Things They Are A Chaning

This is what she looked like new.


She's got a little beat up over the years.


Well, I dropped her off at a friend's place today. She's getting upgraded, rebuilt, and made all purdy again.

Rules of The Road and Rights of Way

This morning a buddy of mine sent an email asking my opinion of 3 incidents he had with cyclists this weekend. All three incidents, taking place in less than a half hour, involved cyclists riding on the sidewalk in his residential neighborhood. The first was a delivery man, the second was some other adult, and the third was an elderly lady riding very slowly. My buddy made comments to all three of them about not belonging on the side walk and received some dirty looks and a few curses in return. He emailed me wanting to know if he was in the wrong. In short, no, he wasn't. This was my response.

I can sum up sidewalk riders in two words, quoted from Roman Moronie in Johnny Dangerously, "Fargin Bastages."

Like you I would have given way for the old lady. I probably would have let it go without comment but then again, after the first two incidents maybe not. I sometimes find myself on a sidewalk during the last or first block of a ride as I'm arriving at or leaving some place. Still I try to avoid this very much because of the incidents you are talking about. I've never said anything but I even get a little peeved at parents riding on the sidewalk with their children. I'm not sure what the cut off should be but it seems to me there should be a point where the child can ride on the sidewalk with the parent paralleling him in the street.

Often enough when I'm riding I am intentionally not following the rules of the road. I'll roll through stop signs. I'll run a red light (almost always stopping first). I'll ride the wrong way on a one way. BUT, but, I know when I'm doing this that I'm yielding a lot of my right of way. People don't expect me to come from the wrong direction. People don't expect me to run a red light. I can't speak for other cyclists but I make sure when I do it I yield to others.

I remember years ago being in Ohio on the boat with Lance. Lance explained the rules about right of way on the lake. Basically, the smaller and speedier and more maneuverable a boat is the less right of way they have. So jet skis give way to power boats. Power boats give way to sail boats. I have a similar theory when it comes to the interaction of pedestrians, cyclists, and motor vehicles. I base it on vulnerability and speed.

Pedestrians always get the right of way. This doesn't mean they can't be stupid. Stepping out from between two parked cars, especially if one of them is a truck you can't see over, is a recipe for disaster. Cyclists are next. Yeah we can attain speeds of 20 or even 30 mph but we've got no armor plating. Motorcycles third. Same as cyclists but with a lot more speed and weight behind them. Then on to cars, trucks, delivery vans, etc.

That's enough rambling for now. Basically you were in the right and well with in bounds to say something.

Pop Quiz!

pic via Boston Biker

So you've just successfully parallel parked. I'm proud of you. No, it's true, I am. We've been working on this for so long. Now that we have the parking down we need to discuss the safe way to exit a car. For today we'll just go with a single, multiple-choice question.

Q. You've successfully parallel parked your car. The safest procedure to exit the car is?

1. Tuck your cell phone under your ear while telling your girlfriend what that new, cute guy you're dating asked you to do last night. Grab dangle your keys in your left hand. With your right hand grab your purse, the two DSW bags and the bag with the boots from Aldo that were just so cute. Pull the car door handle while kicking the door open with your left foot and hop out while telling your girlfriend you agreed to do it for him but just this one time.

or

2. Turn off your phone - because, you know, you're not supposed to be talking on a phone while driving any way, and put it in your purse. Gather your bags and purse in your lap. Look over your left shoulder. Don't just glance! Actually look over your shoulder and identify any dangers. These could include, but are not limited to moving vehicles that are close to your car. Make sure you have space! Bicycles are moving anywhere from 10 to 30 miles per hour. Cars swerve into bike lanes. Trust me, they swerve into bike lanes. Once you are sure it is safe quickly exit the car, shut the door, and get out of the way of traffic.

I Want This On A T-Shirt

via

Wiiiiipppeee Out

pic via

Dear, FSM, I swear it is just crazier out on the bike path than any other time in my memory.

Last night I was on the homeward leg of a post-work ride. I was northbound at Ohio and the LSD on ramp, right next to Lake Point Towers, waiting for the green light. There were a couple cyclists on either side of me and about 5 coming towards us southbound.

I pushed off just before the light went green to get some breathing room. The southbound cyclists clear me as I cross the tiny median and pedal through the right turn lane that leads to LSD. That's when I see them.

Two hipsters are coming down hill to the intersection. They're moving var too fast for conditions. The dude's in the lead and his line is good. The girl is taking a wider arc. I'm under load and don't have enough speed to be maneuverable yet. All the same I try to shift right.

It all happens in a fraction of a second. I'm hit. It was just my duffel bag. I'm still upright! Then I hear the sickening sound of steel and aluminum bouncing along the black top.

