0 comment Friday, October 10, 2014 | admin
I've been walking the three miles to work and back the past couple days. Now that some of the snow has melted I've regained my confidence and am back on the saddle. I've removed the clipless pedals and am going with platforms. This alone increases my confidence three-fold. There's something about being able to put a foot down at will.
The bike lane is still pretty much covered or has that thin ice sheen almost all the way from East High to downtown, so I stayed in the wagon wheel tracks left over from cars down 16th. My ride a was bit squirrelly in a couple spots, but nothing that my pacemaker couldn't correct.
Looks like it's in the mid-thirties now... Looking forward to the Bike Denver meeting and dinner ride tonight.
The bike lane is still pretty much covered or has that thin ice sheen almost all the way from East High to downtown, so I stayed in the wagon wheel tracks left over from cars down 16th. My ride a was bit squirrelly in a couple spots, but nothing that my pacemaker couldn't correct.
Looks like it's in the mid-thirties now... Looking forward to the Bike Denver meeting and dinner ride tonight.
Labels: Bike Commuting, Winter
0 comment Monday, September 29, 2014 | admin
A little cold and wet, but other than that, a really good ride home. Gotta love the way people look at you through their windshields on a day like this.
Snow and melting snow on the ride home today.
Snow crotch.
This guy had a ski helmet and goggles on. I think he took a page from Will's book.
Snow and melting snow on the ride home today.Snow crotch.This guy had a ski helmet and goggles on. I think he took a page from Will's book.Labels: Bike Commuting, Weather, Winter
0 comment Sunday, September 28, 2014 | admin
Wow. This morning was a white-knuckle commute. I am happy to report - zero falls. The Cherry Creek path was a complete sheet of ice. Fortunately in a few areas there was a little snow pack to get some traction on. But the on/off ramps... get your death cry ready - those things are insane. I was riding the fixed Karate Monkey and there were times I was just sliding down the ramp. No acceleration, no de-acceleration, and forget about turning.
Word to the wise, take it slow this morning and bring your A-game.
Word to the wise, take it slow this morning and bring your A-game.
Labels: Winter
0 comment Saturday, September 27, 2014 | admin
As I was leaving work I saw another person braving the near single-digit temperatures, riding down the hill towards the light I was stopped at. He pulled up next to me and we started talking about our commutes. He told me about how he normally commutes from Highlands Ranch to Parker (15 miles each way!), but has taken up driving to the light rail station and riding the rest of the way for the winter. He rode just behind me for most of the ride, and found that my route to the station is more efficient than the route he had been taking. At the station we introduced ourselves, he thanked me for speeding up his route and we split ways.
Things like this usually don't happen in the nicer seasons. Too bad really...
Things like this usually don't happen in the nicer seasons. Too bad really...
Labels: Winter
0 comment Sunday, September 21, 2014 | admin
As I was riding home last night during rush hour, up 17th toward Capitol Hill, I was expecting to be greeted with anger and resentment. Since the shoulder of the road was packed with snow, I had to take an entire lane, making me a prime outlet for pent up rush hour hostilities. But much to my surprise, no one tried to run me off the road. Instead, they gave me puzzled looks, pointed and laughed.
I pulled up next to a bus at a red light, and the driver immediately opened up his window and said "What the hell are you doing out here in this weather?".
While riding up 16th, only a few blocks away from home, a man standing at a bus stop decided to interrogate me as well. "Are you crazy? You are going to get yourself killed!" This statement perplexed me, seeing as 16th (including the bike lane), was cleared of snow. Instead of responding, I just shrugged and kept riding.
The reactions that I received really made me think. I wonder why it is considered crazy to ride a bike in bad weather, but not crazy to drive a car.
Maybe I should start knocking on car windows and asking if the drivers are crazy whenever it snows.
I pulled up next to a bus at a red light, and the driver immediately opened up his window and said "What the hell are you doing out here in this weather?".
While riding up 16th, only a few blocks away from home, a man standing at a bus stop decided to interrogate me as well. "Are you crazy? You are going to get yourself killed!" This statement perplexed me, seeing as 16th (including the bike lane), was cleared of snow. Instead of responding, I just shrugged and kept riding.
The reactions that I received really made me think. I wonder why it is considered crazy to ride a bike in bad weather, but not crazy to drive a car.
Maybe I should start knocking on car windows and asking if the drivers are crazy whenever it snows.
0 comment Tuesday, September 16, 2014 | admin
I really appreciate how your rear-wheel drive monstrosity, your hideous statement about your place in the social food chain, nearly puked greyish-brown sludge all over me.
