Whoops

On the way to work this morning I was snacking on a bagel when I hit a pothole that I swear wasn't there yesterday. I didn't wipe out but my breakfast went rolling down the road. Consider it a lesson learned.

Google SMS as a Tool for Commuters and Tourers

Imagine this you're out on tour near Fargo and you break a spoke or two. You could limp along to the next town and hope there's a bike shop there or you could get Google to tell you where the nearest bike shop is. Just text bicycle shop Fargo North Dakota to 466453 and a few seconds later Google will provide you the answer. The best part is you don't need one of those fancy schmancy smart phones, any phone with sms will do. It sounds silly but in a pinch this is a really handy service.

What's in Your Wallet

Actually I'm more interested in what's in your panniers or bags. This cartoon made me realize that I carry a ridiculous amount of stuff around with me.




So I did an inventory.
Let's see:
A patch kit
Tire Levers
A spare tube
A pocket shortwave radio
Two spare blinkies
A multi-tool
Gloves
Balaclava (winter only)
Ear muffs (winter only)
$1.75 in quarters
A cliff bar
A bungie cord
Spare AAA battery
Comb
First aid kit
Hand sanitizer

I guess I'm not a weight weenie.

Night Riding (with apologies to REM)

I just got home and thought about why I like riding at night. An old REM song went through my head as I pedaled.


Night riding deserves a quiet night
The photograph on the handlebars, taken years ago,
Flapping in the wind as I ride
Every streetlight reveals the picture in reverse
Still, it's so much clearer
I forgot my gloves at home
The moon is low tonight

Night riding deserves a quiet night
I'm not sure all these drivers understand
It's not like years ago,
The fear of getting hit,
Of recklessness and bikes
They cannot see me exposed
These things, they go away,
Replaced by everyday

Night riding, remembering that night
September's coming soon
I'm pining for the moon
And what if there were two
Side by side on the street
Riding in the fairest sun?
That bright, tight forever drum
Could not describe night riding

You, I thought I knew you
You, I cannot judge
You, I thought you knew me,
This one laughing quietly underneath my breath
Night riding

The photograph reflects,
Every streetlight a reminder
Night riding deserves a quiet night, deserves a quiet night

Just Riding for the Heck of It

I had nowhere to go today, but we got a break in the rain so I hopped on the bike and took off. I drifted over to Sandy Springs, then on the way back took a detour into the kind of neighborhood where all the houses are three sizes too big and behind large wrought iron gates. A bit heavier traffic than one would expect on a Sunday but an enjoyable ride.

A Hike and Ride on a Lazy Saturday

Well since the Falcons are blowing it, here's what I did today. My wife and I took a hike on the Appalachian Trail between Woody Gap and Gooch Gap. We've hiked it before but today was foggy and threatening rain.

When we started it was a little foggy.

From AT Hike

Then it got foggier.

From AT Hike

Then it really got thick.

From AT Hike

This is actually my favorite kind of weather for hiking. There's just something wonderful about the woods and the fog.

When we got home I took a little break and then pedaled to the store for some juice. The predicted rain never made it to our part of town and the Saturday afternoon traffic wasn't too bad. All and all a very enjoyable day.

New Year's Resolutions and the First Bad Drivers for 2009

Since I failed miserably to complete my New Year's Resolutions for 2008, I vow to do better in 2009.

1. Drop 20 pounds, that should put me pretty near by ideal weight.
2. Ride even more than in 2008.
3. Take a bicycle tour (ideally the Route Verte)
4. Get my oldest child out the door to college.
5. Train my dog

Speaking of 2009, my ride to the store this morning exposed me to the first jerks of 2009. There was the pass me and then stomp on the brakes pickup, the pass way too close and honk toyota, and the always popular right hook corvette.

As Promised Photos of the New Bike

From Bike

Quality Chicago

From Bike

Grips are Schwinn Approved

From Bike

The bike was originally purchased at Jack's Cyclery in Dearborn Michigan. Jack's is still in business although it's moved a few blocks down.

From Bike

Speedster

From Bike

I can't wait to get this thing ride ready.

From Bike

Like a Kid on Christmas Morning

Today I finally got something good off craigslist. A red Schwinn Speedster 3-speed. In very un-Buddhist fashion, I'm practically giddy at my new acquisition. A special thanks to Paul in Peachtree City who sold it to me for only $25. The paint is in very good shape for a bike of its age. I figure it to be a 1974 or 1975 model, because its Sturmey-Archer hub was made in 74 (thanks Sheldon wherever you are). Shifting action is good but it'll need some new tires. Since I'll have to special order 597's I'll take the opportunity to break everything down and change the oil in the hub. Pictures to follow tomorrow.

Day After Christmas Tragedy

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/dec/26/262026/2-dead-separate-hillsborough-wrecks/#comments

From Tampa Bay Online:
A 7-year-old bicyclist was killed this afternoon when he was hit by a pickup while riding on a bike trail that crosses U.S. Highway 301 north of Stacy Road, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Rohan A. Berringer of Zephyrhills was riding with two other bicyclists – his mother and sister –when he rode into the path of a 2002 Ford F-150 about 2:11 p.m., according to investigators. The truck, driven by George D. Thomas, 79, of Thonotosassa, hit the boy, who died at the scene.

