If This Weekend Were a Japanese Game Show...

It would be called Super Bad Weather Weekend Bike Maintenance Extravaganza! Fixed up the old Trek Hybrid for my brother. Did some work on the kids Trek to get it ready for Craigslist. Stripped the Huffy. Fixed the squeaky wheel and continued to work Schwinn.

Happy Day

Jansport, as promised, has come through with new straps for my old pack and I found my REI dividends statement. So tomorrow I'll ride over to Perimeter to use it and my 20% of coupon.

Squeak

Squeak squeak squeak. Yep there's something funky with my rear wheel. I didn't have a chance to inpect it once I got home, but a cursory roadside inspection ruled out the easy subjects, something rubbing. So I guess it's the bikes way of telling me its time for spring maintenance. Rain is predicted for the weekend so it's time to break out the tools.

Spring Biking Hazards

Well I guess spring has sprung. It was 82 degrees when I left for home this afternoon, and yes there was some sweat. But with spring comes a whole new batch of biking hazards.

Traffic

Spring is nice but there's something about it that makes people go absolutely crazy behind the wheel. It usually lasts until the real summer heat hits. Maybe it has to do with riding with the windows down.

Construction

Yes construction goes on all the time here in Atlanta, but spring always brings its share of new projects. Within a week or two there will be new detours and flagmen causing headaches for your favorite bicyclist.

Pollen

Ah yes, the true yellow menace. Pollen here in Georgia is something that has to be seen to be believed. On windy days you can see great clouds of the stuff in the air.

The Bradford Pear

I don't know who brought this monstrosity to the US, but they deserve to be shot. Planted by the hundreds of thousands by overzealous builders who wanted flowering trees, the Bradford pear has a fragrance that wikipedia describes as sickly sweet. Most people will tell you however that they smell of fish. There's about a thousand of these suckers between me and work.

I Hate Daylight Savings Time

That is all.

Rare Sight

The old gray mule in snow.

From PESO

Extra bonus, snowy section of the Appalachian Trail where I was hiking just before I got sick.

From PESO

Too Early to Think About Summer?

No matter how you cut it, this is going to be a lean year. So I thought I should probably start planning my summer bicycle tour early. But where to go? Ideally I would love to get to Quebec, but that's going to be expensive. I've always wanted to do RAGBRAI but I might like a more solitary ride. Maybe something in the great lakes region? My youngest daughter wants to visit colleges on the west coast, maybe we could combine a trip. I toyed around with a trip around Lake Champlain. At this point its all still planning at this point. And before I tour I should really replace my rear cog.

Mysteries of the Digestive System

Well I've been sick pretty much all week. I don't know if it was something I ate, some kind of bug, or maybe during my hike last week my water purification didn't quite do the trick. Regardless, I've been on a diet of saltines and gatorade all week. Yesterday I ate a little better, and this morning I actually got out for a ride. Of course because I hadn't eaten well all week I was pretty much crap. So why did I force myself to ride? Because right now it's snowing, big wet clumps of snow falling from the sky. Snow is rare here in Georgia and if you get a chance to ride in it you can't pass it up no matter how bad you feel.

Now That's Customer Service

Jansport is replacing the straps on my 19 year old backpack for free.


Rode the old gray mule through the drive through at the bank today. Even though it's technically forbidden the teller took my business without saying a word.

Build Quality

It's easy to tell when something has been made with an eye to quality. If you ride my Schwinn it feels like a million bucks, my old Centurion despite being a low end model was made with the fit of a thousand dollar Atlantis. It seems that now build quality is something only for niche markets. It's all about producing as much as you can as cheaply as possible.

There's a reason build quality is on my mind. This morning as I loaded my pack for a hike one of the straps broke. After almost 20 years and thousands of miles my Jansport Nepali failed. There's nothing spectacular about the pack but it does the job it was designed for and it does it well. It can carry enough supplies for a month in the woods and it does so without complaining. It's an external frame, I know most everyone prefers internal frame packs but I'm old fashioned and I like the ventilation an external frame provides. Made before the china boom, the old Jansport was made in the US. So tomorrow I'll call Jansport and keep my fingers crossed that they have replacement straps, if that fails I'll probably try to rig a homemade solution. Old packs are like old bikes, it's hard to say goodbye.

It's Not the Bike It's the...

Electra Townies up Georgia's toughest climbs.

Slow Motion Crash

Yesterday we had some pretty severe storms blow through. This morning I discovered the the results. On one of my turns a bunch of debris had washed into the road, I didn't see it until I was right on top of it resulting in a wipe out. Luckily I was pedaling at 1/4 impulse so nothing was hurt except as they say my pride.

