The Climate is Fine!

Last weekend we got our first snowfall. Almost a foot of snow, in fact. It started on Friday afternoon and continued most of the way through the weekend. The roads were mostly clear by Monday but it was still a sporty ride in. Snowbanks seem to halve the apparent width of the road. Or maybe it makes drivers extra stupid, I don't know.

Then a few days off for the holidays happened, during which time spring came. Or maybe fall returned, I don't know. Now there is no snow anywhere! Time was if you got a foot of snow in December it would stick around through March. No longer...

Tomorrow winter shall return. Maybe. Happy almost New Year...

No, Really

I thought it was cold a couple weeks ago, but I was wrong. Today it was 14 degrees outside at 7 a.m. and we had our first snowfall on Sunday morning. This means that it's time to change over to the "winter" tires. By "winter" tires I actually mean a mismatched pair of mountain knobbies that I can run at low pressure when there is actually snow on the ground. The rear is a 6 year old WTB Velociraptor 2.3 that is worn so badly that it looks more like a "commuter" tire, i.e. slick down the center and knobby on the sides. The front is a, um, well actually I don't know what it is except for that it is the stock tire that came with the bike back in 1991. It looks like a copy-cat version of an old Specialized Ground Control front with the alternating square block tread pattern. The funny thing is that the 18 year old tire appears to have held up better than the newer WTB tire. Of course it's not really fair to make a direct comparison since I rode the newer tire much more aggressively than the old one. Nonetheless, the rubber has decayed less and the sidewalls look more intact.

The funny thing in all this, however, is that I didn't actually ride in to work today. I have an errand to run in the middle of the day, unfortunately. I'll be back at it tomorrow, when it's forecast to be 16 degrees in the morning...

Cold's here...

24 Degrees this morning. Winter's coming!

Follow Up

So after that little fiasco of motivation a week ago I should provide an update:

I finally hauled all my mountain bike crap out and drove up to Lincoln Woods. By the time I arrived it had gotten considerably colder than I was expecting, but I managed to stay warm by riding uphill. The really scary part was riding downhill thanks to all the fallen leaves. There's always a part of the fall season after the leaves have dropped but before the trails pack out again. Well, not really pack out, but the leaves break down under tires, feet, etc. until traction is somewhat restored. As of Tuesday, November 11th, traction had not been restored. There was a 6" accumulation of nice, dry, slippery leaves on all the trails. This made it impossible to see baby heads, slick rock, mud, roots, or really anything other than leaves. Simply discerning the trail was tough most of the time. The only option was to just go with the flow, braking where possible and riding it out the rest of the time. I could tell when I was off trail by the softness of the ground. I rode a couple of my favorite trails and while I didn't fall I was really sketched out. Sad to say I decided to call it after only 45 minutes or so.

And now it's practically winter. The road rig is set up on the trainer, this year with a pad underneath the whole works. Much quieter. The mountain bike needs to go into the shop for some work on the rear brake. I've got a kinked brake line and the lever feels squishy. There might be a couple more mountain bike rides before the snow flies and the mud returns, but it's touch and go at this point. Time to get fat... er.

Lazy Days

Today is Veteran's Day but shouldn't it be Veterans' Day?  I mean, there were (and are) a whole bunch of vets and we should be thankful for all of 'em, not just one.

As an employee of the State of Rhode Island (at least for now...) I have the day off.  I have been catching up on chores and trying to shake off the final, lingering effects of the Great International Beer Festival.  I am also trying to motivate to go mountain biking but thus far I haven't been able to get out of the house.  I should go.  The days are short now so there's no time to ride outside after work.  A day off is a gift, an opportunity to actually participate in cycling as nature intended instead of inside on a trainer.  But it's cold.  The leaves are down so the trails are super slick.  I think I might be getting sick.  Waaaaaaaaaa.

Get it together, man!  I rode in Groton a week ago and had a grand old time despite getting my first flat of the season. I think that might be a record.  I don't remember the last time I got a flat tire.  That's neither here nor there.  Point is, I went for a ride and it was fun.  Today can also be fun if I could only get off the couch.  Bah.

And one more election related thing...

Out there in California (say it like the Governator does... come on...) the voters passed Proposition 8, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman. In so doing, it deprives gay people a basic right enjoyed by heterosexual people, namely the right to get married.

Will somebody please explain to me how "The Institution of Marriage" is threatened by gay people wanting to get in on it? Look, Mr. & Mrs. Hetero Redneck, your marriage sucks because you're stupid and because you procreated when you shouldn't have, not because of a bunch of gay people getting married somewhere. Get over it. But maybe there's some semantic argument that I don't understand.

