You can buy a year’s subscription for $78 (although the season ends November 30…okay, I guess the weather gets to them, too). Or, you can use a credit card to rent on a less frequent basis. And, the first half hour is free. There are many stations everywhere (they’re the red dots on the map), so I can imagine that you could bike from station to station, picking up and returning at each station, and not pay anything, and get all around the city.

They also have bike lanes, which are separated from the roadway by a narrow median. One morning I went out running and all you could see down the road on the bike lanes was cyclist after cyclist going to work. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera with me, but it was really an inspiring sight.

And so, I came home inspired! I have been bike commuting more than ever, including this route, with a stop at the University of Rochester both to and from.

The only minor challenge was dealing with clothing issues. I have to be dressed professionally at work, and I work up a sweat quickly. My solution was to wear black pants that look professional but are comfortable to ride in, then I just had to pop into a bathroom to change shirts and shoes. If we had more of a bike commuting culture, I can imagine it would be more acceptable to come to work a bit more casually, but I don’t think we’re there yet!

Ah, well, I could always move to Canada. (Hey, I’d get free health care too!)

This is the
Frederick Douglass Susan B. Anthony Memorial Bridge, named after two famous Rochesterians. I find it beautiful every day, but especially today with the frost on the ground.

And this is another view, looking towards downtown.

On this crisp morning, I feel incredibly blessed to bike to work.

And then the summer just took off. I apologize for the lack of posts,
I rarely maintain my own blog, let alone the Bicycle Coalition blog.                                                  Then I was invited to do a rotating post on the Times Union blog.
Well, since I know most of the other bloggers,
and it only requires two posts a month, I think I can handle that, maybe.

Here it is.
Enjoy, link, and leave feedback or comments.
And I’ll try to not be such a stranger
(even though I do stop in everyday).

http://blog.timesunion.com/bike/the-cycling-dead/125/

Contact NYSDOT and Your Legislators—Urge NYSDOT Not to Jeopardize the Safety of Its Roadway Users!
CURRENT NYSDOT POLICY: Do not install rumble strips on secondary roads except in rare instances
PROPOSED NYSDOT POLICY: Installation of rumble strips will be the preferred practice in the design of all secondary roads with a few exceptions

RUMBLE STRIPS are a well-documented hazard to bicyclists. Accepted practice nationwide dictates that rumble strips be used only sparingly on roads permitting cycling

NYSDOT is proposing an Engineering Instruction (EI), titled “Secondary Highway Audible Roadway Delineators – Guidance and Policy,” which is at variance with the practices recommended by the Federal Highway Administration, The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and other standards setting agencies. Such national agencies generally recommend if rumble strips to be used on two-lane roads if there is a documented run-off-the road accident problem—and then, used only as a last resort due to the hazards they may create for other roadway users, including bicyclists.

Contact NYSDOT and your legislators to urge NYSDOT to not issue the proposed policy. Ask them to work with groups, such as the New York Bicycling Coalition, organizers of bicycling tours and events, and local cycling clubs to construct a less hostile policy that better balances the needs of motorist and bicyclist safety.

BACKGROUND: Rumble strips, as illustrated, are audible roadway delineators or indentations in the shoulder pavement that make sound when a car runs over them at high speeds. While an important safety tool used to prevent run-offs on high-speed Interstates and other limited access highways, they are a well-documented hazard to individuals on bicycles and should be used only sparingly on roads permitting cycling. NYSDOT is proposing to replace current stated policy — not have rumble strips on secondary roads except in rare instances — with a new one declaring “installation of shoulder rumble strips to be the preferred practice in the design of all secondary highways” with a few exceptions.

In short, the proposal would have NYSDOT install rumble strips (with certain exceptions) on secondary roadways throughout New York State, compromising bicyclists’ safety and the quality of riding surfaces on thousands of miles otherwise scenic roadways. National practice is to have rumble strips nowhere with some exceptions on secondary roadways. By taking the opposite tack, NYSDOT’s policy promiscuously promotes rumble strips, going far beyond what is seen as efficient deployment. Aside from the policy’s cost implications, it is unwise. It means rumble strips in urban areas, creating or adding to the din. It means rumble strips on roads with speeds too low to generate sound. Rumble strips also mean higher maintenance costs for the taxpayer. And, of course, they pose a danger to cyclists by causing spills, erratic avoidance maneuvers, or causing them to avoid the shoulder and ride mingled in automobile traffic.

A check of other states with such secondary highway policies shows they require an accident analysis be done before such rumble strip use; the proposed NYSDOT policy does not. Other states specify where rumble strips are used, have at least 5 feet of paved shoulder between them and any guardrail; the proposed NYSDOT policy does not. Other states say not to even consider rumble strips unless there are high speeds and high traffic volumes: while the proposed NYSDOT policy does have speed and volume thresholds, they are considerably lower than those of any other state. There are dozens of other such examples in this EI where the proposed policy varies from generally accepted practice.

Action Alert from NYBC (Continued)

Contact NYSDOT and your legislators to urge NYSDOT to not issue the proposed policy TODAY. Call, write, or email (or utilize all 3 methods of communication) your Assembly Member, State Senator and the Commissioner of Transportation.

WHO REPRESENTS ME?

Prefer to mail?
Simply send a postcard (28¢ each at your nearest US Post Office) to your legislators and the Commissioner. For an investment of 84¢, you have the ability to improve bicycling throughout New York State, including in your village, town or city. Or, if easier, just stuff a copy of this notice in an envelope (adding personal comments if you wish) and mail (44¢ postage) it off to the Commissioner and elected representatives..

WHO REPRESENTS ME?

Who’s my Assemblyperson?
Click here to search by Zip Code http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/

Who’s my NYS Senator?
Click here to search by Zip Code http://www.nysenate.gov/senators

At the above sites, clicking on the highlighted names will bring you directly to the legislator’s official website where you may make comments.

How to contact NYSDOT:
Website: Click here to email NYSDOT https://www.nysdot.gov/about-nysdot/contact
Or write: Commissioner Stanley Gee
NYS Department of Transportation
50 Wolf Rd.
Albany, NY 12232

About the New York Bicycling Coalition
The New York Bicycling Coalition is dedicated to preserving New York State’s wide and smoothly paved shoulder network as an important asset for use by the State’s residents (bicyclists and pedestrians) as well as visiting cyclists. Since 1992, the New York Bicycling Coalition (NYBC) has served as the only statewide, not-for-profit organization of its kind advocating various “Share the Road” education and safety initiatives on behalf of both cyclists and motorists, while working to assure highway, street, and transit facilities are amenable to bicyclists and pedestrians. Support Our Efforts to Increase Bicycling and Pedestrian Safety and Access Today by joining online: http://www.nybc.net/donate

I think it all happened around the time change. I definitely have issues this time of year getting motivated as it gets darker. I probably have that SAD thing to some degree. Who knows… but maybe I’m just saying that. Maybe that’s just my excuse.

For some reason I get creeped out riding alone in the dark at the end of the day, though it doesn’t bother me at all in the morning. Maybe it’s just quieter in the morning. I feel like I’m alone in the morning. In the evening I feel like just can’t see what’s out there. I don’t like taking the shortcuts through the woods or riding on the canal path in the dark. I feel safer taking my chance with the cars.

Am I afraid of the dark? What kind of a giant wimp am I?

I don’t want to quit riding for the season… I want to keep going through the winter. I guess I just need to find new routes that I’m comfortable with and maybe some bike mounted weaponry.

I used to take a martial arts class… maybe I could just ride around with a bokken strapped across my back to make me look crazy. Maybe I could just wave it around insanely when I’m taking a sketchy shortcut. It is my personal believe that looking crazy is a good form of self defense.

Thanks to Utility Cycling for the link

Tow Truckin’ from Xtracycle on Vimeo.

Hi Jody –

XXXXXX confirmed that the kitty-litter panniers are yours ….. could we have a bake sale to raise funds for new panniers for you? LOL!

Best,
XXXXXX

I’ll grant you that they’re not beautiful, but they are very functional. They are waterproof and made from recycled materials. I was kind of proud of my kitty litter panniers. And they were VERY cheap. I think they cost less than $10 in materials. I think they’re going to be great for the crappy weather, once there’s salt and grime on the road. I can just hose these off occasionally. They are also very high visibility, esp with the big reflectors on there.

I confess that I am a huge fan of bike hacks, which is where I got the idea. I love crazy MacGyvered solutions. I figure the panniers also make my bike less appealing to bike thieves, not that it’s worth much anyway. Probably in my perfect world my bike would look like something out of a Mad Max movie. (I know bright yellow and red doesn’t really shout Mad Max… more like McDonalds.)