Neither Thomas nor his passenger, Mary J. Thomas, 75, also of Thonotosassa, was hurt.

The road was closed for more than two hours as the crash was being investigated.

The incident remains under investigation.

I don't want to assign blame but google maps shows that the crossing in question has no lights, bridges, or tunnels to allow bicyclists and pedestrians to safely cross the highway. If you're going to have separate facilities for cyclists you have to make them safe. Even a stop sign for the cars may have prevented this tragedy.

Compare the crossing on 301:

View Larger Map

To a highway crossing on the Silver Comet Trail:

View Larger Map

Cyclists and Lights

Tonight on the long ride home from dropping off a forgotten Christmas present at my mom's house, I nearly ran over a cyclist. He was what's commonly referred to as a bike ninja. Now I realize some people ride bikes not by choice but by necessity and bike lights can be expensive. But when there's a dollar store on every corner selling red and white leds for a buck there's no excuse for being a bike ninja. A couple of years ago on the ride to work I stopped a bike ninja and gave him my spare blinky, so starting next week I'm going to keep a small stash of dollar store leds on me at all times to help vanquish the world of bike ninjas.

Long Sleeve Merino Wool Jerseys $5

Well not quite but lately I've found a couple of lightweight merino wool sweaters at my local thrift store. They're just the thing for winter riding and at $5 each you can't beat the price. They've pretty much become my standard wear for cool and wet weather.

I think I'm in Love

Bicycling at Christmas Time

One of the great things about being a utility cyclist at Christmas is you don't have to put up with parking hassles when you go shopping. I had to go to the mall the other day and my grin was extra wide as I cruised past lines of cars looking for a spot.

Gas Prices Fall Bikes Disappear

Just as predicted as gas prices have fallen bicycles have disappeared from the roads. Americans are nothing if not predictable. Had a fun ride today, when a group of roadies went by I couldn't help but smile. They were decked out in the spandex while I was wearing an old wool sweater. Of course they went by me like I was standing still.

New Office Location - Unbikeable?

So my office moved to a new location about eight miles further out. Here's the problem, the area is nigh unbikeable. Now I'm not one to make such a pronouncement lightly but even if I did the multi-modal thing and took MARTA to the Mansell park & ride, there's no good route from the park and ride to the office off Hembre. I'm very upset about this development. More details to come.

Gas Panic

So with my back still bothering me I decided 8-10 hours in the saddle probably wasn't the smartest thing, but I did do a short ride to Publix to pick up some food. On the way I saw this.



Yep people line up for gas just like the 70's. You see since Hurricane Ike there's been a distinct supply problem, made worse by a panicky public and media. Many stations are out of gas, and those with gas have long lines. By the time I was on back from Publix this station too was out.

Sigh...

For the third day in a row I've had to drive, that's how messed up my back is. I went to the doctor yesterday who prescribed some muscle relaxants and painkillers. I'm hoping they work a miracle or there's no way I'll be able to make the big Silver Comet ride.

Designing my perfect bike

Lugged steel frame, horizontal dropouts, relaxed riding position, chainstays long enough to avoid heel strike, Rohloff hub (checks price) I mean Shimano nexus 8 red band, racks on the front and rear, full coverage fenders, racks on back and front.

Still no gas, night riding, and getting old

Well there's still little or no gas to be found in Cobb county. Doesn't bother me but some people are starting to freak out.

Have I mentioned how wonderful riding at night is? Assuming you have enough lighting, riding in the cool night air with few cars around it great.

So when I got home last night I picked up my bike to take it inside and something in my back broke. It's the price of getting older that your prone the these unexpected breakdowns.

No Gas at Costco

Since Hurricane Ike hit there's been a gas shortage, at least in my part of town. I rode to Costco last night to pick up some paper towels and they were out of gas, so I took the long way home and discovered QT and BP were also out of gas.

Of course being on my bicycle this bothers me not at all, except for the fact that I promised to visit my mother this weekend and I'm pretty sure the last time I parked it, it had very little gas. Which brings me to commuter rail. Atlanta's got a lot of rail lines and almost all are used exclusively for freight. Why is it a rail line not 2 miles from my home runs straight to Cartersville and yet it's impossible for me to take the train?

Everyone complains about $4+ a gallon gas, except me. The longer gas prices are high the more likely people will start thinking differently about transportation.

Coworkers and Commuting

A coworker actually asked me about what it took to commute to work. He only lives 5 miles away so it's a pretty easy ride. I told him that if he wanted to meet me one morning, I would be glad to show him the safest and quickest route.

Sometimes it rains

And it rains hard. So hard I ducked into a Starbucks and waited out the storm. When I finally crossed over 400 traffic wasn't moving in either direction. So once again bike beats car.

