I ride

I have been riding at lunch for a couple of weeks now and the rides have been quite a lot of fun. Where I work is just made for a nice lunch-time ride, lots of interesting things to see and great little places to stop for lunch. 

But that isn’t what I want to talk about.

Today I stayed home (it is saturday) it was supposed to rain and the ride I had planned fell through. I figured since I was riding at lunch most of the week it would be ok, After all I had things I needed to take care of. I went grocery shopping, cleaned the living room and played with Spyke. It was a rather full day

So I thought. It seems I was wrong

I started watching Murder of Couriers.and the movie kept pausing. so I gave up and hopped on the macho man and headed down to the nearby school to ride some laps. That is when it started raining. And that is when I started to really enjoy the ride, It wasn’t a long ride maybe 14 or 15 laps, nothing to write home about.

Still, as the rain fell and I rode those circles I felt almost reborn. Like the rain washed away the funk. I really enjoyed the ride, the more the rained the more I liked it. I felt like I was the only one out there (It was raining so I was the only one out there) Even as I sit here and write this I have to wonder why I felt this way. I can’t really explain it. I can’t explain how I feel about riding or why I love it so much. 

But I’ll try

Today at work I got my bike and went for my nice 30 min ride at lunch, I had to talk myself into going on the ride knowing that as soon as I got out of the parking lot I was going to enjoy the ride. Knowing that it is only when I am on my bike that I no longer care what other think about me. I don’t care what I look like being a big fat guy on a bike. Because no matter what people think. I’m on a bike and you’re not,

That may be what it is all my life I have been a fat guy. All my life I have felt out of place and looked down on. But when I’m on my bike you can think anything you want.

I can’t hear you with the wind in my ears.

The only Ride I regretted

Is the one I didn't take

This was the ride I missed for the second year in a row. The Third annual Viking Biking Ride.

The other day was a rough day for me. The good part of the day was that I got to spend part of it on my bike. The bad part of the day was the fact that I was on my bike so I could get to work to spend my day working on mandatory overtime instead of going on one of my favorite group rides. The Viking ride and Pot luck lunch.

It made for a rough day. I kept looking out out of the window, seeing the sun shine and knowing that weather, while chilly was clear and fine. My urge to be out on my bike was an actual physical need. The ride in the cold morning air from where the weekend bus dropped me off and  down the hill to the Montour trail that would take me to my work served only to whet my appetite. All day I worked as my gaze was taken, over and over again, back to where my bike stood mocking me.

Six hours, The longest six hours I have experienced. When the time finally past and I was able to get back on my bike and head back up the hill I happily rode down that morning, I did so with great joy. Until I started back up that hill.

I really don’t like hills.

Still up the hill I went, off to the bus stop and back into town. After the short ride back into town I found myself on my Big Orange Bike headed through Station Square and on my way to riverside park on the South Side. This was the day of the Third Annual Viking Biking Ride and Potluck Picnic.  I was too late for the ride but I would be in time for the Picnic. A quick stop at a Grocery Store to pick up my part of the potluck and then down to the Park.

It was my welcome that reminded me, almost painfully, why I value these people (my friends) so much. Before I was off my bike I was welcomed as a member of the tribe. Not an exclusive tribe, but as a tribe that includes everyone on two wheels. I was welcomed by people I didn’t know, by people who were simply riding through and joined the ride. These people were part of us, were part of the tribe by their very action of choosing a bike.

I missed the bike ride and that I regret. but I didn’t miss the most important part of day. That part where people I think of as friends (old and new) stood around the growing fire and marked themselves and each other as members in good standing in one group.

A group I am proud to be a member of.

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

A little bit of work

Did a little bit of maintainence work on BOB yesterday. I cleaned up the frame and took off the christmas lights I had on the frame. I like the idea of riding around with the lights on. I enjoyed the people noticing the lights and waving. I also liked the idea of the added visibility. Still the tape I had used to secure the lights was beginning to fall apart.  I also cleaned things up and lubed the chain. I have tried several different lubes for the chain and for me I have decided that I like Rock-n-Roll Gold the "King of Lubes". I only know that this lube makes my chain quieter than anything else I have used. I plan on writing a review of this lube in the near futuer. i.e. it has made it to the list of articles that need to be written.

