On The Rivet

Driver Sues Family of Deceased Cyclist

2010-12-02T20:02:00.004-05:00

Yes, indeed, you read that correctly. Bicycling magazine has a column and AP ran a story in which a serial drunk driver is suing the parents of the boy he killed three years ago in Connecticut.

I don't even know where to begin with this one. Why don't you just give at least a glance at the links and see what you think...

Yes, this is New York City

2010-11-25T07:15:00.003-05:00

While it may seem difficult to believe, this photo was taken in Manhattan last week during my morning bike commute to work. Beyond the mighty Hudson River to the west are the palisades of New Jersey. Just a little to the right is the New York State line, so those red and brown tree leaves are almost in the Empire State. Not a bad sight to see on the way to work in the nation's most populous city, eh? I took this with my camera phone on a bike path near the Cloisters and Fort Tryon Park in the northernmost tip of the island. The leaves are now all brown or fallen on the ground. Locals say they've never seen the leaves turn so late in the year. Last year seems like they were all brown by early October. Hmmm...

NYC plans to start largest bicycle sharing program

2010-11-23T07:19:00.004-05:00

Maybe this plan - reported by The NY Times - will force the city to do even more about making it safe to ride on its streets. Many other big cities in the US are doing so much more according to yesterday's story Expansion of Bike Lanes in City Brings Backlash, which also details the small but vocal opposition to anything that appears to hinder sacred car traffic. Hopefully they will do more lanes like the ones they've created on 1st and 2nd and 9th avenues. The image at right is of 9th avenue from the Times.

Will the sport survive?

2010-09-30T06:19:00.005-04:00

By now many of you will have already heard about the positive drug test by Alberto Contador during the Tour de France.

Excerpted from the NY Times:

Alberto Contador, a three-time winner of the Tour de France, tested positive for a banned substance on the final rest day of the Tour in July, according to a statement sent Wednesday by his spokesman, Jacinto Vidarte.

Contador, a Spaniard formerly on the Astana team, could lose the title he won this year and face a two-year suspension.

WTF? Sigh.... I sure hope the sport will survive. What do you think?

Riding like the Dutch

2010-09-24T06:27:00.003-04:00

There's a great story about what we could learn from the Netherlands about how to make it easier for Americans to ride bikes more often and drive their cars less.

The writer of Cycling to Success: Lessons from the Dutch, despite his bad haircut, doesn't pretend to suggest it would be easy and outlines some of the cultural differences that make it work in Europe. He visited the Netherlands with a team of transportation experts to see what could be learned from the tiny country.

He came away with a good history of why it works there and how it could work here.

A commitment to biking is not uniquely imprinted in the Dutch DNA. It is the result of a conscious push that began in the 1970s. As Hillie Talens of C.R.O.W. (a transportation organization focusing on infrastructure and public space) reminded us, it took the Dutch 35 years to construct the ambitious bicycle system we see today. In the mid-1970s biking was at a low point in the country and declining fast. Even Amsterdam turned to an American for a plan to rip an expressway through its beautiful central city. But the oil crises of that time convinced the country that they needed to lessen their dependence on imported oil.

Bike memorials OK'd in NYC!

2010-09-04T18:13:00.003-04:00

I was glad to see this in the NY Daily News this afternoon - City gives 'ghost bikes' a reprieve, allowing memorial to cyclists who died on streets to remain.

They don't really take up valuable space and they are a reminder to drivers to be aware that cyclists are out there. I've known so many people struck and injured by vehicles and read countless stories about fatal accidents. Typically, they appear to be the fault of motorists, but not always. Certainly there are plenty of cyclists who do crazy, risky things in NYC. Nothing they deserve to die over, mind you or gives motorists the right to run them over, but it does happen.

Never heard of a cyclist killing a motorist - or even a pedestrian - with a bicycle.

Steel is Real, baby

2010-09-03T18:41:00.004-04:00

Now this looks like fun! Wish I could be in Milwaukee that weekend for this unique ride.

Now, I never thought I'd hear myself saying that.

I'll have to post a pic of my latest steel steed: a 1990 Bianchi Giro with Columbus SLX tubing - celeste, of course, with matching bottle cages and wheels.

Good riding!

Henry Hudson bridge path reopens...just not to bikes

2010-08-07T21:32:00.001-04:00

Streetsblog.org has an informative posting on the reopening of the path across the bridge, noting that bike riding is banned. One can walk the bike across, just not ride it.

There are some great comments below as well. I finally found the northern entrance to the path on Monday, but the gate was locked. A fellow two-wheeler told me he thought it was closed for construction of some kind. I'll check again this Monday and report back what I find, and add some photos as well.

Just say no

2010-05-08T06:12:00.003-04:00

After last weekend's longer-than-necessary ride, I feel it's appropriate to tell any riding partners to simply ignore my suggestions on route changes or riding back a different way or any such nonsense. Just tell me no, fugedabowdit.

Last Sunday, Tom had a great ride suggested. Going up and back on the on the east side of the Hudson to Peekskill, a 60-mile ride that would have us back by noon. We made great time the way up. Few cars and cool weather. Then I got the bright idea that it would be nice to go back a different route, like on the Putnam Valley Trail. Problem was we didn't know exactly how to find the trail from where we were. Neither did the locals we talked to. For some reason, this did not deter us from our senseless quest. Ok, my senseless quest.

We eventually found the trail after a lot of climbing - miles of it, miles and miles - and a few wrong turns. A local rider helped us find the right route and we jumped on the trail. This was about 11 a.m. and we realized it was quite a while before we'd find food. It was a good 30 miles home - a couple hours - and we knew we'd have to have food and drink before then. We wound up stopping in Elmsford, a little more than halfway home (so we thought).

By the time we finished lunch, it was after 1 and in the mid-80s, warmer temperatures than we've seen since oh, last September, maybe August. Then I had another bright idea. Since it was getting late, I knew there would be traffic on the last 9-mile stretch when we divert from the path. Let's stay on the path, I said, since I know the route between the end of the path and mile through residential streets where it picks up again. Big mistake.

We did that and found a bridge out and a detour instead. It took more than an hour to get home from there, after Tom figured out how to get back. We arrived 3 hours later than planned - at 2:45 - and 76 miles instead of 60. Long day indeed. I dropped off a six pack at Tom's on Wednesday as partial penance, but I think I'll be paying off that mistake for a while.

The things I see riding my bike to work...

2010-05-05T22:40:00.003-04:00

Snapped this photo on my way to work the other day. This huge tanker is heading up the Hudson River, probably to pick up a load as the water line is pretty low on the bow.

Today I got a flat coming home - the first flat suffered on my way to or from work in the past few years. I've had slow flats, discovered after I arrived home or at work, but never any that I discovered en route. As I changed the flat, I noticed how thin the tire tread was. I've only got a few hundred miles on this Serfas tire, and the tread was already as thin as the sidewalls. So, on the way home I stopped at my LBS and picked up a pair of Specialized Armadilloes. They don't roll as well, but at least I can avoid flats.

What's new is old, and vice versa

2010-04-03T21:45:00.006-04:00

After riding my '88 steel-frame Raleigh to work in recent months, I remembered why I like steel bikes: they're smooth, strong and cheap compared to modern carbon bikes. I don't really notice much difference between it and my 4-year-old Trek Madone, which is about 6 lbs lighter and made for speed...unlike me, on two wheels anyway. Granted, I can sprint fine on two wheels - but again no noticeable diff between the $300 bike and the one that retailed for 12 times that amount. I can keep up with my weekend group ride on either bike, which begs the question why do I need a high-end racing bike? Well, I don't, of course.

In photographic terms, it's akin to an amateur using a Hasselblad to shoot snapshots. Or a duffer using the same clubs as Tiger Woods. It just isn't necessary. Besides, I could use the money. That and the steel steed is less expensive to maintain. Hard for much of anything to go wrong, with old-style shifters on the downtube. Never had to replace one of those. Gone through 3 Ultegra shifters over the years on "modern" bikes...about $150 a pop. In addition, with a new bike, I'm always checking out the latest components and plotting upgrades. No need to do that with an old steel frame. And when you can, it's often with used parts one can get for a song on eBay. So, parting with my carbon bike will hopefully reduce my bike envy and increase my wallet.

Off to the barge races

2010-03-29T19:58:00.007-04:00

We had a better view of a barge race of sorts Saturday from the George Washington Bridge, much better than the one at right. Unfortunately, it was so cold I didn't feel safe taking out my phone camera to snap a shot. I was afraid I'd drop it over the edge of the bridge.

Our pedaling fivesome was on our way back from a ride up 9W to the NY state line when we saw a pair of barges emerging from the south side of the bridge as we rode west back to Manhattan. From a few hundred feet up on the bridge, it was a quite a sight. One barge was pushing four empty containers and was pushing ahead easily. The other had six containers full of what looked like crushed granite and was straining mightily under the load.

Several cyclists passed us by on the bridge as we ogled over the edge at the vessels below. We rarely see this kind of activity when we cross, or if we do it's far from the bridge when we're on it. Most of my cycling mates Saturday were native New Yorkers, unlike this native Californian, so it wasn't the tourist factor. This was just a cool site. After the previous weekend's 60-degree days, the temps in the 30s this weekend felt downright frigid to us - even though it's much closer to normal March weather. Oh well, they're predicting 70s this coming weekend, so it's looking up!

Snow day for riding

2010-02-26T19:09:00.003-05:00

With 24 inches of snow on the ground when I got up this morning, it would have been an impossible commute to work on two wheels. So, it was back to the trainer for a 45-minute workout. With two fee still on the ground, Tom and I will probably ride indoors again tomorrow. Sorry for the blurry image. Not easy holding the camera phone and riding at the same time.

Hope your riding is in better conditions than this. Beats sleeping in, of course.

What a day for riding in California

2010-01-24T12:11:00.003-05:00

This sunny scene greeted us near the summit on Highway 46 West, 7-8 miles from Highway 1 in San Luis Obispo County yesterday, roughly halfway into a 65-mile ride. What this breathtaking scene doesn't tell is the rest of story. Our group of six didn't make it to this overlook intact. Three of our group went a slightly different route and had two flats en route, so we had turned back before they arrived here.

We paid for it later. Len, one of the three of us to see this view, had four flats (yes, 4) on the way back. What should have been a 4-hour ride that began at 8 a.m. didn't conclude until nearly 3, with all the stops to fix flats. Our coffee-shop break turned into lunch, since we didn't arrive there 'til after 1. We then had to find a bike shop to buy more tubes, as everyone was out by the time Len's flat odyssey had ended.

This may prove to be my first and last ride here on vacation. Rain is predicted for every remaining morning I'm here visiting my father and the heavy fog this morning is rapidly closing my ride window (want to watch the NFL playoff games that begin at noon here on the West Coast). Oh, well. At least yesterday was a great ride, even with the unplanned interruptions, which gave us more time to chat and catch up anyway.

Not that I was tempted...

2010-01-17T22:32:00.003-05:00

... but this no swimming sign did seem a bit unnecessary this morning a little before 9 a.m. next to Woodlands Lake along side the Putnam Valley Trail. The ducks didn't seem to mind the frigid water, but then they're made for it. Despite the icy waters, today's ride was the warmest of the month along with yesterday's - the high 30s! Wow, that means maybe one less layer. Woo hoo!

Hudson Ice

2010-01-13T21:30:00.003-05:00

This was the scene that greeted me Monday morning on my ride to work. The ice on the Hudson stretched in some places more than 50 meters from shore, the most ice I've seen on the river in the three years we're lived here. This scene didn't have the thickest ice sheets, but it presented a nice backdrop with the tall buildings of Manhattan on the left and New Jersey's waterfront cities on the right.

The wind chill this morning - and Monday morning, as well - was 10 degrees when I left the apartment. Cold enough so I had to wear the balaclava to cover my face. The bigger drawback to that temperature is it discourages me from riding a few extra miles to Central Park for a lap or two around the 10K loop. I save my disposable hand warmers for the weekend rides - even buying them bulk they're costly - so I'm not as warm during my commutes. So, an hour is plenty in these temperatures, but manageable. Beats riding on the subway everyday and have some one who is 30-inches wide try and squeeze into a 24-inch seat next to me.

Lower that threshold!

2010-01-09T20:22:00.002-05:00

Before today I always thought my threshold for riding was at single digits for wind chill - anything below 10 degrees and I'd sleep in or put the bike on the trainer indoors. I may have to rethink that after this morning's ride.

Tom and I balked at setting out at our planned 7:30 a.m. departure, as it was 20 degrees with a wind chill of 6. By 10 a.m. the temp was still just 22 but the wind chill was up to 10, so we started pulling on the layers. Although we were dressed better the cyclist at right (photo via Treehugger.com and IceBike), we did have some snow along side River Road and in the middle of it at times, as well. Tom took a slow spill on one icy patch, but bounced up with no injuries. We only went up as far north near Alpine Road so it was just a 31-mile round tipr, since we started so late. By the time we got home the temps were still in the 20s and the wind chill in the teens. I'm thinking that lowest allowable wind chill may get lowered to say... 5 degrees. Will have an opportunity to test that in the morning if we ride - the forecast is for 16 degrees and 5 wind chill at 8 a.m. ...

Dumb as I look

2009-12-31T12:25:00.003-05:00

Yes, them there's snow on the ground. There wasn't when I began my ride less than an hour before I took this self-portrait with my mobile, but it sure came down hard and fast.

It was my last ride of 2009 and probably the last chance for the four-day weekend, as snow is predicted every day. Hence the look of displeasure on my face.

