IT MUST CLEAR BEFORE I SEND THE CHAPS OUT. GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY BIDDING! CHECK OUT MY OTHER AUCTION ITEMS!
On second thought, maybe I'll just skip that ride. I'm sure I'm going to be out of town that weekend.
Date: March 13
Mileage: 26
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
March mileage: 82
Year to date mileage: 683
Date: March 14
Mileage: 30
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
March mileage: 112
Year to date mileage: 713
YOU ARE BIDDING ON A PHENOMINAL PAIR OF NASTY PIG BRAND CHAPS WITH A RED STRIPE DOWN THE LEG. THIS IS PERFECT FOR THE GUY WHO CANNOT JUSTIFY SPENDING ALL THAT MONEY ON A NEW PAIR BUT WOULD BE COMPLETELY HAPPY WITH A USED PAIR. THEY ARE MADE OUT OF A RUBBER NEOPRENE STYLE WITH A LOT OF STRETCH! NOW THESE CHAPS HAVE BEEN TO A LOT OF LEATHER EVENTS AND CURCUIT PARTIES. THEY STILL LOOK AWESOME EVEN WITHT THE LITTLE SPOTS. THE SPOTS ARE WHERE THE RUBBER HAS KIND OF WORN OFF BUT IS HARDLY NOTICABLE...ESPECEALLY WHEN YOU GO OUT. PLEASE LOOK CLOSELY AT THE PICS. I MADE SURE THAT THE SPOTS CAN BE SEEN WITH THE CAMERA. THIS IS ONE ITEM I WILL REFUND IF YOU ARE NOT FULLY SATISFIED. YOU MUST BE RESPONSIBLE SHIPPING COSTS IF YOU RETURN IT TO ME. PLEASE NOTE, BLACK MOTORCYCLE RIDING BOOTS AND THONG ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS AUCTION. THESE ARE PRETTY EXPENSIVE WHEN NEW. I WILL ACCEPT CHECK OR MONEY ORDER, BUT IT MUST CLEAR BEFORE I SEND THE CHAPS OUT. GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY BIDDING! CHECK OUT MY OTHER AUCTION ITEMS!
On second thought, maybe I'll just skip that ride. I'm sure I'm going to be out of town that weekend.
Date: March 13
Mileage: 26
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
March mileage: 82
Year to date mileage: 683
Date: March 14
Mileage: 30
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
March mileage: 112
Year to date mileage: 713
Monday, March 12, 2007
Like a Heavy Loaded Fruit Tree
Nobody cares what dress she wears at all
Tattered rags and paper bags and all
She's the one sleeping in the dirt
Drag her down, don't let her drown in dirt
- Beck, Soldier Jane
Wondering what to do with those old inner tubes? And no, leaving them on the side of the road isn't a good solution. Make yourself an outfit! This dress, with matching handbag, was made with discarded bicycle inner tubes. I could probably make some assless chaps with all the tubes I've got in the garage.
Tattered rags and paper bags and all
She's the one sleeping in the dirt
Drag her down, don't let her drown in dirt
- Beck, Soldier Jane
Wondering what to do with those old inner tubes? And no, leaving them on the side of the road isn't a good solution. Make yourself an outfit! This dress, with matching handbag, was made with discarded bicycle inner tubes. I could probably make some assless chaps with all the tubes I've got in the garage.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Why yes, it does have wood siding
A few weeks ago I posted some pictures of the poor snow-plowing at the intersection of Hiawatha and the Greenway. Right after I took the photo I rode around the snowbank to get ready to cross. My left pedal hit the edge of the curb and the plastic cage snapped. I was somewhat surprised, because I had always assumed that the right pedal would go first. I always pull my foot out of the right cage when the terrain is uncertain, so that pedal cage has smacked the road surface thousands of times more.
That's a pedal that's seen a little action. But, through the miracle of the internet wayback machine I can take you back to when it was a young pup.
OK, so maybe it's not exactly internet trickery. It's really more of a packrat tendency. Here's the story.
I got this bike back in 1991 when I was living in Fargo-Moorhead. I rode it for about eight or nine months with the basic platform pedals that came on the bike. Then one night I was riding home from a buddy of mine's house. It was late, I'd had a few Ecto-cooler and vodka drinks (first mistake). I was riding on the sidewalk (second mistake). After crossing a street I missed the curb cut and hit the curb so hard that I dented both the front and rear rims of the bike. My feet flew off the pedals, my ass flew off the seat, and only the patron saint of dumb drunk guys kept me from crashing. I decided then I needed to get some pedals that kept my feet attached to the bike. True clipless pedals were out of my price range at the time, so I made a trip to the local Scheel's.
