'Cross Bike Shake Down

First real ride for Ian on his new 'cross bike we picked up many weeks ago. After swapping the Continental 25c tires and SPD pedals from my currently dead 'cross/commuter, adjusting the seat height and a few other tweaks - we headed to the local trail for short shake down session. We also broke out the rest of Ian's JL Velo kit to make the road scene look official. I even popped the visor off his helmet. Every culture has its uniform...

Ian flies with the birds, looking pro.

In a few short years, this will be my only view, as he rides me off his wheel.

That's my boy, all of 11 years old. Super cool, fun stuff for him. Me too.

My little Pro. Our turn around point for the ride.

Coach, sponsor, mechanic, bottle washer - that be me. This shot officially titled "Dork Boy. King of the Sheds". Whatever that means...

Quick 10 mile cruise, before the rain hit. Well, the rain actually did hit, soaking us for the last two miles or so. I'm really glad I washed my bike this morning. Yeah, that was worth it. The Redline 'cross machine seems to fit Ian well. With room to raise the seat post and installing a longer stem, hoping to get a few months of use out of this bike.

Ian mentioned it feels faster then his mountain bike. At times he was moving 17 - 20 mph quite easily, so I'd have to agree. Bike still feels "twitchy" to him, that should disappear with more time on it. First time riding with real bike shorts as well, verses his usual baggy mountain bike shorts. They were riding up and bugging him a bit, a little loose on his skinny 11 year old legs. I better pile on the pasta ASAP.

A short, but fun mini-adventure for the afternoon. We'll work some longer road rides into the picture to compliment his usual mountain biking. Later, the 'cross tires will be remounted and some practice for 'cross season this fall. More great adventures await.

Idiots 'R' Them

Yesterday, I'm cruising home from work on the Burke-Gilman Trail. Riding no hands, sitting bolt upright at maybe 17 mph, just daydreaming and rolling at a slow pace.

That shattered in an instant, when racer wannabe passes on the right, using the one foot of pavement between me and the grass. He's doing about 25 mph and I grab my 'bars as he startles me. His handlebars miss hooking mine by two inches. WTF? He's on the drops and hauls past in a blur.

As he goes by, I yell out "Pretty f@%@ing stupid!" and take off after him. He never turns around or acknowledges me, but does crank up the speed a bit. I'm soon on his wheel, he can hear me and powers on, head down in the drops. At one point he almost lost it when his front wheel dropped off the edge of the trail into the grass. I never said anything else and by now had enough and came to my senses. Plus the fact I was suffering to stay on his wheel. I end the stupidity and coast back to cruise mode.

Wide open trail, goof ball passes me on the right, with no room to spare or verbal warning. Ridiculous. I'd be even more hacked nursing a broken collarbone or other injury if this guy took me out. A stupid way to be sidelined for a few weeks. I'm super tolerant of people making dumb mistakes and pretty downright friendly to all, especially on the bike. People who know me would agree. This little moronic maneuver really ticked me off however.

Hopefully he thought it was all worth the risk; while gracing the podium crowning him King of the Burke-Gilman Trail. Race on dude - you're awesome. An awesome idiot.

Blood on the Trail

Riding home from work today on the good ol' Burke-Gilman Trail, watched a recumbent cyclist take a nice crash. He was up ahead a ways, but I still had a good view of the festivities. Went down quick on its side and slid a bit down the trail.

Recumbent bikes are weird enough to begin with, so interesting - and yeah, slightly humorous - to see one wad up at speed. This one had the whole windshield and huge plastic aero tail piece shtick going on. To put on my wise ass hat, if these contraptions are so aerodynamic and fast, why do I never see one riding faster then 15 mph?

In any case, I caught up to the guy before he even untangled himself from the smoldering wreckage, as did someone else riding in the opposite direction. Pretty big older dude, baffled as to why he crashed - while he examined his bleeding elbow - dripping nicely by this point.

