It Takes a Posse: 3000 miles in 2011

8/26/11 #225

Rode 36 miles with R and M, from the Manchester Bastille to Millvale, breakfast at Pamela's, 31st Street Bridge, Strip Trail, Mon Whorf Trail, Jail Trail, Panther Hollow Trail, Fifth, Wilkins, Shady, Forbes (ProBikes and Starbucks), Braddock, Hutchinson, Lancaster, Nine Mile Run Trail, Duck Hollow Trail, Second Avenue, Hot Metal Bridge, Southside Trail, Station Square Trail, Ft. Pitt Bridge, Ft. Duquesne Bridge, back to the Manchester Bastille (aka Western Penitentiary, dba SCI Pittsburgh).

Yesterday my legs were complaining, and I did my best at telling them, "shut up legs!". Today they felt better, and I felt better - it may have been Pamela's coffee and strawberry crepes.


We stopped at ProBike in Squirrel Hill to look at all the bicycle glory. Today's Noted Innovation was on a Globe bike, which is a Specialized in-house brand. This bike was a Globe Live-3, and I'm not sure how that's pronounced (verb or adjective?).

It's a beautiful heavy bike, integral frame, belt drive, internal Shimano 8-speed. It had a spring between the rear of the front fork and the down tube, which tends to keep the heavy front wheel from getting all "jiggy wit it" and swinging too wildly during locking, parking etc. I decided it was called a "wheel dampener", but apparently it's called a wheel stabilizer.



I did have a truck attempt a "right-hook" manuever on Second Avenue, but I sort of saw it coming (I had certainly ridden myself into this posture) and it was uneventful.

It was a beautiful day for a ride, much nicer than you could reasonably expect from August.




It takes a posse. Someplace in the middle of the ride I crossed 3000 miles so far this year. I really appreciate the help of my bike buds in getting those miles, I don't think I'd be out there so often if I were consistently solo, but a ride with K on Monday, a ride with M on Tuesday, a ride with R on Wednesday, a ride with J on Thursday, and a ride by myself on Friday, and all of a sudden the mileage accumulates and my diabetes stays in control. Sincere thanks to all.