Portland Oregon Ride

My business trip to Portland is almost at an end. Work went well, and we managed to have a couple very nice dinners to boot.

Of course, I was very excited about experiencing some of the cycling scene while I was here, and I had a chance to do that on Sunday morning. My hotel (the Doubletree near the Convention Center) is nothing to rave about, and the surrounding area is also unremarkable, but it's a very easy walk over the Steel Bridge (that is, the dedicated foot & bike bridge underneath), or a quick ride on the tram to Old Town.

So on Sunday, I was up early and walked over for a nice breakfast at Cafe Bijou, then went to Waterfront Bicycles to hire a bike for the morning. I was lucky to be as early as I was, since there was already a queue at 15 mins past opening, and I got one of the last rentals they had on hand. I was allocated a hybrid of some sort, but then I spied a Redline 29er and got that instead! The staff there handled the fracas admirably and fairly, and I was all kitted out in less than 15 mins or so. The person who set me up recommended that I ride up to Forest Park and do the Lief Erikson trail, a wide hardpack gravel road up along a beautiful forested mountain ridge north of town. He marked a good route on a free Portland Bike Map and I was off!

The route through town took me through some delightful neighborhoods and up a reasonably steep hill to the entrance to the park. The grid system was very easy to navigate, and it certainly helps that the streets in that area are numbered going one way and alphabetical the other! At some point, I also picked up a series of signs pointing to the park.

When I reached the entrance to the park, I was glad to find a water fountain, since I hadn't brought any water with me. Trail continued uphill, and the surface was a hardpacked gravel, with some really rocky, bumpy bits. Beautiful trail, though, with glimpses of the river down below through the thick forest. It continues about 11 miles from one end to the other. I opted to turn around at the halfway point and head back downtown, where I tooled around for another hour or so before returning the bike.

I took the wonderful Max tram back to the hotel to prepare for an afternoon meeting after a mediocre burrito from a stand in the Saturday Market.

It was a really wonderful ride, and a great surprise to be able to spend time on an offroad trail, not just around town. I'd wanted to be immersed in the famous Portland bike culture, and I guess I did that - to the degree that such a thing is possible in a few hours. I had a great chat with the guy at the bike shop, and experienced lots of marked bike paths and dedicated infrastructure, and also headed out of town to share one of the city's greatest assets. The tram was also a high point, and apparently a boon for cyclists, since every ride I took had at least one cyclist onboard with his or her bike.

Note: I had hoped to do a guided tour by bike, and I was referred to Evan Ross of Portland Bicycle Tours. I didn't contact him until the night before, so by the time I heard back from him, I was already on my way back to the shop to return my rental bike. Once we had established contact, though, he seemed very responsive and friendly. Definitely worth a try next time!

Family bike ride to Lexington

Family bike ride to Lexington
Originally uploaded by ahconway

We managed to dodge the thunderstorms today and have a really nice extended family bike ride to Lexington. Amy brought her bike up from NY and rode on her own, with Gem & Ginny with me and Elsie on the Bobike Mini with Kim. I wasn't sure Elsie was still going to fit on the Mini at 2 years old and about 28 lbs, but it was a perfect fit with the footrests on their bottom hole.

Because of the thunderstorms that were forecast, we thought it best to take the car to the Park Ave access to the Minuteman path so there would be an easy retreat if we needed it (for those on 2 wheels, anyway). The plan worked great! We had a delightful ride out to Lexington, and by the time we arrived, there were big black clouds overhead. We played on the grass next to the Depot for a bit, then we had dinner at Bertucci's while rain came down.

By the time we were done with dinner, the rain had stopped, and we had a very nice ride back to the bikes, and Amy rode back up the hill with me and the older girls!

Great day for all.

Bike tour of St. Louis

Bike St. Louis street marking
View more pictures here

I was in St Louis last weekend for the long-anticipated reunion of the University City High School Jazz Band from 1983 - that's 25 years since we went on our grand tour of Europe, playing in Paris and Montreux.

The reunion was a pure delight, and it was wonderful to see everyone who turned up. It was like the realization of a dream I've had many, many times in which I'm playing with the band again, even improvising when my turn comes around! I may not have the chops I once did, but I think all (especially me!) were suprised to find that my improvisational skills are no better and no worse than they were back then.

I also took the opportunity to spend a full day exploring all my old haunts by bike. I arranged in advance to hire a bike from City Cycling Tours, recommended to me by someone on the St. Louis Bike Federation's Yahoo Group. Even though the company primarily runs guided tours of Forest Park, the proprietor, Chris, was all too willing to drop off a nice, well-maintained Giant city bike at my hotel and pick it up at the end of the day. He's a great St. Louis cycling advocate, and he recommended lots of routes for me. (I'll have to return for most of it, though... I'd love to do the Katy Trail, and even the Riverfront trail I was going to try was underwater that day!)

Even though I last biked through St Louis over a decade ago, everything came back to me quite easily. Apart from visiting my old High School stomping ground, I also really wanted to experience the routes put in place by the Bike St. Louis program and the new infrastructure around Forest Park.

I started in Forest Park, and found the trails to be extremely well maintained and marked. While I believe most (if not all) of the paths existed when I last rode them over a decade ago, the signs and markings are all quite new. They're shared-use paths, of course, but there's a network of running paths that also seem quite good. City Cycling Tours is based out of the park's Visitor Center, and while I didn't stop in, there seemed to be a lot of bikes available there, and lots bikers were stopping by to fill up water bottles and whatever else.

Riding around the park was pure bliss. There were lots of people out (it was Fathers' Day, and a beautiful one at that), but at no point did it seem crowded. I did at least two circuits around the periphery of the park, and criss-crossed the interior several times to visit the Art Museum, see the Muny, etc.

It did seem to me that there could have been more bike parking facilities, and better access to drinking fountains. When I stopped at the Zoo, the one standard bike rack was completely full, the one at the Art Museum was the same size and also quite full when I arrived.

The free Forest Park map was quite good, with clear indications of all the "wheel" and "heel" paths in addition to roads and landmarks. The one shortcoming, which Forest Park shares with the Bike St. Louis program, is that there's no obvious link between the two. The routes and markings in the park seem to be maintained by the park, and there was no clear link-up with the routes outside the park that I could see. In particular, it was a little tough to figure out how to navigate from the Forest Park path to the Bike St. Louis route at the northeast corner of the park. Maybe I missed it, but it would be nice to have signs inside the park that point to the external routes.

Generally, though, I was really impressed with the Bike St. Louis routes as well. I followed them through the Loop and down to the Arch and back through the Central West End, and they were very easy to find, understand, and follow. It was particularly nice to have the combination of street markings and signs pointing to various landmarks. One thing I found to be a bit odd was that many of the routes seem to be along main roads where the traffic would undoubtedly be really heavy on weekdays, and it seems like there could be better alternatives in more residential areas here and there.

When I was last in the area about ten years back, I distinctly remember thinking things had taken a turn for the worse since I last lived there in the 80s. This time, though, it's exactly the opposite! Especially around U. City and the Central West End, everything seemd to be thriving, clean, and beautiful!

I really look forward to returning with the family, and hopefully, it won't take another ten years to make that happen.

Here's a comprehensive photo set of my day out.

And here's a subset of shots of bike infrastructure.

And here's a more-or-less accurate account of my journey:

• Started at my hotel, the bizarre Cheshire Lodge
• Around Forest Park on new marked bike paths
• To the Arch via Bike St. Louis route
• Back via Central West End, where I had brunch at Companion (verygood, nice outside table, unfortunate Tropicana OJ - why not fresh?)
• Through the Loop
• To Delmar Harvard & Library
• All around University City Heights
• Took break in Lewis Park
• To U City High School
• To Jackson Park and Wash U
• Back to Forest Park
• To Art Museum, browsed impressionists
• To the Zoo, browsed animals
• After that, I finally returned the bike and took the rental car to alate lunch at White Castle and dessert at Ted Drewes!

Arlington hand-built cargo bike

Arlington hand-built cargo trike
Originally uploaded by ahconway

Kim spied this cargo bike outside the Fox Library in Arlington and snapped this photo. Interesting! I hope I can run across it myself and find out more!

Beating the traffic sensor

On my usual route to work, there's an intersection (the corner of Pleasant Street & Gray Street in Arlington), where I often get stuck at the light because it's triggered by a traffic sensor. I have two options: run the light when cross traffic allows, or press the pedestrian signal button, which stops traffic in all directions.