Please tell me you see the irony in this whole situation. I can picture you at the dealership debating the merits of owning an SUV, chief among them being that you would have traction in the snow. You have to understand how much it made me laugh when you couldn't even accelerate from a stop at the light. I mean come on, that shit is hilarious!
In summation, I will now not be stopping behind you at stop lights. I'll be sure to do what I did today and stop far back and to your right.
good work dude(tte). You are awesome.
Please tell me you see the irony in this whole situation. I can picture you at the dealership debating the merits of owning an SUV, chief among them being that you would have traction in the snow. You have to understand how much it made me laugh when you couldn't even accelerate from a stop at the light. I mean come on, that shit is hilarious!
In summation, I will now not be stopping behind you at stop lights. I'll be sure to do what I did today and stop far back and to your right.
good work dude(tte). You are awesome.
0 comment Friday, August 29, 2014 | admin
This morning, as I was literally a hundred feet from the light rail station, I took a glorious dive. I took the ramp up onto the sidewalk, and most have misjudged where the pavement actually was. All of a sudden I felt the bike drop a little bit beneath me. "Strange," I thought. I remembered this pavement being relatively flat. Before I could put it all together, my front wheel was rubbing up against some sort of elevation, and traveling in a direction that was definitely not where I intended. I tried to compensate but it was too late. I was going down for sure. I did a couple of hops on my right foot in the hopes that I could stay standing while ditching my bike, but I only got tangled up in it. I headed straight into a chain-link fence and tried to grab onto that, but couldn't get a proper handful. I lose it entirely, do a somersault, and end up on my back covered in snow. Turns out I had taken the ramp up onto the grass between the curb and the sidewalk, but couldn't tell since it was all covered in snow.
I'm okay with the whole event, however. A woman at the last light rail stop commented that I have her "utmost respect" for riding in this weather. It's the price you have to pay, I suppose.
I'm okay with the whole event, however. A woman at the last light rail stop commented that I have her "utmost respect" for riding in this weather. It's the price you have to pay, I suppose.
0 comment Monday, August 25, 2014 | admin
What? Sorry. Shoot me.0 comment Sunday, August 24, 2014 | admin
"Let's get the snow out of this alley and moved somewhere no one will get hurt. VROOOM!!!"
"There we go. This alley is nice and clear."
"What? There's a bike lane under there? Fuck it. I'm out of here."0 comment Wednesday, August 20, 2014 | admin
Wednesday was the first full-on winter conditions I've had this season. My commute, which takes me west on 12th Ave. from Cheesman Park to Lincoln, covered several of stretches of packed snow and thin ice. Definitely a lot of iffy places for me on road tires. I only saw one other cyclist on my way to work, and he was a messenger. Made it to work without dumping it.
Labels: Bike Commuting, Denver, Winter
0 comment Tuesday, August 19, 2014 | admin
Not knowing what to expect when I left my house this morning - I took the Karate Monkey , my all-terrain, 29'er mountain bike that just happens to be fixed. This thing is as reliable as a John Deere tractor (and handles like one, too).
I was pleasantly surprised the that the Cherry Creek bike path had already been plowed when I cruised through at 7:45am. The only sketchy part about today's commute was the downtown roads and riding through the slush and across tire tracks, etc.
I'll tell you the nice thing about riding the huge wheels and tires of the Karate Monkey was that I didn't have to worry about whether or not there was a curb under the piles of snow I was blowing through.
I was pleasantly surprised the that the Cherry Creek bike path had already been plowed when I cruised through at 7:45am. The only sketchy part about today's commute was the downtown roads and riding through the slush and across tire tracks, etc.
I'll tell you the nice thing about riding the huge wheels and tires of the Karate Monkey was that I didn't have to worry about whether or not there was a curb under the piles of snow I was blowing through.
Labels: Winter
0 comment Sunday, August 17, 2014 | admin
The temps have risen a little lately, but that's not to say that the mornings and evenings aren't cold enough to plop on the old gloves. I'm still rocking the pair I bought a couple years ago. Endura brand I believe. They are crap (hindsight is 20/20) but Duct Tape helps hold all the places that have ripped together. There are actually quite a few:
I feel a little homeless (is that the word I'm looking for?) when I wear them. And coming from me, that means a lot. Like most things I own, I will wear them until they literally fall off my body. I only purchased these after a winter of riding to work in Thinsulate farmhand gloves. Actually, I still have the pair. It should be noted that I bumped chairs at a ski resort for two seasons in these things. They should have been thrown away years ago:
Despite (my) popular belief, Thinsulate isn't much of an insulator. Hey, I grew up in Iowa. Thinsulate meant quality at the time! And now that I think of it, can you believe a ski resort gave employees Thinsulate gloves to stay warm in sub zero temperatures? Ridiculous.
