Coffeeneuring 2015-2 Caffe d'Amore; Shrub, Squash, & Tandem

10.10.2015 25m

Started early-ish at the Bastille with Karen. As we rode inbound approaching the casino, two opposite direction cyclists with loaded bikes passed by, asking is this the way to Cumberland MD??

In fact, it's the exactly wrong way (or at least a very long right way) so we offered directions. One of the two gents almost wasn't sure we were correct, so we led them across to Point State Park and pointed them in the right direction. Two retired CoastGuard-ers from the Outer Banks, nice folks.

Rode east along the Allegheny to Millvale, stopped at Pamela's Pancakes for strawberry crepes because: Pamela's. I think we got there just before the Saturday morning crowd appeared.

Departed and crossed the 40th Street bridge. Poked across Lawrenceville to Butler and 54th Street, where we found Caffe d'Amore, a fairly new coffee shop with a well-experienced proprietor. There's been a Caffe d'Amore in the Public Market for a while, and this standalone brick-and-mortar is the next phase.

I had a pour-over promising hints of cigar and vanilla. It was amazing. K had a Honduran pour-over which was also very good. Coffeeneuring report: 10/10/2015, Caffe d'Amore, 5401 Butler Street Pittsburgh, 25 miles, pourover coffee. Bike friendly (bike rack outside, very cool w/cyclists). Recommended.



The chalkboard discloses they carry "shrub" which I only learned about in the last few weeks, when I also learned about it's fellow-traveler squash. (Thanks, ETRT!)

We rode Penn inbound to town, using the bike lane and then transitioned across to Golden Triangle Bike Rental where we rented a tandem and took it down to SouthSide and back. It was an interesting ride, there's a lot off things to coordinate when - as on the Hot Metal Bridge - you're simultaneously turning, descending, coasting and braking.



Back to GTBR, then back to the NorthSide. The Pitt game was in progress so there wasn't much stadium traffic on the trail. A very nice day, 25 miles.

Cuyahoga Valley Nat'l Park: GAP surface with C&O Scenery

10.08.2015 44m

Was fortunate to ride the Cuyahoga Valley National Park's Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail with RC and KC.

We started on the southish end at Botzum Trailhead and rode north. Quite a bit of wetlands for the first few miles, and it was foggy and a bit chilly. Kind of perfect weather, but the trail has a lot of gentle turns and twists - it's meandering rather than technical - but there's not a long sight line, so we ended up riding a bit of single-file. #FirstWorldWhines #AlsoNoWifi

The trail flattened out and the surroundings became very much like the C&O Canal Trail - there was a trail, a lot of green trees and canopy, a lot of nature, an adjacent watered canal (mostly clear, sometimes green) and a roadway nearby.

The trail surface was unlike the C&O and quite like the GAP Trail. There's also a train track, but this train supports the trail; cyclists can flag down the train at any of several stations and ride back to wherever for $3. Great capability.



We rode north to Rockside Station, scouting for an upcoming group ride. Departed the trail for the sprawl and concrete. There was a surprising bit of a climb coming out of the valley. Lunch at Panera's and reversed course. A very nice ride, great weather, good company.

Autumn Bike Lights

10.05.2015 9m

Two bike activities today: riding and working on my bike-lighting given the shortening daylight.

I started at 18th Street/ SouthSide River Front Park. Hot Metal Bridge to the Point. It was such a pretty day that I kicked back on the stonework and chilled for an hour. It was almost beach weather, sunny and 70F. I like Pittsburgh's fall (and spring) weather so much.

Departed Downtown via Second Ave, took the 10th Street Bridge, stopped at Thick Bikes to order a small piece: a cadence magnet for the crank arm. Continued back to River Front Park.

Light-wise, I ordered and received a new battery and charger for my tail light, which is a Design Shine DS500(build 3). This is the brightest tail light I've ever seen. It generates between 60 and 800 lumens (for daylight use). They're currently out of stock but expect more in October.


People familiar with the DesignShine seek ways to describe the brightness. One owner made this video to contrast the DS with the rising sun (drivers pointed at the sun often use that as a reason for running over cyclists)


I bought an MJ-6038B battery, which is a 7.4V li-ion unit with 5600mAH. I've had the light running for about eight hours now at full strength and it's still going full blast. Very impressive. I usually get two years out of one of these batteries, and I try to get a new one at the start of winter riding.

For a less expensive but very bright tail light, I recommend the Cygolite Hotshot Pro 80 USB with 80 lumens for about $50, and the L&M VIS 180 with 70 lumens for about $100.

For my headlight I'm running the Cygolite Expilion 850 which retails for around $140. I like the light and the mounting bracket a lot.