But this weekend, Kim and I rode down to Harvard Square along the same route and discovered that the Christiania trike and her Fahrrad Manufaktur bike combined will trigger the light! My Chrisitiania alone might do it, but I'll have to try that another time.

You have to celebrate the small triumphs.

Ricola Race

Ricola Race Peloton
Originally uploaded by ahconway

An otherwise dull business trip turned interesting for a couple hours last week, when it turned out that there was a pro cycle race in Basking Ridge, the very town where I was working! I had a few extra minutes to grab dinner, and it just so happened that the peloton was lining up for the Ricola Race at that very minute. Perhaps not the most exciting race, but it was a lovely evening, and it was a very well-run little criterium. Lots of small-town interest, with people watching from porches and dining on TV tables on their lawns. I had to leave halfway through to get back to work, but it was still lots of fun!

My sister on a bike!

Hooray! After I don't know how many years of encouraging my sister to get on a bike for fun and exercise, she's finally at it. She's had a nice bike for over a year now (a great first step!), and now she's actually hit the road. Go Amy go!

Cycling postman in Miami Beach

Cycling postman on Lincoln Road
Originally uploaded by ahconway

We spotted a few cycling postmen in Miami Beach last week. Interesting steel utility bikes with smaller front wheels. No helmets on the postmen, but I also didn't see any of them actually riding!

Book of Bicycle Tours in Maine

Because we have family in Maine and travel to the region several times a year, I've been on the lookout for a compendium of good Maine bike routes.

I've scoured the internet, looked a few books, but came up pretty much dry. I was sure there would be marked trails, like ones I've seen in Vermont, but I wasn't able to find anything at all.

I started thinking about this because of relatives in Skowhegan, with the ambitious goal of cycling the 300-odd miles from Boston later this summer. But a recommended route? I was left high and dry.

So I was delighted to come across a spiral bound book "Explore Maine by Bike - 25 Bicycle Tours" at a mediocre bike shop in Kittery. It's a full-color, 8.5 x 11 inch book, including 25 detailed maps and nice detailed fold-outs of the routes. It's publisehd by the Maine Department of Transportation. I was ready to buy it on the spot, but I could find neither a price nor a sales stooge, so it was mine. (I'm reasonably certain that it wasn't meant to be charged for, but it probably cost the state at least $15 to produce.)

The routes are primarily along the coast, with a high concentration in the southern end of the state. Perfect for me!

It didn't make any sense that they would have produced this and kept it a complete secret, so I set about searching the web again, and finally came to Explore Maine - By Bike on the state's official website. It seems to have all the same content in downloadable PDF format, though it's really hard to find and substantially less than straightforward to navigate.

The two tours I have high hopes of completing before the end of the year are both a stone's throw from Skowhegan:

Kennebec River: This hilly and scenic gem winds through the historically important Kennebec River Valley and features a mix of agricultural and rugged mountainous terrain.

and

Waterville-China Lakes: Challenging hills and excellent views make this tour a 3-season pleaser as it traverses the China Lakes region with its ridge views and charming villages.

How exciting! I just can't believe how poorly Maine has publicized all this!

It is a glorious day!

A little hay fever notwithstanding, today is certainly the nicest of the year so far. I have a meeting at Babson, so t've biked from home and will change beforehand. I made very good time on this lovely day, so I've got about an hour to spare. Which i'm spending in the park and doing emails. Ah!

Big week, mileage-wise

Last week I set out to ride 100 miles. It turned out to be a less-than-ambitious goal, since I topped 110 after just 4 days riding in to work. It was nice having a goal, though, and I ended up making extra time in the morning to do an extra loop here and there. I also added an extra mile or so on the way home by coming up the bike path to Park Ave instead of the direct route.

Then on Sunday, I did another 55 in a gorgeous early morning ride. I followed a Rubel map out to Shelbourn and back. It was particularly tiring for some reason (maybe because I'd already done 110 miles that week?), but also the most beautiful ride I've done recently. Wild turkey count: 1. Giant coyote count: 1.

Close call on Park Ave

I was cruising down Park Ave this morning at a little after 6, and a large van from "Eddy's Bakery Products" started to cross in front of me. I'm sure the guy saw me (I was a reasonable distance away from that intersection when he pulled out), and I did my best to catch his eye. He pulled out anyway, of course, and slowly crossed in front of me, causing me to slam on the brakes to avoid running right into the side of the van at 25mph. I was in control the whole time, but it was very annoying nevertheless. So this morning at 9:30, I called and left a message at the Arlington company with my name and phone number, and details of the almost-incident.

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Update: The owner (I believe) left me a message toward the end of the day with a sincere apology, letting me know that he'd speak to the driver.

Christiania all fit for Spring

As mechanically disinclined as I am, i'm all the more clueless when it comes to the inner workings of my Christiania trike. Not that it's so terribly complex, but I haven't had disc brakes before, and what goes on underneath is a bit of a mystery.

And since when just about every journey I do with it involves riding up and down hugely steep hills with all of my children inside, I figure it's a good idea to keep it in good shape.

I agreed with Dave at Broadway Bike that I should bring it in for a quick once-over to see if we needed to order any parts, so yesterday, that's just what I did.

I dropped Gem off at school on the way, which is always fun. Then I rode on to Cambridge . I wanted to avoid the rough pacing around Porter Square but largely failed at that, then I ended up in a giant traffic jam on Oxford Street, approaching Harvard. Turns out there was a chemical spill of some sort so there was a huge turnout of emergency vehicles in every direction. And what I sometimes forget about the trike is that its width essentially relegates me to waiting with the queues of cars since I can't squeeze between.

Still, the 10 mile journey to work took only about an hour, not bad considering the various delays.

On my way home, I stopped at the Broadway Bicycle School and spent about 20 mins and 10 dollars with Dave. He declared the Christiania to be in great shape and only ended up adjusting the disc brakes so they're a more even.

The next service will be in a 3 months or so, when the chain might need replacing or tensioninh, and the brake pads might need to be replaced. To that end, I've emailed Andrea at Velorution in London to see who makes the brakes, and how I can get replacement pads.

In the meantime, it's about time we started enjoying the Springtime, and the Christiania will play a big part in that.

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Update: I've heard back from Velorution that the brakes are made by Winzip - http://www.winzip-diskbrake.com/ . A terrible brand name, but it's apparently popular as an OEM component.

More Bobike Kudos

When I took Elsie out on the Bobike Mini last weekend, I was approached by a guy who badly wants something similar for his own bike and his small daughter. Of course, I told him all about it and suggested that he Google for a US supplier. (I really do need to carry cards with me when I go out with the Bobike or the Christiania!).

And coincidentally, I got another nice message about my Bobike article today, with a question tacked on to the end:

You have a fantastic page on the Bobike and your daughter looks so sweet! I remember when we went out the first time with our youngest on the front in the Bobike Mini and our middle daughter was behind me! I could barely squeeze in between them! Our youngest has now sadly grown out of the Mini and is in a Hamax behind me; the middle one goes behind my husband and our eldest proudly whizzes around on her Princess bike!

I wonder if you can help me with a silly thing – I still have the mounting bracket on my handlebar for the Bobike mini as we cannot remember how we put it on! I’ve lost the little box with the instruction leaflet and we just cannot work it out.

And my reply:

Removing the bracket is pretty straightforward, but it's awkward without the tool that comes with the seat. There are two hex nuts that need to be unscrewed to release the two halves of the mounting bracket. The bolts are more or less perpendicular to the stem. The best thing to use to get them off is the barrel-shaped wrench that comes with the seat; otherwise, use a standard wrench, but be prepared to turn in tiny increments. That's all there is to it!

The Boston Globe: Good News & Bad News

There were two articles in the Sunday Globe about cycling in Boston - one good, one perfectly atrocious.

The first was part of what appears to be a regular column (though I couldn't find it last week) called Shifting Gears. Based on the couple columns they've published so far, I'm enthusiastic. It's well-written and reasonably insightful, focusing on local policy and advocacy issues while still managing to appeal to a non-cycling (or, in many cases in this town anti-cycling) readership. This Sunday's column focused on Nicole Freedman, who is heading up the bike program for the City of Boston. It also mentions one of her first initiatives, the mapping program that uses Google Maps, which I contributed to when it was launched.

