First Ride of the Year

Its been a rough winter.

How rough I hadn't realized until I took my first ride of the year on Saturday. Before I get all deep and philosophical let me say a couple things. This was the first day out for my Goggles That I built and I got to say they were a hit. Check out the video on Instagram. (and follow me while you're there) This is only phase one. My goal is to add lights to the helmet as well. (more on that in a future post.) Next I want to talk about the gaping holes in the road that I was afraid of even on B.O.B my bigass mountain bike.

These are not potholes. You can’t pay to ride a donkey to the bottom on a pothole! Just saying

On my ride I met old friends and new ones. As I was riding across the hot metal bridge (one of my favorite views of town) I met up with Marko (Old Friend) and Rusty Red (New Friend and so happy about it) and we rode around stopped at thick bikes where the southside soup crawl was in full swing. Again it was so good to connect with friends I have missed. I could feel my soul beginning to unwind. That was when I began to realize just how hard this winter was for me. The Poet part of me would talk about how hungry my eyes had become, how I didn't realize I was starving until I feasted on the company of my cycling friends.

Don’t get me wrong, I am very lucky to have the friends I do have. At church, at work, and my family. I am surrounded by people who care. It is just that I had lost a huge group of people I cared about and all the time I was missing them I was thinking it’s OK

when it wasn’t

My mind knew, My body knew, I was the only one who didn’t figure it out. I can look back on my Facebook posts and find those times when I felt alone, and angry.  I can remember the many many posts I deleted before they got posted because I felt they were too negative. When I was riding into town to go to Wingharts (great pizza, great cocktails) I had what I’m calling a moment of clarity. It wasn't that trumpets in the sky, the clouds parting, and angels coming down from on high. It was someone I know riding the trail in the other direction. I wanted to turn around and head the other way.

I didn't. I’m still angry with myself.

The truth is I battle this all the time. I know I have talked about it before and I will, no doubt, talk about it again. It is strange to be surrounded by so many people who really care about me and at the same time feel so alone and end up focusing on that hole in my life. While my cycling friends don’t fill that hole, they do help.

They help a lot.

This post has gotten a little uncomfortable for me and the truth is part of me wants to just delete the whole thing and start over, or at least edit out the parts that make me uncomfortable. I promised myself yesterday when I had my Moment of clarity that I would be honest with myself, and with all of you. So as this winter finally begins to loosen its grip and I face up to some of the foolish choices I have made I can only look toward the coming months with excitement and determination.

Next time I’m turning around.

Thanks Guys You mean the world to me.

Poor Man Transportation

Found this over at Copenhagenize.com

"Me no want no bus, no car, me no want no blasted minivan
Me no want no bus, no car, me no want no basted minivan
Jussa wanna ride upon me bicycle for transportation"

As they said the Copenhagenize Anthem and I couldn't agree more.  I remember when my bicycle switched from being an object of recreation to an object of transportation.

The Ides of Flock

 Video of the March Flock of Cycles ride

My long bikefast is broken. Thank the cycling gods! Last night I headed over to Oakland to join in the fun that is the monthly Flock of Cycles Party ride (facebook link).The ride was as fun as always and I was very happy to see that there were several new people (First time Flockers) in the group. We had a good showing for a still chilly march evening which makes me wonder what the rides are going to be like when the weather gets warmer.

The ride was a laid back tour of the city (look at route here) that took us through Oakland, Bloomfield, The strip District Downtown, The Armstrong tunnels, Across the 10th st bridge and into the South side. The ride ended with food drinks and fun at OTB bicycle cafe. (When the weather gets warmer and it stays light longer, I have noticed a tendency to end the ride with a pot luck picnic in a park.)

Eventually I wished my friends a good night and hopped on my bike and headed to town, with the plan of throwing my bike on the bus and heading home. This became quite a challenge. It seems my long Bikefast had its effect on more than my mental well being as I rode slowly into town my legs complaining the whole way.

For those of you who don't know what a Flock of cycles ride is like, allow me to give you a description. First off take everything you believe about cyclists and group rides (hipsters looking down on you, Lycra clad riders trying to form a peleton, annoying cyclists blowing through stop signs) and forget it. Now imagine hanging out with friends and talking, listening to music and catching up with people you like but haven't seen in a month.

It's like that just on a bike.

The ride is slow, fun and best of all accepting. My first flock (several years ago) was an eye opening experience. I was rather fearful that I would be looked down on for being old, fat, and slow. I knew this was supposed to be an easy, everyone staying together, fun ride. I didn't believe it. I knew I was going to be the one slowing everyone down. when we got to the hill (you can't avoid all the hills in Pittsburgh no matter how you try) I was the last one up. I was so close to quitting.

