Car Doors

Avoid car doors.

Which is simple, straight forward advice. But I have to remind myself of it most every time I ride. The best thing is to ride about 3 feet to the left (mostly) of the parked car. It sounds simple. But that moves you into the lane of traffic a bit more.

Mostly, that is a good if slightly unnerving thing.

Scan the parked cars and see if there are people in them. It isn't a sure way of avoiding the quickly opened door, but it does help keep you alert.

The light blub goes off

I ride to work most days. That's all I really know about when it comes to bikes. So going forward,I will just write things that occur to me while I ride. How simple is that?

First thought....cars are good things. They are like a ball peen hammer.

If you want to work a piece of sheet metal, a ball peen hammer is a great tool. Well designed for baning metal in to shape. Sure, you can use other tools, but that round knob is perfect for that use.

Cars are the same. If you want to move a group of people they offer flexibility, comfort and safety.
Or if you just need to go a long way, the car lets you do it pretty fast and on your own schedule.

So cars are good tools.

But bikes are good tools too. And for a lot of everyday things in my life, a better tool than a car.

I like investments in infrastructure as a rule. Make the roads smoother, fix the sewers, that sort of thing. Can't say I'm a big fan of seal coating though. It's messy and makes for a hard bike ride.

My main east-west ride(42nd st,) has been seal coated last Friday. In an effort to avoid the dust and unsafeness of that mess, I have been using 40th street to get over to the light rail line. What a treat. Lots of up and down. Not a real exciting ride, but a great change from the normal commute.

I think I've fallen into the commute pattern of going the same way all the time. Tossing a bit of change in, riding down a new block, finding a few more hills is a great way to keep the ride fresh. And the new route also make me concentrate more, differently a good thing while on a bike. It's when I get into wool gathering mode, when I know which stop signs I need to be really careful around, and which only require a brief glance, that I get lazy and in to trouble.

On other note, Ray, get the knee scoped and cleaned out or what ever you need to do. When fall is in the air, the temps dropping and the wind is picking up, when I can get back to the HC Saturday morning rides with something approaching regularity, I want you on my wing.

Things I've seen:

Two kids on one bmx bike, the passenger in front of and blocking the view of the pedalr, crossing Hiawatha ave on a diagonal, not even looking for cars in either direction. They made it somehow.

Some of the Major Taylor bike club out for a ride. You should read up on Major Taylor. Interesting interesting guy.

More bike commuters. Many more.

Some one fatter than me riding a bike. That is hard to believe, I know, but it happened.

At least 2 different Big Dummies, one extracycle, and several trailers.

Shortening days.

Summer is rolling along nicely. Work is hectic and my yard is a mess, I'm exhusted pretty much all the time. The lack of rain make the commute pretty no hassle and I've had one flat up to this point.

Still trying to lose weight, but that seems a struggle about now. I read somewhere that excersing with a bit lower heart beat will help you burn fat, so I may give that a shot for a week and see what happens.

I am also grilling more. I grill year round. It's just that in the summer, I hate heating up the kitchen. Chicken, pork, some burgers, pizza, veggies. Grilled asparagus is a great thing.

And summer is half over . The dog days are still ahead, but the days are shorter. Tiemjust seems to go so very fast .

I was Door County, WI for most of the week. Family get together thing. Had a very nice time.

I am lucky. I like my sisters.

Was able to take the bike and do a little riding. Not a ton of miles, but nice 20-30 milers. The ride on Thursday was very good. Was able to hit some hills. One of which my sister said 'I get nervous riding up that one in a car.'

There are a lot of road side farm stands their. Door county is known for there cherries, and I was hoping to grab some to make jam. But you really want tart cherry's when making jam.

After talking to a couple of the people working there, this is a hard year for the farmers over their. Weather has pretty much totaled the cheery crop. The trees are fine, but some ill timed frosts and lack of rain has made the trees go almost dormant, as far as fruit production. Lost of the stands are importing cherries from Michigan, and they still have to maintain there orchards. Tough times for the farmer.