On the other hand, there was the piece in the Business section called On the trail of a good recreational bike. This was an insipid bit of fluff that really did nothing more than state that there are many choices for a recreational bike. It's unfocused and confused, a real hodgepodge of the quotes that the correspondent collected from his interviews. It starts by saying that you can spend as little as $100 on a new bike, and ends with a recommendation that a prospective buyer consider the appearance of a new bike. What really amazed me about this article was the 2 inches of white space after the last column. When is the last time anybody saw white space in a newspaper? This tells me that the corresponedent couldn't dredge up anything else to say, which is all the more surprising considering the paucity of actual information conveyed in what was published.

Nevertheless, I'm bolstered by the new Shifting Gears column and I eagerly look forward to the next one, whenever it might appear.

First really lovely day

Despite forecasts of incessant rain all day, it got to be very nice this afternoon, sunny and in the 50s! Elsie and I went for a nice ride down to the playground at Spy Pond, then all the way back up the bike path to Arlington Heights. It's only the second time she's been on the Bobike Mini, and she really loved it! She held the handlebars right next to my hands when she wasn't ringing her bell. Very sweet!

The other interesting development today was a couple free second-hand bikes I picked up, thanks to a posting on the Arlington List and Kim's keen eye. I got a strange early-80s Diamond Back mountain bike. It has a chunky steel frame, high handlebars, and 12 speeds with friction (not indexed) thumb shifters. I pumped up the tires and it seems to be in pretty good shape! What'll I do with it? Who knows, but it's free! Also got a little Gary Fisher bike for Gem (I guess) with training wheels, which will have to come off: I don't want her learning on a bike with them.

Almost April and still freezing!

I picked up Thorny from Harris Cyclery yesterday after a tune-up and hub oil change (I know, I should be doing all this myself, but who's got the time?). So today, I got up at an ungodly hour and did 50 miles before breakfast (left around 6, returned around 9:30).

It was a beautiful route, courtesy Rubel's Pocket Maps once again. The route picked up at the Bedford end of the Minuteman path and took me through Lexington, Carlisle, Bedford, Acton, Concord, etc. The destination of sorts was Nagog Pond, a public water supply lake in Acton with no public access. Very pretty, though.

But man it was cold! It was dark and about 22 degrees when I left the house, and it only eeked up to about 33 by the time I arrived back home. Because it was pitch black until around 6:30, I opted to avoid the bike path until Lexington. And in that first half hour, both of my water bottles had already frozen up substantially - an hour later they were completely frozen! At least I was dressed warmly enough, except for my toes, which were pretty cold all morning.

Which commuting bike?

When I rode to work or to the train station in London, I would always use the Fahrrad - my German city bike with fenders, rack, 7 speed hub gear, dynamo-powered lights, chain guard, and upright bars. I used this bike for most utility trips, actually (as opposed to exercise or distance).

It was the perfect bike for this sort of thing. Very upright, so I could see everywhere and all could see me. It was easy to ride and very stable with or without a load. I had the child seat on that bike, and it was also very easy to take Gemma wherever.

When I first started riding it, the biggest revelation was that I felt like I was really part of the world during my journeys - I was really in touch with my surroundings, and I could stop quite easily, lock up, and investigate a shop, take a break, or whatever. I almost always dressed in normal street clothes, so I didn't have to worry about being dressed inappropriately or bringing a change of clothes.

So when I started riding to work here in Boston, I started with the Fahrrad once again. I didn't quite know how to pack proper work attire, and I was afraid my Thorn would get stolen, so I assumed that I'd just use the Fahrrad like before. I wouldn't have to change clothes, and the bike is pretty unappealling to thieves.

After my first couple tries, it was apparent that this wasn't the ideal solution. For all of its stability and smoothness on the flat, the bike really isn't designed for big hills - it's heavy, upright, and the gearing is pretty high. Which was a problem because I live on top of one of the biggest hills around. And since I wasn't in particularly good shape at that point, this was especially daunting. Also, my commute in London was usually 4 or 5 miles, and here, it's 9 or 10, depending on my route. So the ride rally tired me out, especially on returning home. This also meant that I got sweatier than expected, so I started wishing for a shower and change of clothes.

Then I started riding in on my Thorn, and that's worked really well. It's much more comfortable than the Fahrrad (owing to a better long-distance position, a more forgiving frame and more voluminous tires, I think). I've also attached a hard-shell box on top of the rear rack, which works great for bringing a change of clothes. I've also largely stopped worrying about theft, thanks to a variety of locks and judicious choice of lockup spots. But I really do feel like I need to ride in proper cycling clothes because there's grease to contend with, I do get the odd bit of water splashing up, and my Brooks saddle could potentially discolor light-colored trousers.

So when I had a meeting in Allston yesterday, I dusted off the Fahrrad and rode it in all my business finery. It worked just fine, of course, but I was really surprised at the unforgiving ride, especially over the very poor road conditions. On the way home, I managed to cruise up our hill without too much trouble, though I must admit that I did think about walking at a couple of the steeper points.

This got me thinking about whether there's a better bike for me to commute on. Maybe something a little lighter than both, with drop bars and a rack, a regular transmission (not a hub gear like both of my other bikes), and fenders. Maybe a Surley? Not too sexy, though. I saw a beautiful refurbed Vitus in black and polished aluminium at Alewife today. I'm going to keep my eyes peeled.

New-old saddle bag

New-old saddle bag
Originally uploaded by ahconway

Very nice 26-mile ride yesterday (Sunday). Did the easy loop up to Carlisle, to Concord, and home. Lots more work than I'd expected, though, due to strong, cold headwinds for much of the ride.

As usual before a short-ish ride like this, I struggled with choosing the right bag to bring. I didn't want a pannier or even my Carradice Barley (both too big, and the Barley is a pain to attach).

So then it occurred to me that the early 80s Schwinn I found at a yard sale last hear had this Cannondale bag on it. I dug my way into the bike garage and found it - perfect! Just the right size for a cable lock, some snacks, tube & patch kit, and a little camera.

It's a nice glimpse into the early days of Cannondale, when it subsisted on bike luggage, all products had train-themed names, and the logo depcited a little train station (I believe the company was named after the Metro North station in CT that served its original HQ).

Good natured motorcycle cop

On Charles Street this morning, was spinning along after a very pleasant ride along the Esplanade and came to a red light. It's a light that I sometimes slow and go through if there's no one around. But today, there was a motorcycle cop coming in from the right, and I was all the way to the right on Charles Street, so he was quite close.

He said to me "I'm goin right theah," indicating that he intended to park his motorbike where I was waiting. So I said "So you won't arrest me for running this light, then?"

"No way!" he said, smiling. So I cruised on through and he pulled into my spot.

It's not the first time I've been encouraged to run a light by a Boston cop, and I'm not sure how I feel about it.

Snowy commute today

Snowy commute on Boston Common
Originally uploaded by ahconway

It was snowing and low-20s when I left the house this morning, which made the commute a little treacherous! I used main roads for the best surface possible, but that also meant that there was lots of slush to contend with, which ended up freezing on the bike. Not ideal to have icy rims and brakes, but I just had to pump the brakes regularly to keep them clear.
I was going to do the bike path, but it was completely covered with snow!
The only trouble was when I got to work and found that both my locks had frozen! I used my emergency lock while I ran upstairs to fill a jug with hot water, which did the trick. Of course, if it stays below freezing all day, I'll probably have to do the same at the end of the day. I ran into the building super on the way in, and he recommended that I get a spray can of de-icer. Probably not the most sustainable solution, but that may be preferable to having no locks!

Why do I commute by bike?

There's a nice little (unscientific) survey about commuting to work on Kent's blog. I've replied... nothing groundbreaking, though.

See http://kentsbike.blogspot.com/2008/02/why-do-you-commute-by-bicycle.html

Second thoughts about tires

My Finnish tires turned up sure enough, and they seem very nice indeed. I can see how they'd be very useful for lots of riding over lots of consistently grisly, frozen terrain.

But as rough as Somerville Ave is these days, I don't think that warrants switching to studded snow tires.

So I blew $100 for nuthin... wouldn't be the first time.

I rode to work this morning, and despite a temperature in the teens and remnants of 10 inches of snow from a few days ago, I was still fine with my Panaracers. A little extra vigilance is the important thing.

Yesterday I brought the bike inside and spent an hour or so cleaning the drivetrain. I did a pretty thorough job on the chain, chainring, and rear sprocket, using various Pedro's cleaning supplies and a couple Clorox wipes. Ran very smoothly today.

New winter tires on the way!

After a couple scary moments on the road and hearing some VERY scary tales on various bikey lists, I've decided to get some proper winter tires.

I based my decision on 3 sources: www.icebike.com, the Charles River Wheelmen list, and Peter White Cycles in New Hampshire, which seems to be the top source for winter biking stuff.

