15 mile week

04/14/12 0m

Wow, I rode 15 miles this week. My lowest mileage week this year, my lowest mileage week in a very long time. Almost a no-hitter.

Lots of reasons, but not the weather and not always higher priority items. I really can't claim peak efficiency this week in developing "my perfect day". And a new week begins tomorrow.

4/14/12 Week 13 this week: 15 miles

247#

2nd Qtr 186 miles 13 mi/day2-QTR

2012: 1200 miles

Lake Arthur Bike Trail, Moraine State Park

04/13/12 247# 15m

It's been too long an interruption in my riding. I had a period between midday events and dinner with my son north of town, so I carried my bike along (yes, on the car) and stopped at Moraine State Park and rode the paved bike trail.



It's very nice - paved, signed, rest rooms and water, and tremendous views of the lake. I could see how it might be much more populated in the summer months. At the west end of the trail, there's a bike rental concession.

I saw two inline skaters, several couples on hybrid bikes, a few solo riders including some road bikes, a few clusters of parents with kids on bikes, and one man with a Segway rigged with off-road tires (that was a bit of a surprise).

It's a very nice park and trail, I hope they extend it all the way around the lake someday.

Cars Dont Pass Bikes; People Pass Bicyclists

Many people will tell you, repeating what they've been told, that the CommonWealth of Pennsyvania has recently enacted a four-foot law for cars passing bicycles.

I prefer to say that Pennsylvania has enacted a four-foot passing law for automobilists passing bicyclists, or if you prefer brevity then drivers passing bikers.

Let's face it - Cars don't pass bikes. Automobilists pass bicyclists. There are different formulations available - drivers pass bikers, etc - but to de-emphasize the human presence, the human agency, and the human responsibility is to diminish all of us. I think it was John Forester who said, "Ask not for whom the bike bell toll, it tolls for thee..."

Consider the highly effective anti-drunk driving campaigns, which swayed media coverage and in turn influenced our language, perception, and behavior. The victim wasn't killed by a car; she was killed by a drunk driver. There's a person who did it, and we reduced violence by making people accountable. The car isn't to blame. It's about people.

I'd like to see newspapers start saying, "Driver Kills Bicyclist" instead of "Car Kills Bicyclist", or the even more abstract "Crash Kills Bicyclist". The New York Post is known for catchy headlines, having once published "Headless Body in Topless Bar", but today's issue carries this meh! headline and routine story:

The story's bias leads to these conclusions a white SUV killed 18-year old David Oliveras, who wears Converse sneakers the car seems to have had a driver, who feels terrible the driver has invoked the British SMIDSY defense: Sorry Mate I Didn't See You. the driver has no responsibility or accountability the death is a regrettable, unavoidable and acceptable cost of modernity

Until now, I've focused on staying safe and alive by doing everything I can to remain visible; reflectors, lights, high-vis clothing, even a slow-moving vehicle triangle on my bikes. I'm thinking, if I do my part it'll be all right, a sort of passive salvation-by-hope.

But Lady Elaine's post today has brought me to a new kind of thinking — ensuring that bicyclists get our space by really emphasizing our humanity, by making it quite evident that there's a person on that bike. We may need to take it to the drivers.

Imagine if people rode in traffic like this:


We notice that the center cyclist has a helmet, lights, reflector, a high-vis yellow bag, and a slow-moving vehicle triangle, AND they've gone the extra step in overtly humanizing themselves to passing drivers.

You got a problem with this? I bet they get four feet, don't you think?

Please. Don't make us do this.

PA 4-Foot Law, Cyclist Tramp Stamp

04/08/12 244# m

From the Post-Gazette, a graphic that might be most people's first introduction to the new Pennsylvania Four Foot Bicycle Law:


While I could do without the "Rules of Engagement" subtitle (which suggests an combatant perspective), it's a good summary.

Also, I am considering getting a lower back tattoo, aka tramp-stamp in the form of a slow-moving vehicle triangle to provide an extra margin of high-visibility and to call the automobilist's attention to my "don't kill me bro" campaign.

This is just an artist's depiction, sort of a "proof-of-concept":

Groveton - Burgettstown

04/07/12 241# 53m 35-55F

Started at MP3 (Brothers Grimm) in 35F. Rode with S, S,and M out to the Montour-Panhandle Connector, then the Panhandle Trail west to Burgettstown. Got a nice view of the world-famous Langeloth Smoke Stack. Reversed, stopped at Midway for snacks, returned to Brothers Grimm, continued to Groveton and came back to MP3 in 55F.