I turn around and she's laid out on the medium. The dude, her boyfriend, is just turning around to get back to her. He's back to her before I get turned around to check on her. She's beat up. She must have gone over the handle bars in a Supermanesque dive. Both her forearms are road burned from elbows to wrists. Her knees had seen better days. But she's standing and moving and says she's OK. Considering she didn't have a brain bucket on she was lucky not to have cracked her noggin open. The two continued on. Hopefully at a more reasonable pace.

I've gone down before. It hurts. I guarantee she's in considerable pain this morning. I hope she's truly OK and has access to some good pain meds.

Drafting

My photo: Lances riding in the Canary Islands

Honestly, I really don't mind when a fellow cyclist falls in behind me to catch a draft. I really don't. I understand that a stiff head wind can be punishing to ride into. And I'm sure my 6' 3", 235 lb frame provides an effective wind break. Please, though, have the courtesy to let the me know you're there.

Last night on a ride to the north end of the lake trail I came around a curve and there was a novice roller blader sprawled in the path. Two immediate thoughts: is he OK and am I clear to go around him. I haven't been riding much. I'm not as fast as I used to be and I get passed.

I checked over my shoulder and there was a white ghost directly behind me. Shit! Is he passing? Check again. No, he's sitting right on my ass. No more time to worry about the health of the roller blader, I zoom around him with my ghost in tow. The ghost stayed there for another half mile until we reached the end of the trail. I turned around and he rode on north. He thanked me for the ride at least.

How long had he been there? I have no idea. It didn't look like anyone I had passed. So he had caught up to me and started drafting me. He could have caught me seconds before the roller blader or he could have been there for miles. I don't have a clue. When you don't know someone is that close to you it is dangerous.

photo via here

The simplest thing to do is just announce you are there. A simple "hopping on" or "drafting" or "on your six" works just fine. And it can be loud out there with wind rushing past your ears and some people have headphones in. Make sure you get an acknowledgement.

Back In The Saddle Again

Last weekend I finally got around to replacing the rear wheel and cassette that was stolen off my bicycle last September.  I rode to softball practice Saturday, to brunch Sunday and rode into work this morning.  It feels great to be back riding.  Well, maybe not 100% great.  There's definite saddle sores at the moment. I got to toughen up the back side.  TMI?

We Shall See

The Tribune has an article up about the city ordering new, artsy bike racks. They're certainly needed. As the article mentions the removal of parking meters from most of the city has significantly reduced the number of places one can safely lock up a bike. Outside my Sunday softball team's sponsor on Ashland there are no bike racks at all. Within the long block (Diversey to Wrightwood) there are only a couple sign posts that are usable. When the team shows up we're locking up to those posts and sapling trees. I've asked the owner to request bike racks - the city has a web site - but so far nothing.

When I read this article I get concerned about the "artsy" factor. Are these going to be artfully painted racks? Fine. If they are going to be artfully sculpted racks I worry about practicality. How much space are they going to take up on sidewalks? How many bikes are you going to be able to lock up? Are the artsy racks going to be secure?

The article also implies the racks are going to take longer to be delivered than ordinary racks. The need is immediate. The longer the wait the worse off it is for cyclist.

I'm not opposed to the artsy racks. I like the concept and think the city should do things that beautify the landscape. But cyclists need something now and we need something that works.

Hit and Run

If you're wondering if this story caught my attention. It did.

The details are sketchy but yesterday's hit and run doesn't sound like the same situation. The implication I get from the article is the motorist wasn't swerving at some random cyclist but that the victim was intentionally targeted.

Two plus years later I'm still on the lookout for blue Ford Aerostars.

UPDATE: The cyclist was caught in an altercation between two cars.

Return Of The Beast

Last Sunday I got a flat on the Italian Girl.


I got around to fixing it with a patched tube a few hours before my Saturday softball game. An hour before the game the tire was flat again. I don't know if the patch was not good enough or if there's another problem going on. So I jumped in the car and headed to softball.

Not having another tube this morning I had to decide how I was going to get to softball. I decided to try The Beast.


She's on the top rack.

I took the tire pump and the Allen wrenches down to the storage locker and tune her up. The tires stayed inflated. the brakes were fine once adjusted. The saddle didn't want to stay well adjusted but was serviceable.

But, oh, she rides so differently than the Italian girl. It's the difference between a Ferrari and Lamborghini.

This Ferraii


and this Lamborghini


The Beast is slow and cumbersome. The brakes work for what she is but it takes a lot longer to stop. And the effort to move her! I was riding next to a teammate to the sponsor bar when a car came up behind us. I decided to pull in front of him. So I peddled. Then some more. And a little more. And once again. Shit, what's taking so long?!?