Icebike and Peter White's website both have a lot of info about studded tires, and consensus seems to be that Finnish Nokian is the best.  They do some very robust and quite spendy models that are designed for cross country riding in arctic conditions - clearly not what I need.

I first wanted to go with the Winter version of the venerable Schwalbe Marathon, but White's shop was sold out. Instead, I ordered a pair of Nokian A10s. Like the Marathons, they're designed for commuting, with intermittent ice and snow.

Of course, this will also be a good incentive for me to clean my drivetrain and rims when I do the switch!

I'll post again once I've got them fitted and logged a few miles.

Bad bike parking

Bad bike parking
Originally uploaded by ahconway

The locks I leave near the office were frozen solid today (drat!), so I locked up at a nearby office building. It's the HQ of one of Boston's most succesful companies. It's recently been refurbished resplendently. But despite the hundreds and hundreds of people who work there, bike parking has been relegated to a couple racks at the edge of the loading dock.

Bike path plowing works!

Bike path in the snow
Originally uploaded by ahconway

I rode in to work today, after yesterday's 12-ish inches of snow. I was going to ride the bike path, but then it occurred to me that there really wouldn't be anywhere for me to go after I got to Alewife...

But I did want to have a look at how the path looked after having been plowed. Here it is, just at Carberry's (now Java Somethingorother), and it looks pretty good! Just a fine dusting since it was plowed, but entirely rideable.

As was, it turned out, the rest of my usual route to work. Just required a little extra caution.

Happy New Year

I managed to ride exactly zero miles during the holidays owing to bad weather (tons of snow - bad for biking, anyway) and persistent mild sickness. But now it's the new year, and after a bout of single digits last week, things have milded up and it's quite nice for biking!

I got back in the saddle yesterday (Sunday) for a ride up to Carlisle. I just wanted to do a loop up around Great Brook Farm and back via Concord. Mission accomplished, but it was a tough one! The weather was nice, high 30s, and most of the snow was gone on the main roads, so riding was smooth. Surprisingly little traffic too, especially in the first couple hours before 10.

Once I got to Carlisle and turned off the main road to head through the State Park, though, it was a different story. The woodsy farmy scenery was beautiful, but the road surface was atrocious! It started a little slushy (causing me to have two near falls, putting a foot down each time), but after not too long, the entire surface was covered with varying thicknesses of packed snow and ice. To add to the treacherousness, the road was narrow and pretty hilly. Fine on the way up, scary on the way down. I finally got the hang of it, sticking to the bits where the sand was embedded in the surface, and managed to stay upright. It was slow going, though! Fortunately, almost no traffic for that bit.

I had another little hardship on the way home. As I left Concord, my energy was sapped. I wasn't going fast at all, but the lactic acid hit my thighs with a vengeance. I stopped and took out a rock-solid energy bar, which I muched on for a half hour or so. That helped for sure, but I never got back up to snuff; my ride up Park Ave to the water tower was just about the slowest I can remember - I usually even manage a better pace with the Christiania!

Nevertheless, I got 35 miles under my belt, and I added another 20 with my commute today. Now that the Charles River Wheelmen has an online mileage tracking tool, I'll be logging my miles every month, and I'm off to a pretty good start!

New waterproof gloves

Super Flex Best fisherman's glove
Originally uploaded by ahconway

It's miserable getting your nice warm gloves soaked through on your commute to work and having to ride home with cold gloves, still soaking.

Various bike store sales people have told me that "there's no such thing as waterproof". Fine. But could that really be true?

I couldn't imagine this to really be the case. So I asked one of my trusty email lists (internet-BOB) and got a range of replies from all over the world.

One kind soul who lives nearby emailed me off-list to say that he has a pair of completely waterproof fisherman's gloves that he'd sell me cheap. So we met in Davis Square this morning and did the deal. Had a very nice chat, too! Very likeable fellow.

The gloves (as this photo clearly shows) are utterly and completely waterproof, but perhaps not suited to stuffing cotton into little bottles and the like.

It was a great start to the day (which also happens to be a gorgeous 58 degrees!), after which I found a nice reflective trouser band in the street!

Bedford Narrow Gauge Rail Trail

Bedford Narrow Gauge Rail Trail
Originally uploaded by ahconway

Wonderful afternoon ride yesterday. I allowed myself 90 minutes during naptime, so I rode up the Minuteman path, then I took my first real forray up the Bedford Narrow Gauge Rail Trail. (The Friends of Bedford Depot Park publish a very nice, detailed guide to the trail.)

Not many people on either path, so it was really lovely. Lots of leaves, and I took care not to go slip-sliding away, but I never really lost my footing at any point.

The real surprise was the second path, which picks up very near the Bedford end of the Minuteman path, across Loomis Street. It even has a bit of the old track at the start. The surface starts fully paved, then it turns to packed gravel, much like many of the Sustrans routes in the UK. Again, lots of leaves, but the surface was generally very good, allowing me to truck along at 17mph for most of its length.

I turned around at Fawn Lake (which warrants further exploration another time), which turned out to be precisely 10 miles from home.

Old Thorny performed exceptionally as usual, reminding me that it really is worthy of the odd off-road adventure.

1000 miles since July

About 35 miles ago, my cyclometer ticked over 1000 miles! Doesn't qualify me for Paris-Brest-Paris, but still, it's probably a record for me for I don't know how long. As it gets colder, I wonder how I'll stay in shape.

It's a rainy day in Balamory

And Boston too. I briefly considered taking public transport in today, but changed my mind because it's supposed to be really nice later today, and I didn't want to get stuck on the T with viruses running rampant (everyone I know seems to be deathly ill right now).

I bundled up a little excessively, going with fleecy mid-layers instead of wool, because synthetics should dry out quicker. It was a light but steady rain all the way here, and I do think my Gore Tex outer layers let some water through. According to my queries at local bike shops and in email groups, the thing to do is to wash and dry all of it, which should rejuvinate everything. There's also a product called Nikwax, which lots of people like. I'll give it a go without first.

I took the scenic route today (bike path from Arlington to Cambridge via Alewife, then along the river), and made a big discovery on the top end. To get from Pleasant Street in Arlington to the bike path, I'd always gone all the way down to Mass Ave and then cut in at what used to be Carberry's bakery. But today it occurred to me to turn off Pleasant Street and follow signs to the Boys & Girl's club, then ride along the path by Spy Pond and join the bike path a little later. That's a much, much better route, allowing me to avoid the whole right turn on arrow only nonsense of that intersection and also cut out a goodly part of (un)Pleasant Street!

This was also a nice test today for my Ortlieb trunk box - it kept my change of clothes bone dry!

Biking into fall

Early November, and it's well and truly Autumn in Boston. Many of our trees are still green, others are completely naked, but most are a bit colorful and somewhere in between. The weather is finally perfectly chilly and clear by and large, with 30s in the morning and 40s-50s later on.

Perfect weather for biking, in other words! My birthday wool jersey is now a staple, and I can wear it almost everyday without getting all stinky (of course, I air it out at the office during the day and also overnight at home).  It's from Earth Wind & Rider. I also have a nice wool beanie from Kucharik, and I have some wool tights from them on the way.

Of course, the time change last week means that I'm riding in the dark a lot more, but it's not a big deal, really. I tend to keep to Mass Ave on the way home if it's really dark... for some reason I feel like that's going to be safer than heading up Broadway via Davis Square because there's MORE traffic and cars are necessarily slower. More bikers too. 

The nice thing is that, while I haven't really managed much weekend riding because there's just so much fun stuff to do with the family, I've been averaging three to four days of commuting by bike each week, putting my weekly mileage between 60 and 75 - not bad! 

I've also been thinking about how I'll keep in shape when the snow starts falling... should I try snow-shoeing or XC skiing? Jury's still out. Those would still be weekend pursuits, though, but I'm going to try walking to Alewife for my commute, which is about 3 miles each way, I think. And that should be much easier now that the bike path will be plowed, at least part of the time!

Ride Report - Pocket Rides Watertower Ride

Did a beautiful ride this morning from the Rubel Pocket Rides series. From "Beyond the Minuteman Bikeway, Bedford", no. 10 is "The Watertower Ride", featuring our own water tower here in Arlington Heights. It's listed as a 32-mile ride, but I cut a couple miles off by riding up the bike path to the Bedford end, where the ride officially starts.