Well Hey Fay

A really slow ride to work today as I battled Fay's winds the whole way. I've said it before and I will say it again; riding into the wind is like up a hill that never ends.

Bike Lust

I want a Bleriot. And a Milano, and a Big Dummy. Bike lust is a funny thing. It makes you immune to rational thought. But since I just spent $500 on books for school, there will be no new bikes in my immediate future.

Whew!

It appears the worst of summer's heat is behind us. Thank goodness.

Yuck

Cleaned out the headset yesterday boy did it need it. The headset has got to be the most neglected part of the bike.

A long time in coming

Ok, there's been no posts for four months. No excuses. So here's a recap. Finished school for the semester, hit 3K miles for the year, got a couple of flats, stripped the bike and did a complete maintenance routine on it, and watched as I was joined by more and more bike commuters.

Since gas crossed $4 a gallon I've seen at least double the number of bike commuters on my early morning route. I've even got a coworker on the verge of riding in. It's a good time to be a cyclist but I fear that gas prices will fall and people will slip back into their old habits pretty quickly.

West Peachtree Construction

I have no idea what they're doing on West Peachtree in front of Jones Day, but it messed-up traffic royally today. I was actually forced to do a little creative navigation to get to my destination.

Springtime flats

I don't know what's going on lately but I've had a rash of three flats in the past few weeks. Now for a commuter like me who rides on wider, lower pressure tires than those who expect to go fast on their bikes, flats don't happen that often. But when they do it's a pain.

Pollen

The yellow monster is back with a vengeance. I first noticed it last week when by black panniers began to collect the stuff. Now it's to the point I can taste it in my mouth on a long climb. Yes spring in Atlanta is great, except for the pollen.

Wacky Weekend Weather

What's going on? One day is warm the next it's cold. Please mother nature make up your mind.

Spring...

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there's few things better than Atlanta in the Spring. The combination of nice weather and high gas prices have led to a noticeable increase in bicyclist along my route. Last Friday I counted four on my way to work.

Now don't get me wrong I love seeing more people biking to work, but do you really need nice weather and high gas prices to get you out on the bike. Consider this, on my bike my commute takes about one hour. In the car with traffic it's about 45 minutes. So I spend 15 minutes more getting to work, but I get an extra hour of exercise. Oh and it doesn't cost a cent.

The Only Bike at Costco

I need a few things Saturday, so I hopped on the bike and head to Costco. Now I'll be honest, if you don't have a Xtracycle shopping at Costco is a pain. When I left both panniers were stuffed and a giant sized package of toliet paper was bungied to the rear rack. I got some strange looks from the Costco crowd but hey, it still beats driving.

Windy

Whoosh, we've had a few windy days here in Atlanta lately. The great thing about the wind is it's like a hill that never ends. Ha! I can't stand the wind, I feel like I'm going backwards. Speaking of going backwards, I've got to find a new job because the drivers on my commute have gone crazy, two, count them two accidents this morning within 50 feet of me. Both of them rear-enders. I couldn't see if they were cell-phone related but there's a Toyota Landcruiser and a Nissan Altima that are going to need some work.

Sun Gets In Your Eyes

The worst part of my current commute is the fact that my long ride down Mt. Vernon Highway is almost directly into the setting sun. Of course it's not my eyes I'm worried about, it's all the people driving behind me. So what do I do? Of course high visibility gear is normal, but I also run my rear blinkie with the hopes that it will attract a little extra attention. Most importantly I check my mirror often, this $5 device has saved my life at least once. I would call that a bargain.

Snow Globe

I rode home in the snow on Wednesday and guess what, it was a blast. I can't think of the last time I had so much fun on my commute.

2 Months and No Posts; What's Going On

In a word nothing. More accurately I should say nothing noteworthy. I still riding around Atlanta, still commuting by bike, and still being a grouch. The ride to my new job isn't too bad, there's a limited number of ways to get from here to there and everyone of them is busy morning and night.

I meant to post last week when we had that cold snap but work and life hot in the way. More regular postings to follow.

I'm Gonna Shoot You (censored version)

So on my way home from the park today someone threatened to shoot me. He also said many other things to me not suitable for family reading. I decided not to engage himm but it was still pretty stressful. What kind of crazy world do we live in?

You don't have to spend a fortune

I've seen quite a few people complain about the high cost of cycling as a hobby. Sure if you want the latest carbon frames, you're going to pay for it. But a bike for commuting can be had quite cheap. Witness the old gray mare.



Bike $35 used.
Fenders free discarded by friend when he upgraded
Panniers $40 on ebay
Handlebars $9.99 Nashbar





So we're looking at a total cost of $85 for this bike. My best estimation is that I have something like 5,000 miles on this one so that's roughly 1.7 cents per mile. I would call that a bargain.

Cochran Shoals and Colunns Drive

Photos from yesterday's quick ride with the digital Holga.

The Cochran Shoals trail is crushed stone but nice and wide.

Who is that mysterious cyclist

Columns Drive remember it's not a bike lane it's a paved shoulder.

A sign of the times: house and Lexus for sale

Today's road treasure.

