Friday provided a fitting end to a harrowing week of cycling. I hooked up with Rotsap and LBS-Chad for a lunchtime recreational ride. I haven’t been on a recreational ride in a very long time. The ride ended up reinforcing just how unlucky I’ve been this week…except that, by the end if Friday I realized it had been a really lucky week.
I rode the newly forked race bike to work in anticipation of the possibility of a lunchtime ride. By the 11am start time I was knee deep in work related mayhem and made arrangements for the ride to come by in an hour.
I snuck out the back door and we headed downtown for a quick chat at shores of the city namesake. A short distance later we admired the BOOM banner placed on the long abandoned soon to be razed downtown feed mill. We rode on enjoying the camaraderie that comes with group ride formation on the local trails with trusted biking buddies.
And then disaster struck. I was standing and cranking up a short steep section and my chain snapped. My weight pitched precariously forward and I briefly performed an impromptu nose stand. Fortunately for us Rotsap had part of a Cool Tool™ that we coupled with a wheel skewer to reconnect the chain. And off we rode.
And then disaster struck. I flatted. Fortunately for us Rotsap Evad had 10 year old Park Speed Patches and an Innovations Big Air that was first punctured last August. There was just enough air to continue the ride, and the patch held.
Rotsap departed early and then disaster struck. We hit what passes for urban singletrack in this town and found a fallen tree limb blocking the path. We decided to perform some trail maintenance, and soon both of us got taken for a ride by the limb as it fell into the river. A little sore and a little shook, we continued to the end of the ride.
It wasn’t till the end of the day that I realized just how lucky I had been all week. I had three serious incidents with cars, and two opportunities for injury on Friday’s ride. What made me realize I was lucky? When I got home after meeting all the family related Friday night obligations I put the bike away and found the front tire was completely flat. The patch had held just long enough for me to do what I needed to do.
Phew!
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Friday, November 04, 2005
Habits Form...Lessons Taught
It's hard to account for everything, which is why rules for safety matter. Here’s a rule: don’t pass on the right. Like good art, if you learn the rules well, then you’ll be able to find the best ways to break them.
At red light intersections, when I intend to turn right, and traffic is backed up, and the lead car is blocking the way for any other cars that would otherwise turn right, I (with varying levels of caution) can’t resist passing on the right and making my turn.
This morning I did that. This morning at a red light I passed a single vehicle on the right. This morning the passenger door of that vehicle opened. This morning I was lucky, there was no contact. This morning, if someone was trying to teach me a lesson, I learned it. This situation is written here as collision #3, the part that applies specifically is in the final paragraph.
In other hot car bike action, Wednesday while I was getting right hooked in the northern plains, Fatty was getting right hooked in the northwest. He didn’t come out quite as lucky as I did. Go here to read his story. I think the conversation in the comments has high potential to be very interesting too.
At red light intersections, when I intend to turn right, and traffic is backed up, and the lead car is blocking the way for any other cars that would otherwise turn right, I (with varying levels of caution) can’t resist passing on the right and making my turn.
This morning I did that. This morning at a red light I passed a single vehicle on the right. This morning the passenger door of that vehicle opened. This morning I was lucky, there was no contact. This morning, if someone was trying to teach me a lesson, I learned it. This situation is written here as collision #3, the part that applies specifically is in the final paragraph.
In other hot car bike action, Wednesday while I was getting right hooked in the northern plains, Fatty was getting right hooked in the northwest. He didn’t come out quite as lucky as I did. Go here to read his story. I think the conversation in the comments has high potential to be very interesting too.
Not the Weatherman I'm Looking For
"Still, this afternoon’s high temperature will be above the average for this time of year. Unbelievable, huh?" - from this mornings e-mailed forecast from Shawn Cable.
Yeah, yeah, unbelievable.
Yeah, yeah, unbelievable.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Passenger Data: October 5 – November 2, 2005
If the rules change (like they did in August) to picking up passengers at “designated bus stops only”, it seems important that the drivers know where those stops are…
It’s been a long time since I last reported on how many people are riding the bus with me. I haven’t been riding the bus. Riding bicycle to and from work in the nice cool weather has been great
It hasn’t rained or snowed for a long time, so that hasn’t pushed me onto the bus either.
Thursday last week I waited at a designated stop to take the bus downtown. My first ride in almost a month. The Wife and I were meeting for lunch. This day I came to realize there is something worse than standing idly on a busy street waiting for a bus. It’s standing idly on a busy street waiting for a bus that then refuses to pick me up. The driver pointed up the street and held up two fingers. Assuming I had the stop wrong (and knowing I didn't), I half heartedly ran half a block hoping that maybe if I showed a little hustle he’d wait. He didn’t.