"It just went down on me", "I'm bleeding like a stuck pig" comments as he stood up. I notice blood smears on the yellow plastic tail section. The other cyclist checks his front tire - totally flat - that explains it. Quick loss of air, washed out front end, recumbent and pilot sliding sideways on pavement. Ouch.

We ask if he needs any help, besides the cut elbow - he looks fine. I mention I'm carrying no spare tubes for that wheel size. I think about patching the tube for him, 'cept I'm in a rush to get home for an appointment - running late as is already.

He says he's okay, will call his wife to pick him up. "Are you sure?" "Yeah." The other cyclist asks again, with the same response. He's got it covered.

With that I take off for home, guilt free. I would have patched the tube if needed, just the way I am. Fellow cyclist is a fellow cyclist - even on a recumbent.

I thought about grabbing a few pictures of the carnage, thought that would be rude - so skipped it. How often do you see a crashed, blood stained recumbent?

Hey, admit it - you'd check out the pics if posted....

Long Way to Work

Earlier riser I am not. This morning however, I was up at 5:00 AM - stupid early for me - partly due to a stiff neck. I couldn't get comfortable, so just gave up and hit the shower. I'm also pretty busy at work and thought I'd get in early for a change. After a slow breakfast and change into bike duds, I was out the door at 6:00 AM or so. Really early for me. Weather was overcast and 56 degrees. Welcome to the Pacific Northwest.

Rolling along to work, kind of tired at first - this being day 6 of riding without a break - I loosened up and felt better. No rush today and I just cruised at a slow 15 mph pace with no effort at all. The Burke-Gilman Trail was less crowded then usual, but still the occasional bike commuter, jogger, or dog walker to keep me company. No pushing it all for this commute, speeds low and sightseeing high. The overcast conditions making Lake Washington look more dramatic. I could hear bald eagles in the trees, their call is unlike any other bird. Bike commuting on the Burke-Gilman, you can't ask for a much better set up. Trust me on that.

When I hit my usual trail exit that dumps me onto Seattle streets, I elected to stay on the trail and continue towards Fremont, a funky - though becoming more developed - part of Seattle. Plan to arrive at work early now canceled. Plan now to use the extra morning time for a longer ride. Yeah, that's the ticket.

I roll through Fremont along Lake Union, go under the Fremont Bridge and continue on the bike path for awhile longer - thinking I'm damn lucky to live here. Seattle is an awesome place to be a cyclist. After a bit, I turn around back through Fremont and over the bridge into downtown Seattle - a different route then I usually take. Nice change of scenery.

Even after my scenic detour, I still get to work a few minutes early and clock a 20+ mile commute. Sweet. A killer way to start the day. I'll have to take the longer route more often. It's worth getting up early for, even with a stiff neck.

Ride on.

Full Family Cruise

Full family ride today with everyone on two wheels. Daughter Amy seems to have finally been bitten with the riding bug. She's been asking to ride on the Burke-Gilman Trail and I thought she's been riding well enough to give it a shot, so today was the day. Son Ian joined in for the fun, as well as wife Lori - who has barely been on a bike in 12 years. She used to ride some recreationally before the kids arrived, but since then, basically nada.

Mom and Amy drove from the house to the trail, while Ian and I rode the 2 miles from home to meet them. From there we headed down the Burke-Gilman towards Seattle. Warm sunny day, so the trail was pretty crowded with plenty of bikes buzzing in both directions. I rode behind Amy to make sure she stayed on the right side of the trail, no problem there.

Amy was riding great, though at a slow pace, still not bad considering she's on a single speed kid's bike with 16" wheels. Along the way we stopped for lunch at a local Subway, ate outside, then continued farther down the trail to Matthew's Beach Park in Seattle. At the park, mom played with the kids at the playground, while I took a nap in the grass. Yeah, a tough day.

After a bit, time to head home. Amy rode the entire way back with just one Clif Bar stop. 10 miles total for her ride, pretty impressive for 6 years old, no? Even brother Ian was impressed. Mom and Amy then took the car home, while Ian and rode back - nice 1+ mile climb included.