$19.99. Probably overpriced. But I loved the "clipped in" feeling. So much so that I tried to get the future Mrs. VelociPete to try it. I bought a second set of pedals for her bike, which is what you're seeing in the photos. But after trying my bike she decided she didn't like them. I'm not sure why I never returned these, but instead have moved them approximately 10 times across 3 different states. But there they are.
Fast forward back to the present. I rode for a few days with the busted pedal. Then last week as I was riding through Minnehaha Park I broke the cage on the right pedal. A matched pair. I thought about just swapping out the old for the "new." But since the Raleigh has become a dedicated winter commuter I've been contemplating getting rid of the straps. So I removed the cages and straps and I'm back to basic platforms.
We'll see how long it lasts. It certainly didn't help me on Wednesday when I went down on the icy Mendota bridge.
Date: March 9
Mileage: 18
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Raleigh
March mileage: 56
Year to date mileage: 657
That's a pedal that's seen a little action. But, through the miracle of the internet wayback machine I can take you back to when it was a young pup.
OK, so maybe it's not exactly internet trickery. It's really more of a packrat tendency. Here's the story.
I got this bike back in 1991 when I was living in Fargo-Moorhead. I rode it for about eight or nine months with the basic platform pedals that came on the bike. Then one night I was riding home from a buddy of mine's house. It was late, I'd had a few Ecto-cooler and vodka drinks (first mistake). I was riding on the sidewalk (second mistake). After crossing a street I missed the curb cut and hit the curb so hard that I dented both the front and rear rims of the bike. My feet flew off the pedals, my ass flew off the seat, and only the patron saint of dumb drunk guys kept me from crashing. I decided then I needed to get some pedals that kept my feet attached to the bike. True clipless pedals were out of my price range at the time, so I made a trip to the local Scheel's.
$19.99. Probably overpriced. But I loved the "clipped in" feeling. So much so that I tried to get the future Mrs. VelociPete to try it. I bought a second set of pedals for her bike, which is what you're seeing in the photos. But after trying my bike she decided she didn't like them. I'm not sure why I never returned these, but instead have moved them approximately 10 times across 3 different states. But there they are.
Fast forward back to the present. I rode for a few days with the busted pedal. Then last week as I was riding through Minnehaha Park I broke the cage on the right pedal. A matched pair. I thought about just swapping out the old for the "new." But since the Raleigh has become a dedicated winter commuter I've been contemplating getting rid of the straps. So I removed the cages and straps and I'm back to basic platforms.
We'll see how long it lasts. It certainly didn't help me on Wednesday when I went down on the icy Mendota bridge.
Date: March 9
Mileage: 18
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Raleigh
March mileage: 56
Year to date mileage: 657
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
On Second Thought
Monday, March 05, 2007
Skating Away On The Thin Ice of a New Day
Ye gods, what a dicey commute today. As you can see, the Mendota Bridge was downright treacherous. All that lovely glare on the road surface was reflecting off of ice so smooth and shiny it would make a Zamboni driver weep with joy.
If you look real close at the second photo, you can see the tracks from my bike tires. In retrospect, I'm not sure how I managed to stay upright. But the path was like that the whole way across. As I rode the deep part of my brain that's dedicated to self-preservation kept screaming "NO MON!!! NO!! IT BE DE ICE MON, DE ICE!!!!!" But, I guess even worn down Innova studs do a decent job of keeping one upright. When I stopped to take these pictures I nearly fell victim to one of the classic blunders. I realized I don't have studs on my feet and nearly slipped and fell while walking the bike to the side of the path. It was crazy.
The rest of the ride wasn't much better. Bike lanes filled with parked cars. Where there weren't parked cars, there were huge piles of snow. Just beastly.
Date: March 5
Mileage: 18
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Raleigh
March mileage: 18
Year to date mileage: 619
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
The perils of a snowy climate
Before I start ragging on the men and women who plow the streets of Minneapolis, let me insert a caveat. The fine folks from Minneapolis Parks & Rec who plow the bike/walking paths and the Greenway are officially excluded. They're doing a bang-up job, and should all be given raises. Now that's out of the way.