But I didn't.

A couple of the people rode with me. The rest waited at the top of the hill. (I found out later that it is normal for the group to wait at the top of the hill to allow everyone to re-group.) No one looked at me like I was the one slowing them down. everyone accepted me. I've worked very hard to return that favor and accept and do what I can to help those around me.

I will be interviewing Marcel from flock of cycles in an upcoming post so be sure to keep a lookout for that.

Links in this Post
Flock of Cycles Website
Flock of Cycles  Facebook
OTB Bicycle Cafe

People For Bikes

People for Bikes put out this video which makes a lot of sense. The more I have been riding, it seems the angrier I get at people on the road. I think we all need to slow down and take a breath.
peopleforbikes.org

Im calling this one a WIN

The Bike Pgh blog recently posted about the increase in bike parking in downtown Pittsburgh (Read whole post here) I'm very excited to see all the things that are happening here in Pittsburgh. from the Bike Racks on busses (which I use all the time) to the increase in bike lanes and sharrows. I really think we are approaching a tipping point of popularity where cyclists began to be noticed as something more than a bothersome nuisance.

We are starting to be noticed as a valid group instead of

Out the ordinary
Hippy freaks
Law breakers
Unruly kids

This is a very good thing, for the most part. There are some negative aspects of this that I will, no doubt, talk about later. But for now, I'm calling this one a WIN!

A question

In my last post "A Change"  a reader named Vannevar asked:

"what clothing combos are you using to stay comfortable? I'm on an EverLastingQuest for the optimal winter riding kit."

I was going to just post a comment to reply but as i typed, and typed I realized it would be better to answer it this way.  so this is my answer to that question.

My gear is pretty simple I have a pair of fleece lined pants that I wear when it is cold. I have a balaclava that I Got at REI and pair of thin arm warmers. My biggest change is I used to wear a hoodie - flannel combo but the wind went right thru it. I have a fake leather jacket that cuts the wind completely. I have riding gloves that have some kind of wind breaker material on the backs of them and a thicker pair of gloves for when it is really cold. on my feet I wear a simple pair of leather sneakers.

The only thing I haven't manged to get yet is something for my eyes. I wear glasses but don't need them to ride. so I'm looking at getting some ski goggles or something like them. the wind when I'm flying down liberty is just a bit much.

Most of my keeping warm has to do with the Fat Guy part of being a fat guy on an orange bike. as it is when i get done with a ride I have to turn my jacket inside out to let my sleeves dry out. since while they block the wind and I'll bet provide some protection from when (not if) I slide on the ice later, they also don't allow any moisture out.

A Change

Winter is here and I am still riding. This is the latest in the year I have ever ridden. I want to boast but I know that part of the truth is that the weather so far has been rather mild. It is also true that this year I prepared myself with the proper gear that helps me stay warm while the air is cold. I have also noticed that I have changed as well. Temperatures that I would of once thought of as to cold to ride in are now just numbers that don't seem to mean much to me anymore.

This became a little more real to me over the past few days I headed down to visit a friend, actually I was going to Dog-sit for her while she attended a funeral. Without much thought I threw some clothes into my backpack, grabbed my gear, and hopped on my bike. It was snowing. I ride down to her house in the snow and loved every second of it.

“You're effing crazy. You know that?” she said when I knocked on her door, still damp from the wet snow and still smiling.  “I could of come and got you.” she said. Her face told me she really thought she was making sense

“What and miss out on ride like that.” I said, thinking that I was making sense as well. It was then that I began to realize that the way I was thinking was changing. Thinking back now I see how I think now and think of it as normal but I can also remember how I used to think and how that was normal as well. I don't pretend to understand how such opposite thoughts can both be considered normal.

On Monday I headed to town to volunteer my services as head towel boy and servant at Bike-Pgh as I left my house I remember thinking “What a nice day for a ride.” I agreed with my thoughts as I rode through East Liberty and headed toward the South-Side. I had already decided to take the long way around and enjoy the fine day. I was struck again with how much I had changed when I passed several puddles near the trail that were frozen. Now to be honest the trail is in a hollow (the Panther hollow trail) so it gets less sunshine than most places I ride. Wondering, I stopped and checked the puddles. A half an inch of ice on top of the puddle. As I crossed the Hot-Metal bridge I stopped. I always stopped on the bridge and looked down into town. You see I really enjoy that particular view into town. The wind was blowing up the river and it felt great. Two girls were walking across the bridge from the South-Side. I waited standing on my bike till they passed me. (I try to never miss a chance to smile as a pretty girl) I noticed they were bundled up like Nanook of the north.