For me, a super slow day, barely moving on the bike. So what? Having the whole gang out on two wheels, all under their own power for the first time, was great family time and big fun. Now that Amy is riding so well, more adventures to follow for sure. Added bonus of getting the wife out on the bike as well - all good.

I'll gladly give up the fast or "real ride" for some occasional family cruising. It's a great trade off with a whole different set of benefits and rewards.

Dark Commute

Even in the dark, enjoyable ride home after work tonight. Wet, but not raining, temps in the 50s, empty Burke-Gilman Trail - not bad at all.

It's still early enough in the winter for the dark commutes to be a novelty. It'll start getting old in a few weeks, as it does every winter, but for now - it's all good.

I had some fun messing around with camera during the ride. I get a kick out of shooting while moving, since you never know what you'll wind up with. With the digital age, fire away - the "film" is cheap.....

Epic Commute and Basketball

Riding home from work last night was almost an epic. Flat out pouring rain for the dark, hour plus slosh home. Buzzing down Eastlake Ave was like kayaking down a small river. By the time I hit the Burke-Gilman Trail, was already totally soaked - like I jumped in a pool. Full on sloshing wet feet, soaked through jacket and gloves - total joy. Not.

Cruising through the U District, rode by the aftermath of a bike/car combo - parked car with flashers going, bike with taco'd front wheel, people milling about in the pouring rain. Ouch. Already a small crowd in attendance, no sense in me stopping. I plow on.

Once I got moving on the Burke-Gillman Trail, started to feel pretty good and actually enjoyed the crazy conditions a bit. Well, a little anyway, in-between muttering F&@# when punched with a sideways wallop of rain and wind - more in amazement then anger. I was also digging my new lights. They really pierce a hole through the wet darkness, making the ride a bit more bearable.

I was in a rush, hoping to catch my son Ian's basketball game. It was just a practice game, but his first ever, so I wanted to see it. This made me put the hammer down slightly, so I gassed it for home. Along the way, I caught up to coworker, bike pal Jay - who also was fording his way home. I slowed down a bit to chat with him, then resumed the pace into the driving rain. Crazy fun. I give Jay credit - anyone commuting that day gets bonus points towards their official Bike Commuter merit badge.

I made my son's game and stood there soaking wet in the gym - in full bike geek uniform. I was so soaked, didn't dare take anything off - even my helmet. Some kid informed me the blinky light on my messenger bag was still on. Gee, thanks. Another kid told me I looked cool, like I was in shape. Wow. Then a mom starts telling me her son is interested in BMX. Maybe I should wear bike clothes everywhere - like some sort of roving beacon of all things bike.

After my son's game, I climbed back on the saddle for the short ride to the house - and completely froze my ass off. Once I hit the garage, peeled everything off fast as humanly possible - like it was radioactive - then toweled off and into dry clothes. I didn't fully warm up for quite awhile - though wolfing down my dinner helped. Sounds goofy, but bike commuting makes you appreciate warmth, light and food. A little bit of daily adventure does that.

My son's team didn't win their practice game, but Ian looked good out there and I know he really enjoyed it. Later that night, I could see the gleam in his eye and slight smile when I told him he looked good playing - and that his new team jersey looked pretty cool.

That alone made the soaking wet, crazy rush home worth the trip.

Tales From the Burke-Gilman Trail. Lemonade for Sale.

Before I headed home from work the other day, my wife informed me the kids set up a lemonade stand along the Burke-Gilman Trail, hoping to cash in on thirsty riders during the hot afternoon.

This is my commute route, so I cranked up the speed a bit - hoping to see them before their interest in the lemonade business faded. I arrived in time to witness the waning moments of the operation....

Shadow photographs Operation Lemonade Stand in full swing.

Daughter Amy and son Ian attempt to flag down riders. Amy singing "Lemonade for sale" helps the sales pitch.

Amy has enough of this whole capitalism thing and bails to adjoining playground.

Checkered flag in hand, Ian goes at it alone. Sales is a tough business.

