Tree Down; Coffeeneuring Confirmed

11/04/11 #235 21m

50F. Rode 21 miles on the Montour Trail, from Boggs to Route 50 and back. Encountered a tree down across the trail right at milepost 16, but you could work your way through it. The new trail surface between MP14 and MP12 is a thing of beauty. A brilliant blue, mild day.

Officially recognized by MG of Chasing Mailboxes as successfully completing the Coffeeneuring Challenge, which involves rides of at least two miles to seven different coffee shops over the course of the past six weeks. Riding your bike to coffee- finally, something I'm naturally inclined to do. Thanks to MG for organizing the Challenge.

Pamela's Pancakes and Jitters Cafe: Oh Wow

11/02/11 39miles

60F. Started at the Bastille (Western Pen), rode past the Casino and the Stadia and out to Millvale. There were really a lot of people out on this trail and an unusual number of people riding recumbents, maybe it was a group ride.


Lunch being a need, I stopped at world-famous Pamela's Pancakes for their specialty strawberry crepes. Oh Wow oh wow oh wow. In the future, researchers studying the hidden meaning in Steve Jobs' last words will understand that in his death experience he had a vision of eating strawberry crepes at Pamela's (to die for).

Back on the bike, back on the trail to the Stadia, crossed the Ft. Duquesne Bridge to Point State Park, and rode the Strip trail out to the Cork Factory and then back to the Point. I took the service road to the Mon-Whorf Trail, and then rode over to the Jail Trail at Grant Street.

I rode the Jail Trail to the southern trailhead at Swinburne Street, then rode around the corner and up Panther Hollow to CMU. Then I rode Fifth, South Aiken, and Walnut Street through Shadyside and my primary destination:
Jitters Cafe at 5541 Walnut Street for a coffeeneuring stop.



I ordered a chai latte and a cup of cherry-vanilla ice cream and enjoyed them sitting outside and using their WiFi. The ice cream was excellent, made locally without preservatives. The chai was also great.

All things pass, and it was time to get up on the bike. I consulted the map and saw that I could ride South Aiken, Wilkins, and Murray to get to Forbes and resume my route. Riding up South Negley between Fifth and Wilkins was somewhat of a near-death experience for me, and I got to savor the taste of the chai and ice cream all over again as the body rebelled at the harsh treatment. Fortunately, the treats stayed in their place, but it was quite a climb.

I rode Forbes to South Braddock, and then rode the Nine Mile Run Trail down to the Monongahela, and the Duck Hollow Trail to Second Avenue in Homewood. Back on the Jail Trail, Hot Metal Bridge, and a stop in South Side Works to refill my water bottles at Subway.

From there it was the South Side and Station Square Trails, the Fort Pitt and Fort Duquesne Bridges, and the Casino Trail back to the Bastille, where I ran over a duck who failed to yield the right-of-way.

A very nice ride on a beautiful day.

Boggs to Farmhouse Coffee

10/31/11 #234 43miles

Rode 43 miles on the Montour Trail in 45F.

I started off at my fave LBS (local bike shop) the Ambridge Bike Shop, where they quickly set my left bar-con shifter right and sent me on my way. I placed an order for my Christmas present, a new ABS bicycle kit. You've got to support your local bike shop.

I planned to start at the Boggs Trailhead riding west. The name 'Boggs' has prompted me to shut off my Droid phone's auto-spellchecking because it turns Boggs into something unfortunate.

It was 43F when I started, and I've come to realize that I need to dress differently for every ten degrees - 45 is very different from 35 or 55. Today I started in my bicycling shorts (no overpants), an UnderArmor ColdGear shirt, my helmet cover, and lightweight full-fingered gloves.

There's a lot of improvement work being done to the trail west of Boggs, between MP12 and MP14 - new drainage, grading, and in places they're redoing the bed of packed limestone. There were quite a few volunteers out working.

The received wisdom is that you're supposed to be cold for the first few miles and then you'll warm up, but I was quite chilly after six miles so I added a jacket.

Around MP20 there's a lot of clearing and bulldozing to prepare for the new railway servicing the Marcellus Shale frac-water. I've been told that the train tracks are going to be placed over the existing trail (which was, of course, a trackbed) and that a new trail will be built next to the tracks.

