Route 28 Murals ride

Nov 9 2014 14m

My first mission today was to scout the route for an upcoming Ghost Bike ride. This is where the collision occured. The ghost bike will go on the street sign on the left. Note the State Bike Route A marker on the right.

Went around the football stadium, which is very peaceful during "away" games.

I'm told the Steelers did not do well today.

On the other hand, the bicycling was lovely.

My next mission was to photograph the highway artwork being installed on Route 28. A friend (J-M) suggested there might be a window after completion and before the roadway is opened, and it was a pleasure to ride the bicycle on a closed lane of Route 28.

In a great Post-Gazette article, the most-excellent Jon Schmitz tells the story behind each of the panels, designed by artist Laurie Lundquest. The explanation of each mural given below comes directly from Mr. Schmitz' article.    (click here for even more info on the project)

This western-most mural is of the Pittsburgh, Allegheny and Manchester Traction Co., which operated streetcars in the corridor from the 1890s through 1920.

This panel highlights the Allegheny Institute and Mission Church / ​Avery College. Charles Avery founded the institute in 1849 as an educational facility for African-Americans and it is believed to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad.

A silhouette of Troy Hill with a canal boat in tow. The Pennsylvania Canal was built in the 1820s and was a key transportation feature in the state.

Thomas Carlin’s Foundry, which produced manhole covers and sewer inlets from 1860 to 1916, several of which are still in place in Pittsburgh. The foundry was known internationally for production of engines, boilers and other equipment.

The next mural shows the Josip Marohnic Bookstore, possibly the nation’s first Croatian book emporium. He was a leader in Pittsburgh’s Croatian community and helped to establish the St. Nicholas parish and raise money for the church.

This mural depicts the recently demolished St. Nicholas Church, site of the first Croatian national parish in the United States. The parish was established in 1894 and the church was built in 1901. The unused building was razed for the roadway. Note the building's cornerstone, still in its place.

Also saw this staircase going to up Troy Hill. If you were to climb it, you might notice a mural on an adjacent property.

Saw this commercial sign by artist Anthony Purcell.

Not a long ride, but a very nice day.

Pittsburgh Bike Jersey; Brooks B73 Repair at Thick Bikes

Nov.7.2014 0miles

Today was a maintenance day, starting with the flat tire I acquired in my Honda van on my way to visit work. Argghh. Cars; you can't patch the tires yourself, what's up with that?

The front spring on my Brooks B-73 saddle had sprung askew. I think I twisted the seat frame-and-spring when I took a fall in the spring and taco'd my front wheel, and then set the seat straight with the top-bar without really examining the entirety of the damage.

Anyway hey: Brooks Saddles, a seat you can have repaired! This is what my Surly LHT looked like, before and after, outside of Thick Bikes Pittsburgh. I so appreciate that they took the initiative not to just sell me another seat, but to repair the one I had.

Anyway, the picture on the left is How To Take A Bike Into A Shop On Friday Afternoon . If you're not doing it this way, you're doing it wrong. Pro Tip: wheel the bike into the shop area; complain that it feels like something's dragging, or maybe there's too much weight somewhere; ask them to do what they can to reduce the weight. The picture on the right is the "after" shot.

Also extremely cool: I mentioned I needed an old, one-time-left beatup U-lock for the upcoming Ghost Bike, and Thick Bikes donated a legacy shop U-lock which I put Thick stickers on.

Also, got to see this kinda-hott model introducing a very cool jersey. The artist's spouse, Jordan, is a strong cross racer. More info on the Pittsburgh cycling jersey here.

I find the most (pleasantly) unexpected connections in bike shops. I was talking about an effective Homewood neighborhood activist, turns out Jordan the cross racer knows Elwin Green, too. Small world; cycling makes connections.

I was surprised to see a small reflective strip on the back of the Pittsburgh jersey, I haven't seen that before. They're made locally by Aero Tech Designs of Coraopolis.

Pogies (handlebar mitts) from 45North. This has interior compartments, pit-zips, wow.

Handlebar porn: the two-bagger --

Such wow. Very cycling.

Saylé Service Soirée Banker Supply

11.6.2014 19m

I had a chance this afternoon to attend a board meeting of the Ohio River Trail Council, which was very interesting. The Ohio River Greenway Trail will begin in Coraopolis (near the Montour Trail) and run northwest along the Ohio River, through Aliquippa and Monaca, then Rochester-Beaver and west to Midland. It's very exciting.