By the time I arrived, only witnessed one rider stop - though about 15 people stopped earlier in the day. I grabbed a free drink for myself, to the complaint of the business owners. Reminded them I was actually funding the whole operation, so was entitled to a freebie. Most of the real customers who stopped were great and told the kids to "Keep the change".

Ian and Amy have set up the Lemonade Stand on our street before, this was the first mobile operation - with assistance from mom. As cute and corny as Lemonade Stands go, still valuable lessons being learned from the experience. I think so anyway.

Plus, now that I see how thrilled my kids are when someone stops - I always try to stop by other kids stands when I spot one. I also tell 'em to "Keep the change". You can pretend to be a big spender when ordering up a 25 cent beverage.

If you happen to spot any kids on the side of the road with homemade signs and cheap, pre-mix lemonade waiting to be purchased - give it a go. Trust me, it's worth it.

Birthday Cruise with Google Bike

Today was Ian's 10th birthday.  We have a family tradition that allows the birthday boy (or girl) to pick the day's festivities.  Even though it was pretty hot, Ian wanted to hit the Burke-Gilman Trail for a birthday ride.  Sister Amy was busy playing with the girls next door, so mom and Amy stayed behind.

A quick post and a few pictures.....


Ian is growing like a weed.  The 24" wheel Specialized is getting a little small.  During the ride, raised his seatpost to max height and it's still a bit low.  I may swap out for a longer seatpost and stem to get through the summer.

A stop at Matthews Beach in Seattle.  The water looked inviting - it was hot.

I dusted off the Bridgestone RB-1 for the cruise.

The old RB-1 still looks sweet.  Rides great also.

Kindly stranger manned camera for official Dad 'N' Son portrait.

Spotted the Google Bike photographing the Burke-Gilman Trail.  Look for updates on Google Earth in a few months.  The post contains cameras facing 360 degrees.  Pretty wild.

Google Bike pilot said he was from San Diego and gets paid to ride 10 - 20 miles a shot.  Sounds fun until you hear the rig weighs a few hundred pounds.  The red item you see in the rear is a running generator.  Did I mention it was hot today?  80+ degrees.  This kid is working for a living.

Ride on Google Man.  We'll enjoy your efforts online soon.

Easy slow cruise on the Burke-Gilman for Ian and I.  We're lucky to have this trail close by - as it also serves as my commute route.

Maybe the Google Bike photos will inspire other areas to develop bike trails.  Let's hope so anyway.

Float Like a Blog. Sting Like a Bee.

It's been about 6 months since I've started this little Blog-O-Rama project.  I enjoy it - an outlet and learning experience - cool stuff.  A few people seem to follow it, I've received some positive comments, and made some online bike pals in the process.  It's all good.

Pictures above from my commute this morning - much different conditions from my first post - taken in the same spot.  60 degrees and sunny instead of freezing temps with ice and snow.  Both still fun in their own way.

On the commute home, received a bee sting in the stomach area - right through my bike jersey.  Little bastard must have gotten caught between my messenger bag strap and body - then zapped me.  I never found the culprit, but know what a bee sting feels and looks like. Lucky - not much swelling and no big deal.

Nice weather is supposed to continue for a few more days.  I'm digging riding my carbon Ibis in the sun.

Bike To Work Month Continues

Ride home from work today included a stop at a little shindig alongside the Burke-Gilman Trail - courtesy of the Cascade Bicycle Club.  Free water bottles, Luna bars, ice tea, maps and other goodies - as well as free bike fittings and music.

Weather continues to be great.  Ran into my work and riding pal, Phil, and shared the rest of the ride home.

Bike commuting rocks.  Join the club.

For those about to ride.  I salute you.

Happy Bike To Work Day

Today is the day when the percentage of bike commuters increases from .00987% to almost .00999%  Yes, sound the alarms and put away the gas cans - it's once again time for the annual Bike to Work Day.  Newspaper articles and TV news spots, non-riding co-workers asking about it, bikes everywhere.  Tomorrow - poof - all back to normal.  Was it a dream?  Some sort of hoax?  No - we'll all do it again next year....