I won't say riding her is exactly tiring but moving The Beast's bulk certainly takes measurably more effort than the Italian Girl.

I went to turn the corner from Wellington onto Ashland and weaved way out into the car lane. No one was coming which was fortuitous but The Beast certainly can't corner like the Italian Girl.

L.A.T.E Riding

10,000 of my closest friends and I disrupted traffic throughout the north side of the city early Sunday morning.

The event is a 25 mile ride through the city to support Friend Of The Park. For some the cause matters. For others its a fun chance to ride through the streets with minimal chances of getting smashed by cars.

Two of the most memorable parts of the ride occurred in the first couple miles. Before we even cleared the first four blocks on Columbus Ave I saw half a dozen bike break downs. Flats can happen any time to any one but there were several people with thrown chains. That's a lack of maintenance on your bike. If you're going to do a 25 mile ride you should, you know, maybe, get your bike in good working order. I envision these were people that decided an over night ride sounded like fun and pulled the bikes out of the garage for the first time in three years and just assumed they were going to be fine.

The other moment was along Roosevelt. Early in the ride CPD had cars controlling intersections allowing the cyclists to fly through unimpeded. I don't know what cross street it was but as we rolled through this particular red light the Red Light Camera strobe started flashing like mad. Each cyclist was tripping it. Somewhere there is about 50 pics of my roommate and I rolling through an intersection flying The Bird.

A friend of mine has some pics up at Flickr from the night. (I really need to replace my broken camera...)

40 Miles

DSCN0344
Originally uploaded by lpcardsfan

I signed up for the L.A.T.E. Ride this past week. 25 miles over night. I haven't been on a long ride all year. Maybe hit 15 miles one time. So I had to know if I could do it.

I set out thinking about doing 25ish miles. My place (2 blocks from Wrigley Field) to Museum Of Science And Industry and back. I got to the museum and decided that the end of the Bike Path is only a couple more miles and I've never gone that far. So on down to the end. Then on past the end until I was at the end of the bike path and next to the South Shore Cultural Center. Grabbed a swig of water, turned around and headed back.

Sometime before I reached 47th Street I decided I was going to do the whole path. That means back up to Hollywood, top of LSD. I wasn't riding hard I just getting into a groove in a reasonable gear. If I found myself going too fast I'd slow up. Made it to the north end of the path. Another swig of water and undoing the wedgie.

Turned south and headed home. Damn head win! I knew it was there riding south to the end of the path but now I had about 35 miles on my legs and I'm really not liking it.

When I got home I was certainly tired but not terribly winded. The L.A.T.E. ride won't be a problem. Other than the total lack of sleep. The worst part is my shoulders and neck. Holding your self up for 40 miles (just under 3 hours) and keeping your head up in that position really puts a strain on.

A bottle of wine (Hey! I deserve it. And one of those Ding Dongs I bought) is helping.

Dying of Boredom Here

My boss has given me a single assignment. Before I can work on it I need our clients to decide on what criteria to use. So I'm sitting here knowing it is absolutely gorgeous out side, wishing I was on my bike.

Bike Accident

Image from Ghost Bikes. The good news is that the accident I saw this morning was not fatal.

The weather inspired me to ride this morning. (I've been lazy) A fellow rider fell in behind me at Newport and Clark. He was riding a true messenger bike: fixed gear (pedal backwards, go backwards. pedal forwards, go forwards) and no brakes. He was faster and finally passed me at Barry. I caught up to him at Diversy at a red light. He pulled ahead of me and I let him go. I was paying attention to the delivery truck behind me. I glanced back to make sure I was clear to go around a poorly parked car. I looked forward just as a cabbie clipped the other cyclist. A guy in a suit had hailed the cab.

He went down real hard but at least the cabbie veered back towards the road or he would have run over him. The guy got up just as I caught up. The suit that had hailed the cabbie just backed away. The cyclist went appropriately apeshit. Slammed his hands on the car. Reached into the cracked passenger window and drug it down and went on a tirade of WTFs. After having clipped him and not even getting out of the car to check on him, the cabbie appropriately sat quietly and took his abuse.

I just sat there making sure the cyclist was going to be OK and to be the apparent wingman in case the cabbie had any ideas of doing anything. The cyclist started to step away from the car and I saw the passenger mirror hanging by the wires. I'm thinking, "you so own that mirror," and the cyclist turned back to the car. He ripped the mirror off and slammed it to the ground shattering it everywhere. The cyclist was finally done and tried to ride on. I checked on him and he said he was OK. I don't think his bike was. He rode maybe 30 feet and got off it. When I rode on he was heading back to the cab. Hopefully the cabbie gave up some cash for repairs or the guy called the cops. Or both.