Like I said, I guess I'm changing. Even now as I sit here and type this I can feel the dryness of my face. I can feel the beginnings of chapped lips.

        I'm thinking this kind of change is a good thing.

Hello Hills

Canton Ave Pittsburgh Pa

I have never really liked hills. (Shocking I know) Being a Fat Guy on an Orange Bike hills have been my eternal enemy. However something happened yesterday that while it didn't change my feelings toward hills, it may have lightened it just a bit. I am getting ahead of myself, so allow me to start at the beginning.

Monday was my birthday (so now I'm a Fat Old Guy on an Orange Bike) and I had hatched a plan to make a batch of mead (honey wine) on my birthday for my next birthday. It was a good plan, I was going to make make a couple gallons and all needed to do was pick up some honey and some yeast from the homebrew store.  Little did I know that my birthday is of such great importance that even the homebrew stores closed to celebrate (granted they said they are closed every monday but I know the truth) So alas I had to wait until yesterday (Tuesday) to stop and get the supplies I needed. 

I had my bike with me and after work I threw it on the bus and headed to the Brew shop. I picked up the 10 pounds of supplies I needed (and some I didn't need but wanted) and packed these things in my backpack and headed back to town on my bike. Up Noblestown road. (yes I know many of you out there don't think of that as a hill but it is and I do. I was surprised to find that I made it up the hill with little problem (granted I didnt break any land speed records) and only stopped to get on the proper side of the road. Even with the heavy backpack I managed it just fine. 

So this morning I started to (once again) re-plan my different routes to and from work.

Vacation

Been on vacation since saturday and I am so happy to say that one of the reasons that this is the first post I have made is pretty much because This is the first chance I have had to actually sit down and write out a post.

You will forgive me if I still keep this short as I still have lost of things I want to do.

Sunday = Church
at least it does for me and I have always felt that going to church to be something important for me. Instead of actually going to a Church on sunday I headed off for false cape, and the bike trails that wind their way through this fantastic state park.

I went along the trails until I encountered sand to soft to ride on. I ended up at wash wood educational center. looking out over back bay all to my self. 

This was my church and I felt so happy and lucky to be alive. 

Pretty much all my time has been spent bike riding and fishing. As it turns out I really like to fish and while not exceptional at it I did have quite a good time surf fishing for a fish called Black drum. (or striped donkey fish as we call them) I caught and released at least  a dozen of these fish. one of them was huge at about a foot and half.

I really hope that my busy fun days continue.. Perhaps if they do I won't have time to post again until I get home and back to work on monday.

Cargo bike love

Found this on EcoVelo and I just love this (small minus for both very short political rant and an F-bomb) so be warned before you click play.

Head on over to lizcanning.com for more info

It's called KIT

Cycling Clothes, Its called cycling Kit. Special clothes that you wear for just cycling...

I know what your thinking, I made fun of them as well.

Until I bought my first Cycling Jersey. I picked up an Arrogant Bastard Cycling jersey in my size (double extra tubby - 4XL - yeah I really am that big) and I bought pretty much cause it was a beer shirt, and the beer was one of my favorites. Still I was not prepared for just how wonderfully comfortable the shirt was. it pulled the sweat away form my skin and allowed air to flow. it almost felt like I wasn't wearing a shirt at all.

I started to think that maybe, just maybe, these people who designed these actually knew what they are doing. so a few weeks later while I'm at REI looking at a set of padded shorts and I come across these padded boxers - which will give me the comfort of cycling shorts without actually making me wear cycling shorts.

I almost broke down and cried. - yes I know it isn't manly but it is the truth.

I bought them. I'm not ashamed to admit it. Now my biggest problem is I have to do laundry all the time so I have clean cycling clothes to wear each morning for my ride to work. (I don't wear the shirt all the time but I refuse to ride without the shorts - yes they do make that much of a difference.)

I guess next is the rain and winter gear. we shall see.

Pannier

I just took my first ride with my new pannier I got from Performance Bike. I bought the TransIt Grocery Bag Pannier (http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1023647_-1_1596009_20000_400103) I it was great to be able to go on a longer ride and not have to wear a backpack. I was able to put my little tools, two spare tubes, my lock, and my lunch in the pannier and even had room for a G2 and my helmet.

I really love my new pannier. However,

I just took my first ride with my new pannier and it is driving me crazy! I believe the phrase is “Heel Strike” and after a few miles of it I began to pray God would make my feet smaller. Since it looks like that is one of the only options I have. Over the next few days I plan on trying to move the pannier around and see if I can find a spot on the Rack that will allow me to use the pannier.

Until then I’ll just have to try and deal with the thump thump thump of my heel.