The city of Minneapolis has done a fairly decent job of clearing the streets of the big snow dump we got last weekend. Automotive traffic is moving along at it's usual brisk pace. However, it's still a little dicey for those who are travelling by a different method. I took Portland Ave home last night and tonight, and tonight I finally whipped out the camera.
No, this car wasn't idling or just pulled in waiting for someone. It was parked. And as you can see, it took up three quarters of the bike lane. Somebody didn't want to get their tootsies wet in the puddle. Now I normally turn a blind eye when it's just one knothead. But there was at least one car like this on every block. Usually multiple. The norm was that their wheel was on the white line and they only took up a slice of the bike lane. The worst offender was a dualie pickup that's been parked in the same spot for two days straight. That thing is nearly jutting into the car lane! I'll snap a photo if it's there next time I ride.
And it's not just bike folk who are overlooked when it comes to snow removal. Here's a shot of the intersection where the Greenway crosses over Hiawatha.
The snow has been trampled down over the last three days, but the first folks who mounted that pile so they could push the walk button were risking life and limb. I took this photo from out in the street, which is where I had to be in order to cross without climbing over the mound. And if you make it past this, there are additional snow dams out in the crosswalk. That's not a long light either. Good luck!
Date: February 28
Mileage: 18
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Raleigh
February mileage: 282
Year to date mileage: 601
The city of Minneapolis has done a fairly decent job of clearing the streets of the big snow dump we got last weekend. Automotive traffic is moving along at it's usual brisk pace. However, it's still a little dicey for those who are travelling by a different method. I took Portland Ave home last night and tonight, and tonight I finally whipped out the camera.
No, this car wasn't idling or just pulled in waiting for someone. It was parked. And as you can see, it took up three quarters of the bike lane. Somebody didn't want to get their tootsies wet in the puddle. Now I normally turn a blind eye when it's just one knothead. But there was at least one car like this on every block. Usually multiple. The norm was that their wheel was on the white line and they only took up a slice of the bike lane. The worst offender was a dualie pickup that's been parked in the same spot for two days straight. That thing is nearly jutting into the car lane! I'll snap a photo if it's there next time I ride.
And it's not just bike folk who are overlooked when it comes to snow removal. Here's a shot of the intersection where the Greenway crosses over Hiawatha.
The snow has been trampled down over the last three days, but the first folks who mounted that pile so they could push the walk button were risking life and limb. I took this photo from out in the street, which is where I had to be in order to cross without climbing over the mound. And if you make it past this, there are additional snow dams out in the crosswalk. That's not a long light either. Good luck!
Date: February 28
Mileage: 18
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Raleigh
February mileage: 282
Year to date mileage: 601
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Close Encounters
To the tune of Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer:
VelociPete got run over by a snowplow,
biking his way to work on Tuesday morn.
Fortunately there's a happy ending,
I escaped without my pants getting torn.
Yes, I was really reaching for that last rhyme. I never claimed to be a poet. Or a lyricist. Or talented in any way. And to even get there you're forced to pronounce fortunately in that single-syllable "for-tu-nate-ly" way, otherwise the rhyme scheme falls apart completely. But I digress.
As mentioned yesterday, some kind soul was plowing the Highway 55 bridge. The spotter call came in around 3:00. This morning as I rode onto the bridge I saw that the plow job had sprawled through the rest of the afternoon and into the next morning. There was a huge Kubota tractor blocking almost the entire bridge path. What I couldn't see at the time was that a single path had been plowed yesterday, but the north side of the path was still covered in a foot or more of snow.
I stopped my bike about 10-15 feet behind the tractor and started considering my options. I could lift my bike over the concrete barrier and ride out on the shoulder of the highway. I've done it before when the path hasn't been plowed. I also thought there would be room to squeeze by the tractor on the left, but just barely. And really only if I walked the bike. It was just too tight. In order to do that I'd have to figure out a way to get the driver's attention. And since I was facing the rear of the tractor I guessed that that would be more difficult than it would seem. I would later be proved correct.
As I watched, the driver backed up a couple feet and started to move the plow attachment up and down. It looked like he was trying to knock some ice loose. Or perhaps the chute was plugged and he was trying to unclog it. Either way, I certainly wasn't ready for him to decide to start backing up further. The earlier backup placed me about 10 feet from the rear of this thing, and the distance was closing. Closing extremely slowly, true. Snowplowing machinery doesn't move at warp speed. But I was running out of time.