I’m never one to turn down free bike stuff though. So I may give a thumbs up to the bake sale idea. In case I want to go to a classy event instead of just getting from place to place.

It’s probably true that I have no sense of style. :) But you gotta work with the senses you have.

From today’s New York Times:

It took a few miles to work the kinks out of my legs and churn up the first hill, but the payoff was spectacular. Lake Champlain sparkled blue in the distance, with the Adirondack Mountains rising stately in the background. Lush green hills were peppered with red silos, livestock and a white steeple far off. And then there were the trees, a patchwork of scarlet, orange and yellow that transformed a vista into something so perfect it almost didn’t look real.

• Read the story: “Pedal Peepers In Vermont”

The NYT also published a piece today by a reporter who tried out a pedicab for a day:

• Three Wheels Through the Park

A couple of weeks ago I took a bike ride near Holley, along the Erie Canal. This portion of the trail is not used much, and neither are many of the buildings, it appears.

I highly recommend that you make a day of it and take the kids to Hurd Orchards, one of western New York’s treasures. In the fall they serve apple pie which is yummy and filling enough to be your lunch.

Here are a few pictures from a couple of years ago. I get no credit for those adorable kids.

Via FAIL Blog

A couple weeks ago on my commute home I decided to take part of the canal path that’s a little out of my way. I had a little extra time and it was a beautiful day. I even remembered to strap my camera to the handlebars and take a little video.

The ride was really about 20 minutes long but I speeded it up and compressed it into 5. If you want to take 20 minutes you should just drive out there and ride it yourself.

The culminating event in Rochester will be a mass bike ride along the proposed Rochester Greenway. The Rochester Greenway goes south from Downtown along the river, past the University of Rochester, through the Genesee Valley Park, and on down the Lehigh Valley North Trail to RIT.

Once at RIT, the Rochester Bike Summit will be held in the new Center for Student Innovation. Its goal: to discuss a number of exciting bicycle and alternative transportation initiatives, and to make connections between the bicycle community, city planners, and environmentalists.

Look for details at RochesterGreenway.org.

Among the attractions planned for the Rochester Cycle Summit
• volunteer-manned stations for free bicycle maintenance
• exhibits on pedal power and bicycles as energy-conservation solutions
• posters and exhibits describing numerous bike initiatives
• an ultra-wide screen short describing the potential for making Rochester a world class center for recreational and functional transport
• free rides on electric bikes

The folks over at BikeCommuters.com have a handy chart to help you figure it out.

Visit BikeCommuters.com for a larger version.

(Thanks to Bike Commuters for the link.)

The online cycling comic strip Yehuda Moon is hilarious, and I’m a huge fan of the humor. But I also love quiet moments like this one in today’s strip, titled “Autumn Rains.”

Visit the site for a larger version

I know it’s because you care about me that every time a friend of a friend of a friend is in a bad cycling accident you feel that you need to come tell me about it. I know it’s because you’re concerned that I’m doing something so dangerous by riding my bike to work, to the store, or around the block, and that you think it’s only a matter of time before I break my neck or my hip or my collar bone. Usually you don’t even know the person, it’s someone you saw on the news.

If I went around to all my friends and family every time I heard about a nasty car accident to share the cautionary tale and warn them to be extra careful, I’m pretty sure that is all I would be doing with my life. “Hey, be careful on Outlet Rd. I’ve seen at least 3 memorial crosses along that road. And I wouldn’t drive on 104 either. That road is just crosses from end to end. In fact, maybe you just shouldn’t drive. It seems pretty dangerous. I just worry about you.”

I do know it is because you care which is why I just reassure you with my prepared talking points that I am careful, that cycling is probably less dangerous than driving, and that hopefully people in cars will remember that they are surrounded by a giant crusty exoskeleton and that not everyone on the road is.

I know it is because you care that you run in to my office to tell me that they sky looks cloudy and ask how I will get home if it rains. The wind is picking up and, is there someone who can come pick me up if the weather takes a turn for the worse?

And on days that I don’t bike for some reason, I kind of wish that you wouldn’t say, “It’s a good thing you didn’t bike today. I think it’s supposed to rain later.” I don’t really ever feel like it’s a good thing that I didn’t bike, and I like the rain. If I overslept and had to drive I generally feel like I’m missing out on something fun.

I know you will continue to care about me so I don’t expect you to stop rushing into my office with weather updates and gore reports, but I hope you won’t be too offended if I keep riding my bike.

Cool!

3:30 – 4 – Bike Commuters Show and Tell 
Jessica Rodriguez, Adam Durand, and Jack Spula talk about car-free commuting and demonstrate their two – (or three – ) wheeled wonders.

I should give The Chicken Avenger a hose-down this week. There are a bunch of other workshops, including a session on urban chickens and another on vegan gluten-free baking, and it’s completely free and open to the public. Here’s the schedule. This event is right up my alley.

Hey gang,

My friend and fellow Team Fattymate Jenni Laurita is auctioning some very cool pink tires to raise money for her second LIVESTRONG Challenge Ride of the year. She already did the Philly excursion, and this fall she’s off to Austin for more riding and raising of cash.

Please visit her Web site for details on how to win against cancer and win pink tires!

Learn more about World Car-Free Day

Adam Marino locks up his bike at Maple Avenue Middle School last Wednesday, the first day of classes. Photo by CharlieSamuels.com

From The Saratogian newspaper:

Family defies no-bike policy at Maple Avenue Middle School
Published: Monday, September 14, 2009

By ANDREW J. BERNSTEIN
The Saratogian

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The first day of school, already a happy and trying event for any student, saw a little additional stress for Maple Avenue Middle School student Adam Marino.

Marino and his mother, Janette Kaddo Marino, left for school by bicycle on Wednesday morning, as they often do in good weather, despite a phone call placed to students’ homes by school officials, asking parents not to allow students to walk or ride bikes to school.

After a cold reception on Wednesday, local transportation advocates are rallying around the family, and plan to accompany the pair to school today in a bid to bolster calls for a policy change.

Read the rest of the article

An evening scene in Asakusa, an area in the Shitamachi district of Tokyo. / Hiroko Masuike for The New York Times

The New York Times featured this cool story about taking a bike tour along Japan’s famed Yamanote (ya-ma-no-tay) train line. I used to ride this line as part of my commute the second time I lived in Japan. When I worked for Bloomberg TV and Radio in Tokyo, my office was right in the area on this map where it says “Marunouchi Business District.”

Here’s the story:

• No Squishing: Biking a Tokyo Rail Line

‘Nuff said:

My feet were getting too cold. I couldn’t find any combo of shoes and socks that worked for me (out of the pile of shoes and socks that I already owned.) And there’s something weird about being on a long ride and not being sure if you can’t feel your toes because you’ve been in the wrong position too long or because your toes are frostbitten and dead.

I rode 30 miles home from Rochester in sleet one evening and somewhere around mile 22 I started worrying that my toes were dead, that I would pull off my boot and to find something horrible like what I have seen on shows about Mt. Everest trips gone horribly wrong or Arctic expeditions where no one made it out alive. My mind wanders funny places when I’m riding a long time.

I really do want to ride year ’round but I think I need to find the right gear combination for me. I just use regular platform pedals so I don’t have to find something that will wrap around cycling shoes but I have to find something that is unstoppably warm.

I thought back to when I was a kid and spent hours in the snow. My feet didn’t fall off then. Mostly it was many layers of socks, plus bread bags over the socks stuffed into boots that were too big for me. Did other people’s parents send them outside like that or is my family crazy?

I never did try the bread bag thing last year though I probably should have. I think it was more the cold wind cutting through my damp shoes that did me in.

Anyone have any recommendations or thoughts on good footwear for biking in winter? I know it’s early, but it’s on my mind at the moment.

So what is it that makes the bicycle and the demonstration such good companions? To me, there are two factors at play.

Firstly, if you’re in a group, there is something undeniably liberating about riding around a city surrounded by cyclists. I’ve never been on a Critical Mass ride, so going to Blackheath was a strange sensation – no longer a vulnerable solo rider lined up against the massed metal forces of the motorised traffic, I was part of an entity too big to ignore or shove unthinkingly into the kerb.

Second, if you’re a solo campaigner in an urban environment then the bike is the mode of transport most guaranteed to get you to your protest on time and – perhaps more important still – give you the best chance of slipping away from pursuing authorities. When I worked for another news organisation in Beijing I’d regularly pedal to meetings or protests, nipping down narrow lanes to shake off the unmarked police cars, which routinely trail foreign journalists in China.

