Since this is a blog mostly about bicycling, I feel compelled to report that this morning's bike commute was the bees knees. A real knee slapper (as long as you didn't slap the bees on your knees, that is.) Perfect weather. A tailwind. Sunlight twinkling off the Potomac River.
The ride home was nice too. Except for one thing. Or maybe I should make that one million things. Gnats were everywhere. I was covered in the little black bugs. I kept wiping them off my arms. They flew into my eyes. Into my mouth. They were having a field day in my hair. I stopped and put my black arm warmers on just so I couldn't see so many.
The ride home would have been nicer if the Nats had won their playoff game. They got clobbered. They were down 8-0 by the time I stopped checking my iPhone during 6 hour meeting. They need to win their next two games or they are finished for the season. For me it will feel like all those years living in New England and watching the Sawx annihilate other teams only to become doormats in October. (Oh, but don't get me started about 2004. Sooooo sweeeeet!)
My left knee has a small bruise. I didn't crash or anything. I went to the bathroom. For some reason the geniuses that renovated our building place the metal toilet paper dispenses right where your left knee is supposed to go. So you bang you knee then end up doing your business side saddle. I guess toilet paper dispenser installers don't give a shit.
(Somebody had to say it. I couldn't bear seeing it in the Comments.)
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
Coffeeneuring #2: Getting My Buzz On
It was a cool and gray morning. Global warning was on holiday. And so was I. Somehow the Congress has managed to mess up again. The law now says that we celebrate Columbus Day on the second Monday in October. I think the idea is to give the Supreme Court a day off after a hard week's work.
As we all know Columbus discovered the New World or, at least the source of hundreds of Latino baseball players, on October 12, 1492. Why we can't celebrate the day on the 12th which would be Friday this year. This would preserve a three-day weekend for all the government workers and Italian Americans who don't get a day off to celebrate any other famous Italian Americans such as Dean Martin, Al Capone, or Annabella Sciorra.
Rather than ride to work in protest, I decided to go get me a cup of coffee. My first thought was to ride to Bethesda, but that would be 50 miles round trip. The coffee there is simply not half-century-worthy. So I set out looking for a coffee place in confines of Alexandria City.
I rode the Mount Vernon Trail to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Underneath the bridge were four or five kids riding their bikes at the Wilson Bridge Bike Academy. I doubt they learned of it from this blog but it was heartening to see this mass of pavement getting used in a constructive way. I would have stopped to take a picture but I was enjoying the downhill glide from Washington Street.
On the north end of Old Town, I came upon a sight that I never thought I'd see. A digger (that's what we called them when I was a kid) was loading the pile of coal used by the power plant into a railroad car. This is the first overt sign of the power plant being put out of its misery.
I decided to head for Del Ray where coffeehouses abound. I never made it though. I stopped at Buzz on Slaters Lane. Inside I ordered my Americano with room and a chocolate chip cookie. The coffee was not as strong as Perks and the cookie was good not great. There was nowhere to sit indoors so I drank and ate outside in the 50 degree chill. Coffee shops in Alexandria are way too small. Of course, it would help if half the seats weren't taken by WiFi squatters.
The ride home was uneventful. I took Big Nellie up Fort Hunt Road to see how the new seating position felt on a respectable hill. It passed the test swimmingly. Well, it wasn't raining so let's just say it done good.
About a half mile from home I heard my front tire go PSSSSH!!!!. "Dang! A Flat," thought I. (Riding recumbents inverts your sentence structure sometimes.) I looked down expecting to see my front tire flopping to the side of the rim, but it wasn't so. I saw what looked like white foam oozing out from between the tire and the fender instead. My brain said unto itself, "WTF", because I've been spending too much time on Twitter lately.
It turned out to be a styrofoam peanut. No flat, no foam, just a bizzare piece of harmless road debris.
And so ended my Columbus Day ride for caffeine. I never actually got comfortable. Dressing for riding in cold weather is a trial and error thing and today was mostly error. I broke out my tights, long fingered gloves, rain jacket, a short sleeve base later, and a lightweight cap for my head. Even with the fairing on Big Nellie, I was just a little chilled for most of the ride.