On the bit that I cut out, there seems to be lots of twisty-turny-ness that I see little point to. Perhaps its a nice alternative to the bike path, which I guess could grow monotonous for some. The bike path was ideal for me when I set off around 6:30 since it wasn't quite light enough to see my queue sheet!

In any case, the weather was perfect early Autumn weather - leaves just beginning to fall, mid-40s and clear. The route is wonderful because it takes in beautiful countryside and also lots of genuine points of interest, like the Old North Bridge, Concord River (2 crossings), Walden Pond, and the Decordova museum. The other really nice thing about this ride is that it's easy to navigate - not more than 4 or so major turnings if you do it like I did.

A couple comments on the route:

1. When the map indicates turning on "River Street", it's actually "River Road" - when there so many possible permutations of streets, avenues, ways, and paths, it's important to get that right.
   
   
2. Heading into Belmont, there's a steep descent that the route description says is lots of fun, providing that you be prepared to stop at the bottom. In fact, it's quite a treacherous hill, particularly when the sun is coming up and the sun's in your eyes. While nearby Pleasant Street has been completely repaved, this bit hasn't been so lucky, and there are some VERY significant bumps on the way down. I hit a couple of them really hard and only quite managed to keep my hands on the bars because I was gripping them for dear life and not bothering to touch the brake levers. Which is why the sharp right-hand turn came as an unwelcome surprise and nearly sent me into oncoming traffic; there's also the possibility of going over the barrier on the other side if you really go wrong.

On the bright side, that little brush with my own mortality gave me the boost of adrenaline I needed to power back up the hill to the water tower before heading home.

Christiania on Cyclofiend

Cyclofiend is a fun site with pictures of people's bikes. Here's the entry about our Christiania.

http://www.cyclofiend.com/working/2007/wb067-andrewconway0907.html

Hub Stripping

I'm not sure where the name of this blog comes from, but it's a very interesting site nevertheless, all about internally-geared bike hubs. (Which describes the gearing all of my bikes - the Fahrrad Manufaktur, the Thorn Raven, and the Christiania trike). One very interesting recent post is about a new Rohloff hub with greater range, smaller size, and less weight.

http://hubstripping.wordpress.com

Stranded!

It's not as disasterous as all that, I just have a flat and no means to fix it.

I should have seen it coming. I've had a slow leak in front for weeks now, and it's only meant that I need to top up before I head out. Today, though, I thought I felt a little low but I set off regardless since I was running a little late.

But by the time I set off from South Street, it was pretty soft. I considered asking the gang of bike couriers I alway pass by at their financial district hangout if I could borrow a pump, but I didn't think it was a necessity then, and, sure, they're also pretty intimidating. Especially in large numbers, at leisure.

So I kept going. I bottomed out near Kendall Square, and I think I probably got a snake bite puncture, and from there, the end came swiftly.

I resolved to taking it on the Red Line to Alewife, locking up, taking a taxi, and returning with the car. But then Jim called and now the girls are coming to get me and the pizza I've ordered from Emma's' which I've alway wanted to try! I also squeezed in a quick beer at Tommy Doyle's' which certainly helps take some of the disaster out of it all.

Our Christiania trike

Here's our Christiania unladen. See more photos here.

Whenever we venture out in the Christiania trike, we get lots of stares and curious questioners. Here are answers to some of the questions we get most often.

Can I have a closer look?

Sure! Here's a bunch of photos. I'm happy to arrange to meet in Boston with anyone interested.

Did you make it yourself?

I'm afraid not. It was built by hand in Denmark by a small company called Christiania, after the commune settlement in Copenhagen where the company was founded (and based for a long time - but they've now moved, and the settlement is under threat from the government). See the Christiania Bikes website for more information (and some photos of us!) or this page for all the specs.

Is it safe?

I feel very safe riding it, and I have no reservations about riding with my two small daughters. The construction of the trike is very, very solid. The box is thick plywood, and the rest of the bike is steel, with very good quality components throughout. It has a coaster brake on the rear wheel and discs on the front wheels. There's a lap belt for older kids (like my 3 1/2 year old), and a three-point harness for younger kids (like my 14-month old) - these mechanisms probably aren't compliant with US safety standards, but I don't have any problem with them.

How much can you carry?

The other day, I popped into The Bike Stop on the bike path in Arlington and created a bit of sensation - and one one of the staff asked me to take his sister and her friend for a ride. Why not? When they emerged from the shop, it turned out that they were 7 and 9, and a little chubby... but we still had a nice ride and the bike handled perfectly well. The maximum weight recommended by Christiania is 100kg, or about 220lbs. I've carried all sorts of stuff, including children, dogs, groceries, rubbish, and a big portable PA system.

Is it hard to ride?

Not at all - once you get the hang of it. I would recommend some practice before taking on passengers. It can be tricky going round corners at speed, just because you have to lean into the corner to avoid flipping over (I've never flipped, but I've come close!)

What else can you do with a Christiania trike?

They aren't only good for schlepping kids around town, though they are great for that. Since they're all built to the customer's specifications, they can do lots of things, including carrying up to six kids, I think.

In London (and elsewhere), they're used in their purest form as courier and delivery bikes. The big box and 100kg capacity is definitely a couple steps above what your average courier on a fixed-gear bike can do!

This would also be the ideal vehicle (even in Boston with the harsh winters) as an alternative to a car. For journeys of six or seven miles, it's perfectly comfortable with any sort of load; I loved doing all the shopping in London with ours. And aside from the practical appeal, it makes a great statement!

Where can I get one?

If you're in Denmark, you'll have no problem, since you already see them everywhere. We bought ours in London, from the wonderful shop Velorution. They're very helpful, and they have all sorts of Euro utility bikes and elements of bike culture. If you're in the US, you're pretty much out of luck right now. Christiania does not export to the US, so the only way to get one over here is to buy in Europe and bring back as we did.

Having said that, I am considering importing Christiania trikes. If you might be interested in buying one, please post a comment.

MassBike Festival 2007

It was pretty hot. I mean it was sweltering. In the parking lot of Verrill Farm where the festival was, our thermometer read 98 degrees. Pretty hot.

It was the day we'd been looking forward to for a long time - the MassBike 5th Annual Bike Festival. A large menu of organized rides to choose from, barbeque, and "bike expo". Despite the forecast, we stuck to the plan: I would ride out early with the Christiania, and Kim and the girls would meet me there with the car and Kim's bike on top. Then we'd do the 8ish-mile Canoe Ride with a nice paddle down the Concord River in the middle. Then barbeque, see the sights, and home.

Everything went more or less to plan, and everyone had a great time (except for a bit of crankiness on Gem's part on the first leg of the bike ride, which I attribute to the excessive heat). Our ride leader was John Allen, one of my favorite writers of yore from Bicycling Magazine in the 1970s & 80s. There was another very nice guide riding sweep, and two more families - one with a child on a trailer bike, and another family with four kids, three on their own bikes (including a small girl who had just learned to ride!)

The ride out was nice despite Gem's mood, and we arrived at the South Bridge Boat House to hear the supposed managers stomping around, slamming doors, and using the F-word before directing us to leave our bikes here, no there, NO, over here! In the end, we were dealt with by reasonably helpful high-school students, but our brief experience of the older folks would deter me from returning.

The canoeing was very, very nice indeed. Beautiful scenery, the river was nice and quiet, and Gemma in particular liked dangling her hands in the water and helping to paddle. Elsie kept Kim occupied the whole time, though, so it was up to Gem and me to do the paddling. Our guides John and Liz were great throughout.

The ride back was also very pleasant - even more so because the girls were really enjoying themselves by this time. We were the last ones to leave the river due to my slow paddling, but we caught up with most of the peloton on the way back.

Then we queued up for our Redbones Barbeque, which was identical to the spread they laid on during Bike Week this year: beef, pork, and mushroom sandwiches with cole slaw. We sat on the grass under one of the tents and had a fine time eating with our fingers.

We left before the Pie Race, though I have vowed to compete in it with both girls next year, when they're both at their pie-eating peak. We did have a chance to ravage the few vendor tents that were set up, including lots of free Glaceau water, Snapple samples, and nutrition bars from a maker I can't remember.

My ride home through Concord, Waltham, and Belmont was significantly tougher than the ride out, probably because I'd already humped 20 miles on the Christiania and paddled up and down the Concord River single-handedly... and it was still in the high 90s. It was a genuine struggle on some of the hills, especially on Trapelo Road. By the time I returned home, the girls were all sitting out front waiting to greet me, and I felt more exhausted than I did after my 110-miler just a few weeks back.