I Meet the Cobb County Bike Patrol

Imagine my surprise to learn the Cobb County now has a bike patrol for the Cumberland Galleria area. This makes perfect sense because this area probably has the highest density of mixed use development in Cobb County. So I ran into these officers today riding home from Borders (still no bike rack) and guess what, they were having a great time. In fact one them pulled behind me and made the wooo-wooo siren sound while laughing.

Yeah life is better on a bike.

Ride Review: Rottenwood Creek Multi-Use Trail

The Rottenwood Creek multi-use trail runs from the corner of Interstate North Parkway and Cumberland Boulevard to the Chattahoochee Palisades West Parking lot near Hwy 41 and Paces Mill Road. I rode it today and took some pictures.

The parking lot at Palisades West.

It runs right under I-75

There's lots of dog doo so you have to be on the look out.

Rottenwood Creek looks pristine here.

But don't let that fool you.

Hey here's a hill.

Evidently there's a dispute between the feds and Cobb County about who is responsible for trash pickup.

Under I-285

With graffiti

The parking lot at Cumberland Blvd & Interstate North.


So how was the ride? Short. It's actually not a bad way to skip riding on Cumberland Blvd and 41 in Cobb County as it dumps you right by the river. They seem to have built it as cheaply as possible, instead of the smooth concrete it's made of the rough stuff you see in the dog doo picture. But if you want to practice climbing a hill on a mup I'll doubt you'll find a better opportunity in Atlanta. One word of advice, unlike the Palisades West parking lot, there's no charge to park at Cumberland & Interstate North.

I Get a GA DOT "Motorist" Survey

So I got this survey from the Georgia Department of Transportation. They want to know what I think of the quality of our roads, the DOT's performance in managing traffic flow and congestion, assuring highway safety, and what I think about possible DOT priorities. You're probably not surprised to find bicycles weren't mentioned once. At least they had a question about building more sidewalks. Of course they had three different questions about adding more lanes to existing roads, which we all know is only a temporary fix.

Today's Rides

Well I'm unemployed so I decided to take a ride on the local MUP. It's officially called the Rottenwood Creek Multiuse Trail. What it should be called is practice your dog doo dodging skills. I've never see so much crap in such a small area and I've been to Congress.

After returning home my wife called and asked me to go to Macy's and pickup some things for her. So back on the bike and off to the mall. There was a bike rack right outside Macy's but it was one of those old fasioned wheel benders. Then on the way home I decided to swing by Borders where I saw many books I wanted but since I'm still unemployed I thought I had better wait.

Carfree?

My wife and I are having a difference of opinion about whether or not our family could go car free. Since we don't live in-town, I realize it would be difficult but with flex-car now in Atlanta I think it could be done.

What do you do with an unemployed commuter

I've just passed one month of unemployment. So there's been no commuting but I have been doing the usual errands by bike. In fact I just back from publix where I decided I really need an xtracycle. Filling the panniers just isn't working anymore.

Fewer Bikes More Riding

Due to the fact that I'm currently unemployed, I've sold all but one of my bikes. In the end I choose to hold on to the commuter/tourer/do everything bike. It doesn't do anything particularly well but if I'm only going to have one bike, this is it. It began life as an early 90's rigid mountain bike, then it acquired slicks, fenders, racks, lights, and trekking bars.

It's not that I didn't love my other bikes but the mountain bike was rarely ridden, the hybrid was never ridden, and the Centurion went to a good home. The other part about being unemployed is that I have plenty of time to ride. So now the miles are adding up.

Putting Thinngs in Perspective

Here's an update on Sheldon Brown's health problems. It reminds me that my silly little ankle is just a minor annoyance.

I've got to admit it's getting better

I did a short very flat ride yester day in the 100+ degree heat. And I loved it. I still can't climb but at least I'm going in the right direction.

New Ankle Therapy

Give me a couple of new anti-inflamtories and wrap up my ankle so it looks like it comes from the Valley of the Kings. We'll see how this works.

Why You No Post?

Here's the deal. I've been off the bike since my last post. Riding along one day I felt an incredible pain in my ankle. Three doctor's visits have resulted in three different diagnosis quite frankly I think they have no clue. Oh, and I still can't ride. It's really getting old.

New Job Means New Route

I start a new job on Monday, so I'm currently searching for the best route from Vinings to Lenox Square.

Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head

I never thought I would miss riding in the rain so much, but I literally can't remember the last time we had a good soaking. We went to screen on the green last Thursday and I was thrilled to see dozens of bikes filling the racks at Piedmont Park. It gives me hope for the future.

More MARTA Woes

You may have heard that MARTA's 190 million dollar Breeze card system decided to flip-out yesterday. Yeah, I hate the whole Breeze card system and I hate using the same gates for entrance and exit. Come July you will need to tap your Breeze card to exit a station, MARTA claims this is to better track ridership, to quote the Mighty Thor, I say nay. I believe that tap in/tap out is the first step to variable fare pricing. Right now you can ride from the Airport to Dunwoody for the same cost as a trip from Five Points to Arts Center. With tap in/tap out the gates could be programed to charge more for longer rides. In a city that needs to do everything in its power to increase transit usage this would be a monumentally stupid idea.