So I met The Wife by bike at a quaint little café. We were a very mismatched couple, she in her professional gear, and I in my biking regalia.
I e-mailed my story to the transit company. They were pretty quick to respond that things have been corrected. I’m sorry to the driver, it will be interesting next time I board his bus. I’m also sorry to those that have been boarding two blocks up...they're sure going to be confused when their stop disappears tomorrow.
It’s been a long time since I last reported on how many people are riding the bus with me. I haven’t been riding the bus. Riding bicycle to and from work in the nice cool weather has been great
It hasn’t rained or snowed for a long time, so that hasn’t pushed me onto the bus either.
Thursday last week I waited at a designated stop to take the bus downtown. My first ride in almost a month. The Wife and I were meeting for lunch. This day I came to realize there is something worse than standing idly on a busy street waiting for a bus. It’s standing idly on a busy street waiting for a bus that then refuses to pick me up. The driver pointed up the street and held up two fingers. Assuming I had the stop wrong (and knowing I didn't), I half heartedly ran half a block hoping that maybe if I showed a little hustle he’d wait. He didn’t.
So I met The Wife by bike at a quaint little café. We were a very mismatched couple, she in her professional gear, and I in my biking regalia.
I e-mailed my story to the transit company. They were pretty quick to respond that things have been corrected. I’m sorry to the driver, it will be interesting next time I board his bus. I’m also sorry to those that have been boarding two blocks up...they're sure going to be confused when their stop disappears tomorrow.
Adventures In Cycling
Record highs expected today. I'd like to know of at least one television weather person who is as uneasy with record highs as I am. I figure odds are pretty good that if such a person did exist, and this person was still allowed on TV, that they'd be in Portland, Oregon.
Today's ride to work was more adventurous than usual. I hadn’t gone two blocks before getting brushed to the side of the road by a school bus. This could be fun, the school bus has a route and the route goes by my house. I can see this bus every day if I time my departure properly. As our relationship blossoms maybe we'll both understand a few things we didn’t know before about vehicle traffic. After all, we are professionals aren't we.
A few blocks later, and not a minute after the bus and I parted ways, I got right hooked (collision type #4). No contact, but it was the worst right hook to date for me. I saw it coming a block before the driver did so I was reasonably prepared with the proper evasive action. Living in a town my size sure is great! Half the people running you over are people you’ve seen other places in the community. This one picks up his kid from school sometimes the same time I get The Boy 7. I already know from that, he’s not someone I want to mess with.
If I could wear a sign it would say this, “It is not necessary that you pass me right now. In a moment there will either be a better opportunity or your perceived need will pass.”
Speaking of communities this size, when I was out on the prairie this morning I saw a progressive. I sort of thought I’d seen him once before in the area, but there was no doubt THIS time. I didn’t even know he lived around here.
Full-face-helmet-guy and I continue to hold each other accountable in the mornings. It’s not the same ride when he’s not there. Another guy has joined the fun. I’d seen him a couple times in a row in the evening, and found him this morning too. Welcome to the fun, purple-shirt-guy!
This guy experienced the pleasure of a MinusCar sighting on Monday.
Today's ride to work was more adventurous than usual. I hadn’t gone two blocks before getting brushed to the side of the road by a school bus. This could be fun, the school bus has a route and the route goes by my house. I can see this bus every day if I time my departure properly. As our relationship blossoms maybe we'll both understand a few things we didn’t know before about vehicle traffic. After all, we are professionals aren't we.
A few blocks later, and not a minute after the bus and I parted ways, I got right hooked (collision type #4). No contact, but it was the worst right hook to date for me. I saw it coming a block before the driver did so I was reasonably prepared with the proper evasive action. Living in a town my size sure is great! Half the people running you over are people you’ve seen other places in the community. This one picks up his kid from school sometimes the same time I get The Boy 7. I already know from that, he’s not someone I want to mess with.
If I could wear a sign it would say this, “It is not necessary that you pass me right now. In a moment there will either be a better opportunity or your perceived need will pass.”
Speaking of communities this size, when I was out on the prairie this morning I saw a progressive. I sort of thought I’d seen him once before in the area, but there was no doubt THIS time. I didn’t even know he lived around here.
Full-face-helmet-guy and I continue to hold each other accountable in the mornings. It’s not the same ride when he’s not there. Another guy has joined the fun. I’d seen him a couple times in a row in the evening, and found him this morning too. Welcome to the fun, purple-shirt-guy!