The closest I've been able to get to understanding this asinine situation is something like this: When I got my Masters Degree I was proud of it. But then I thought, "You know, that girl Elizabeth also got a Master's Degree from the same program. She's an idiot. I wonder if that cheapens my own degree?" And for a moment I was sad. But then I realized that the world will quickly figure out that Elizabeth is dumb and it will take care of itself. She'll get elected governor of Alaska or something. Anyway, I decided that my degree, and along with it my own personality and intelligence, stands on its own. Just because an idiot has the same degree I have doesn't make me an idiot. So I stopped worrying. Hetero rednecks should stop worrying. Gay people getting married doesn't make anybody else gay or cheapen anybody else's marriage.  Everybody is free to either succeed or fail in whatever they try and it'll all work out.

Keith Olberman doesn't like Prop 8 either...

At last!

In keeping with the theme of good things happening at long last: Barack Obama will become the 44th President of the United States! It feels good knowing that I will no longer have to cringe every time our President opens his mouth...

On the local level, things are a little shaken up but it remains to be seen what the implications will be. We did, however, pass both the Transportation Bond and the Open Space Bond proposals. In tough times it's hard to sell the idea of taking on more debt but these are both necessary bonds as they are local match for federal dollars. The Transportation Bond, in particular, is important because it will allow the construction of the commuter rail station down at TF Green (pic from Projo, although this is more a rendering of the skybridge connecting the parking lot/station in the bottom left to the terminal in the upper right):

Finally!!!!

Last night the Phillies won the world series. It was the first time in 28 years and only the second time in the hundred plus years the franchise has been in existence. I remember the names of people like Steve Carlton and Tug McGraw from the '80 team but I'd be lying if I said I remember any of the games. I'd also be lying if I said that I am a huge baseball fan but this victory has broader implications.

The curse of William Penn has been broken.

Sure, every slumping sports city has a "curse" of some sort, but ours is real. You see, there is a statue of William Penn on the top of city hall in Philadelphia. For many, many years He was the highest point in the city, city hall the tallest building. But then, in 1987, perhaps because the lack of skyscrapers was retarding the economic growth of the city, taller buildings began to appear. One Liberty Place was the first and thus began the "Close but no cigar" saga of all four major sports teams. There have been 7 appearances in championship finals since 1987, but no victories. Until last night.

The Phillies won because of their superior pluck and skill, but Billy Penn had a role in the championship as well. Earlier this year, a small statue of Penn was installed at the top of the new tallest structure in the city, Comcast Center. With His place of prominence restored, Penn has (hopefully) been placated and allowed sporting glory to return. The Phillies victory is tremendously important because it removes the final hurdle to a Stanley Cup and a Super Bowl. Well, a Stanley Cup anyway. To win the Super Bowl the Eagles are going to have to figure out how to cover tight ends on passing plays and also maybe diversify their offense a little bit...

Edit: There more to the win than even I imagined! Thanks, Tug...

India Point Park Bridge is Open

The newly built pedestrian bridge to India Point Park is now open, albeit without landscaping. Some pictures have been posted here, and the ProJo did a brief story here. There's also a blog posting on the Projo site which is interesting because of the comments. One commenter decries the bridge as an example of pork barrel spending:

It's really hard to make it out from the photo, but is that pedestrian bridge paved with gold? Because for $27 million, it sure must be.

This is just one more fine example of pork barrel politics. Everybody in the state is screaming about how the bridges in this state are falling down around our ears, yet DOT finds the bucks to build a gratuitous pedestrian bridge, as India Point Park is freely accessible from Gano and South Main.

The part this person doesn't mention is that the bridge was actually under budget, which is, as far as I can tell, a first for a Rhode Island public works project. I also highly doubt the commenter has ever actually walked to India Point Park via either Gano or South Main. Neither access point is what I'd call "pedestrian friendly." Here's a view of the Gano St. approach. Enticing, no? I especially like how the sidewalks end a few blocks shy of the park. The South Main approach is different, because you could walk through here or here. Not so bad, right? Problem is there's no easy way to walk to either of these spots without crossing this. Rather than bitching online, Mr. These Boots Are Made For Walkin' (That's his/her screen name...) should be glad that he/she can now drive his/her Oldsmobile down to the park, Nancy Sinatra blaring, without worrying about all those dumb pedestrians getting in his way.