Anyway, I see the guys over at thebeatbikeblog are rocking patched gloves as well. Although, they're using needlework, which one-ups my Duct tape showmanship hands down. It's the time of year where people have to make the choice of buying new winter gear, or sticking with the same old crap another season. Here's to those making do!
I feel a little homeless (is that the word I'm looking for?) when I wear them. And coming from me, that means a lot. Like most things I own, I will wear them until they literally fall off my body. I only purchased these after a winter of riding to work in Thinsulate farmhand gloves. Actually, I still have the pair. It should be noted that I bumped chairs at a ski resort for two seasons in these things. They should have been thrown away years ago:
Despite (my) popular belief, Thinsulate isn't much of an insulator. Hey, I grew up in Iowa. Thinsulate meant quality at the time! And now that I think of it, can you believe a ski resort gave employees Thinsulate gloves to stay warm in sub zero temperatures? Ridiculous.
Anyway, I see the guys over at thebeatbikeblog are rocking patched gloves as well. Although, they're using needlework, which one-ups my Duct tape showmanship hands down. It's the time of year where people have to make the choice of buying new winter gear, or sticking with the same old crap another season. Here's to those making do!
0 comment Friday, August 15, 2014 | admin
After the longest running dinner ride in the Rocky Mountain region last night, Sara and I rode from Racines on 6th and Logan all the way to Denver University. We took Logan the whole way.
Of course, there was ice along the side of the road, so we stayed two abreast almost the whole way. We pulled over once to let what auto build-up there was pass, but at 9:30 at night, the traffic wasn't too bad. They were even giving us some decent space. Although, one driver did yell at us to "Ride on the side!"
At least he didn't say "sidewalk" I guess.
Of course, there was ice along the side of the road, so we stayed two abreast almost the whole way. We pulled over once to let what auto build-up there was pass, but at 9:30 at night, the traffic wasn't too bad. They were even giving us some decent space. Although, one driver did yell at us to "Ride on the side!"
At least he didn't say "sidewalk" I guess.
0 comment Sunday, August 10, 2014 | admin
Foolishly, I took my road bike to work today, even though every forecast in the area said Denver was going to get snow. When I started my ride home, going east on 16th Avenue starting at Broadway, I didn't think it was going to be so bad -- a little slush, a little sloppy, no big deal.
When I got to 16th and Sherman, of course, it turned to shit: a couple inches of snow in the bike lane, so I rode in car tire tracks, but then the road became completely covered in packed snow, which is horrible to navigate on slick tires. Awesome, so happy I wore my bike shoes today so I can stay clipped in when I eat it.
I broke my new year's resolution to stop running red lights just so I could stay ahead of traffic. At 16th and Washington, I gradually slowed down starting about 150 feet back from the stop light. I usually unclip my left shoe with about 20 feet to spare before intersections. I did. Instantly, my back wheel slid out to the right. Whoa! I shot my left foot down just in time and had to hop, hop, hop, hop to a stop, with my bike still attached to my right foot and sliding sideways.
I say if no part other than a foot hits the ground, no fall is recorded. I'm tempted to say even if you can catch yourself with a hand and a foot, no fall. Hip hits the ground = fall. Shoulder hits the ground = fall. Elbow, fall. Face, definitely a fall.
Any thoughts?
This was the darkest black grime I've seen on my bike this fall or winter after a ride home. The wife was sure excited to see me dripping it all over the carpet when I walked in carrying my bike.
When I got to 16th and Sherman, of course, it turned to shit: a couple inches of snow in the bike lane, so I rode in car tire tracks, but then the road became completely covered in packed snow, which is horrible to navigate on slick tires. Awesome, so happy I wore my bike shoes today so I can stay clipped in when I eat it.
I broke my new year's resolution to stop running red lights just so I could stay ahead of traffic. At 16th and Washington, I gradually slowed down starting about 150 feet back from the stop light. I usually unclip my left shoe with about 20 feet to spare before intersections. I did. Instantly, my back wheel slid out to the right. Whoa! I shot my left foot down just in time and had to hop, hop, hop, hop to a stop, with my bike still attached to my right foot and sliding sideways.
I say if no part other than a foot hits the ground, no fall is recorded. I'm tempted to say even if you can catch yourself with a hand and a foot, no fall. Hip hits the ground = fall. Shoulder hits the ground = fall. Elbow, fall. Face, definitely a fall.
Any thoughts?