All my riding buddies begged off last night or this morning, but none mentioned the forecast of snow as a reason. So, it was a solo ride when I started out at 7:32 a.m. As the weather forecasts are notoriously inaccurate here in Gotham, I expected today's to be the same. Well, for a change they were accurate. I got down to the path on Riverside Park in Upper Manhattan and although it was cloudy, I could see down to the buildings on the NY and NJ financial districts. By the time I got down to the George Washington Bridge, however, the snow had begun and I couldn't see past the bridge itself. I turned around within seconds of the first flakes and by the time I got home (just a 4-mile trip) there was an inch of the white stuff already on the ground. At least I made it home safely.

Let's hope 2010 starts with better riding weather than we had at the close of 2009.

Cycling numb

2009-12-25T17:40:00.004-05:00

You know that feeling when you're in the dentist's chair, a few minutes after he gives you a shot of novacaine and one side of your face begins to go numb? I had that sensation riding my bike to work the other day.

I should have been wearing a balaclava like I was in this photo at right from last winter. For some reason, I decided not to, even though it was in the mid-20s with a wind chill in the mid-teens on the path in Riverside Park next to the mighty Hudson River. The wind was blowing from the west and it numbed the right side of my face roughly five minutes after I joined the path in upper Manhattan. By the time I pulled off the path around the mid-90s, the numbness had begun to spread to the left side of my face. Fortunately, the last stretch of my commute is heading north through a section of the park protected by trees and, thus, warmer.

With the eight inches of snow that fell the other day, it may be a while before I'm able to ride to work again. Although they keep the path plowed, there is a steep hill near the George Washington Bridge that must be too steep even for the mini-plow, as they never plow it after a snow. Not so difficult to go up, as I can dig in my shoes and use a fence to help pull myself up. Going down is another matter. It's virtually impossible to get down without simply slipping all the way down on one's glutes. I'm hoping that the rain forecast for tonight and tomorrow is heavy and warm enough to melt the snow and clear the path.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Cold cold ride

2009-12-16T20:20:00.004-05:00

Saturday's ride was so cold... I saw things I've never seen before and never want to see again. No, the picture at right is not from the ride. I use it only because I didn't think to snap a shot using my phone of what I witnessed. The photo was taken in Fargo, N.D., where they have real winters.

Saturday morning's ride was in the mid-20s with a wind chill in the mid-teens. About as cold as I can handle on the bike. When we stopped after the sprint at the NJ/NY state line on 9W, Eric tried to drink from his bottle but the top was frozen. He tapped it on the street to loosen the seal and the top half of the plastic bottle shattered into several pieces. Within 2-3 minutes, the spilled water had turned to ice. Now that's cold.

That reminds me of one tip I can pass along that this native Californian has learned after three winters here in the northeast. On freezing mornings, fill insulated bottles - polar or camelback work fine - with room temperature water just before leaving your warm apartment for your ride. The liquid will get cold but the insulated bottles will keep it from freezing.

Ride safe.

Beep beep!

2009-12-03T21:11:00.001-05:00

Look at the photo at right. I almost felt like doing this to a cyclist today in Manhattan. As a bike commuter, my reaction - and near physical reaction - surprised me. It also helped me understand why some motorists get frustrated with cyclists. It DID NOT help me understand people (like the guy convicted in LA for trying to kill two cyclists) who seem to have it in for virtually every cyclist, stereotyping them all as rule-breaking hedonists bent on taking over the world, or something similarly irrational.

So, back to the scene of the near-crime. I was standing at the intersection waiting for the light to turn so I could cross the street. A cab had stopped a few feet to my left, some three feet off the curb, to take on a fare. A woman was loading her child into the right rear passenger seat, so the door was open. Along came a bike messenger who was trying to ride between the cab and the curb. He screamed at the woman, "beep, beep" and when he got along side her, he put one foot on the ground, leaned over her shoulder and screamed "I said beep, beep, you f*****n' hebe."

I watched the idiot - delayed all of 2 seconds - get back in the saddle and ride on. A man, possibly the woman's husband, came around the back of the cab from putting something in the back of it, and glared at the cyclist. A moment after the cyclist had passed me, I had one of those epiphanies, like when you think of a good come back to something somebody has told you...only it's minutes, hours or days later and the opportunity has slipped by like a beautiful woman exiting the subway car.

I felt like I wanted to knock the guy off the bike and see him suffer just a little. I wanted to make him stop and think about what he had done, all because he was pissed off that someone had delayed him on his journey by an amount equivalent to the time it takes him to scratch his balls. Although such an action on my part would have been more rational than his tirade, I didn't respond with anger against anger. My mother raised me not to do such things.

What he did remind of me of is the way too many drivers - not all, just too many - seem to treat most cyclists (regardless of whether they are obeying the laws or not) as being less than human, who don't deserve to be on the road, or sometimes even live. I have seen cyclists do some stupid things before and risk their own lives, but I've never seen one try to intentionally injure or endanger the lives of another human being. Conversely, from the saddle of my bike, I routinely see motorists guilty of that very thing.

It's almost impossible for a cyclist to kill someone by running into them on their bikes. The rider almost always gets the worst of it. For a driver, all it takes is a flick of the wrist on the steering wheel or a moment of inattentiveness. We've all got to find a better way to get along.

Ride safe. Drive safe.

Profitable Ride

2009-11-20T22:46:00.002-05:00

On Thursday morning's ride through Central Park, I decided to cut short my ride because of a nagging pain in my hip and wound up making $20.

I took a right somewhere in the 70s to get back to Central Park West and get to work, after a little hip pain persuaded me to shorten my ride into to work. As I approached the intersection while still in the park, I spotted the tell-tale signs of a film crew: a large truck, lots of people with headsets on carrying clipboards, and even more sitting around doing nothing much at all. Two people in bright green T-shirts jogged toward me and I heard a guy yell, "Get the guy on the bike." Normally, that kind of greeting might encourage me to turn around and speed away. Somehow, I could tell they meant no physical harm. The two green Ts started jogging along side me and asked if I wanted what sounded like a cashew bar. Turns out it is a Kashi bar. I said sure, I'll take free food and thanked them.

Moments later, a pretty woman in black (headset: check; clipboard: check) stopped me and asked if I wanted to be in a commercial in exchange for $20. I asked what I had to do, checking my watch as I did. She said "you just did it." I signed a waiver, she gave me a twenty and I was on my way in a couple minutes. Not a bad way to make $20. Not sure if I'll be in their commercial or not. It was a quickie, all of 8 seconds. Can't say the bar was all that good. I'll stick with my Clif bars.

"New" Madone

2009-11-08T09:32:00.006-05:00

I've gone from one classic frame to another, due to a pain in the neck. After riding the Merckx I bought in the summer a few times, I had a raging neck ache that lasted more than a month from being stretched out too much on the bike. It was actually a 57cm frame, rather than a 56 as advertised that is the largest frame I can handle. 54cm is ideal for me, as an average-height dude of 5'10". So, I found a 54cm 2006 Trek Madone frame and fork on eBay for the same price I paid for the '91 Merckx Corsa Extra frame and fork. Both frames were same ones pros used to race the pro races, but the Madone is probably 7 lbs lighter. Man does it feel like it, too.

Yesterday's ride up to Nyack was fantastic. Sometimes it feels like I'm floating over the pavement. Amazing. When I got off the bike I felt like I'd just gone a few miles instead of 50. Just sold the Merckx back on eBay for almost what I paid for it, so no significant loss there. Planning on keeping this bike for a long time.

Cold Spring on just a cool day

2009-11-03T18:20:00.005-05:00

Just a sampling of some of the colors we saw in Cold Spring today. As much as I'd like to say I rode my bike there, we took the more comfortable route via the train. Nice ride, by the way. A lot less effort than the bike...

Mary took the photo at upper right (click on it for a larger version. I took the one below left, as we were waiting for the train home.

There's not a whole lot to do in Cold Spring, but we enjoyed ourselves on a nice, cool day outside the city, whiling away a few hours drinking hot chocolate in the town honky tonk, meandering through a handful of the village's seemingly dozens of antique shops, and strolling by this picturesque Episcopal church at bottom right. At bottom left is a sunset I captured from the moving train on the way home, somewhere south of Bear Mountain on the West side of the mighty Hudson River.

Why Ride?

2009-11-02T12:13:00.002-05:00

Two words: River Road.

Just one of many reasons I ride. Maybe I'll elaborate on the others later, but today it's River Road, an 8-or-so-mile stretch from just below the George Washington Bridge on the Jersey side of the mighty Hudson River to Alpine Road. Technically, it's named Henry Hudson Drive, but local cyclists just call it River Road. Few drivers know about it, so it's mostly used by walkers, cyclists and a few motorists heading down to a couple of boat-launches.

The photo above was taken with my camera phone near the New Jersey side of the GW Bridge, looking south to Manhattan. You can just make out the majestic Empire State Building, the tallest in NYC. If you click on the photo, you'll get a larger version and it should be more visible in the right quarter of the frame. Below and out of frame is River Road, which was sprinkled with fallen leaves this morning. I saw only one other cyclist (we're not bikers, those guys and gals ride Harleys and other things with engines) along the way and took a couple videos on my new phone, but somehow they didn't get transferred properly to my computer and I lost them. Still working out how this darn thing works.

For most of the ride, I could only hear the light patter of leaves falling and hitting branches and other leaves, my own breathing and my tires crunching over the leaves on the pavement. And all but 15 minutes outside Manhattan! After yesterday's chaotic event in the city trying to watch a friend run the marathon, this was a welcome respite from the often exasperating conditions of this place.

Green side of Manhattan

2009-09-13T21:01:00.002-04:00

You may not believe me, but that is Manhattan in the foreground. If you click on the photo to see the larger version, you'll be able to make out the Manhattan skyline just to the right of the tip of land.

I took this shot Saturday fr0m a new pier near 125th St. in Harlem, during a brief bike ride down Riverside Park between rain storms. The tower in the middle is actually the steeple of Riverside Church, near Columbia. At the base of the big wall of concrete below the trees is the bike path I take most days year-round on my ride back and forth to work.

Maiden voyage for the Merckx

2009-09-07T20:58:00.006-04:00

Well, no crashes on this morning's first ride on the '91 Merckx Corsa Extra, so that's a good start. Nobody else did and nothing broke. 3 for 3. My buddy Rob finished putting it together this weekend, so I was on it briefly yesterday to give it a little test before riding it for real on this morning's ride to Piermont. After buying the frame more than month ago and slowly collecting the components I was after, I was rather anxious to see what my patience and buck had purchased.

It was a great, smooth ride. It accelerates more quickly than my '89 Raleigh, so that's worth something. It will take me some time to get use to having STI (brake-lever) shifters, as I've been riding the Raleigh with down-tube shifters for many months now. I kept leaning down to make a shift this morning.

As you can see from the photo above, it's a rather colorful, distinctive bike (click on the photo for a larger view). As one my mechanic buddies said, they don't paint like that any more. I did get some long looks from some other older riders on steel-frames, today, including from a couple of guys who told me a couple weeks ago they wanted to buy it from me when they saw it the first time.

So, I can't complain. At this point, this is one sweet ride. My plan is to make this my weekend ride with the gang, and make my Raleigh my commuter bike.

Oh, why, you ask, do I ride old bikes? Well, if you're asking it's because you've never ridden a steel road bike or you've forgotten how it feels. It's just smooth. And this model - a professional level bike in its day - is a fraction of the cost of what the pros ride today.

K-Man: The Rest of the Story

2009-09-02T19:34:00.005-04:00

I've been thinking of doing this for a while. And while Keith's recent spate of accidents have added incentive to do it sooner than later, I'm really just trying to follow the philosophy of honoring a friend while he's alive instead of the alternative when he can't be witness to it. So, Keith, I'm not worried you're going to pass on to the big triathlon in the sky any time soon. I'm guessing with the mishaps you've had recently you've had your run of bad luck.

Many of my friends in Team K-Man back in Atascadero, Calif., have known the namesake - former professional tri-athlete Keith Schmidt - for a few years or maybe even 10 or 15. They know him to be an incredibly giving, caring, funny and devoted family man (as if someone like Keith can be reduced to a single-sentence description). I know him as that too, but my memories go back as far as 1971, when we first met at Monterey Road Elementary School.

Keith - along with his brother Steve - was one of the first friends I made some 38 years ago when we first moved to Atascadero. Shit, could I tell some stories. If only I could remember them. You know what, though, few outside his family any could really tell any stories about Keith that would be embarrassing. Not that this surprises you, I'm sure.

You all know Keith as an incredible triathlete, but when we were growing up Keith was developing into the best basketball player I've ever played against (OK, maybe second to Art Wilmore, but that man played with Dr. J and held his own so that's not a fair comparison). Many a weekend back in junior high and high school Keith and I would be on the phone to each other, planning out who to call to organize an afternoon of basketball at a local playground. I'd call half a dozen friends and he'd call an equal number and then we'd call each other back to confirm how many we'd collected. Then it was off to the playground, usually on our bikes but sometimes getting rides from our parents.

By the time we were in high school, Keith was the star of the basketball team, even as a sophomore on the varsity. He could shoot with either hand - a very rare talent - and could pass like Larry Bird. Like Bird, he made his teammates better. Everyone wanted to be on Keith's team. The only thing that kept him from having a great career on Cal Poly's team was chronic foot injuries, which persist to this day, if I'm not mistaken.

But the thing that really stands out about Keith is he's just a good person. For those of you who know his mother, you know where he gets it. Of all the guys we played ball with back then, he's the only one I'm still in contact with. And it's always the same when we see each other - we can pick up the conversation as if we had just seen each other the day before, as opposed to the six months or 3 years or whatever it has actually been.