Another commenter offered this:

I'm not really crazy about the lettering or the signage. The bridge belongs to RI and should have a closer connection. Maybe RI Historic Bay Bridge or something along those lines.

Maybe I'm being picky, but bridges are usually named after a politician or some other noteworthy person. Sometimes they're named for the body of water they cross, or are colloquially known by the places they connect. See, for example, the Newport Bridge (Really the Claiborne Pell Bridge) or the Jamestown Bridge (Jamestown-Verrazzano Bridge) or the Mount Hope Bridge (which actually crosses Mt. Hope Bay). If we apply these naming conventions to this bridge, we should certainly call our new pedestrian bridge the India Point Park Bridge. Rt. 195 is clearly not a "historic bay," after all, and I don't recall hearing that the funding was secured by Senator Point Park. Also, arguing that the bridge belongs to all Rhode Islanders doesn't get you very far since the money came from the federal government. By that logic the bridge should be called the "United States Bridge Over A Regional Interstate Highway" or something.

I reckon it's about time to head over that way and take a look at the golden-paved bridge myself...

Da Kine

It always makes me nervous when a sketchy van passes me on the road... and then I get the unmistakable whiff of cannabis. As if we, as cyclists, don't have enough to worry about with folks just being mean or inattentive or whatever, we also get to add "impaired" to the list. Of course, there are always impaired people on the road. I often think that late at night, when I'm riding home from the bar or somebody's house or a show, probably half the people on the road are impaired.

So, what's the difference between the pot smoker and the drunk? Well, from my perspective riding along the side of the road, when the stoner drives past I can smell it. I know immediately what's going on. Of course, I could probably smell a drunk if he was close enough, or drunk enough, but if that's the case I probably have bigger fish to fry. But that's exactly my point. The vehicle passes, I catch a whiff, and then I get the sinking feeling that there, right there, is a person who is waaaaaay more likely to kill a cyclist than the average motorist. The knowledge makes me ill. Funny, no? A drunk dude could roll right on by and as long as he's not swerving all over the road I'd have no idea. He's probably MORE dangerous to cyclists (and everybody else...), but since I can't necessarily tell from afar, it doesn't give me that same "Oh shit..." feeling.

I've smelled the dope cars twice in the last two days. Safety first, Providence!

I walked over to the mall for lunch today and discovered that the decrepit Fuji that was locked to the rail last week is now gone. Maybe somebody cut it down. Maybe the owner returned. Who knows. Regardless, my clever plan to catalog the bike's decline is foiled. I'm hoping the owner returned so the bike can ride on...

It's not just me

After breaking my streak on Friday I got right into my new one today. I saw two other people riding their bicycles to work. These are exciting times, no? Funny thing is they both looked like accidents waiting to happen. More is better, I suppose, except when they're going to get smooshed.

One was a guy riding a beater with a rusty, out-of-true rear wheel. I saw him on Canal St., ripping along like nobody's business. Turns out he either couldn't, or chose not to, shift because he fell apart riding up over the train tracks on Smith St. After having to slow down to stay out of his way initially I passed him easily going up the hill. All the momentum he maintained by executing a high-speed right-on-red didn't seem to do him any good at all. He didn't look like he meant to be riding a bike to work but I hope he had fun... maybe I'll see him out there again.

The other person works in my office. I'm suspicious that he may have done the thing where you drive your car to the parking lot with the bike on the rack, then ridden the 100 yards to the office. His bike was all commuter-ed up with panniers, lights, etc., yet he wasn't wearing a helmet. I think I remember him from another time last year when I passed him wobbling up Holden St., all geeked out with a reflective vest. But who cares? More people riding their bikes around in the city is a good thing. Unless they're doing stupid shit and getting hit.

Finally, today, there's this:


This is a Fuji fixed gear conversion locked up outside the mall. The poor thing has been there for a week now and in that time the front wheel has gone looking out for better weather. I'll try to check in on it and we can monitor its inevitable decline. Until the mall folks come and cut it off the rail. Circle of life...

Just like that

It's over. The weather has deteriorated enough that the Greenway Challenge has been postponed. No big deal, except that the new date is next weekend and I can't participate. D'oh! Sad... but I'll do it next year. And I discovered a new place to ride, albeit one that is far away, not that big, and full of motorcycles.

And perhaps worst of all, my streak of consecutive days riding to work has now been broken!

