I found this funny note over at the Web site for Found Magazine. Sometimes people take bike parking just a tad too seriously.
About a week and a half ago, a Wednesday, I headed out to the shed to get my bike at 5:50 a.m. and discovered a flat-flat-flat as a pancake tire. Alas. I could have ridden the spare bike but it has been neglected and the tire pressure was low and I walked back into the house and had Brian give me a ride to the bus stop. In short: I was a quitter.
I replaced the tube Wednesday night. I carefully examined the tire to try to find the offending thing that caused the flat but couldn’t find anything. The hole was a little puncture on the outside of the tube… so, nothing to do with the wheel. I decided the offending ‘thing’ must be gone, reassembled everything, and re inflated the tire. I was feeling pretty good about my improved flat fixing skills.
I rode to work and home on Thursday with no problems. All was well. I had Friday off and didn’t end up riding the bike at all over the weekend.
Monday morning I went out to to the shed, got my bike. I made it to the stop well before the bus (mostly because it was 20 minutes late due to mechanical difficulties). When it arrived I discovered that my tire had gone completely flat while I was waiting. I was glad I would at least get to work in time, threw my bike on the rack and figured I would sort things out sometime during the day.
Have I mentioned that I never figured out how my little portable air pump worked? I’ve had it for at least a year, but I just bought it, tossed the instructions and carried it with me all the time, more as a talisman than a tool. When I got off the bus I decided I’d try to inflate the tire a bit. That would make walking the bike the half mile to my office a little easier. I could not get the thing to latch on to the valve stem. Basically, the pump could work one of two ways. Method A did not work so I tried method A again, and again, and again. And gave up. Clearly, I’m gifted.
So I walked the bike to my office, leaned it against the rack and dug out my lock, only to discover that I had left the key at home. You see, normally I have routine, a system. I follow it carefully because my brain doesn’t start working until well after I have to leave the house in the morning. If I don’t follow the routine, I end up at work without my bike lock key, or my office key, or my work clothes. I had broken the routine the last time I rode and would have to pay for it now. I found a spot in the storage room in my office to stash the bike for the day.
I decided to try the air pump again on my lunch break. They wouldn’t sell pretend air pumps that don’t actually do anything. There must be a solution. Suddenly method B occurred to me. Success. The tire was full of air that was quickly trying to get out of the tire. Now I could see where it was coming from so I knew that when I got home I would be able to find the offending ‘thing’ that had taken 2 tubes already. I decided not to try to patch it at work since it would probably just happen again if I didn’t take the time to do it right.
Hopped a couple of buses to get home dragging my injured bike with me. I didn’t feel like going to the store and so I patched the tube (using some peel and stick patch that I happened to have) and found the tiny piece of glass that was embedded in the tire. I had to use tweezers to pull it out because it was stuck in there solidly. It was embedded so solidly that I half thought that I was really just tearing out something that was supposed to be part of the tire.
When I went out to the shed on Tuesday morning the tire was flat AGAIN. Yes I know it was because I used that crappy peel and stick patch. Yes I will go buy a real patch kit and a whole case of spare tubes. But there I was…
I was tired of getting rides to and from the bus stop. I just wanted to be moving under my own power. I hauled out the spare junk bike. Ran to the air compressor, pumped up the tires, and left almost 10 minutes late. It made horrible noises and then even more horrible noises. The brakes sounded like a penguin getting eaten by an elephant seal. The shifters kinda work in certain gear combinations some of the time. Then in the middle of town the whole bike started vibrating like we were going well above warp 8 and the whole ship was going to tear apart. It took me a couple of starts and stops to figure out that the front reflector was sticking out on this strange metal appendage that was screwed to the bike just above the front wheel. Somehow it had gotten bent down and was dragging across the knobby mountain bike tires. I fixed this and kept powering toward the bus stop. Somehow I made it in time. Just…
The next day I still hadn’t had time to fix the flat on my regular bike so I rode the junk bike again. Everything went smoothly until I walked to the bike rack after work and discovered that now even the junk bike had a flat. I really started thinking that I might have a nemisis that was doing this to me on purpose. It was on the rear wheel which doesn’t have a quick release. I didn’t have a wrench or a spare tube anyway. So I just walked it to the park and ride. I fixed the tubes on the good bike when I got home and haven’t even looked at the junk bike again.
The up side of this is that I can fix a flat tire pretty quickly now. I’m not saying I can fix it right. I guess if I’d gotten it right the first or the second time this post would be a lot shorter. We’ll see whether I learned anything later this week. If the new tube doesn’t go flat I will feel successful. Meanwhile, I am starting to consider the merits of spending a little extra for a flat resistant tire. They do make those don’t they?
June 26 is the last Friday of the month, which means that Critical Mass is happening all over the world. If you’re in Rochester, meet us at 6pm at the Liberty Pole.
Here’s a video I made of the March ride (I try to make one of these every year):
Hello friends,
Cancer has impacted:
So it’s no surprise that I’d want to fight cancer. And I love riding my bike. That’s why I signed up for the Livestrong Challenge ride in Philly on August 23 as part of Team Fat Cyclist.