How Far Is Too Far

A friend asked just how far is too far to ride. My answer is simple, if you have enough time there's no such thing as too far. I then introduced him to Crazy Guy on a Bike. He was blown away. That's when I realized that to many people the idea of bicycle touring is a foreign as communal living. So I'm trying to get him to join me on a short overnight tour, just to see how doable it is. I'm convinced if more people tried bicycle touring there would be a lot more bicycle tourists.

Idle Bike Toughts Vol. 4

Potholes can appear overnight and usually will hide themselves on the darkest part of your ride.

Sick

I've been suffering mightily over the last few days. It's as if I went to India and drank a gallon of water from the mighty Ganges. As a result there's been no riding, no going to work, no nothing. Hopefully I'll feel better this weekend.

Top Ten anti-cyclists

The League of American Bicyclists has a list.

It Always Happens

The worst weather of the day arrives in time for the ride home. In this case a crazy wind in my face the whole way.

Backup Your Data

Warning this post has no bicycle content.

The hard drive on my 2.5 year old MacBook failed today. Most of the stuff is protected by backups but some is not. Remember to backup your data frequently.

Now for Mr. Angry eyes:

It turns out apple knew it had a problem with the seagate drives in these early intel macbooks and have refused to recall them. Not a good show. I've got 4 computers in my house from 4 different manufactures, and I've been using computers since 1983. I've never had a hard drive fail so quickly. Even if apple had simply publized the defect I would have known to replace the drive before it failed.

Bad apple.

Ironically yesterday I was ready to sing Apple's praises as they detected someone trying to frauduently use my card at Apple's online store.

FYI: I'm writing this post on an old gateway laptop running linux.

From Bad to Worse

What's worse than losing one lane on West Peachtree during rush hour? Losing two lanes. I'm getting tempted to do a little wrong way sidewalk riding.

Sunday Errands By Bike

It's Sunday which means groceries. Then there was the ride to Home Depot to get some keys made and price plywood. Unlike Jett my Home Depot has no bike racks to the old gray mule wound up locked to a rental concrete mixer. Then a meandering ride back home.

I think I saw some guys from Atlanta Cycling but they were going way to fast for me to catch. Besides nothing would look more ridiculous than a bunch of lycra glad guys on road bikes followed by me on the commuter with panniers stuffed.

Beautiful Day for a Ride

Just pedaling around today, although I did have to run a few errands. I took a round about route to town, through Piedmont Park and mid-town, and back through Buckhead to home.

Some of the things I saw today:
A guy on a bent with a plastic bucket attached to the back, presumably for storage.
Lots of lovely ladies on bicycles.
A guy flying through town on a single-speed or a fixie.
An old friend I hadn't seen in years. (sometimes Atlanta feels like a very small town)
Lots of people in cars looking for a place to park.

Planning a Ride

I've got nothing to do tomorrow, the wife is busy, the kids are busy, the dog is the dog, so why not go for a ride. I've got no particular destination, I'm just going to ride until I feel like turning around. That's a good thing.

Why?

Really, why try to read a book while driving. You know they have audio books at the local library. We all know that distracted driving leads to accidents, reading while driving should be a big no no. Sometimes I wish I had a camera on my phone so I could snap a shot of these idiots.

How I Feel When I Drive

As always Rick Smith's Yehuda Moon gets it right.

Idle Bike Thoughts Vol. 3

An English Three-Speed or its American equivalent produces more smiles per mile than just about any other bike.

Danagers of Driving and Sleeping

This story should be an eye opener for everyone. If a police officer can fall asleep at the wheel causing a fatal accident, anyone can. Generally I hate to get up in the morning, and with my busy schedule, I'm always tired. But bicycling has a way of waking me up, and if I do fall asleep on my bike the only one that will be hurt is me.

The Bike Friendliness of Ikea

I've mentioned before the fact that the Atlanta Ikea located at Atlantic Station has bike racks, but a recent shopping trip there has convinced me that Ikea is the most bike friendly of the big box stores. In fact if I had my Xtracycle or a Big Dummy I could have easily transported the futon mattress that we recently purchased.

Amtrak and Georgia DOT Endanger Beltline?

The Beltline is Atlanta's plan for a new intown transportation corridor composed of light rail and multi-use paths. It's had a fitful existence so far, with a step back for every two steps forward. Last week it may have had its legs knocked out from underneath it. Amtrak and the Georgia Department of Transportation have filed papers with the Federal Surface Transportation Board that lay claim to a planned section of the Beltline along the northeast corridor.

