New bike and new rides

     Wheeeee! So the new bike arrived, a beautiful little blue folding bike. At first I was a little shaky on it, there's always a bit off nerves riding any new bike, add a dash of nerves for a kind of bike you've never rode, and then destroy it all in the glorious excitement of getting a new bike:

opening the box

looks like I'll need to unwrap it

Ta dah! 

    It doesn't have a name yet, we've only been on a handful of rides together. I'm getting better at folding and unfolding it, some of the awkwardness derives from just being unfamiliar with the concept. Though I have to admit I sleep easier with the bike inside. 

    Unsurprisingly, its a fast little piece of steel, though I was surprised by how much faster at going up a hill than across flat terrain. It could probably go faster if I added gears, but as it is I'm quite content with how fast it is, maybe a little malcontent, after all I'm no racer. 

    I was a little awkward on turns until fellow rider @@Rider_Reilhan (via twitter and amazing blogger) suggested standing on the pedals. I was skeptical, but it gave me back my darting turns (I hate turning with the bar, I prefer to lean and keep pedaling). I've gotten to the point where I'm enjoying standing on the bar and cruising (not at all safe), and ironed my coffeeneuring badge onto my rear cargo bag: 

booyah!

    I turned my card into a spoke card (I have a laminate machine at my work) and put it on Pinkie Pie, as she is the bike that really earned it. I was worried how we would handle being a three bike household, but as Ben's bike is having break issues, he's riding Pinkie for the time being. Who knows, I might convert him to basket life by the end of it.

   In the meantime, there's been some safety improvements on NE Roosevelt and I'm off to check that out. Oh, and if you want to ride together there's a mass ride next weekend! See you there

Dirty little sneak

      I have a confession. I've been cheating on my bike. Don't get me wrong, I love my little Schwinn, I'm not selling her anytime soon. But... I've been cheating on her, looking at other bikes, ogling different frames, pondering different pedals, gazing on different gears, and even, dare I confess? Yes, dreaming of a riding a different saddle.
     I shouldn't be that ashamed, I know many cyclists who have more than one bike, some bikes are better suited to different things. I, however, have always been true to one ride at a time, making one bike work for all things. Its not a marriage, not exactly, and not like my bike is an animate object to be jealous or angry with me, but those little bells do sound a bit condemning these days.
     You see I've been thinking very hard about getting a folding bike, better suited for my commutes than for grocery runs. Pinkie Pie, my current ride, is great for those. Her frame can stand the weight of the trailer, her basket is lovely for Mac or a smaller bag. However, she's a big girl in terms of weight, and pushing her up Greenwood has begun to strain me, and lifting her onto the bus rack hurts my shoulders. A folding bike makes sense for my commute in many ways, and for my random adventures near and far, should the sun leave me bereft of strength, or the journey too much, resorting to public transit would not become a perilous chance of dice (how many times after an event have you waited and waited for a but with a free rack spot?)
     In fact, it was, on the bus on my way home, where I began looking again at other bikes.
     "Oh, look at her rack," I whispered, not realizing I said it aloud. The mother across from me shot me a nasty look and, conscious of my error, I quickly turned my phone to show her the bike. She smiled, probably feeling better she wasn't sitting across from a pervert.
    The gentlemen to my side inquired as to the bike I was looking at and I showed them.
    "That looks expensive," one of them frowned, "Set you back about two thousand, am I right?"
    "Nope," I smiled, "She's only a hundred sixty four, not counting tax of course,"
    "You're kidding me," he exclaimed.
     "Oh no, folding bikes aren't just for rich folks, more for every day folks," I said. The woman sitting next to the mother craned her head, and I showed her the bike.
    "Oh, I could use that," she said, "Except on the hills, those little wheels," she shook her head. I laughed.
    "Actually, its better to have little wheels if you have a lot of hills," I explained.
    "How's that?"
    "You ever notice how quick a rabbit or a dog goes up a hill?" I asked, "Its because of how they're pushing their weight up. We walk upright, so we're pushing a different fulcrum to achieve momentum,"I showed the motions using my hands, "Smaller wheels keep you close to the ground, and they my make better use of the surface ratio,"
    "Won't it just collapse on you someday?" the other man asked. I showed them a couple videos of folding bikes, showing how they worked, and the conversation moved to electric bikes and the difference between an assist bike and a full electric, and the different bikes we'd all had through our lives.
     The weekend before Christmas Ben took my bike out to help me haul a cat tree home for the kids. Sadly he didn't take any pictures when he brought home our tree that way, but we did get a couple shots of the cat tree.
     Even he agreed, while Pinkie is good for a haul, or a free style ride, she's not really practical the for the length a challenges of my commute. Which means, my dear readers, in the new year I'll be adding a new stead to my stable. Hopefully I'll be able to shake the gnawing sense of guilt.
    In the meantime, am I missing a trick, or does Seattle not have a bike podcast?