Did get great beans and asparagus and beets. I could never be one of thoes 'eat local' people, who will only eat that which is locally produced. But eating fresh produce really is a treat.

Had a fun and wet ride in to work on Sat. I came across the HC ride, and tagged along for a bit. It has to be the best group ride in the cities. Fun people and a great vibe. Broke off by the Greenway, and then into work.

You should support the mid town greenway. Do that here

My legs have felt tired of late. I think it's just valley, cause for most this spring (now summer) I've felt pretty strong.

I put black spacers on my fork. I think the bike is faster now. Not really, but sort of.

Took a quick trip to Racine this past weekend to do some chores. Yes, I have enough chores to keep me busy right up here, and no, I don't really want to do your chores.

I noticed that there are two type of drivers. Windows up, and windows down. I'm in the down camp. Stereo turned up loud enough so you can hear it, windows down and arm out side the window sometimes.

Simple pleasures for simple minds I guess.

If Blind Alfred Reed knew how long it took for me to get the previous blog published, he would really think I'm working way to hard to include him in a post.

When I read things like $2.00 a gallon gas, or 'expanded oil drilling rights', I am reminded of a song with the lines:

Well, the doctor comes around with a face all bright,
And he says in a little while you'll be all right.
All he gives is a humbug pill,
A dose of dope and a great big bill --
Tell me how can a poor man stand such times and live?



Oil is pretty much a finite resource. I am sure we can thin it out with things like hemp or corn or sugar beets, but there is a limited amount of it.
At some point, it will become economically inviable to squeeze drops of it out of rock shale, and then we need an alternative.
Like bikes, or walking, or some other wonder mode of transportation, which will either be like magic and have no costs associated with it, or more realistically, greatly reduced costs.

I'll stick with the bike. I will run my bike on self righteousness and moral superiority for a long long time.

Trip highlights:

Cornstalk restaurant, Shelby, Ia. Not more than a a typical independent interstate cafe, but better than anyone I have ever eaten at.

Rest stop, Eastbound 680, in Ia. Outside of Omaha, it is situated at the top of a good size hill. The view to the south is rolling farmlands. The wind is out of the south most times, and the combination of green, wind, and isolation (not heavily used) makes it a true rest stop. I can't say I ever loved going to Grand Island, Ne., but I feel a bit sad I most likely will never see this spot again.

Just back from some time in Grand Island, NE. Was able to get a couple of rides in. There are no hills in Grand Island. I think the total elevation change for a 18 mile ride was less than 10 feet.

They also have a street on which you can get a ticket if you are caught riding a bike.

Make you appreciate things a bit more back here.

Success.

I was able to stop the bike from clicking. Turns out one of the bottom bracket cups was loose. A couple quick turns of the bottom bracket tool, and everything was hunky dory.

I just watched the Park tool video on how to use the bbt-2(2) and it turns out i did it wrong. I didn't use a Park adjustable wrench, or a Park FRW-1 free wheel remover, or a Park torque wrench to tighten my cup. Just an old socket wrench I had laying around. Hope it stays together.

I am beginning to amass a number of bike tools. Things like crank pullers and such. I may need a tool box to keep everything together. Part of me wants to buy a bunch of tools all at once (like this), just to be done with it. But I'm sure that bike tools are somthing you are never really done with.

Had a good ride Sunday am. Did the Hopkins loop, and rode fast enough to get to church on time. Service was held at the Lake Harriett band shell. It's a nice way to do church, with dogs wandering and birds swooping, and sail boats in the background.

Right after church, I hopped on the bike trail that goes round the lake, just wanting a nice relaxed couple of miles back home. Until I was passed by 2-3 groups of people shouting on the left. Then I ducked in behind the last group, and dropped them all, going 20mph around half of the lake.

I am such a guy sometimes.

I banged the heck out of my rear wheel at some point. The wheel seems ok, but the true of the wheel has seen better days. It kinda looked like a silver record left a bit too long in the back seat of your parents station wagon.