I can share one story about Keith and dropping acid, but it's not as juicy as it sounds. One night when I was a senior I was selling tickets at a girls basketball game when Keith showed up and told me that several of our friends had done something very stupid - they'd dropped acid and were out of control. My parents happened to be out of town, so we carted our friends over to my house and babysat them for several hours until they stopped tripping.

Keith's probably saved a lot of people in various ways since then. I know he is the reason I'm a cyclist today. Back when I was training for the AIDS Ride from SF to LA back in '97, he was a great source of encouragement and advice and discounted accessories from the store. He eventually talked me into coming out for Saturday rides and, if it hadn't been for Keith's encouragement - and some fast friendships developed with several of you - I wouldn't have hung in there as long as I did. So, thanks for that, too, Keith.

I probably have a couple other stories about Keith, but I think I'll save them for another time (like when I can actually remember them).

So, Keith, here's to you. Live long and prosper.

Barefoot in the park, on the trail?

2009-09-01T20:33:00.004-04:00

While I eagerly await the final parts being installed on my Merckx, my thoughts turn to this bizarre story in The Times: Wiggling Their Toes at the Shoe Giants.

I'd love to hear what y'all think of this. Here's an excerpt:

Recent research suggests that for all their high-tech features, modern running shoes may not actually do much to improve a runner’s performance or prevent injuries. Some runners are convinced that they are better off with shoes that are little more than thin gloves for the feet — or with no shoes at all.
Plenty of medical experts disagree with this notion. The result has been a raging debate in running circles, pitting a quirky band of barefoot runners and researchers against the running-shoe and sports-medicine establishments.
It has also inspired some innovative footwear. Upstart companies like Vibram, Feelmax and Terra Plana are challenging the running-shoe status quo with thin-sole designs meant to combine the benefits of going barefoot with a layer of protection. This move toward minimalism could have a significant impact on not only running shoes but also on the broader $17 billion sports shoe market.

Well, what do you make of this?

The Cannibal

2009-08-01T14:06:00.004-04:00

This one's a keeper. My Eddy Merckx Super Corsa frame - 1991 model - arrived today from France. What a beauty, eh? Click the photo to see a larger image.

The unconventional paint job is in the colors of Team Weinmann, which supposedly rode this model on the pro cuircut that year. I'll be building it up with components from friends and my current bike. Should be an adventure. This is the kind of frame I could ride for a very, very long time.

The cannibal is the nickname of the bike maker - Eddy Merckx, the greatest pro cyclist ever. Watch the video at right for the evidence.

Peekskill and back

2009-07-22T20:25:00.008-04:00

Tom and I were joined on our Saturday ride by his cousin Ken and friend John. I'll take a foursome like this on two wheels than on the golf course any day. Below are a few photos from the 88-mile ride, which went north along the Hudson River to Peekskill, east to somewhere I can't remember and down the Putnam Valley Trail back home to the Bronx.

Don't know what the name of this lake is, but it was a nice sight. It was before we got to Peekskill.

I took this shot with my cell phone over my right shoulder just after I rode over an old railroad bridge across another lake I don't know the name of. Tom, can you help out here?

This is the path as we got closer to home. For those of you who are wondering why it's so green in the middle of July, take a moment to remember you're in California. Pretty much everywhere else on the content has wet summers that keep vegetation alive, flourishing and green.

Wrong Way

2009-07-03T15:47:00.004-04:00

"A Cyclist Died Here" photo courtesy of Seattlest Flickr Pool member HeyRocker

"Wrong way, asshole" is actually what the dog-walker said to Tom and I as we pedaled along this morning in Central Park on a road that is always closed to vehicular traffic. Yes, we were on a road in which the arrows were pointing the other direction, but there was no flow of traffic and there never is. THE ROAD IS CLOSED. We weren't near him or about to collide with him, we were just chatting as we went relatively slowly through the park. As it was early and a day off for most New Yorkers, the park was sparsely populated. Would he have said this to a fellow dog walker going in the same direction? Or even to a dog-less walker? Doubtful. The target of his vehemence was cyclists.

As the two of us continued riding in the park, undeterred, we realized this guy was probably just about then letting his dog off the leash, as most dog walkers seem to do in the park, where dog walkers are required to keep their dogs on leashes. I bet he wasn't calling such dog walkers assholes, now was he?

What is it with some people who hate other people who happen to be on bicycles? I've never understood it completely. These verbal, and sometimes intentional vehicular, assaults are typically committed by people who routinely break the law jaywalking, driving above posted speed limits, running red lights and rolling stop signs. So, the argument that cyclists break traffic laws so they deserve some ill will is bunk. Let's be honest, we all do so on occasion. Some people do so regularly. Just get over it and get on with your lives without risking the lives of others.

Life is simply too short to get caught up in such pettiness.

Oh, the photo above is from a thoughtful piece in a Seattle blog on this same topic.

Celebrity sighting #37

2009-06-28T16:37:00.003-04:00

During a rest break during Saturday's bicycle ride to Nyack, who should I spot walking unassumingly down the street of that quaint little town but actor/clown extraordinaire Bill Irwin (in a publicity photo at right from Topnews). I recognized him right away because he still had some facial growth like he does in this photo. "Waiting for Godot" (pronounced gawd-oh) runs through July 11, so he must retain his stubble. What a great show.

What I didn't recall was his name, until he was in the next block. If I had been thinking faster, I would have congratulated him on his incredible performance in Beckett's landmark play. As good as John Goodman, Nathan Lane and John Glover were, I thought Irwin gave the best performance. If you can't place him, he was most recently in the film "Rachel Getting Married," in which he played the father. You may also remember him joining Bobby McFerrin and Robin Williams in the 1988 music video "Don't Worry, Be Happy." He was the one wearing the top hat.

Eventful ride to work

2009-06-25T22:14:00.002-04:00

As I was pedaling to Central Park on 90th Street this morning, I saw Tim Gunn turning the corner north onto Broadway. He looks pretty much like this, at right, and like he does on Project Runway (which I've seen only because Mary and Rachel are big fans).

While I was riding in the park, I also saw some familiar names on the jersey of a fellow cyclist. If you look closely at the photo below, you'll see the name Bishop's Peak on the chest of a cyclist's jersey. That's the name of a winery in San Luis Obispo County, our former home. Oddly enough, the winery owners used the spelling not of the actual peak - named Bishop Peak - but of the misspelled Bishop's Peak Elementary School. The peak's name is without the apostrophe s. Oh well. I bet the wine is good.

Just when you thought it was safe to get back on the road...

2009-06-18T19:24:00.003-04:00

... Comes this news from the Chicago Sun-Times: Bike vs. car war escalates with blockade.

What the frack is up with this?

The story reports that people's mail boxes have been stuffed with fliers promoting a blockade of a popular century ride:

"The fliers, which started appearing last week, a few days after a driver was ticketed on suspicion of endangering a cyclist, ask residents along the route of the annual cycling event to block the return leg of the ride.

"On July 25, in celebration of driver's rights, many cars will use the Left Hand Canyon Road, drive slowly and many may break down unexpectedly, blocking areas to the cyclists on the return leg of the 'Sunrise Century,'" the anonymous, one-page note reads. "Many cars and safe drivers all working together can send a message to the Statehouse to restrict cycling on our roads which are our only alternatives during family emergencies, commuting and required duties.""

This is the ride organizer below commenting on the situation:

This is ridiculous and a short-sighted effort to demonize cyclists. Drivers losing it over sharing the road with people on two wheels instead of four is one thing ... calling for an organized effort that risks more lives is simply insane.

Now we're on to something here

2009-06-17T19:28:00.003-04:00

The Missouri city of Columbia is doing something to protect bicycles. Check out this AP story on KansasCity.com: Columbia makes it illegal for motorists to harass bicyclists. The story reports that a new law passed by the city council makes harassing cyclists a misdemeanor, punishable by stiff fines or a year in jail. Forbidden activities under the new ordinance include throwing objects toward cyclists, making “frightening or disturbing” threats and honking horns or shouting to rile riders.

I've experienced all these things and worse from motorists, including more than one who tried to intentionally run me off the road. Nothing excuses that. Nothing.

The photo is from this Flicker page and has the following cutline: For whatever reason, the motorist is squeezing this cyclist although there was plenty of room in the left lane. The driver is driving over the sharrow symbol, which is supposed to indicate that cyclists may take the whole lane here. Market Street near Powell in San Francisco, California.

Well, what do you think? Should these rules be standard around the country?

Contador No Longer Tour Favorite

2009-06-13T21:44:00.004-04:00

After Alberto Contador bonked in the last km in today's state at the Dauphiné Libéré, I don't see how he can be considered the favorite for the Tour de France. Where is he in the picture below?

That's him at the back, slowing down the race official's car. It appeared on a Eurosport replay of the last climb that he was actually weaving back and forth in the last 100 meters, like a club rider struggling up a steep hill. And this is from a stellar climber? How can he expect to win the Tour if he can't hang with Evans and Valverde - great riders but not previously in his class of climbers.

Armstrong may yet challenge him for team leader at the tour. Unless Contador is sandbagging - which would be dumb at this point in the season - he looks to be facing a real struggle just to make the podium in Paris. Not that this would be a small achievement, but he's considered the best all around rider for the grand tours. The Dauphiné is considered an important test for Tour challengers. Then again, I could be full of conventional wisdom (read bull crap).

Just read a nice reality check piece on Cycling News by Susan Westemeyer, "Does Dauphiné success guarantee Tour de France victory?" She points out that the year Contador wont the Tour in 2007 he placed sixth in the Dauphiné. So what the hell do I know?

Guest Commentary: Moving Tour of California to May is Gross Blunder

2009-05-09T10:14:00.003-04:00

Below is an opinion piece by my friend, Len Colamarino, an avid cyclist, cycling fan and dual citizen of Italy and the U.S. (among many other things). I think he is on to something about the talk of Tour of California organizers moving it to May next year, right during the last week of the Giro d'Italia. Please add your comments about what you make of his position on all this:

I have heard reports that the Amgen Tour of California will be rescheduled in 2010 to take place in May.

That change would be the beginning of the end for the Amgen Tour of California. It would relegate the TOC to just another regional race, occurring during a time when the cycling world, including its best fans, teams and riders, are focused on the Giro d’Italia.

One of the main reasons that the Amgen Tour of California has been so successful in its first four years is that it has occupied a perfect place on the international bicycling calendar. There are no other cycling events of such size and stature going on in February. Also, participating teams have been able to come to California a few weeks in advance of the race and enjoy a winter training camp in relatively pleasant weather before competing in the TOC. From year one, the fact that the TOC was the biggest cycling event going on in February instantly gave it the status of a big-time race in the bicycling world. The impressive way the race has been managed and operated has served to cement that status and establish the Amgen Tour of California in just a few years as a landmark race on the international cycling calendar.

As to the weather risk which has been cited by some as a reason for rescheduling the race to May, it is just not a material problem. As a California resident who has lived elsewhere most of my life, I know to a certainty that the weather risk in California in February is no greater—and is probably less—than the risk surrounding all the major European cycling events, ranging from Paris-Nice and the Spring classics, through the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta d’Espana, to the world championships and fall classics. That is borne out by the TOC’s experience during the past four years, when the weather has, in fact, been very favorable for more than three-fourths of the stages. There are few, if any, stage races in the world with a weather record better than that.

The Amgen Tour of California has been a phenomenally successful addition to the international bicycling circuit in just four years. The scheduling change under consideration will undermine that success and reduce the TOC to little more than a sideshow held on a distant continent while the European racing season is in full swing and the attention of the cycling world is being concentrated on the Giro d’Italia. The best riders, the best teams, the best fans and the best sponsors, will be occupied with more important bicycling events going on in Europe. The Tour of California will be another minor race during the heart of the cycling season and will probably end up folding within a few years, like the Coors Classic, the Tour DuPont (later Trump) and the Tour of Georgia.

You should appreciate what the Amgen Tour of California has achieved up until now, and don’t try to fix that which is not broken.

Len Colamarino

Rainy day chases away two-wheeled commuters

2009-05-04T21:51:00.005-04:00

Riverside Park - where I bike nearly every day on the way to work - looked like this a couple days last week, but not today. There were, however, a similar number of cyclists to what's in the picture who were out today. Zero, zed, zippo.

I saw a couple delivery riders in Manhattan, but no cyclists on the path this morning and only one commuter coming home tonight. There was a light rain, but not enough to stay wet. I figured if the people in Copenhagan can ride in all sorts of weather, I can ride in drizzle. I check in occasionally on Copenhagen Cycle Chic, this cool Web site that chronicles bicycle commuting in the Danish city. Granted, their cit is much more bike-friendly than New York City, but we can always hope, right?

Rock Slide Cleared on River Road

2009-05-03T21:14:00.003-04:00

The rock slide has been cleared on River Road north of the George Washington Bridge. It was a major slide several weeks ago (see photo at right from a March 28 post).

Despite the drizzle this morning, six of us braved the elements and headed across the bridge to the western banks of the Hudson River. It was there that we ran into a fellow rider who said the slide had been cleared. As River Road is one of the nicest stretches of asphalt this side of California, we detoured to the road and enjoyed an almost car-free ride of 8 miles before we rejoined 9W en route to Piermont. It never rained hard enough to stay wet from the time we started a little after 7 until 10ish. Not as nice as last weekend, but rideable nonetheless. And any day that includes a ride is a good one.

Men of Steel

2009-04-04T07:58:00.007-04:00

Steel is back, baby.

Check this out. A group of steel-frame bicycle enthusiasts are starting the Men of Steel Racing Series in Atlanta, according to VeloNews.