But I knocked off my second coffeeneuring ride of the weekend. And that's the important thing, right?
.
As we all know Columbus discovered the New World or, at least the source of hundreds of Latino baseball players, on October 12, 1492. Why we can't celebrate the day on the 12th which would be Friday this year. This would preserve a three-day weekend for all the government workers and Italian Americans who don't get a day off to celebrate any other famous Italian Americans such as Dean Martin, Al Capone, or Annabella Sciorra.
Rather than ride to work in protest, I decided to go get me a cup of coffee. My first thought was to ride to Bethesda, but that would be 50 miles round trip. The coffee there is simply not half-century-worthy. So I set out looking for a coffee place in confines of Alexandria City.
 |
| The Claw!!! Bye Coal Pile. |
On the north end of Old Town, I came upon a sight that I never thought I'd see. A digger (that's what we called them when I was a kid) was loading the pile of coal used by the power plant into a railroad car. This is the first overt sign of the power plant being put out of its misery.
 |
| Buzz on Slaters Lane |
 |
| Cuppa & Cookie |
The ride home was uneventful. I took Big Nellie up Fort Hunt Road to see how the new seating position felt on a respectable hill. It passed the test swimmingly. Well, it wasn't raining so let's just say it done good.
 |
| Big Nellie Used the Bike Hitchin' Post |
 |
| Spiffy New Bike Lane on Slaters Lane |
 |
| Styrofoam "Puncture" |
And so ended my Columbus Day ride for caffeine. I never actually got comfortable. Dressing for riding in cold weather is a trial and error thing and today was mostly error. I broke out my tights, long fingered gloves, rain jacket, a short sleeve base later, and a lightweight cap for my head. Even with the fairing on Big Nellie, I was just a little chilled for most of the ride.
But I knocked off my second coffeeneuring ride of the weekend. And that's the important thing, right?
.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
I'm a coffeeneur and I'm okay...
Last winter I decided to try Gypsybug's Utilitiare ride challenge. This involved using your bike for routine trips to the store, the movies, the barbershop etc. It did not end well. I rode my bike into the back of a parked car while fighting a nasty headwind. I was awarded an Honorable Mention by Her Highness, Princess of Utility. The Utilitaire was a spin off of her Coffeeneuring Challenge. A few days ago she rang the bell of Coffeeneuring II.
Basically, the idea is you ride your bike to coffee shops on the weekends. You make a record of it and submit your reports to the Caffeine Queen (that would be Gypsybug).
Today, I did my first coffeeneuring ride. I intended to ride 15 miles to Georgetown's Bread and Circus coffee shop but an approaching cold front had me feeling like a quiche eater by mile 7 so I ducked into Perks in Old Town and knocked down an Americano and a massive chocolate chip cookie.
Perks is a bit of a zoo on Saturdays, but the coffee and cookie were tasty. So, mission accomplished. One down, six to go.
I rode another couple of miles up to the airport on the Mount Vernon Trail, then took the Anderson Trail over to Route 1 and made my way home through the streets of Old Town.
So total miles to the shop was about 7. Total miles on the ride was 21.
Basically, the idea is you ride your bike to coffee shops on the weekends. You make a record of it and submit your reports to the Caffeine Queen (that would be Gypsybug).
Today, I did my first coffeeneuring ride. I intended to ride 15 miles to Georgetown's Bread and Circus coffee shop but an approaching cold front had me feeling like a quiche eater by mile 7 so I ducked into Perks in Old Town and knocked down an Americano and a massive chocolate chip cookie.
Perks is a bit of a zoo on Saturdays, but the coffee and cookie were tasty. So, mission accomplished. One down, six to go.
I rode another couple of miles up to the airport on the Mount Vernon Trail, then took the Anderson Trail over to Route 1 and made my way home through the streets of Old Town.
 |
| Americano and Cookie |
 |
| Big Nellie at Perks on North Fairfax Street in Alexandria |
Saturday, October 6, 2012
September recap, or, I got tired writing this
Usually, September brings a dip in mileage as my kids' school events take over my evenings. This year has been different. My son is at college and my daughter's school events didn't start in earnest until October. So I kind of went ape with my bike. Here are the numbers.
