First, some background points that will help make the story clearer:

1. I’m a member of Rotary, and specifically a member of the Rotary Club of Albany. I love Rotary, not least because being a Rotary exchange student in 1991-92 completely changed my life and led to most of what I’ve done since. I also appreciate the way my membership and activity in Rotary helps me have a positive impact in my own community and around the world.
2. Rotary is involved with an organization called ShelterBox, an international disaster relief charity that delivers emergency shelter, warmth and dignity to people affected by disaster worldwide. It’s an incredible organization, and you should give them some money if you can, and maybe see if your workplace or school would be interested in sponsoring a box. Right now, they’re on the ground in Haiti providing immediate shelter:
   

3. This year, the Rotary Club of Albany gave approximately $2,400 to ShelterBox from the 2008 edition of our annual auction. That’s enough to buy 2.4 boxes.

And so, the story:

At a Rotary meeting several weeks ago, Charlotte, the president of our club, announced that she had a tandem bike to donate to the 2009 auction. The bike was used by two people during the Cycling The Erie Canal event. These two folks rode the tandem from Buffalo to Albany. When they got to Albany, Rotarians from my club were there to give all the riders rides to their hotels or to the train station. The tandem crew surprised the volunteers by donating their tandem bike for use at our auction. Cool, right?

So now this bike was at Charlotte’s house, and she didn’t have a way to get it the 16 miles to Albany. Either my fellow Rotarian Bill Corbett or I — I’m not sure who gets the blame — suggested that we should ride it. (You make recognize Bill’s name because he’s contributed to RocBike in the past.) I chimed in to say that we should be paid for doing so through charitable donations toward the auction proceeds. Everyone in the room agreed to pay us $16 each ($1/mile) if we rode the bike from Niverville to Albany. We agreed. It was on.

The auction was supposed to happen in December, but a blizzard ended up canceling our meeting, and we rescheduled for January 6. Bill and I met that morning at Wolfert’s Roost Country Club, where we hold our meetings. Another Rotarian gave us a ride to Niverville to get the bike. That person was also going to serve as our SAG wagon in case any problems occurred.

It’s at this point that I would like to make note of one difference between drivers and cyclists. Our club president, who drives from her house to the meeting, told us it was 16 miles. It’s actually 19.4 miles. That doesn’t mean much when you’re driving, but when you’re riding in 20-degree weather up big hills, those extra miles count. And no, 19.4 miles isn’t that far. Bill and I have both ridden farther than that on many occasions. (See here and here for the tale of my most recent long ride, which was also a fundraiser.) But it’s far enough, as you’ll see.

Our first mistake occurred in Charlotte’s kitchen. Pren, our SAG driver, got Bill’s phone number and put it in his cell phone. Then he asked Bill a question that would resonate later on: “Do you want my number?” Bill replied: “No, I’m not going to be calling you.” Foreshadowing, anyone?



Bill and me with the bike in the garage

We encountered the next problem as soon as we looked at the bike — the rear tire was flat. We already knew this, though, so Bill had brought a pump. As it turns out, this was the only useful item either of us had brought along. All of the other useful things that became necessary later on? Not so much.

Bill pumped up the tire, we said our goodbyes, handed over the life insurance paperwork, and prepared to ride to Albany. We got as far as the end of the driveway before the rear tire was flat again. Luckily, the donors of the bike had also donated two brand new tubes. So we got out our tire levers and–

Oh wait, we didn’t have any tire levers. Nor did we have a wrench to take the wheel off. As it turned out, neither did Charlotte or her husband Paul. Not to worry, though, down the road about a half-mile was a gas station. Off we went, pushing the bike. Surely, even in this day and age, a gas station would have a wrench or two, right?

Wrong. The gas station attendant had a screwdriver large enough for a sword fight, but no wrenches. As it turns out, though, the cycling gods were with us, because there in the gas station parking lot was a Snap-On Tools truck. Yes, a truck with every kind of wrench and useful implement known to man was parked at the out-of-the-way country gas station to which we happened to push the bike. Within a few minutes we had the tire changed and inflated and we were pedalling toward Albany.