This guy experienced the pleasure of a MinusCar sighting on Monday.
Report: October 24-30
Trips -
MinusCar: 8
Multi-occupant Auto: 12
Single occupant Auto: 4
I made a lot of car trips this week. The temperature and time change makes it unreasonable to pick up The Boys at the end of the day by bicycle. On my pickup days I ride home, get in the car and pick everybody up.
With the weather change I’ve suffered my first cold of the season. Mostly I’ve been riding through it, but early in the week between two very short nights, I drove to work.
My Car Miles: 56
My Bike Miles/Hours: 86/6.6
Morning Temperature Lowlights
10/24 – 27 degrees, wind CALM
MinusCar: 8
Multi-occupant Auto: 12
Single occupant Auto: 4
I made a lot of car trips this week. The temperature and time change makes it unreasonable to pick up The Boys at the end of the day by bicycle. On my pickup days I ride home, get in the car and pick everybody up.
With the weather change I’ve suffered my first cold of the season. Mostly I’ve been riding through it, but early in the week between two very short nights, I drove to work.
My Car Miles: 56
My Bike Miles/Hours: 86/6.6
Morning Temperature Lowlights
10/24 – 27 degrees, wind CALM
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Is It Warm in Here or is it Just Me?
This morning I encountered a co-worker on my way into the building. We exchanged customary greetings and acknowledged that I had, yes again, ridden to work. I mentioned that if the weather says like this I’ll be in good shape for riding all winter. He suggested that if the weather stays like this “we’ll all believe in global warming.” Heh, heh, he’s not aware of my (this) dirty little secret.
Coincidentally I was checking out the “Watershed: The Blog” blog and found this interesting post on the long range winter outlook. There’s a 55 to 60% chance that our winter temperatures will be warmer than usual. Imagine that. And you just have to love the quote from NOAA Administrator Lautenbacher, we’ll have “boughts of winter.” So, this is what it’s come to, Spring, Summer, Fall, and boughts of Winter.
And finally, Sunday’s issue of the local daily included a whole page about global warming. Two articles from the Seattle Times, three graphs, one diagram, and one photo of a former scientific skeptic perched like “The Thinker” on a globe. This quote adorned the top of the page, “The most important thing to realize is that most scientists didn’t originally believe in global warming. They were dragged – reluctant step by step – by the facts.” – Spencer Weart, science historian. Special thanks to Seattle Times writers for giving the local daily the necessary words, because if it makes our paper that means word is spreading.
Which brings me to The Offical MinusCar Project slogan: “Enjoy global warming. It won’t last long.” You heard it here first.
Coincidentally I was checking out the “Watershed: The Blog” blog and found this interesting post on the long range winter outlook. There’s a 55 to 60% chance that our winter temperatures will be warmer than usual. Imagine that. And you just have to love the quote from NOAA Administrator Lautenbacher, we’ll have “boughts of winter.” So, this is what it’s come to, Spring, Summer, Fall, and boughts of Winter.
And finally, Sunday’s issue of the local daily included a whole page about global warming. Two articles from the Seattle Times, three graphs, one diagram, and one photo of a former scientific skeptic perched like “The Thinker” on a globe. This quote adorned the top of the page, “The most important thing to realize is that most scientists didn’t originally believe in global warming. They were dragged – reluctant step by step – by the facts.” – Spencer Weart, science historian. Special thanks to Seattle Times writers for giving the local daily the necessary words, because if it makes our paper that means word is spreading.
Which brings me to The Offical MinusCar Project slogan: “Enjoy global warming. It won’t last long.” You heard it here first.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Those Pesky Curbs
A green Taurus Wagon from county 61 had a little trouble this morning with a curb. So did a white Pontiac this afternoon. Today: a very special cars vs curbs episode of The MinusCar Project.
There is a hill on my route to work. It’s a pretty steep hill. It’s steep enough that riding it knocks my speed down to 6mph. (I like to come here for interval training.) The speed limit on the road is 30 or 35 which puts most cars in the 40mph range. My personal quad-factor risk calculator (40% speed of vehicles, 40% speed of bicyclist, 10% width of road, and 10% volume of vehicles) puts this particular stretch of road in the red zone. I use the sidewalk to avoid inconveniencing a large number of fast moving vehicles.
This morning, just as I was transitioning from sitting to standing on the pedals, a car came by me scraping two tires on the curb. The sidewalk here is directly adjacent to the road, there’s no grassy strip of separation, this vehicle was remarkably close as it went by. It’s possible, but probably (hopefully?) unlikely, that this driver was trying to teach me (by risking my life) a lesson about bicycling not being a safe activity, especially near traffic.