Total Mileage: 825
146.5 miles on Big Nellie, my Tour Easy recumbent
326.5 miles were courtesy of Little Nellie, my Bike Friday New World Tourist
The remaining 452 miles were on The Mule, my Specialized Sequoia
Bike Commutes: 16
8 of these commutes were aboard Little Nellie
5 on The Mule
3 on Big Nellie.
I rode 3 event rides, Southern Maryland, Backroads, and 50 States, all metric centuries (60-ish miles), all on The Mule.
By the end of September I had ridden 5,407 miles. I'd ridden to work 114 times. At about 30 miles per commute that comes out to3,420 miles. At 25 miles per gallon, that's 136.8 gallons of gas I didn't use. At $3.50 per gallon, I saved $478.80. Which pretty much covers the cost of Big Nellie's new seat.
Total Mileage: 825
146.5 miles on Big Nellie, my Tour Easy recumbent
326.5 miles were courtesy of Little Nellie, my Bike Friday New World Tourist
The remaining 452 miles were on The Mule, my Specialized Sequoia
Bike Commutes: 16
8 of these commutes were aboard Little Nellie
5 on The Mule
3 on Big Nellie.
I rode 3 event rides, Southern Maryland, Backroads, and 50 States, all metric centuries (60-ish miles), all on The Mule.
By the end of September I had ridden 5,407 miles. I'd ridden to work 114 times. At about 30 miles per commute that comes out to3,420 miles. At 25 miles per gallon, that's 136.8 gallons of gas I didn't use. At $3.50 per gallon, I saved $478.80. Which pretty much covers the cost of Big Nellie's new seat.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Bogus sale
As my readers know, my pictures lately have had a smudge on them. My camera lens is somehow messed up. This is the store where I bought the camera. It is a Ritz Camera in Old Town Alexandria. They are liquidating their stock after going bankrupt. Seeing this sign, I thought, "Great. I'll buy another at half price."
So I go inside and start looking at the cameras. They are all marked 20 percent off. (The sale prices were suspiciously the same as Amazon.)
Then I looked at the sign again. Look in the yellow box below the numbers. "Limited exceptions apply."
Maybe I'm not the brightest bulb in the chandelier but "Everything" kinda sort means "Everything". The exceptions seemed to be everything worth more than $50, essentially all the goods on the left hand side of the store behind the sign.
I took my business elsewhere.
So I go inside and start looking at the cameras. They are all marked 20 percent off. (The sale prices were suspiciously the same as Amazon.)
Then I looked at the sign again. Look in the yellow box below the numbers. "Limited exceptions apply."
Maybe I'm not the brightest bulb in the chandelier but "Everything" kinda sort means "Everything". The exceptions seemed to be everything worth more than $50, essentially all the goods on the left hand side of the store behind the sign.
I took my business elsewhere.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Hey, Hon, It's the Tour du Port
Last weekend I rode the 50 States Ride in DC for the 5th time. Today I took on it's cousin the Tour du Port in Baltimore. I first did this ride with my son many years ago when he was riding his 20-inch one-gear cyclecross bike. He worked his butt off on a cold day to finish 20 tough miles.
Since then the Tour du Port has grown and routes have changed. The route today was supposed to be 63 miles. I managed to chop that down to 60 through distracted riding.
The tour starts in the Canton neighborhood southeast of downtown Baltimore. We rode north on a ten mile loop that included the Jones Fall cycle track. This is a pretty nifty piece of bike infrastructure but needs some work. The storm drains were oriented in line with bike tires, which can make for a nasty fall if tire meets drain opening. And there were ramps made of tar that stuck out from the curb. These look like remnants from an earlier use. They, too, would make for a nasty crash.