Amtrak's plans include a "high-speed" rail connection with Charlotte, North Carolina. And while I'm a big fan of inter-city rail, Amtrak's plans are fundamentally flawed. First their "high-speed" rail isn't really high-speed. Because Amtrak plans to use existing tracks, the same ones currently used for freight, the top speed would be limited to 100 miles an hour. Which sounds fast but when you consider the train (like the Acela in the northeast) would likely have to slow down many times on the route, you realize 100 mph isn't that fast. Secondly look what it would have to compete with. Want to go to Charlotte, a regular Amtrak ticket will run you $62, let's estimate a high-speed train ticket would be $100, what are the other options. Well you could drive, 250 miles at 25 miles per gallon that's ten gallons, at $4 a gallon that's $40. Of course you can't drive 100 mph but on that stretch of road the speed rarely drops below 75. Or you could fly on one of Airtran's internet specials for $39.

Now don't get me wrong, I want high-speed inter-city rail. I just want it done right. To have real high-speed rail we need new tracks exclusively for passenger rail. And it has to be subsidized. I know that's a dirty word in the USA, but if you want people to use a cleaner more efficient mode of transportation you've got to make it cheaper while making other forms of transportation more expensive.

So if you want to save the Beltline and want to stop Amtrak from creating another money hole, write your representatives in congress and the Georgia DOT.

Stretchy

As I close in on 40, I'm rediscovering the value of stretching. Now I make a practice of stretching before I do any serious exercise. And if I don't like today, well I pay for it with aches and pains. So my advice for you younger folks, stretch more when you're young and maybe you'll feel better when you get to be my age.

A Car-tastic Day

Well I had a million errands to run today which necessitated driving. Oh the convenience of cars, first there was the problem that it had no gas, oh and all the tires were low because it hadn't been driven in a while, once I got on the 285 well there was the traffic.

I just got home; 14 hours and 100 miles of driving later. What a car-tastic day!

Can you take it with you?

This weekend involved a run to costco. I've made no secret of my desire for an Xtracycle but even my old commuter managed this impressive haul:

A huge thing of toilet paper
A dozen a half of eggs
Two loaves of bread
6 pounds of ground beef
4 pounds of chicken
and a pack of apples

Not bad. But with an Xtracycle I could have taken even more.

Idle Bike Thoughts Vol. 2

Bike technology has advanced a lot in the last 20 years, so how come I've never had a bike as comfortable to ride as my old Centurion.

Dummy of the Day

Ah John Boehner, you never fail to entertain. From Bike Portland via Yehuda Moon:

“I think there’s a place for infrastructure, but what kind of infrastructure? Infrastructure to widen highways, to ease congestion for American families? Is it to build some buildings that are necessary?…But if we’re talking about beautification projects, or we’re talking about bike paths, Americans are not going to look very kindly on this.”

Here's the thing. Anything we can do to get more people out of their cars and onto bikes is a good thing. Now I know there's a vigorous debate in the cycling community about the utility of bike paths but I see it like this. Nothing is more reassuring to a novice cyclist than limited access and controlled grades. And when you live in a city like Atlanta where many of the roads where laid out in the era of the automobile, you find that many of the roads are difficult to bike because instead of working with the natural contours of the land, they simply go straight up and over. So John Boehner which do you think further America's energy independence more, a few more oil wells or getting millions of Americans out of their cars on a bike path.

Cost of Ownership

Today I had to get new tires for my wife's car. I also had to get her oil changed and her emissions tested. When I returned home several hours later my wallet was $500 lighter. So I began to think what would that $500 buy me cycling wise.

Well it's half of the Rohloff Hub I want.
I could buy a Nexus 8 hub and have a pretty penny left over.
I've had my eye on a Long Haul Trucker Frame
Heck I think I could buy any of the Surly Frames save the Big Dummy.
Speaking of which I could get that Xtracycle conversion kit I've always wanted.
I could buy several if not dozens of used bikes.

I could go on. The point is most people realize how expensive car ownership is. I haven't even touched on gas and insurance. Then there's the American obsession with driving new cars. I wonder how much wealthier the average American would feel without their car.

Honk if you love cyclists

At least that's why I hope your honking. Because it would be really rude of you to honk just to scare me. Who knows, that may cause me to swerve in front of you ending my life. So Mr. Way Too Big Pickup, I'm justing going to assume you love cyclists.