No hands tight turns

Went on just a little ride today, Carkeek Park, a little holiday shopping. Ben came with, but Mac stayed behind, though the weather was nice we wanted to walk trails that dogs aren't allowed on. Normally I'd eschew any path where my dog wasn't welcome, but since we were shopping later anyway, my basket jingled emptily. We went to the park to pick out the spot we'd get married in this coming March, and I think we found the perfect spot. We already knew it was going to be there, we just hadn't found the perfect spot yet.

Oh, and the invitations came (if you like them, I got them on Zazzle, and you can customize your own variation)

On the way back as we rode I did, as I so often do, rode without hands on my handlebars. I steer fairly well, and can go quite a distance without my hands on the bars. I often do, sometimes to dance along to the music I'm listening to, or because I'm fishing something out of a pocket, or to pet my dog, or to perform a series of signals to indicate I'm going to be stopping and going left or right. As a little girl I broke my arm riding no handed so I'm well aware of the danger.

In fact, I was riding no handed, doing the 'V' for victory sign as a 7 yr old miscreant, when a bump in the pavement caused me to snap my left arm on the curb. Fortunately, my step-father can set a bone and the arm has never troubled me much, but I'm very grateful for that break, even if it was a miserable summer with a stinky cast.

The series of crashes and spin-outs taught me how to shift my core center and balance my weight in such a way that I could probably ride a unicycle (though I've no inclination to do so) and take turns barely moving my handlebars, the most hairpin curve doesn't faze me in terms of control. I can even keep pedaling under such conditions. I don't need to grip the mid-bar with my thighs, its a matter of moving your center of gravity to your butt, and using your hindquarters kind of like a rudder. Even with my hands on the bars I'm turning my back wheel just a smidgen before my front wheel. I learned to turn this way because, growing up, there was a spot we nick-named 'Dead Man's Curve' a near guaranteed wipe-out jut in front of the fire-station on the campus. Its since been fixed, but back in the day that turn would send you sprawling and tumbling, if you weren't clutching your breaks. 

I hated loosing speed, I hated riding my breaks down, and often when I was first learning to adjust them they would fail and force me to use my foot (in an emergency you can jam your foot to stop your back wheel by kicking your leg behind the seat and doing a door stop move on the tire*), So I adapted various methods until even Dead Man's curve couldn't kill my speed if I chose. Of course you should still slow down somewhat on turns, there's no need to arrive as a DOA.

Now, I've always been aware Ben is unable to ride no-handed, and I dunno, I guess the idea of committing to someone who can't whistle is one thing, but riding no handed is another. It took a bit of coaxing, and no small amount of courage on his part, but the Interurban trail is a flat and good place to learn the skill. 

After a few tries he was able to to keep going no handed, not long long stretches, but nothing to sneeze at considering. Its hard as well, to explain shifting your weight to the back of the saddle, and far easier to do on an upright bike than a mountain bike (though still easy for me), so it took a few tries, but hey, give the guy credit, he got there. It also highlighted, for me anyway, how long a person can ride without ever needing the things we consider essential, and to never underestimate it. 

With the weather being what its been lately (snow, rain, and then more rain), and after a pretty muddy trek, I think tomorrow is going to be spent cleaning my bike. Its been a few months and Pinkie Pie isn't at her best looking right now, she's more than a little muddy, and I'd be remiss if I didn't grease her chain. Its a shame to miss a rainless day of riding, but who knows, maybe I'll finish early and get a chance to ride out, I mean, I do have to check my work, right?

*Note: This is an EMERGENCY move only, you will wear down the rubber of your shoes super quick this way.

Show me your rack...

You've waited so long, you've been so patient. So here it is:

THE RACK RANT

Shoreline, show me your rack. Not that one! I can see that one at the coffee stands. No, show me your bike rack. Is there a local business with a bike rack? Not many. In fact I can literally name every business in this town with a bike rack because those are the business I frequent the most. And even those racks are woefully inadequate.