It was cold that day. Very cold. And windy. Very windy. And I made what can only be classified as a rookie mistake. Having never ridden a tandem before, I told Bill that he could choose his seat — front or rear. He chose the back because, as it turns out, he’s not an idiot. He knew that it would be much nicer to have a very large guy blocking the wind for 20 miles than to be the windshield. (In his defense, he did offer to switch after several miles, but by that time I had warmed to the role and was enjoying being in front. That decision also saved me from the blame for … well, I’m getting ahead of the story.)

In the next installment: 400+ pounds is heavy … we climb and we climb … the SAG driver and the buffet line … axle me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies … we meet the Burger King and obtain his crown … and more!

READ PART 2

The New York Times ran a piece today on bicycle clubs of yore. Here’s the intro:

The Bittersweet History of Bike Clubs
By J. DAVID GOODMAN

Neither snow, nor sleet, nor bone-chilling cold can keep the members of New York’s assorted recreational bicycle clubs from the swift — or, often, leisurely — completion of their appointed rides around and out of the city. The New York Cycle Club, the Five Borough Bicycle Club and Fast and Fab, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender bike club, are some of those that lead outings and other events year round. And while none of these was around at the turn of the last century, each traces its lineage back to the ubiquitous clubs that dominated the earliest years of cycling.

In the 1880s and 1890s, growing middle-class participation in cycling lead to the formation of hundreds of clubs across the United States. The first to form was the Boston Bicycle Club, created on Feb. 11, 1878. The following February saw a club formed in Buffalo, and the first New York City club came in 1880, also in February (something about the cold seemed to drive riders to associate in those days, perhaps for the warmth of the pack).

Read the rest of the article.

It’s probably been about a year since I have posted on rocbike, so here’s a collection of the fun group rides I did in 2009.

In March I headed up to Monson, MA to join up with fellow ratrod bikers for a swap meet and cruise. Monson kinda sucked for cruising so we packed up and went across the border to Willamantic, CT, where we had lunch and continued to ride.

full photo set here

In June I was on vacation so I ended up bringing one of my custom vintage bikes up to Rochester to join up with the old cruising crew, with a lot of new faces since I left town. One of the nights we went way out on the canal trail.

full photo set here

There’s a few local guys that go on custom vintage rides in downtown Hartford, so that happened at least a few times this summer.

June:

full photo set here

August:

full photo set here

Also in August, a few of us joined up in New London for a custom-vintage ride.

full photo set here

In September, I was back on vacation, and I did a tour of NY state, starting with a stop in NYC. Me and my friend Otto cruised from Queens to Brooklyn.

full photo set here

After NYC I was back up in ROC for two more days of cruising with the ROC cruise crew.

Wednesday:

full photo set here

Thursday – we rode up the Genesee river trail to the pier at Charlotte:

full photo set here

And the last group ride I did this past year, a custom-vintage cruise in New Haven, in October:

full photo set here

Hoping that 2010 is as full of fun bike rides! Happy New Year!

Richard already mentioned this earlier this month, but I wanted to remind our Rochester readers that RIT Center for Student Innovation is holding a Rochester Cycling Summit this Saturday October 24th. The group ride starts downtown at the Central Library at 11am!

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!

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 Friday, May 8th, the Sanctuary For Independent Media in Troy is showing “Two Wheels Good.” There’ll be a group ride from Albany to the Sanctuary meeting at the boat launch on the Corning Trail at 5:30. More here.

Friday is the first day of Bike Month. I am super psyched about what’s going on in the capital region. Write ups on the Albany Bicycle Coalition, and Bike Albany.

