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.