The Original Longtail | Xtracycle from Xtracycle on Vimeo.

Watch this and Fatty will tell you:

2009 Philadelphia LiveStrong Challenge: Fatty’s Speech from Fat Cyclist on Vimeo.

If you can’t watch until later, this is how you Fight Like Susan:

• Be focused
• Be creative
• Have outrageous endurance
• Be kind

This is gorgeous.

Ride With Us! from Russ Roca on Vimeo.

More at The Path Less Pedaled.

More than one mile of the road will be upgraded, from the Marketplace Mall to under the Interstate 390 overpass. In addition to a third lane in both directions, there will be space for cyclists, sidewalks for pedestrians, and a median which will keep cars from crossing several lanes of traffic in order to make a left-hand turn.

As a cyclist, when I must travel on Jefferson Road I stick mostly to the parking lots, hopping onto the road for short stretches when there is no other option. I don’t know how they’ll handle such a heavy traffic load in a way that’s safe for non-motorists, but maybe they’ll use some ideas that have been proposed for places like New York City.

NOTE: This is a “sticky” post, so it will stay at the top even as new content is added below it. Be sure to scroll down for new posts, OK? Thanks!

NOTE #2: If you scroll down the right side of this site, you’ll see a bold heading that reads “Team Fatty & Friends.” Below this heading are blogs by members of Team Fatty and folks who are fighting the same fight. If you’d like to be linked in the list, please send an email to jason at rocbike dot com. (Thanks to Albany Bob for the suggestion!)

Other folks are posting their ride reports from this weekend. I’ll share them in this post and just continue to update it. Most of these folks are from Team Fatty, but not all. If I can find a story about someone fighting cancer by walking, running or riding at the Philly event, I’ll link it here.

Ready to beat cancer. And yes, the knitted Rasta glove is mine. Photo by Albany Bob

“Albany” Bob Anderson

• “Livestrong Philly”
• Fatties in Hilladelphia
• “getting there…”
• “Livestrong Pics 1″
• “Livestrong Pics 2″
• “Livestrong Pics 3″
• “Livestrong Pics 4″
• “Livestrong Pics 5″
• “Livestrong Pics 6″
• “Livestrong Pics 7″
• “Livestrong Pics 8″
• “Livestrong Pics 9″
• “Livestrong Pics 10″
• Livestrong Pics 11″

Andrea from the Evolve blog

• “Philly”
• “Running, Riding, Meeting Fatty, And Why It All Matters”

Daniel Berlinger

• “Team Fatty – Fighting Like Susan – Livestrong Challenge Philly 2009″

Rhonda Chattin

• “2009 Philly Livestrong Challenge Day”
• “Livestrong Challenge 2009 Summary *The Directors Cut!”

Jason Crane (me)

• “The (bald, chubby) eagle has landed”
• “My first triple century, or, How I learned to stop worrying and love my Xtracycle*”

Ken Durbin

• “Livestrong 2009 Reflections”

Clay Frost

• “Philly Phase One … Century Eve”

Dave from “Game On, Cancer”

• “Livestrong Challenge Eve Part 1 of 2″
• “Livestrong Challenge Eve Part 2 of 2″
• “Livestrong Challenge!!!”

Rebecca from Girl On The Loose

• Pictures

Creighton Higgins

• “Livin’ Strong In Philadelphia With Team Fatty”

Kelly Kavanagh-O’Connell

• “Livestrong Challenge 2009 Philly Ride Report, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Hills”

Kevin Kavanaugh

• Pictures

Matthew Kayes

• “Philly Livestrong Challenge 100″

Lana

• Pictures

Jenni Laurita

• “Livestrong Philly 2009″
• Pictures

Lizzylou

• “That Was A Lot Of Ribbon”
• “Philly Livestrong: Non-ride Part”
• “Philly Livestrong: Ride Part”

Elden “Fatty” Nelson

• “Relaxing In Philly”
• “Livestrong Philadelphia Report Day 1″ (Includes video of Fatty’s and Philly Jen’s speeches at the dinner)
• “2009 Livestrong Philly Report Day 2″

Robert Orler

• “Livestrong Philly”

Samantha from Ribbons For A Reason

“Our Livestrong Challenge”

Joe “CycleChef” Sheridan

• “Team Fatty”

Angie Suttle

• “Philly Livestrong Challenge”

Thad Suzenski

• “Livestrong Century”

10NBC video from Philly

• Windows Media Player video

KYW News Radio Philly

• “Thousands Participate in ‘Livestrong Challenge’ in Montco”

Philadelphia Examiner

• “Fat Cyclist Comes To Philadelphia For Livestrong Challenge”

Stay tuned.

When last we met (see the previous installment, “The (bald, chubby) eagle has landed,” I was in a Barnes & Noble in Somewhere, PA, figuring out where to park the Hotel Subaru for the night.

Albany Bob from Liberty On Bikes! had recommended a particular walled parking lot near the Livestrong Village, so I made my way over there and found a secluded spot near the wall. I jammed my sleeping bag into the back of the car, which is when I discovered that the car is a least a foot shorter than I am. With the Xtracycle also in the back, I had about an inch of clearance from the left pedal and maybe two inches from the handlebars. Sitting up quickly would mean certain death – or at least a badly bruised noggin.

It was 11:30 p.m. by this time. I set my phone alarm for 5 a.m. and eventually drifted off to sleep.

Seconds later, it was 5 a.m. I changed my shorts in the dark of the deserted parking lot, then did my best to brush my teeth and get my contacts in. I drove over to the Doubletree Hotel, where Team Fat Cyclist was gathering for a 6 a.m. group ride to the start line. There were about 30 of us at the hotel, including the man himself — Elden “Fatty” Nelson, whose blog about cycling and about his own family’s fight with cancer had inspired us all to be there in the first place. His appearance was met with a big cheer, and he hopped on his bike and led us away from the hotel. I rode in the back because it was still dark and I had my Down Low Glow blazing. I ended up riding with Fatty for about half the way, which was great. He’s got to be one of the most grounded human beings I’ve ever met. I don’t know how he does it.

A photo of the rollout taken by Jennie Laurita. The woman in the light-colored jersey is Lauren, and I’m just behind her.

Rolling out on The Packet Boat with Philly Jen. Note the Down Low Glow! (Photo by Creighton Higgins)

By the time we reached Livestrong Village and made our way to the start line, the sun had come out and it was looking to be a beautiful day. The rest of Team Fatty was waiting for us at the start line. I’m not sure how many of us there were, but it a big, big gang. Fatty addressed the crowd to many cheers, and then Philly Jen read from the donation page of the person who had won a set of Shimano wheels and pedals. As it turned out, it was Albany Bob, who told me after the fact that he never wins anything. (By the way, check out the very moving work Bob did to the back of his van.)

Because Team Fatty Philly had raised a bazillion dollars, we got to start first. We all crowded up to the start line where the Livestrong photographers snapped a group shot. I rode with Dan, one of the event organizers, and Lauren, who was riding her first event — and who had only started riding seriously a couple months before. Lauren and I decided to stay together because it was her first ride and we were both doing the 45-mile course. As you’ll learn, she eventually dropped me like a bad habit and finished in about half my time.

Albany Bob, Dan, me at the start line (Photo by Lana)

The south end of a northbound Xtracycle (Photo by Lana)

Albany Bob and yours truly (Photo by Kevin Kavanaugh

We rode out on the long, balloon-covered road from the start line, with hundreds of spectators cheering us on. The organizers said more than 6,000 people were riding, running or walking in the event, which is incredible. I’d never ridden in a group that large, and it was a thrill to see hundreds and hundreds of cyclists take to the roads in the morning sunlight.

Later in the ride, I heard that Lance Armstrong has told the organizers every year to make the courses harder and harder. “It’s supposed to be a challenge,” he is reported to have said. I will go into that in great detail in the nasty note I’ll be sending Lance. (Kidding!) All I can say is: The first 20 or so miles were great, and the rest comprised the hardest ride I’ve ever done in my life.

First of all, I rode my Xtracycle**. If you’ve ever been to RocBike before, you’ve seen my bike. It’s a Giant Sedona hybrid with massive tires and a big cargo bike kit on the back. It weighs a lot. A lot a lot. Too much, some might say. To me, riding the Xtracycle was part of the challenge. That’s because I’m an idiot.