Also received this by email, from the NYBC:

In order to promote cycling, advance traffic safety, and raise awareness of bicycling and pedestrian-related issues amongst our elected representatives currently in session, the New York Bicycling Coalition has organized a full roster of Bike Month activities in the Capital District. Exciting activities include bicycle safety education courses and LCI Training Seminar; a bicycle-themed art show; “Two Wheels Good” film festival; the ever-popular SIGMA Commuter Contest; National Bike to Work Day; and the National Ride of Silence. Please consult the full calendar (attached) and refer to www.nybc.net for more information and ways to get involved.

5/1-5/2: Traffic Skills 101. Taught by certified LCIs, this 9-hour curriculum gives cyclists the confidence they need to ride safely and legally in traffic or on the trail. Covers bicycle safety checks, fixing a flat, bike-handling skills and crash avoidance techniques. Recommended for adults and children above age 14, this fast-paced 2-day course prepares cyclists for a full understanding of vehicular cycling. Location: SUNY Albany Downtown Campus, 135 Washington Ave. Draper 147. For full details and course registration info, visit http://nybc.net/?page_id=3 .

5/1-5/22: “Grand Tour: Bicycle, Transportation & Travel” Art Exhibit. Upstate Artists Guild, 247 Lark St., Albany. Opening Reception & Urban Ride 5/1/09, 6-9PM. Note: special bicycle-themed art & reception at Downtube Bicycle Shop, 466 Madison Ave., Albany. 1st Friday Ride, hosted by the Albany Bicycle Coalition, will stop at Exhibit and other 1st Friday art venues. Donations accepted to benefit ABC & NYBC. For more information, visit: http://upstateartistsguild.org/GrandTour.

5/8: “Two Wheels Good” Bike Film Festival. The Sanctuary for Independent Media, 3361 6th Ave., Troy; 7 PM. Collection celebrates all aspects of bicycle culture, from competitive mountain biking to urban “alleycat” racing to daily commuting, bike polo, and Critical Mass. Selection includes a variety of filmmakers and spans genres from documentary to narrative, animation to sports, art & music videos. Co-sponsored by NYBC and Troy Bike Rescue; valet bike parking available. Admission by donation ($10 suggested, $5 student/low income). See www.mediasanctuary.org for details and directions.

5/8-5/10: Bike to Albany’s Tulip Festival. A highly anticipated spring tradition, over 200,000 tulip bulbs will blossom into a sea of colors amidst of thousands of attendees Mother’s Day weekend in Washington Park. The City of Albany is taking a step forward to promote green initiatives and reduce congestion on the roadways by encouraging attendees to RIDE, rather than drive, to the event. Designated racks and valet bicycle parking and will be available at the Willett & Madison Ave. entrance and featured as part of the Tulip Festival Wellness Garden, promoting wellness of mind, body, spirit, and planet. Steiner’s Sports will be on-hand to offer free safety checks and quick tune-ups to keep you rolling. Visit http://www.albanyevents.org for full schedule of activities.

5/13: Driver’s Ed. For Cyclists: a FREE Hands-On Training For Educators. 7AM – 2:30PM, Six Flags Great Escape Lodge, Queensbury. Educators who work with children grades 4 and up will gain the skills and instructional techniques necessary to teach students in P.E. classes, after-school programs and summer camps. Topics such as age-appropriate bicycle handling skills, bicycle laws, cyclist’s responsibilities, proper bike and helmet fitting, the use of gears and breaks and how to avoid crashes will be covered. Participants will also receive instructional materials and have an opportunity to take part in hands-on skill drills. Training is co-sponsored by NYBC, GTSC, Glens Falls Hospital and Upper Hudson Primary Care Consortium NYSDOH Healthy Heart Programs, the Cornell Local Roads Program, and Bike New York.

5/14: SIGMA Commuter Contest. This exciting competition pits bicyclists against motorists and transit riders during rush-hour traffic to determine the most efficient means of transportation. For the past 5 years, the bicyclist has been the winner–join us this year to see if we can make it 6 in a row! Start time: 5PM sharp. Location: Starbucks to Starbucks (10 N Pearl St., Albany to Stuyvesant Plaza, 1475 Western Ave.). Fabulous prizes courtesy of Sigma and Steiner’s Sports.