Greenway Challenge Course, three

I rode the Greenway Challenge course again yesterday. 47 minutes, plus a little more. I definitely went out too hard this time. By the end I was making dumb line-choice mistakes because I couldn't see straight. I went the slow way around two separate trail features that I easily rode last time. I must remember to ride the straight line! I also had to get off the bike twice, once for a bad missed shift and once for a thrown chain. It is my opinion, then, that if I have a clean ride it'll be in the neighborhood of 45 minutes. The part before the sewage plant is flatter but more convoluted and twisty. I'll need to conserve my speed better so I don't need to accelerate so much. Then I'll have more in the tank for the second two-thirds of the course where the punchy climbing starts.

On the other hand, it's supposed to start raining tonight and then continue clear through Saturday afternoon. This will slow things dramatically as the whole course is covered with roots that'll be super-slick when wet. And the new sections will be softer than they already are... Oh, and the course will be littered with other riders. Maybe my practice times are a little optimistic?

No, Really...

Now it's getting chilly. 46 Degrees this morning in the city. We're in that part of the year where we have to bundle up a little bit in the morning but then figure out how to carry all the extra layers home later. I should have gotten the bigger bag...

It is also staying dark later and getting dark earlier, which is really a verbose way of saying the days are getting shorter. In response, I bought one of those Frog LED things. Not sure what that says about me... but anyway: I've been riding around without a front blinky light for some time now and it's time to not be quite so invisible. Honestly, I'm skeptical of the claim that a little tiny LED will make me much more likely to be seen, but I also haven't been out after dark since installing this thing. Perhaps tomorrow, for Thirsty Thursday...

In other news, I added another bike to the stable. I discovered an 80's-era Fuji 10-speed right under my nose and managed to acquire it for a mere $5. Not sure what I'll do with it, but perhaps this winter's project will be creating a new commuter rig based on a road bike. This might alter the calculus of when to replace the SST bike. Maybe I'll turn it into a fixed gear in order to further augment my hipster cred. Gross. Anyway, now we're back up to 4 bikes and I feel a little better.

And then this happened...

There is some sort of construction going on on Angell St. way down by Wayland Square. What is normally a two lane street is reduced to one lane. This stretch is on the return leg of my quick, easy ride to Riverside and back.

Yesterday, I approached the traffic that builds up in the construction zone and looked for a way through. Cars and trucks were stopped for a red light light at Wayland St. I was weaving around, making my way through and since I'm a jerk, uh, I mean, aggressive cyclist, I worked my way to the front of the line. The light was still red, so I went in to my track stand routine and held it for 30 seconds or so. Then the light changed and I rode off.

What happened next, though, was interesting. As I rode up the next block, the car that had been first in line pulled alongside me and matched my speed. "This can't be good," I thought. The car's passenger side window was down and the driver was looking across at me. I figured I was about to get a piece of his mind for cutting the line/blocking his sight-lines while he waited at the light/being on the road/what do you think you're doing/something. In my experience, drivers never have anything good to say when they pull along side me. Like the guy who told me he couldn't see me on the Henderson Bridge because the sun was in his eyes. I told him to slow down to a safe speed, but he didn't seem to get it. Or the guy on Smith St. who told me I should be riding closer to the curb (you know, where all the parked cars are). Anyway, yesterday the guy leans over and says "Hey, that was a nice track stand!" and then sped off. I was so surprised that I could only muster a little wave and a "Hey, thanks, man!" but I'm sure he didn't hear it.

So two cool things about it. First, a positive interaction with a motorist to contrast with all the nasty, negative stuff that has been in the press and bicycle blogosphere (I hate that word, makes me think of Globogym). Second, another human acknowledged a skill that I've worked hard to develop. Most people either don't realize how tricky it is to balance a bike that's not moving or don't care. A bike that isn't a fixed gear, no less! So good on ya, buddy! Thanks for noticing. And not, you know, running me over or something.

Greenway Challenge Course, deux

Days later than I intended I finally went out for a ride on the Blackstone River Greenway Challenge mountain bike course. The course is somewhere up in Massachusetts, roughly 45 minutes by car from here. The trail is partly newly cut singletrack, partly double track access road, and partly wide, rooty, rocky stuff that is what I imagine the access roads will someday become. The new sections are soft so I hope it doesn't rain on race day. Lots of pungy sticks where the trail builders cut brush and saplings. The trail is lots of fun though! Despite my initial interpretation of the map, there are no sustained climbs or super-tech sections but many twists and turns and short, punchy climbs. Each time I felt like I was going to die (or puke), the trail would level off or turn back down hill. I'd agree with the trailbuilder who said that the mountainbikers would like the course, but I don't think his idea of technical is the same as mine. This is tech-ish, but all rideable and not that scary.