I think lights and tires are two areas where it makes sense to buy really good equipment. It's wonderful using Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires and just not getting flats, and it's really nice to have sufficiently bright lights to see where you're going and to be seen by drivers.

#Coffeeneuring 2015-1 Wedding Party PhotoBomb

10.03.2015 28m

Today started off as a cold, dismal, rainy Saturday and later in the day it stopped raining. I started at the Bastille, met a few friends on the trail, then rode over to Thick Bikes to pick up a rear-view mirror I'd ordered. Thick Bikes has hosted a coffeeneuring session earlier in the morning, I think that's so very cool of them.

I saw Bob-H and sang Happy Birthday to Maggie and him. They had a negative experience with deep soft gravel on the Southside Trail, which is sporting some railroad improvement work.

Rode to Big Dog Coffee 2717 Sarah Street, SouthSide Pittsburgh for a Mocha Blanca: white chocolate caffeine goodness. #Coffeeneuring 2015-01 on Oct.3 2015, 28 miles. So excellent.


Coming across the Hot Metal Bridge I overtook a wedding party and photobombed the picture taking:



I was involved in escorting a large group on a cycling tour, it was an impressive lineup of bikes:


As we transitioned from the NorthShore Trail onto Washington's Landing via the switchbacks, I got to photobomb my second wedding party of the day:


One of our groups went through the southside and A. had a harsh experience with the soft gravel at 2nd Street.

Valley Brook Road Bridge #2

10.02.2015 30m

Met my friend R at Montour MP24. We rode through the National Tunnel, the new bridges at Tandem Connection, and out to Valleybrook Road - for the first full day of the soft opening of the Valley Brook Road #2 bridge.



Rode out to Starbucks for caffeine. Busy place. Continued eastbound on the Montour Trail to scope out next week's closure on the Arrowhead Trail between Sugar Camp Rd and Brush Run Road; it was well marked. Kind of cool that Peters Township is doing the resurfacing.

Reversed and went back across the Valley Brook Road bridges. So awesome.

Met Ron-P from Hopewell, riding from DC back to home. This is the flaw in Allegheny County's bike routing: from the GAP in McKeesport, Ron-P was riding the Montour all the way around to Coraopolis and RouteA back to home, because there's no way to get from Station Square to Coraopolis. You'd think they'd want a transient cyclist to pass through the economic break-basket.



Rode out to check the Route 50 bridges and road realignment. Absolutely brilliant. Still under construction.

Back in the car, into Pittsburgh to take a Coffeeneuring poster to Cafe d'Amore. They already had one! So very cool.




Dropped off posters at 61B (and 61C). Met Yale and rode to Taza D'Oro to deliver another poster. Yale took me to see Olive & Marlowe which is an amazing little boutique selling olive oil and vinegar. Took a loop around Highland Park. Great day for cycling.

4121 Main : Who Knew?

9.30.2015 23m

Parked by the Bastille and started riding into town. Encountered an amazing flow of people going to the baseball stadium; last night's game was rained out, moving today into an impromptu double-header. Lots of people walking to the stadium and wearing black-and-gold.

Rode east in the Strip to Kindred Cycles to drop off a #Coffeeneuring poster. Climbed up to Polish Hill to deliver one to Lili's Coffee. Descended and then climbed up Liberty and Penn to Constellation Coffee.

Next on my list was 4121 Main, a coffee shop I'd never heard of. In fact, I didn't know Pittsburgh had a Main Street, shows what I know. Why haven't I known about this place earlier? Beautiful space, lots of light, very nicely done.



Continued along Bloomfield, dropped off posters at East End Book Exchange and The Big Idea Co-op BookStore and Cafe. Both places, nice people.

Putzed around Shadyside, Fifth, then went back inbound and descended via Panther Hollow. Saw a largish group of cyclists with Mikhael and Stef on the front, I'm thinking it was the Wednesday night PMTCC ride out of OTB. I'd like to make that ride a routine thing; I haven't been there since last year. Great people.

Back to the Northside while the second game was underway. Lots of cars but everybody was playing nice. Great day for a ride after all the rain.

Coffeeneur 2015 Poster Run

9.28.2015 Monday 22m

Parked at the Bastille after the rain stopped. Rode Hot Metal Bridge to Southside. Stopped to deliver Coffeeneuring posters at BigDogCoffee, Joe's Coffee, Thick Bikes, Delanie's Coffee, Espresso A Mano, Iron City Bikes.



Saw this car wrapped in CAUTION tape, with a nice cutout for the parking sticker so they wouldn't get a ticket.


3526 Butler Street, by Jeremy Ramer


Stopped at Kraynicks for an egg-cream, saw the saddest thing ever.