Along the way back to the Inner Harbor, a cyclists pulled up beside me and asked if I was from DC. I said I was and asked why they asked. It turns out that my inquisitor knows Brian from whom I bought a Sharrows pin which Brian sells in support of the Washington Area Bicyclists Association. My inquisitor was Alex Baca, an assistant editor of the Washington City Paper, whose tweets I have seen occasionally. She was riding with her friend Bec Rindler.
After taking a breather at the aquarium rest stop, we continued around the Inner Harbor. On the far side of the Inner Harbor we were supposed to ride toward Fort McHenry. We missed the turn, probably because we were gabbing and generally having a good time. This chopped 3 miles from the route. I have already ridden to Fort McHenry several times. It's an interesting fort with great views of the water, but the ride to and from it is somewhat tedious.
We came into downtown and headed west and then south along the water. We followed the Gwynns Falls Trail which is a curious route. In parts it is over grown with trees and bushes, tree routes span the trail in other parts and bollards pop up at the strangest places. Let's just say it has potential.
After climbing up to Bay Brook Park we headed right back toward Federal Hill where our route was cut off by a block party. We improvised and Alex, Bec and I became separated. I got back on course on Baltimore Street which has an impressive array of strip joints. After crossing downtown we headed down the eastern side of the Harbor through scenic Dundalk and other blue color neighborhoods. My thoughts turned to Henrietta Lacks, who lived and died in the harsher neighborhoods nearby and whose cancer cells are the subject of an excellent book about poverty, bioethics, and race.
Our trip south took us to North Point Park which overlooks the waters that lead to the Chesapeake Bay. Signs indicated that a significant battle of the War of 1812 took place here. Shots were fired, people died, the Brits eventually went home to abuse my Irish ancestors and to inbreed. At the Park I ran into Alex and Bec as I was leaving and they were arriving.
The return trip was little more than a reverse of our outbound course but into a head wind. I arrived at the after party to eat rather drab after party food. (There's something about eating food at these things that doesn't work. No knock on the organizers.) The three piece band played blues and R&B and was very entertaining. The bass player looked like he was all of 15 years old. (He reminded me of Liam Finn playing in his father Neil's band 15 years ago). He played like he was born to it. The guitarist/lead singer and drummer were also top notch.
Random thoughts
Baltimore has cycle tracks, bike lanes, sharrows, and bike trails. Most of them need a lot of work. At one point we hit a series of tree roots that was bone jarring.
We joked that the ride should be called Tour du Parking Lot because we cut through several on the way. We also rode on some narrow sidewalks that were just not appropriate for a long ride such as this.
The cue sheet was screwed up but not half as much as the last 20 miles of the course. We were supposed to take a right on a bike path over a highway on our way to North Point Park. This bike bridge was closed so the organizers improvised another route.
Much of the second half of the ride was on highways with ramps getting on or off other highways. Maneuvering through these intersections was not a lot of fun.
The course to North Point Park took us on a old road that had been closed to car traffic. Gates across the road at every intersection meant we had to ride a quick curve around the end of the gate.
The old road to North Point was strewn with glass for about a mile. I am shocked I didn't get a flat. Speaking of flats, I have never seen so many bicyclists fixing flats in my life. This happened all along the route.
I was disappointed that we didn't stop at the Paterson Park pagoda. This is truly one of the best parts of previous rides.
I only had a decent rhythm for about a tenth of the ride. I just couldn't get my legs spinning.
I think I am retired from the Tour du Port. I recommend it to anyone who likes this sort of riding. Baltimore's many neighborhoods make for an interesting ride.
Since then the Tour du Port has grown and routes have changed. The route today was supposed to be 63 miles. I managed to chop that down to 60 through distracted riding.
The tour starts in the Canton neighborhood southeast of downtown Baltimore. We rode north on a ten mile loop that included the Jones Fall cycle track. This is a pretty nifty piece of bike infrastructure but needs some work. The storm drains were oriented in line with bike tires, which can make for a nasty fall if tire meets drain opening. And there were ramps made of tar that stuck out from the curb. These look like remnants from an earlier use. They, too, would make for a nasty crash.