Okay, enough sarcasm from me, fairly consistent bike commuter and all around wise-ass.  I actually dig today and love seeing the extra people riding - it's all great.  Here in the bike loopy Seattle area, 20,000+ people rode to work and you could see the increase.  The mega-huge (10,000+ members) Cascade bike club and other sponsors set up over 40 stations for people to stop by and pick up freebies - donuts, water bottles, Clif Bars, maps and other goodies. 

I stopped at one booth on the Burke-Gilman Trail and grabbed a water bottle and few Clif Bars, then talked with some folks.  Very cool to see all types of riders pulling up on everything from beater bikes to carbon wonder steeds - with various riding gear to match.  Everyone in a good mood and smiling away.  The weather even cooperated with no rain and sunny skies.  Yup, why can't every commute be like this?  Feed stations along the route giving away food and some laughs.

At the freebie feel good station, ran into my fellow "Ibis Guy" - Mark. On occasional mornings our commutes match and we've chatted a few times over the years, while cruising to work on the BG trail.  We both commute on older Ibis Hakkalugi 'cross bikes - not many of those around - so always cool to have two of 'em out at the same time.

Today Mark had the whole family out heading to work and school - fun stuff to see.  Mark is one of a few people I only know from commuting on the BG.  If I saw him in normal clothes on the street - probably wouldn't even recognize him!  I'm sure he'd say the same thing.  Part of the fun of bike commuting is the chance to actually chat with people while riding.  Try that in your car.

Mark's Hakkalugi pulling trailer duty.  His model is slightly newer then mine.  I have the green '97 issue - plus my '07 Silk Carbon for non-fender days, like today.  New and old, Ibis makes some cool stuff.  I'm a fan of a few bike companies and Ibis is on the list for sure.

Keep 'em rolling in.  Some stations on Seattle streets get quite a crowd mingling around.

Besides the morning stations set up around Seattle, there was a bike related party in Ballard for the afternoon ride home.  I elected to skip that and shared a ride home with Phil - a fellow co-worker and ex road racer.  A quick cruise home and some good conversation as well.  Add in 60 degree temps, sun and views of Lake Washington.  What a living hell to deal with - how do I stand it?

Oh yeah - we're also in the middle of Bike to Work Month and the related Group Health Commute Challenge.  My corporate team - Team Jerkcx - is killing it this year.  At the moment, we're in 11 place overall for mileage out of 1200+ teams.  Three team members, me included, are in the top 100 mileage wise - out of 10,000 riders.  Not bad at all, eh?

One guy on the team, Sam, has been rocking 60 mile commutes. That's Loony Tunes impressive.  Reynold, another team member, has not a missed a day yet with his 38 mile commute. Others fall somewhere in-between to keep the numbers adding up.  It's all good and all fun.

Bike commuting rocks.  If you ride and don't commute - what's stopping you?  Do it.

Tales From the Burke-Gilman Trail. Birds of a Feather.

Alright - I'm riding home from work today - cruising down the Burke-Gilman Trail.  I see two riders ahead and as I gain on them, noticed one of the riders has this blue box on his back.  It's bigger then a backpack and yes - quite square.

As I get closer, realize it's a bird cage - yes a bird cage - with a yellow Ringneck Parrot inside enjoying the ride.  I recognized the breed because my wife owned the green version at one time.  It had this piercing bird call that would drive you insane, so we gave it away years ago.

As I cruised along side the couple, an older couple - mentioned we owned a similar bird at one time - and out of the 10,000 times (seems like it anyway) I've been on this trail, that's the first pet bird I've seen along for the ride.

Dude with the cage on his back said the bird likes to get out - then the wife chirps in, "Birds are people too".  I bit my New Jersey wise-ass tongue before saying, "Except when they're food", and gave a friendly wave instead.

Why ruin the bike love on a nice afternoon?