I wasn't sure how to pace it so I went out pretty fast. My time was under an hour, but not by much (next week I'll time myself more accurately). There are very few places where one could pass another rider, though. This might be interesting on race day, what with a hundred-something other people out there. On the bright side, all those riders will berm out some of the turns, allowing higher speeds. Most of the passing lanes are at the beginning, the middle by the sewer plant (again, why is it always about the poop?), or at the end. I'll have to ride accordingly. The tricky bits are concentrated in the last third of the course, complicating my strategy.

Remember, it's crucial that we DOMINATE!!!!

Run to Failure

Too much stuff, not enough riding. Stuff like the second job, watching bands play good music, avoiding meatheads, and sleeping.

This morning I was reading an op-ed piece in a trade journal discussing our deteriorating infrastructure, sewer and water systems in specific. Interesting stuff, I suppose, if you wonder (like I get paid to do) where the poop goes, but I noticed something else that is relevant to me outside of work. Here's the quote:

Here’s another thought: Use the reality of deteriorated infrastructure as a rationale for investing in next-generation technologies and designs. There is a concept in asset management called “run to failure,” where it is efficient to stop repairing the old system and eventually to replace it with something new.

I've been thinking about how I'll decide when it's time to replace the singlespeed I've been commuting on for two years. This bicycle has been great and it still is great. But, on the other hand, there are few original parts left on it. Frame, fork, and seatpost. Oh, and stem. Otherwise, all new. I've spent far more on upgrading this thing than it cost way back in 1992 when it was just "my bike." In return, the bike has been safe and reliable for years. It gets me to work in any weather. It gets me home from the bar regardless of my ability to pilot it. This means that despite my best intentions, I have invested a degree of sentimental feeling in this assemblage of steel tubes.

Now the fork has a small crack in it. I'm not worried, the crack is in the very bottom of the steering tube. There is deterioration around the mounting hardware for the fender. I don't think the fork is going to suddenly fail but I have started thinking about what to do next. New fork? New bike? At what point is it time to thank the bike for its years of service and move on to a shiny new one? I know I should make this decision prior to the day the fork breaks while I'm bombing down North Main St., but when?

What to do? What's next?

Well, it's time to develop a plan for succession, like what any good despotic ruler or republican President does. Here's mine:

When the day comes that the SST is too scary to ride, I'll retire it. What does this mean, "too scary to ride?" When does that happen? The following things shall trigger bicycle retirement:

• That crack on the fork grows to reach the weld just below the headset crown race. In my non-engineering estimate, a crack in a weld is bad and that's when the catastrophic fork-folding starts to happen.
  
• Obviously, any structural failure on the frame itself. I'm looking at you, drive-side chain stay where the spray-on primer is hiding some good rust...
• Wheel failure. This one really is pretty arbitrary because wheels are easy to replace. But, on the other hand, this bike really isn't ideal for what I'm using it for anyway. The 26-inch wheel size is one of the biggest limitations of this rig. A proper city bike ought to run 700c's...
  
• Maybe, just maybe, when my chainring/cog combo wears out. This one's also arbitrary since drivetrain parts are consumables. But, since it's running all steel parts right now, this particular one is a ways off. I'll be able to flip everything over and run it for about another hundred years with a new chain when the time comes. I'll expect one of the other triggers to happen in the meantime.
  

What shall I do when the day of reckoning comes? Well, ideally I'll figure it out 6-8 months ahead of time so I can order a new road bike from Circle A Cycles and I shall convert my current road rig to commuting duty. The cycle shall begin anew. I might just enjoy having some gears. Or not, we'll see.

So, did you see how I just used the eventual deterioration of my trusty commuter rig to make it ok to lay out a couple grand for a new road rig? Awesome. It'll be like getting two new bikes instead of one. A "new to this use" commuter rig (Wow, look how much faster I can go!) and a spanking new, hand-built, lugged steel, road bike.

Greenway Challenge Course

The course for the Blackstone River Greenway Challenge has been released. According to my team captain, the mountain bike section is tough. Says the course designer, "The mountain bikers will like this course!" Also, says our captain, "The road riders will hate this." Glad I'm doing the mountain section. Over there on the left you can see a little topo for the course. Looks like flat out (and flat) for the beginning. Then a quick jaunt through a wastewater treatment plant (How come it's always about the poop?). The technical stuff is loaded on at the end. One massive climb and a couple smaller ones. The descent from Goat Hill looks to be interesting as well.

