Freecycle score!

This weekend was GORGEOUS! Finally high 50s and beautiful. I took Thorny to Broadway Bicycle School for a springtime makeover to the tune of $200+. Fine, I suppose, since I've ridden it through the winter and it's sorely in need of a new chain and hub oil change, and who knows what else.

We also got the Christiania out and went for a couple really nice rides with the girls. Ah, springtime really seems right around the corner now! The hub gear really seems to need replacing, though, and I'll probably get that done in the next couple weeks. I'm looking at a SRAM iMotion 9, which should be more robust AND give me a much more favorable gear for climbing our hill.

So, now for my big score! Kim is forever picking up bags of free stuff that she hears about on one of our local Freecycle lists. (She does contribute too - good karma!) Every once in a while, between the bags of fabric scraps and "gently" used kitchen appliances, she spies something good for me too. And today, we hit the jackpot! Here's the list of stuff that a person in Lexington put on the list - she responded within 10 minutes and I got the lot! I'll make use of just about everything eventually, but the high-power lights are superfantastic and I really need them!

• (1 pair) Specialized SPD pedals with cleats and hardware, look similar 
to Shimano but not sure if compatible, used on a road bike
• 
(1) Assorted pedal cleat mounting hardware and special tool

• (1) Roll of canvas rim spoke end protector tape

• (1) Real brake lever, unused, very light
• 
(1 pair) Kool Stop V-type all weather brake pads, in unopened package, 
includes pins
(1) Shimano Deore XT front derailleur, has a removable ring bracket 
that mounts under crank bearings somehow, used but believed to work
• 
(1) Bontrager seat post about 31mm diam, about 9 inches long, good 
condition

• (1) Curly cable, low security, stretches to about 5 feet long, add 
your own padlock
• 
(1) Kryptoflex cable, about 7 feet long, medium security, add your own 
padlock

• (1) Bianchi Vetta seat, blue and black, good condition
• 
(1) Specialized seat, black, good condition
• 
(1) Blackburn thin 26X1.25/1.50 tube, unused
• 
(1) Camelback 100oz/3 liter reservoir with Big Bite Valve, unopened in 
package, this is the old rectangular style, could be used in any knapsack
• 
(1) Camelback Hydrobak 50oz complete, very small and light, good for 
racing or kids, good condition
• 
(1) Trek multitool, has wide range of hex keys plus flat and cross 
screwdrivers
• 
(1) Planet Bike helmet and bar lights (2 independent lights), inline 
switches and water bottle style battery cases. Put out a lot of light but 
these are incandescent and each light uses 4 D cell batteries (not 
included!)

• (2) Blackburn saddle bags, narrow profile, zipper expandable, big 
enough to hold flat and minor repair items plus snack bars
• 
(1) Nightstick light kit: One 15w incandescent head, one 10w 
incandescent head, 1 bar mount, 1 remote switch, 1 cord, 2 Nimh battery 
sticks, 1 dual battery mount (fits under bottle cage), 2 AC chargers, 1 car 
charger. Very bright, battery life 45 min - 1 hr each.

Sweet! Thanks Freecycle!

Early morning tour of Boston

For the first time in MONTHs, I went for an early Sunday morning ride today. I was up by 6 (daylight approaching!!!), and out on the road by 7. Despite recent snow, the roads are in pretty good shape.

I decided to do a tour of Boston and Cambridge instead of heading out of town, where it's more countrified, but where there are fewer sights and distractions - and distraction is just what I needed this morning.

I took it easy, never really exceeding 14mph or so, often going slower to take in my surroundings. I made my way to Harvard Square via the Cambridge end of the bike path, largely avoiding Mass Ave and going in via Garden Street. After Harvard, I did went straight to the river on Mass Ave, then got onto the path at the Esplanade, then all the way down to MHG. It was all very quiet, being an early, chilly Sunday morning!

From there, I went up the backside of the North End along the river, and back up the length of Hanover Street, where people were already out and about, mostly getting their coffee and pastries and such. Once I hit the artery, I defiantly rode onto the Rose Kennedy Greenway, where no biking is allowed - what a travesty!!! So I flouted the law along the greenway to the Aquarium. I said good morning to the sea lions in the enclosure in front, then rode around to the back and greeted the seals in the new area in back. They're in a beautiful new enclosure facing the harbor, with a lovely public space along the water.

I continued along the footpath on the water all the way to the rickety old bridge by the Barking Crab, then crossed, heading towards the Seaport. My next stop was the ICA, where I took a short break. It's a wonderful route, and as much as it's fun to see the sights of Boston, it also really really reminds me of my old early morning rides around London to the Docklands.

From there, I rode back past the Children's Museum and over the Summer Street bridge - then home along my old commuting route: Over the Longfellow Bridge, to Kendall Square, Inman Square, Davis Square, and up Mass Ave and home.

I'm knackered! And it's only 9:30 now, and the whole day is ahead of us.

Join the world's first biking dixieland band!

I'm putting together a dixieland band on wheels! All I've got so far is myself and my ridiculous idea - so I'm looking for some solid musicians who are also keen cyclists.

We won't play while riding, but we should be able to carry all of our kit on bikes so we can participate in group rides, parades, and community events. This will be easier for some than others, but I will be riding my Christiania cargo trike, with plenty of room for an amp and some other unwieldy equipment.