I rendezvoused with R. around Route 50 and we rode south together. The National Tunnel is awesome but there's water continually dripping from the ceiling, and once the temps move into freezing you really can't safely traverse the tunnel so I was glad to get out there again before it's unusable over the winter.

At Morganza Road the trail detours for the construction of two bridges, and the detour (on a small road) takes quite a bit longer than I'd have expected. Then you use an underpass to go below the trail and onto the golf course side of things, and join the trail there. It's well laid out and well marked.

We continued to trailside FarmHouse Coffee, a favorite stop. I had hot chocolate and a doughnut. It was nice to get inside a warm up, and we lingered a while.

When we got back on the bikes and reversed course we could feel the rain beginning, and as we continued on I realized I wasn't feeling very well in a blood-sugar sort of way, a bit lightheaded and dizzy, so we stopped for a while. R was very patient, and after a respite we got back on the bikes.

Just before the National Tunnel I felt better again, I think the hot chocolate may not have been a smart move on my part, I believe I had a sugar rush and an insulin crash from it.

We finished the ride in a light drizzle, I was glad to have the helmet cover on and the ride was really pretty comfortable. I got back to Boggs at 6pm, a little before sunset, and I was impressed to see an Allegheny County police vehicle checking on the trailhead as I left. Those trailheads are pretty isolated places and it can't hurt to have an occasional check.

It was a great ride.

Game Time Ride

10/20/11 35miles

Rode 35 miles, road/paved-trail, between 3pm (33F) and 6pm (41F).



Started in the Groveton Trailhead of the Montour Trail, and rode Coraopolis, Neville Island (flat and level), McKees Rocks, and joined the paved trails at Station Square. Rode south along the Monongahela past SouthSideWorks to the Baldwin-Borough Trail terminus just short of Sandcastle.

I'm disappointed that the trail through Sandcastle won't be open this year and that it's back onto Route 837 for bicyclists. It sure seems like some interim alternative should be possible until the final solution is done.

On the first leg of the trip I had noticed some real stiffness in my left-side barcon shifter (controlling the front derailleur). Somewhere around the Steeler's practice field it malfunctioned and would only stay on the middle ring, when I would move it onto the other rings it would revert to the middle as soon as I stopped holding the lever. Might just be a friction lock, I don't know, but it's a good reason to visit my LBS tomorrow.

The ride home was great (although a bit slower in the middle ring). As I crossed Station Square at 5pm, the roar of the crowd at the Steelers' game was quite noticeable.

It was a good ride on a very nice day - clear, no/low wind, no traffic because of the football game. 2h40m to ride 35miles.

Dirty Harry's Bikes, Oakmont Bakery, and Lessons Learned

10/29/11 #236 39miles

Rode 39 miles at 35F in 3h15m, which took 5h45m from start to stop, and the difference between the plan and the experience is the story of the day. Today I broke out my MEC helmet cover with kepi, my Marmot glove/mittens, and my UnderArmour and SmartWool layer. (using the theory, 'no bad weather, just insufficient equipment', which derives from the Swedish proverb 'Det finns inget dåligt väder, bara dåliga kläder')

Started in snow and 33F at the Manchester Bastille, intent on travelling to Oakmont Bakery for a coffeeneuring reconnoiter. I love the quiet of snowfall but I'm not a fan of what it does to my visibility on the bicycle; bicycles surprising cars is not sustainable.

I rode around the Stadia on the trails and continued to the 31st Street Bridge, crossed the Ohio River and proceeded east on Penn and Butler. Somewhere along Penn the temperature rose and the precipitation shifted to Rain, which was not as peaceful but the visibility really improved.

Travelling along Allegheny River Blvd, just east of Washington Blvd, I had a sudden flat on the rear tire. I assumed it was from glass; I'd been riding in the debris close to the curb, and glass cuts tires more easily when it's wet. I don't know if it's an attribute of the glass or the rubber.

There wasn't a great place to work on the flat tire, and I am loath to turn my bike upside down on the saddle/handlebars, so I laid it across the jersey barriers and guard rails.

I could not identify the hole in the inner tube; it wouldn't hold air long enough for an inspection, and my eyeglasses were not very clear in the rain. I examined the tire and found a largish piece of green glass in the tread and felt confident I'd found the culprit.