This is an area I've never ridden before so it'll be good to check it out beforehand. Hopefully tomorrow will be the day. We have two weeks to go so I will try to ride up there a couple of times. Because, you know, it's crucial that we WIN!

And speaking of the Blackstone, yesterday I went paddling on the Blackstone River in a whitewater boat. I have sea kayaked for years but I have never paddled in moving water before. You know, rivers with rapids and stuff. The experience was fun and much more difficult than I expected. It gives me a whole new appreciation for how skilled the people you see in movies or on TV running huge rapids are. I'm scared of fresh water in general (who knows what sort of creepy things live there?) so my biggest difficulty was just relaxing in the boat. My arms are tired from over-gripping the paddle. All of my instincts were backwards. Which side to brace? Lean which way? Whoa, now I'm spinning... If I focused carefully on one skill at a time it was ok but when I had to react to the river more quickly I didn't feel entirely in control. Once in awhile it's fun to shake things up and try something new, to rediscover the beginner's mind.

Progress, part deux

I made myself curious last Tuesday when I visited the city-side of the India Point Park bridge. On Saturday, I took a ride down to visit the Park itself, via the always-exciting Gano Street entrance.

Construction sites can be either depressing or inspiring. Depressing because they're messy. The ground is torn up, trees removed, materials and debris all over the place. Lots of half-assed fencing. Or, my favorite construction site pet peeve: sediment fencing improperly installed and poorly maintained. India Point Park has all of this right now, plus also a gigantic, dilapidated building in the form of Shooters. But, I can already tell that the park is going to be pretty cool once the work is all done. Sure, it's going to be smaller than it was because there is an additional ramp adjacent to the highway, but what remains will be nicer. Maybe. At least there's good potential. The new pedestrian bridge is going to be great. The park will be better linked with downtown and riverwalk/waterplace. It'll be better linked to Wickenden. All this stuff will hopefully get lots of people down there. Also, the linear Washington Bridge park is going to be neat as well, at least in the year 2341 when it is actually finished.

This has nothing to do with that: This year the Blackstone River Greenway Challenge will include a mountain biking leg. My office throws a team together each year and since I'm the only person around who rides a mountain bike I have been volunteered. I expect this will be fun because despite my incredible speed and skills on a mountain bike I have never raced. I have no idea where the ride will take place or over what sort of terrain. Could it be Lincoln Woods? That monastary place up in Cumberland? Something else entirely? We'll see. The course will be officially released in a day or two. The event is September 27th. I should probably ride a time or two beforehand. I went to Lincoln Woods once last week and managed to avoid breakdowns or injury so we're on the right track. Good stuff.

Progress

Back in the day, a cyclist used to be able to ride out Hope St., cross 195 on the scary, old pedestrian bridge to India Point Park, then shoot over the Washington Bridge to the East Bay Bike path. But then the 195 Relocation/Build-me-an-IWay project got under way. The pedestrian bridge got torn down. The bicycle crossing on the Washington Bridge went away. Suddenly it was a huge pain in the ass to ride over to East Providence. Now, with the construction on the Henderson Bridge, it's even worse. Dark days for cyclists, indeed. Dark days.

But maybe things are looking up. Yesterday I checked in on the India Point Pedestrian Bridge on my way home from the farmer's market. I had noticed a couple weeks back that the ornamental cladding had been hung on the fancy, new bridge. There is a texturing pattern and letters that say "India Point Park Bridge" or something to remind speeding (or crawling) motorists that there's an amazing park right nearby. This prompted me to check on the work progress on the bridge. Yesterday I saw that the bridge isn't open yet, but it's definitely coming along. The fencing is up along either side to prevent people from jumping off, throwing stuff at cars, or writing graffitti on the lettering. According to the renderings, there will be planters along either side of the bridge as well, and the soil is mostly in place. According to these photos, the landscaping on the park-side of the bridge is getting close as well. Interesting...

So, perhaps soon we'll at least be able to easily access India Point without the sport of riding down Gano. It's much harder to tell what the progress is on the Washington Bridge section. They don't have a slick, spendy public relations website...

If I...

Hear another "Sex & the City" ringtone while I'm trying to work, I'm going to throw up.

When Nature Attacks!

