Be sure to read this post from the Fat Cyclist all the way to the end.

sorry, I mean..
Your opinion on bags,
AND commuting set-ups.

I exceeded my Timbuk2 medium.
Which, when I first started commuting,
I was VERY impressed with.
I mean, work papers, rain jacket, tools,
AND ice cream & milk & treats?

But now I’ve outgrown it.
I did supersize to a large,
but something more calls out to be carried…
artwork, camera & gear,
larger food shopping trips.
After two weeks of debate,
I’ve ruled out the xtracycle,
Sorry Jason,
I came thisclose to ordering a Schwinn Coffee 3 spd
to retrofit, but I’m intent on making my one bike ‘be all’.
So I looked at Sun Lite grocery panniers that were inexpensive, but generic,
all the way to Ortlieb, at $100 per bag,
then to the Detour commuters at $59 per bag.

What’s the feedback, set ups and suggestions?

i have serious problems with ALOT of things,
one being the photo size selection on WP,
so to view pictures while I’m struggling on WP,
visit me @ Liberty on Bikes! .

SO BACK TO OUR TOPIC.
For those that are LCI certified, by-the-book cyclists,
I ‘m sorry to offend, but it’s something I naturally do….

There’s been alot of debate lately on every blog on:
cyclists running red lights,
cyclists running stop signs,
cyclists passing cars on the right at red lights
(which happens to be my everyday doing)
and cyclists needing to abide by all laws.

UMMMMMM, wait for it….
NO!
There I said it!
I’m not irresponsible,
and I certainly don’t advocate breaking laws,
or pose a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ rule.

I ADVOCATE ARRIVING TO HOME/WORK ALIVE!

And until motorists respect other roadway users,
I’ll ride on the offense.
Passing stopped cars on the right?
It’s safer for me to start the green light up front,
rather than be in the middle of rush hour traffic
trying to pass me while I start off ten cars behind.

When it’s bumper to bumper and at a stand still,
and there’s a wide shoulder onthe right?
SORRY! I’m gonna get on that and keep moving!
Who’s going to sit behind a tailpipe waiting in traffic?
You’re an angry motorist? Well then, get a bike!
Surprisingly, in town you can beat traffic!

Lastly:
- a bad cyclist will do less harm than a bad driver.
- since driver’s are unwilling to share the road, and
abide by the laws, I WILL DO WHATEVER I NEED TO
SURVIVE. The laws were not written for cyclists safety.
- If motorists want us to abide by ALL traffic laws,
THEN I’M TAKING THE WHOLE LANE LIKE A MOTORCYCLE!
oh wait, they don’t want THAT.
- So it’s a double standard? Yeah, I’m not buying what they’re selling.

The city of Rochester’s Tuesday Nature Nights, includes a series of guided bike rides co-sponsored by MVP Health Care, starts on 6 p.m. Tuesday May 26 with a bike ride through the High Falls and Corn Hill neighborhoods area. Participants should meet at the Pont de Rennes pedestrian bridge.

The nature nights are from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Aug. 25. A brochure listing all the rides is available via the city of Rochester Parks & Recreation Dept. Helmets required and riders under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Call (585) 428.6770.

This story is from The Berkshire Eagle, the local paper in my hometown area:

By Dick Lindsay, Berkshire Eagle Staff

Thursday, May 21

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Until a few weeks ago, Charles Spirydowski’s longest bicycle ride was about three miles — a jaunt he took with his daughter.

This week, the 37-year-old Housatonic man will attempt a 200-mile ride over the course of three days to raise money and awareness for emergency medical services personnel who’ve died in the line of duty or from a job-related illness or injury.

You can read the rest of the article at the Eagle’s Web site.

A 10 year old boy was riding his bike without a helmet in my neighborhood. He ran a red light and hit a car. And died. Please stop running red lights. Please, please please.

Information about our aptly timed Ride of Silence is here.