For example, the Safeway on Aurora Ave. N, does indeed have a bike rack. However, the rack is not at all in any way shape or form, secured to the cement it stands on. Numerous emails and in-person requests have failed to get this issue addressed. Oh and watch out for rats when you lock up there.

There is not a single coffee establishment in Shoreline with a bike rack. Businesses that do enjoy bike business either didn't install them (came with the property) or rely on customers being willing to lock up to a sign. Have you ever made the horrible mistake of locking up to a handicapped sign because it was the only stable place to lock? I have.

Earth forbid you try to eat at a local establishment. You're definately lockig up to a sign now. Or a post of some kind. This pretty much tells every cyclist passing through Shoreline "Your money isn't good enough," you could be willing to spend hundreds in their establishment, your bike could've cost you thousands. But a place to lock up? Pshaw! Your own fault if you didn't have the luxury of buying a folding bike. Oh, and good luck taking that folding bike inside, as the news has so recently shown, someone could call the cops on you. I once went to that little Greek restaurant and grocery by the Goldie Casino and had to lock up by the dumpster. Talk about unappetizing.

With a critical trail running through Shoreline you'd think there would be bike racks and bike parking aplenty. You would be hilariously mistaken. In spite of the hundreds that pass through our fair city, few stop, few would want to stop, and even fewer would endure such elitist treatment. Never mind that lost business, the cyclists who would rather ride to or live in Seattle, Redmond, etc.. than deal with the crap Shoreline throws at them.

But I'm not just going to tell you what's wrong. Besides our just amazingly stupid bike rack design at City Hall which still has not been fixed in spite of numerous attempts to convince them its dumb as fuck,

No, dear reader, I'm going to give you a solution, nay the most simple equation to fix this problem:


For every 5 car spots there needs to be one bike rail. For every 10 parking spots there needs to be a bike rack.

No exceptions.

Its that simple. Businesses don't want to install them? Then those businesses don't get car parking allotted to them. Think your businesses doesn't need bike parking? Ask your employees. Rent your space of business? Demand the property manager install them.

Until there's a bike rack you can kiss off getting my business or getting my recommendation.

Now, show me your rack, baby.

Participant prize

I'm reluctant to ever say anything negative about the cycling community, we're small and usually under fire already, so saying anything negative feels like betraying "my people," but today I realized that isn't the case.
They aren't my people.

Let me explain, you see the cycling community here is really two communities; the first simply owns a bike, loves to do cycle, knowledge level varies, and is really on their bike because that's their preferred mode, the second community is a horse of a different color. The latest model? The most high end accessories? All of them are necessary to the second group or why don't you just walk you pleb? If you explain you are happy where you are there is subsequent snubbing. Show up in anything less than a $1,000 bike and you might as well be invisible.

 I'm a member of the first community. Speed isn't a priority, seeing the world around me is, the hills take time to go, but so what? You get there. Want to wave? Go for it. Want to stop and say hi to someone? You're going slow enough to have a conversation. I like where I'm at in the community, and its why I'm going to be taking a prolonged break from any cycling events.

No more Mass rides, no more charity events, no more participating for the sake of it. I'm not the sort of person who is welcome, nor would I want to be welcome by that second group.

Two Seattle events later and you know what I see? Cyclists flagrantly discarding signaling, no one using a bell or voice to pass. Oh, and no wonder people hate cyclists, if you blew through lights, neglected to signal in a car, or barreled past vulnerable users in a car you'd be a danger. You know what? Doing that on a bike makes you a danger too. There is an arrogance to the cycling community that I can live without and apparently a lot of others can too.

On my way home from the Cranksgiving event the bus driver, an Austrian man from his accent, though I don't know, commented on how clear it was that I loved my bike. How obvious it was that I was more dedicated than a casual rider, and how much he too loved to just ride. I asked him what he thought of my ride, "oh people will tell you its no good," he said, "but they don't get it. They don't realize you'd have to drive that bike off a cliff to really break it," I laughed, but he continued, "you will run into people here who need to be fast, but they won't be happy even on a bike, they aren't in love with the bike, a bike like yours shows you love to bike more than machine,"

He was right. I do love to bike "more than machine" I don't love the mechanics, I love the sensation. I don't love the gears, I love knowing I'm the engine. I ended up ditched and snubbed by Seattle, but I found something much more important. I found my actual people. I'm so glad to meet them and not be alone.