I anticipate that most of our summer performances will be at outdoor events relating to cycling in some way, but as we progress musically, we may also take on gigs without the bikes. I'd like to start rehearsing in February so we're ready to go this Spring.

I've got trombone covered, but here are the other players I need:

• Trumpet
• Clarinet/tenor sax
• Guitar/banjo
• Bass/tuba
• Piano
• Drums
  

Apart from playing great traditional dixieland music, the band (which still needs a clever and catchy name), will also be about cycling advocacy. So it's important for all of us to be passionate about the music and about cycling.

I live and work in Arlington, and I expect that most rehearsals will be in the same general area. I'm sure there are lots of questions I haven't thought about yet, and I'm looking forward to sorting them out as a group.

Are you interested? If so, please email me at ahconway@gmail.com and tell me about your music and your cycling - and any other genius ideas you have for making this band work!

About me: I've been active in cycling advocacy in New York, London, and Boston since 1990. I can be spotted around Arlington doing the school run with my two daughters on the Christiania most days (when the weather cooperates). I play tenor trombone with the Chelmsford Community Concert and Jazz Bands, and other gigs as they come up.

12 degrees fahrenheit

12 degrees fahrenheit
Originally uploaded by ahconway

Today was one of the coldest mornings of the year, 12 degrees or so without chill factor. Elsie has school today (which she was very excited about: pajama day!) Kim had an early meeting in Boston and took all our car keys with her so I biking with them was really the only option available. Fortunately, while crazily cold, the weather was very clear and the road surfaces were clear. So I bundled up both of them in a few layers and two blankets and set off down the hill to Elsa's school.

Since I'd also bundled myself up pretty well, we arrived in good shape, everyone chipper and ready for the day! Even the unicorn.

The ride home was a bit tough - my lungs suffered a bit when breathing hard, but I took it easy, walking up the steepest bits.

Then Gem and I had a lazy morning doing crafts and unpacking from our holiday trip to NYC.

And then, of course, I found the spare car key!

New Year's Resolutions for 2010

I'm not big on resolutions, but why not? There's definitely a handful of things I want to make sure to get done next year - if I resolve to do just that, looks like I've got a list of resolutions. Here goes, no particular order.

1. Form the world's first biking Dixieland band. It's about time two of my great life passions converged: Cycling and playing trombone! I've already sent out a call for cycling musicians and had a great response. Now I just need to make it happen! (And find a tuba player....)
   
   
2. Get a snazzy lightweight road bike. If I learned anything about myself as a cyclist this year, it's that I have loads of fun and can go 25% faster on a sporty bike than on my trusty expedition tourer.
   
   The budget will be a challenge for sure. But my devotion to steel will probably work in my favor here. I could end up with a nice vintage Colnago or a new bike built around a Soma Stanyan or Thorn Audax Mk3 (which would match my Raven exactly, unless I go with the red finish). As long as I don't need the latest carbon fiber frooferie and refuse to ride aluminium, I have lots of options on a budget. Another nice option is the Fratello from Condor Cycles in London - I ADORE the yellow one and the champagne one - set it up with a nice brown Brooks B17 and brown leather bar tape and it's a time machine back to 1978.
   
   
3. Do some overnight touring. Even if it's just credit card touring, I ought to be able to spare a couple days to spend on the road for a bit of adventure! I may even be able to mate this up with the old D2R2 or our summer trip to the Berkshires.
   
   
4. Blog more! Facebook is great for lots of stuff, but it's also reduced my time & desire to blog. I've been at it here for about 4 1/2 years, which is pretty good! Facebook and Twitter are fleeting, and it's easy for your little bit of genius to disappear down the queue. So look for my best stuff here (which, conveniently, automatically appears on Facebook anyhoo!)
   
   
5. Get out on the road with the family. We had some nice family rides this year, but Kim didn't have much time for riding. Hopefully, she'll be able to work it into her commute. Gemma's all for the trail-a-bike, but she should start riding on her own this summer. Elsa should be ready for the trail-a-bike when Gem graduates.

This is just the personal and family stuff. Of course, it's great that many of my worky resolutions are also bike-related! But I'll leave those alone for now. Overall, I managed to get into really great shape this summer, pretty early on. One reason I was able to do this was getting out on longer organized rides - I intend to do the same this year without question.

Buon anno!

2 quarts of hot mulled cider to go, please

2 quarts of hot mulled cider to go, please
Originally uploaded by ahconway

Did a great ride out to Great Brook Farm today with a very nice Ciclismo group. We stuck to a moderate 13mph pace, so it was all very relaxed. Perfect for an Indian summer day like this! Plenty of leaves everywhere, temperature peeking into the 60s!

For our snack at Great Brook Farm, I brought a pannier of Kim's famous apple hand pies and a big thermos of hot mulled cider.

In addition to my clever handlebar bags doubling at compact color-coordinated panniers, I made use of the eyelets on my saddle and a pair of good old leather toe straps to carry the thermos! Toe straps are a completely underappreciated cycling accessory!

Kindred spirits at Trinity

I had a perfectly delightful coffee & lunch last week with Trinity Italian professor Dario Del Puppo and student Jamie Merolla (class of 2010). Both kindred spirits: keen cyclists and Italophiles, and Dario in particular is completely in tune with my velo-sensibility: he rode a beautiful vintage Fat Chance fixie to our rendezvous, and he has a great variety of steel bikes in his stable. I'm looking forward to riding with them in the springtime, if not before!