Smokey

Absolutely horrible air quality today as smoke from the wildfires in the south enveloped Atlanta. It looks like LA out there.

Rising Gas Prices

Gas topped $3.00 a gallon in Atlanta over the weekend which brought the usual news stories about people cutting back in order to fill their tanks. And yet still I see cars racing from stop light to stop light, driving far in excess of the speed limit, and being used for the shortest of trips.

Not one of the reports I saw mentioned bicycling as an alternative to driving. Let's see, I don't remember the last time I put gas in my car, I'm in great shape, and I don't have to pay for parking. Bicycling, good for my heart, good for my wallet, good for my city.

P.S. As gas prices have climbed I have noticed a slight increase in transit use which is a good thing.

Bike to Work Day

MARTA is promoting Bike to Work Day on their electronic signs in the various stations around time. Good job MARTA.

Two Days Two Flats

I anticipate I'll be writing a very negative review of Ritchey Tom Slicks very soon. Today's flat happened right in front of Jett's building.

Not One TdG Post

Between school and work I've been so busy this week that I've let the Tour past without comment. So let me say for the record that the Tour de Georgia is great, and I wish I was able to attend every single stage. :(

APD Doing Their Job

The other day I rode down to Peachtree Center to do some banking.  When I came out I began unlocking my bike but because some dofus had chained his bike nearly right on top of mine. I was having a problem getting at the lock. That's when an APD foot patrolman came up on me and asked me what I was doing. I explained the situation and surprisingly he asked for proof the bike was mind.  

And you know what I can see why he did, he must have been watching me trying to get at the lock for at least two minutes, for all he knew I was just a well dressed bike thief. I told him that my name and address were etched on the seat post. Then I pulled it to show him where it was at. That satisfied him but with all the thievery that goes on I'm glad he showed enough interest to check me out.

The Backup Plan

On this morning's ride to Sandy Springs I got a huge cramp.  A real nasty one.  I thought about riding through it but after about 100 feet I decided to engage the backup plan.  

As a bike commuter you've always got to plan ahead.  Flats, mechnical failures, or even a turn in the weather might force you off your bike.  My backup plan is to take the bus to the Sandy Springs station.  So as my cramp intensified I stopped at the nearest bus stop, waited for the bus and began to stretch.  And I waited, and waited, I know the bus schedules pretty well and I knew the bus was running late.  Then it came barrelling over the hill and nearly flew right past me.  I loaded by bike on the rack, (got to love MARTA's bike friendliness) and began one of the most harrowing bus rides of my life.  I mean this was slapstick comedy, sterotypical third-world bus driving, kind of crazy.  The bus driver flew down the roads far in excess of the 35 mph speed limit.  We hit a dip in the road and by heart jumped as I heard the rack hitting the asphalt.   Needless to say I was relieved when we finally reached the train station.

Multimodal Commute

Today I did the bike to train thing.  11km to the Sandy Springs MARTA station and then riding to the Civic Center station and then biking the one block to work.  1 hour and fifteen minutes from home to my desk although I was delayed waiting for a bathroom stall to change in.  

At one point on the train ride my car had three bikes in it, not bad.

Update: The combination bus/bike trip home took 52 minutes.  Not bad.

One Less Car the Movie

From Martino, the trailer for One Less Car the Movie.

Critical Mass Atlanta

Jett over at AIC provides pictures and videos of Critical Mass Atlanta style.

A Tale of Two Commutes

Today was the first day of the new commute. To give you an idea of the scale of the change, I went from commuting to here.




To here.
 

The Pollen Bowl

If you're not from Atlanta it's really hard to imagine how bad the pollen is. Imagine the dust bowl of John Ford's films only yellow. When you're out riding your can see plumes of the stuff blowing off the trees. Everything is covered in a fine yellow dust and the horizon is obscured by billowing clouds of plant love.

If you can't tell, I'm not a fan.

Want One of These

Bike Friday Tikit

MARTA's Secret Fare Increase

Here's something that has been sliding under the radar for a while but it's sure to create a stir later this summer. Last year I blogged about MARTA's new Breeze Ticket system. Starting May 1, 2007, MARTA will begin charging a .50 fee for issuing Breeze Tickets. Allegedly this is to recoup the cost of the tickets, but it's really just a revenue generator.

Now you can repeatedly reload the tickets but these things are flimsy and are lucky to last one week much less the 90 days they're good for. When MARTA adopted the Breeze system the rational was to make it harder for fare cheats but now it seems clear that the real motivation was to provide a new revenue source for a transit system that can't increase their fares.

New Job

I've got a new job and for the first time I'm going to be commuting into Atlanta everyday. Over the next week or so I'm going to be planning my new route and searching for the best place to secure my bike downtown. I'm also considering getting a MARTA card just in case I need a ride.

Holy Crap, Can I Move to Santa Cruz?