I reassembled the tire/tube/wheel and it was all good, and then I learned two things. I carry a can of "Big Air" (which is apparently 20 ounces of propane at 75psi) to inflate the tires after I've used the hand pump, and Big Air gave me two lessons today. Lesson One: When you're threading the inflator device onto your Presta stem, do not over-thread it or it will pull the Presta valve mechanism right out of the stem which is counter-productive.

I was able to reseat the valve, although I was dubious of its longevity, used the handpump to get the pressure up to 60psi-ish, and then I used the Big Air to kick the pressure into the 75psi-range. Lesson Two: When you discharge a Big Air can, it gets very cold as the gas expands. When you are holding the Big Air in your hand, which is quite wet from the rain, your palm will instantly freeze to the canister in an uncomfortable manner. Word.

I got back on the bike and continued along ARB (Allegheny River Blvd), through Verona, and on to Oakmont where I stopped at the Oakmont Bakery. I was expecting a mom-and-pop outfit but this was big business; the retail counter was probably fifty feet long, there was quite a throng and things were bustling.

The selection was remarkable, and I overcompensated for the perceived hardship of the elements and the flat tire by indulging in a bagel, a cruller, and an eclair, along with a hot chocolate and a cafe a lait. I took my repast to the leather armchairs BY THE FIREPLACE and used their WIFI. I had come in cold and wet and this place really did the trick.

I had downloaded an App, Bike Shop Locator, onto my Droid phone just a few days ago and I launched it to see where I might find some help with my rear tire in case the valve was problematic. This was really cool; Dirty Harry's Bikes in Verona was just 1.2 miles away. There is no way I would have known that without the smart phone.

I languished for a while and then went back out into the drizzle; the rear tire was softer, usable but clearly losing air. I rode over to Dirty Harry's, apprehensive at being a transient walk-in on a Saturday afternoon. By the time I got to the shop the rear tire was all-but-flat.

The staff was extremely helpful. I explained what was going on, they directed me to the workshop and John the mechanic, and he interrupted what he was doing to work on the bike. I took a tour of the shop to keep from hovering over his shoulder.

I was completely gruntled. One gentleman urged me to take off some layers and let the heat dissipate, another offered some paper towels to clean my eyeglasses, a third talked to me about local riding and asked how my toes were. They were fantastic.

A customer at the shop had a Surly Pugsly. I'm intrigued at them and I had never seen one in person. I think it would make an awesome snow bike. He offered to let me ride it but I demurred, I didn't want to stretch the hospitality.

John brought the bike out, the valve core was damaged, he'd put in a new tube and also adjusted the brakes because he noticed they needed it. I really appreciated that. Stopping at Dirty Harry's Bike Shop in Verona was a totally positive experience.

I had planned a route to take me across town to the Mon, and although I botched the directions a bit in the middle it was a good ride. I departed Verona along Allegheny River Blvd, and took Route 130 (Nadine Road) away from the river, and turned onto Verona Road.

As I was riding uphill on Verona, my thoughts strayed (to work, of all things!) and I ran over and crushed a broken bottle that I would have seen and avoided if I'd been paying attention. This was (if you're counting) my third flat of the day.

I pulled over (in front of Bonus Tire, inevitably) and worked the front flat. There was a big gash in the tire, and I was able to boot it using duct tape. I took this as a lesson in staying in the moment.

I continued through Lincoln-Lemington via Mount Carmel Road and Blackadore Street, then crossed Homewood North via Frankstown and Oakwood. I took Penn Avenue west across the Busway, and it really is different on the other side of the tracks.

I took South Braddock to Frick Park, and the Tranquil Trail and Nine Mile Run Trail down to the Monongahela. I wanted to investigate the trail segment that goes from Duck Hollow to Rankin, but the sky was dark and the three flats convinced me it would be good to get closer to my car.

I rode the Duck Hollow Trail and Second Avenue through Hazelwood to Greenfield, and then I joined the Jail Trail. The weather really improved while I was on the Jail Trail, the rain stopped and the sky cleared.

Another planned objective was to visit the Occupy Pittsburgh site, but I was down to just a single new tube and I skipped the demonstration in favor of getting to the car. The sun was at about the top of Mount Washington, and I didn't have a flashlight with me (Lesson Three).

