I woke up Tuesday and both bikes had flats. I'm not sure how I have two flats on the road bike. I fixed the not-road bike Tuesday night and found a small thorn in the front tire. I replaced the tube with a thorn resistant version. Sure it's heavy, but speed means nothing if you have to take 7 minutes to replace a tube.
Today is Thursday, my wife works late, I pick the kids up.
I often think about how much of a waste driving is when I don't ride.
Kiplinger estimates that replacing my 14 miles of driving with cycling saves me $5.66 a day. Most folks work 19.3 days a month on average, that amounts to more than $1300 a year.
Two problems with that computation:
1. Kiplinger assumes I replace a car with a bike, since it bases the savings off of 50c/mile, that number includes insurance and depreciation. My '99 Cavalier has no value to begin with, so depreciation is of no concern to me. I put far less than 7,500 miles on it annually, so I have "recreational use" insurance on it.
2. I eat an additional 750 calories a day, which costs more than $2.
On the other hand, I haven't filled the tank up in two and a half months. I got that goin for me, which is nice.
When I do drive, I take G/Randolph street from 17th to 33rd (or from 33rd to 17th). When I take A or O street, I often sit through two red lights at 27th street. G street is lightly trafficked, I often see 3, maybe 4 cars going in the same direction I am. I have to hit the 4 way stop by Lincoln High and then the lights at Capitol Parkway and 27th, but the wait is so short: I'm often the only car there in all three of those instances.
This distinct lack of traffic on a secondary road that traverses Lincoln's Core is why it makes perfect sense for the city to designate G/Randolph as Lincoln's first "Sharrow" street from Capitol Parkway all the way to 4th street. It will be marked in the coming days/weeks with a bicycle and two chevrons to alert drivers that cyclists will use this road.
The Sharrow will be celebrated on October 10, 2010 with a Massive Bike Ride.
I have converted a friend. She hasn't had a bicycle since high school and bought a $40 Huffy from Craigslist. I know: Friends don't let friends buy Wal-Mart Bikes, but all the not-wal-mart bikes on CL are $70+ and she's moving. Besides, this bike is super freaking clean.
She's moving to Havelock and has a 4 mile commute to work each way. Instead of adding a car to Cornhusker highway, she's adding a bicycle to the Dietrich Bikeway.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
Some people Bungee jump, I pedal through tornado watches.
I should have remembered the camera. This was an awesome ride home.
I checked the weather before I left work. I allegedly had a 20mph wind from the SSW, that usually means I get home in about 17 minutes.
I walked out and it was calm. The sun was peeking out from behind a few clouds. Hmm.
And then I saw a massive front moving in from the north as I approached the bridges at 27th and highway 2. So that's why there's no wind.
The wind started blowing out of the northeast about 1/4 mile past highway two and kept getting stronger. Same effort that started out at 19mph turned into 17, then 15, then 13, then 9.
I don't know how it happened, but one minute I was grinding it out against the wind and the next minute I had a branch stuck in my derailleur. I couldn't pedal. I had to fish it out with a terrible wind blowing and rain falling all around me.
The wind had shifted and strengthened after I passed under Capitol Parkway and 27th. I was pelted with all manner of small debris from there to Randolph street. One normally doesn't have to wait for cars at Randolph street, because there aren't any.
Of course that doesn't happen today. No sir. Today I had to wait for 8 cars from each direction. That's when the wind really picked up. I got hit by a few small objects that stung a bit.
I honestly thought I was going to get picked up and dropped in Oz just as the light let me go through.
I saw a branch fall off a tree and land across Capitol Parkway at Lincoln High. Tires screeched as cars tried to avoid it and each other. I pressed on. I turned on to J street and headed up the path, where small branches, leaves, signs, dirt and assorted house debris blew across the path in front of me. I stopped under the O street bridge and let the worst of it pass for a few minutes.
It was at that moment that I realized I had been laughing the whole time.
I checked the weather before I left work. I allegedly had a 20mph wind from the SSW, that usually means I get home in about 17 minutes.
I walked out and it was calm. The sun was peeking out from behind a few clouds. Hmm.
And then I saw a massive front moving in from the north as I approached the bridges at 27th and highway 2. So that's why there's no wind.
The wind started blowing out of the northeast about 1/4 mile past highway two and kept getting stronger. Same effort that started out at 19mph turned into 17, then 15, then 13, then 9.
I don't know how it happened, but one minute I was grinding it out against the wind and the next minute I had a branch stuck in my derailleur. I couldn't pedal. I had to fish it out with a terrible wind blowing and rain falling all around me.
The wind had shifted and strengthened after I passed under Capitol Parkway and 27th. I was pelted with all manner of small debris from there to Randolph street. One normally doesn't have to wait for cars at Randolph street, because there aren't any.
Of course that doesn't happen today. No sir. Today I had to wait for 8 cars from each direction. That's when the wind really picked up. I got hit by a few small objects that stung a bit.
I honestly thought I was going to get picked up and dropped in Oz just as the light let me go through.
I saw a branch fall off a tree and land across Capitol Parkway at Lincoln High. Tires screeched as cars tried to avoid it and each other. I pressed on. I turned on to J street and headed up the path, where small branches, leaves, signs, dirt and assorted house debris blew across the path in front of me. I stopped under the O street bridge and let the worst of it pass for a few minutes.
