Bike to Work Day

Friday, May 15th was Bike To Work Day here in Providence. As has been the pattern for the last few years, the day started off rainy but by the afternoon it was beautiful and sunny. Bike To Work Day is funny to me since I ride my bike to work every day. Naturally I figured I would see what all the fuss is about.

The morning 'session' consisted of some speeches, a bit of food, and a couple of table-top displays from the local bicycling advocates and shops. The big show is the mayor riding his bicycle down the hill from his house on Elmgrove Avenue to kick off the festivities. I arrived a respectful few moments right after him since I didn't want to be accused of sitting on his wheel all the way downtown. It was 7:30 or so and I had a few minutes before I needed to be at work so I stuck around just long enough to listen to what the big muckity mucks had to say. My overall impression: meh.

First of all, watching the Mayor "ride to work" is funny. He rolls with some of the other officials involved with transportation, flanked by two bike cops, and followed by a cruiser with lights flashing. When the Mayor takes the lane, he Takes The Lane...

Anyway... the speeches rolled out at 7:45 or so. Richard Godfrey (of R.I. Housing, for some reason...) spoke about Rhode Island coming in at number 35 in the League of American Bicyclists "Bicycle Friendly States" ranking. He said he has ridden in many of the states that came in ahead of us and he insists that Rhode Island is, in fact, better than these other places. Interesting... I made a mental note to myself to invite Mr. Godfrey to take an early morning commute with me some rainy day in November. Let's enjoy some time on the roads (not bike paths, not separated bike lanes, not quiet country roads: Rather, let's ride in the places where the people are...) when it's not nice out and see if he still thinks we've got it so good. Now don't get me wrong, I think Rhode Island is a great place to ride, but cycling infrastructure here is nowhere near what it is in some of the other states above us on the LAB list. That's part of what makes riding here so exciting: Adversity! And why would you even mention the list if you completely disagree with what it says? A better tactic might have been to point out how far we still have to go before bicyclists consider Rhode Island a pleasant place to ride. Now is no time for smugness!

Then Mayor Cicillini spoke. He said the same stuff he always says about how bicycling is good for us and reduces traffic and air pollution. Yes, riding is good for us, but I think his other points really say "Hey, get on your bike so that you are out of the way of the rest of us, all us folks in our cars! We're wasting our time in traffic here!"

Mike Lewis, Director of our DOT spoke next, and he highlighted all the expensive bike paths the state has built over the last ten or so years. Bike paths are good, but they're sort of like light-rail in that they don't solve "the last mile" problem. You can't put bike paths everywhere so you've still got to be able to safely ride on the roads with cars. Plus, bike paths are expensive. Now we've got some pretty nice bike paths here in Rhode Island, so I'd say that with the exception of fixing the debacle of the Washington Bridge crossing, I think we're almost done with them. Instead, I would argue DOT needs now to expend more efforts on the streets themselves, opening up space for bikes on the roads. Striping. Sharrows. Tuning traffic light sensors to trip for bicycles. You know, thinking about how to move people, not just cars.

Some other folks also spoke (Mark Dietrich from Prov. Bicycle Coalition, and Chris Wilhite from the Sierra Club), but they didn't speak into the microphone so I don't know what they said. Here's Chris and the others:

That's the Mayor in the red cap. Notice the huge crowds pressing in on all sides. Actually, in fairness, there were probably 30 people present, they just all happened to be behind me when I took this photo.

On the whole, the level of dorkiness was high, bordering on Dorktastic. I saw lots of wind pants, helmets tipped back on heads, neon vests, and bikes dusted off just for this occasion. But you know, that's awesome. More people on bikes is a good thing, at least until there are so many of them that they begin to get in my way while I'm riding to work.

Sprung is Spring

Spring is here, sorta. Based on astronomy and such it has been here for two and a half weeks. Without a calendar you'd be hard pressed to tell, though, as the weather has been cold, windy, and wet almost the whole time. Sure, there have been a couple beautiful days, but spring in New England is generally miserable.