Steel frame bicycles have been making a resurgence in recent years with the increase of the “fixies” around the country. Many of these were once proud racing machines. Most are used for basic transportation in college campuses and in cities by bike delivery riders. There could not be a better testament to the durability of steel.

Another sign of the steel revolution is this story from Forbes, Heaven on Wheels, about a steel frame bicycle maker (see photo at left) in Portland, Oregon.

When Sacha White came to Oregon 12 years ago, he was one in a swarm of bike messengers in Portland--a city that, more than any other in the U.S., makes way for cyclists. That's helped White change from prole to patrician in the two-wheeled world as founder of Vanilla Bicycles, which slowly turns out pricey, handcrafted machines. Bike couriers in Portland and San Francisco, when describing something as cool, now routinely say, "That's sooo Vanilla."

So popular, too, that White stopped taking new orders a year ago, after only eight years in business. Vanilla's waiting list stands at a stout four years. Economic turbulence, so troubling to the purveyors of most high-end toys, hasn't foiled demand for the bikes. "The calls and e-mails still pour in," says White, 32. "Interest level definitely hasn't ebbed."

This is all good news for cycling, commuting and pretty much everyone. The more people cycle the healthier they are and the fewer cars there are on the road polluting the air and using up natural resources. Good for everyone. So, get out there and get on your bikes!

Rock Slide on River Road

2009-03-28T16:37:00.006-04:00

Here's why the northern section of River Road north of the George Washington Bridge is closed:

This is a mountain bike rider we met while riding on the open section of the road. He told Tom and I that the slide was still there, and that he had already carried his bike over it twice this morning as he did repeats on the deserted road. We decided to follow him down to take some photos. Not bad for a camera phone, eh? We did not risk traversing the slide ourselves, having gained a little wisdom with our years (I said little).

The slide has been there for many weeks and we think it's more than a money issue that has led officials to not clean it up just yet. It appears that some more of the rock face (see photo below) is ready to come down at any time.
Click on the images to see larger photos. The lighter-colored section of the rock at the top center of the photo appears to be leaning to the left and liable to break away and come down the slope. What do you think?

It is about the bike?

2009-03-15T14:39:00.005-04:00

To paraphrase Lance Armstrong's book title - "It's not about the bike" - this encounter may be about the bike (see more about why I inserted a question mark in the headline above). I spent last week at my father's in Paso Robles and Peg very generously loaned me her back up bike (she recently purchased a stunning De Rosa): a five-year-old Trek Madone, one of the models Lance rode to one of his seven Tour de France triumphs. What a ride! Stiff when you need it up a climb and yet a soft ride on the open road. I was actually able to keep up with my riding buddies with K-Man almost all the time.

I can't realistically give all the credit to the bike, however. After a second session with Bronx masseur Greg McCalister, I followed his advice about taking a week off from training every three months. I wound up taking 10 days off between my last Saturday ride and the first ride in California. I had so much energy I was sprinting up hills and holding my own with normally stronger riders. Another reason I can't say it was all due to the bike is that this morning's ride on my 1988 Trek 400T felt nearly as good as the $4K Madone.

2009-03-14T12:58:00.001-04:00

Teal steel, baby

2009-02-28T13:22:00.003-05:00

OK, despite the scratches this baby is a great ride. It has a triple crank so it's a great bike for climbing hills, which there are plenty of outside the city. It even has an oblong crank that makes it even easier to climb. With nearly 200 lbs to drag around, I can use all the help I can get.

It's an even smoother ride than the used Raleigh I bought, but it's very similar in how well it responds to me and the road. I'll be keeping this one for sure.

I am still going to let the seller on eBay know about the scratches that occurred during shipping before I leave buyer's feedback for him. This could cost me $50 to $100 to have the paint touched up to prevent rust.

Great frame, but dinged

2009-02-27T18:39:00.020-05:00

It's a long story, but I bought a second bike on eBay that is very nice. However, the seller didn't do a great job of packing it up for UPS. The box itself was in good shape, but inside there were loose pedals floating around and the rear cassette of the rear wheel was resting against the right side of the bike, right on the Trek label.

On the first two on the left, there are no visible scratches or chipped paint near the bottle cage holes on the vertical down tube. There are now in the first photo on the right after shipping. Click on the images to expand the photos. On the third photo on the left, there doesn't appear to be any scratches or marks near the Trek lettering on the diagonal down tube or on the right fork. There are significant ones now, on the right side photo. A the bottom there are two images that show the rear wheel cassette resting on the down tube when it arrived in the box.

Before shipping on the left, after shipping on the right:

Steel steed

2009-02-22T21:35:00.003-05:00

Picked up a "new" bike to replace my carbon frame Trek, which I shall be listing soon on eBay. After riding my steel-framed Peugeot in Paris for a couple hundred miles, I realize how much I prefer the ride of steel over carbon. Although it's a bit heavier, it's a little more responsive and I feel like I could ride it all day. It's just that comfortable.

So, at left is the 1989 Raleigh I am now riding. Unless you've ridden steel, it's difficult to understand the appeal. Maybe reaching down to shift gears on the down tube instead of the brake lever is nostalgic or something. I really don't mind it and I got used to it pretty quick. It may seem pretty silly to trade a bike that sold for nearly $3,000 for one I just bought for about $300, but I prefer the trade off. At this point in the economy, I could use the spare cash as well.

Premature death for Velib?

2009-02-11T20:07:00.003-05:00

The Web is awash with stories declaring the virtual death of Velib, the bike-sharing program made popular in Paris. There have been previous reports of vandalism in the program, but this smells a bit premature, to say the least.

Take a closer look at the stories and you'll see some gaping holes, even in the versions published by the venerable BBC and blog with The New York Times. The BBC story, which the Times story refererences, is a one-source story that doesn't ask some basic follow-up questions. This is a fine example of irresponsible journalism.

A reader of the NY Times story pointed out the obvious flaws of that site's story: why didn't anyone ask the advertising company behind the program about the deposits they must be collecting on stolen or missing bikes? Renters have to put up a 150 euro deposit via a credit card if the bikes don't get returned. A good follow up question to that would be why doesn't the program require a deposit that covers the actual 400 euro+ cost to replace the bikes? Seems like a simple solution, but since the stories didn't explore anything - just reported what the company flack told them - we'll never know the truth of the matter.

A crankin' mystery

2009-02-03T20:59:00.009-05:00

With apologies to the Talking Heads, you may ask yourself, well...how did I get here?

I can tell you right off there was no impact, no collision, no contact. I deny categorically the reckless accusation that I inflicted this damage on my own bike in a fit of rage when the Cardinal's Larry Fitzgerald scored the go-ahead TD with less than 3 minutes left in the game against my beloved Steelers in the Super Bowl on Sunday night (EST anyway). No, I was calm and confident that Big Ben would do what he has done all season ... win. My confidence, as you all know, was rewarded by exactly that. What a game!

No, this damage to the bike was done the day before, by accident and likely the cold. Although it was a balmy 22, the wind chill was in the single digits. It was near the end of the ride, some 3 miles or so north of the George Washington Bridge when I stood up on the pedals and soon found myself rolling over the top of my handlebars and onto the pavement.

Thank God for all that football training in high school on how to roll. All I got was a raspberry-sized raspberry on my right shoulder and a couple minor scrapes on my right shin (an inch or so above my healing gash from September's crash). The result is what you see above. The crank sheared off in the middle, splaying me across the road. Anybody ever seen this before?

I was able to ride with one pedal back to the bike shop (the crank above is in shop owner Ozzie's hands), with the help of ride leader Rob's steady push up the remaining hills and across the bridge. I quickly learned just how damn heavy my legs are. I was good for about 10 revolutions before having to take a rest and then start cranking again. The adventures never cease, eh?

Same as it ever was.

So which method of travel do you prefer?

2009-01-23T21:36:00.004-05:00

Would you rather drive to work in the comfort and warmth of your own car each morning, in the mostly single-occupant vehicles on the left? Or, would you rather generate your own heat riding your bike to work like the gentleman in front of me and like myself, of course?

Well, you know my choice. After seeing no evidence in the snow or in front of me on yesterday morning's commute, I saw a few riders this morning and quite a few tire trails on my way home. Temperatures reached the mid-40s today, so that may explain what brought out more cyclists today. The sun almost melted the snow left on the bike path north of the George Washington Bridge. Crews keep the path south of the bridge cleared, presumably for the security officers stationed at the base of the bridge.

Just for fun, here's a shot of our new president in an early cycling photo. I found this on Copenhagen Cycle Chic, a very cool Web site dedicated to "Streetstyle and bike advocacy from the world's bike capital."

Yes, Lance, that's ice out there in the river

2009-01-22T20:55:00.003-05:00

I don't know why I don't look very happy in this self-snapshot, but I actually was. I had a fun time riding to work this morning. That's the Hudson River and the New Jersey shoreline over my left shoulder. Oh, and those are big chunks of ice flowing down the river.

I think it may have gotten above freezing today. That would be the first time in a week or so. Which was good, as it kept the snow on the path soft enough to pedal through. Packed snow is too slick and bumpy and takes the fun out of cycling. Although the studded tires help keep me upright, my rear tire still slips and slides a great deal.

It's amazing how much my perspective on weather has changed. Back home in California, I would hesitate to ride much when the weather was below freezing. If I followed such a practice here, I'd not ride but a few days from November through March. I don't like the trainer that much. Once a week in the winter is ok, but much more than that and I get bored.

Maybe we are crazy after all

2009-01-19T20:22:00.006-05:00

With a few inches of fresh snow overnight, we ditched the road bikes and launched on our mountain bikes instead this morning, opting for the Putnam Valley Trail starting in Van Cortland Park. This is Tom, at right, with my bike leaning against the sign at left.

Riding in this stuff sure gets the heart rate up. We were both in our small chain rings and averaged barely 6 mph for the ride, which was 90 minutes and less than 10 miles. That was plenty in this stuff. The main challenges, aside from remaining upright, are maintaining concentration at all times, not gripping the handlebars too tightly, and remembering to keep pedaling. The best way out of most slips by either wheel is to keep pedaling regardless and you'll pull out of it most of the time.

I took one tumble right in front of Tom, but fortunately he was able to swerve and I was able to regain my feet and step aside. One thing about riding in snow is it's a soft landing and you can't go very fast anyway, so it's difficult to hurt yourself anyway.

Even studs have their limitations

2009-01-15T21:55:00.004-05:00

The stud refers to tires not me. I rode — or rather I tried to ride — but the ice forced me to turn back. I made it as far as the path this morning in 17-degree temperatures (3 with the wind chill).

It was the ice that convinced me to go back and ride the subway to work. The path (at left) was covered by an inch of snow over an inch or so of packed ice. Even with the studded tires my rear wheel was fishtailing. On the tires' maiden voyage I found their limits. I didn't anticipate that would happen so fast, but I'd rather learn sooner than later.

Studs Along the Hudson

2009-01-11T21:37:00.008-05:00

It snowed a few inches Saturday afternoon and it hasn't been above freezing since, so there promises to be ice on the bike path en route to work tomorrow morning. So, I have countered the weather — I hope — by putting studded tires on my commuter bike. I was going to test them out a bit today, but got busy preparing to watch today's glorious Pittsburgh Steeler playoff victory.

So, do they look sharp enough to help keep me from slipping around tomorrow on two wheels?

I've never used them before, having lived most of my life in California within 15 miles of the Pacific Ocean. It just doesn't get below freezing all that much in SLO County (at least outside of the North County), certainly not often enough to warrant putting studded tires on a bike. It should be an adventure, so I'll give a review of my hopefully less-than-wild ride tomorrow.

P.S. &mdash Monday update: I'm sick, so I'll shoot to ride Tuesday and report that night. Wish me luck.

Going nowhere not so fast

2009-01-04T10:59:00.003-05:00

Our first ride of the year was something like this photo at right from Reuters. The wind chill was around 7 degrees, which is doable (sort of), but it was the ice and snow drifts that convinced Tom and I to drag our trainers to the rec room and get in an 83-minute "ride." While it was better than nothing, it's just not better than the real thing.

Bikes on ice

2008-12-31T21:06:00.004-05:00

Back to Chicago. These riders are cycling along Lake Michigan (photo credit: James Haygood, reader of BikeCommuters blog). Click the photo to see the full image.

Our New Year's ride here in the Bronx tomorrow may look similar. The wind chill is predicted to be in the single digits until noon with the listed temps in the teens. That's the coldest we've done this year - if we do it. The complicating factor is today's snowfall. The roads seem pretty clear, but any moisture left over will be ice. It could make for some treacherous stretches. I've ordered some studded tires for my commuter bike, but they haven't arrive yet. We'll just have to wait and see in the morning how slippery the roads are.

Regardless, what a way to start the year, eh?

These guys are even wackier than the Chicagoans

2008-12-24T07:50:00.005-05:00

If you think the dog sledders who do the Iditarod are tough, check out the people who do it on bikes or on foot in this NY Times video. Click the image at right to watch.

They make the Chicago snow riders - and the rest of us - look pretty tame.

Accidental Cyclist

2008-12-17T22:11:00.002-05:00

I'm really not accident prone. I'm really not. That's my mantra now, after I had a cycling-related accident without being on or near a bicycle.

How could that happen? Well, remember, I have a creative mind. And I was using my head when it happened.

Mary went off to do some last minute shopping last night while I decided to pull out the boxes of Xmas decorations and the fake tree from our storage locker downstairs. Of course the three boxes were in the back, requiring me to unload all of Rachel's boxes she'll be taking back with her to the dorms next month. She returns Sunday from her semester in Paris.