Today I was surprised to see a red tail hawk in the parking lot just across from the entrance to my office. The bird was in the process of dismembering some sort of small mammal, maybe a rat. I heard later that the hawk picked up the animal, carried it on to a nearby car, pooped on the car, then flew off. Awesome. Even more awesome when I learned that the car belongs to our esteemed union president.

This has nothing to do with that...

One's sense of smell has a powerful ability to induce nostalgia. I just walked into the hallway here at work and was overwhelmed by the odor of grilled food and cleaning products. Presumably this is a sign of good things going on at the cafe down the hall, but it also sent me immediately back to Chatterley's, in New Hartford, CT. I spent many an evening (too many, in hindsight) in that bar. Every time I walked in there I would smell the grill (mmm... cheeseburgers...), smell the cleaner they used on the bar, and smell the stale, musty spilled beer. They don't serve beer here at the Foundry, but the other two smells are strong enough to make my mind conjure up the beer stench anyway...

Nature

On the ride in this morning I observed a cat chasing a squirrel. The squirrel looked like it was working a lot harder than the cat...

Chilly today, almost like fall for real.

New Paradigm

I'm surprised I haven't seen this around here before...

Yesterday I stopped at the market on my way home for the purpose of buying some milk. I was not riding but rather combining trips. Anyway, when I walked out, I saw a bike in the rack with an Xtracycle conversion kit! The cargo bike revolution has come to town... maybe.

I'm sorely tempted to buy a long bike, like a Kona Ute or a Surly Big Dummy, but I still haven't solved the home-storage issue. I'll have to give it some thought. I also just got my car tax bill from the city... yet another encouragement to find another way.

Football?!? Or, how it is extremely difficult to travel to Gillette Stadium by any means other than by car

Yes, it's still August, but there are already professional football games going on. Tonight, the Eagles will play the Patriots at nearby Gillette Stadium. My sister's boyfriend has season tickets for the Pats and he has generously offered a few seats so we can go see this game. Apparently among true football fans the preseason games aren't so interesting so the tickets are usually given away or sold at a steep discount. The face value for our tickets is $117 or some such nonsense but we'll be dropping a mere $50 per. Seems crazy to me but the NFL is big business even when it's not the real season.

But that's not what is annoying.

How does one travel to Gillette Stadium? One drives, of course! Unless, that is, you have reservations about the whole scenario, be it the $40 parking fee, the traffic, the hassle, whatever. The other option is to take the train. The MBTA, in partnership with the Patriots, operates a special train on game days. Sports fans can travel from Providence or South Station in Boston right to the stadium. And by "right to the stadium" I mean "somewhere nearby, surely within a day's walk." Perhaps I'm complaining prematurely, we'll see. I've never been there.

That's not the annoying thing either.

The annoying thing is the list of restrictions on what one can travel with on this train, and subsequently carry into the stadium. My original plan was to ride my bike to the train station, lock up, jump on the train and be good to go. This would involve me carrying a messenger bag to stash my helmet and a jacket. Maybe a couple beers... but for consumption as road sodas, not to smuggle into the stadium (I'll surely drink a few $9 Bud Lights once there, don't want to withhold my money from Mr. Kraft). Problem is, carrying a bag like that into the stadium is prohibited! Blast! Thank you Department of Homeland Security! I feel safer already. Anyway, if I have nowhere other than on my head to carry my helmet, etc., it makes riding to the station more of a drag. Waaaaah. So, instead, I'll take the bus. While I still can. RIPTA is broke and going broker. It'll add some time to my trip and increase my walking mileage, but I'll manage. Somehow.

So it will be a public transportation adventure, involving uncertain scheduling, disorientation, alcohol, and rowdy sports fans. What could possibly go wrong?

Fall preview

Today it was cool enough on the ride in for my eyes to water when I was going fast. It amuses me to imagine what drivers I see at the stop light must think. "Huh, that guy must be crying because he doesn't have a car."

Or, more likely, they don't even notice.

Today's idiot

As I rounded the final corner of my ride in this morning, I saw that the parking lot shuttle bus was ahead of me and was stopping right in front of the doorway to the office. This is not unusual as the bus is, after all, a means for the lazy people who drive to work to avoid walking that last 100 yards or so from the parking lot to the building. It happens that the bus always stops in such a way as to completely block the ramp up on to the sidewalk. This means I have to dismount in the street or, as I usually do, hop the curb to finish my ride. No problem, although I do think it's rude for the bus driver to park in such an obstructive manner.