I could see the operator's head moving side to side, checking his mirrors. I waved. He kept coming. I waved more. He kept coming. I started sliding myself toward the concrete barrier. He kept coming. I hollered at him. His rear wheel pushed past my bike and started pushing it and me toward the barrier. By this point I was close enough that I could reach out and smack the glass on his cab. That, thankfully, got his attention. He stopped the tractor. I looked over my shoulder and my left-side pannier was pressed against the barrier. My right-side pedal was touching his wheel. Absolutely nowhere to go.
At this point he opened the door about 6 inches. He couldn't open it any further, because I was in the way. At first he thought I was trying to ride around him, but I cleared up that misconception. He was very apologetic for not seeing me. I thanked him for being out there and plowing the bridge, and then I inched my way around him and continued on to work. Next time, I'm gonna throw a snowball at the cab.
Date: February 27
Mileage: 20
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Raleigh
February mileage: 264
Year to date mileage: 583
VelociPete got run over by a snowplow,
biking his way to work on Tuesday morn.
Fortunately there's a happy ending,
I escaped without my pants getting torn.
Yes, I was really reaching for that last rhyme. I never claimed to be a poet. Or a lyricist. Or talented in any way. And to even get there you're forced to pronounce fortunately in that single-syllable "for-tu-nate-ly" way, otherwise the rhyme scheme falls apart completely. But I digress.
As mentioned yesterday, some kind soul was plowing the Highway 55 bridge. The spotter call came in around 3:00. This morning as I rode onto the bridge I saw that the plow job had sprawled through the rest of the afternoon and into the next morning. There was a huge Kubota tractor blocking almost the entire bridge path. What I couldn't see at the time was that a single path had been plowed yesterday, but the north side of the path was still covered in a foot or more of snow.
I stopped my bike about 10-15 feet behind the tractor and started considering my options. I could lift my bike over the concrete barrier and ride out on the shoulder of the highway. I've done it before when the path hasn't been plowed. I also thought there would be room to squeeze by the tractor on the left, but just barely. And really only if I walked the bike. It was just too tight. In order to do that I'd have to figure out a way to get the driver's attention. And since I was facing the rear of the tractor I guessed that that would be more difficult than it would seem. I would later be proved correct.
As I watched, the driver backed up a couple feet and started to move the plow attachment up and down. It looked like he was trying to knock some ice loose. Or perhaps the chute was plugged and he was trying to unclog it. Either way, I certainly wasn't ready for him to decide to start backing up further. The earlier backup placed me about 10 feet from the rear of this thing, and the distance was closing. Closing extremely slowly, true. Snowplowing machinery doesn't move at warp speed. But I was running out of time.
I could see the operator's head moving side to side, checking his mirrors. I waved. He kept coming. I waved more. He kept coming. I started sliding myself toward the concrete barrier. He kept coming. I hollered at him. His rear wheel pushed past my bike and started pushing it and me toward the barrier. By this point I was close enough that I could reach out and smack the glass on his cab. That, thankfully, got his attention. He stopped the tractor. I looked over my shoulder and my left-side pannier was pressed against the barrier. My right-side pedal was touching his wheel. Absolutely nowhere to go.
At this point he opened the door about 6 inches. He couldn't open it any further, because I was in the way. At first he thought I was trying to ride around him, but I cleared up that misconception. He was very apologetic for not seeing me. I thanked him for being out there and plowing the bridge, and then I inched my way around him and continued on to work. Next time, I'm gonna throw a snowball at the cab.
Date: February 27
Mileage: 20
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Raleigh
February mileage: 264
Year to date mileage: 583
Monday, February 26, 2007
Every Cake You Bake
My extensive spotter network has informed me that there was snowblower activity on the Highway 55 bridge bike/pedestrian path this afternoon. This is good news for the Mpls to Eagan bike community. I sure as hell wasn't going to try and ride through that foot or so of snow that fell over the weekend.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Snow!
Paul Douglas was so excited on the 10:00 news last night, I'm guessing he may have needed a fresh pair of shorts after the weather segment. The computer models are agreeing, he gushed, we're gonna get a crapload of snow! I'm paraphrasing, but barely. I hope your commute home tonight is better than this:
My commute was fine. I left work at 1:45.
Date: February 21
Mileage: 26
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
February mileage: 218
Year to date mileage: 537
Date: February 22
Mileage: 26
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
February mileage: 244
Year to date mileage: 563
My commute was fine. I left work at 1:45.