All in all, it was a really nice day... but it could have been better. The rides were great, it was very well organized, the food was very good, but it just didn't have an air of "festival" about it. There are so many local bike makers and shops, why didn't any of them turn up to show off their wares? Did I imagine the publicity about kids decorating bikes? There were certainly enough kids there, which was wonderful - just nothing much for them to do. I can't help wanting to compare this to the big bike culture gatherings in the UK - like York for one, and also the Regents Park bike fairs that are so much fun and a real draw.

I don't mean to be too critical of the event by any means, but I do think it could be so much more. If Kim and I can manage it, I really hope we can get involved next year to help make it happen.

My commute

I vary my routes to work, but here's the most direct route (pretty much, anyway, still avoiding some ugly bits!) - as I recorded it for the Boston bike mapping project.


View Larger Map

New Boston Bike Mapping Project

An encouraging program is underway in Boston to map new bike routes.

I've requested a mapping kit from nicole.freedman.bra@cityofboston.gov (which I will use to mark good routes on paper), but the more interesting program is online using Google Maps.

City of Boston: Hub On Wheels

Instructions for Tracing Routes

It should just take you a minute or two to map your routes. You have my word. Please note, if you rode twice in a day (for example morning commute to work; afternoon commute home) please map each leg as a separate ride.

1. Go to: http://maps.google.com/

2. Click Sign in located in the upper right corner

3. Login with the following information

* Username: bikeboston
* Password: bikesurvey

If you are already signed in with a personal gmail account, please logout and re-sign in using the above information.

4. Click the My Maps tab located under "Google".

5. Click the Create New Map button located under the My Maps tab.

6. An input box will appear.

* In the Title box, please write your full name, date of ride, and start time of the first one-way leg of your ride.

* Example: John Doe, 8/14, 5:45 AM.

* In the Description box, please write a current email address and the purpose of the ride, i.e. commute to job, errands, social, fun/exercise, work (messenger, courier)

* Example: johndoe@AOL.com ,commute to work.

7. You are now ready to trace your route.

* To Zoom in, click "+"
* To Start, single click the in the upper left corner of the map. Single click on the map location corresponding to your ride origin.
* To Change directions, single click along the intersections.
* To Finish double click on the map location corresponding to destination.
* To Edit after saving, hover the "hand" symbol over the route. When the route appears click and click once where you want to make edits.

8. After double clicking, an input box will appear. Please enter the reason you chose this route (i.e. most direct, most scenic, fewest cars, safest.) and/or anything else you want to share with us.

9. Click the Save button.

10. If you rode twice in the day, please go to #5 above and repeat to trace the second or return ride.

New mixte!

Discovered this lovely Peugeot mixte for just down the road in Cambridge... I emailed the Craigslist seller a while ago and just heard from him today. Seems he was travelling and only turned up today with a queue of people wanting to see the bike. Remarkably, he was on his way to Arlington today, so we met behind Panero's and did the deal! It's ready to ride, though I would like to swap out the seat and wheels, and add a rack - all from other bikes I've scavenged!

On top of Mount Wachusett

On top of Mount Wachusett
Originally uploaded by ahconway

The day after, I feel remarkably fresh! Not getting on a bike today, but probably will bike to work tomorrow.

All in all, the ride was a really positive experience. I do wish there had been a greater range of abilities represented - it was a bit demoralizing being on the bottom end of the speed scale. My average speed overall was 12.9 mph, but for long stints, I was spinning along comfortably at 16-17 mph. My high speed was 41.

Thorny got lots of attention - lots of people thought it was a fixed gear - but very few people had heard of the hub. Towards the end, a couple people named it "coolest bike of the day!" It was certainly among the most unique - I'd say that over 80% of the bikes there high-end Trek, Cannondale, and Specialized. Snooze! If you're going to spend $3k, aren't there more interesting ways to do it? I saw probably 3 other bikes with mudguards, one other kickstand, and two other 26-inchers.

I certainly appreciated my gearing. I had just the right low end to make it up the steep ones comfortably.

I do find it odd in retrospect that I really didn't pal up with any riding buddies. Most people were either too fast or too slow for me, and there were virtually no people on their own like me. I would certainly have regular riding buddies if I had a more regular weekend riding schedule and could belong to a club, but I'm not too bothered. The last 28 miles or so were a bit rough, though, riding completely on my own, just trying to beat the rain with not another soul (on bike or not) in sight.

I definitely hope/expect to do at least another century this year, and I may even do this one again next summer! Now that I know what to expect, that will certainly make it easier.

Done!

Actually, I pulled in to the finish exactly 9 hours and 55 minutes after I started - in the middle of a heavy thunderstorm! There were still some cars in the lot, but not many. I made it!

80 miles, sore

But ok. It's my back & hands. Managing ok. Store at this stop, will get something cold! Lots of talk of thunder storms and anti-inflamatories.

60 miles - lunch stop

Bananas all gone. Glad I brought my own food! Feeling pretty good still, thoug not really looking forward to last 40.

At the summit!

I'm here! Tired and just halfway mileage. Deep hope relatively speakin, though. Gorgeous day, nice breeze now but pretty go in spots.

On the way up...

At the base station on the mountain. Just finished initial climb, more to come.

Feel pretty good, might throw up later.

40m * mountain in sight

Oh boy

One third done

At the 34 mile stop. Water & snacks. Real good so far. Somke nice folks, some snobby. Feeling good!

Crowds building at the start

I got to the start point just before 7, so registration was no problem. Of course, this gives me over an hour to get completely intimidated by all the hardcore racer-types! Probably 200 bikes here so far, none with my wheel size, most weighing half what Thorny weighs.

Must remember my big Audax lesson: go at your own pace!

Climb to the Clouds

Today's the day! It's the Charles River Wheelmen's Climb to the Clouds, starting (and finishiing) in Concord and taking in lots of big hills including Mount Wachuset. (See http://www.crw.org/CTTC/climb2clouds.htm )

I haven't been training much specifically for this ride, but I am hoping that my usual commute, plus my hill climbs back up to our house will serve me well.

The bike is all set - map holder, 3 bottle cages, seat pack - and I've got a bag full of provisions. One unknown: will it rain? Another variable: Can I do it? Gemma assures me, "You can do it, Daddy!" so I'll just have to remember that one.

Okay, time to load up the car! If I have the wherewithall, I'll post some updates from my phone later.

Ci vediamo all'arrivo!

Independence Day 2007 Bike Parade

Independence Day 2007 Bike Parade
Originally uploaded by ahconway

Here we are bedecked in our stars & stripes finery on the 4th. Click through for bigger image on Flickr!

Day Tripper Dispatches links to Velo Fellow

Charlotte Pierce, publisher of the "Compleat Day Tripper" (which has provided us with innumerable days out and other valuable local guidance) linked to my post about our ride to Lexington. See: Day Tripper Dispatches: Bike 'N Play

Globe Rage

After returning from our beautiful ride to Lexington, I read the front page story of Sunday Globe, "Rage on the Bikeway", a pointless article discussing some some of the troubles that come with the popularity of the bike path.

Here's an email I sent off to the Arlington list about it (lots of similar posts have since appeared on the list):

I certainly experienced my moment of Globe rage after seeing thispiece, and it was all the more irksome because I saw it just as my family returned from the most lovely ride along the path to Lexington and back.

Sure, I've seen the odd spill here and there, and not all of the path's users are as good-natured as you would like. But Geez! Exactly what was the point of this article supposed to be? The path was a major reason that my family moved to Arlington, and I've yet to experience anything to make value it any less.

If the implicit logic of the piece is to be followed, we should probably close the path due to excessive popularity. But if we follow common sense, shouldn't we use this as a cue to develop more facilities that keep people fit, reduce traffic and CO2 emmissions, and contribute to our local economy?

Minuteman milestones

Minuteman bike path with girls
Originally uploaded by ahconway

Big milestone yesterday! We did our first big bike ride with the whole family.

We loaded up a bag of provisions and set off for Lexington - with the girls in the Christiania and Kim on her Fahrrad. It was a lovely ride from Park Ave up to Lexingon center. Beautiful weather, if a little chilly, but that that actually cut down on the crowds a bit.

The girls both had a great time; Gem was in charge of the cheese bunnies and doled them out to Elsie when prompted by a finger in the ear.

As usual, we had lots of nice comments from various other path users, including a guy on a recumbent who said "Nice vehicle!" - typical for a recumbent, he was surely using "vehicle" as shorthand for "human powered vehicle" or HPV.