Along the way back to the Inner Harbor, a cyclists pulled up beside me and asked if I was from DC. I said I was and asked why they asked. It turns out that my inquisitor knows Brian from whom I bought a Sharrows pin which Brian sells in support of the Washington Area Bicyclists Association. My inquisitor was Alex Baca, an assistant editor of the Washington City Paper, whose tweets I have seen occasionally. She was riding with her friend Bec Rindler.
After taking a breather at the aquarium rest stop, we continued around the Inner Harbor. On the far side of the Inner Harbor we were supposed to ride toward Fort McHenry. We missed the turn, probably because we were gabbing and generally having a good time. This chopped 3 miles from the route. I have already ridden to Fort McHenry several times. It's an interesting fort with great views of the water, but the ride to and from it is somewhat tedious.
We came into downtown and headed west and then south along the water. We followed the Gwynns Falls Trail which is a curious route. In parts it is over grown with trees and bushes, tree routes span the trail in other parts and bollards pop up at the strangest places. Let's just say it has potential.
After climbing up to Bay Brook Park we headed right back toward Federal Hill where our route was cut off by a block party. We improvised and Alex, Bec and I became separated. I got back on course on Baltimore Street which has an impressive array of strip joints. After crossing downtown we headed down the eastern side of the Harbor through scenic Dundalk and other blue color neighborhoods. My thoughts turned to Henrietta Lacks, who lived and died in the harsher neighborhoods nearby and whose cancer cells are the subject of an excellent book about poverty, bioethics, and race.
 |
| Pre-ride sunrise over Balmer |
 |
| Heading north into tree lined neighborhood |
 |
| Bec has some chocolate covered espresso beans |
 |
| Alex Baca |
 |
| And I thought DC bollards are bad |
 |
| Running zombies. Be afraid. |
 |
| Cycle mural |
 |
| Chimney sweep bike helmet |
 |
| Road to North Point |
 |
| View from Stansbury Park |
 |
| Blue skies over Dundalk |
The return trip was little more than a reverse of our outbound course but into a head wind. I arrived at the after party to eat rather drab after party food. (There's something about eating food at these things that doesn't work. No knock on the organizers.) The three piece band played blues and R&B and was very entertaining. The bass player looked like he was all of 15 years old. (He reminded me of Liam Finn playing in his father Neil's band 15 years ago). He played like he was born to it. The guitarist/lead singer and drummer were also top notch.
Random thoughts
Baltimore has cycle tracks, bike lanes, sharrows, and bike trails. Most of them need a lot of work. At one point we hit a series of tree roots that was bone jarring.
We joked that the ride should be called Tour du Parking Lot because we cut through several on the way. We also rode on some narrow sidewalks that were just not appropriate for a long ride such as this.
The cue sheet was screwed up but not half as much as the last 20 miles of the course. We were supposed to take a right on a bike path over a highway on our way to North Point Park. This bike bridge was closed so the organizers improvised another route.
Much of the second half of the ride was on highways with ramps getting on or off other highways. Maneuvering through these intersections was not a lot of fun.
The course to North Point Park took us on a old road that had been closed to car traffic. Gates across the road at every intersection meant we had to ride a quick curve around the end of the gate.
The old road to North Point was strewn with glass for about a mile. I am shocked I didn't get a flat. Speaking of flats, I have never seen so many bicyclists fixing flats in my life. This happened all along the route.
I was disappointed that we didn't stop at the Paterson Park pagoda. This is truly one of the best parts of previous rides.
I only had a decent rhythm for about a tenth of the ride. I just couldn't get my legs spinning.
I think I am retired from the Tour du Port. I recommend it to anyone who likes this sort of riding. Baltimore's many neighborhoods make for an interesting ride.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
The Woodrow Wilson Bike Academy, or I Wanna Ride My Bike
I am a parent. I have two kids who are of the age where a bicycle simply can't compare to a car. They both learned to ride on the street in front of our house. My daughter was almost swallowed up by a storm drain (her helmet kept her from going in), but teaching them was otherwise uneventful. I do remember the look on my wife's face when I told her that I let my son ride around the block by himself. Ten long minutes later he arrived unharmed in front of our house with the biggest smile in the world.