5/14: VEER the movie. Two showings! 7:30 & 9:15 pm. The Madison Theater (Albany). Special one-night screening of new documentary of the Portland, OR cycling community. Sponsors include: CK Cycles, Steiner’s Sports, The Downtube, The Dead Presidents Lounge, Bomber’s Burritos, Lark Tavern, 518prints.com, UrbanVelo.org. $6/($5 for ABC & NYBC members). Membership is free and you can sign up at the door. ABC will also be collecting $$ donations for the KONA AFRICA BIKE PROGRAM.

5/15: National Bike to Work Day. Sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists, individuals across the country are encouraged to commute to work by bike. The Saratoga Healthy Transportation Network is sponsoring the “First Annual” Saratoga Bike To Work Challenge. Companies with offices/workplaces in Saratoga County are encouraged to form Bike To Work Teams and compete for the highly coveted “The Gear Head Trophy.” To register, go to www.healthytransportation.org. For more information and resources on bicycle commuting, visit www.nybc.net.

5/16: Club Picnic, Ride and Swap Meet. 10AM, Colonie Town Park. The Mohawk Hudson Cycling Club invites all local cyclists & their families to come celebrate Capital Bike Month with the club and meet some new cyclists/friends. Rides of varying categories (casual, tour, mountain bike); potluck lunch; post-ride swap meet. Consult the Ride Calendar on http://webmhcc.org for full details.

5/20: National Ride of Silence. 6PM. Start location: Corning Preserve, Albany. 12 mile route will pass ghost bikes commemorating the deaths of 3 local cyclists. For more details, visit www.rideofsilence.org or www.nybc.net .

5/29-5/31: LCI Training Seminar. Becoming a League Cycling Instructor (LCI) certified to teach BikeEd is a great way to help cyclists in your community. If you are an experienced cyclist and would like to teach others, consider taking the next step towards certification and help bring the joy of safe cycling to others. NOTE: Road I is a prerequisite for a certification seminar. For full details and course registration info, visit http://nybc.net/?page_id=3. Co-sponsored by NYBC, Bike New York, and the League of American Bicyclists.

Nominations Currently Being Accepted for NYBC’s Commuter of the Year Award
NYBC is seeking nominations for its annual Bicycle Commuter of the Year Award. Bicyclists of any age who are NYS residents and commute to work or school on a regular basis are encouraged to apply. Submissions should include a brief written description, in 50 words or less, of why the person nominated is worthy of the award; deadline is Monday,May 11th. Winners will be announced on National Bike to Work Day: Friday, May 15th, 2009. Entries may be sent to: New York Bicycling Coalition, P.O. Box 8868, Albany, NY 12208 or e-mailed to Claire Nolan, NYBC Board Member, at cbnolou@yahoo.com

Celebrate National Bike Month: enter our 2009 Bike Giveaway and help make New York a more bicycle-friendly state!

Win a new Originate Urban Cyckel, generously donated by CK Cycles, and ride in style. Join or renew your membership to NYBC from now until August 31st, 2009, and your name will be automatically included in our 2009 Bike Giveaway drawing!

Grand drawing to be held September 1st, 2009. For official rules, photos, and other details, visit www.nybc.net .

It’s going to be a fun month.

Dan Craven provided this video of a bicycle ride through Albany’s Washington Park during the Holiday Lights fest:

Courtest of Fossil Fool at Rock The Bike:

From The Guardian:

Police attempts to outlaw the monthly Critical Mass cycle ride through the streets of London unless its route was notified in advance were blocked by the law lords today.

The House of Lords allowed a challenge by cyclist Des Kay to a court of appeal ruling that the Metropolitan police had the right to demand prior notice of the ride’s date, time and route and the names and addresses of the organisers.

Cyclists who gather on the South Bank and ride through the city to celebrate safe cycling have in the past been handed written notices by the police stating that the event was unlawful because no advance notice was given.