Update: Just to be clear, even though I didn't finish the ride I did donate to Rainier Valley Food Bank anyway. You can do it too on their website just click on the "Donate" button in orange to give funds. Happy Thanksgiving

Fresh eyes

My dad was a cabbie and he had this weird expression, "Keep fresh eyes on the road," by which he meant, "Look at the road like you've never seen it," It sounded weird, I mean, I know 'x' road, I've been down it a million times. I can take this turn like a champ, I always look both ways, why do I need "fresh eyes" when I have this area down pat?
     He nagged the worst in familiar places, even if you didn't make a mistake driving, he repeated the phrase ad nausem so many times I will hear it long after he dies. As an adult I know now why he said it so many times. He was trying to keep us and everyone else on the road alive. Because your brain wants to kill you. No really. Look up how many accidents occur within the driver's residential radius. Too lazy? I don't blame you, here: A government study. Too lazy to read another link. No worries, let me sum it up: More drivers are in accidents in suburban areas, they are less likely to be wearing a seat belt, and further, are more likely to be involved in a fatal crash. And another study which shows you're more likely to die by car than by firearm or poisoning, Also, and old person is more likely to do it.
      Why would you be more likely to be in an accident in the area you live? Why is it more likely to be a car? Well, to answer the second question, because its the easiest, its because we don't think of cars as a loaded gun. While they are a tool of transportation they've been used in murder case, intentionally, (you can look that up on your own, I seriously do not have the heart), and unintentionally (again, your own imputes to look up the cases, but if you do, don't be surprised at how many are recent). I'm not going to decry the usefulness of motorized transportation, but we rarely treat it as seriously as it merits, and a gun is useful as a metaphor because anyone who is really serious about being responsible never looses the respect for its profound damage and fatal impact.
     Now the first question is a little more tricky, it gets back to what I said about your brain wanting you dead. You see our brain is an incredibly lazy organ, its much easier to project the memory of a place to your optic nerves, than take in new input, I mean, why would you need to? You've seen this place before. However, your lazy brain is going to get you or someone else killed. Let's start with inattention blindness which can be hilarious in a study, but not so much when you didn't see a kid and you're in a car. Or when you a hit a neon lit cyclist. This is caused, in some cases, by an overload on your brain which can happen due to accident, age, or because your brain is tired and isn't in the mood. This is part of why learning new things is harder as you get old because it's literally harder, you didn't get dumber, you got old. Happens to everyone if they're lucky.
      This is why my dad said, "fresh eyes on the road," and no, he's never read any study on traffic, (that I know of), and his literary taste are more toward Tom Clancy if I'm to be honest.  He's a literal road scholar because he figured out on his own that his brain was trying to kill him. He realized when he thought the way was clear, that other car or person didn't pop out of nowhere, his brain had deleted them. I know because its happened to me, that person wasn't speed, they weren't breaking the law, my brain was trying to kill me.
     As we move about in our world, no matter what form of transportation we use, we need to have fresh eyes on the road. When you get to a stop sign you've been to a million times, when you stop at a light you've stopped at a million times more, blink. Look at that road like you've never seen it before. Just for an instant. It's kept me safe for a long time. How many times have you heard, just in the news, the phrase, "I didn't see them," or "They came out of nowhere," and bystanders aghast because how could you not see that person?
     The solution is each of us keeping fresh eyes on the road. No matter the hurry, no matter how late. You will not get there faster in a hearse or after a police report. You need to see that road as if you've never been down it, blink, if only for a second. That second could be the one that saves a life. There is of course, the added bonus of seeing things you never saw before, which is how I try to do it, to look for something new every time, because it keeps it interesting and it challenges my brain on what it does know.
    Stay safe out there, and keep fresh eyes on the road.

Coffeeneuring Trip #7 and yes, more news!

     Sorry this update is late, the last trip fell on a holiday and I ended up partying, then working, and due to unforeseen circumstances my work has needed more help, and head cold has not cleared. Hooray.

     Anyway! Sunday, November 2nd, I set off on my final coffeeneuring trip. I was sad because it was the last trip, and scattered pumpkin bits still littered the suburban streets. It was however, in good company, as Ben had the day free to join me in my quest for a 'cuppa. After a late start and grey skies we set off. We reached the Interurban Trail letting the natural southern route carry us rather than aiming for speed. 