The irony is that if I assume the best in this driver, the potential for disaster only goes higher. Perhaps the driver didn’t mean to come in contact with the curb. Perhaps they were distracted for a moment by a phone call or the newspaper, or their spilling cup of coffee. Or maybe they were shaving, and smoking and eating a doughnut and then their phone rang. When the driver is teaching me a lesson it’s clear that the driver knows I’m there and a conscience and relatively controlled decision is being made. When the driver is distracted disaster is avoided only by chance. The driver may or may not restore their attention to driving, and may or may not have time to restore control of the vehicle before it hops the curb.
The legal repercussions between the two are unsavory too. If the driver is teaching me a lesson they can, for better or worse, be tried for assault with a deadly weapon. Scenario two is an accident. Clearly the driver didn’t mean to lose control of their vehicle while eating a doughnut, reading the paper, and taking a phone call resulting in the accident. Heck, the judge probably reviews cases and talks to mom each morning during his drive to work. Really, that’s normal car culture morning commute behavior.
And then...
This afternoon while I waited at a red lighted intersection another car came in contact with the curb. Coincidentally it’s the same intersection that appears in the eighth post of this blog. I didn’t see the whole thing but this car appeared to have been forced to the curb as a result of another drivers errant lane change. The curb blew out the front tire as the lane changer continued on their way, seemingly oblivious to the wake of destruction.
Why is it that stories like these are always used as examples of how dangerous bicycling in traffic can be? Can't they just as easily be turned around and used as examples of how dangerous driving is?
115 peopled died every day in 2004 in traffic related accidents. Today's news today: "Harrisburg crash victims were best friends, Police: Sioux Falls driver also killed after teens swerved"
There is a hill on my route to work. It’s a pretty steep hill. It’s steep enough that riding it knocks my speed down to 6mph. (I like to come here for interval training.) The speed limit on the road is 30 or 35 which puts most cars in the 40mph range. My personal quad-factor risk calculator (40% speed of vehicles, 40% speed of bicyclist, 10% width of road, and 10% volume of vehicles) puts this particular stretch of road in the red zone. I use the sidewalk to avoid inconveniencing a large number of fast moving vehicles.
This morning, just as I was transitioning from sitting to standing on the pedals, a car came by me scraping two tires on the curb. The sidewalk here is directly adjacent to the road, there’s no grassy strip of separation, this vehicle was remarkably close as it went by. It’s possible, but probably (hopefully?) unlikely, that this driver was trying to teach me (by risking my life) a lesson about bicycling not being a safe activity, especially near traffic.
The irony is that if I assume the best in this driver, the potential for disaster only goes higher. Perhaps the driver didn’t mean to come in contact with the curb. Perhaps they were distracted for a moment by a phone call or the newspaper, or their spilling cup of coffee. Or maybe they were shaving, and smoking and eating a doughnut and then their phone rang. When the driver is teaching me a lesson it’s clear that the driver knows I’m there and a conscience and relatively controlled decision is being made. When the driver is distracted disaster is avoided only by chance. The driver may or may not restore their attention to driving, and may or may not have time to restore control of the vehicle before it hops the curb.
The legal repercussions between the two are unsavory too. If the driver is teaching me a lesson they can, for better or worse, be tried for assault with a deadly weapon. Scenario two is an accident. Clearly the driver didn’t mean to lose control of their vehicle while eating a doughnut, reading the paper, and taking a phone call resulting in the accident. Heck, the judge probably reviews cases and talks to mom each morning during his drive to work. Really, that’s normal car culture morning commute behavior.
And then...
This afternoon while I waited at a red lighted intersection another car came in contact with the curb. Coincidentally it’s the same intersection that appears in the eighth post of this blog. I didn’t see the whole thing but this car appeared to have been forced to the curb as a result of another drivers errant lane change. The curb blew out the front tire as the lane changer continued on their way, seemingly oblivious to the wake of destruction.
Why is it that stories like these are always used as examples of how dangerous bicycling in traffic can be? Can't they just as easily be turned around and used as examples of how dangerous driving is?
115 peopled died every day in 2004 in traffic related accidents. Today's news today: "Harrisburg crash victims were best friends, Police: Sioux Falls driver also killed after teens swerved"
A Civil Exchange
I used this service to have a dialog with city officials this week.
Me:
I commute to work by bicycle. I have been since June. My intent is to continue this bicycle commute through winter. I live on the ##### side of town and work in the ##### part of town. I use the bike trail at ##### and ride that and the dike (##### ) to cross the river at the ##### bridge. I then use the bike trail between ##### and the #####.