Second, I never really looked at the elevation charts provided by the fine sadists at Livestrong. Had I done that, I would have quickly realized that there was no way I could actually ride my bike for 45 miles on the course they’d laid out, no doubt late at night in a dimly lit room with chains and whips and an iron maiden in the corner. This course, you see, was Brutal with a capital “B.” In fact, I think it’s fair to say it was BRUTAL, with a capital-all-them-letters.

Like I said, it was fine in the beginning. Lauren and I stayed together and chatted while we rode, exchanging the little biographies that you trade in those situations. I was feeling fairly tired, and I hadn’t eaten (idiot), but I figured I could make it the 10 miles to the rest stop and load up on food there. That worked just fine. The first rest stop was incredible. Tons of food, water and Gatorade, and even free massages from the wonderful Tobi. I left feeling refreshed and ready to ride.

I think it was about mile 20 when the first big hill came. I live in Albany, and we have some big hills. But not like these hills. You see, here in Albany, the hills have tops. In Pennsylvania (which is Dutch for “granny gear”) the hills defy geography and just continue to go up. And up. And up some more. I’m not sure how it’s possible, but we climbed a hill that had everyone moaning and swearing, and at the top of the hill was a hill. Dan had rejoined us, and the three of us pulled off the road to rest and hydrate and eat for a minute. Lauren and Dan said they were ready to go, and I told them to go ahead and not wait for me.

It was then that I had my big crisis.

I was exhausted. A craptacular night of sleep in the Hotel Subaru, combined with a woeful lack of calories, had me shaking and feeling nauseous. I’ve never bonked, but I wondered if this was what it felt like. And I knew, for the first time ever on my bike, that I couldn’t make it.

That was when I thought about everything that had gotten me to this point. Cancer had hit my mother, my grandmother, my great-grandmother, my cousin, my great-uncle, my friend Travis (who died last year from testicular cancer), my grandfather and childhood hero Bernie Flanders (who passed away earlier this summer) … and most recently my Aunt Linda, who is battling breast cancer right now. She’s been a huge inspiration in my life, because she’s never been afraid to walk her own path, regardless of others’ opinions. I’d also spent several years watching Fatty and Susan fight cancer and rally others to their cause. And I’d been inspired to launch my own jazz raffle by the efforts of Fatty’s sister, Jodi. Moreover, I’d raised more than $2,200 with help from family, friends, colleagues and complete strangers. My Rotary club had gathered around me, too, supporting me with the first grant from the revived charity committee.

And that was when I knew that there was no turning back. I got back on the Packet Boat (my Xtracycle) and rode as far up the hill as I could go. Then I got off and walked the bike up the hill. Have I mentioned that it weighs a lot? Pushing it up hills really stinks.

I reached the second aid station and looked around for Lauren and Dan. They weren’t there, although Lauren later said they’d waited for me for quite a while. Who knows how long I’d stood at the bottom of that hill weighing my options?

The rest of the ride was a mixture of pedaling and walking, punctuated with wonderful conversations with my fellow riders. I chatted with Rob from Long Island, a member of Team Fatty who told me he’d played in a charity golf tournament the week before to raise money for autism, inspired by a family member who was diagnosed with autism. And here he was on a hot summer day, riding through the hills of eastern Pennsylvania.

I met Rhonda from Virginia. She’d seen cancer rip through her own family, and decided it was time to change the odds.

I was passed by a cyclist who turned to me as he passed and said, “This is where I quit last year!” Then he let out a whoop and pedaled up the hill. I interviewed him later for the audio piece I’m working on, and he broke down as talked about his dad’s fight with cancer.

That’s what the Livestrong ride is like. Every time you think you can’t possibly make it up one more hill, you find another wonderful person with a story that puts strength in your legs and stamina in your heart. Like the Holland and Wilson families, who both live at the top of big hills and who decided to hand out water to the riders as they passed. Or like the hundreds of volunteers who cheer on the riders, make the food, give massages, and congratulate you every step of the way. or the doctor who works at the one of the aid stations and bring his interns to do the same.

By the end of the ride, I had nothing left. The last few miles were a climb to the finish line, and I was sagging on my bike with my head hanging to one side. I was determined to ride the last few miles, and it took everything I could muster. The amazing thing was that as I struggled up the hills, rider after rider passed me and said “Go Team Fatty!” These people didn’t know me, and most of them didn’t know Fatty either. But they believed in the cause and were inspired by Team Fatty’s efforts.

And I made it up the hill.

I rode past the balloons and cheering crowds and PA announcer, and came to two of the other great moments on my ride. Standing at the finish line was Fatty, who I would later learn waited for every member of Team Fatty to finish. And right behind him was Albany Bob, who’d waited a long time for me to get there. That was a great moment, and a great gift from two very good guys.

The ride was, by far, the hardest physical activity I’ve ever done in my life. I’ve ridden farther, but never over a course like that. But it was also one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever been given. To be a part of a larger movement, of people united by no thought other than doing good, of people drawn together by one family’s amazing story — that is truly something worth doing. Thanks, Fatty.

* As everyone knows, Xtracycle miles are like dog years. Thus, my 45 miles counted for 315 miles.

(I’ve been making an audio recording of the trip, too, so look for an episode of the RocBike Review after the ride.)

So I’m in Philly. Well technically I’m in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, home of Montgomery County Community College and the temporary home of the 2009 LIVESTRONG Challenge Ride – Philly edition.

On my way out of town this morning, I stopped by Eastern Mountain Sports because they sell Sigg bottles and I needed two new ones for the ride. The guy at the counter said, “You’re heading to Philly, right?” Apparently he’d visited RocBike.com and recognized me.

(A small aside: A woman named Paula in Albany has a Surly Big Dummy! My son Bernie and I were at the Downtube and saw it. She came out and noticed my Packet Boat and we chatted. She also knew who I was from reading this site. Paula agreed to become a contributor, too. Which, with the RocBike Curse, means she’ll soon stop writing about cycling completely. Sorry, Paula!)

Anway…

I arrived here in PA about 4 p.m. and headed straight for LIVESTRONG Village, the assemblage of vendors and nonprofits who surround the registration area. Recent rains had turned the ground into what Team Fatty Philly Captain “Philly Jen” described as a “mosh pit.” But everyone was in good spirits, and I saw several other members of Team Fatty while I was registering. The registration process was very efficient. According to one person at the site, there are more than 800 volunteers signed up for today and tomorrow to make the whole event run.

I got a nice bag o’ swag — hat, t-shirt, messenger bag, water bottle, and maybe a few other things that I have yet to dig out of the yellow LIVESTRONG bag. By the way, if you don’t like yellow, I recommend avoiding these rides. Everything is yellow.

The Team Fatty event at the Doubletree Hotel was running until 5 p.m. I made it with minutes to spare, just in time to meet Philly Jen (who saw me walk in and yelled “Jason!” — I guess there’s a shortage of chubby bald guys on our team) and another guy from Albany who wasn’t either Bob or me. Nor was he anyone I’d seen before. Small world. Apparently the Doubletree had booted out half of Team Fatty citing “water damage” on two floors. Rumor has it that the damage was more likely caused by overbooking, given that Team Fatty was booted out of another hotel owned by the same company at another recent Challenge ride. Sounds like the airline industry.

In search of some way to kill the hours between 5 p.m. and 5 a.m., when we all meet for breakfast, I drove around a bit. I found a park advertising a free concert at 6 p.m., so I followed the winding road back to the park … where a small sign said, “Concert Canceled.” I decided instead to eat dinner. I tried hard to avoid a chain restaurant, driving around until I spotted a big sign for Bombay High Indian Cuisine. I pulled in to the plaza to find that the highway sign and plaza sign had been installed, but the seats, tables, lights, kitchen and staff had yet to arrive. Sigh.

I ended up eating sushi at Benihana. I can’t believe I just typed that, and if you ever tell anyone, I’ll deny it. After three years in Japaan, I’m a real snob about Japanese food, and Benihana to me is like the Taco Bell of Japanese food. But I ate it and was grateful for some air conditioning and green tea.

The author at Barnes & Noble, delaying his date with the Hotel Subaru

I’m typing this in a Barnes and Noble because I’m staying tonight in the Hotel Subaru, and it doesn’t have wi-fi. In fact, it no longer has XM radio either, because some damned squirrels chewed through the antenna cable. I must say, the Hotel Subaru seemed much more inviting when I was tossing my sleeping bag in the back of the car this morning than it does now. Not least because my Xtracycle is also in the hotel’s one room, and it’s a very big bike. There’s a lovely thunderstorm now, too, so if this is my last blog entry, you’ll know why.

(I’ve been making an audio recording of the trip, too, so look for an episode of the RocBike Review after the ride.