Now I need YOUR help. Please visit my fundraising page and donate whatever you can to help me in the fight against cancer. And if you can make it to Philly on August 23, you should also consider signing up for the race yourself.
Elden “Fatty” Nelsen has posted some great photos, videos and stories from this weekend’s Livestrong ride in Seattle. Please visit his blog to read about the weekend. And make sure to donate to the cause, OK?
WIN SUSAN!
There seems to be a lot of hostility in bike blogs these days. Everyone has an opinion about wearing helmets (or not), vehicular cycling (or not), bike trails (or not), and so much more. Having an opinion is a great thing; forcing it down others’ throats with vitriol is not.
I just have 2 things to say about all this. First, cycling is not an individual act; it is inherently social, simply by the fact that other people are using the trails/roads/sidewalks. I am both a driver and a cyclist. When a cyclist is biking erratically or is not visible in the dark, it affects me as a driver, by increasing my stress level as I am driving and trying to be safe. Further, if I were to hit that cyclist, it’s not just the cyclist who would be affected. I would be emotionally devastated. Our health care system would take another hit. My loved ones as well as the cyclist’s would be impacted. Insurance costs would go up. So, yes, individuals have the freedom to make choices about how they want to bike. But that freedom does not exist in a vacuum.
Second, could we be a little nicer to each other and to those with whom we share the transportation infrastructure? There’s a great post at EcoVelo to this point.
Read the comments too, where you’ll find, among others, this gem from the post’s author:
“The idea that acting courteously as opposed to confrontationally is somehow going to put us on a slippery slope leading to “laws demanding that all cyclists get out of their way” is a fallacy that has been used all too frequently to justify rude, aggressive riding tactics. What’s going to get us kicked off the roads is disregarding traffic laws, riding irresponsibly, and treating other road users as if we bicyclists operate under our own set of rules (see it too often). You are right, the car is “almighty”, but fighting its supremacy with a head-on frontal assault is not the answer in my opinion. I believe we need to build good will with the general public and politicians to gain the political capital necessary to instigate the infrastructure and policy changes that would make our roads (and trails) more attractive to new bicyclists, thus growing bicycling to the extent we’re all hoping for. In my opinion, the “us versus them” mentality is counterproductive to this goal and has gotten us nowhere in the U.S.”
Pot bust nabs bike star
Major marijuana probe results in arrests in Saratoga areaBy LEIGH HORNBECK, Staff writer
First published in print: Friday, June 19, 2009ALBANY — The major drug bust of a thriving marijuana operation in Wilton this week nabbed two colorful characters: A one-time champion mountain biker and a budding filmmaker on a spiritual journey.
A federal judge set bail for the pair Thursday afternoon.
Police set up a sale between a confidential informant and former star mountain biker Melissa Giove.
I learned about the fun blog Bike Skirt from an issue of Urban Velo magazine. On Monday, Elisa (pictured above) posted a good checklist of items every summer bike commuter needs. Check it out, and tell ‘em RocBike sent ya.
From today’s Albany Times Union:
SCHENECTADY — A 62-year-old bicyclist suffered minor injuries after accidentally running into the back of a CDTA bus on State Street this afternoon, city police said. The man was pedaling behind the bus near Clinton Street and rear-ended the vehicle when it pulled over around 1:25 p.m., Sgt. Eric Clifford said.
The crash tied up downtown traffic for about 20 minutes, Clifford said. He said the man was taken to Ellis Hospital for observation.
– Paul Nelson
According to an article in today’s New York Times, a recent survey of New York City residents found that lack of storage is one of the biggest things keeping New Yorkers off bicycles.
In a city of tight living quarters and unaccommodating corporate towers, the biggest cycling challenge can be finding a good place store one’s ride when it is not in use.
For James Rather, an urban planner whose Riverdale walk-up does not have a storage option, lugging his bike up three flights to his apartment every time he rides is a “constant hassle” and a sometime danger.
You can read the article at the Times site.
I’ve already mentioned that Jill Homer is riding the Tour Divide this year. The Tour Divide is a 2,745-mile self-supported mountain bike race from Banff, Alberta, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico.
MTBCast posts a daily digest of the riders’ call-ins from the trail. It makes for some fun and fascinating listening. You can listen at MTBCast or subscribe using iTunes or your favorite RSS reader using this link.
Whenever I’m listening to music I’m thinking, this would be a good soundtrack to the bike video I’ve never made… that I’m going to make… any day now. Seeing the d-i-y camera mount post the other day made me think I should actually dig out my gorilla pod from wherever it was hiding and make a video.
I wholeheartedly recommend the d-i-y method, but if you want a slightly more expensive alternative that works out of the box, I recommend the gorilla pod (depending on the size and the size of your camera the stability will vary.) I always tie my camera strap to the handle bars for extra insurance but haven’t had any problems with it coming off… it just jiggles a bit.
I went out and did a loop around the neighboring block with my camera in video mode to test it out. It went pretty well. I did speed it up, compressing the 22 minute ride into less than 3 minutes, so in case you weren’t sure, I’m not actually a bike racing superhero.
Handlebar Cam video from a loop around my block>>
I plan to do some video of my commute now that all I have to do is slide the camera into the gorilla pod mount quick release thingy.