As the temperatures get colder I become more and more interested to know if there is a bike trail snow clearing policy or directive. I'm also interested to know if I'll be lucky enough that the dike between ##### and ##### will be cleared.
I'd be very appreciative if you address these concerns. Thank you.
Them:
The Parks & Recreation Department does clear the bike trail of snow during the winter. However, during a snow event I have to send my park employees to the Street Department to assist with snow removal of city streets. The bike trail is the last area of the park system to have snow removed and it could be days before we are able to get to this task depending on how long my employees are assigned to the Street Department.
We do not remove any of the snow on the levee on the westside of the river between ##### and ##### street.
Sincerely,
#####
Park Operations Manager
##### Parks & Recreation Department
##### - specific route details have been omitted. The Internets are dangerous places.
Me:
I commute to work by bicycle. I have been since June. My intent is to continue this bicycle commute through winter. I live on the ##### side of town and work in the ##### part of town. I use the bike trail at ##### and ride that and the dike (##### ) to cross the river at the ##### bridge. I then use the bike trail between ##### and the #####.
As the temperatures get colder I become more and more interested to know if there is a bike trail snow clearing policy or directive. I'm also interested to know if I'll be lucky enough that the dike between ##### and ##### will be cleared.
I'd be very appreciative if you address these concerns. Thank you.
Them:
The Parks & Recreation Department does clear the bike trail of snow during the winter. However, during a snow event I have to send my park employees to the Street Department to assist with snow removal of city streets. The bike trail is the last area of the park system to have snow removed and it could be days before we are able to get to this task depending on how long my employees are assigned to the Street Department.
We do not remove any of the snow on the levee on the westside of the river between ##### and ##### street.
Sincerely,
#####
Park Operations Manager
##### Parks & Recreation Department
##### - specific route details have been omitted. The Internets are dangerous places.
Report: October 17-23
Trips -
MinusCar: 7
Multi-occupant Auto: 4
Single occupant Auto: 0
My Car Miles: 2
My Bike Miles/Hours: 90/6.57
Morning Temperature Lows
10/20 – 30 degrees, wind NNE 6, windchill 24 degrees
MinusCar: 7
Multi-occupant Auto: 4
Single occupant Auto: 0
My Car Miles: 2
My Bike Miles/Hours: 90/6.57
Morning Temperature Lows
10/20 – 30 degrees, wind NNE 6, windchill 24 degrees
Monday, October 24, 2005
Viewed Media: October 14-20
10/17 – (dvd) Deadwood: First Season Episodes 5-7 (****)
No surprise, this is still great TV. I went searching for the Deadwood naughty word counts on the Internets. I found them here (caution: contains naughty word counts). Still, for scripting and characters it’s tough to imagine a better show.
10/19 – (book) A Hatful of Seuss: Five Favorite Dr. Seuss Stories (****)
I read this one aloud with The Boy 7 over the course of a few days. It was pretty great to hear him respond “He’s right” when we got to the money line on our way through Horton Hears a Who. “A person’s a person no matter how small.” Not being a person of large stature himself, he probably knows a thing or two about it. The darn liberal media was cranking it out way back in 1954 already. We’ll watch Bill O’Reilly tonight for balance.
No surprise, this is still great TV. I went searching for the Deadwood naughty word counts on the Internets. I found them here (caution: contains naughty word counts). Still, for scripting and characters it’s tough to imagine a better show.
10/19 – (book) A Hatful of Seuss: Five Favorite Dr. Seuss Stories (****)
I read this one aloud with The Boy 7 over the course of a few days. It was pretty great to hear him respond “He’s right” when we got to the money line on our way through Horton Hears a Who. “A person’s a person no matter how small.” Not being a person of large stature himself, he probably knows a thing or two about it. The darn liberal media was cranking it out way back in 1954 already. We’ll watch Bill O’Reilly tonight for balance.
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Anybody Seen My Legs?
They were here this morning. I must have left them behind when I transformed from worker bee to super commuter. Ugh! The ride home yesterday just wasn’t much fun.
I blame it on the over consumption of the cream cheese/cherry pastry someone brought to work. Well, actually it was probably a combination of that and the cinnamon rolls someone else brought to work. I would have made the Fat Cyclist proud. I never had a chance to even sample the fresh baked banana bread that someone else brought to work. Food at work…it’s an issue. I shoulda skipped lunch.