I've been trying to think through the accident and what could have been done better by everyone involved. Obviously, the cabbie is 100% at fault here. He pulled into the bike lane without checking to see if there was someone there and he had just passed the two of us not 100 feet before that so he had to know we were around.

I can't speak to how aware or unaware the cyclist was. He had very little chance to avoid it but I would say that one thing you have to identify when commuting is people hailing cabs. The suit had to be standing on the curb, hand raised or waiving. You see that you have to be ready for a cab. Also, the bike itself was a problem. No brakes means you stop by slowing your legs but the momentum carries you forward. If I had been in the same spot I could have slammed on my brakes and maybe, MAYBE, not gotten hit.

One can't expect the suit to be aware of everything but hailing the cab that just passed a cyclist isn't the healthiest thing you can do for the cyclist.

Again, cabbie 100% at fault but other people were involved and different decisions could have changed the outcome.

30 < 90 < 1000

A cool photo set.

Back In The Saddle

After nearly two months off I've started commuting on the bicycle again. I haven't ridden to work since moving into the new condo. It's about 6 miles. Not real far but it's been great to ride again.

Stupid Move

OK, this is just dumb! Attempting to cross Lake Shore Drive on your bicycle. At first I didn't believe that he was actually on LSD. Surely he must be on the inner drive, I thought. Looking at the picture posted with the story, though, reveals that the crumpled bicycle is clearly in the south bound lanes.

I won't say he got what he deserved - he didn't - but what do you expect to happen when you attempt to cross a divided highway on your bicycle? He was just one block from Belmont where he could have ridden under the highway, three blocks from a bike path underpass.

UPDATE: The Tribune has updated the story since I posted. He was not riding his bike. He was carrying it across LSD which is just as stupid.

When The Rubber Met The Road

After work I went up to the new condo. I dropped off a couple of bag chairs and then went to the local grocery store to get some cold cuts. I haven't been able to move in yet but I can sure as hell sit and have some dinner on my new deck. Plus, there's a cute girl that was supposed to come over and have a beer. Need to provide her with a chair. She had to go to the 'burbs but my roommate to be came by. We sat on the deck, listened to some music, ate and had a couple brews.

About 10PM we called it a night and headed out. I had my bike and headed south on Racine. With the exception of the Belmont intersection, from just south of Addison to Lincoln Ave it was eerily quiet. There were no cars, no el train, no people on the street. Literally all I could here was the wind by my ears and the tires on the road. I live in the city because I love the vitality and the action. I wouldn't want to be any where else. Still last night was such an anomaly. It was just 3 minutes of bliss. I wouldn't give up what I have but it would be nice to have that happen a little more often.

Lessons Learned

I replaced the back tire on my bike this past week. I had had two flats the the old tire had a couple shards of glass in it. The tire was good but I decided to go with a tire designed to be puncture resistant. They are often said to be made of Kevlar. I don't know if that is exactly true but I know you can run over glass and not have a blow out. I have a set of those tires on "The Beast".

No, not him.


This guy leaning against the downed tree.



I had one of these Kevlar tires on the back of "The Lil' Italian Girl" for one week now.


My assessment: IT TOTALLY SUCKS!

The tire is essentially a racing slick. On sharp turns the back end is all over the place. Forget about hard braking and turns (you know, city street riding). The Kevlar, or whatever it is made of, is hard as hell. Running over a twig feels like dropping off a curb. My shoulders and back side just ache. This tire MUST GO!

Bicycle Maintenance

Last week I promised a friend I would change the rear tire and tube on her bicycle. It was a free bike she had been given. She had discovered a bubble on the tire and when I looked it was clear the tires were rotting out. I could pull fibers apart with my finger nails. So after a few hours at the softball sponsor bar I sat down to change the tire. It took a little while, I've only done a few so I'm not fast.

Sunday I was up in Lincoln Square for another softball game (I'm on three teams this summer). Leaving the field I discover my rear tire is flat. I ask a local if there's a nearby bike shop and he directs me about 4 blocks south on Lincoln Ave. I get down there and ask them to repair the tire. I was in a rush to get to my next game and figured they would be faster.

While there I wandered around the little shop looking at their stock. There was an amazing find! Three Schwinn Fastbacks with "Stik Shifts!"





Yesterday morning I rode to work and then home. I had a 9:30 volleyball game (yeah, I'm busy). I didn't get two houses away when I discovered my tire was flat again!!!! I'm guessing a spoke has broken through the protective strip and is puncturing the tube. I have to get that fixed soon.