So, after getting the three boxes I needed, I began to rearrange all the remaining boxes. Then it happened. A never-used bicycle wheel - just the metal rim and spokes, no tire attached - hanging on the mesh-fence of the locker fell off and hit me in the head. After uttering a few expletives and grabbing my head - and kicking a box that was thankfully soft - I looked at my hand and it was covered in blood.

Then I really started cursing.

I still had a dozen boxes left to put back in the locker and three boxes to carry upstairs. I couldn't just leave them out and I couldn't get help from Mary, who was out shopping. So, I hurriedly put the boxes back in the locker and carried the others upstairs before I could deal with my bloody head.

I didn't realize until a couple hours later, upon closer inspection, that I may have needed stitches. I was in no mood to go spend the night in an ER, so I didn't see a doctor 'til early afternoon today. She said they probably would have put staples in my head had I come in last night but that today the two-inch long cut was closed and healing nicely, so she didn't do anything but scrub it a bit and reapply some Neosporin and send me home.

At least now I can rest easy knowing I probably did the right thing by not going to the ER right away. Oh, and thank you to Brooks Saddles - the only kind I'll mount - for the nice photo above. Click on the photo and you'll see a bigger one, large enough to tell the woman's tattoo is of a peace sign. Perhaps that's what on her cardboard sign she's holding up outside 10 Downing Street, the British Prime Minister's version of the White House.

Bike or be fat

2008-12-16T06:25:00.005-05:00

That seems to be one of the messages coming out of a new study that found a link between "active transportation" and less obesity in 17 industrialized countries across Europe, North America and Australia. See the AP's Leaner nations bike, walk, use mass transit and Study Says Cars Make Us Fat from Wired's Autopia blog. The photo at left is from a cool site - Copenhagen Cycle Chic - and has the following caption: A Copenhagener pedals his ladyfriend across the same intersection in their Christiania Bike.

The AP frames its story with a profile of 51-year-old Jim Richards of Knoxville, Tenn., who started pedaling 11 miles to work after visiting a friend in Sweden a few years ago. The results were measurable, as he lost 20 lbs.:

After a year, his annual checkup shows the results: his heart rate, blood pressure and cholesterol all are down.

"I just love riding," he said. "It's like a double-shot of caffeine in the morning."

The story goes on to report that "Europeans on average walk 237 miles and cycle 116 miles per year; U.S. residents walk 87 miles and bike 24 miles. ...that translates into burning off 5 to 9 pounds of fat annually for Europeans compared to only 2 pounds for Americans."

My bike buddies here and with K-Man in Atascadero, Calif., sure are pushing that average up for Americans. I've cycles 5,500 miles or more each of the past 5 years. Roughly half of those miles have been commuting to work.

So, if you're looking for a way to fulfill that New Year's resolution to drop some pounds and get healthier, biking to work is a great way to start. Enjoy the ride and remember: bike first, work later.

Now these guys are really crazy

2008-11-25T21:54:00.003-05:00

I thought my fellow weekend cyclists were crazy for riding Sunday when it was 25 degrees (11 with the wind chill). The guys at left are beyond us, for sure.

They are part of a group - Bikewinter.org - that promotes winter cycling, as in riding in the snow. They are based in Chicago, which explains a lot (the snow and the sanity levels).

Last winter Tom and I rode every weekend we were both in town, even riding in snow flurries. I draw the line, though, when it begins accumulating in measurable inches. With the hills of Riverdale and northern Manhattan, it would be a bit too slippery to risk it. Chicago, on the other hand, is more flat so it could be safer there. I don't plan on going to the windy city any winter soon to ride my bike and test that theory. I'll defer to the mad men and women of Bike Winter and tip my wool cap to them for showing some true spirit.

European mayors ride bike-sharing wave

2008-11-18T05:06:00.005-05:00

A lot of mayors in European cities are clamoring for bike-sharing programs like the Velib in Paris and Bicing in Barcelona, according to The New York Times' story European Support for Bicycles Promotes Sharing of the Wheels. Thanks to Ed for sharing this story, which I overlooked when I was in Paris riding the Velib, among other things. Sure would be great to have city leaders in the U.S. take on such programs. Washington D.C. is struggling with one, but at least they're trying.

For the naysayers out there, I offer the second line of the Times' story:

"Over the last several years, the programs have sprung up and taken off in dozens of cities, on a scale no one had thought possible and in places where bicycling had never been popular."

Yes, there are challenges for U.S. cities trying such programs, which the story notes: "In North America, issues like insurance liability, a stronger car culture, longer commutes and a preference for wearing helmets have slowed adoption of bicycle-sharing programs. None of the European programs require helmets. Still, Washington and Montreal are experimenting with small projects, and Chicago, Boston and New York are studying options."

It's not impossible, however, and the benefits go beyond cleaner air and healthier people:

"Officials in Lyon, one of the first cities to institute a large technology-driven bike program, estimate that bike-sharing has eliminated tons of pollutants since its inception in 2005. But more than that, they say, it has changed the face of the city.

“The critical mass of bikes on the road has pacified traffic,” said Gilles Vesco, vice mayor in charge of the program in Lyon. “Now, the street belongs to everybody and needs to be better shared. It has become a more convivial public space.”"

Wow. What a concept.

Aussies know the score

2008-11-08T03:58:00.004-05:00

A story in The Australian shows that Two wheels are better than four. Here's an excerpt:

"Local and international research presented at a cycling safety seminar in Sydney in September has revealed that as cycling participation increases, a cyclist is far less likely to have a collision with a motor vehicle or suffer injury or death. The reduction in accidents is not just because there are fewer cars on the road, but also because motorists seem to change their behaviour and drive more safely when they see more cyclists."

The photo above, as you may have guessed, has nothing to do with Australia or bike commuting. I took this photo on Obama day, I mean election day, on my ride up a nearby bike path. I couldn't resist stopping to record the fall colors with my mobile phone camera.

Commuter Cycling Is Soaring in NYC

2008-10-31T19:46:00.004-04:00

So says New York City officials in this blog entry from The New York Times. The photo at right has nothing to do with the story. I've just been dying to use it for a while. My former boss had it made for my send off when I moved on last month to my new job. That's my face on top of Lance Armstrong's body, sipping champagne with the Discovery boys on the last day of his seventh Tour de France victory.

Getting back to the story, it's amazing that the numbers are going up so much - 35 percent, city officials claim. A Columbia student has a nicely written opinion piece in today's campus paper on the same subject. I seem to have noticed more people on the bike path on my commute to and from work, but not necessarily by more than a third. The city has put in miles of bike lanes, but it is a long way from becoming the same bike-friendly city that Paris and other European cities are. I can't imagine New York City officials installing any bike paths like the one pictured in the blog entry below. Can anyone else?

What would you have told this dangerous driver?

2008-10-28T19:58:00.003-04:00

We need more bike lanes like this in New York. The one at left I photographed when I was last in Paris. Talk about a refuge for cyclists.

I could have used something like this Monday morning on my way to work. I rode to Central Park for a quick lap before heading back to Riverside Drive on 91st Street, where there is a left-side bike lane (I think I'm a little less likely to collide with a passenger-side car door than a driver-side door with a right-side of the street bike lane). I was heading west between Amsterdam and Broadway when I approached a car double-parked in the bike lane. The car behind me sped up to block me from entering the car lane to go around the lawbreaker, even though there were cars stopped at the intersection ahead of us. When I realized the car's maneuver, I said loudly to the driver, "You're not really going to cut me off, are you?" Simultaneously, I slowed down, anticipating the driver's answer. She said something to the effect, "You bet I am" through her open window and laughed as she stormed by.

Due to the aforementioned blockage of the intersection, I easily caught her 50 meters or so later and as I went by I asked, "For what purpose? What did you accomplish?" Leave it to me to try and reason with a person who has just demonstrated her lack of regard for human life other than her own.

I can't be sure precisely what she said - she was so obese that her articulation suffered - but I'm pretty sure she said "So I could see your skinny ass get squished you mother*&^#er." I've never been called skinny-assed in my life, and besides, it's simply untrue. Compared to hers, maybe, but my glutes are fully maximus.

Well, at that point, I let reason slip away and responded loudly in kind as I rode through the intersection. So much so, that pedestrians nearby looked over to see what the matter was. It's amazing how the adrenaline rush from a brush with one's mortality can bring out the ugliness in us all.

It's easy to say we cyclists should just let such incidents and reckless driving roll off our backs, wave it off with a chuckle and keep on riding. It happens so often, we ought to be used to it, right? It's much harder though to actually accomplish such model behavior. That fact won't keep me from trying harder next time.

I encourage you to share your own experiences in a comment. Remember, ride first, work later.

West Side Bike Path Complete

2008-10-20T21:03:00.005-04:00

Workers told me this morning I was the first cyclist to pedal along the new stretch of bike path (see right) between 135th and 125th streets. What an honor. I've been watching the progress for months on my almost daily commute to work, so it's nice to see it come this far.

If I'm not mistaken, this completes the bike path on Manhattan's west side between Dyckman Street and Battery Park. While there is a stretch under construction around 92nd Street south, the path continues up on the bluff so at least one need not enter a road to continue the journey.

Here's the view at left of the path northbound on my way home tonight. My apologies for the poor quality of the images. My mobile phone's camera has its limitations.

Examiner.com released a list of the top 20 cycling sites by traffic and, alas, On the Rivet was not among them. Ha. There are some interesting blogs on the list, so check it out.

Cool HD video on Vélib — Paris' bike-sharing program

2008-10-15T21:11:00.005-04:00

Bikes Belong presents Velib Paris HD from Bikes Belong Coalition on Vimeo.

$700 Billion Bailout Good for Bicycle Commuters

2008-10-13T20:05:00.002-04:00

A view of my commute along the Hudson River in Manhattan

Thanks to the latest from BikeCommuters.com, I've noticed the well-done blog post at the Bike Commute Tips blog about some good news for cycling. Part of the recently passed bail-out package Congress passed included a tax break for bicycle commuters.

Check out the FAQs at the League of American Bicyclists.

When does the bill become effective?
Effective Date –Tax year beginning January 1, 2009

I am a bicycle commuter: how and where do I apply?
As the parking, transit, and qualified parking programs, the bicycle commuter provision is a fringe benefit, so your employer will still have to set up a process to administer the benefit that works for your organization. The League of American Bicyclists is taking the lead to obtain guidance from IRS that employers can use to set up their programs.

How does the program work?
The original intent was that an employer could now provide up to $20 a month in incentives related to an employee's bike commuting, to include, but not limited to, bike parking facilities, shower facilities, and maintenance then deduct that amount from their taxable income. Again, we will work with IRS to establish more guidance for interested employers.

Hey, $20 is 20 bucks. In two months that's enough for a tune-up or a new Specialized Armadillo tire, or even a pair of good leg warmers.

For bicycle commuters, rush hour can mean spending an hour getting a rush

2008-10-08T20:20:00.006-04:00

I made the lede of a story in the Riverdale Press this morning: For bicycle commuters, rush hour can mean spending an hour getting a rush. A nice British fellow took quite a few photos on my ride Monday morning. None of them made the paper's Web site on the first day, but they added a slideshow with three of them by the next day.

Check out the copy below:

There’s one stretch of Jeff Ballinger’s commute, between his Riverdale home and Columbia University, that always gets him: he’s on the West Side Greenway path, rounding a corner just south of the George Washington Bridge when suddenly the Manhattan skyline ripples out before him.

Coasting down the bike path just steps from the Hudson River he can see the Statue of Liberty and all the way to Staten Island, accompanied only by the hum of traffic on the bridge and the wind in his ears.

“Oh, yeah,” he thinks to himself every time. “This is why I ride.” Since he moved to Riverdale a year and a half ago, Mr. Ballinger has commuted to and from work on his bike nearly every day — though last year his wife talked him out of riding in December and January.

He’s not alone. The Riverdale Press spoke with four others who choose to make their commutes to or from the area on their bikes, some traveling incredible distances.

Get out there on two wheels

2008-10-06T20:00:00.006-04:00

Science Daily has found what seems to be a paradox: the more bikes on the road, the safer it is for cyclists (A Virtuous Cycle: Safety In Numbers For Bicycle Riders). Here's an excerpt:

"International research reveals that as cycling participation increases, a cyclist is far less likely to collide with a motor vehicle or suffer injury and death - and what's true for cyclists is true for pedestrians. And it's not simply because there are fewer cars on the roads, but because motorists seem to change their behaviour and drive more safely when they see more cyclists and pedestrians around.

"Studies in many countries have shown consistently that the number of motorists colliding with walkers or cyclists doesn't increase equally with the number of people walking or bicycling. For example, a community that doubles its cycling numbers can expect a one-third drop in the per-cyclist frequency of a crash with a motor vehicle."

So, what are you waiting for? It's as safe or safer than driving to work, so get on out there and give it a try. If you need some help or some inspiration, check out this cool site CommuteByBike.com.

Remember, ride first, work later.

Tour de France organizer does Palin impression

2008-10-05T07:36:00.006-04:00

Is Karl Rove working for the Tour de France? That's him at left (with NBC's David Gregory behind him) in a TIME Magazine photo from the 2007 Radio and Television Correspondents' Association annual dinner. Rove's campaign mantra - accuse the other guy of what you're actually guilty of - seems to have been adopted by the organizers of the race many have called the most challenging athletic event on earth. Check out the latest from the AP: Tour organizer says Armstrong has embarrassed race.

I've heard some pretty stupid statements here in recent weeks, particularly by the Alaskan governor, but this one belongs in the mix. Here's a snippet: "We can't say that [Lance Armstrong] has not embarrassed the Tour de France, as he has had a quite a complicated history with it," Jean-Etienne Amaury, the new president of the Tour de France's parent company Amaury Sports Organization, said in French sports newspaper L'Equipe.

