Bride of Penn Avenue, Destiny of Sand Sculptures, Risk of Bike Naps

07/12/12 #241 70m

Two rides today, one 45 miles and the other 25 miles.

Started in the morning at the Bastille, rode south into Point State Park where against all expectations the sandy mess of the previous day, the debris of the remarkable artwork of the previous week, had somehow not been cleared away but had instead become more organized into a pile, somehow resisting the famous forces of entropy.



Rode south on the Station Square Trail, Waterfront Trail, Kennywood Trail, to the Riverton Bridge. Reversed and rode north to the Hot Metal Bridge, Junction Hollow Trail, Fifth, Wilkins, Murray, and Forbes. Poked around at PghProBikes.

Departed Squill crosstown in search of the mural, The Bride of Penn Avenue, by Judy Penzer and Jill Watson. Coming within a few blocks of it, you can see the mural of a bride entering the building.


When you get closer, you can discern that the apparent building is a mirage painted upon a flat wall. The visual continuation of the row of buildings is a head-fake. Very impressive.



Tragically, the two artists died in the crash of TWA800 on July 17th, 1996.

Rode Penn Avenue to 24th Street and the Cork Factory, the Convention Center Trail to the Point once again, where the irresistable forces of PeopleWhoWantFridayOff eventually overcame Inertia and both the wreckage and the sand sculpture itself was just a memory.


Rode north to the Bastille and my car for 45 miles on the bike so far. Moved my car to Oakland for the afternoon's logistics, then proceeded to take a well-deserved bike nap. Taking a bike nap is not without risk; well-meaning passersby may assume you have passed out or entered a diabetic coma. Word: if you're bikenapping and wake up to the sound of somebody saying "CLEAR" in an authoritative voice, shout out NO! NO! NO!



Rode around town some more, then rode through the South Side Works River Front Plaza, which is almost too many words in one placename; saw that the cooling mist generators (CMGs) were active.



Rode to West Mifflin for a friend's celebration. 837/885 up the hill was a great workout; coming back down was a lot more fun. The day's second ride was 25 miles, for 70 miles total.

Saturday Morning Burgh, Evening S24O Entertaining

05/19/12 243# 36m

My plan of the day was to ride in the city in the morning, and in the evening go out on the Montour Trail for an overnight campout to shakedown my gear.

Started 0900 at the Bastille with M, who's been working out of town and it was a welcome reunion. Rode around the northside, stopped at some sort of health-walk at the stadia, went out to the 31st STreet bridge and then back through the Strip District. Stopped at Point State Park which was hosting a Venture Outdoors celebration.

Saw some tri-types in a sort of bicycle urban orienteering competition, it looked like they were really working hard at it. Saw a bicycle skills course being laid out and another vendor was queing up electric-assist and electric-shift bikes for demo rides.

Rode out on Blvd of the Allies to Grant Street, took the Jail Trail and Hot Metal Bridge. Cruised the newly opened AEO-HBH plaza, checked out the OTB bike corral, went to Big Dog Coffee for the coffeeneuring phase of the ride (photo). Biancha mochas and elephant ear pastries, very nice. A young couple had just become engaged and asked us to take a photo. Rode to Keystone Metals (wish they'd open that mini-segment), reversed to Station Square, crossed Ft. Pitt bridge, crowded Point State Park, Ft. Duquesne bridge, rode back to the Bastille, 27 miles. It was great to see Mark and get to talk with him, and doubly so on bicycles.

In the afternoon I tried to re-assemble my bike kit, which is actually about a hundred different items that may or may not remain in formation. Last week I took geat out of their normal places to gather my TOSRV supplies, and then on the return it was hither and yon for drying and cleaning, and it became scattered.

I stopped at REI for some MRE-type meals, bought a pouch of mandarin orange chicken and another of spicy sausage pasta, by Natural High. There really isn't a place for overnight parking along the Montour, so I parked in McDonald and hoped for the best (it was fine). I spent at least a half-hour sorted gear into panniers and trying to get my stuff together.

I was unsure of water availability, so I carried an extra half-gallon container from a convenience store. Between the four panniers, bedroll, and the water jug it was a pretty heavy bicycle when I started out on the trail.

After a few miles my front fender support failed. I'm guessing the weight on the bicycle flexed it a bit too much. No damage and I consider it part of the reason to do a shakedown, and I'm glad it happened now and not when I'm halfway between DC and Pittsburgh.

Crossing Route50, my cellphone range and my friend K was on the trail behind me and had seen my car, so we agreed that he'd catch up to me which was no great leap of faith given my speed.

I reached the Montour Trail's Kurnick campground around MP25.5 at almost the same time that D. arrived from the other direction, he was doing the same thing - checking out his gear for a DC-Pgh ride.

All five campgrounds were unoccupied so I started checking for a site with optimally spaced trees and chose Site2. D chose Site1 to set up his REI tent. My friend K came up the trail on his mountain bike and I got the hammock up pretty quickly, it really does only take about three minutes. That was pretty cool, established for a few minutes and hosting guests.