Doubly valuable considering that in the last 15 months, we've seen two young people (18 and 23) killed while riding on PA State Bike Route A, a/k/a Route 51, at bridge crossings. This is not to say that we should take bikes off roads, but rather to say that maybe a 55mph, four-lane limited access highway isn't a great bike route and it would be so rational to have an alternative.

I got off to a late start in the evening, started riding in darkness and a light intermittent drizzle-schizzle. Rode to Banker Supply in East Liberty for the rollout party for Sayle Service.

Sayle Service intends to introduce a new orientation in bicycle service. A lot of what they're going to be doing isn't presented elsewhere: fleet service, loaner bikes, pre-dawn and after-hours pickup/dropoff. The name Sayle Service is an Anglo-derivative of the French Celerifere, the first bicycle ever made.

Nice cool-temp ride back in light drizzle. The downtown core sure looks pretty at night. I wish Nick and Chas all the best in their business endeavor; they're creative, innovative NextBurgh risk-takers.

Taylor Lee Banks Memorial Bicycle Ride: Nov 16 2014 2pm

Permalink: goo.gl/SYhr52
Press Release: goo.gl/ew6IhA


Ride starts promptly at 2pm Sunday Nov 16.
1729 Pennsylvania Ave Monaca, PA 15061
(Route 51, just south of East Rochester-Monaca Bridge.)

• Click here for info on a Group Ride (bike train) from downtown Pittsburgh to the event. Departs Golden Triangle Bike Rental on the Jail Trail, (600 1st Ave Pittsburgh) at 1100.
  
• Press Release from ORTC.

• Ride starts promptly at 2pm at 1729 Pennsylvania Ave Monaca PA 15061, under the water tower.
  • Nearby restrooms at Yolanda's Restaurant 1601 Pennsylvania Ave and CoGo's Gas Station, 1400 Pennsylvania Ave.
• ride south on Route 51, as one group at 10mph; there will be a van behind the group.
  
• Ride stops at 102 Baker St, Aliquippa PA 15001 (off Route 51, just north of self-storage facility) to meet family and non-driving participants. (2:35 pm)
  
• Media invited to Ghost Bike Dedication.
  
• Silent roll past location, near West Aliquippa bridge
  
• Continue and end in Monaca (3:30pm) round trip is 10 miles.
  

Mon Whorf Switchback Show and Tell

11/4/2014 17m

Today was an Urbanist jaunt. Addy Smith-Reiman, project manager for Riverlife on the Mon Whorf- Smithfield St. Bridge switchback connector, offered to take some BikePgh folks on a show-and-tell on the project.

Agenda Disclosure: Yes, I know it's spelled "wharf". This is part of my agenda to have that area renamed as the "Mon Whorf", in memory of Benjamin Whorf, my fave linguist "widely known as an advocate for the idea that because of linguistic differences in grammar and usage, speakers of different languages conceptualize and experience the world differently". ¹

This is the view from the Hot Metal Bridge, to give a sense of what a nice day it was:

Pan/Slide/Skew to the right to see the Smithfield St Switchback:

(My compliments to the artists, very nicely done)

It was a great briefing. Started with the history of the project and How We Got To Today. Talked about the initial design and factors resulting in the re-design. Smith-Reiman is very impressive, she's the kind of person you want working on these things.

Did I mention Addy is a cyclist? She rolled up in her 1938 Raleigh Gazelle, which is quite spiffed out:


The bracket on the handlebars is from Popins.fr and it is an umbrella mount. (interview, website)

Also, if you buying a gift for a Pittsburgh cyclist, this might be of interest >>>

A slice of every purchase goes to BikePgh. This is made by AeroTechDesigns in Coraopolis (and they support every bike group in Pittsburgh).

Cyclist Killed on Bike Route A; Nov3 Christmas Tree

11.3.2014 19m

Friday evening at 7pm cyclist was killed near my town, in a place I ride routinely: 51 North near the Aliquippa Bridge, which also happens to be PA State Bike Route A.

As happens on Friday nights, the media isn't staffed, over the weekend the junior people are on duty, and this event just hasn't gotten much attention. Seems like a hit-and-run but no newspaper article or TV news coverage is calling it that. This 23 year old got off work at the Aliquippa Subway restaurant and was riding to his mother's house in Rochester.