This was the darkest black grime I've seen on my bike this fall or winter after a ride home. The wife was sure excited to see me dripping it all over the carpet when I walked in carrying my bike.Labels: Winter
0 comment Wednesday, August 6, 2014 | admin
I left Leela at 7:00 tonight, rode through the alley between Champa and Stout from 15th Street to 17th Street, and started heading southeast on 17th Street, with the intentions of taking Broadway one block to 16th Avenue and then home. 17th was fairly clean.
I was riding in the second-from-right turn lane on 17th where it meets Broadway (one of three lanes you can turn right onto Broadway from) , turned onto Broadway, which was pretty messy and sketchy, and a guy in a black Jeep Cherokee with a Tufts University sticker on the back passed me a little too close on the left. When he was just about past me, he honked. Of course, the very next light was red, so I pulled up to the driver's side window so we could discuss the issue.
Him: 4os, grey hair, talking on a nice cell phone. Warm, safe.
Me: Helmeted, bright orange rain jacket, jeans, gloves, on a mountain bike. Cold.
Him: Holds up hand to communicate "What the hell are you thinking?" Does not put cell phone down.
Me: Stares for half a second, then the light turns green.
Him: Hits the gas.
I was riding in the second-from-right turn lane on 17th where it meets Broadway (one of three lanes you can turn right onto Broadway from) , turned onto Broadway, which was pretty messy and sketchy, and a guy in a black Jeep Cherokee with a Tufts University sticker on the back passed me a little too close on the left. When he was just about past me, he honked. Of course, the very next light was red, so I pulled up to the driver's side window so we could discuss the issue.
Him: 4os, grey hair, talking on a nice cell phone. Warm, safe.
Me: Helmeted, bright orange rain jacket, jeans, gloves, on a mountain bike. Cold.
Him: Holds up hand to communicate "What the hell are you thinking?" Does not put cell phone down.
Me: Stares for half a second, then the light turns green.
Him: Hits the gas.
0 comment Saturday, August 2, 2014 | admin
A big thanks to Sara for getting me out on my bike yesterday. We met for drinks at Dougherty's Irish Pub on Broadway and Ellsworth. Super great little place with some killer food.
I thought the roads were a little too icy to ride, but decided that if she was riding, I'd better buck up. I think that whole "letting a girl beat me" thing had something to do with it.
I hadn't ridden in ten days. It felt GOOD to get back on the saddle. I rocked down 13th Ave, which I normally stay away from seeing as cars rip by doing 40mph, but it wasn't bad being a holiday and all. And to my surprise, a snowplow must have actually touched 12th at some point, because on the way back to my house the roads were great. Cheeseman park was even cleared.
I headed into downtown on 16th this morning for work. It could use some major help in places, especially the bike lane. Most of the routes requires bikers stay in the wagon wheel snow-tracks of cars.
I think the ride home is going to be me heading east up 12th and letting the warm weather take care of what the city can't finish on 16th.
I thought the roads were a little too icy to ride, but decided that if she was riding, I'd better buck up. I think that whole "letting a girl beat me" thing had something to do with it.
I hadn't ridden in ten days. It felt GOOD to get back on the saddle. I rocked down 13th Ave, which I normally stay away from seeing as cars rip by doing 40mph, but it wasn't bad being a holiday and all. And to my surprise, a snowplow must have actually touched 12th at some point, because on the way back to my house the roads were great. Cheeseman park was even cleared.
I headed into downtown on 16th this morning for work. It could use some major help in places, especially the bike lane. Most of the routes requires bikers stay in the wagon wheel snow-tracks of cars.
I think the ride home is going to be me heading east up 12th and letting the warm weather take care of what the city can't finish on 16th.
Labels: Winter
0 comment | admin
I had a great time riding around doing errands today in the lovely 38-degree heat. I took a little joyride around and ended up with about 15 miles at the end. Some notes:
-I pulled up to a stoplight next to a motorized wheelchair that was taking the lane on 12th Avenue at Clarkson. I felt like I should say something, or nod. We think we have it bad when the weather turns crappy, but wheelchair users have it way worse. Check out the sidewalk ramps sometime after a storm and you'll see what I'm talking about.
-The Cherry Creek bike path still has some snowy/icy spots between Colfax and Confluence Park, some about 100 feet long. It was melting pretty good today, but that probably means it will turn to ice overnight.
-The detour off the Cherry Creek path between 14th and 11th is the iciest/snowiest stretch of bikeable concrete in the city right now, because the sidewalk that comprises most of the detour sits in the shadow of several buildings and gets no sun. I almost went down twice.
-Out of about 10 cyclists I saw today on the bike paths and on a quick spin through Washington Park (I nodded at every one of them), two guys actually smiled at me. Like "right on, man" smiles. Both were in full-on roadie gear (I was in jeans). Hooray, winter camaraderie.