I also added a new cyclometer. The Sigma BC1609 with a reader that allows me to connect it to my computer. I did not realize this when I started to install the cyclometer but it also came with a cadence reader. For those of you who do not know, a cadence reader is a sensor that tells me just how slowly I'm pedalling. I am hoping to see how well this works on the icycle bicycle ride on the first of the year. I understand that there is a good chance of snow and cold. Usually I'm not to excited about riding around in the cold and the snow but it has been a few weeks since I have had a good ride. Besides it is time to pull a Number nine. This will give me a good chance to try out my new tires, gloves, and cyclometer.

All in all a ride that I am looking forward to. now I just have to break out the winter gear.

Somedays are Better

Photo Credit: ME

Today isn't one of them, well it kind of is. I got to Ride into work today and it went well.. for the most part. Last night I threw my bike in my friends van, taking the front tire off  to make it fit in the back. This morning when I headed into town the first thing I did was head down the hill. Halfway down I realized I never re-attached my front brake. My only brake. As you can see from the picture above I did manage to stop, at the price of my shoe. 

Other than that it was a wonderful if chilly ride into town.

Peer Pressure

Photo Credit: ME (click for flickr album of Reverse Keg Ride)


As I sit here with the last of the Snow Melt growler from East End Brewing  in the glass and look back over the weekend I see that things have changed. I know that I have talked about this before but it seems that I keep learning just how much I have changed. Since I began riding with all the cool people from Bike Pgh I have felt like cycling has taken on a whole new life. So here is the story of Peer Pressure - The Good Kind.

Saturday Morning dawned clear and rather cold, colder than I would normally even think of going for a ride. Still a ride was just what I had planned, and not just any ride and not just one of my solo rides that I would take to get away from everyone. Saturday morning was the Reverse Keg Ride this was a charity ride and the charity in question for the Reverse Keg Ride was Southwinds a non-profit agency which provides quality residential care and life skills training for adults with developmental challenges through out Allegheny County. (Confession I had to look up the charity on the website) 

The ride started out good with a quick ride across the Hot Metal bridge and into panther Hollow. This is where I hit the spot I knew I was going to end up in. Lets face it folks the name of the Blog isn’t  Fat Guy on an Orange Bike because I think it is a catchy title, but because it is an accurate title. The hill from Panther Hollow up into Oakland made me want to die. In the end I had to get off the bike and walk up part of the hill. Once again I was the one at the back making everyone wait for me. (Can’t say i like that feeling)

Here is where the whole peer pressure thing starts. As I huffed and puffed and felt like I was going end up with an aneurysm (or well I was hoping I would get one just to get out of going up the hill.) During all of this I wasn’t alone. Several of the riders who I know could of blown up that hill but instead hung back and encouraged me to keep on going. Even when I got up to the top of the hill, I was ready to turn around and head back to town, throw the bike on a bus and go home and feel sorry for myself.  (one of the things I have gotten good at over the years) Still this group of riders kept on encouraging me until I got back on the bike and rode on to the brewery.

I made it, and the ride made the beer taste that much better. As we all hung out behind the Brewery and enjoyed the glass of Snow Melt (a wonderfully hoppy dark beer) and at 7% ABV the beer did have a kick that snuck up on you. We drank, talked, laughed and for once I didn't feel like the odd man out.

Sometimes Peer Pressure is a good thing

Happiness is...

Photo Credit: ME

...A full Bike Rack

Brought BOB (Big Orange Bike) into town with me today so I could make it to the Flock of Cycles ride tonight. Even with the chilly weather the Bike Rack at the garage was full.

Got to love it.

Butch Chicks

Photo Credit: Me

You see some pretty strange things in the strip district on a Friday night. Some of them are more disturbing than others. The image above may have scarred me for life. What you see above is what I found when I got to the Bike-PGH offices.

All in all the ride was amazing and has me looking forward to all the others Rides.  I took the bus part of the way and rode my bike the rest of the way. After the ride I rode my bike to town and threw the bike on the bus and rode home.  Now I know that I can get to the ride, enjoy the ride and get home all in one piece, I am way more willing to go out to these rides.

You can check out the photos of the ride over at the flickr site of the rather talented photographer named Rob. I tried to get some photos with the Iphone but I am pretty much a blind epileptic with a crayon when it come to taking picture. So just check out Rob's Photos by CLICKING HERE

Photo Credit by Robjdlc

This was at the beginning of the ride and you see that we had quite a crowd. We had men (and women) in tuxes and dresses, we even had a DJ playing classic 80's Wedding reception Music. Perhaps the most interesting thing was the responses the group got as we rode down the strip and into town.

Got another ride on Friday. Looking forward to it.