Check out CBB!

Like Sheep to Slaughter

You've probably noticed that gas prices are creeping back up again. I don't mind, it just means I'm saving that much more money on my bike. What I notice most is that the same people who flipped out when gas prices went above $2.00 a gallon a couple of years ago seem strangely quite now. It seems the gas companies have gotten the American public use to high gas prices so they're going to keep them as high as they can.

As I said I've got no problem with high gas prices but I would rather see the money going to the government instead of Exxon/Mobile. So I'm saying why not another $2.00 in Federal taxes on gasoline? Sure people seem to have gotten used to $2.00 a gallon but how would they deal with $4.00 a gallon? The only way were going to break our addiction to gas is shock therapy and better now than later.

Live to Ride: Ride to Live

I'm under a fair amount of stress right now. The HRIS data system I'm under to contract to clean up is a mess. School is keeping me really busy. And then there's the fact that I'm the father of two teenage girls. But you know what? When I'm out on a ride all the stress just melts away. And if my youngest daughter wants to ride with me, so much the better. I'm sure you all know about the health benefits of riding but don't forget that a bike can be good for your mental health too.

Lack of fun rides leads to lack of blogging

Ok, the new job officially sucks. Sure it's a nice easy ride and yes they have lots of bike parking, but frankly the work itself is just tedious. This weekend I making time for a nice long ride to nowhere in particular.

New Job For Now

Ok, I've got a new job at least for a little while.  I've taken a contract position but here's the rub.  It's only a mile from home, so I barely get warmed up before I get to work.

Unemployment

Well my commuting days are over for a while. As of Wednesday I'm
unemployed. I'm looking for yet another job where I can ride my bike
to work.

When Your Engine Breaks Down

One of the perils of relying on a bicycle to get you places is that occasionally you pull, twist, or pinch something, and suddenly you’re not going anywhere.  I guess one of the things about getting older is that this happens with more regularity now.  So I’m off the bike for a couple of days.  Carpooling isn’t so bad, except for the fact that I’m in a car and not on a bike.

Gentlemen Behold

Chincicle

 

Portland the exact opposite of Atlanta

Bike Portland has an interesting post about how the Feds feel Portland’s Regional Transportation Plan doesn’t focus enough on cars.   In Atlanta transportation planning seems to focus exclusively on cars.  Let’s take a look at Atlanta regional transportation projects:

 

MARTA: Still no rail service to Cobb, Gwinnett, Paulding or Coweta counties.

Beltline:  Not dead but certainly dying. 

Commuter rail to Lovejoy: I’m pronouncing this project dead.

 

Ok, here’s a crazy idea.  We desperately need transportation alternatives in metro-Atlanta; and we really don’t want to pay for them.  So why not use existing freight rails for a commuter train.  Yeah, the ride will be terrible but it beats sitting in traffic.  CSX has a line that runs from Atlanta straight through the heart of Cobb County on to exo-burbs of Bartow.  To the south this same line runs along I-85 to LaGrange.  In Gwinnett, the Norfolk Southern line hits all the major population centers.  So am I missing something?  Why can’t we just throw up a few passenger stations throw some cars on the track and make a go of it?

Fiber

I was out for a ride Saturday when I noticed fiber spray painted on the sidewalk. I guess they're laying some fiber optic cable so digging up the street can't be far behind.

FOUND Magazine

Found Magazine is a natural read for the utility cyclist.  As I wrote in Road Treasures, being out and about on your bike naturally lends itself to finding the discarded remnants of society.  Found Magazine collects these found objects and submits them for your consideration.  The result is accidental genius.      

Thought of the day

Bicycling:  Sometimes you get cold, or wet, or dirty, and yet somehow when you arrive at your destination you still feel better than you would had you driven there in a car.

Protest Ride 10:30 a.m. Saturday

There will be another East Wesley protest ride this weekend.  The ABC has the details here.

Shocking Sight

I saw another bicycle commuter this morning.  He was riding on the sidewalk on a bike that looked too small but I’m sure that I dressed in my work clothes with my pants stuffed in my sock and riding on the street looked just as strange to him.

A Modest Proposal

Last month I mentioned that consideration was being given to tearing up Atlanta’s downtown connector.  An idea was floated that removing the 15 lane behemoth would open up new land for development.  I have come up with an alternate proposal; replacing the connector with a linear park running 6 km from 17^th Street to I-20.  Why a park?  Well the first and most obvious reason is the Atlanta is lacking in park space.  The parks we do have tend to be small and isolated while my proposed park would be longer than central park.  A park this size could really transform downtown Atlanta.  I haven’t really thought through all the details but I’ll post more ideas as they come to me.

 

Protest Ride Tomorrow

The ABC has taken the lead to fight the city’s ill conceived and bike unfriendly traffic calming measures.  Tomorrow there will be a protest ride, the details are here.