But the law lords held that the event, which had no organisers or set route and proceeded on a “follow my leader” basis, was not governed by section 11 of the Public Order Act 1986.

Read the rest of the article.

And here’s the Web site of Critical Mass London.

You can find more photos from Albany’s Critical Masquerade here and here. Enjoy!

A few of a us guys who met on the ride in August wanted to get together and cruise again while the weather was still nice.

We got together for an impromptu ride on a Saturday night a few weeks ago. Here are some pics, as always more and full size versions on my flickr page.

There was a street festival going on with a terrible cover band playing… we didn’t stick around here long.

Riding to Dinner

After dinner at Black Eyed Sally’s

Posing on the bridge

Inside the Federal Cafe

Outside the Federal Cafe

And check out Ian’s Epic Skid at the end of the night:

points for distance

Good times, good riding, good night.

Wow, I just realized I had forgotten to post this. Sorry RocBike readers, I’ve been holding out on you!

This happened in the end of August, to commemorate the annual Bike Swap Meet, held at the New England Muscle Bike Museum (I was unable to attend so I don’t have pics of that).

Here are some pics from the ride, as usual more pics and full size versions on my flickr page.

Meeting at Bushnell Park

Riding through the arch

Making dinner reservations at Black Eyed Sally’s

Having a couple pints outside Vaughan’s

Hard to tell from this photo, but the Butterfly Girl was up on stilts.

Hanging out down on the Connecticut River

Tri-unicycle? This guy was great.

Hartford Sunset

All the bikes posed at the fountain

It was a good time, I met some new friends and had a lot of fun.

I shot video too which I will eventually cut and post.

More pics from the next ride soon!

A follow-up to this: “Half of my birthday bike ride”

I ended up in Rochester for my birthday last Thursday, and met up with some of the old cruisin posse and a couple of other good friends for a birthday cruise to dinner at John’s Tex Mex, my favorite place for vegetarian tacos.

Karl snapped this at our favorite ped bridge to ride over. He’s got more pics on his flickr

Thanks Roc-City for making my birthday a blast! Cheers!

Buncha fun rides this Saturday, September 27th.

On Saturday, September 27 at 9:30 AM, Save the Pine Bush is sponsoring a bicycle ride from the Civil War Monument in Washington Park to the Pine Bush Discovery Center on Route 155, north of Washington Avenue Extension. Once at the Discovery Center, we be given a short tour.

When riding, we will follow all traffic laws, and stay together as a group. I have a route picked out (but, I always welcome suggestions!).

I would really like to have one or two more ride leaders to come with me. Would anyone be interested?

And, if you don’t want to be a ride leader, please, be a ride participant! Its a lot of fun to ride to our beautiful Pine Bush!

I expect we will return to Albany sometime in the afternoon, around 3:00 PM, depending on how fast we go, how long we stay at the Discovery Center, and whether we stop for food.

For more information:
http://www.savethepinebush.org/Current/Ski.html

And then there’s this one, which I’m psyched about.

After two years of recovery from a hit-and-run accident, cyclist Pearson Constantino and his brother Pete are riding across America to make our roads safer and inspire more bicycling. A documentary film, THE LONG BIKE BACK, is being made about Pearson’s inspirational comeback and the brothers’ epic ride.

Pearson was one of 44,000 cyclists to be injured by a motor vehicle in the United States in 2006; an additional 68,000 pedestrians were injured in traffic crashes.

On August 12th, brothers Pearson and Pete set out from Newport, Oregon, and will continue their cross-continental journey all the way to Cape Cod, Massachusetts along US Route 20, Main Street America.

Support NYBC’s Share the Road Campaign and join “The Long Bike Back” as they ride through NYS’s Capital.

Saturday, September 27th:
4:00pm: Pearson & Pete have invited cyclists, advocates and friends to accompany them the last 15 miles on their route to Washington Park, downtown Albany. Meet at the corner of Dunnesville Rd. & Route 20 (Western Ave), Dunnesville, NY, ready to ride (Please note: all riders must wear helmets–a rider will not be allowed on a ride if he/she does not have a helmet. Riders are expected and required to follow all traffic rules and regulations.)