Really a nice day: blue skies, light wind. Disappointed that the Main Street MiniMart in Burgettstown remains closed, excited to see a new restaurant opening right by the trailhead.

4/07/12 Week 12 this week: 171 miles

241#

2nd Qtr 171 miles 24 mi/day2-QTR

2012: 1185 miles

Montour - Panhandle Coffeeneuring

04/06/12 241# 29m

First, if I may, a potentially tragic story that ends well: Richard Gubish, Bus Driver of the Year (2012), although the final denouement is to be announced. Also, Pittsburgh's Danny Chew is at 698,800 lifetime bike miles, almost 70% of his lifetime goal of 1,000,000 bike miles.

Rode 29 miles with R. Had a funny mini-moment driving to the trailhead when I saw a big huge flame climbing above the horizon line in the distance, it seemed like it was a few miles away and quite tall, and there was no disaster as much as that's just what it's like to live in Oklahoma an energy extraction zone - just burning gas at a well, nothing to see here, keep moving.

Started at the Montour trailhead at MP17.1, the intersection of the Montour and Panhandle Trails. Climbed up to the Montour Trail and rode south through the detour on the temporary trail to Route 50 in Venice, rejoined the trail for a little bit more and then onto Route 50 for some road riding.

We took Route 50 past the American Legion and the tank, then took a parallel side street, made our way past Chartiers Valley high school and under I79 to the Heidelburg Starbucks. The automobilists in this area were very courteous and gave us a lot of room.

Enjoyed a Skinny Vanilla Latte, the manager attempted to explain the various Via options, and then back on the road. We climbed up through Nevillewood, then descended to the Panhandle Trail.


The Panhandle Trail is much improved between the east terminus and the Montour Trail. About a third of that section has been completely resurfaced, with the old ballast being used for the shoulder and new limestone material being used for the trailbed proper, in a way that R. said was reminiscent of the actual railway.

Stopped at the McDonald Trail Station which is open weekends in the summer, and I was pleased to find that it was open with a few ladies preparing for an event (wedding reception?) tomorrow, so I was able to score a few dead-tree Pandhandle Trail maps. I've wanted one of these for quite a while.

In previous years the Panhandle has been sort of the wierd-uncle trail for me because of the rough surface, but I could see that it's going to get a lot more traffic as the "new improved" conditions become more widely known.

Fully Loaded Shakedown

04/03/12 43m 60F

Rode 43 miles, Montour Trail, fully loaded.

My first overnight "bike packing" or "bike camping" trip of the year is in about three weeks, so it's time to begin putting everything together on the bike and giving it a bit of a shakedown.



For today's ride I took off two dilapidated old panniers and put on two brand new Ortliebs. The old Avenir's were very much built to be put on and left on, they're a bit of a pain to mount and unmount; the Ortlieb's are simple and easy by contrast.

I filled the panniers with my camping gear - hammock, two wool blankets, cook stove and accessories, some foul weather gear - and added my sleeping pad athwartships. Some pannier systems place the sleeping pad vertically, aft of the rear panniers, I'll have to see what works.

With the bike rigged as it is I've got an aft center-of-gravity, that may be an issue on steep climbs with the bike tending to rotate away from the front wheel. The Surly frame does handle better and more comfortably with a full load of weight on it.

I started in Boggs. The first ten miles felt quite difficult (with the weight), I felt some pain in my quads in places I didn't know it could occur. About a half-hour in I did get rained on for about fifteen minutes, and in the rain the value of the Ortliebs was brought home again; no need to put on raincovers, they're just good to go.

Navigating the two detours with the loaded bike was a bit of a lesson. I'm glad it wasn't slushy or muddy; my tires are 32's, I could see how you might want wider tires for a sloppy surface. The main differences with the heavy bike seem to be that starting and stopping are a bit more complex, and I think I need to be a bit more ahead of the bike than I'm used to thinking.

Having said all that, when I got to McMurray I stopped at Starbucks for coffee and then Subway for a sandwich. When I got back on the trail, the pain and agony was gone and it was just a bit of extra work and some consideration of inertia; I think the pain and resistance was mostly a mental issue.

A very nice ride.