Type 2 Diabetic. Cyclist Flâneur.   Coffeeneur.    Errandoneur
A bike / map geek with a gadget obsession and a high-viz fetish.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Coffeeneuring 2019-7, Empire Blvd to Sit & Wonder, Washington Ave and St. Mark's Place

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!

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Coffeeneuring 2019-6, Fort Cherry to Walden's in Burgettstown

Coffeeneur 2019-6, week3, w/ Karen Quig along with RC & DC on Panhandle Trail from Ft Cherry to Burgettstown at Walden's at 1709 Main Restaurant. We both had coffee, I had pie and ice cream, she had an omelette. Excellent place, ample bike parking, very friendly.
16 miles.


Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Coffeeneuring 2019-5, Ambridge to Sewickley

Coffeeneur 2019-5 with Karen Quig, Ambridge PA to Crazy Mocha Sewickley, 8 miles. Moroccan mint green tea and raspberry hibiscus tea with pound cakes. Bike parking outside.


Monday, October 21, 2019

Coffeeneuring 2019-4, Vanport PA to Cafe Kolache

2019-4, 3 miles, week2, Vanport PA to Cafe Kolache in Beaver PA w Karen. Cold brew coffee and peach iced tea. Cream cheese kolache and spinach/ fetta kolcache. Good wifi, bike racks outside.



Sunday, October 20, 2019

Coffeeneur 2019-3 : Fountainhead Cafe

Sunday Oct 20. Coffeeneur 2019-3, Week 2. 3 miles.

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.



Saturday, October 19, 2019

Coffeeneuring 2019-2: Cherry Valley Organics

‎Ride 2019-2, 8 miles. Week 1. October 19 with Karen Quig.

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.


Friday, October 18, 2019

Coffeeneuring 2019-01: Anchor and Anvil

Ride 2019-1, Week 1, October 18, 2 miles.

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.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Surly TV Tray

I"ve just put a Surly TC Tray rack on my legacy Surly front rack. I really like the major platform.

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.


Sunday, October 6, 2019

E-Trike with Doggy Sidecar


I just love this bike. Perfectly suited for the rider and her companion canine (who weighs about 50 pounds)

Front view:



Side view, with doggy platform visible:


Side view, with drive wheel visible:

Friday, October 4, 2019

2019 Coffeeneuring Info Posted

Mary G has posted the dates and policy for the 2019 Coffeeneuring Challenge. It's not a competition, no wagering please.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Curious Fuji Mixte



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.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

1964 Sears Bike

Oldest bike I've ever worked on. The customer who brought it in was the original owner, she'd received it for her 13th birthday in 1964 and it's spent decades in her barn's rafters. Beautiful bike. Single speed, coaster brakes.


Saturday, September 14, 2019

Seen: Skirt Guard



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.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Lite Beer, Fat Bike


I think this must have been a marketing bike, maybe an award in a sales challenge. Low-end components.



Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Inside a Bafang drive wheel

CAVEAT: Do not try this at home because it will invalidate your warranty and they'll never talk with you again.

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.

Monday, September 9, 2019

Sunday, September 8, 2019

EZ Tri Classic with Bafang E-Bike Kit


This is Maureen's new bike, an EZ Tri Classic with a Bafang e-assist kit installed by Confluence Cyclery.. A long-time rider, a stroke left her with left-side weakness and balance issues but the e-bike kit got her back out on the trail and riding again.



Saturday, September 7, 2019

Pittsburgh Ghost Bike for Tom Haykins on Route 28

Tom Haykin was a frequent, proficient cyclist who often rode to work along Route 28. On the morning of Aug.29th, per press reports, Tom Haykin was riding in the right lane. A van who was attempting to pass him hit Tom in the head with his passenger-side, rear-view mirror. Tom was knocked off the bike and onto the pavement, where he was run over by a second van.



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.

Friday, September 6, 2019

Burley Coho Bike Trailer

While camping at Paddler's Lane Campground (highly recommended) in Confluence, PA, came across this Burley Coho XC bike trailer.




Key point: it's a single-wheel trailer which is essential for the C&O Canal Towpath.


Thursday, September 5, 2019

Bike Trailer for Who's A Good Boy?

Saw this Good Boy in a SolvIt HoundABout Trailer and he looked pretty happy. The trail was a bit wet but he seemed fine in the trailer.





Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Pita's EBike Transcon

At Confluence Cyclery I met Pita, a transcontinental cyclist riding a Riese & Moller ebike from Propel. Propel has locations in Long Beach, CA and Brooklyn, NY which is where Pita is starting and finishing her ride. She's had a very good experience on the bike.




The trailer is the Mule, by Tout Terrain

Since Propel is providing the bike, they made a pre-departure video:



Tuesday, September 3, 2019

BakFiets CargoBike Cruiser E-bike: Dad of the Year

Seen in Confluence, PA, riding out to the Great Allegheny Passage: a BakFiets with an ebike conversion (see the battery over the rear wheel?) hauling the kids' bikes on a trailer. This is a BakFiets CargoBike Cruiser Long-Steps.



This is also the Dad of the Year

Monday, August 19, 2019

Special-Needs Tandem, Captain in the Back

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.

Monday, August 12, 2019

Gear Watch: Kaddy Rack

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)

Saturday, August 10, 2019

Gadget Watch: AfterShokz Earphones


Perennial problem: if you wear ear-buds or ear-phones while riding the bike, you won't hear cars or bikes approaching you, you won't hear people yelling "watch out, snake!", etc. Enter: AfterShokz Bone-Conduction Earphones.


They're compatible with eyeglasses / sunglasses and bike helmets. This cyclist was very pleased with them.

Friday, August 9, 2019

Geek Gadget: Vizy 360 Rear Light

I'm working weekends in a bike shop along the GAP Trail in Confluence, PA, and I get to see some really nice geek-gadgets. This is one of a series of posts about the gear that shows up in the doorway.


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





Friday, February 8, 2019

Humbert Covered Bridge, Ursina PA

2.7.2019 9m
I've been based in Confluence PA for a few weeks. Nice town. A local gent suggested I ride north to the Humbert Covered Bridge, so there I went. Mostly a flat road route with generous usable shoulders. All the local drivers gave me a lot of space when they passed.





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.

Sunday, January 6, 2019

Cranberry Ghost Bike Ride for Aleks Teimouir

1.6, 2019 7m

Ghost bike ride for Aleksander Teimouri, 22, who was killed riding home from work by a drunk driver who overtook him from the rear. As so often happens, this was somebody just trying to get back home from work.





The ride had a great turnout, considering the Cranberry is removed from the urban center and not really a bicycling community