Hmm ... Aumary. Why that's the same name as the company, too. Guess we know how he got his job.

Armstrong responded in a story from the Ottowa Citizen:

"The last time I checked, I won the Tour seven straight years and was never once found to be guilty of doping despite seven years of intense scrutiny," Armstrong said in a statement. "We won clean and fair. Also, according to industry standards, TV ratings, worldwide media impressions, spectators along the route, and global sponsorships were at an all-time high. Where's the embarrassment in that?"

An Inconvient Truth for Doping Group

2008-10-03T20:02:00.006-04:00

France's anti-doping agency has managed to make Lance Armstrong look like a victim in its effort to defame him, as evidence by the Agence France Press story, French lab offers to test Armstrong's suspect samples.

The challenge is disingenuous and unfair. It holds Lance to a standard that no one else is held to. They want to test his 1999 urine samples under today's rules. That's a little like the NFL going over tape of games from a decade ago and fining players for violating rules that have been added since then. They're asking no other cyclists to test their urine. Of course Armstrong will say it's a vendetta against him. That's exactly what it appears to be!

By making such a claim, the doping group undercuts its previous claims that it has no vendetta. The inconvenient truth that makes the group's claims so silly is that Armstrong is not a cheat. He's never never tested positive for drug use that ever stood up to the light of justice. End of story.

Just let the man ride

2008-09-27T12:30:00.019-04:00

Lance Armstrong's announced return to professional cycling - and Team Astana - has generated more than its share of controversy and pettiness. First there was Dick Pound and the resurrection of his vendetta against Armstrong, now Greg Lemond (at left) is back on his case, Alberto Contador (below) is worried about his leadership on the team, and now UCI is saying wait a minute, he can't race in January because he hasn't given six months notice (six months expire Feb. 1 and the race is Jan. 20-25).

While it is always awkward when a superstar comes out of retirement - witness the Brett Favre affair - I say just let the man ride. He's entering a testing program above and beyond the tests cycling requires. Enough already. If he had been a cheat he would have been caught.

Lemond was a great champion, the first great American cyclist. He could have won even more races had he not been working for Hinault and not been accidentally shot. But he comes across as a bitter, jealous person in his continual attacks and accusations on Armstrong. He was my first inspiration on the bike more than 20 years ago, but he needs to move on.

Contador as well needs to chill. If he would just be patient I think things will work out with him on the team. Even if Armstrong regains his form and is the team leader for the Tour de France, nothing is preventing him from being the captain on virtually every other race the team enters. He should stick with Bruyneel. As for Pound, he needs to deal with facts instead of suspicions. That's his job.

Swans on the Seine

2008-09-18T12:35:00.008-04:00

I've been in Paris just four days but it already feels like I've been here a month. Watch the slideshow of photos thus far. My poor French is improving, by necessity, and it took all of a few hours to adjust to the slower pace of life here. Mind you, everywhere else is slower-paced than NYC. Hong Kong and London may rival the big apple, but Paris is another story. It's a langorous existence here, by comparison. No street vendors hawking hot dogs and pretzels to people on the go, as most want to actually sit down a while and eat. What a concept.

Meanwhile, I have been able to somehow squeeze in a couple of too-short bike rides. It is actually easier to ride than walk, as I recuperate from my cycling accident 10 days ago. In addition, cycling on Paris streets is a breeze compared to NYC. Bikes have access on many streets to lanes set aside for just buses and taxis, which have given me plenty of space as they pass. On main thoroughfares, there are curbed-off dedicated lanes for cyclists. I've never felt safer riding in a city than here. I did try the Velib - the famous bike-sharing program here - and it's a cinch once you have a credit card for a French bank. For shorter distances, especially, it's often quicker than the Metro.

Down but not out

2008-09-08T20:50:00.006-04:00

The image at left is the aftermath of the New York City Century Bike Tour, snapped in the emergency room at New York Presbytarian's Allen Pavillion. I'm sparing you the version without the bandage. Five miles from my finish in the Bronx - where I began the ride shortly after 5 a.m. Saturday - an inexperienced cyclist pulled a stupid maneuver that nearly resulted in broken bones. Not to him, of course. Like a drunken driver who causes an accident, he was unharmed.

Here's how we went down. The cyclist in question was leading Danielle and I, in that order, on a path along Pelham Bay. A hundred meters ahead, we noticed that a bottle is in the middle of the path and a cyclist 50 meters or so ahead has dismounted and is walking back to retrieve it. Without warning, the rider leading our trio decides to stop in the middle of the path to pick up the bottle. That caused a chain-reaction collision with Danielle going down after colliding with him and me flying over my handlebars after I hit her bike. Neither of us had an opportunity to even brake before we hit the pavement. Danielle had some serious contusions on her legs and her bike also had significant damage. I would have been OK, probably, if my shin had not caught my pedal or something else sharp on her bike. Within moments, the gash on my shin swelled up to the size of a walnut. The fall sheared the visor off my helmet - rendering my rearview mirror useless - and initially I thought my rear wheel was broken. Fortunately, it was just my brakes out of alignment.

Not surprisingly, Danielle and I let the rider have it, verbally. He didn't stick around long and didn't leave his name, of course. Responsibility-impaired, I guess. The last five miles of the ride were the longest I've ever cycled. I wasn't sure whether I had broken anything and knowing that both of us had hit our heads on the pavement - with helmets intact, of course - it was a little unnerving. I looked longingly at a few cabs as we approached Van Courtland Park and the finish, but decided in the end that I wanted to stop at home to pick up my insurance card. So we gutted it out and made it to the park, before Danielle's sister picked us up, put our bikes on the rack, and swung by the apartment before dropping me at the ER. The doc did a good job of cleaning it and sewing it up - I didn't count the stitches and didn't watch. Should be back on the bike next week in Paris.

From now on, I plan to be a bit pickier on these century rides. This one spent too many miles on narrow, bike paths more suited to cyclists in ones and twos than large packs like we travelled in for most of the century. The Montauk Century was more spread out and had more open roads, hardly any bike paths. The Montauk ride also had the right idea of an unregulated start, where riders check in beginning at 5:30 or some such early hour, and then just go. This ride had an official start with cyclists starting in large packs on 110th Street. It invited disaster from the start.

Yeah, this is gonna work...

2008-08-31T09:12:00.009-04:00

It's a little premature to say "I told you so" about the NYC plan to put a bike lane on Broadway — chronicled in my blog post Good idea suffers in execution — but at left is evidence from The New York Times that I could safely say it. Note the obstacles in the bike lane — a pedestrian and a parked scooter. I realize this is just a snapshot of the scene, but it is revealing for something that is absent — cyclists.

Maybe cyclists will flock to this seven-block esplanade, but I doubt it. Why would they risk it. It's safer in a traffic lane. If the city wants to promote sidewalk eating and cycling, put the cycling on the edge closest to traffic and have nothing in between: no parking and no opportunity for double-parking. Even patrons of these sidewalk eateries are not sold on the idea from a dining perspective, as quoted in The New York Times Front-Row Seats on Broadway, if You Dare.

“I think it’s dangerous,” said Vicki Lee, who nonetheless sat with two friends eating lunch at a cafe table on the esplanade just south of 38th Street. Ms. Lee, a clothing designer at a Midtown fashion company, was careful to sit so that she could keep an eye on the traffic heading downtown.

Her concern, she said, centered on the gray plastic planters arrayed every few feet along the edge of the esplanade as a buffer for the passing traffic. The planters were filled with soil, flowers and other plants and were too heavy for one person alone to budge. Yet they did not make Ms. Lee feel safe.

“You hear so many accidents of the cars going out of control and all they have here is plastic pots,” she said. But she dug into her salad and added, “We’re going to roll the dice and eat lunch here today.”

I hope there are no future stories about cars slamming into these esplanades, but it sure seems like it's only a matter of time.

Moving targets, indeed

2008-08-09T20:12:00.007-04:00

The New York Times has a fairly balanced piece on the challenge of cyclists sharing the road with motorists — Moving Targets.

The story features some pretty sad confrontations, featuring some fatal actions by some drivers and some foolish practices by some cyclists (although none of the two-wheelers actually killed anybody, unlike the irate motorists).

In spot clashes around the country, the hostility this summer has erupted in baroque violence:

A Brentwood, Calif., doctor was charged with assault. Police say he intentionally braked in front of two cyclists, with one smashing into his rear window and the other crashing to the pavement.

In bike-utopia, Portland, Ore., where 6 percent of the people cycle daily — the national average is under 1 percent — a cyclist knocked off his bike clung desperately to the hood of a moving car. And a car passenger fought with a cyclist after yelling at him to wear his helmet.

Last weekend, Utah state police arrested the driver of a pickup truck, suspected of plowing intentionally into cyclists on a morning ride.

I've had several close encounters of the stupid kind with drivers, absolutely none of which were caused by me or the group I was riding in. I've seen some stupid actions by cyclists as well, but typically they only risk the lives of themselves and sometimes their fellow riders.

Once in San Luis Obispo County, a pick up truck with three men inside lobbed a full tall can of beer at a group of four us as we rode single file, hugging the edge of a country road. It nearly hit the back of the head of the cyclists in the rear of the line. Why? On that same ride, the driver of an oncoming car with children inside cursed at us after she narrowly missed hitting all of us after rounding a bend. Again, we were riding single file, but a few feet from the edge of the road. If we had been a car, and thus further out in the road, there would have been a collision.

Here in NYC and on the roads of New Jersey, I've had drivers honk at me simply for riding in "their" road, forcing them to slow down a second or two before it was safe to get around. People were riding bicycles in this country before cars came along and the law provides access for both. So, drivers need to be more aware, give cyclists more room and cool off. Too many cyclists who give the rest of us a bad reputation need to obey the rules of the road as well.

So much for green planning - Demos forget the sharing part

2008-08-06T19:32:00.011-04:00

Back in May, I wrote about how the organizers of the Democratic National Convention were going to have a bike-sharing plan during the Aug. 25-28 convention (Demos on Two Wheels).

Well, I guess they needed training wheels, as pointed out by the Colorado Independent story DNCC Security: Sorry, No Bikes at "Greenest Convention in History" reprinted in the Huffington Post.

... in the rush to secure things green -- even setting up a "hybrid-only parking lot" at the Pepsi Center -- it seems one simple and fairly obvious LEED-certified step was overlooked: Installing bike racks.

Indeed, there will be no bikes allowed within the DNC perimeter of the Pepsi Center, nor at Invesco Field, where Barack Obama will deliver his acceptance speech, DNCC organizers confirmed this week.

Like the silly New York City plan to put bike lanes between curbs and restaurant seating, this must be one of those "plans" in which an actual cyclist was not involved. When will people learn?

Cycling stories increasing exponentially

2008-08-02T15:13:00.011-04:00

With gas prices remaining above $4/gallon here in the U.S., the stories about cycling as a means of alternative transportation seem to be increasing exponentially. If I felt like it, I could post one a day. Here's one from a recent edition of the New York Times - For the Hard Core, Two Wheels Beat Four.

You would think that someone had just invented the two-wheeler. For those of us who ride regularly, it's welcome news that we hope will spur more people to get out of their cars and onto their bikes to get to work, run an errand and just ride for the fun of it.

Once limited to dense urban environments, bike commuting has found a small but devoted following in the New York City suburbs. While there have been no formal studies of the trend, transportation experts and cycling advocates say the number of suburban bike commuters is growing.
“Anecdotally, we’re seeing an increase,” said Lisa Daglian, a spokeswoman for the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council, a regional planning organization. Companies are increasingly offering amenities like bicycle racks and showers, she said.

That's seems about right. As the summer has progressed, I've noticed more cyclists on the Riverside Park path on my way to work each morning. That's the upside to high gas prices - people choosing to cycle more.

Transportation Alternatives is on the Right Track

2008-07-24T21:20:00.010-04:00

The bike advocacy group, Transportation Alternatives, has set a good standard for NYC officials considering a bike-sharing program a la Velib in Paris and other programs in other European cities. In this week's Street Beat, they call for the city to accept a program that meets this criteria:

1 bike per 200-400 residents

A dense network of stations (1 every 1000 feet or a 5-10 minute walk)

Connectivity to where people need to go

Connectivity to other modes of public transportation

Strong anti-theft technology

Strong Mayoral leadership and inter-agency cooperation in planning and implementation

While this may seem like a high bar for some, it's what it will take to succeed. These stations are further apart than the ones in Paris, which has a much less dense population than New York City (shorter apartment buildings in Paris, for starters). It's going to take collaboration, high-profile participation and support, and even some diligence on the part of the public to help keep people honest. I haven't lived in the city long enough to know if the rap on such a program is that it would never work in NY because of thievery. Only time will tell and we have to give it a chance to see if it will work. I hope it will.

More "proof" cycling is a dying sport

2008-07-22T21:18:00.007-04:00

Despite the proclamations of countless "journalists" that professional cycling is facing a death knell due to doping, the sport survives like it did in the old photo at left of a tour rider (I apologize for not making note of where I obtained this photo or the year it was shot - please don't sue). Here's an encouraging excerpt of an AP story on today's stage 16 of the Tour de France, Riders unhurt in scary Tour crashes:

SKY HIGH RATINGS: Tour de France broadcaster France television beat its viewing figures from last year when an average of 3.7 million viewers tuned in to watch the second week of the race.

Sunday’s first Alpine stage from Embrun to the Italian ski resort of Prato Nevoso reached a high of 6.4 million viewers for the final part of the climb, as Frank Schleck took the yellow jersey from overnight leader Cadel Evans.