Longer Days, Bad Drivers, and Allen Wrenches

It's pretty clear the days are getting longer. I know a lot of people hate riding in the winter but I'll take winter's short days and cool weather over the oppressive heat of summer anytime.

Why is it that drivers feel the need to race from one red light to the next?

Today I found two small allen wrenches in the road, just the thing for adjusting shifters.

Idle Bike Thoughts Vol. 1

Wheels with lots of spokes are beautiful and strong, but can be a real pain to true.

Snow Day

Well not quite but I did see a few flakes today. :)

Wacky Weekend Weather

It's been cold-warm-cold lately, so I've taken to carrying extra cool weather gear when I ride any distance. Of course the one day I forget my ear warmers it's nice and chilly.

Sunday Means Groceries

Pictures from todays ride to Publix.

From Riding around

From Riding around

From Riding around

The rolling hills of my nieghborhood.

From Riding around

From Riding around

So what to do with dumpster bike

I stripped down dumpster bike today. It's a cheap frame but still, the tinkerer in me says you can do something with this thing. So what to doy

A fixie? Maybe but it's pretty hilly around here and I'm pretty sure my legs aren't fixie worthy.

A single speed? I've got to admit it's appealing. I haven't owned a single speed bike since elementary school.

A bad weather commuter with an IGH? I love this idea in theory but I'm not sure about installing a $150 hub on a ten dollar frame.

Speaking of bad weather commuters why aren't there more bikes with full chain cases? Seriously, chain maintenance is right up there with tax preparation on the list of things you don't want to do.

Dumpster Bike

The other day I found a I saw the wheel of a bike sticking out of a dumpster. Never one to let a good (or bad) bike go to waste I fished it out. It's a strange bike, a Huffy 512 st. I can't find anything on the internet about this particular model but here's what I know. I think it was probably a model made in china to sell at either Walmart or K-Mart in 90's. Evidence? None really but it has horizontal dropouts and the relaxed geometry found on the sport-touring bikes of the early 80's. It also has the infamous stem shifters that we all remember. The 26" wheels look odd on a bike of this size, and the kicker a threadless stem.

So what am I going to do with this miracle of engineering. I have no idea but I couldn't just let it go to the dump.

Baby It's Cold Outside

With teens not reaching freezing during the day and dipping into the riding around today was something akin to pedalling in a freezer. Of course it's nothing compared to the -50 degrees they're experiencing in other parts of the country. But Georgia isn't ready for these types of tempretures so, there are bursting pipes and dead batteries all around town.

My riding outfit today:
Long underwear
Hiking pants
wool socks
merino wool sweater
fleece sweatshirt
windbreaker
headscarf

Yeah I looked ridiculous.

Bicycle Restoration

I've just spent the last hour working on the Schwinn. As someone whose day job is of the sit and click variety I have to say there's something especially rewarding about working with your hands. I enjoy woodwork and playing Mr. Fixit around the house, but there's something special about working on a bike.

Why We Ride

There's a profound difference between riding in a bike and being locked in a car. On a bike you're naked, exposed to the elements, acutely aware of everything around you. In a car you are too often in a cocoon of metal, focused on your radio or your cell phone. Riding around today I smelled the sweet fragrances of burning oak hanging in the winter air. I heard the leaves being crushed by my tires. I saw dogs playing with their owners. Every ride brings new experiences can you say that about every drive?

Did I Really Say "I Wish I Were in Chicago"

The wind chill is like 40 below in the Windy City today. It's bad enough that my legs never fully warmed up this morning so it felt like I was pedaling uphill the whole way. Then there was the ride home there was wind in my face. Let me change that to "I wish I were in Burlington, Vermont."

Jimmy Carter's Bike Stolen

From the Carter Center no less. Sheesh what is the world coming to.

Please City of Atlanta

Finish whatever you're doing on West Peachtree. Cars just don't respect the bicyclist when we suddenly lose the lane north of 17th Street.

Hazy Shade of Winter

A very chilly ride today with a high in the high-30's. Of course that's nothing compared to what our northern neighbors are going through. I think today in Minneapolis it was only in the mid-20's, now that's cold.

I Wish I Were In Chicago

I've never ridden in more than a dusting of snow.

Coincidence or not

Barnes and Noble has a bike rack and busines,s while not stellar, is ok. Borders who doesn't have a bike rack is on its last legs.

Scattante Emerald City Single Speed

Bikes For the Rest Of Us recently featured this bike. I like it, except for one thing, the price. This bike has the makings of an excellent commuter, if it had an internal gear hub and a chain case it would just about be perfect. But I think $500 for a single speed is just a little much.

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.