Date: February 21
Mileage: 26
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
February mileage: 218
Year to date mileage: 537
Date: February 22
Mileage: 26
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
February mileage: 244
Year to date mileage: 563
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
A Thinly Veiled Excuse To Post Photos of Hotties
I've been watching the Tour of California for the last few days (update, Levi Leipheimer is still winning). One of the bright points of last year's pro cycling season was the debut of the Specialized Angel. Not to remove any of her mystique, but the Angel is really Jana Ireton. Ms. Ireton was hired by Specialized to portray the Angel, who made numerous appearances at the Tour de France last year. This photo is from 2006, her inaugural year.
She's dressed in what I can only describe as an angelic cyclist. Huge wings and a taffeta skirt, but also wearing cycling-style knickers and shoes.
The outfit didn't change throughout the 2006 season. Not quite wholesome and innocent. After all, she is wearing a bustier. But fun. Someone you might want Mom to meet.
Fast forward one year, and the Angel is making her 2007 debut.
From a distance, it appears to be a minor costume change. The skirt is gone, the Specialized logo is slightly larger and she's not wearing cycling shoes.
But wait. When the sun hits her here, the reflection says something more. She's wearing vinyl or some other similar, kink-worthy material. But the coup de grace? Those boots.
We've gone from kink to outright fetish-wear. I can hardly wait until next year.
She's dressed in what I can only describe as an angelic cyclist. Huge wings and a taffeta skirt, but also wearing cycling-style knickers and shoes.
The outfit didn't change throughout the 2006 season. Not quite wholesome and innocent. After all, she is wearing a bustier. But fun. Someone you might want Mom to meet.
Fast forward one year, and the Angel is making her 2007 debut.
From a distance, it appears to be a minor costume change. The skirt is gone, the Specialized logo is slightly larger and she's not wearing cycling shoes.
But wait. When the sun hits her here, the reflection says something more. She's wearing vinyl or some other similar, kink-worthy material. But the coup de grace? Those boots.
We've gone from kink to outright fetish-wear. I can hardly wait until next year.
Monday, February 19, 2007
An opportunity to shoot your mouth off
Bicyclists & pedestrians
The City of Minneapolis needs your input!
Open house
Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2007
4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Minneapolis City Hall
350 S. Fifth St.
Room 220
Use the 4th St. Entrance after 6 p.m.
• Where in Minneapolis do you see a need for more biking and walking?
• Take a look at our proposed projects – help us set priorities. Which ones have possibilities for increasing biking and walking in a short amount of time?
For more information, visit:
www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/bicycles
Date: February 19
Mileage: 26
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
February mileage: 192
Year to date mileage: 511
The City of Minneapolis needs your input!
Open house
Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2007
4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Minneapolis City Hall
350 S. Fifth St.
Room 220
Use the 4th St. Entrance after 6 p.m.
• Where in Minneapolis do you see a need for more biking and walking?
• Take a look at our proposed projects – help us set priorities. Which ones have possibilities for increasing biking and walking in a short amount of time?
For more information, visit:
www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/bicycles
Date: February 19
Mileage: 26
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
February mileage: 192
Year to date mileage: 511
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Blog maintanence
After a ride yesterday and dinner at Matt's bar, I needed a day to unwind. I got some minor maintanence done on the bikes. It was colder than I expected, so no washing. But the biggest accomplishment of the day was some long overdue blog maintanence. Nearest and dearest to my heart is the fact that I now have all of my bikes featured under the "My Bikes" section in the sidebar. I had a couple bikes I hadn't photographed, mainly because they were not fully assembled and I didn't want to show them to the world in various states of disrepair and or assembly. But I'm now up to date. Here's the list as it stands today:
Jamis Satellite
Miyata Shredder
Montgomery Wards Hawthorne
Raleigh Eclipse
Raleigh Robin Hood
Schwinn Premis
Sun EZ Tadpole trike
I also did some long overdue work on the blogroll. I started by removing several defunct blogs. There's several I left on there that haven't been updated in ages. But I'm an optimist. I also added a ton of new folks that I've been reading. Take a look, there's some interesting folks in our neighborhood:
Local Bloggers
Lunatic Biker
First, Last and Always
Lady Velo, high priestess of the 27-tooth cog
ugly bike
Mellow Velo
Nathan's Blog
Two Cities Two Wheels
Oil is for Sissies
The Impossible Thrill
Yon Saucy Wench
The Old Bag
Curious Observer
Bicycling; Life in Minnesota
Red Lantern's Cycling Blog
Heather and David
davedash
look ma no hands
Hiawatha Cyclery blog
Out of Work On a Bike
Minneapolis Man
Three Speed Blog
Bike Satan
Bob Brown
CRC
The Fog of Work
Got The Bonk
Jim's Phredly Blog
Just A City Girl
The Rookie Rider
Smithers
Sophzilla
SurlyBlog
T3
UJVFC
Shockspital
I also have a group of not so local, but equally interesting folks:
Balancing the Universe on a Wheel
Bicycles and Icicles
CycleDog
The Minus Car Project
MNBicycleCommuter
Patch
filtersweep
Tex's Luavull Cycling
Up In Alaska
Wrench in the Gears
'sconnyboy
Adding Fuel To The Fire
PinkFlash
Karla
Kent's Bike Blog
Large Fella On A Bike
Snakebite
I also started a new section of bike-related podcasts that I've been listening to since I got my iPod last August:
The Bike Show
Bikescape
Crooked Cog
The Fredcast
The Spokesmen
I feel like I've accomplished something this weekend, when in reality I haven't done a thing. It's Miller Time.