Photo by USA Today

By Bruce Horovitz, USA TODAY

Sarah Gilbert stepped off her bicycle long enough to send one angry tweet via Twitter— and it’s changed the way one fast-growing burger chain treats bike riders.

The 35-year-old blogger, freelance writer and mother of three doesn’t own a car. She gets around usually bike-friendly Portland, Ore., on a custom-made stretch bike that fits all three of her boys, ages 2, 4 and 7. A bumper sticker boasts: “One less minivan.”

But after biking last week into the drive-through of the local Burgerville— an eco-conscious burger chain that even recycles its used cooking oil into biodiesel — she tried to order four cheeseburgers.

No go. She was refused service at the drive-through for, of all things, ordering from a bike. Never mind that the environmentally friendly restaurant chain spent $185,000 on wind energy credits in 2008 to compensate for the electricity used in its 39 stores and at its corporate headquarters.

When Gilbert got home, she sent out a huffy tweet followed by a pointed letter to the chain, which she posted on her blog, cafemama.com. By the next day, the company apologized. In short order, the Vancouver, Wash.-based chain, with locations in Oregon and Washington, revamped its policy and will announce a new bicycle-friendly drive-through program on Sept. 8.

Read the rest of the story.

I made my second goal ($1,926) a couple days ago. Today, the Rotary Club of Albany, of which I’m a member, gave me a check for $250. With some additional donations, my total for this ride is now at $2,216! Here’s a photo from the Rotary meeting. That’s Bob Stone presenting the award certificate:

There’s still time to donate and get in on the big jazz raffle, but you have to act NOW: http://philly09.livestrong.org/jasoncrane. A full list of prizes is on the donation page.

Thanks so much for your support. RocBike’s own Bob Anderson will have photos, and I’ll have audio from the ride, so look for a post-race story soon. Fatty will be there, too, so maybe I’ll get to meet him in person. Huzzah!

As you know, my goal is to raise $1,926 dollars for the Lance Armstrong Foundation in the LIVESTRONG Challenge Ride. The ride takes place in Philadelphia on August 23. With 9 days to go, I’ve raised $1,646. If my math is correct, that means I need $280 to make my goal.

I’ve got tons of cool prizes to give away, all jazz-related, including:

• A meet-and-greet package with the Strickland brothers (E.J. and Marcus) as they each release their new CDs. The package includes:
  • Two tickets to the double-CD release party at the famed Joe’s Pub in Manhattan on August 21
  • Autographed copies of both CDs
  • A meet-and-greet with Marcus and E.J. at the show
• Tickets to see Kenny Barron & Mulgrew Miller, vocalist Steven Santoro, and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra at beautiful Tanglewood in Lenox, MA, on Labor Day weekend
• Tickets to see Dave Brubeck in western Massachusetts on Oct. 17
• Autographed CDs from Patti Wicks, Jo Lawry, Mike Melito, and many more!
• LP reissues of classic jazz recordings!
• A Big Box o’ Jazz CDs from the fine folks at Braithwaite and Katz!
• And more!

How do you get in on the action? For every $5 you donate at my LIVESTRONG page, you’ll get a raffle ticket. The more you fight cancer, the better your chances of winning.

I’ll draw the winner of the Strickland package on Tuesday, August 18 (and the deadline for donations for that prize is 10 p.m. ET on Monday, August 17).

I’ll draw the rest of the prizes on August 30, and the winners will be announced on the August 31 episode of The Jazz Session.

So please help! DONATE NOW!

This is a great idea.

http://rochestergreenway.org/.

The proposed trail would connect RIT, U of R and downtown Rochester.

There is an existing trail currently connecting RIT and the U of R; Lehigh Valley North from Henrietta Town Line Road to River Road.

I think these two are on to something…

Via http://pathlesspedaled.com/?p=492

Follow their adventures at pathlesspedaled.com.

Fatty has posted a remembrance of his wife, Susan. Like everything connected with this story, it’s moving, heartbreaking and inspiring. The Nelson family has certainly created a lot of love in the world.

Read the remembrance.

And if you want to join the fight, please DONATE.

Image from Twin Six

Elden “Fat Cyclist” Nelson posted the following on his site:

Susan died tonight (August 5) at 7:25pm. It was a hard, long day, and Susan fought right to the end, for much longer than anyone would have thought she could.

My mom, my sisters Kellene and Jodi, and my Brother-in-Law Rocky were all here to support my family as Susan passed away.

I’ll have more to say soon, but consider this. Susan inspired me to expand the focus of my blog from nothing but bike-related jokes to a serious and pitched fight against cancer.

Then she inspired 500+ of you to join Team Fatty, the largest LiveStrong Challenge Team there has ever been.

And Team Fatty has raised more than $500,000 — a record amount.

Susan’s part in the battle is over, but she didn’t lose. She led the charge. She showed the rest of us how to fight: with determination, focus, creativity, and outrageous endurance.

Now it’s up to the rest of us to Fight Like Susan.

The coordinator of Team Fatty Philly sent this message this morning:

My dear teammates,

It is with deep and profound sadness that I write to inform you the Susan Nelson passed away earlier this evening.

As each of you has shared Susan’s story with your friends and family, and as you have put your heartfelt efforts into Team Fatty, you all have been instrumental in bringing Susan’s fight to the eyes, ears, and hearts of the world.

Susan was unwavering in her battle; she held steady and true. Let us honor her memory by showing the same spirit and determination.

Give like Fatty. Fight like Susan.

Donations in Susan’s memory may be made at Elden’s (Fatty’s) Livestrong page: http://philly09.livestrong.org/fatty

Donations in Susan’s memory may also be made on your own Livestrong page: http://philly09.livestrong.org/jasoncrane

Russ Roca is a man of many bike blogs, including this one and this one and this one, too, all of which have made multiple appearances here at RocBike in our old Links of the Day posts. Now Russ is heading out with his partner Laura on a bike trip.

Not just any bike trip, mind you. Russ and Laura sold or stored all their stuff except what would fit on two bicycles, and they’re going to travel the world by bike for some indeterminate period of time. Cool, huh?

They started a (wait for it) blog to chronicle their travels: The Path Less Pedaled. You can also follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

Today is the day before they leave, and they recorded a little video from their nearly bare apartment:

Good luck and safe travels, Russ and Laura!

…and other tales from a bike messenger turned drug dealer.

When my partner and I go on vacations, we always take Zoe (pictured above). We also always want to get out on our bikes. This presents a problem, because it is always too hot to leave her in our car, and the other campers wouldn’t appreciate our leaving her in our tent. We know that she would bark the whole time. Our previous solution has been doggie day care. but this year, I finally convinced her that we should get a doggie bike basket. If you want to bring your canine companion with you, this is a good solution for a small dog. (Zoe weighs 8 pounds.)

Tanya had her handlebars shortened in order to fit her better, so the basket only fits on my bike. It really didn’t slow me down much at all and I kept up with her pretty well, especially surprising since she’s generally faster than me. Zoe was unsure about it at first, but seemed to settle in pretty quickly.

So far, I’ve only taken it on bike trails and side streets. I would be hesitant to bike on a busy and/or hilly road with it, because the extra weight on the bars takes some getting used to, and I felt like it slowed my reaction time.

A great bonus is that it seems impossible for another rider to pass without smiling and saying, “Aawwwwww,” with the inflection rising at the end.

The Xtracycle Life: How to Make Your Bike a Purse

I already loved Bike Snob NYC, and now I have one more reason: he digs Coltrane.

Fat Cyclist: 7 Grapes, 4 Spoonsful of Ice Cream, 5 Bites of Rice

Fuck cancer.

The New York Times has the story.

Charlie The Bikemonger tours Dorset, Somerset and Devon on a Surly Big Dummy Xtracycle bike. More at www.charliethebikemonger.com.

…and you can see it here.

Me in my snazzy new Team Fat Cyclist jersey from Twin Six

As you may know by now, I’m riding in the LIVESTRONG Challenge Ride in Philadelphia on August 23, along with fellow Team RocBike member Bob Anderson. I’m riding as part of Team Fat Cyclist: Fighting For Susan, about which more here.

My initial fundraising goal was $1,000, and I reached that on Friday. As you can see from the photo above, I kept my promise to shave my head. I was assisted in that promise by my lovely wife, who gritted her teeth and took off my hair, 10 years after she shaved my head on stage during a gig on Hilton Head Island. (About which more … uh … some other time.)

My new goal, suggested by Team Fatty Philly head poobah Jen Yuan, is $1,926. That’s the year of John Coltrane’s birthday, and he’s got a big Philly connection, and all my prizes are jazz related.