Stopped in at HC and the guys could not have been more helpful. If everywhere I had to be in life was as relaxed and knowledgeable as that place, I would go more places.

Jim said it looked like I had lost some weight. Sure, you're thinking, smooth sales mans ploy. But I have dropped several pounds and proceeded to bore them with the details. And not once did I detect the hard to pull off 'yawn with your mouth closed cause we are polite but please God strike me down now if this goes on much longer' reaction that normally greets me when I start to talk.

I have developed a strange rhythmic click when I pedal up hills. Not sure what is causing it. I find these little mechanical problems to be irritating, and also a great chance to learn about how to fix a bike. I started my bike repair skills backwards. Learned how to build a wheel before I could do much of anything else. My goal then is to get to the point where I can handle the more basic things like putting air in my tires in the next several years.

Today could be interesting. My boss has been kind enough to invite me golfing.

Golf is a wonderful sport. I love the game. I just am really really bad at it. There has only been a short period of time when I was ok at it, and that was 40 years ago. But golf is a sport with a ton of personal history attached to it, and for me, that is part of the draw today.

My dad played most saturdays, my mom spent hours walking the course when my brother and I were too young to be out alone, and my brother and I would play several rounds a year together. It's not that we were great at it although my brother could hit the ball an amazingly long way and had a great putting touch.

In the past the game was a common point, something shared between us. Now it's a sort of memorial to my family. Maybe it's more accurate to say, it's a way to feel those people again.
Not a day goes by that I don't miss them, but when I golf, even when I'm not thinking about them it's like I am bonding with them again.

And I am the last golfer left. My sister in the s.w. has health issues that prevent her from ever playing again, my other sister never took the game up. The ghosts that I carry out there don't weight anything at all but are a very friendly and comforting set of partners.

Work is busy. Big sale this weekend and several people have left, so a lot of hours look to be in my future. The best biking weather of the year this weekend. Roll smoothly, you crazy 3 speed bastards. Hope the traditional toga party/orgy/revival meeting is a huge success.

I ruined a Brooks saddle, and have switched to a white sella italia. It's actually comfortable. I can ride it with out a padded ass, beyond the natural padding that i carry, which is substantial.

I picked up a new set of golf clubs. Had them delivered to work, to avoid the whole wife pondering the wiseness of that purchase. I bungie corded then to my rack. they hung off the back a far bit, so I put a red rag on the back to warn people of the long load. I got the strangest looks.

I was doing some research for a guy at work about tires, and found out that I have been under inflating my own tires by 35lbs. or so. Why to tire makers make this so hard to read on the tire? I looked at my tire and even knowing the recommended pressure, I couldn't read it on the side wall.

I bought some Chicagowig knickers. Very comfortable to ride in. A few to many pockets for me personally, but nice construction and a double layer of fabric on the seat, so the should last a while.

Ride to work week is coming up. I hope this event actually gets some new people riding as opposed to simple congratulating those who already do ride to work.

Day off today. Plans include a Dr. appt, some bike riding, some weeding and some paver work. I kind of enjoy weeding. it's just so dull, that you can get into a rhythm about it, and when you are done with it, you have actually gotten something good done. Not important, but something that will yield results down the road. At least, thats what I tell myself.

Need to look into a mulch delivery too. I am Mr. Excitement.

I like riding my bike, but I don't lust for a lot of bicycles. I think this makes me less of a man. All I want to add is an internal geared bike with drop handlebars. How dull is that?

Sometimes i wish i carried a camera. I was riding home and about to turn off the streets and onto the bike path that follows the creek in south Minneapolis. I see a police car. Then I see the reason for the police car. someone had managed to swerve off the street, down an embankment, and come to rest about 15 feet from the creek. Brother Ray summed it up. Cars aren't meant for off roading.

What if the police pulled over anyone driving around if they were on a cell phone and there were kids in the suv, car, whatever, and charged the driver with child endangerment?

Well.

It took me 3 chains, but i think I know now how to take a chain apart and put it back together. This is a minor accomplishment. But it felt damned good to do.