-I pulled up to a stoplight next to a motorized wheelchair that was taking the lane on 12th Avenue at Clarkson. I felt like I should say something, or nod. We think we have it bad when the weather turns crappy, but wheelchair users have it way worse. Check out the sidewalk ramps sometime after a storm and you'll see what I'm talking about.
-The Cherry Creek bike path still has some snowy/icy spots between Colfax and Confluence Park, some about 100 feet long. It was melting pretty good today, but that probably means it will turn to ice overnight.
-The detour off the Cherry Creek path between 14th and 11th is the iciest/snowiest stretch of bikeable concrete in the city right now, because the sidewalk that comprises most of the detour sits in the shadow of several buildings and gets no sun. I almost went down twice.
-Out of about 10 cyclists I saw today on the bike paths and on a quick spin through Washington Park (I nodded at every one of them), two guys actually smiled at me. Like "right on, man" smiles. Both were in full-on roadie gear (I was in jeans). Hooray, winter camaraderie.
Labels: Winter
0 comment Wednesday, July 30, 2014 | admin
I'm a lot more badass than Brendan, so I thought that I'd be able to ride my bike today. Nope. I made it exactly 10 feet before I gave up. At least I tried....
The cop on the left yelled to me "Not a really nice day to ride a bicycle!". I wanted to prove him wrong.
The cop on the left yelled to me "Not a really nice day to ride a bicycle!". I wanted to prove him wrong.
Labels: Winter
0 comment Thursday, July 24, 2014 | admin
Sara had troubles stopping at a four-way intersection today. The snow on the snow packed roads is soft right now, and when you're on a road bike with slicks, control is not optimal.
Sara's not pleased that I want to photo her mishap.
This is the last bit of evidence that Sara went down. Her whole leg was covered with snow but it got rubbed off before the camera could catch it.
This is not a shit stain from the fall, but rather the road grime from a bike with no rear fender. Sara bought fenders from Salvagetti today as well.
Sara's not pleased that I want to photo her mishap.
This is the last bit of evidence that Sara went down. Her whole leg was covered with snow but it got rubbed off before the camera could catch it.
This is not a shit stain from the fall, but rather the road grime from a bike with no rear fender. Sara bought fenders from Salvagetti today as well.
Labels: Winter
0 comment Friday, July 18, 2014 | admin
Because of travel and snow, I haven't ridden my bike in Denver since Dec. 24. Today, I was about 100 feet from my front door, riding south on Humboldt Street between 12th and 13th, literally taking my first few pedal strokes in over a week.
A guy is driving towards me in a white Oldsmobile, and I can't go any further right because of the inch-high ice sheet extending out two feet from the row of parked cars that line the street. Two cars can scarcely pass each other on my narrow street under optimal conditions. I figure the guy in the car will wait for me to get through before he tries to go. He doesn't.
Here he comes, and it's clear he's not going to make any room for our friendly neighborhood cyclist. I'm two inches from the ice sheet, and if I try to swerve onto it, I'll go down, probably under this guy's tires. He's closer, going about 15-20 mph. Oh shit oh shit oh shit. I hold my breath, pull my shoulders up and tuck in my elbows, trying to make myself skinny, and just as the guy flies by me, his mirror misses me by four inches.
Exhale breath, unclench buttcheeks. That's the closest I've ever been to a passing car with nowhere to go on the other side.
Hey, the rest of the ride was cake. A few ice patches, but no big deal. I saw Scott and Myra on their walk to work and yelled hey. And then I said "what the hell" and parked my bike at the scooter rack when I got to work.
A guy is driving towards me in a white Oldsmobile, and I can't go any further right because of the inch-high ice sheet extending out two feet from the row of parked cars that line the street. Two cars can scarcely pass each other on my narrow street under optimal conditions. I figure the guy in the car will wait for me to get through before he tries to go. He doesn't.
Here he comes, and it's clear he's not going to make any room for our friendly neighborhood cyclist. I'm two inches from the ice sheet, and if I try to swerve onto it, I'll go down, probably under this guy's tires. He's closer, going about 15-20 mph. Oh shit oh shit oh shit. I hold my breath, pull my shoulders up and tuck in my elbows, trying to make myself skinny, and just as the guy flies by me, his mirror misses me by four inches.
Exhale breath, unclench buttcheeks. That's the closest I've ever been to a passing car with nowhere to go on the other side.
Hey, the rest of the ride was cake. A few ice patches, but no big deal. I saw Scott and Myra on their walk to work and yelled hey. And then I said "what the hell" and parked my bike at the scooter rack when I got to work.