Gary Young wrote in to say that Rochester’s R Community Bikes is running low on bikes! They provide bikes to needy kids and adults in the area, and sometimes sell bikes to raise money for the group. They are taking all types of bikes for donation on the following dates, in ALL-CAPS so you remember:
SATURDAY JUNE 27TH
AT “THE BIKE ZONE”
885 LONG POND ROAD IN GREECE
FROM 10 A.M. TO 2:00 P.MSATURDAY JULY 18TH
AT “PENFIELD FITNESS AND RACKET CLUB”
667 PANORAMA TRAIL WEST IN PENFIELD
FROM 10 A.M. TO 2:00 P.M
I non-consensually donated a bike to them last year, and still felt good about it! You can find more details on their events page, and here’s a PDF of the event flier in case you’d like to spread the word.
The wonderful Jill Homer is ready to begin the Great Divide ride — 2,700 miles along the Great Divide. Her post from yesterday lists several way to follow her along her route. She’ll also be blogging whenever possible.
From all of us at RocBike.com: Good luck, Jill!
Bill Collins sent in this link to a Do-It-Yourself Bike Camera Mount:
The smell of the road, the wind at your back, infinity miles per gallon…
Riding your bike sure is sweet. But you know what would make it even sweeter? The tried-and-tested, make-it-yourself, $10 + 10 minutes Photojojo BikeCam!
As I wrote here and here, there was a recent cycling accident in Saratoga Springs, north of Albany, that was featured in the Times Union newspaper. You can read my note to the reporter in the previous post.
Here’s the response I received from the reporter, Dennis Yusko:
Hi Jason: Thank you for writing. You make a valid point about the placement of the helmet reference. I guess it was in this particular story because he suffered a head injury, and because police made a point of it when discussing the case. Anyway, I’ll think about it more next time I write because of your note. In the meantime, feel free to go to our Saratoga Seen blog and post what you feel under the story there. It might generate some discussion.
Dennis.
If you’d like to take Dennis up on his suggestion, visit the Saratoga Seen blog.
I would just like to report that, in addition to RocBike’s rank in the top 50 at London Cyclist, my public service announcement has apparently worked.
My rides home over the past couple of weeks have been exceedingly pleasant.
I attribute it to the power of RocBike.
The deliciously insane Jill Homer is about to ride the Great Divide Mountain Bike Race. North to south along the Rockies. No, that is not a typographical error.
Follow her exploits — if you dare — here.
This story of course notes that the bicyclist was not wearing a helmet. Which I’m sure is what caused the motorist to fail to yield the right of way.
Vehicle charges likely in bicycle accident
Bicyclist hospitalized after Saratoga Springs accidentBy DENNIS YUSKO, Staff writer
First published: Tuesday, June 9, 2009SARATOGA SPRINGS — A 30-year-old man was taken to the hospital with head injuries on Sunday after he struck a car while riding his bicycle on Broadway, police say.
The man, who police did not identify, was riding north at 1:22 p.m., when he hit the rear passenger door of a vehicle turning left into the parking lot of Lillian’s restaurant, Lt. Matthew Veitch said.
The bicyclist was not wearing a helmet and was transported to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Veitch said.
The operator of the vehicle, who police would only say is from Vermont, will likely face charges of failing to yield the right of way, police said.
“The investigation is ongoing and charges are anticipated,” Veitch said.
This article is available at the Times Union site.
I sent a follow-up email message to the author of the piece, Dennis Yusko (dyusko@timesunion.com):
Hi Dennis,
As a local cyclist, let me begin by saying thanks for covering any bicycle stories at all, even when they’re accidents.
A quick question: Why is it that the cyclist’s lack of a helmet is mentioned before the motorist’s failure to yield the right of way? (I might go further and ask why the helmet is in the story at all.) Surely the cyclist’s lack of a helmet is not what caused the driver to hit the cyclist. Shouldn’t the charges against the driver come first?
Helmets are great, but every cycling accident story tells the reader whether or not the cyclist had one, as if this had anything to do with the cause of the accident.
Thanks again for your time and for paying attention to cyclists.
All the best,
Jason
On Saturday I started riding toward Geneva. My goal was to end up at the Geneva Bicycle Center. I needed a spare tube but mostly I thought I needed someplace to ride, a destination. It’s about 14 miles away so there and back seemed like it would be a good ride. I passed Cress road and started thinking that I’d never been down it & wasn’t sure where it went, made a u-turn and was off on a little explore. I covered a lot of uncharted territory in empty space between Lyons, Newark, and Phelps, an area formerly thought to be occupied only by sea monsters and steep hills. It turns out that the steep hills part is correct but the sea monsters were actually just cows. Lots and lots of cows.
I never did make it to the bike shop. I just wandered the back roads for a couple of hours until I remembered how little breakfast I’d eaten then spent another 40 minutes singing to myself about my plans to eat a sandwich while I tried to find my way home.
I never love biking more than when I’m exploring new territory… and there’s so much unexplored territory right under my nose even though I’ve lived here forever… well, almost forever. What’s hiding down that side street that you just cruise by every day?