Columns Drive Controversy

Columns Drive is a lovely little street that runs from the east side of the Cochran Shoals section of the Chattahoochee River Park to Johnsons Ferry Road.  Because the road is flat, is connected to the park, has a low speed limit, and features pseudo-bike lanes it’s very popular with cyclist.  In fact it may be one of the most popular cycling roads in the metro-Atlanta area.  If you visit Columns Drive on any sunny weekend you’ll see dozens of cyclists, many on very high end bikes repeatedly going up and down the 2.5 mile road.

 

Did I forget to mention that Columns Drive also features many million dollar homes?  Well it seems the residents of these homes have grown tired of the cyclists and with the help of a Cobb County Commissioner are seeking to introduce a “no cruising” ordinance that would make it illegal for a vehicle (specifically a bicycle) to circle the road more than two times in an hour.  Now the roadies on Columns Drive can be a bit aggressive, but they’re nowhere near as annoying as the woman blocking the entire lane as she struggles to back her Hummer out of her driveway. 

 

In the end I just don’t see what the big deal is.  Even on it’s most heavily biked day, cars out number bikes on Columns drive 3 or 4 to 1, perhaps they’re just jealous of the fact that the cyclist are outside enjoying that beautiful stretch of road without paying a million dollars.

Cold Weather Riding

Winter has returned to Atlanta, and with winter comes the need to layer properly. It’s too easy to overdress and wind up sweating like a madman on the hills. For me the key has been to dress in layers just too the point that I’m a little cold before I start my ride. Once I’m on the road my body warms up nicely and I can usually get rid of my top layer.

Here’s my winter commuting attire from the bottom up:

Regular underwear

Khakis, or dress pants

Work shirt usually something white and button down

Fleece overshirt

Gloves

Ear warmers

Now on rainy days I usually wrap up my work clothes and instead replace them with REI convertible pants, a long sleeve tee, and a rain jacket. Because it’s so much easier to stay cool in the winter, there’s no need to shower when I get to the office, making my winter commute 10-20 minutes shorter than the summer commute.

Alas, it appears our visit from winter will be a short one, this weekend’s forecast in for highs approach 20 degrees C.

The Case for Seperated Bike Lanes

Both Martino and Bike Portland featured this video, I found it interesting enough to share.

Are you sure it's winter?

Unseasonably warm weather seems to be the rule all over the east. Today it was 21 degrees Celsius in Atlanta that’s 70 degrees Fahrenheit, too warm for January. I had a few errands to run so I hopped on the bike and hit the road. The first stop was REI at Perimeter Mall, I got a gift certificate of Christmas and I desperately need a new multi-tool.




Most of the this way to Perimeter is a designated bike route so you see these little signs.





Turtles preaching religous harmony.


After a quick stop at REI I decided to hop the train into town. One of the great things about MARTA is that they allow bikes on the trains at any time of the day. A short ride later I was in midtown and I quickly rode to Ansley Park.





Peachtree Circle is one of the few streets in Atlanta where the words bike lane and door zone go together.




After a quick ride through Ansley I entered Piedmont Park.

I took some photos of the midtown skyline.




While riding around the park I saw two people named Rob and Amber. You could tell they were Rob and Amber because their shirts and those of their entourage proudly proclaimed, were Rob and Amber and were with Rob and Amber respectively. Rob and Amber were evidently hyping their new show.




After leaving the park I rode across midtown to West Peachtree. West Peachtree features subpar bikelanes.

The new 5th Street bridge has much better bike lanes.




This is where the ride went downhill. I cut through the Georgia Tech Campus to Atlantic Station, then across 17th Street toward Howell Mill. About this time my right pannier falls off and goes skidding across the street. Of course this is the one with the camera in it. So I do a highly illegal turn and manage to pick it up just before the oncoming bus crushes it. I reattach the pannier and head on my way again. That's when I notice a strange noise from my bottom bracket. It get worse when the crank is under load so I try and take it easy but the route home is pretty hilly. In fact I was paying so much attention to the noise I make a wrong turn and wind up in one of the hillest parts of town. Don't ask me how but soon I'm totally lost, facing hill after hill, and by BB making a terrible noise. I had ridden through lunch and I was getting tired, I stop a couple of joggers for directions and they tell me the road I'm looking for is to the left just over the real big hill. I eventually find my way and make it to Paces Ferry Road. A little while later I make it to my last stop, the library. After that it's straight home where I calculate the useless ride stats.

46 KM ridden
5000 Calories burned
328 meters of climbing

Don't Know Why There's No Sun Up In the Sky

I rode out for lunch today and got caught in a heck of a storm.  It went from overcast to raining cats and dogs in just minutes.  So I dived into the local Moe’s and ate a burrito while I waited for the weather to pass.  I know a lot of people would find this frustrating but one of the things cycling has taught me is that there’s just no reason to always be in a hurry.  Atlanta’s very much a go-go town, the I’ve got to be faster, bigger, better, mindset can be seen in almost every facet of life here.  From people that trade-up their house every few years to the almost suicidal speeds people drive on our roads.  If you’re not moving in Atlanta you might as well be dead.  But today as I sat in Moe’s waiting for the rain to stop, I listened to Bach’s 4^th Brandenburg Concerto and enjoyed the fact that there was nowhere I needed to be.