Kids learning to ride a bike are trying to master several complex tasks simultaneously. They are learning to balance, steer, pedal, and brake. This requires lots of motor skills and the use of muscles that they've probably never used before.
I grew up on a dead end street. There were no curbs. I learned to ride in the street with training wheels, because that's how it was done back in the day. I was terrified as I teetered back and forth and tried to pedal and steer and brake. My first solo ride without training wheels ended up with me t-boning a 58 Chevy, but I digress.
There is a new train of thought that says training wheels are a waste of money and make learning much more difficult. I agree with it.
My sister Margaret is 2 1/2 years younger than me.While I was busy with second grade, my five year old sister taught herself to ride on my bike without training wheels. She pushed my bike down the driveway, jumped on it and glided onto the lawn across the street. She rode up the neighbor's grassy front lawn and when she lost momentum she crashed. Then she got up and did it again. She was having a blast.
She was mastering balance and steering. She did nothing with the brakes or the pedals. Once she had the first two skills figured out, she practiced the second two.
Do a web search on "without training wheels". I got over 1 million hits.
Since I was known among the parents of my kids' friends as the dad who rides a bike, I was often asked where to take a kid to learn to ride. The first words out of my mouth were always met with incredulity.
DO NOT TAKE THEM TO THE MOUNT VERNON TRAIL!!!!
Or the Capital Crescent or Washington and Old Dominion or any other trail with significant trail traffic.
Taking a kid to a busy multiuse trail around DC is like teaching a kid to drive by taking him on the Beltway. It's not going to end well.
I have discovered the perfect place to take your kid to practice bike riding (with or without training wheels). It's the newly paved section of Jones Point Park under the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in Alexandria. There's all kinds of new, smooth pavement. It's deserted. Your kid can ride in circles or up and down the big wide lanes under the bridge. If it rains, no problem. There's a huge bridge overhead remember?. And it's a cool looking structure too. The Mount Vernon Trail does cross the paved area near the bathrooms but there's so much room it shouldn't be a concern. (Don't even think about putting your kid on it.)
There is also a water fountain and bathrooms. When junior gets tired, take her/him over to the river to look at the boats or over to one of the play grounds.
Then take them to Old Town and get them an ice cream cone.
Kids learning to ride a bike are trying to master several complex tasks simultaneously. They are learning to balance, steer, pedal, and brake. This requires lots of motor skills and the use of muscles that they've probably never used before.
I grew up on a dead end street. There were no curbs. I learned to ride in the street with training wheels, because that's how it was done back in the day. I was terrified as I teetered back and forth and tried to pedal and steer and brake. My first solo ride without training wheels ended up with me t-boning a 58 Chevy, but I digress.
There is a new train of thought that says training wheels are a waste of money and make learning much more difficult. I agree with it.
My sister Margaret is 2 1/2 years younger than me.While I was busy with second grade, my five year old sister taught herself to ride on my bike without training wheels. She pushed my bike down the driveway, jumped on it and glided onto the lawn across the street. She rode up the neighbor's grassy front lawn and when she lost momentum she crashed. Then she got up and did it again. She was having a blast.
She was mastering balance and steering. She did nothing with the brakes or the pedals. Once she had the first two skills figured out, she practiced the second two.
Do a web search on "without training wheels". I got over 1 million hits.
Since I was known among the parents of my kids' friends as the dad who rides a bike, I was often asked where to take a kid to learn to ride. The first words out of my mouth were always met with incredulity.
DO NOT TAKE THEM TO THE MOUNT VERNON TRAIL!!!!
Or the Capital Crescent or Washington and Old Dominion or any other trail with significant trail traffic.
Taking a kid to a busy multiuse trail around DC is like teaching a kid to drive by taking him on the Beltway. It's not going to end well.
 |
| Woodrow Wilson Bike Academy |
There is also a water fountain and bathrooms. When junior gets tired, take her/him over to the river to look at the boats or over to one of the play grounds.
 |
| Play ground and parking beyond the bridge |
 |
| You gotta have a potty and a water fountain |
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