Hmm... yet reporters keep talking about how the sport is "on the ropes" or facing elimination or some sports cliche. Here's a graph from a New York Times story in which the reporter and editor doesn't even seem to notice their own contradiction:

The new doping case raises questions about whether antidoping authorities are making progress in their fight. This year is the 10th anniversary of the Festina scandal, which similarly shook the Tour de France when an official of a French cycling team was arrested after being caught with a car full of EPO and related doping products.

That's right, a decade since the first big scandal in the sport, yet the races continue and the sponsors come and go. With sky high ratings, the sponsors are sure to be there, especially for teams like Team Columbia, Garmin-Chipotle and CSC, which have their own testing programs more stringent than the sport's.

Sick of lazy journalists who don't know much about cycling

2008-07-19T18:00:00.008-04:00

It's too easy for journalists to write stories about doping in cycling. Granted, the dopers like Riccardo Ricco (photo by Agence France Press) at left make it too easy for them, but I'm getting tired of reading about the supposed end of professional cycling. The stories are so slanted against the sport and rarely acknowledge the fact that cycling is essentially alone in trying to address the issue.

Imagine if another sport seriously tried to stop doping. I realize this takes a tremendous imagination, so I'll offer some analogies. How would newspapers, Web sites and other publications write about the NFL testing for steroids during Super Bowl week; MLB testing for any 'roids or any other performance-enhancing drugs during the World Series; or the NBA doing so during the playoffs? If they did, there would be many players tossed out of the games.

Would the sportswriters then write about the pending finale for these sports? Would that be the focus of stories in publications that don't otherwise write about the sport, except when there's something negative? Probably not, although we'll probably never know, since there are no indications these sports are about to make any serious efforts to clean up doping. It's in their financial interests not to. Until it is, there will be no change.

We do have one scandal in the NFL, in which a team that has won several championships in recent years that has been exposed as cheating to gain an unfair advantage ... yet I've not seen one sportswriter lament that the Pats' scandal has risked the life of the sport. Perhaps they know that there is an abundance of American saps willing to pay $150 per ticket to sit in the stands and watch even proven cheaters. Meanwhile, these same sportswriters don't seem to be able to comprehend a sport that isn't supported by season ticket holders. There are no tickets for the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia, the Tour of California or any of the other great races. That's part of its beauty.

As long as sponsors keep supporting the sport - and efforts to clean it up are a good insurance policy in this effort - the great sport of cycling will roll on. So far, just 3 cheaters out of about 180 who started the race. Can you imagine how many starters on any NFL team use steroids or some other drug to gain an unfair advantage? I some how think the percentage of cheats would be much higher. The percent would be higher than 3/180 on college and high school football teams as well, I'm sure.

Just ride, baby

2008-07-17T07:15:00.007-04:00

Sometimes we need a reminder, a reality check when we get too competitive about our riding. A 13-year-old blogger at the very cool cycling site - BikeRadar - gives us an eloquent reminder:

Many men and women are duped into thinking that 'the lighter, the faster, the better.' Everybody at one point gets caught up in the mayhem of the bicycling industry and its advice, good or bad, its merchandise, its banter, its, and at times, its racerboy attitude. The flurry of new bikes, components, ride food, clothing, and helmets can be misleading and confusing.

Sometimes, the way to enjoy a ride is to forget about the brand, forget about the weight, make sure the bike works, and just ride. Go prepared, of course, but don’t put too much thought into it.

Read the rest of Henri Boulanger's blog here.

While you're contemplating that, here's a some more images of my cycling buddies.

Clockwise from left is Robert (in yellow), Larry, Megan, Mike, Craig and me. While I appear to be bowing down in honor of Robert - who kicked butt on the climbs home - I am in fact just stretching.

Big Tom took the photo during a break at the Runcible Spoon in Nyack, New York. That's about a 50-mile round trip from where we live in the Bronx.

Hey, where there's a will...

2008-07-13T19:32:00.005-04:00

Great news in The New York Times, which reports that the City Will Explore Broad Bike-Sharing Plan along the lines of the successful Velib program in Paris. The photo at right features the standard, heavy-duty bikes used in the City of Light. Now, it's just talk at this point and they're a long way from installing bike stations around Manhattan, but it's a start.

I criticized D.C. in a May post for starting such a program but in a half-ass way, with only 120 bikes citywide. The program there has seen delays that have pushed the start of program to August, according to a blog - The Bike-Sharing Blog - set up by the service provider. I truly hope they do make it.

The leader of the New York group's effort seems to understand the key, based on her paraphrased comment in the Times: it's important to have more pickup and drop-off locations. That's what helps make Velib so successful - it's convenient to pick up and drop off bikes. It's like the mantra for mass transit, if you make it convenient and cheaper than driving (not so hard these days), people will use it.

Good idea suffers in execution

2008-07-12T23:00:00.007-04:00

The New York Times reported yesterday - Closing on Broadway: Two Traffic Lanes - that the mayor is planning to reduce Broadway from 3 to 2 lanes in Midtown to create some eating/sitting space and a dedicated bike lane. See the NY Times image at right for reference.

I like the idea about the eating/sitting space. Always need for more of that. The bike lane is a bad idea, and this is from a bike commuter who wants more bike lanes in the city. The map at right has the bike lanes between the eating/sitting area and the curb. It's apparent that the person designing this is not a cyclist of any stripe. If he/she was, he/she would know that there will be constant obstacles created by people walking from the curb to the eating/sitting islands, either by patrons or wait staff. Cyclists will soon learn to avoid the path and stay in the street, where colliding with pedestrians is much less likely. This is one of those projects that is dead before it starts.

What the city needs to do is get rid of curbside parking on one side or the other and make it a bike lane instead.

My cycling posse

2008-07-05T14:05:00.011-04:00

At right is a nice photo of the group of riders I cycle with on the weekends, usually up the west side of the Hudson River. This photo was taken for a story - Bicycles, cars struggle to share the road - that appeared on LoHud.com. That's Big Tom on the right. He looks a little bigger than actual size for two reasons - he's in front of the pack and he's IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. He's been hearing it from us ever since. I am not in the picture because I was in Paris.

We generally do a good job of staying out of the road, and this photo is therefore unrepresentative of our normal practice. It did elicit some breathtaking comments from readers (most of whom don't like cyclists). Please do not respond to the posters - it only encourages them. Here is a slideshow the newspaper had for the rest of the story.

Ride First, Work Later

2008-06-28T17:13:00.008-04:00

Most of the time, I feel pretty lucky have my commute take me through Riverside Park next to the mighty Hudson River. Not a bad view, eh? That's the George Washington Bridge in the distance and New Jersey on the left side of the river.

When we lived in Union City, I'd ride across that bridge and back down the other side another 30 minutes to get home. Now my ride is cut in half - just 8 miles from Riverdale in The Bronx to Upper Manhattan. Most mornings, I supplement the ride by going down to 90th street and cutting over to Central Park for a lap or two on the 10K stretch of roadway mostly closed to cars in the early morning hours.

I met a heartier soul than I the other day riding home. A bearded wonder named Dennis who rides every day most months - averages 3-4 days even in the winter - to his home in Hoboken. An inspiring chap. Oh, Ride First, Work Later is the Specialized slogan on my water bottle. Can't say it any better than that.

Only in New York

This morning's ride to Nyack with the group from Tread Bike Shop had a hilarious ending for a trio of us. A few weeks ago, after quite a few weeks of riding with a group of 4-8 cyclists each Saturday morning, it occurred to me that I was the sole white dude on these rides. The others are Hispanics and African-Americans. Makes no difference to me, as we all look similarly funny in spandex. This morning the ride ended with three of us approaching the Riverside Park path after crossing the GW Bridge back into Manhattan. Leandro asked me how far down I was going. I didn't understand and asked him to repeat it. When I still had a puzzled look on my face, David stepped in and told Leandro, "He's white but he lives in the Bronx."

We laughed quite a bit, realizing that he had assumed because I was white that I lived in Manhattan. We laughed again as we rehashed the assumptions based on race, shook hands, and pedaled our separate ways home. What a great city, eh?

Justification for Spandex

2008-06-21T18:47:00.006-04:00

There's a reason cyclists wear spandex - and here's one of them at right. This is actually one of the ... uh, prettier photos from a story at Green Daily, More naked protesters ride bikes for the planet through London.

The other photos are enough to destroy any cycling sex fantasies - not that I've every had any - due to the fact that people generally don't look good naked on a bike. That's without even mentioning the seat hygiene issue. Ew.

I couldn't help but notice in this photo above that she is riding a Brooks leather saddle.

A good idea worth expanding

2008-06-19T19:20:00.005-04:00

Here's a good idea that Mayor Bloomberg announced the other day: On 3 Days in August, City Will Try No-Car Zone printed Tuesday in the New York Times. The plan is to bar vehicles from a 6.9-mile stretch from just north of the Brooklyn Bridge to the Upper East Side and Central Park and devote it to cyclists, walkers and others for three Saturday mornings in August.

The story indicates other cities have tried this with success:

While the idea seems novel in New York, it has been tried with success in many other cities, according to Ms. Sadik-Khan, including London, Paris and Bogotá. She said that in Bogotá one of the city’s main streets was closed to motor vehicles every Sunday.

Parts of Central Park are closed to cars early mornings, but it opens back up at 8 a.m. The best idea came at the end of the story:

Cyclists who were asked about the initiative on Monday were generally enthusiastic.

Eric Monasterio, 32, a painter who lives in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, said he regularly battled cars as he rode his bike in Manhattan.

“If it works out they could have a rotating system and have one street open every day,” Mr. Monasterio said.

About time...

2008-06-15T21:06:00.004-04:00

That's my response - along with "what took so long?" to the Reuters headline "U.S. cities promote bicycling as gas prices soar."

To be fair to potential bike commuters, local and state leaders don't make it easy. When spending gets cut, money that seems to get eliminated first is for bike paths, bike lanes and other road improvements that make cycling safer. This is pretty cheap stuff in the run, especially compared to anything associated with road "improvements" for vehicles.

Go to pretty much anywhere in Western Europe and the Nordic countries and you'll find miles of bike paths along main roads, designed specifically for bike commuters. They've been paying $4+ per gallon of gas for quite a while. Think there might be a connection?

There is hope, according to the story:

People in cities such as Chicago, Washington and Portland, Oregon, can take advantage of bicycle lanes, bike-friendly transit systems and bike-parking locations built in recent years.

"Twelve years ago, I would bike down to City Hall and often it was a lonely ride," said Ben Gomberg, Chicago's bicycle program coordinator. "Today, there are often 17 or 18 riders stopped at the intersections."

Unlike Europeans, Americans use bikes for transport sparingly, even though 40 percent of personal trips in the United States are two miles (3.2 km) or less, according to bicycle advocates.

In a country famous for its love of cars and driving, less than 1 percent of personal trips are by bike compared with up to 30 percent in some parts of Europe, campaigners say.

So, what's it going to take to get that number higher than 1%? $5 per gallon of gas?

Tree-lined commute

2008-06-12T06:21:00.007-04:00

Tuesday night's thunder and lightning show downed trees all over the city, including quite a few along my cycling route to work.The one at left is on Riverside Drive near 92nd Street.

If I get up early enough, I have time for a lap or two in Central Park before heading back to Riverside Drive to head north back to campus at 116th Street in Harlem. The biggest obstacle, however, was at the top of Riverside Park when I got off the street near Dyckman and joined the path. Half of a huge tree had sliced off and was blocking the steps that lead up to path. A nice jogger offered to help maneuver my bike over and under fallen limbs and away I went.

There were several more trees and limbs across the path, which I stay on for about 5 miles before heading into the park. The photo at right is on the frontage road along Riverside Drive at 92nd Street. It made for an interesting commute, for sure, dodging branches and twigs all the way down. A fun diversion, actually. Forces you to stay alert, which ain't a bad thing to be on a bike.

New bike, same old road rage

2008-06-08T20:39:00.004-04:00

While we were in Paris this past week, I stumbled upon a flea market - the annual "Brocante de Printemps de la rue de Bretagne" (Spring Rummage Sale on rue de Bretagne) - down the block from our new apartment we closed on while we were in the City of Lights. I've been on the lookout for a steel-frame bike for a while now and there was a fairly new Peugeot a fellow was asking 150 euros for. I let a day go by while I figured out where I would keep the bike during the renovations on the apartment. I figured if it was still there the next day, it was meant to be.

Sure enough, it was, and he had lowered the price to 120 euros, or about $180. So, naturally, I bought it and it's now in the living room in the Marais while I type this back in the Bronx. That's the proud owner above with the new bike about to enter the courtyard of our new vacation place. For the price of transporting my bike to Paris for one round trip, I now have one waiting for me when I get there.

When I did get return this afternoon, I found a disturbing tale from cycling buddy, Tom, about their Saturday ride in my absence. I include it here, in italics, with Tom's creative spelling as is:

Hi Jeff,

I hope all is well in gay Paris'!

I rode with the Tread Bike Shop group this morning. We were, Rob, Lanze, Danielle, Craig, Larry, a new rider Dave and I. After waiting for Lanze, (what else is new) we left the bike shop at 6:30 and headed for Nyack. But before we left Larry, like yourself wanted to bypass that dangerous section of 9W north of the Peirmont split.

We were not traveling has fast as last week because the new guy Dave, although young, was not a strong rider or was not in shape. Dave had more trouble climbing than I do and could not keep up with the pace over 20 mph. But we all took turn shepherding him and encouraging him along. He did complete the whole circuit which shows he is not a quitter.