What prizes, you ask? Well, for every $5 you donate to my ride, you’ll get a raffle ticket. At the end of August, I’ll be giving away autographed CDs, LPs, and more, all quite jazzalicious.

So you can help fight cancer and win cool stuff. Neat, huh?

To donate, please visit my donation page.

Thanks to all of you who’ve donated so far!

I’ve started riding my bike again to get ready for my Livestrong Challenge ride in Philly this August. (Please donate if you can.) This week, after many months, I also resumed commuting by bike again.

I began working for Capital Region BOCES earlier this year, and those offices are farther away than my union shops were. It’s about 8 miles from my house to BOCES HQ, where I work two days a week, and about 12 miles from my house to the school district office where I work the other three days.

Today I rode from home to the school district in Selkirk, NY, and back for the first time, about 24 miles. I took some photos on the way home.

This is my favorite sign in Selkirk:

From 144 Commute

I don’t know who came up with the idea of putting golf balls and rhubarb together, but it’s a classic.

Most of my commute is on Route 144, a primarily rural route through some tiny places such as Cedar Hill. A couple miles into the ride home, I came upon these lions, liberated from either “Guy Park” or “Cuy Park.”

From 144 Commute

As you can see, the structure they now protect is not particularly imposing:

From 144 Commute

Further on up the road is the somewhat secluded site of the Glenmont Job Corps Academy:

From 144 Commute

I don’t know much about the Job Corps, but this comes from the Web site:

Job Corps is a free education and training program that helps young people learn a career, earn a high school diploma or GED, and find and keep a good job. For eligible youth at least 16 years of age, Job Corps provides the all-around skills needed to succeed in a career and in life.

You can find out more by visiting jobcorps.gov.

Most of the commute looks like this, plus a hill here and there:

From 144 Commute

And here’s a gratuitous picture of the Packet Boat, ready for action:

From 144 Commute

Sprinkled along 144 are forgotten houses like this one:

From 144 Commute

And here’s another wonderful sign. I like the idea of a wrathful Mother Nature:

From 144 Commute

A relic from a bygone error … I mean era:

From 144 Commute

I didn’t even know what this was at first, but it turned out to be a vintage electric car:

From 144 Commute

This is the bottom of the hill at Second Ave and Pearl. This is the start of 3/4 of a mile of climbing, much of it at a 7% grade. The picture doesn’t do it justice:

From 144 Commute

My legs were jelly at the end, but I made it the whole way.

It sure does feel good to be back on the bike.

The rest of the pictures from today’s ride are here.

DONATE NOW!

My mom, Sally

As I mentioned recently, I’ve joined Team Fatty for the Livestrong Challenge Ride in Philly on August 23. I’m trying to raise $1,000 for the ride. If I make it, I’ll shave my head. That will greatly annoy my mother, which, while not the main reason for the fundraising, is certainly an excellent fringe benefit.

Last week, my grandfather, Bernie Flanders, died at age 96. He was my childhood hero, and he is a huge reason that I became the person I am. He had cancer, as have so many members of my family. I miss him a lot, but his memory makes me that much more committed to the ride.

All through August, I’ll be raffling off cool jazz prizes — LPs, autographed CDs and more. Every $5 donated toward my ride gets you a ticket (including all donations up to this point). So please DONATE NOW!

Jill Homer just finished the Tour Divide! What an incredible accomplishment.

Jill agreed in the past to be a guest on the RocBike Review, but we never quite made it happen. I’ll ask her again, so we can get a first-person account of her amazing ride.

NEWS RELEASE
Brighton, NY, July 3, 2009 – The Town of Brighton will hold a Public Meeting to review the concept of a multi-use trail connecting Town Hall and the Erie Canal. The meeting will be held on July 27th from 7pm-9pm at the Brighton Town Hall, 2300 Elmwood Ave. The I-590 Bicycle / Pedestrian Bypass Trail Feasibility Study is nearing completion, and the Town wishes to gather additional feedback on the preferred trail alignment identified in the Draft Report.

In its 2000 Comprehensive Plan, the Town identified a concept for a trail connecting the Town Hall Complex on Elmwood Avenue to the Erie Canal at Meridian Centre Park. This Feasibility Study explores the viability of the whole corridor of the I-590 Bicycle / Pedestrian Bypass trail, with consideration given to location alternatives, design recommendations, funding sources, and phasing strategies. The Preferred Trail Alignment map, along with the full Draft Report, is available on the Town’s website:http://www.townofbrighton.org/.

All are encouraged to attend the meeting and provide comments and suggestions.

Mind the Gender Gap

It’s an interesting criticism of the way many articles address the topic of women on bikes. Their focus is usually narrowed to fashion and safety. I love the bit where she summarizes the attitude of the articles as men are more likely to ride bikes than women because “men are just much less self-absorbed and a million times braver”.

The weather report is saying 10% chance of rain, so we have high hopes that these cloudy skies will leave us alone. We’re heading first downtown, the taking the river down to Genesee Valley Park where we meet up with the canal. Shouldn’t have any difficulty reaching Holley tonight, where we’ll make camp.

I found this funny note over at the Web site for Found Magazine. Sometimes people take bike parking just a tad too seriously.

I replaced the tube Wednesday night. I carefully examined the tire to try to find the offending thing that caused the flat but couldn’t find anything. The hole was a little puncture on the outside of the tube… so, nothing to do with the wheel. I decided the offending ‘thing’ must be gone, reassembled everything, and re inflated the tire. I was feeling pretty good about my improved flat fixing skills.

I rode to work and home on Thursday with no problems. All was well. I had Friday off and didn’t end up riding the bike at all over the weekend.

Monday morning I went out to to the shed, got my bike. I made it to the stop well before the bus (mostly because it was 20 minutes late due to mechanical difficulties). When it arrived I discovered that my tire had gone completely flat while I was waiting. I was glad I would at least get to work in time, threw my bike on the rack and figured I would sort things out sometime during the day.

Have I mentioned that I never figured out how my little portable air pump worked? I’ve had it for at least a year, but I just bought it, tossed the instructions and carried it with me all the time, more as a talisman than a tool. When I got off the bus I decided I’d try to inflate the tire a bit. That would make walking the bike the half mile to my office a little easier. I could not get the thing to latch on to the valve stem. Basically, the pump could work one of two ways. Method A did not work so I tried method A again, and again, and again. And gave up. Clearly, I’m gifted.

So I walked the bike to my office, leaned it against the rack and dug out my lock, only to discover that I had left the key at home. You see, normally I have routine, a system. I follow it carefully because my brain doesn’t start working until well after I have to leave the house in the morning. If I don’t follow the routine, I end up at work without my bike lock key, or my office key, or my work clothes. I had broken the routine the last time I rode and would have to pay for it now. I found a spot in the storage room in my office to stash the bike for the day.

I decided to try the air pump again on my lunch break. They wouldn’t sell pretend air pumps that don’t actually do anything. There must be a solution. Suddenly method B occurred to me. Success. The tire was full of air that was quickly trying to get out of the tire. Now I could see where it was coming from so I knew that when I got home I would be able to find the offending ‘thing’ that had taken 2 tubes already. I decided not to try to patch it at work since it would probably just happen again if I didn’t take the time to do it right.

Hopped a couple of buses to get home dragging my injured bike with me. I didn’t feel like going to the store and so I patched the tube (using some peel and stick patch that I happened to have) and found the tiny piece of glass that was embedded in the tire. I had to use tweezers to pull it out because it was stuck in there solidly. It was embedded so solidly that I half thought that I was really just tearing out something that was supposed to be part of the tire.

When I went out to the shed on Tuesday morning the tire was flat AGAIN. Yes I know it was because I used that crappy peel and stick patch. Yes I will go buy a real patch kit and a whole case of spare tubes. But there I was…

I was tired of getting rides to and from the bus stop. I just wanted to be moving under my own power. I hauled out the spare junk bike. Ran to the air compressor, pumped up the tires, and left almost 10 minutes late. It made horrible noises and then even more horrible noises. The brakes sounded like a penguin getting eaten by an elephant seal. The shifters kinda work in certain gear combinations some of the time. Then in the middle of town the whole bike started vibrating like we were going well above warp 8 and the whole ship was going to tear apart. It took me a couple of starts and stops to figure out that the front reflector was sticking out on this strange metal appendage that was screwed to the bike just above the front wheel. Somehow it had gotten bent down and was dragging across the knobby mountain bike tires. I fixed this and kept powering toward the bus stop. Somehow I made it in time. Just…

The next day I still hadn’t had time to fix the flat on my regular bike so I rode the junk bike again. Everything went smoothly until I walked to the bike rack after work and discovered that now even the junk bike had a flat. I really started thinking that I might have a nemisis that was doing this to me on purpose. It was on the rear wheel which doesn’t have a quick release. I didn’t have a wrench or a spare tube anyway. So I just walked it to the park and ride. I fixed the tubes on the good bike when I got home and haven’t even looked at the junk bike again.