This is so cool. Make your own blinking bike patch, jacket with glowing buttons, or turn signal cycling jacket.

Way beyond my capabilities, but way cool.

Saturday, June 6 onboard Mary Jemison
“Bicycling and Boating” tour of the river and canal, culminating in a lunch cruise onboard Mary Jemison.

The Mission of Corn Hill Navigation (a not-for-profit organization) operators of the Sam Patch and Mary Jemison canal boats: to foster the improvement and sustainability of the Erie Canal and Genesee River for current and future generations through education, awareness, and enjoyment.

Bike & Boat Tour
Start location of the Mary Jemison boat tour and bicycle tour: Corn Hill Port, Exchange Blvd., Rochester.

Bike tour of Genesee Riverway Trail & the Erie Canal start time: 10:00 a.m. (90 minute ride)
Lead by Richard DeSarra, Rochester Bicycling Club Board member

Boat tour of the Genesee Rive and the Erie Canal start time: 12:00 noon. (75 minute tour)

Bike and boat tour options: cost associated with the boat tour & box lunch (optional),
bike tour is free.

For reservations you may call us at 585-262-5661 or online @ http://www.samandmary.org.

This past Friday was Bike To Work Day and I got to pretend I was purposely recruiting other cyclists to bike commuting in honor of the day. In reality it just happened to work out that the person who has been saying to me “Yeah I’d really like to try that.” for, mmm, 2 years just happened to cave to my “How ’bout tomorrow? How ’bout Thursday then? Friday?”

She could do Friday. We agreed that I would get off the bus early and ride to meet her & her husband at Perinton park & we would all ride together from there. They showed me some crazy shortcuts through parking lots and nice wooded trails in East Rochester that would be useful to know but that I will never in a million years be able to remember. We got to work and she bought me a coffee and I saw a cockroach crawling through the hole of a blueberry bagel in the bakery case, not relevant to the story, except that I decided I didn’t want a bagel.

In late spring & summer we have half days on Fridays so we met up at the bike rack around 12:30 and after some lunch we biked over to Pittsford to pick up the canal trail. She rode with me well past her house. Once we got past the crowded parts of the towpath I got to try out her recumbent for a few miles. It took me a while to even get moving but once I got the hang of it, I was laughing like a maniac because I felt sort of like I was in Mario Kart and that someone would start shooting giant turtle shells at me, also I felt like it might flop over at any moment. It was very comfortable & fun & I would try it again. I don’t know what everybody’s got against recumbents except for the weird need to classify everyone as one kind of cyclist or another. I don’t think I’ll rush out to buy one though–I’m still happy with my current bike (mostly).

I’m not  sure my friend is totally sold on bike commuting as a practical option. Historically she’s been more of a leisure time cyclist. She told me a couple of times that I needed gel shorts and cleats. I’m sure those things are awesome and maybe I would be able to ride my whole commute without bus assistance if I had them, but I like to being able to ride without a lot of specialized gear. Just get on the bike and go and be able to get off the bike and walk without a major wardrobe change. But then again maybe I’m doing that cyclist classification thing too.

Anyway, I know she had fun and she wants to do it again this Friday so maybe she’s sold after all.

Jason sez: Bob Anderson is a one-man hurricane on the Albany cycling scene. He’s doing great work with the Albany Bicycle Coalition, and also taking amazing photos of cycling culture for local galleries, and for his blog, Liberty on Bikes! Bob’s inclusion on the Team RocBike roster is long overdue, and I’m glad he’s here. Under the photo is Bob’s sketch of his own biography.

married almost 11 years, 3 kids from 3-8, commute everyday by bike, born in Seattle, lived in golden, colorado & salt lake city, utah, here for 11 years, manager by profession, also a photographer, artist, decorator, manipulator of color/pattern/texture, punk, instigator, prankster, tattoo collector, 80′s trivia master, student of taoism, and agent of chaos.