Miyata Shredder
I purchased this bike in the summer of 2005 from craigslist. When I bought it the guy told me that the front shifter wasn't working properly, but everything else was good. That turns out to be the case. I fooled around with the shifter for a time. I completely disassembled it and then reassembled it, something that's supposedly not doable for integrated brake/shifters. It shifted fine on the bench, but I still couldn't get it to work properly on the bike. So I broke down and bought a new Alivio shifter from eBay and installed it. You can see here the mismatched cockpit:
This was done back toward the end of 2005. But when I attached the brake cable I found that the internal routing of the new shifter was just a hair longer than the old one, and the cable didn't reach far enough to connect to the front brake. So ever since the bike has been languishing in the garage, all for the want of a $5 brake cable. After the Hiawatha ride yesterday I picked up a new brake cable from Jim at the shop. Here's a nice shot from the back:
Apparently the previous owner didn't care for the term "shredder" on the bike, because it's scratched out on both sides of the top tube:
After fixing the front brake I aired the tires up to about 20psi and spent some time riding around in the snow in the yard. Anybody who comes to visit will immediately know we have kids, a dog and a dope who rides his bike in the snow.
Tricycle
Last month I rode my trike to work for the first time this winter. This prompted a public outcry for photos of the machine. I am always happy to oblige my legion of fans, so here are a few stock photos from last summer, not long after I purchased it. First, a side view:
The trike itself is a Sun EZ Tadpole SX model. The SX is the base model, made of TIG welded steel and no consideration given for weight. The stock weight for the machine is 49 pounds. Here is a front facing photo:
This shot is nearly identical to the first, but taken from the other side. I'm posting it mainly to remind myself that the trees will again be green, sooner rather than later according to Phil.
Because I'm a commuter, I needed a way to carry stuff on this bike. Obviously a messenger bag won't work. And even so, I'm not a fan of messenger bags. I'm a pannier kind of guy. I bought a rear rack and had to fabricate a support for the lower pannier hook, since a pannier-specific rack doesn't seem to exist for this bike. Here's a shot of my simple, but fairly attractive solution:
It's a fun bike to ride, though just not practical for my day to day commute. This is a slow down and smell the roses machine. I'm not a fast rider, but I'm always driven to go at a pace that's fast for me. This machine forces me to slow down a bit and enjoy the journey, since I know I'm not going to get there quickly. And the world could probably use a bit more of that.
The trike itself is a Sun EZ Tadpole SX model. The SX is the base model, made of TIG welded steel and no consideration given for weight. The stock weight for the machine is 49 pounds. Here is a front facing photo:
This shot is nearly identical to the first, but taken from the other side. I'm posting it mainly to remind myself that the trees will again be green, sooner rather than later according to Phil.