5:00PM: arrival in Washington Park, downtown Albany.

5:30pm-6:30pm: “The Long Bike Back” Reception/Preview Screening at the Upstate Artists Guild Gallery, 247 Lark Street Albany NY 12210, co-sponsored by NYBC and the Upstate Artists Guild. Join us for a warm welcoming reception and early preview screening of a segment of “The Long Bike Back,” after which our featured guests will speak briefly about their journey, including Pearson’s recovery, and the need for motorists to be aware of vulnerable road-users. $10 donation ($5 student/low-income); proceeds for the event would benefit NYBC’s Share the Road campaign to increase bicycle safety awareness. For more information, please contact NYBC at nybc@nybc.net or (518) 436-0889. We hope you can join us for this event!

I have no idea where Dunnesville even is. As usual, anybody in the Helderberg neighborhood who wants to ride together, let me know.

So last night I biked out to the Sanctuary For Independent Media to hear Chris Carlsson’s talk. I met up with Lorenz at the boat launch. We split at 6:10, and made it there at 6:51. Important things to remember for the future. The valet bike parking was awesome.

Scott Kellogg’s brief talk was interesting, if a little too dogmatic. Carlsson’s talk was very thought-provoking. It’s good to hear someone else say what you’ve been thinking for months.

But, honestly, the best part was the ride home. A half dozen of us, lit up to varying degrees, cycling through mostly empty streets. Really a lot of fun. I met many people, and hopefully I’ll see them again.

From Bob at Liberty On Bikes!:

ok, looks like we’ll be leaving the downtube @ madison around 6 then the next meet up will be 6-615 at the boat launch then we’ll be taking the trail over to troy. if we don’t meet up before, there will be a large group going back to albany – see everyone there or along the way!

And this, of course, refers to tonight’s talk by Chris Carlsson in troy.

Bob from Liberty On Bikes! is organizing a ride to go see Critical Mass founder Chris Carlsson in Troy. Here are the details:

There’s several people wanting to ride over to troy for the chris carlson event. Anyone interested in meeting at the downtube between 6-615 to ride over? There will be myself and a friend in town from asheville, thanks! -bob

unless it takes longer to get there, then maybe meet 545, leave @ 6?

You can contact Bob via e-mail if you want to meet.

Here’s the info about the event:

World-Renowned Bicycle Revolutionary to Visit Troy 9/15

On September 15, Chris Carlsson – San Francisco-based author, urbanist, and instigator – will be presenting his latest work, Nowtopia, at The Sanctuary for Independent Media. The event is co-sponsored by the New York Bicycling Coalition and Troy Bike Rescue. Event begins at 7 P.M. at The Sanctuary for Independent Media, 3361 6th Avenue, Troy, NY. Admission by donation ($10 suggested, $5 low income). Directions and more information at www.MediaSanctuary.org or by calling 518-272-2390. Valet bike parking will be available.

Carlsson will be discussing his new book, Nowtopia, while sharing the spotlight with local bike enthusiasts, Troy Bike Rescue, and members of Rhizome Collective, of Austin, TX. As the number of cyclists continues to visibly grow, some might hope that this prophet from the bike-city of San Francisco will be bringing the good word of separated bike lanes and proper bike parking to the auto-dominated streets of the Empire State. However, Carlsson’s latest writing carry a much broader message – it’s an analysis of “work” and a vision of radical new economics that he contends is already taking shape.

Carlsson is perhaps best known in the bicycle community as one of the first motivators of the monthly Critical Mass bike rides that began in the early 90s in San Francisco, and have spread to 5 continents and over 300 cities around the world.

Local organizer and founder of Troy Bike Rescue, Andrew Lynn, remarks: “Making true social change and moving society towards sustainable future is not just about ‘going green’; it’s about building sustainable social and technical infrastructure. This will require new levels of cooperation and innovation.”