Not only did I have bad legs, before I realized I had bad legs I had already taken extended loop option A. By the time I arrived at extended loop option B my brain had apparently disengaged and I took option B while somewhere I heard a distant echoing voice suggesting I not do this. Or was it Obi-Wan suggesting I use the force?
Full brain disengagement occurred somewhere in the Neighborhood of Spaghetti Streets when I found myself off my route on a road I hadn’t seen before, going a direction that isn’t on the compass. I think there was a car in the way where I normally turn and I didn't feel like quibbling about it.
A few minutes later I put in a call to The Wife (Coach?). “I’m going to be later than usual; I’m not riding very fast.” Pick it up, she said. You’ve got time, she said. Dinner won’t be ready for another 15 minutes, she said. Uhhhh…I’ll be at least 25, I said.
At this point I was able to at least settle into a rhythm…and then this:
This is a wind speed graph. There’s a small uptick around 6pm from breezy to Rita. Yeah that was a head wind.
And then things started to feel abnormally bouncy. And then things started to feel abnormally squishy. And then I flatted. And then I called The Wife again. I mixed up a healty batch of metaphor and cliché and told her when it rains it goes from bad to sour. I sat there by the river with 67 mosquitoes and fixed the tire.
I made it home. Just in time for the departure of The Wife and The Boy 3. Bye. Just in time too, for some sweet and sour and cold meatballs.
I’m MinusCar guy, and I’m just happy to be home.
I blame it on the over consumption of the cream cheese/cherry pastry someone brought to work. Well, actually it was probably a combination of that and the cinnamon rolls someone else brought to work. I would have made the Fat Cyclist proud. I never had a chance to even sample the fresh baked banana bread that someone else brought to work. Food at work…it’s an issue. I shoulda skipped lunch.
Not only did I have bad legs, before I realized I had bad legs I had already taken extended loop option A. By the time I arrived at extended loop option B my brain had apparently disengaged and I took option B while somewhere I heard a distant echoing voice suggesting I not do this. Or was it Obi-Wan suggesting I use the force?
Full brain disengagement occurred somewhere in the Neighborhood of Spaghetti Streets when I found myself off my route on a road I hadn’t seen before, going a direction that isn’t on the compass. I think there was a car in the way where I normally turn and I didn't feel like quibbling about it.
A few minutes later I put in a call to The Wife (Coach?). “I’m going to be later than usual; I’m not riding very fast.” Pick it up, she said. You’ve got time, she said. Dinner won’t be ready for another 15 minutes, she said. Uhhhh…I’ll be at least 25, I said.
At this point I was able to at least settle into a rhythm…and then this:
This is a wind speed graph. There’s a small uptick around 6pm from breezy to Rita. Yeah that was a head wind.
And then things started to feel abnormally bouncy. And then things started to feel abnormally squishy. And then I flatted. And then I called The Wife again. I mixed up a healty batch of metaphor and cliché and told her when it rains it goes from bad to sour. I sat there by the river with 67 mosquitoes and fixed the tire.
I made it home. Just in time for the departure of The Wife and The Boy 3. Bye. Just in time too, for some sweet and sour and cold meatballs.
I’m MinusCar guy, and I’m just happy to be home.
Monday, October 17, 2005
Report: October 10-16
Trips -
MinusCar: 12
Multi-occupant Auto: 4
Single occupant Auto: 1
Woo hoo! Often the best I hope for is one or two more MinusCar trips than auto trips. This week came up unusually high. I ventured out for lunch most days this week giving me 3 MinusCar trips. Sunday helped too with the ride to church and a night ride (nights happen really early these days) with The Boy 7 to the neighborhood stop-n-rob for some milk and candy bars. Night rides are more fun!
KT accepted my invitation to a Saturday meeting. The single occupant trip was between home and his house to ride together to the meeting. This also accounts for the miles on my car this week.
My Car Miles: 16
My Bike Miles/Hours: 145/9.6
Morning Temperature Lows: Morning temps were generally in the 40 range which is chilly but not remarkable enough to track or report.
MinusCar: 12
Multi-occupant Auto: 4
Single occupant Auto: 1
Woo hoo! Often the best I hope for is one or two more MinusCar trips than auto trips. This week came up unusually high. I ventured out for lunch most days this week giving me 3 MinusCar trips. Sunday helped too with the ride to church and a night ride (nights happen really early these days) with The Boy 7 to the neighborhood stop-n-rob for some milk and candy bars. Night rides are more fun!
KT accepted my invitation to a Saturday meeting. The single occupant trip was between home and his house to ride together to the meeting. This also accounts for the miles on my car this week.