Our destination was the big playground near Lexington High School. Everything was brand new, including a great rock climb that Gem really loved. Seemed we weren't alone with this plan - there were lots of bikey families there as well. We even met a couple who were interested in the Christiania with kids of similar ages, and it turns out they live not too far from us in Arlington!

It was getting late by the time we left, so we got some snacks at a little fair in Lexington and went straight home instead of getting lunch out. Good thing we did, too, because Elsie fell asleep on the chug back up Park Ave, and we put her right to bed when we got home.

Another milestone: Kim cruised all the way up Park like a pro!

You win some, you lose some

I left home for work at 5:30 this morning. It's trash day in Arlington, so I was naturally scanning the heaps of rubbish on the curb as I sped down Gray, when I spied two dusty old bikes standing gingerly among the trash and recycling just a couple blocks from the intersection with my street.

Closer inspection revealed one to be an early 1970s Phillips racer and the other was a late 70s ladies' Schwinn Suburban. Both were in great shape, with no rust or blemishes on the frames, but a heaping helping of dust and cobwebs all over.

I was late-ish for work, and still needed to shower and dress on arrival. So what to do? I grabbed the Phillips and hoofed it up the hill with it in one hand and Thorny in the other (which, in full commuting mode weighs about 40 lbs), then left it next to the house. I rode back down, but really didn't have time to do anything about the Schwinn.

So I sped off to Boston and emailed Kim to see if she'd collect it for me. All I really cared about, though, was saving it from the landfill. If someone else got it and would make use of it, fine - I've got enough "project" bikes festering away. But by the time she got there around 9, it was gone... but so was all the rubbish.

I'd like to think that someone saved it before the compactor came, but I don't think that happened. It was really, truly upsetting to think about that beautiful old upright ladies 10-speed getting thrown into the back of a garbage truck with the rest of the trash.

In retrospect, I could have moved the bike away from the trash, or even put it back into the driveway of the house, but it didn't occur to me. At least I saved the Phillips.

Ride to Great Brook Farm

Old North Bridge
Originally uploaded by ahconway

I was out of house at 5:30 on Sunday morning and on the Minute Map trail a few minutes after that. My goal was to do a 27-mile ride from the Pocket Rides kit that starts at the Bedford end (Ride 8 from "Beyond the Minuteman Bikeway). The sun was out but it was still a little chilly, so the ride out to Bedford was perfect, and not a soul to be seen.

The directions on the map card were largely clear and accurate, and I had no trouble at all getting on at the starting point. The ride took me up through Bedford, Concord, Carlisle, and Chelmsford, taking in Great Brook State Farm Park on the top end. Well-paved, rural roads, with lots of farms and horses - gorgeous!

Many of the turns weren't signposted, though, so I did have a bit of trouble here and there - but I always found my way back on to the route, either through trial & error, or using Google Maps on my phone. I was glad to have brought all the provisions I needed, since there were few shops along the way - and none open at such an early hour on a Sunday.

On the way back, the route passes through Minute Man Historical Park in Concord, and I stopped at the Old North Bridge (where the American Revolution started) for a snack.

I try to vary my routes, but this one is definitely a keeper.

UPDATE: Took the family up to the park for a nice 1-mile hike in the woods on Saturday - beautiful! Very easy to get to by car (except for the delay caused by the annual parade in Carlisle center). We chose a combination of 2 paths, providing some nice open fields as well as some more challenging rocky foresty bits.

An important lesson about locking

I've reluctantly started locking up outside the office on South Street, instead of over on Summer Street. Should be okay with my 3fer lock combo (U-lock to attach to parking meter, heavy cable around meter, front wheel and downtube, and flexi cable through seat and back wheel). But the whole affair is so cumbersome that I figured I'd leave it locked to the meter overnight.

What I didn't anticipate was the popularity of small dogs with the residents of this neighborhood, and the popularity of parking meters with the dogs. So today I'm actually hoping for a bit of rain to rinse my locks off before I try to find somewhere else to stash them.

You bedda watch weah YAH goin!

That's no surprise! This was big in the news yesterday after a new report was released. My latest encounter with Boston's Rudest was just yesterday.

After crossing into Boston over the Longfellow Bridge, I was cut off by a glass installer's truck. I came alongside and in a shocking display of bravado shouted "Are you trying to kill me? You better watch where you're going, buddy!" Did that come out of me?

He immediately fired back "F--- You! You bedda watch weah YAH goin!" Touche, I guess.

I vowed to be calmer about these things in the future.

Pancake breakfast at Broadway Bicycle School

Pancake breakfast at Broadway Bicycle School
Originally uploaded by ahconway.

There were supposed to be a total of three cyclists' breakfasts on my way to work today. First Alewife, where I planned to be at 7:00... but nothing. I looked around a bit, I couldn't find anything at all.

Next stop was Broadway Bicycle, where I was among the first arrivals for the 7:30 Pancake Breakfast. They were a little late getting going, but we had a nice social time chatting at the table over coffee. Turns out another chap won a complete fixed gear bike at the Redbones thing last night!

Real nice time.

It's Bike Week in Boston!

Last night, we Gemma loaded into the Christiania and headed to the big Redbones BBQ kickoff party in Davis Square. On the way, we met Lauren and her famiglia, and we rode down together along the bike path. How nice to have a virtually uninterrupted traffic-free route to the party!

The Bike Festival (as Gem called it) was fun, and the Christiania got lots of attention. For $15, we got a Redbones BBQ sandwich, a drink, and some condiments. Plus a lottery ticket. We had fun looking at the exotic utility bikes (like ones by ANT, and all manner of cool fixies. We also had fun petting a very small dog that came on the back of a nice lady's recumbent. There was also a big brass and percussion band which made up for its lack of musicality with volume and enthusiasm.

We left at around 6:45 as Gem started to wane, and gave Lauren our raffle ticket just in case.

And this morning, I had an email from her telling me that I won a fixed gear wheel from Paramount Bicycle in Somerville! Very exciting! I picked it up from the Ciclismo Classico office this afternoon and emailed the shop to find out what it would take to completely convert my $40 Schwinn World. Hooray! Another project!

Motobecane models

Since I embarked on the this project to restore an old mixte for Kim, bikes have been coming out of the woodwork. I've now got an old Schwinn (great for parts, particularly the center-pull Wienmann brakes), and a rather rusty old Motobecane. May come across another today. The one I have already seems to be a mid-1970s standard model; no quick release wheels, and steel rims with "go-slower" holes in the sides of the rims. The highlight seems to be the Motobecane-branded crankset and various other small parts. Seems to ride okay, though!

My research seems to indicate that a Grand Touring or Grand Jubilee would fit the bill precisely, as long as it's not too scratched or rusty. From what I've seen, it seems that old European bikes hold their finish less ably than certain Japanese ones - many of the Fujis and Nishikis I've come across are flawless.

What will I uncover today?

Boston ICA & bike parking

Boston ICA & bike parking
Originally uploaded by ahconway.

After a meeting at the Seaport the other day, I decided to stop by the new ICA for a bit of lunch. The building was gorgeous as I expected, but lunch was rubbish.

Equally disappointing was the bike parking - completely inadequate and a long walk from the entrance. And while the building itself looks nice from this angle (or from the sea), if approaching from the Seaport or from the Channel, it appears to be surrounded by a solid parking lot bounded by a low chain link fence.

Incredible.

Elsie's first ride on the Bobike Mini

Elsie's first ride on the Bobike Mini
Originally uploaded by ahconway.

Had a nice after-work bike ride yesterday with the whole family, and Elsie's first time in Gem's old front-mounted Bobike seat. She seemed to have a really nice time, talking and smiling the whole way. We also didn't have any trouble finding a relatively flat network of roads in the neighborhood for a leisurely half-hour ride.

First big ride of the year!

First big ride of the year!
Originally uploaded by ahconway.

Today was the first really REALLY good biking day of the year. For the occasion, I fitted our new(ish) Bobike Maxi seat to the back of my Fahrrad T100. I'd taken the fittings off my Raven weeks ago, but putting them on the Fahrrad was pretty easy. It actually works much better on this bike for some reason... there's less clearance between the cargo rack and the seat, but there's also really no way for Gem to get her foot near the spinning wheel. That was one concern on the other bike, probably owing to the 26-inch wheels.

So we rode down to the bike path and went nearly all the way to Bedford before turning around and heading back. We had a nice picnic lunch in Lexington Center; we got a PB&J and a roast beef sandwich, and Gem ended up eating all the roast beef. We also got a couple home-baked cookies from Girl Scouts at Lexington Depot.