The up side of this is that I can fix a flat tire pretty quickly now. I’m not saying I can fix it right. I guess if I’d gotten it right the first or the second time this post would be a lot shorter. We’ll see whether I learned anything later this week. If the new tube doesn’t go flat I will feel successful. Meanwhile, I am starting to consider the merits of spending a little extra for a flat resistant tire. They do make those don’t they?

Here’s a video I made of the March ride (I try to make one of these every year):

Hello friends,

Cancer has impacted:

• My mother, Sally (skin)
• My grandmother Dorothy (colon)
• My grandfather Bernie (bladder)
• My great-grandmother Louise (lung)
• My cousin Denise (breast)
• My great-uncle, Bill (colon)
• My friend Travis, who died last year from testicular cancer

So it’s no surprise that I’d want to fight cancer. And I love riding my bike. That’s why I signed up for the Livestrong Challenge ride in Philly on August 23 as part of Team Fat Cyclist.

Now I need YOUR help. Please visit my fundraising page and donate whatever you can to help me in the fight against cancer. And if you can make it to Philly on August 23, you should also consider signing up for the race yourself.

DONATE NOW!

Elden “Fatty” Nelsen has posted some great photos, videos and stories from this weekend’s Livestrong ride in Seattle. Please visit his blog to read about the weekend. And make sure to donate to the cause, OK?

WIN SUSAN!

I just have 2 things to say about all this. First, cycling is not an individual act; it is inherently social, simply by the fact that other people are using the trails/roads/sidewalks. I am both a driver and a cyclist. When a cyclist is biking erratically or is not visible in the dark, it affects me as a driver, by increasing my stress level as I am driving and trying to be safe. Further, if I were to hit that cyclist, it’s not just the cyclist who would be affected. I would be emotionally devastated. Our health care system would take another hit. My loved ones as well as the cyclist’s would be impacted. Insurance costs would go up. So, yes, individuals have the freedom to make choices about how they want to bike. But that freedom does not exist in a vacuum.

Second, could we be a little nicer to each other and to those with whom we share the transportation infrastructure? There’s a great post at EcoVelo to this point.

Read the comments too, where you’ll find, among others, this gem from the post’s author:

“The idea that acting courteously as opposed to confrontationally is somehow going to put us on a slippery slope leading to “laws demanding that all cyclists get out of their way” is a fallacy that has been used all too frequently to justify rude, aggressive riding tactics. What’s going to get us kicked off the roads is disregarding traffic laws, riding irresponsibly, and treating other road users as if we bicyclists operate under our own set of rules (see it too often). You are right, the car is “almighty”, but fighting its supremacy with a head-on frontal assault is not the answer in my opinion. I believe we need to build good will with the general public and politicians to gain the political capital necessary to instigate the infrastructure and policy changes that would make our roads (and trails) more attractive to new bicyclists, thus growing bicycling to the extent we’re all hoping for. In my opinion, the “us versus them” mentality is counterproductive to this goal and has gotten us nowhere in the U.S.”

Pot bust nabs bike star
Major marijuana probe results in arrests in Saratoga area

By LEIGH HORNBECK, Staff writer
First published in print: Friday, June 19, 2009

ALBANY — The major drug bust of a thriving marijuana operation in Wilton this week nabbed two colorful characters: A one-time champion mountain biker and a budding filmmaker on a spiritual journey.

A federal judge set bail for the pair Thursday afternoon.

Police set up a sale between a confidential informant and former star mountain biker Melissa Giove.

Read the rest of the article.

I learned about the fun blog Bike Skirt from an issue of Urban Velo magazine. On Monday, Elisa (pictured above) posted a good checklist of items every summer bike commuter needs. Check it out, and tell ‘em RocBike sent ya.

SCHENECTADY — A 62-year-old bicyclist suffered minor injuries after accidentally running into the back of a CDTA bus on State Street this afternoon, city police said. The man was pedaling behind the bus near Clinton Street and rear-ended the vehicle when it pulled over around 1:25 p.m., Sgt. Eric Clifford said.

The crash tied up downtown traffic for about 20 minutes, Clifford said. He said the man was taken to Ellis Hospital for observation.

– Paul Nelson

According to an article in today’s New York Times, a recent survey of New York City residents found that lack of storage is one of the biggest things keeping New Yorkers off bicycles.

In a city of tight living quarters and unaccommodating corporate towers, the biggest cycling challenge can be finding a good place store one’s ride when it is not in use.

For James Rather, an urban planner whose Riverdale walk-up does not have a storage option, lugging his bike up three flights to his apartment every time he rides is a “constant hassle” and a sometime danger.

You can read the article at the Times site.

I’ve already mentioned that Jill Homer is riding the Tour Divide this year. The Tour Divide is a 2,745-mile self-supported mountain bike race from Banff, Alberta, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico.

MTBCast posts a daily digest of the riders’ call-ins from the trail. It makes for some fun and fascinating listening. You can listen at MTBCast or subscribe using iTunes or your favorite RSS reader using this link.

I wholeheartedly recommend the d-i-y method, but if you want a slightly more expensive alternative that works out of the box, I recommend the gorilla pod (depending on the size and the size of your camera the stability will vary.) I always tie my camera strap to the handle bars for extra insurance but haven’t had any problems with it coming off… it just jiggles a bit.

I went out and did a loop around the neighboring block with my camera in video mode to test it out. It went pretty well. I did speed it up, compressing the 22 minute ride into less than 3 minutes, so in case you weren’t sure, I’m not actually a bike racing superhero.

Handlebar Cam video from a loop around my block>>

I plan to do some video of my commute now that all I have to do is slide the camera into the gorilla pod mount quick release thingy.

SATURDAY JUNE 27TH
AT “THE BIKE ZONE”
885 LONG POND ROAD IN GREECE
FROM 10 A.M. TO 2:00 P.M

SATURDAY JULY 18TH
AT “PENFIELD FITNESS AND RACKET CLUB”
667 PANORAMA TRAIL WEST IN PENFIELD
FROM 10 A.M. TO 2:00 P.M

I non-consensually donated a bike to them last year, and still felt good about it! You can find more details on their events page, and here’s a PDF of the event flier in case you’d like to spread the word.

The wonderful Jill Homer is ready to begin the Great Divide ride — 2,700 miles along the Great Divide. Her post from yesterday lists several way to follow her along her route. She’ll also be blogging whenever possible.

From all of us at RocBike.com: Good luck, Jill!

The smell of the road, the wind at your back, infinity miles per gallon…

Riding your bike sure is sweet. But you know what would make it even sweeter? The tried-and-tested, make-it-yourself, $10 + 10 minutes Photojojo BikeCam!

As I wrote here and here, there was a recent cycling accident in Saratoga Springs, north of Albany, that was featured in the Times Union newspaper. You can read my note to the reporter in the previous post.

Here’s the response I received from the reporter, Dennis Yusko:

Hi Jason: Thank you for writing. You make a valid point about the placement of the helmet reference. I guess it was in this particular story because he suffered a head injury, and because police made a point of it when discussing the case. Anyway, I’ll think about it more next time I write because of your note. In the meantime, feel free to go to our Saratoga Seen blog and post what you feel under the story there. It might generate some discussion.
Dennis.

If you’d like to take Dennis up on his suggestion, visit the Saratoga Seen blog.

My rides home over the past couple of weeks have been exceedingly pleasant.

I attribute it to the power of RocBike.

Follow her exploits — if you dare — here.

This story of course notes that the bicyclist was not wearing a helmet. Which I’m sure is what caused the motorist to fail to yield the right of way.

Vehicle charges likely in bicycle accident
Bicyclist hospitalized after Saratoga Springs accident

By DENNIS YUSKO, Staff writer
First published: Tuesday, June 9, 2009

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A 30-year-old man was taken to the hospital with head injuries on Sunday after he struck a car while riding his bicycle on Broadway, police say.

The man, who police did not identify, was riding north at 1:22 p.m., when he hit the rear passenger door of a vehicle turning left into the parking lot of Lillian’s restaurant, Lt. Matthew Veitch said.

The bicyclist was not wearing a helmet and was transported to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Veitch said.