NOTE: Per Andrew Lynn: “we are looking for a few people who might want to help specifically with Valet Bike Parking. we have advertised that this service will be available. its pretty simple – taking peoples bikes a they arrive and taking them to the little alcove between the sanctuary and the adjacent building. then, someone will need to hang out by the door and be the security. ideally this would be a rotating role. please let me know if you can help with this at anyone@breathingplanet.net.”

Jason already posted the local news story about the Adore Your City bike ride. I finally got to meet regular commenter Keith, and was surprised by how many people I knew there, since this was my first group ride, outside of a few Critical Mass rides in the past (which are a totally different kind of experience!). There were people from my graduate classes, a former colleague, and Rochester’s Mayor Robert Duffy and his wife.

The first route (map here) was nice and easy, a pretty slow pace and some beautiful scenery along the Genesee River and Rochester’s Corn Hill neighborhood. It took a different kind of cycling with such a large group (about 60), but it didn’t take long to get the hang of it, and it was really fun to be such a large presence on the city streets. Since it was 9 am Sunday morning, we were pretty much the only presence on the streets.

Quite a few people (maybe 10-15?) just did the first route. By that time, I’m pretty sure I was the only one on a seriously heavy city bike, although there were also a couple of tandems there, including a recumbent tandem. Or at least I felt rather conspicuous. The first part of the second route was very familiar, covering ground I’d just ridden a few weeks ago. Once we turned to come down Old King’s Highway, through Durand Eastman park, I still felt strong, but definitely slower on those hills, and I was near the end arriving at the meeting place where everyone was waiting. I finished out the second route at the end with Kyle from Full Moon Vista, who was riding sweep.

At that point we were back at home base for lunch. Except there wasn’t anything really filling that I would choose to eat (I’m vegetarian). I’m not complaining, as I should have confirmed with the organizers whether there would be veggie options. But I needed re-fueling in a big way, and given that I’d already been lagging behind, I decided to call it a day. I headed home and inhaled two plates of pasta. The total? 39 miles for the day, at a considerably faster pace than my usual (and a considerably faster pace than the advertised 12-14 miles/hour).

It was a good ride, for a good cause. But as with any first-time event, there were a few snags. We were scheduled to complete the second route by 11:30. We completed it by about 1:15. I’m told that those remaining did one additional route, for three, rather than the originally planned four, completed routes. It went slow partly because of traffic (there was more on the second route than the first) and because it was a no-drop ride. There were a few flat tires along the way, and the riders were at various speed levels. Also, there weren’t enough restrooms for all of us at Full Moon, so the potty line was loooonngg, meaning we were just standing around waiting for a long time before heading back out for the second route.

I think some of the more advanced cyclists were frustrated by having to wait for the slower. At the same time, we were cycling at a faster rate than advertised, and the intention seemed to be that all levels would be accommodated. I really liked the fact that it was designed to be accessible to a wide variety of levels. While I like riding for recreation and physical challenge, my primary purpose is still transportation (the fact that I also love being on a bike is just icing on the cake).

I’d like to see more people cycling for transportation, and thus the more people that are encouraged to bike, the better, at whatever level. There are quite a few events that promote cycling solely as a sport for those with the time and money to participate. Let’s have an event that doesn’t exclude that part of the community, but that DOES include other portions…those who cycle because it’s the most affordable form of transportation, those who just love being on a bike, those who are committed to cycling as a sustainable form of transportation. Let’s promote cycling for people at all levels…to improve our roads, our air, and our community’s health and vitality.

So, if you’re listening, Adore Your City organizers, first of all, THANK YOU! I know it was a lot of work, and I am really appreciative of the chance to participate. I am sure that everyone has advice for you for next time…here’s mine. Please don’t make the next ride less accessible to slower, less experienced cyclists. Maybe you could have two levels of routes…one faster and more advanced, and one slower and shorter. How about a short training ride beforehand, not for the physical training, but to help people learn about the fine art of riding in a group? And please, pretty please, more potties and some carb-rich veggie food next time?