Transportation

A strange thing happened to me over the past few weeks. Well I don’t know if “strange” is the right word but it was the first one that came to mind. I have been riding my bike a lot more than what was usual. By ‘more’ I mean more in the last week than most of the summer.  According to the Car Free Calculator (http://car-free.bike-pgh.org/) I logged 18 miles in July, 75 miles in August, and over 200 so far in September with 70 of those miles being just this week. So yeah I’m riding more. At some point I began to view my bike, and my riding differently.
You see I have always looked at cycling as recreation, something I did for the fun of it. Even when I would ride to work, it would be something out of the ordinary, something I did because it was fun and the day made for an enjoyable trip.
None of this has changed, I still find a great deal of recreation in getting out to ride. What has happened is that biking has starting to become transportation as well as recreation. Nothing made this clearer than the Friday night ride with flock of cycles. As planned I threw my bike on the bus in Pittsburgh and headed off to Oakland. After being on the packed bus with the 700 other people who also wanted to get to Oakland I began to think “I could of ridden there faster!”
After the ride I was watching the clock figuring I could ride into to town, I ended up realizing I could just ride home. I realized then that I had started to seriously consider my bike as my transportation. It wasn’t until then that I realized that I hadn’t considered my bike as transportation.
This thought has led to a day of serious consideration, and it is something that I am still considering. I am hopeful that my bike doesn’t lose it’s recreation feeling and at the same time I am excited at the new ideas and thoughts I have when thinking of my bike as a serious form of transportation.

A little let down

This is what I found when I got on Liberty Ave. in Bloomfield this morning. I have seen the banners for the festival go up over the past few weeks and I was even toying with the idea of biking to it tonight before going home. The brand new bike lane has been taken over (for the weekend) by the Italian Festival. Both bikelanes on the street are like this (its a little hard to see in the picture but you can see the tents set up on the other side of the street as well.

I am not upset by this. I am not like some other cyclists ready to burn the place down at the first imagined slight. I am, however, a little let down. Just a few days after we finally get actual bike lanes on Liberty (replacing the sharrows which I have mixed feelings about)

Still I'm not going to worry about it, by the time I have to ride it again the festival will be over and things will be back to the way they were.

Did someone say rain

This was what I expected to find when I got up this morning, since this was what it was like when I went to bed last night. So when I got up at 5:00 am this morning I was expecting to look outside, see the rain, and go back to bed.  It looked damp outside but it wasn't raining so I decided to give it a try.

I'm so glad I did. The weather was cool but not cold enough to warrant breaking out the long pants. i.e. The weather was just perfect. I realized as I rode down the brandy newly painted bike lane on liberty that I am really enjoying riding more and more each day. While I am still finding it hard to get moving in the mornings I am surprised at how good I feel once I get moving.

Granted in the evenings now I'm just waiting for it to get dark so I can go to bed.

Been Riding a Lot Lately

I have found myself Riding more now than I have this summer. The last ride with Flock of Cycles really inspired me. So for the last week I have been putting a lot (for me) of miles on my bike. It feels so good to get out there and ride. I know this. I know that I am happier when I am on my bike than I am at any other time. Still I find myself finding excuses to not dig out my bike, excuses to not go on a ride.

That had to change.

Sure I have to get up early to ride part of the way to work.
Sure I am sore and tired.

But I am happy.

So if you need me, chances are I wont be home.

Get out there and ride.

Bike Ride

Took a bike ride today. Only 6 miles and I feel both energized and drained. I haven't been out riding much this season.

it shows

Everything about me is even softer and fatter than usual. Getting out to ride today was Hard. I won't deny it. I did not want to go out riding, and I had a whole list of excuses and an even longer list of just plain crap reasons. I have been feeling pretty down lately, and I knew that if I went out riding that I would feel better.

I didn't really want to feel better, I wanted to revel in the black mood that's been settling on me.

I had to force myself, and I forced myself. -- I a, so happy I did.

That mood that clung onto me so deeply just couldn't keep a hold of me as the miles and laps clicked on. Eventually it just fell off and for now, for a short time I am free.

Art Bike - Mock up

So I took a few min today to throw most of the parts back on the frame to get an impression of what the bike will look like when it is finished. The batteries in my camera were dead so you will have to get by with  a pic snapped from the Iphone. Still it should give a good idea of what the finished product will be.

Art Bike - Forks

Got the Map laminated onto the forks today, but I need to get another waterproof map to finish the bike. hopefully I can find a place that has some. Still so far so good. The bottom of the fork will have a black band around them between the map and the red of the fork

A different Kind of Art

Danny Macaskill is an artist at what he does, and what he does is ride a bike like no one else.

Enjoy