It was at that moment that I realized I had been laughing the whole time.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Takin it to the streets
I decided to do my part to alleviate some of the heavy traffic on the Rock Island today by riding home on S 20th street. Signs prominently marking it a "bike route" are posted every block or so along the way.
I seldom have a car come up behind me on that street, and I encounter maybe 10 or 11 coming from the opposite direction, 4 or 5 of which are stacked up at the South Street light, all of them happy to see me push the pedestrian crossing button so they can finally cross South.
This is during rush hour, starting at about 5:15pm. I would imagine it's empty during the day or late at night.
If you want to change up your ride, consider riding on a street. If you need help deciding which streets to ride on, the Great Plains Trail Network has a handy map of bike trails and "bike route" streets.
I seldom have a car come up behind me on that street, and I encounter maybe 10 or 11 coming from the opposite direction, 4 or 5 of which are stacked up at the South Street light, all of them happy to see me push the pedestrian crossing button so they can finally cross South.
This is during rush hour, starting at about 5:15pm. I would imagine it's empty during the day or late at night.
If you want to change up your ride, consider riding on a street. If you need help deciding which streets to ride on, the Great Plains Trail Network has a handy map of bike trails and "bike route" streets.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Cycle Traffic, Qu'est Que C'est?
That was a busy bike trail. The ride this morning wasn't so bad, I got to work in my usual 27 minutes.
The ride home? 38 minutes. The stretch of Rock Island from the bridges to South Street was BUSY. Lots of people out enjoying the weather. I can't blame them, I wanted to take the scenic route and soak up this dry air, too.
I now know how motorists feel: I didn't spend much time in the big ring. I wanted to, despite the headwind on the way home. I was stuck plodding along at 13mph for what seemed like forever because the other cyclists weren't interested in commuting, they were interested in bird watching or butterfly observation.
Not that there's anything wrong with that...
I need to use the streets for part of my commute tomorrow.
The ride home? 38 minutes. The stretch of Rock Island from the bridges to South Street was BUSY. Lots of people out enjoying the weather. I can't blame them, I wanted to take the scenic route and soak up this dry air, too.
I now know how motorists feel: I didn't spend much time in the big ring. I wanted to, despite the headwind on the way home. I was stuck plodding along at 13mph for what seemed like forever because the other cyclists weren't interested in commuting, they were interested in bird watching or butterfly observation.
Not that there's anything wrong with that...
I need to use the streets for part of my commute tomorrow.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Gravel dust tastes so sweet
Pavement Ends: Adventure Begins!
Gravel Ends: Nebraska Begins!
Looking North out on the "Bohemian Alps" from the "Summit" of NW 70th street.
I took my Specialized Crosstrail Sport on a round trip to and from my in-laws place (aka "The Funny Farm") on Sunday. It's a 43 mile round trip, 26 of those miles were on gravel roads, 2 were on hard-packed dirt. The rest was in-town streets and bike trail.
The first couple off-road miles were shaky while I tried to hammer with the bike skipping across the rock towards the ditch, but I found a sweet spot between speed and control. I had a grand old time riding into Raymond at 13mph.
The road I took into Raymond largely follows a rail line, so it's flat.
I turned left about a mile north of Raymond and entered the Bohemian Alps. Short and steep monsters. I just put it in the stump-pulling gear and spun up at 7mph and coasted back down at 15. Evil things, the Bohemian Alps.
The ride back wasn't bad. I had a lot more confidence in my ability to keep a straight line and decided to bomb down the Alps at 30+mph. I rode the one mile section of dirt road in about four minutes on the way back. (Hard dirt is a lot smoother than gravel.)
During those 28 off-road miles, I saw a total of six cars. Two were on the way out and four on the way home. Not a bad car/mile ratio for a bike ride. I can see why riding a bike on gravel roads has been growing in popularity.
Doing my best Lloyd Dobler impression: "Gravel is the cycling of the future."
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Only half a commute tomorrow
Update: who ordered the rain? I'm not going to be "that guy" who drops a super dirty and wet bike off at the shop. Maybe next week.
Monday, August 2, 2010
A Three-Hour Tour
Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale
A tale of a fun filled trip,
That started from a suburban house,
Aboard a two wheeled ship!
The cyclist was an average biking man,
Chipper to be sure
No group ride today, instead he chose
A three hour tour, a three hour tour.
The weather was never rough,
The cycle was not tossed
If it wasn't for familiar turf,
The cyclist would get lost. The cyclist would get lost.
The bike went to Palmyra, not a desert isle
The MoPac Trail,
84th Street, too.
Breathing fresh clean air
(Without his wife)
Had some Pop-py-Tarts
Dr. Pepper and
then rode home
for a total of 43 miles!
(This is your brain. This is your brain on a bicycle. Any questions?)
A tale of a fun filled trip,
That started from a suburban house,
Aboard a two wheeled ship!
The cyclist was an average biking man,
Chipper to be sure
No group ride today, instead he chose
A three hour tour, a three hour tour.
The weather was never rough,
The cycle was not tossed
If it wasn't for familiar turf,
The cyclist would get lost. The cyclist would get lost.
The bike went to Palmyra, not a desert isle
The MoPac Trail,
84th Street, too.
Breathing fresh clean air
(Without his wife)
Had some Pop-py-Tarts
Dr. Pepper and
then rode home
for a total of 43 miles!
(This is your brain. This is your brain on a bicycle. Any questions?)
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