From the Point I used the Fort Duquesne Bridge, and the Casino Trail back to the Manchester Bastille. The computer showed 39 miles in 3h19m riding time, which took me 5h45m to accomplish what with the stops- Flat1, the Oakmont Bakery, Flat2 and Dirty Harry's Bike Shop (highly recommended), Flat3, and occasional map-checking in Lincoln-Lemington and Homewood.

It was a fantastic ride. I did not get to ride the 50 miles I'd planned on, I skipped the Duck Hollow-Rankin trail, I skipped visiting Occupy Pittsburgh, but I really did enjoy this ride. And I got to see Dirty Harry's and the Oakmont Bakery.

10/29/11 Week 40

this week: 89 miles

[4th quarter: 481 miles]

2011: 3747 miles

Blawnox Coffeeneuring, the Map-Territory Relation, Leet and Skywriters

10/25/11 #235 34miles

This was meant to be a "coffeeneuring" ride, which is a planned ride to an indy coffee shop at a civilized pace. Started at the Manchester Bastille and rode to Blawnox (coffee!), continued along the Allegheny to the Oakmont bridge, and then came back along the south side of the Allegheny River. 34 miles on a beautiful day.



It was a beautiful day for a ride. Started at the Manchester Bastille (Western Penitentiary) and rode on the trail past the Casino and the Stadia, and continued along the right bank of the Allegheny to the 31st Street Bridge.

Rode Penn Ave to Butler Street, and continued along the left bank to the Highland Park Bridge, where I crossed the river again northbound. Took Freedom Road through Blawnox, very nice town. The rail line goes elevated through a part of the town, it makes me think of a High Line type of development on the unused side of the trestles.

Stopped at my first planned destination, Curbside Coffeehouse (map). I was very pleased - the latte was as ordered, the pomegranate-cranberry biscotti was excellent (there are no more single flavor biscotti, anywhere - I can't tell if it's an affectation or just a provision for a retro movement). The place is non-ironic kitschy. Wifi, lots of seating, an excellent coffee shop. I would definitely stop there again.

I sat outside in the sun eating biscotti and contemplating that life is good. I had never been so far east along the Allegheny on the bike before, and so I had planned to make a second stop at Just My Cup of Tea in Oakmont. They were not open, a few gentlemen enjoying stogies in the nearby Cigar and Gun shop (how's that for a niche?) explained they might only be open for catered events. That was not a disappointment, though, because (1) I'd already had caffeine and (2) it reminded me that one of the pleasures of riding a bike is continually relearning Alfred Korzybski's distinction: the map is not the territory. The 2.0 interpretation is, The Google-Map is Not the territory, either. Part of the adventure of riding to a new town is discovering the Real instead of the Promised.

After pointing the bike back to Pittsburgh I did come across the Oakmont Bakery, which may be the objective of another ride.

As I was riding west on Allegheny River Boulevard near the Zoo (and the car drivers were all very courteous) I saw an aircraft skywriting. It looked quite high for skywriting, and as well as I could make out the text was "H H 6 F" (or, if I was reading it upside down, E 9 H H, who knows?) and I spent the next few miles considering the implications of Leet upon GenNext skywriters. Would the target market be more likely to respond to (0993R70N3 than COPPERTONE?




The ride back to the point was excellent and a good workout. I realized why I enjoy riding east along Butler Street; it's a bit of a descent, which made today's ride a mild climb.

I joined the Strip Trail at the Cork Factory on 24th Street and rode to the Point.

As I got closer to the point I could see a helicopter manuevering to film the movie "One Shot", usually people downtown don't get to see anything like the full range of a helicopter's capabilities - the Stat folks keep it pretty straight-and-level - and I wonder if the photo-helo generated any 911 calls today.

I closed the ride taking the Fort Duquesne Bridge and the Casino Trail back to the Bastille. It was a very nice ride.

Trail Ride on a Coarse Day

10/23/11 16miles

Rode short, 16 miles on the Montour Trail. The day's time blocks weren't granular enough, they were disgranular? too coarse but I was very pleased to get out on such a sunny day. It was wonderful to be able to wear just shorts and a jersey and feel the sunlight. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of people on the trail on a Steeler Sunday.