We had a nice visit, I hadn't seen K for a few weeks, and then he had to go as he had miles to make before it got dark. I continued setting up camp, rigged the stove, arranged some gear etc when my friend R. stopped by on his Rivendell. He lives a few miles out on the trail and came bearing gifts of bug spray and a water jug, both of which were very thoughtful.

I "made" coffee (which means, I boiled water and invoked the Starbucks Via ritual) and it was pretty good. I "cooked" the spicy sausage pasta; it was pretty good for an MRE, it certainly had a variety of tastes for the palate and probably better for morale than a PB&J, but nothing you'd ever be happy to have at a restaurant. As darkness began R. departed and I did a bit of camp clean up.

I climbed into the hammock and it was immediately obvious that the trees I'd used weren't far enough apart, the hammock had way too much of a bend in the middle. I thought, give it a few minutes but it didn't get any better it just got darker, so I got out of it and searched for another spot.

I was using a Petzl headlight, several years old and dim by contemporary standards but quite workable, and it was an awesome tool. I found two trees on a slope, took down and re-rigged the hammock. I realized I had the entry side of the hammock on the wrong side of the slope so that it was five feet up into the air, so I took it down and hung it the other way, and it all went well and I feel a bit more proficient at hanging the hammock in the dark.

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May 19, 2012 Week 19 this week: 117 miles

243#

2nd Qtr 861 miles 17 mi/day2-QTR

2012: 1877 miles

Ride to Dunkin Donuts and the Bastille at Sunset

12/08/11 #236 29m 33F

Rode 29 miles in 2h29m, temp 33F on a beautiful sunny day. As I prepared to ride I was resisting the notion of riding in this temperature, but once I got on the bike it was excellent and the sun felt very good.

Started at the Manchester Bastille (Western Penitentiary), rode around the stadia and out to Millvale, deviated through the Lawrenceville neighborhood instead of using Butler Street - I really like the little two-story houses, they're like the Burgh version of shotgun shacks, I could see having one as a pied-à-terre if I was that sort of a person, but I think that I am not.

Took Washington Blvd up to Bakery Square. I stopped near Bakery Square because I was overheating in the climb, I took off the helmet cover and opened my jacket's pit-zips and things got better quickly. Back on the bike and rode to Squirrel Hill.

Stopped at Dunkin Donuts on Forbes at Shady; totally excellent. The interior is classic Dunkin Donuts - the coffee, the pastries and doughnuts - but the sitting area is quite large, couches, tables, wifi, fireplace! This place totally rocks as a caffeine bike destination.

Departing Squirrel Hill on Forbes to Braddock, managing to synchronize my passage with the simultaneous release of every school bus and kiddy-car-pool within range. A very nice crossing guard (in a very high-viz overcoat) actually stopped traffic for me on the bike, that was a first.

Took the Nine Mile Run Trail and the Duck Hollow Trail to Second Avenue, Second Avenue to the Jail Trail. I wanted to go over to the South Side but the sun was descending behind Mt. Washington and so I skipped SouSide and headed north on the Jail Trail.

Crossing the Ft. Duquesne bridge I encountered quite a few black-and-gold-garbed fans on their way to the evening's Steeler game. There were a few tailgating cookouts getting underway.

The ride back to the Bastille was quick. I was joined by a rider on a Soma, nice bike, we discussed sprung saddles and Brooks. The mini-detour north of the Casino is very well marked. I got off the bike at 5pm, a perfect time to take a photo of the Manchester Bastille at sunset.

Autumn Ride to Targets of Opportunity and Occupy Pittsburgh

10/15/11 #234 34miles 50-60F

Rode 34 miles in the city. The day started off cold but warmed up nicely.

Began at The Bastille (Western Pen) intending to ride to McKeesport, and proceeded via the Casino Trail and the Ft Duquesne Bridge. Crossing Point State Park there was some sort of re-enactment going on.

Continued on the Mon Whorf Trail, Jail Trail, Hot Metal Bridge of 4000 Brassieres, Southside Trail, Baldwin Trail, walked the tracks and rode Sandcastle to Riverton Bridge discovered that the Sandcastle lot is closed.

I'm mildly disappointed that Sandcastle bike access is lost. Even though it was a wink-and-nod arrangement, it was really nice to ride through there in the summertime, and the loss of Sandcastle will mean fewer bicyclists going from the Point to Boston. The (presumed) notion that bicycling stops in October is misinformed.

I rode 885 uphill to Century III Mall, met a friend at Denny's for coffee and pumpkin pie!, reversed on 885 and 837 to Southside, Station Square trail, and then I ran into a fully loaded, visiting cyclist who had just passed the West End Circle and was trying to figure out how to get into downtown.

Walter had rode from Cleveland in two days, stopping overnight and camping in Rogers Ohio. I really like the idea of bicycle camping and hope to give it a try.