On our way to Nyack, we were in the fast downhill part of 9W just before you get to The State Line Park where we had a life and deaf situation. Rob is about a quarter of a mile behind us giving pointers to Dave while the rest of us are flying down the hill over 35mph. I was in the rear and was well over 40 when I went wide left not to run over anybody. The speed limit on 9W is 40 in this section. When I got mid-pack, someone yelled car back so I moved from the yellow center line to the right side of the lane when this SUV came passed in the yellow fire lane well away from the riders.

Then out of nowhere, you hear this loud blast of an air horn! When I look backed, all I can see is chrome bumper and grill. And this truck was all in the right lane hugging tight to the white line of the shoulder.
The shoulder is narrow where only two bike can ride side by side and not safely. There is a low concrete curb with a steal guard rail inches beyond that.

Larry gave me a big whole to move in over the shoulder line by riding up along Danielle. But by me moving right only pinches Craig closer to the guard rail and curb. It was an eighteen wheeler tanker hauling chemicals.
When he past me, his mirrors went right over my head. Remember we are still traveling over 30mph.
Then you can see the drivers clear intentions, after he past Larry and Danielle, he angled is rig so that is right front wheel crossed the white shoulder line. We all knew where the cab goes the trailer will follow!
We were pinched so tight to the right it was amazing that we did not lock handle bars or had pedals go into spokes.
Larry and I were on the left were the closes of being side swipe by the truck but Danielle and Craig being on the right had to fight to stay up because of all the gravel they were riding through that was caught by the curb. Craig started to fish tail out of control and touched his rear break. Boom, went the tire, the fact that we were still moving fast helped keep him vertical. It truly amazing that no one went down.
I quest all the of us being city kids and riding along trucks, buses and taxis all our lives kept us all cool and under control.

When all of the dust cleared and the truck drove off, at the same time the guard rail ended. We were able to pull over and check out the damage to Craig's bike. Scratch one tire and tube. Thank goodness that was all! Fortunately, years of riding over 100 miles by myself taught me to be my own sag wagon. I handed Craig my spear tire so that he can continue with us. Then come the news that pissed everyone off. Rob and Dave who were a quarter of a mile behind us, rolled up and said that the truck did the same thing to them! Three cell phones came out. I think Danielle was on her phone when we first came to a safe stop.

Who would think you be facing road rage at 7:15AM on a Saturday morning. I think he was only the third truck we seen on 9W that morning and the first two were within a mile GWB.

This is one of the few times when your' re happy to say, "glad you weren't there!"

We regrouped and Larry led us on new roads to the Nyack cafe. Naturally Danielle, like me two weeks ago did not hear the plan and turned into Tallman State Park. I took off after her to turn her around.
You would of loved the way Larry took us into Nyack on the west approached. Rolling hills, scenic and light traffic. After the cafe stop, we rode up to Rockland State Park and did the loop around the lake. And this time the only phone call I got was when Rob and I were waiting for the group at the exit from the park. I climbed my best this day.

I tried to shepherd Dave up my hated long climb but at my height, it hard to keep a bike going straight on a narrow shoulder at 3mph. We waited for him to make sure he knew is way back to the bridge. Larry & Craig went back and forth for additional training to make sure he did not have mechanical trouble. It was to hot for all that. It' was now pass 10AM and already over 80 degrees. We'll be in the 90's for the next few days.

Now that I have written your blog for you, do I get paid by the word or the substance? LOL!

Giro d'Italia Live!!!

2008-05-25T11:00:00.006-04:00

For those professional cycling fans out there who don't already know, there are ways to watch the fab Giro on the Web. I'm watching it now via Pop Up TV, thanks to a link on the Steephill site. The English audio via Eurosport doesn't always work - apparently Pop Up is not always available, either - but choose the highest speed Norwegian video for the best quality picture. Even in Italian or Norwegian, you can still pick up the names of the riders, so it is possible to somewhat follow along.

The group ride yesterday from Tread Bike Shop in Upper Manhattan was the biggest turnout yet - seven riders. Tom, Roberto, Lanze, Danielle, Henry, Rene and me. All but Roberto did the Montauk Century - the full 145-miler - a week ago, so we all had some tales to share. It was perhaps the warmest morning in the saddle we've seen so far this year - mid-50s and dry. A nice change for the ride to Nyack. We talked also about the best moments of the Giro so far and about the this weekend's big climbs that are sure to shake up the GC. What makes this race so exciting is that there are so many riders still in the hunt. Any of a couple dozen seem capable of winning.

Two-Wheel Withdrawal

2008-05-23T20:47:00.004-04:00

This has been a long week. Recovery from the Montauk Century went better than expected. The problem came from not being able to commute by bike to work this week, as the shower were closed for cleaning all week. I ran once - somehow not hurting myself - and rode the trainer two mornings. It's not the same as getting an 18- to 24-mile ride in on the way to work. Oh well. The good news is I've got a three day weekend with good weather predicted here in New York to make up some of the miles.

It's also give me some time to replace a broken, 11-year-old rack on my commuting bike and have the rear wheel rebuilt, plus troll the net, where I came across the street cyclist photo below and this troubling story from the Newark Star Ledger, about the Bicycling Hall of Fame being homeless.

"From the heavy steel bike used by racing champion Alf Goulet in 1914 to the lightweight carbon cycle Greg LeMond rode to his third Tour de France victory, from old trophies to race jerseys worn by world-class cyclists, the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame has what it considers the country's most historically significant collection of cycling memorabilia.

But for the last 18 months, the cash-strapped organization has had no place to display the collec tion and has had to stash it in a toolshed in Somerset County while searching for a new home for its museum."

Maybe some rich benefactors like Lemond or Lance Armstrong can come to the rescue.

Montaukathon

2008-05-19T21:15:00.007-04:00

I have to say it was the easiest 154-mile ride I've ever done. Mind you, it was the first one as well, but that's beside the point. Because of the flat course (a typical stretch, at right) and a timely tail wind for the last couple hours of the ride, it felt much shorter. The longest I'd done before was 130 miles in February of 2006, when I rode the Stage 4 route of the Tour of California with Team K-Man. That was a difficult ride for me, with a lot of climbing. Although most were short, there were many of them.

Sunday's Montauk Marathon - the 145-mile version, plus a little more, since we rode from the Bronx to the start at Penn Station) was comparably easy. The hardest part was getting out of the city. It seemed like it took us two hours of riding city streets before we left Queens behind and entered Long Island, where we found straight roads and fewer cars. I felt pretty good throughout the ride. The photo at left was taken by Tom, my riding buddy, at the second rest stop.

Tom struggled the first two-thirds of the race, fighting off the remnants of a cold. However, after lunch, we both felt stronger and found the energy to pick up the pace to 20-24 mph the last couple hours of the ride. It felt very good passing riders who had passed us earlier in the day. Tom was right about these riders burning themselves out early. We just kept eating at every rest stop and riding at a good, but sensible, pace. We had gas in the tank at the end of the race, while many other riders wobbled home at 10-12 mph.

The worst part, however, was the end. We arrived by 4 p.m., which we figured was plenty of time to get some food and make the 5 p.m. train. Maybe we'd even have time for a shower. After 15 minutes (we'd moved about that many feet in line), Tom turned to me and said "I don't think I'll be doing this ride again." It took us another 20 minutes to get through the line and grab a burger. There was no time for showers as the line there was moving even slower. Tom and others said there were at least 3 shower trucks last year, just one this year. So we hopped on our bikes and rode to the train station to catch the 5 p.m. train home. As it was a 3-hour ride to Penn Station - and the next train was at 7 - we didn't want to wait in the cold drizzle for another couple hours. When we got to the train station, we waiting another 20+ minutes in line to drop off the bikes at the truck (yes, singular) before we could get on the train. We ran to the train and saw the electronic reader board said the train didn't leave until 5:37. After all that rushing, scarfing food and fretting, we sat on the train for 20 minutes with other shivering, stinking riders. That turned the ride home into more of an endurance event than the bicycle ride. I don't think I'll do it again, either. The end is too poorly organized.

Riding the Montauk Century, however, did teach me that I could handle longer rides and has improved my confidence.

Metropolitan Diary

2008-05-15T20:50:00.004-04:00

I had an experience after riding up to Nyack on Sunday that is straight out of the New York Times' Metropolitan Diary, that Monday feature that has vignettes of human kindness in this big, often impersonal city.

My riding buddy Tom and I joined a group from Tread Bicycles in Upper Manhattan for a ride to Nyack that wound up taking us to Rockland State Park (see right). We stopped there for a few minutes to eat and drink and it must have happened when I grabbed a Clif bar out of my back pocket. When I was nearly home, I realized I no longer had the baggie containing my license, debit card and $30 cash. I called the park and they said they'd look for it. I never heard from them. Fortunately, I was able to easily reorder the license online and the debit card by phone.

On Tuesday, the lost ones arrived in a white envelope with no return address that had been opened and taped shut again. The cash was gone, but the cards were there. Somebody had been nice enough to drop all of it the mail, while an unscrupulous person had removed the cash sometime en route. Since it was a security envelope and one couldn't see through it, I surmise that it was someone in the employ of the postal service who stole the cash. I'm happy to have the card back, and certainly don't miss the cash nearly as much as I did the cards.

Thank you to whoever was nice enough to return my license and debit card. You are a credit to the human race.

Demos On Two Wheels

2008-05-12T20:26:00.004-04:00

The Democratic National Convention, scheduled Aug. 25-28, will include a bike sharing program, according to today's story in the Rocky Mountain News, "Bike sharing part of DNC plan." As it turns out, the Republican Convention will feature a similar bike program. Cycling proponents hope to make long-term programs out of the four-day convention versions.

The details will be announced later this week, but let's hope they use bikes similar to the one pictured in Paris, where the Velib program has been hugely successful. These bikes are distinctive, are in plentiful supply and are cheap to rent, three factors that discourage stealing them. This kind of approach should be workable in American big cities, as well, if given a fair chance by officials and the public.

The up side of the $4 gallon of gas

2008-05-11T19:43:00.002-04:00

Here's the benefit of rising gas prices: Prices Giving Bike Sales, Repairs A Boost, as reported by the Associated Press. I guess it's too unreasonable to expect Americans to bike to work on a regular basis, but at least programs like Bike to Work Week get thousands to do it for a few days. Hopefully, more people join the ranks of bike commuters after seeing how simple it can be.

Not all is bad for cyclists in NYC

2008-05-09T21:42:00.004-04:00

Despite the maniacal cab drivers, non-cab drivers and obstacles like jay-walking pedestrians, football-sized rats, rat-sized pot-holes and the potential for ice patches six months out of the year, cycling in New York City is not all bad. Bicycling magazine noticed, naming Gotham one of the most improved cycling cities in America. Here's a few rides the magazine highlights, most of which I've done several times.

Others on the most improved list include Washington, D.C., and Louisville. I've never cycled in either of those cities, so no comment.

Portland tops the list with San Francisco close behind. I've lived in both of these cities, and I can say that they definitely belong on the list. Both benefit by having great cycling areas in or next to the city: Forest Park in Portland's case and the Marin Headlands in SF's case across the Golden Gate Bridge. If I recall, Portland had tons of bike lanes, as well, when I lived there in the mid-'90s. I don't recall many in SF when I lived there in the late-'80s/early-'90s. It must have improved since then, eh?

Whose Bike Lane?

2008-05-05T21:16:00.006-04:00

The New York Times had a good story yesterday - Bike Lanes, Intended for Safety, Become Traffic Battlegrounds - about the poor habits of drivers, and double-parkers, who get in the way of bikes using bike lanes.

I've certainly experienced this myself on my ride to work and back, which I'm able to do 3-4 times a week now that the weather is improving. Fortunately, much of my ride is on the Riverside Park bike path along the western edge of the Hudson River in Upper Manhattan. In the mornings, however, I take a longer route and ride south of work to 90th Street and cut over to Central Park for a 10K lap before heading north to the office. Even though there are bike lanes to and from the park, many drivers simply ignore them and do just what you see in this NY Times video.

I realize drivers - and cyclists - in New York are generally pretty wild, following an anything goes approach to moving down the road. I don't think they're terminally stupid, though, and behavior can change. It takes committed public officials and good planning. It happened in Paris. When we first visited there in 1997, it was a terrible city for cyclists, with very few miles of bike lanes, crazy drivers going way too fast, and choked roadways. Well, when we were there in March the scene has changed dramatically. Officials reduced the number of lanes of quite a few roads, creating dedicated bus and bike lanes. The results - traffic slowed and became more accustomed to sharing space with bicyclists. It can be done. It just takes some political will. Right now, anyway, city and state officials just don't have it.

Good Idea, Poor Execution

2008-05-04T09:08:00.003-04:00

Finally, an American city has plans to implement a bike rental program like the Velib that exists in Paris (see photo at left from story in the New York Times). Officials in Washington, D.C., are stepping up.

I just hope I'm wrong about this, but the number of bikes they're planning to launch with may doom the program. It's a laudable effort, to be sure, but 120 bikes won't be enough to show potential riders that such a service is convenient and cheap - 2 major requirements. I know they can't start with a program the size of the one in Paris, which has several thousand bikes in stations an average of 300 meters apart throughout the city.

When we were in Paris in March, roughly 2 out of every 3 bikes we saw (and we saw hundreds every day) were the Velib bikes. Other traffic calming devices the city has recently installed - narrower vehicle lanes, some dedicated bike lanes separated by curbs - has slowed traffic. People who live there told us drivers are getting more tolerant and careful around cyclists.

I wish D.C. good luck with their effort and hope that the number of bikes increases dramatically very quickly.