My Car Miles: 16
My Bike Miles/Hours: 145/9.6
Morning Temperature Lows: Morning temps were generally in the 40 range which is chilly but not remarkable enough to track or report.
MinusCar Hits the Road
A local adult Sunday school class is following these FaithLink study guides. It’s a guide that “not only motivates Christians to consider their personal views on important contemporary issues, it also encourages them to act on their beliefs.” The important contemporary issue for today was American’s love affair with the automobile, and I was there as a show-and-tell to hopefully offer a little something in the form of encouragement.
I offer a short description and criticism of the study guide below, but first it is necessary to mention how cool it was to sit with a group of people and dialog about many of the ideas found within this blog. The move from cyberspace to realtime/realpeople was refreshing. That this could happen on a Sunday morning was greatly encouraging as well.
Of course, not everyone was comfortable with the topic. It’s highly likely none in attendance will begin riding a bicycle for utility, and I’m just guessing but I’m pretty sure there was at least one SUV driving mom with two or three kids amongst the small group in attendance. I’ve been used to that discomfort for a long time now…it takes me back to the the time my friend and riding buddy arrived to meet me for lunch…alone…in his Ford Expedition.
---
The study guide began with cars and “The American Love Affair.” It segued quickly into the similarities and differences between Katrina and Rita, and “Class and Access” and who has cars (relatively rich) and who doesn’t (relatively poor). It moved from there to the high cost of gasoline and finally to a lengthy description of the (somewhat?/relatively?) bold “What Would Jesus Drive (WWJDrive)?” campaign.
Unfortunately the guide ended by letting readers off the hook with a sidebar on the back page that contained statements from the guide authors describing how taking public transportation to their jobs would be unreasonable for them.
I offer a short description and criticism of the study guide below, but first it is necessary to mention how cool it was to sit with a group of people and dialog about many of the ideas found within this blog. The move from cyberspace to realtime/realpeople was refreshing. That this could happen on a Sunday morning was greatly encouraging as well.
Of course, not everyone was comfortable with the topic. It’s highly likely none in attendance will begin riding a bicycle for utility, and I’m just guessing but I’m pretty sure there was at least one SUV driving mom with two or three kids amongst the small group in attendance. I’ve been used to that discomfort for a long time now…it takes me back to the the time my friend and riding buddy arrived to meet me for lunch…alone…in his Ford Expedition.
---
The study guide began with cars and “The American Love Affair.” It segued quickly into the similarities and differences between Katrina and Rita, and “Class and Access” and who has cars (relatively rich) and who doesn’t (relatively poor). It moved from there to the high cost of gasoline and finally to a lengthy description of the (somewhat?/relatively?) bold “What Would Jesus Drive (WWJDrive)?” campaign.
Unfortunately the guide ended by letting readers off the hook with a sidebar on the back page that contained statements from the guide authors describing how taking public transportation to their jobs would be unreasonable for them.
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Viewed Media: October 7-13
10/9 – (dvd) Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets (**)
Those kids do a pretty nice job. The best part about catching up on HP is that I’ll get to go to the next one as a date with my wife.
10/8 – (theater) Wedding Crashers (****)
This is a very funny movie for all the wrong reasons. Whatever Owen Wilson has, he’s got it good.
Those kids do a pretty nice job. The best part about catching up on HP is that I’ll get to go to the next one as a date with my wife.
10/8 – (theater) Wedding Crashers (****)
This is a very funny movie for all the wrong reasons. Whatever Owen Wilson has, he’s got it good.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Winter Route & Bikes Everywhere?
As I begin to anticipate snow and the likelihood that my normal route to work will go unplowed I’ve begun to consider alternative routes to work. Today I pretty much settled on a new route, entirely on road, to get to work. It’s a half-mile longer than my preferred route. It’s has an advantage over my preferred route because instead of facing a 10-minute exposed leg directly into an artic wind, I get to vary north and west directions and be amongst the relative coverage of homes, trees and buildings. Additionally, I get 2 or so miles at the end of the ride with that north wind on my back.
I reversed the route at the end of the day for the trip home and found it much less enjoyable. At one point I braced for what sounded and felt like a truck about to drive up my back. It’s a fast road…well it has a reasonable but ignored speed limit.
The highlight of the trip home was passing three cyclists. I’m not talking about seeing three cyclists I’m talking about actual, “on your left,” passing. And I’m not talking about the local bike path; I’m talking about on the road. Quite cool. Two of the three were local cycling personalities: GGGGarth and a guy with a trailer with a traffic control barrel overturned for carrying goods.