He told me he'd had two flats and broke a few spokes, but that he's stopped at Ambridge Bike Shop and they'd taken great care of him. Which doesn't surprise me, Ambridge is the Best Local Bike Shop 4eva. We rode together across the Ft. Pitt Bridge and the Strip Trail to his destination, I think the city's trails and the easy transition across town made a favorable impression on him.

Then I rode crosstown to the #OccupyPittsburgh site. It seemed reasonable and well mannered, I spoke to a police officer who said there wasn't any tension at the site. In the throng there were ACLU attorneys wearing yellow armbands observing. I saw an observer wearing a Pittsburgh Police Accountability Review Board jacket which I though was extremely excellent.

I'd say the population skewed young and old, with fewer 40-year olds than there were 20-somethings and geezers like myself. Other than the age phenomenon, they seemed representative of the general public. Quite a few signs, which I suppose works well in a world of omnipresent cameras and social media. I didn't find much (if anything, really) to disagree with. The P-G has a list of sign messages.

The weather started off cold (50F) and ended up warmer (60F) and quite pretty and blue. It was very windy which made for an interesting ride. It was a day when having airspeed indicators on the bike would produce interesting data. Descending down 885 it felt like I was descending with a tailwind, that was a pretty quick segment.

10/15/11 Week 39

this week: 109 miles

[4th quarter: 275 miles]

2011: 3541 miles

Manchester Bastille, SouthSide Nadine's, Squirrel Hill Bike Porn

8/24/11 #224 31m

Rode 31 miles. We rendezvoused at the Manchester Bastille at 0800 (Western Penitentiary) under threatening skies. We wrestled briefly with the wisdom of beginning a ride when it seemed quite certain that a soaking was very likely, but we'd already gotten out with our gear and all, so with a certain foreboding we started off.



We rode around the stadia out to the 31st Street Bridge, then crossed the Allegheny and used the Strip Trail back to the Point. By that time we were getting rained on, so we tried to expedite reaching our planned breakfast stop at Nadine's on the SouthSide.

We took the Mon Whorf trail to the Smithfield Street Bridge, then the SouthSide Trail to REI. Our breakfast destination was on the same street as REI, but just on the other side of Carson Street. We pulled into Nadine's and were happy to get out of the rain. We had made a pretty fast run to get there.

Nadine's came highly recommended, and it's an interested place: a family run, shot-and-beer bar, with a few tables around the perimeter and a big grill behind the bar. Yes, you can get a drink with your breakfast, or you can break fast with your drink, depending on your sense of priorities. It's kind of cool to be in a bar at 0900.

I had a Western Omelette, K had a Mixed Grill, M had a Egg-English-Muffin, and it was all very good (especially since it was raining outside). The clientele seems more regulars than itinerants, but they were quite welcoming to a few outsiders dressed in lycra, high-viz jackets, and helmets.

It was a great meal that was also high-value, I think we each spent about $7 on breakfast. I recommend Nadine's (same street as Southside REI) highly as a breakfast bike stop, with one caveat: it is a smoking establishment.

We had a second cup of coffee and went outside to great our meteorological fate, only to learn that the rain had passed over and it was a pleasant cool, windy morning.

We rode across the Hot Metal Bridge, up Junction Hollow, along Fifth, Shady, and Forbes to stop at ProBikes in Squirrel Hill to indulge in the bike porn. Man they had some beautiful bikes. I was particularly smitten with a 29 inch mountain bike, I think they'd make a great snow bike.

I was very impressed at a folding bike made by Giant called the Clip; it's a tremendously clever design. Several very cool design features: a bipod kickstand that descends out of the seat tube, folding pedals, a hand-grasp loop built into the frame (some reviews find the loop too small to be useful), and an assymetrical front fork - sort of like Cannondale's "Lefty", but this single-part fork is on the right side.



In my small experience (I've had a Dahon folder), the problem with folding bikes is that while they do fold, they're not bikes you'd want to ride 50 miles on - and they're generally not intended for that.




We came out of ProBikes and proceeded via Forbes and Braddock (and Hutchinson and Lancaster) into Frick Park. I descended into Frick too fast, and for a moment the bike was ahead of me instead of me being ahead of the bike. We rode Nine Mile Run Trail, followed by the Duck Hollow Trail and a portage across a few railroad tracks to Second Avenue. That took us to the Jail Trail, we got to ride along with some Green Gears Pittsburgh pedicabs for a few blocks, and then we crossed the Ft. Duquesne bridge to the Manchester Bastille and our waiting cars.

I am really glad we didn't cancel at the obvious approaching rain. Lessons learned:

• attempt to find a great eating establishment to hole up in while the weather passes by
• don't descend into Frick Park going very fast
• don't have a pedal-strike on the pavement at the hairpin-turn at Swinburne Street on the Jail Trail

Hopefully, whatever doesn't kill me will make me smarter - although I am loath to quote Neitzsche. (thanks M!)