Because I'm a commuter, I needed a way to carry stuff on this bike. Obviously a messenger bag won't work. And even so, I'm not a fan of messenger bags. I'm a pannier kind of guy. I bought a rear rack and had to fabricate a support for the lower pannier hook, since a pannier-specific rack doesn't seem to exist for this bike. Here's a shot of my simple, but fairly attractive solution:
It's a fun bike to ride, though just not practical for my day to day commute. This is a slow down and smell the roses machine. I'm not a fast rider, but I'm always driven to go at a pace that's fast for me. This machine forces me to slow down a bit and enjoy the journey, since I know I'm not going to get there quickly. And the world could probably use a bit more of that.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Salty Dogs
When I got home from the Hiawatha ride today I stashed my Schwinn next to my Raleigh in their appointed corner of the garage. I puttered around the garage a bit and as I was walking past the bikes I noticed just how salty they've become. It's a sign that we haven't had a huge amount of snow here and I've put a lot of miles on the dry salt covered streets. It might be warm enough tomorrow to actually give these two a bath.
The ride today was gorgeous, with the exception of a brisk north wind. The wind kept the ride pretty short, and as I left the shop I found myself wanting to get a few more miles in. I headed north into Minnehaha Park, but only made it about a mile before the wind convinced me to head home.
Date: February 16
Mileage: 20
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
February mileage: 141
Year to date mileage: 460
Date: February 17
Mileage: 25
Ride type/Bike: Hiawatha/Schwinn
February mileage: 166
Year to date mileage: 485
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
It's like a frightened turtle
Everybody's all excited by the long range forecast. Mid 30s by the beginning of next week! Phooey. To be honest, I'd rather stay in the low 20s. Why? Winter's not over just yet. This mini-heat wave is just going to make me soft, so when it gets cold again I'll be shivering. It's much like riding my Schwinn in the winter. I've ridden the Schwinn to work the last two Mondays in a row. Monday the 5th it was negative 16 and I didn't even notice what bike I was riding, I was so busy trying to keep feeling in my extremities. Then we got snow that night and I was back to pushing the studs on the Raleigh.
Fast forward one week. I rode the Schwinn Monday and was amazed at how fast 14 miles per hour can seem. It just drives home how slow I really am on the Raleigh. It's a 50+ pound ride, and coupled with 60psi studded tires I could get passed by a kid on a 20" Magna. Fortunately there's not many of them out in January. But I don't really notice it because I'm used to it. Much like the weather. We were supposed to get snow on Tuesday, but it never happened. I'm hoping that we've reached the part of winter where I can ride the Schwinn more often than the Raleigh. But March is always a bastard to the bike commuter.
The plague has hit my house, so not much riding this week. Tuesday I stayed home with daughter M who had a horrible fever/stomach bug. Today I chauffered daughter E to school with the 6 dozen valentines cookies we made and decorated last night. And I brought my computer home tonight, anticipating another day spent home with daughter M. The Mrs. even got in on the action and stayed home sick today. I feel so left out...
Date: February 12
Mileage: 20
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
February mileage: 121
Year to date mileage: 440
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Never trust a man with a butt broom on his face
Even though it was sub-zero in the morning yesterday, it didn't seem that bad. I must be acclimating. We're having overnight housepests tonight, so we spent yesterday evening and this morning cleaning all those nooks and crannies that you only clean when you have overnight housepests coming. I'm hoping to make it over to the Bike Swap for a bit tomorrow. Why yes, I am interested in that complete Suntour drivetrain. Who wouldn't be?
Date: February 9
Mileage: 21
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Raleigh
February mileage: 101
Year to date mileage: 420
Date: February 9
Mileage: 21
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Raleigh
February mileage: 101
Year to date mileage: 420
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Weather Update: It's still cold
Yesterday turned out to be a giant-pain-in-the-butt kind of day. After my chilling commute on Monday I still had two red patches on my cheeks. I think I might have gotten a slight touch of frostbite in those two spots between the goggles and my neck gaiter. So I went to REI and picked up a new balaclava. The balaclava seems to be the bright point of yesterday. I wore it as I rode to the train station and it was keeping me pretty darn toasty.
When I got to the train station at Ft Snelling there was a pretty good crowd. I figured that people were scared after the scores of traffic accidents on Tuesday. As I waited a southbound train came and went. Then another. When the third southbound train came I'd been waiting at the platform for nearly 25 minutes without seeing a northbound train. I finally got fed up and headed to work on my bike. I did finally see a train, but this was close to the Lake St/Midtown station, and it seemed pointless to catch it there. So in all I was almost 40 minutes late getting in.
Work was unusually annoying, and then I got roped into a last minute urgent project that kept me at work until after 7:30. So it was after 9 by the time I finally got home. I had a late dinner, read for a bit and went to bed. What a day. Today I'm working from home, for my own sanity. But the new balaclava is nice.