 

 

New Year's Resolutions

 

For 2007 in no particular order:

 

Get a new job, one that doesn’t fill me with dread every Monday morning.  I’ve made the same resolution every year for the last seven.

 

Learn Esperanto.

 

Personally convert to using the metric system.  So instead of measuring my rides in miles I’ll do it in kilometers.  (I remember when I was a kid in the 70’s the country made a big push to convert to metric, it’s a shame they didn’t stick with it.)

 

Ride more, drive less.

 

Pay off all of my debt.

 

Take things less seriously, although this may seriously hamper my ability to get a new job or pay off all of my debt.

 

 

 

Rainy Day Bicycle Maintenance

Ahh, the smell of fresh grease.

The End of Euroquest

For the last 10 years I’ve enjoyed the weekly broadcast from Radio Netherlands called Euroquest.  Euroquest presented the kind of stories you just wouldn’t get anywhere else, yodeling, cherry pit spitting, and tiny islands in the middle of the Elbe seeking independence from Germany.  But today the very last Euroquest aired; it’s available as a podcast if you would like to see just what made Euroquest so great.

Bike Shops

John over at Bike Year has an excellent post on bike shops that cater to utility cyclists, or the lack thereof.    Speaking of bike shops that cater to utility cyclists there’s always Hiawatha Cyclery.  Now rumor has it that a couple of the intown bike shops do cater the fringe that view the bicycle as an effective means of transportation, but out here on the edge of town it’s all carbon fiber frames and look pedals.  Many bike shops don’t have bike racks and have been known to give me the look of death when I pushed my heavily laden commuter through the door.  In fact the most utility cyclists friendly store in this area isn’t a bike shop at all, it’s REI.   

The most dangerous time to ride

Based on my experience 10 minutes ago, I’ve come to the conclusion that lunchtime is the most dangerous time of the day to ride.  Why?  First, drivers seem to speed more at lunchtime and without the rush hour gridlock to slow them down, they blast down neighborhood streets at twice the speed limit.  Secondly, far too many of them seem to be taking multi-tasking to a whole new level by simultaneously eating, talking of the telephone, and/or emailing on their blackberries.  Finally there are the readers, I have a special contempt for road readers but when they combine reading, driving, and eating well that’s just too much.  Please, put down your newspapers and your novels, and just concentrate on driving. 

Bike vs. Cars: Money

First in the interest of full discloser: My wife isn’t very fond of bikes.  She looks upon my bicycle-centric lifestyle as just another one of my numerous eccentricities. 

 

So when I told her about my little rack disaster this morning I could hear her rolling her eyes over the phone.  You see she’s under the impression that I spend way too much money on cycling related activities.  Let’s look at the numbers.

 

My wife’s car payment: $400 per month

Insurance of my wife’s care: $100 per month

Taxes on car: $15 per month

Gas for car: $100 per month

 

That’s $615 per month, excluding everything I’ve forgotten.

 

Now I have three bikes none of which were purchased new.  In fact I’ve never spent more than $70 on a bike.  I have a few jersey’s, some shorts, leg warmers, ear warmers, panniers, a rack, a messenger bag, lights and a few other accessories that were all purchased on clearance.  In fact if you put everything I’ve spent on cycling as an adult together they still don’t equal one month of car ownership.  But owning a car is viewed as a necessity, which it isn’t, while owning a bike is viewed as a luxury.  If you took the $615 one might spend on a car you could buy a bike a month and have money left over.  The more you think about it the more America’s car-centric culture just doesn’t make sense.

Rack Disaster

This morning on my ride to work, I heard a snap.  Then my bike became real sluggish.  I looked back to see that my rack had broken and was now rubbing against my rear tire.  I stopped, pulled by bike up on the sidewalk, and examined the damage.  Sure enough my rack was broken.  I reached into my panniers pulled out some tape and a couple of pencils to make a brace.  10 minutes later I was on my way home, my improvised rack support held and once home I hung up my bike and hopped in the car.  I’m pretty sure I have a spare rack in the closet but this rack isn’t that old, cost a lot more than the rack it replaced, and darn it I expected it to last forever.

 

The Electra Amsterdam

The Electra Amsterdam has arrived.  The Classic 3 version is made of lugged steel and features commute friendly accessories such as lights, a rack, fenders, and a fully enclosed chain guard.  Now once upon a time I was pretty down on Dutch commuters, thinking them too heavy for hilly American cities, but then I had one of my trademark changes of heart.  The problem isn’t hills, although they don’t help, the problem is that we Americans are simply in too much of a hurry.  Even those of us who commute by bike, speed along rarely taking time to enjoy ride.  Well I’ve decided I’m too old and too slow to keep up with society much less the local club riders I see on my commute.  Make no mistake, I have no doubt that when the Amsterdam arrives it will be heavy and slow, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

A Good Idea

 

According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle serious consideration is being given to tearing up the I-75/85 connector through downtown Atlanta.