I couldn't have asked for a nicer day or a nicer outing (only having the rest of my girls along would have made it better). I was also really pleased with the new bike seat! Gem found it to be very comfortable, she kept her feet in the footrests, and she seemed to have plenty of space back there. The only trouble is that it leaves little room for cargo, so I may look into front low-riders, but a good bar bag is probably going to be the way to go.

I'll write more about the Maxi after we've ridden with it for a while.

Broadway bicycle school

Broadway bicycle school
Originally uploaded by ahconway.

Took both of the Fahrrads in to the Broadway Bicycle School in Cambridge today. The shop had been recommended to me by my friend Kathleen, who bought a refurbed 1950s Raleigh there.

It's a coop, and everyone there is exceedingly friendly and helpful. On a less busy day, I can go in there and pay a couple bucks for coaching on doing my own repairs! Very handy. Probably the least condescending bike shop I've experienced.

So they do an estimate while you're there, so you know the score before you leave the bike - also very helpful.

It's more of a workshop than a shop, with only a small selection of bikes and bits (though they do have some interesting urban bikes from the likes of ANT, Redline, and Kogswell!). But most interesting is that they're one of a handful of Boston shops that seek out older uprights and refurb them. I spoke to the nice woman I was dealing with about this, and she acknowledged the Boston Bike trend that I'm so fascinated with. (Also reflected in my growing batch of photos on Flickr!)

It'll take them until April 11th to do the work, but that's okay. They're also willing to have a look over the Christiania, but that will require some advance planning since they can't get it down the stairs, and it takes up lots of floor space.

Fritos for lunch

Fritos for lunch
Originally uploaded by ahconway.

With the girls away, I spent most of the day out on a lovely ride today. Instead of making my own way, I followed a 40-mile route from the Pocket Rides ride pack "Beyond the Minuteman Bikeway - Arlington".

The ride took me out through Belmont, Lincoln, Lexington, and neighboring areas. It wasn't quite as countrified as I usually like, but most of the streets were lightly trafficked and pleasant. Lots of big houses, old and new.

I got pretty hungry after 30 miles... I'd been looking for a snack spot for ages, but there was nothing! I suppose I could have ventured off the path if I'd gotten desperate. But in the end, I took a little detour in Lincoln to the wonderful Decordova Sculpture Park, where I got a nice tuna wrap at the cafe and ate outside amongst the art works. Also had some good Fritos, pictured above.

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A couple other notables about today's ride. It was my first ride in my new Rapha knickers, which performed admirably! I've wanted some for ages, and they're actually cheaper here than in London, where they're made. That's rip-off Britain for you, I suppose. In any case, I was looking for a new pair of 3/4-length bib tights and these were about the same price, so I got em! Real nice, real comfortable, and not Lycra-loutish at all.

Also, I replaced my brake pads & shoes this morning, which is probably my most ambitious DIY repair yet. It took some doing, but they new pads are definitely a big improvement.

Gorgeous ride to Concord

After weeks of icy and sub-zero weather, today, Sunday, is approaching 50f and nice and sunny. And a perfect day for a ride! I packed up my little repair kit, bundled up as if the temperature could drop 30 degrees before lunch, and set off for Concord.

I know I've ridden up that way before; it's not too far from my first job after college near Hanscom Field, and it was also a good riding destination when I used to live here before moving to London. (I keep wondering where I might find a particular house called "Put Down Roots", which I remember from those days.)

I stuck to Route 2A pretty much the whole time, which took me through Lexington and into Minuteman Historical Park (site of the start of the Revolution) just after crossing 95. The ride from then on was beautiful, with lots of historical sites, perfectly preserved Colonial houses, and leafless trees, fields, and farms on both sides of the road. There's also a 5-mile unpaved bike path through the park that we can do once the weather improves.

I continued into the center of Concord and picked up a bagel with peanut butter to fortify me for the ride home.

The day and the route were also perfectly suited to my bike, with its bullet-proof wheels, grippy fat tires, and mudguards; I don't know how many riders I passed with skinny wheels and muddy stripes up their backs!

I look forward to doing this ride and variations lots more.

First Visit to Harris Cyclery

Stopped by Harris Cyclery yesterday. That's the West Newton shop
where guru Sheldon Brown is based. I went specifically to get a
Rohloff oil change kit, and there was no problem there. I also picked
up a nice Rivendell cycling cap.

The visit was a little anticlimactic, I suppose, kind of like my
visit to St John Street Cycles. But SJS is really not set up for walk-
in business, and Harris is a genuine independent neighborhood bike
shop. The real thrill at Harris was seeing all the Rivendells up
close, all built up and ready to go. There were lots of Atlantis
frames and a few built up, plus a couple Bleriots, a Saluki, and
others. All were built with drop bars, not Rivendell-preferred
uprights, but they were gorgeous and fascinating to see anyway.

I had a bit of Rohloff banter with Harris Junior, who said they sell
lots of the after-market hubs, and that they run around $1400!
Remarkable. There was also one of the first generation Raven frames
there, painted in a god-awful blend of lime greens and yellows, with
lots of Celtic stripes. SJS sold it to Harris probably five years
ago, and it's been on the rack ever since. Harris told me that
they're going to build it up as a Rohloff demo bike, which make sense.

I didn't get a chance to meet Sheldon this time, but I'd like to save
that for another visit when all the girls aren't sitting in the car -
and when I've got one of my bikes with me.

Letter to the editor of Adventure Cyclist magazine

I'd like to begin by saying how much I enjoy Adventure Cyclist magazine; the features are always interesting and well-written. It's particularly good to features by venerable cycling writers like John Schubert, who I always enjoyed reading during another bike magazine's hay day in the 1970s and early 80s.

I do believe, however, that Mr. Schubert may have missed a category of touring bike in his otherwise excellent article "What Kind of Bike Should You Buy?" in the February 2007 issue.

While there are situations that call for a fully-loaded mountain bike on tour, it seems to me that a serious off-road long-distance cycle tourist would be best suited with an "expedition bike". With a steel frame, 26-inch wheels, wide rims, and either dropped handlebars or straights, these bikes are designed for navigating rough terrain and carrying heavy loads with aplomb - there's really no need to use a mountain bike that's been expressly designed for another purpose. The expedition bike makers with which I'm familiar are all English: Thorn (a large selection from St. John Street Cycles; Roberts (the Rough Stuff); and Orbit (the Expedition).

I ride a Thorn Raven Adventure Tour, which is equally well-suited to road and unpaved surfaces (I especially appreciate it in the winter months as road conditions deteriorate). This is one of Thorn's many models designed around a Rohloff hub, another wonderful product that you might consider mentioning in future buying guides. They're growing in popularity, thanks in large part to Thorn's efforts, but mainly because more and more people are falling in love with their versatility, simplicity, ease of use, and low maintenance.

I believe that your readers would find some mention of the expedition bike category of interest, and I also think they could benefit from coverage of the Rohloff phenomenon.

Who needs cleats?

As I've been riding around so bundled up, I've also stopped worrying about my cleats, and have just worn my Gore Tex hiking boots with heavy socks instead. Not bad! For urban riding I've had no problems at all with regular shoes. Makes me glad I got the double-sided pedals!

A hardcore cycle commuter!

I've ridden in to the office in the Financial District several times. It can be a very nice ride from Arlington, taking in the Minuteman path to Davis Square, then to Inman Square, Kendall Square, and to Boston via the Longfellow Bridge, then on to the South Station area.

It somehow seems a more serious affair when braving sub-zero windchill temperatures, and taking a shower on arrival. That's something I've never really done because neither the facilities nor the need have existed for me before. But let's face it: I am in no kind of shape to see clients after a 12-mile ride, drenched in my own sweat under layers of fleece and Gore Tex.

So I worked on Sunday last weekend and tested out the facilities. The building is a new build out, and there is thankfully a little shower room on the second floor. For what it is, it's really quite nice: two showers and 12 or so lockers, with keys available from Security downstairs for the day.

I anticipate it'll mostly be lunchtime joggers who use it, though. The company does little to promote cycling. The bike rack accommodates maybe 16 bikes in a pinch, and it's located in an alley behind the building, adjacent to the smoking area and shuttle bus stop. Doesn't leave much question about how the company regards cyclists, does it?

But as far as I'm concerned, it suits me well. The ride is very pleasant, and just the right length to get a nice little workout. One of these days, I'll put my campaigning hat back on and see about getting these guys to encourage more cycling.