Today, I zoomed up behind the bus, hopped the curb, and dismounted. As this was happening, I noticed the bus driver dismounting from his fine steed. This is also not unusual as the driver is a fat man who frequently interrupts his work to buy coffee or dispose of the coffee he has already consumed. Today, the timing was such that I opened the office door just in front of the driver who, as I've already indicated, parked so as to rudely block the entrance. As I passed through the second door I just continued on, not bothering to hold the door. The fat bus driver was behind me by enough that I didn't think I was violating some law of etiquette by not waiting. Mr. Driver Man at this point says to me, "Thanks!", just dripping with sarcasm.

HA! Thanks to you, Fat Man, for parking your lazy person's ferry in the way of everyone else! How dare you imply I'm rude when you, in fact, have been recently even more rude! I will NOT hold the door for you until you learn to pull ahead one bus-length before dismounting for your coffee-and-pee break. STOP BLOCKING THE RAMP!

And this is just another small example of the indignities suffered while riding a bicycle for transportation.

So Tired...

I woke up from an anxiety-induced dream at 5 this morning. As often happens under this circumstance, I was wide awake. I briefly considered getting up and exercising, but since it was 5 a.m. I put myself back to bed. When the alarm went off an hour later I had a difficult time getting up. In fact, it took me a solid half hour to get to the point where I felt like I was truly awake. I forced myself to go through my exercise regimen but it felt bad. From this experience (and numerous others like it) I believe that sleep cycles are real and have a huge impact on how I feel. Despite getting around 8 hours of sleep last night I still feel fatigued. I can get more sleep but it's for naught and I feel like crap if I wake in the wrong part of a sleep cycle. Alternately, I can get very little sleep but if I wake up on my own, at the appropriate end of a cycle, I feel good.

So... the next time I wake up at a ridiculous hour of the morning, maybe I'll just get up and start my day. Let's see what happens. If I was awake at 5 I would even have time for a quick road ride before work. How fun would that be? Ripping around town on my bike while idiots drive to work, fat and zombie-like... Anyway, we'll see how things work out. My schedule over the next few days will keep me up later than I'd prefer so this may or may not come to anything for awhile. Getting rid of Luther will require efficient use of my time and the early morning might provide opportunities.

A post in 2008?

Insert here the groaning sound Krusty the Clown makes each time he realizes what an incompetent entertainer he is... As I myself realize what an incompetent blogger I am. "You're supposed to write in the thing!" they tell me. I see.

Well, it's just that I've been too busy trying to recover the cycling conditioning I had a month ago. I spent the last week figuring out which way is up after taking the previous two weeks to go sailing in Maine. By "sailing" I actually mean "motoring through the rain with the sails up", but that's neither here nor there. The week prior to the aforementioned trip, I was packing and preparing. Mostly I was not riding.

I had been doing a fair bit of mountain biking and was feeling pretty solid about my conditioning and my meager skills. I rode Lincoln Woods a couple times and not only didn't break myself, I even discovered a couple of new trails to mix up my typical route. I also spent an afternoon getting semi-lost in the dust of Big River. I rode fast and I rode well. Back in early July I had a ride in Arcadia that was borderline epic. Started with brutal suffering on the Mt. Tom trail, then amazing riding on the Arcadia trail and some others I don't know by name, then finished with a log (not a stick, a full-on log) going through my rear derailleur on the Breakheart Trail. How appropriate... Truly satisfying adventures, all.

Then, along comes a wonderful vacation and mucks it all up. In life we take two steps forward and then sometimes one step back. So, to recover from my vacation I've been trying to ride more frequently and I've even started running on the days I don't ride. We'll see how long this lasts but it's fun to say. "Yes, I've started running. I figure if I actually train for the Mews 5k in November I'll kick everybody's ass..."

The real reason has nothing to do with the Mews 5k, the Blackstone River Greenway Challenge, or any other vaguely competitive mess of an adventure. Instead it's because I have discovered a new friend. I call him Luther and he lives around my waist. He sprang into existence sometime recently but I'm not sure exactly when. He feeds mostly on beer and cheese and inactivity. Other people tend not to notice Luther, but I always see him. Perhaps it's because of the angle I'm viewing him from. Luther is literally weighing me down, but he's also now fueling my bicycling. And my running. It's crazy. I have a new appreciation for how easy it must be for women to develop body image issues. I weigh myself once, discover that I've bulked up to 181 pounds, and all of a sudden I'm trying to be Mr. Fitness. Crazy. All I want is to be able to jump on a bike and ride it with some competence and not feel like I'm going to puke while it's happening.

It's not that bad, but there's work to do...