     I was sad to discover at the end of the Interurban Trail on the Shoreline side, a broken bollard

Fix it any time soon?

 Which is still broken, by the way. Continuing on, I wondered how cycling conditions were holding up. After the joy of Linden Ave. N., a greenway that is a must visit for any city wondering how to do it, I surreptitiously rejoined the trail. Sadly, the Seattle side was less than friendly. Phoenix Security was driving down the trial. I didn't get their plates because at first I thought it was the police, who have every right, I suppose. However, I was enraged that as I passed it was just a rent-a-cop. No doubt there to move along the homeless who frequent the trail.
     Honestly, I cannot feel this is a good solution. I do not currently have a solution, and the city of Seattle is "working on it" which visibly drives the homeless into the outlaying areas instead, and makes it even harder for them to find jobs, and be close to the resources they need. As cyclists we often see the homeless encampments more, and while we often worry about safety and theft, we forget they are people too.

Featured: Imitation bacon

After the trail, however, we turned onto the street calmed 110th street, to Dayton, then Greenwood. Diva Espresso is just past G&O Family Cyclery, which carries beautiful cargo bikes that I stare at, knowing I don't really need a cargo bike, but I think its how car owners look at SUVs. Only without the guilt associated with consuming that much fuel. And really, Diva Espresso is just next to the Greenwood Library, but I don't really register it as its not my own local library. Diva Espresso doesn't really have dedicated bike parking, though there is a rack available. 

Yep, that's adequate parking. 

     I guess they don't feel they get enough bike traffic to justify a rack for their customers in their parking lot. And hey, at least its a bike rail instead of a post. Sadly, humility is not one of my virtues. I honestly felt a bit indigent, I mean, one rail? There were other bikes squeezed around it, in spite of the rain finally splashing down, there was even a parent and kid riding, enjoying the Sunday afternoon. It was, as I said, afternoon, and I couldn't have anymore caffeine since I wake up at 4am for work. So I had a caramel steamer while Ben enjoyed a latte.

It was awesome

    It felt somehow appropriate to end my coffeeneuring with something non-caffeinated, sort of touching my past childhood days where I had a cup of hot chocolate after riding in what constituted an Alaskan fall.

Consumption: the second best part of coffeeneuring

Riding with friends is the best part

The rain started to really come down as we cupped our drinks, we went back inside, deciding that if the weather continued like this we would need serious fuel.

Its a very nice patio though

  Serious fuel acquired, we sat at the quasi-bar at the window, watching people and talking about the podcast we had listened to on our ride. The place was nice, not crowded, the decor a mix of feminine representation.

A cyclist's diet is "oh that looks good"

     Then the conversation moved to what I'd do after coffeeneuring. I told him I didn't really have any challenges coming up, I mean, there's events like Cranksgiving, but nothing else really. Its events like coffeeneuring that remind us cyclists that we're never really alone. Somewhere, be it in England or Mexico, Seattle, or Dubai, there is another cyclist out there. Maybe they're running errands too, or just riding with friends, riding home from work. Its not just in your town that people expect to see a cyclist, its in every town, all over the world. While we only went 10.2 miles (5.1 each way) I sort of got to cycle all over the world. I saw places few have seen, because cyclists make amazing photographers.

     For more on coffeeneuring, stay tuned to Mary's blog and connect to cyclists all over the world. 

Now for news! Alright folks, if you haven't gotten tickets to this Saturday's spectacular, amazing, fun event you are out of luck! Those lucky ticket holders are bidding on some of the most amazing gear, clothes, getaways, and oh-my-gosh! You got tickets, right? Right? Oh you're volunteering? Or want to? There's still time. Maybe. Go, go, go!

And don't forget, Saturday morning you can start the day with a Kidical Mass Candy buy back

Okay, now, in more local news, the Planning Committee will review development regulations for the 185th St. Station, TOMORROW! The meeting is 7-9 at Shoreline City Hall. Light rail. In Shoreline. Let's make this happen! 

Lastly, for all those who followed this blog just for the coffeeneuring challenge, thank you. It was a real pleasure to share my adventure with you and to show you a little bit of my world. Leave the light on steady and ride safe. 

For those sticking around for Shoreline cycling news, and events, I say thank you and officially, welcome! See you at the Gala! 

Cheers!