Did you know? “More bicycles than cars were sold in the United States over the past 12 months.”
I reversed the route at the end of the day for the trip home and found it much less enjoyable. At one point I braced for what sounded and felt like a truck about to drive up my back. It’s a fast road…well it has a reasonable but ignored speed limit.
The highlight of the trip home was passing three cyclists. I’m not talking about seeing three cyclists I’m talking about actual, “on your left,” passing. And I’m not talking about the local bike path; I’m talking about on the road. Quite cool. Two of the three were local cycling personalities: GGGGarth and a guy with a trailer with a traffic control barrel overturned for carrying goods.
Did you know? “More bicycles than cars were sold in the United States over the past 12 months.”
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Inspiration From the Internets
It's been a good day for discovering inspirational and informative articles on the art of bicycle commuting.
First up - today I was performing my customary daily palm pilot reading of my blog friends while on the toilet. It's only a matter of time before the thing gets flushed. Seriously.
Oil Is for Sissy's posted and lightly ranted about an article by Rivendell bicycle founder Grant Petersen. If you go to the post you should also read the comments, there are some very good ones. To Grant Petersen, regarding your first five opinions I say: bring it.
Petersen's thoughts on clothing are very intriguing. Essentially, wear clothes similar to the drivers that pass you. If you look like a bike geek they'll run over you, if you look like their cousin Larry they will treat you better. That's an interesting bit of psychology that hadn't occurred to me. Unfortunately I quickly dismiss it as not practical for me, I haven't looked but I assume I’d be unable to find wind/water proof dress pants.
I love this quote: "Riding never gets easier, you just go faster..." I first saw it attributed to Greg LeMond in a Mt Evans or Mt Washington Hill Climb ride report. It has replayed in my mind often.
Second up - Cornerstone Life highlighted this Dirt Rag article.
I had a hard time limiting my quoting, the second last paragraph is so poetic - "...making the new day essential, provoking, a nectar rather than a waste-treatment. This is about lifestyle, around which the physical act of cycling must inevitably whirl. It can be DIY, it can be embellished with chemicals, it can be stricken with poverty or uplifted with dirty money, but its foundation is always grease, dirt and blood. And personal success will only be sweeter if a crooked finger is kept on actual satisfaction, the sheer endorphin of experience that defines and galvanizes what you love to do, even if living it is a hard road."
And the last bit describing the reaction of an inquisitor upon learning the distance of a bicycle commute - "There is always a pause after this, as if my interlocutor is trying to envision that distance, followed by an involuntary assessment of their current physical condition based on how they felt after climbing a flight of stairs at the mall recently, following a hearty round of Cinnabon sweet cakes." Yep, that was the barista at my coffee shop Monday.
First up - today I was performing my customary daily palm pilot reading of my blog friends while on the toilet. It's only a matter of time before the thing gets flushed. Seriously.
Oil Is for Sissy's posted and lightly ranted about an article by Rivendell bicycle founder Grant Petersen. If you go to the post you should also read the comments, there are some very good ones. To Grant Petersen, regarding your first five opinions I say: bring it.
Petersen's thoughts on clothing are very intriguing. Essentially, wear clothes similar to the drivers that pass you. If you look like a bike geek they'll run over you, if you look like their cousin Larry they will treat you better. That's an interesting bit of psychology that hadn't occurred to me. Unfortunately I quickly dismiss it as not practical for me, I haven't looked but I assume I’d be unable to find wind/water proof dress pants.
I love this quote: "Riding never gets easier, you just go faster..." I first saw it attributed to Greg LeMond in a Mt Evans or Mt Washington Hill Climb ride report. It has replayed in my mind often.
Second up - Cornerstone Life highlighted this Dirt Rag article.
I had a hard time limiting my quoting, the second last paragraph is so poetic - "...making the new day essential, provoking, a nectar rather than a waste-treatment. This is about lifestyle, around which the physical act of cycling must inevitably whirl. It can be DIY, it can be embellished with chemicals, it can be stricken with poverty or uplifted with dirty money, but its foundation is always grease, dirt and blood. And personal success will only be sweeter if a crooked finger is kept on actual satisfaction, the sheer endorphin of experience that defines and galvanizes what you love to do, even if living it is a hard road."
And the last bit describing the reaction of an inquisitor upon learning the distance of a bicycle commute - "There is always a pause after this, as if my interlocutor is trying to envision that distance, followed by an involuntary assessment of their current physical condition based on how they felt after climbing a flight of stairs at the mall recently, following a hearty round of Cinnabon sweet cakes." Yep, that was the barista at my coffee shop Monday.
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