John Forrester in Effective Cycling wrote that Friday evening rush hours are the time of the week with the most cyclist fatalities, and the reports are this happened at 7.15 pm Friday.

It's the second cyclist death of BikeRouteA / PA51 at a bridge crossing in 15 months. Last year a cyclist was killed on Route51 at the Sewickley Bridge. Maybe it's time somebody asked, How Come This is a Bike Route? Show me where bikes are accommodated on this road besides "share the road" signage?

What a tragedy. And the driver is still out there, and no official reports on investigations etc.

Had to get out of the house, so I rode over to work where I have two reference manuals I needed. I took the long way, mostly because it seemed like crossing the Ohio River via the Interstate would be un-prudent and bad chi today. It was a nice ride.

There was a construction zone under a bridge, where the usually very wide roadway is reduced to two lanes, one in each direction, divided by Jersey barriers. Just room for a bike or a car but not both, and inevitably it was uphill. The truck driver (Lucci Kitchens, great driver) behind me was sooo very courteous and patient, I really appreciated that and worked hard to get out of their way ASAP. It's so nice when people play nice.

I think I write better code when I bike to work rather than driving to work.

Departed work at 6.30pm and it's just dark out now, no half-presence of dusk it's just plain dark. No moon evident either. Started riding home, saw my first Commercial Christmas tree in a window and had to take a picture.

Also a great ride home, mostly uphill. I'm pleased that my light outfit does pretty well. 19 miles.

Coffeeneur 2014-07, Exploding Pumpkin Flashback, Fried Pickles

11/1/2014 #231 23m

Started at the Bastille with K, during a Pitt game at the football stadium but there just weren't many people on the Chateau-Casino trail. Riding around the Carnegie Science Center, we saw a demonstration of blowing up pumpkins. On the last pumpkin they blew up, a major chunk flew up higher than the Science Center roof and it took a while to come back down, and seeing it took me out of the moment and sent me back thirty-five years.

In 1979 I was a rookie Navy air traffic controller, and I had swapped shifts and was working with another crew. Short version: they came sooooo close to landing a Navy C9 Skytrain on top of a departing Air Force C5A Galaxy. From the radar room it seemed like they collided. My airplane was about four miles out, an E2C Hawkeye and I wasn't sure what to do with it.

I figured: after a collision the parts go up in the air and I shouldn't send my plane into that. I turned them out and said: "vectors for airborne debris midair over the field", because you're supposed to tell them the reason.

Happily it was a near-miss rather than a near-hit. There was a Serious Investigation because the Air Force has no sense of humor about that stuff. My E9 came and told me I was the star of the playback sessions (and that wasn't a good thing).

Anyway, while I watched the chunk of pumpkin fly up in the sky and twist around, rotating, then get slow and begin falling -- in that split-second I went back to being a 19-year old E4 thinking, "stuff takes a while to fall down, give it a minute". It's funny how unrelated things like a Science Center demo bring back memories. In my flashback mini-moment I had such a clear vision of the thick, green felt tablecloth in the investigation conference room. You never wanted to be at "the green table".

And then I was back in the moment in 2014, and the kids were cheering the blown-up pumpkin, and a few more pieces fell down to the earth. We rode out the Penn Ave bikelane and saw a celebrity: Randy Gilson of Randyland was walking along and we got to say Hello. First time I saw RandyLand, I kind of assumed it was an adult-merchandise shop. ("randy" n'at)

Ride uphill through Allegheny Cemetery, even though it's Nov.1st and Día de Muertos. Rode Friendship out to East Liberty and stopped at Banker Supply, checking on a light. Got to meet Chas Duboy, nice guy. Looking forward to Chas' opening of Sayle Service.

Stopped at Whole Foods for rest rooms and free samples. Rode over to Penn Ave (in light rain) and to Voluto Coffee for Coffeeneur 7. Voluto Coffee is an excellent shop; not a smiley-face chain but rather a pleasant, fairly filled space with people drinking coffee and doing their work. We had a cappuccino and a pour-over and a scone and it was great. This completes our seven rides for the 2014 Coffeeneuring Challenge.

Rode to Oakland, down Junction Hollow, and over the Hot Metal Bridge. Went to OTB for fried pickles, a new experience and they were very good.

Back on the bikes in the dusk. The trails were devoid of other cyclists, it bordered on a post-apocalytic ride sort of like the Abandoned Turnpike Trail. Don't understand where the cyclists were on a Saturday evening. 23 miles.