Riding with an Award-Winning Cyclist

09/07/12 232# 29m

A fine day in many ways. Met K and S at 2.30 at the Bastille. Spent a little time futzing with the bikes, swapping a flat tire, and then on the road.

Cycled east along the Allegheny to the 40th Street Bridge, then crossed the river to check on the mural painting in progress. I've seen the computer-generated 3D graphic of Doughboy Square that is going up on the wall, it's very impressive, I'm not sure that I understand how it all works yet.



Saw another mural in the series that's been posted at Sargeant Electric:


Pennsyvania Macaroni (PennMac) Mural:


Lucy's Handmade Clothing Mural, atop Deluca's (best breakfast in Pittsburgh)



Point State Park, Ft. Pitt Bridge, Southside, Keystone Metals, Southside, dinner at Mongolian Grill - pretty good food, service model is kludgy and inefficient. Went to OTB for the National Bicycle Challenge "wrap party"; Pittsburgh was the largest city in the Top 40.

Trophies (really cool professional trophies, mini-versions of the Three Rivers Bike Racks) were presented to the top mileage Man, Woman (which S. won), and Team over the course of the four-month challenge. There were also drawings for some very nice schwag bags.




Departed OTB in the dark, rode back to the Bastille and the cars with S's trophy sticking out of her pannier. First time I ever got to ride with an award-winning cyclist.

On the Station Square trail you could here the concert at Stage AE over on the NorthSide pretty well. Crossed the Ft. Pitt bridge and the Ft. Duquesne bridge.

A dark ride is less forgiving. I fixated on some lights across the river and damn near ran into a stanchion on the walkway we were riding on, K called out "post" and I was very glad he did because I would have rode straight in to it - and it would have been completely my own fault. +1 K.

30 miles on a very nice afternoon/evening.