Christiania always fun!

We had Elsie's 3-year birthday party today (rain date, several weeks late!). Among many fun activities, I gave the kids rides around the neighborhood in the Christiania. So fun! Lots of them had seen me bringing the girls to school on it, so getting a ride was something they'd always wanted to do.

What a shame that more parents in the US can't experience the same excitement and joy! It just isn't the same with trailers, bike seats, and trail-a-bikes. We've got to figure out a way to make these things available here.

First Ride on the Bruce Freeman trail

Yesterday, we planned a hike with friends in Great Brook Farm State Park - one of our favorite spots.

So I took that opportunity to bike up and do the first leg of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail - it's delightful! The first phase opened just a couple weeks back, on the rainiest day we in August. (My band played at the opening too, though I must say that the quality of our playing was appropriate to the weather.)

I got onto the trail at its southern end, on Rt 225 in Carlisle at Rt 27 (Acton Rd). There were lots of people out - biking, walking, skating, etc. - just what you want to see. The quality of the paving and infrastructure are all first rate. The width of the path is a little variable, but that isn't a big deal. Seems like some of the markings aren't consistent yet, so maybe they'll work on that.

I only had time to do the first few miles, since I was meeting the family for the hike. Hart Pond was a great place to duck out - it's a beautiful spot with a little beach and a playground. From there, it was an easy jog onto Proctor Road, which turns into Old North Road after a bit, and finally turns into one of our fave trails in Great Brook Farm! That was a surprise to me - I was toddling along a nice path, and popped out right behind the interpretive center in the park.

Here's a little video from the morning.

Flat tire in Boston

On this lovely Labor Day, which also happens to be my birthday (observed), I thought I'd do an early ride around Boston for a change. I used to really enjoy my old commute, and this was a chance to revisit the old route.

In Thursday night rush hour, it was usually a bit crazy, but with virtually no traffic on a holiday morning, it's a pure delight.

So I rode down Broadway from Arlington to Davis Square, then past the back side of Porter Square, and over the bridge to Somerville Beacon Street. Then Inman, Kendall, and over the Charles on the Longfellow bridge. Next, along Cambridge Street and down to Post Office Square. From there, I rode over the newly reopened bridge over the Channel into South Boston, cruised down past the ICA and Seaport before heading back up Summer Street.

Then, just at South Station, I got a flat.

I had my new CO2 air thingie and a spare tube, but it wasn't until after I had changed the tube that I discovered I didn't have the cartridge that goes in the thingie. Bad luck all around.

The culprit, I discovered, was a little shard of pointy rock or something.

So I soon gave up hope of borrowing a pump from another biker - still too early, and not a popular area for cycling on holiday mornings. I could have hoofed it to the Charles, but it was too far to carry the bike, and I didn't want to damage the rim.

Finally, I thought I was very clever for searching the bikes locked at South Station for a pump to borrow. But I guess the owners of all those bikes were too cautious to leave their pumps, or maybe they'd already been borrowed.

So now I'm on the Red Line, approaching Alewife. I reckon I have a good chance of finding a pump or good samaritan here - if all else fails, I can always call Kim.

........

Hooray! Just met a friendly Canadian dude at the start of the bike path at Alewife. He loaned me his pump and i'm all set! I should be home in time for my b-day breakfast of challah French toast, bacon, smoothies!
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