Date: February 7
Mileage: 26
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Raleigh
February mileage: 80
Year to date mileage: 399
When I got to the train station at Ft Snelling there was a pretty good crowd. I figured that people were scared after the scores of traffic accidents on Tuesday. As I waited a southbound train came and went. Then another. When the third southbound train came I'd been waiting at the platform for nearly 25 minutes without seeing a northbound train. I finally got fed up and headed to work on my bike. I did finally see a train, but this was close to the Lake St/Midtown station, and it seemed pointless to catch it there. So in all I was almost 40 minutes late getting in.
Work was unusually annoying, and then I got roped into a last minute urgent project that kept me at work until after 7:30. So it was after 9 by the time I finally got home. I had a late dinner, read for a bit and went to bed. What a day. Today I'm working from home, for my own sanity. But the new balaclava is nice.
Date: February 7
Mileage: 26
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Raleigh
February mileage: 80
Year to date mileage: 399
Monday, February 05, 2007
Not getting any smarter...
A post from last year, on February 16:
This morning's checklist:
Windpants
Tights
Bike shorts
polypropelyne shirt
second warmer shirt
lobster gloves
balaclava
goggles
jacket
Check the weather on the internet:
A WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM CST THIS
AFTERNOON.
NORTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WILL COMBINE WITH ARCTIC AIR TO
CREATE WIND CHILL READINGS OF MINUS 30 TO MINUS 45 TODAY.
A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MEANS THAT COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDS WILL
COMBINE TO GENERATE VERY LOW WIND CHILLS. WEATHER CONDITIONS
TODAY WILL RESULT IN FROST BITE AND COULD LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA IF
PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.
Screw this. Drive.
Similar conditions this morning. Actual air temp of -16. I rode. Froze my ass.
Date: February 5
Mileage: 18
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
February mileage: 54
Year to date mileage: 373
This morning's checklist:
Windpants
Tights
Bike shorts
polypropelyne shirt
second warmer shirt
lobster gloves
balaclava
goggles
jacket
Check the weather on the internet:
A WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM CST THIS
AFTERNOON.
NORTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WILL COMBINE WITH ARCTIC AIR TO
CREATE WIND CHILL READINGS OF MINUS 30 TO MINUS 45 TODAY.
A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MEANS THAT COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDS WILL
COMBINE TO GENERATE VERY LOW WIND CHILLS. WEATHER CONDITIONS
TODAY WILL RESULT IN FROST BITE AND COULD LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA IF
PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.
Screw this. Drive.
Similar conditions this morning. Actual air temp of -16. I rode. Froze my ass.
Date: February 5
Mileage: 18
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Schwinn
February mileage: 54
Year to date mileage: 373
Friday, February 02, 2007
Too early for flapjacks?
The forecast here in the Twin Cities is that it's gonna be cold, it's gonna be gray, and it's gonna last you the rest of your life. Of course, I'm not here to bitch about the cold. Not when I saw a woman on Tuesday riding her bike wearing a skirt. And this morning I saw a guy collapse face down on the side of the road. He went down like a bag of hammers. He was running with a military unit by Ft. Snelling. His drill sargent (a small woman) came back and shouted at him until he got up and started running again.
What I am gonna bitch about is flat tires. After building up some karma, I spent Wednesday evening patching tubes and fixed the flat tire on my Schwinn. I put the newly repaired tire back on the bike that night, but haven't ridden it since. When I got home from tonight's commute and went to put the Raleigh away, I noticed that the tire on the Schwinn was flat. Again. Without a single ride. I think I'm going to have to sacrifice a chicken or a virgin to get rid of this juju.
Date: February 1
Mileage: 18
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Raleigh
February mileage: 18
Year to date mileage: 327
Date: February 2
Mileage: 18
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Raleigh
February mileage: 36
Year to date mileage: 355
What I am gonna bitch about is flat tires. After building up some karma, I spent Wednesday evening patching tubes and fixed the flat tire on my Schwinn. I put the newly repaired tire back on the bike that night, but haven't ridden it since. When I got home from tonight's commute and went to put the Raleigh away, I noticed that the tire on the Schwinn was flat. Again. Without a single ride. I think I'm going to have to sacrifice a chicken or a virgin to get rid of this juju.
Date: February 1
Mileage: 18
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Raleigh
February mileage: 18
Year to date mileage: 327
Date: February 2
Mileage: 18
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Raleigh
February mileage: 36
Year to date mileage: 355
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