And then, suddenly, it'll be summer. Or at least it seems that way. We're like frogs in the boiling water parable. You know, the one where some cruel scientist (or witch) puts frogs in a pot of water, then heats it to boiling. Since the temperature rises gradually, the change doesn't register until it's too late. Here in the PVD it's not nearly as cold as it was a month ago, or two months ago, but the warmup has been too gradual for me to notice. At least until the uphill ride home, when I find myself well overdressed even with my jacket crammed into my bag.

Last weekend I left the house for a 40 mile ride in mid-forty degree temperatures. When I was on my way home I got dusted by a guy wearing merely shorts and a jersey. Until that very moment, I didn't feel overdressed, but after that happened I couldn't stop sweating.

And it's definitely early season. I've ridden my mountain bike twice, once at Burlingame and once at Lincoln Woods. Both rides felt good, although my knee is twingy after the experience. Lincoln Woods still scares me. I rode a new trail with lots of exposure and at least one drop. I made everything but I rode around the drop and I chickened out on the exit (steep and REALLY exposed). All of it should be doable, but I am certainly lacking in confidence there. I think it is left over from my crash two years ago... Must... Visualize... Success! And practice. I'll throw a few smaller drops, ones I know I can do, and then it should be on from there.

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In advocacy news, the Providence Bicycle Coalition is working for legislation to define "vulnerable road users." Check it out here. Thanks to various budgetary problems, the State of Rhode Island is Fucked with a Capital F so maybe this small change to the motor vehicle code will slide through and there will be real consequences for Rhody Drivers who hit cyclists.

Also, rumor has it the Washington Bridge crossing will open again soon...

Snow, Real Snow!

We've had our first real snow of the winter.  On Monday past I had the day off because it was MLK day so I decided to go snowshoeing to take advantage of conditions.  I haven't been on snowshoes in years so I figured it'd be a good adventure.  I picked Lincoln Woods as the locale because it's close and I thought it'd be fun to view the trails from a different perspective.  Suffice it to say it's easy to get disoriented when walking up sections I normally ride down.  And then there's the snow...

Anyway, I got first tracks on almost everything I walked.  It's funny to think about it this way, like skiing.  First tracks while snowshoeing sucks, requiring much more energy.  It was beautiful nonetheless...

And so, here are a few more pics.

Sigh... It's Because It's Fun

Today the temperature was around 7 degrees when I left the house. Pretty cold, sure, but I think I've got a handle on it. As many have said before, there's no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear. Cheesy but almost true. Yesterday it was also cold, somewhere around 16 degrees. I had a revelation, though, and that was to wear my skiing helmet rather than my bicycling helmet. The ski helmet has more coverage, insulated ear flaps, and is generally much warmer than my well-vented bike helmet. Combine a warm helmet with a balaclava to cover my face and I've got my head covered. Throw in a warmer jacket, liner gloves under my lobster claw mittens, and some long underpants and it's all good.

Unfortunately, I have created some social consequences by riding on these frigid days. My coworkers now seem to think I'm either insane or unusually tough. Both may be true, but I am not comfortable talking about it. I just like to ride my bike and when it's cold you have to bundle up a little bit. Doesn't seem like anything out of the ordinary there. If I chose to drive to work, I'd still have to go outside and I would arguably be colder since I wouldn't be dressed for the conditions. So what's the deal people? I'm just riding my bike! I think the key is that folks don't understand that riding is fun for me, not a chore. Driving is no good; it makes me tense and angry since nobody else on the road is as skilled at driving as I am. Bicycling is good. It's how I get to work.

The other problem I am now faced with is the precedent I have set. People actually walk past my cubicle every day to confirm that I have ridden my bike to work. Yesterday I even got an awkward "chest bump" from an older colleague (an athlete at heart, no doubt). Inevitably a day will come when I drive my car to work. It'll probably be a nice, sunny day. My co-workers will jump at the opportunity to rib me about not bicycling. Bah! Maybe I should start making fun of them for driving: "Wow, you drove in today? That's pretty amazing. You sure are tough!" Then, if by some miracle they ride a bike or take the bus I can say: "What's the matter, too nice out to drive? You're a sissy."

The Providence schools were closed today because of the "EXTREME COLD!!!!!!!!" We're creating a state of sissies...

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!!!!