The operator of the vehicle, who police would only say is from Vermont, will likely face charges of failing to yield the right of way, police said.

“The investigation is ongoing and charges are anticipated,” Veitch said.

This article is available at the Times Union site.

I sent a follow-up email message to the author of the piece, Dennis Yusko (dyusko@timesunion.com):

Hi Dennis,

As a local cyclist, let me begin by saying thanks for covering any bicycle stories at all, even when they’re accidents.

A quick question: Why is it that the cyclist’s lack of a helmet is mentioned before the motorist’s failure to yield the right of way? (I might go further and ask why the helmet is in the story at all.) Surely the cyclist’s lack of a helmet is not what caused the driver to hit the cyclist. Shouldn’t the charges against the driver come first?

Helmets are great, but every cycling accident story tells the reader whether or not the cyclist had one, as if this had anything to do with the cause of the accident.

Thanks again for your time and for paying attention to cyclists.

All the best,

Jason

On Saturday I started riding toward Geneva. My goal was to end up at the Geneva Bicycle Center. I needed a spare tube but mostly I thought I needed someplace to ride, a destination. It’s about 14 miles away so there and back seemed like it would be a good ride. I passed Cress road and started thinking that I’d never been down it & wasn’t sure where it went, made a u-turn and was off on a little explore. I covered a lot of uncharted territory in empty space between Lyons, Newark, and Phelps, an area formerly thought to be occupied only by sea monsters and steep hills. It turns out that the steep hills part is correct but the sea monsters were actually just cows. Lots and lots of cows.

I never did make it to the bike shop. I just wandered the back roads for a couple of hours until I remembered how little breakfast I’d eaten then spent another 40 minutes singing to myself about my plans to eat a sandwich while I tried to find my way home.

I never love biking more than when I’m exploring new territory… and there’s so much unexplored territory right under my nose even though I’ve lived here forever… well, almost forever. What’s hiding down that side street that you just cruise by every day?

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A 30-year-old man was taken to the hospital with head injuries on Sunday after he struck a car while riding his bicycle on Broadway, police say.

The man, whom police did not identify, was riding north at 1:22 p.m., when he hit the rear passenger door of a vehicle turning left into the parking lot of Lillian’s restaurant, Lt. Matthew Veitch said.

Read the rest of the article.

This image of a helmeted girl with face-trauma makes me sad. This billboard is near my house so I have to ride past her every day, and I’m getting really sick of seeing it.

One of the sign’s sponsors, Injury Free Coalition for Kids, has some interesting statistics on their site:

Head injuries incurred while riding a bike result in two-thirds of hospital admissions and more than 60 percent of the bicycling deaths.

If two-thirds of hospital admissions were actually from bicycle head injuries, I’d stop riding a bike!

I was also reading this sad story about Bradford Berk, head of the URMC, who sustained a serious spinal cord injury after losing control of his bicycle. This news report transcript doesn’t mention why he lost control, or talk about how to prevent spinal cord injury. It does, however, launch into a bizarre helmet advocacy piece. Two paragraphs about the accident, and then 5 about why helmets are so important.

If I had 5 paragraphs worth of space (or that much time on TV), I’d include a whole bunch of useful tips on top of the helmet tip, such as: ride in the road in the direction of traffic; take it slow on bike paths; use a bell or horn, lights, and a mirror; and give yourself some space on either side to avoid running into things or off the road. We don’t know if that kind of advice could have helped Mr. Berk, since there is very little reporting on the actual accident, but the media should really clear up all the bicycle safety misconceptions.

By the way, The Bagel Bin in Brighton has set up a wishing well to support Mr. Berk and his family. Ride safe out there folks — no matter what you put on your head.

The Times Union just posted a story about a collision between a cyclist and dumptruck:

Cyclist seriously hurt after collision with dump truck in Schenectady

I received this message this week:

Hey guys,

I don’t know if you have heard already through the grape vine but you are in the top 50 bike blogs as rated through looking at things such as number of comments, alexa rank, etc. Congratulations!

I look forward to hearing more from you in future.
Andreas
(londoncyclist)

Ain’t that cool? Thanks for everyone’s support!

Of course, this morning didn’t go perfectly. I felt like I was going so slow. I was operating in easier gears than usual. I was fighting imaginary headwinds. Somehow despite all that I was the first person at the bus stop. I was still the only person there when the bus pulled up. Both racks on the front were taken already so I resigned myself to wrestling with the luggage compartment. It seemed to be stuck & I thought it was locked but somehow I got it open… as soon as it opened I realized that this was not in fact the luggage compartment but the access panel for the engine or some other important mechanical bus stuff. And now, it wouldn’t close.

I don’t know if I opened the wrong panel because I was so tired or because I was approaching it from an odd angle.

The bus driver got off and was asking me how I got it open in the first place. He couldn’t get it closed either. I tried to help but that seemed futile so I put my bike in the real luggage compartment and then went back to attempting to help the bus driver. Then another cyclist rode up. This guy gets off after me… so I hauled my bike back out of the luggage compartment so he could put his in first and then shoved it back in and somehow the three of us managed to close the access panel.

I felt pretty cool right then.

Other than the bus fiasco it was a beautiful ride. I saw a king bird and was noticing just how thick the grass is and how green everything is all of a sudden. I love that bike commuting gets me out in to the world earlier than I would even think of leaving the house if I didn’t have a bus to catch. It’s a whole different world out there at 6 a.m. The light changes dramatically as the seasons change but it’s always a quieter, crisper, world that early in the morning, and it feels like it’s all mine.

I exceeded my Timbuk2 medium.
Which, when I first started commuting,
I was VERY impressed with.
I mean, work papers, rain jacket, tools,
AND ice cream & milk & treats?

But now I’ve outgrown it.
I did supersize to a large,
but something more calls out to be carried…
artwork, camera & gear,
larger food shopping trips.
After two weeks of debate,
I’ve ruled out the xtracycle,
Sorry Jason,
I came thisclose to ordering a Schwinn Coffee 3 spd
to retrofit, but I’m intent on making my one bike ‘be all’.
So I looked at Sun Lite grocery panniers that were inexpensive, but generic,
all the way to Ortlieb, at $100 per bag,
then to the Detour commuters at $59 per bag.

What’s the feedback, set ups and suggestions?

SO BACK TO OUR TOPIC.
For those that are LCI certified, by-the-book cyclists,
I ‘m sorry to offend, but it’s something I naturally do….

There’s been alot of debate lately on every blog on:
cyclists running red lights,
cyclists running stop signs,
cyclists passing cars on the right at red lights
(which happens to be my everyday doing)
and cyclists needing to abide by all laws.

UMMMMMM, wait for it….
NO!
There I said it!
I’m not irresponsible,
and I certainly don’t advocate breaking laws,
or pose a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ rule.

I ADVOCATE ARRIVING TO HOME/WORK ALIVE!

And until motorists respect other roadway users,
I’ll ride on the offense.
Passing stopped cars on the right?
It’s safer for me to start the green light up front,
rather than be in the middle of rush hour traffic
trying to pass me while I start off ten cars behind.

When it’s bumper to bumper and at a stand still,
and there’s a wide shoulder onthe right?
SORRY! I’m gonna get on that and keep moving!
Who’s going to sit behind a tailpipe waiting in traffic?
You’re an angry motorist? Well then, get a bike!
Surprisingly, in town you can beat traffic!

Lastly:
- a bad cyclist will do less harm than a bad driver.
- since driver’s are unwilling to share the road, and
abide by the laws, I WILL DO WHATEVER I NEED TO
SURVIVE. The laws were not written for cyclists safety.
- If motorists want us to abide by ALL traffic laws,
THEN I’M TAKING THE WHOLE LANE LIKE A MOTORCYCLE!
oh wait, they don’t want THAT.
- So it’s a double standard? Yeah, I’m not buying what they’re selling.

The nature nights are from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Aug. 25. A brochure listing all the rides is available via the city of Rochester Parks & Recreation Dept. Helmets required and riders under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Call (585) 428.6770.

By Dick Lindsay, Berkshire Eagle Staff

Thursday, May 21

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Until a few weeks ago, Charles Spirydowski’s longest bicycle ride was about three miles — a jaunt he took with his daughter.

This week, the 37-year-old Housatonic man will attempt a 200-mile ride over the course of three days to raise money and awareness for emergency medical services personnel who’ve died in the line of duty or from a job-related illness or injury.

You can read the rest of the article at the Eagle’s Web site.

Information about our aptly timed Ride of Silence is here.

Way beyond my capabilities, but way cool.