We were unexpectedly out of town, but Brooklyn NYC has bike share so we completed the challenge on a nice day. We checked out two NYC bikeshare bikes, and they were sturdy utilitarian tanks.
All the drivers played nice, and in fact it was a copacetic ride. We each had cold green teas. Total mileage a little over 2 miles.
2019 Coffeeneuring Challenge Complete!
Karen and I rode around Monaca and stopped at Fountainhead Cafe. She had an Imago Dei and I had a Turkish coffee. A Turkish coffee and an Imago Dei. Plenty of bike parking, big space, outdoor seating. A John Galt sort of place.
Bulger to Burgettstown PA on paved Panhandle Trail. Stopped at Cherry Valley Organics.
I had an Americano, she had a Tulsi Tea. Two slices of home-made organic cranberry-apple pie. Trailside cafe is adjacent to Walden's at 1709 Main Restaurant. Ample bike parking.
Rode from Park and Ride to Anchor and Anvil Coffee Bar (Coraopolis, PA).
Coffeeneuring 2019-01 w/ Karen Quig at Anchor and Anvil Coffee Bar She had a Smokestack, I had a Parking Chair, we split a fresh apricot scone. Bike friendly, excellent space, wifi, parking out front.
Previously I'd used a Specialized(?) Pizza Rack, but I found the space between the top platform and the upper crossbar you'd mount a pannier on was insufficient.
Front view:
Side view, with doggy platform visible:
Side view, with drive wheel visible:
Encountered this Fuji Mixte, and the flowing third tube in the rear triangle and the way it extends from the seat tube to the down tube seemed unusual and effective - presenting a hand-hold affordance to a person carrying the bike inside, etc.
Saw this Giant manufactured Liv bike, the model is called Suede. It's a Dutch wannabee. I love skirt guards. They virtue-signal for the whole bike: upright position, chain guard, fenders, rear rack, usually a front basket but the owner took it off.
I think this must have been a marketing bike, maybe an award in a sales challenge. Low-end components.
This is a photo of the interior of a Bafang ebike drive unit. The diameter is about 10 inches. Spokes come out of this unit and lace to a wheel rim.
To me it's somewhat reminiscent of a radial engine that you'd see on a 1940 aircraft.
It bears mentioning that of the 17 recent cyclist fatalities, 13 were on roads owned by PennDot. As we see in many of these deaths, this was not a joy ride or an exercise routine, this was a local person riding to work - which is the purpose of public roads.
Pittsburgh Ghost Bikes have evolved a tradition that we support if (and only if) it's consistent with the family's preferences. First we start with a Ghost Bike. Tom Haykin's ghost bike was prepared by David Work and his children, and we thank them very much.
Then at the Funeral Home, grievants are asked to write a message, a hope, a prayer, or a thought for David's ghost bike on a brightly colored ribbon. This is a sample of message-ribbons from a January 2019 ghost bike:
This is Tom Haykins' ghost bike at the funeral home, along with the ribbons from his loved ones and from area cyclists.
The concept has a few layers. The grieving loved ones get to write their thoughts down and their message is attached to a public artifact of the deceased. That's pretty powerful. Then the bike and messages are put on public display very close to the scene of the crime. This is a visual reminder that local drivers will see for years. Finally, in about two years, some of the ribbons will fuse together in the hot summer months, and the ink will fade and be blown by the wind to the four corners of the world, in a manner similar to Tibetan prayer flags.
This is the ghost bike installed on Route 28. Major thanks to Jim Logan and Jon A. Webb for rising to the occasion and making this happen.
Mark the date: on Sept.29th at 1 pm there's a memorial ride along Route 28 and the scene of the crime.
Key point: it's a single-wheel trailer which is essential for the C&O Canal Towpath.
The trailer is the Mule, by Tout Terrain
Since Propel is providing the bike, they made a pre-departure video:
This is also the Dad of the Year
Today brought a view of this custom special-needs tandem, where the Captain sits in the rear and has full brake and shiting control.
Subsequently I learned that the fabrication had been done by Confluence Cyclery.
More from the portfolio of geek gadgets seen at the shop.
Lights. Computer. Phone. Bell. Video camera. There's just not enough room on your handlebars for both your hands and your beloved gadgets. The solution: KaddyRack
Available in different configurations, these lightweight metal frames give you plenty of space to mount your gadgets and leave your handlebars free for your hands. (website)
They're compatible with eyeglasses / sunglasses and bike helmets. This cyclist was very pleased with them.
Today's geegaw is a rear light that looks (to me) like it should be transporting uranium isotopes or frozen bio samples.
Vizy is a rear light from the Tern Bicycle people. It sends out a bright light (60 lumens) behind the bike for cars to see, and also sends a 360-degree circle of light around the bike to make it more visible and recognizable for the people around it.
It's very reasonably priced as lights go. USB rechargable. website
Whenever I pass through Ursina I'm reminded it was once bear country. This was a nice ride. I've been working on staying hydrated and that and the cool temps really helped.
The ride had a great turnout, considering the Cranberry is removed from the urban center and not really a bicycling community
