Wednesday, July 30, 2003
FOLLOW EM HOME?
Have you ever followed someone home that caused a scene to you on the road? I almost did today. Only about 3 blocks from home, I cruised over into the full lane cause there was a parked car on the right of the lane that I had to get around. Up comes a woman in a red car beeping her horn at me. As she goes by I crane around and since her window is down, yell "there's a parked car in the lane"!! Then I see she gets off at the next street. Since I know the roads there and I am so close to home I figure I'll just follow her and politely discuss the issue. She has to be going to a destination on a nearby street right? I'm a neighbor, I have every right to be there. Its not like I am stalking her for miles.
Anyway, she powers up the road to the next turn and makes a right. Where could she be going? I push hard to get there and make the turn but she is nowhere in sight. Ughh!! I even had thought out what I would say.
"Excuse me, I want to clear up any confusion we had back on Bridge St. There was a car parked along the right curb, so I took the full lane as the law allows me. I hope in the future that we don't have any more confusion about this" Then if she was amenable I could go into more details about biking, commuting, etc. But I never got the chance!
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Anyway, she powers up the road to the next turn and makes a right. Where could she be going? I push hard to get there and make the turn but she is nowhere in sight. Ughh!! I even had thought out what I would say.
"Excuse me, I want to clear up any confusion we had back on Bridge St. There was a car parked along the right curb, so I took the full lane as the law allows me. I hope in the future that we don't have any more confusion about this" Then if she was amenable I could go into more details about biking, commuting, etc. But I never got the chance!
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Monday, July 28, 2003
FREEWHEEL REMOVAL??
SO WHY CANT I GET THE **** FREEWHEEL OFF?! I have the right tool, and all, but it is jammed on so tight. I mean, how hard do I have to torque that baby to get it off? I am totally afraid to break something. It might take me a week or more to get those spokes changed the rate I'm going. I am frustrated right now. You can read about how easy it is to do a procedure like this, but until you actually get it done, it ain't easy. That learning curve needs to be conquered one issue at a time I know. And this freewheel removal to get to these spoke changes is a wide curve for sure. Cant write more now.
Made chocolate zucchini cake last night with my first Zuc from the garden!!
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Made chocolate zucchini cake last night with my first Zuc from the garden!!
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Saturday, July 26, 2003
CAT TRANSIT UPDATE
Not so much an update I realize as I havent posted about this yet, but an introduction for this blog. 1 and 1/2 weeks ago on my ride home I was buzzed by a CAT (Capitol Area Transit) bus on the Market St Bridge. This is one spot where there is no room for sharing lanes, but there are two lanes in each direction, so anyone can safely pass me. This bus however, chose to squeeze me by riding down the center of the two lanes, and fast too, and it whipped by me I could feel the pull from the bus's wind. So I wrote an email complaint the next day, and asked to be contacted by a representative. I guess the update is NO update yet, cause I haven't heard back from them. Not even to acknowledge that they received my message. Aint it a ***** when you have to work just to get appropriate customer service, let alone a safe space on the roadway? More later.
Played flippy floppy frisbee at the BBQ last night with Bow, Head and Soi. Remind me to fill you in on the rules sometime. Three of us made this game up so that we could play frisbee in the forest among the trees, when we were backpacking in Finger Lakes National Forest a few weeks ago.
Garden update: Soybeans are podding up, yeah. Edamame soon! Newly seeded cilantro though isn't coming up, I really want another batch before fall, so maybe I need fresh seed.
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Played flippy floppy frisbee at the BBQ last night with Bow, Head and Soi. Remind me to fill you in on the rules sometime. Three of us made this game up so that we could play frisbee in the forest among the trees, when we were backpacking in Finger Lakes National Forest a few weeks ago.
Garden update: Soybeans are podding up, yeah. Edamame soon! Newly seeded cilantro though isn't coming up, I really want another batch before fall, so maybe I need fresh seed.
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Friday, July 25, 2003
SPOKE SPEAK
I am relatively new to bicycles in terms of maintaining them and using them on a daily basis. Of course as a kid, I was on a bike almost every day, but once I grew up, I didn't have a bike with me through my life. The blue Giant I ride now was a hand me down from my brother (actually as a part of a loan payoff deal). And when I got it years ago, I would ride it every once in a while, at college, did a few off road single track rides, one of which slightly bent the rim and resulted in the bike hanging from the homestead barn ceiling at the Harmony House for a couple years.
When I pulled it out and decided I could take advantage of my location and commute to work it needed a little work. After cleaning it up though, one problem persists. Every so often I pop a spoke, or two. This has resulted in about 6 spokes popping over the lastfew months, most of them on the crank side of the back wheel. This time I think it happened when I rolled over a thick twig/branch? on the road from the storms the last couple nights.
Yesterday, when 2 went on me, I decided to finally make the leap to changing them on my own. So I gingerly rolled into the bike shop along my route home and bought four spokes (two extra) and a set of tire levers. Do you believe I checked my receipts from past work, and saw that they charged me over $20 for 2 spokes previously (that was with labor)? I encourage you to learn your own bike mechanical skills as well in order to turn a $20+ job into a $2 job (cost of the spokes).
So I'll let you know how the maintenance goes after I set down to do it this weekend. Gonna go to a BBQ tonight. Am making Tabouli salad with cucumber and basil from my garden, and taking some marinated tofu to grill. Peace.
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When I pulled it out and decided I could take advantage of my location and commute to work it needed a little work. After cleaning it up though, one problem persists. Every so often I pop a spoke, or two. This has resulted in about 6 spokes popping over the lastfew months, most of them on the crank side of the back wheel. This time I think it happened when I rolled over a thick twig/branch? on the road from the storms the last couple nights.
Yesterday, when 2 went on me, I decided to finally make the leap to changing them on my own. So I gingerly rolled into the bike shop along my route home and bought four spokes (two extra) and a set of tire levers. Do you believe I checked my receipts from past work, and saw that they charged me over $20 for 2 spokes previously (that was with labor)? I encourage you to learn your own bike mechanical skills as well in order to turn a $20+ job into a $2 job (cost of the spokes).
So I'll let you know how the maintenance goes after I set down to do it this weekend. Gonna go to a BBQ tonight. Am making Tabouli salad with cucumber and basil from my garden, and taking some marinated tofu to grill. Peace.
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Tuesday, July 22, 2003
WRONGWAY COMMUTERS
So my biggest pet peeve (from a bicycle commuters point of view anyway), hit me with a double shot today. On my way home, I was cruising along at a good pace, since I had a nice rest half of the way through due to a traffic backup on the bridge, when what forces me to come to an almost complete stop? Two, yes TWO, he and she, bicycling on the road right at me in the wrong lane.
Just in case anyone reading is unsure of the laws. Bicycles are treated the same as vehicles on the road and are supposed to ride with traffic, not against it. So when I see these two coming at me, a big oh **** escapes my lips, and I wait to see what they will do. Well the gentleman who is first in line, checks his rearview, like someone would actually be coming up behind him in a car in the wrong lane !?! Then swerves out into the lane against oncoming traffic (don't recall if anything was coming or not as I was concentrating on the bikers). What a gentleman to put his neck on the line so I can continue on my way.
Then the little lady is next, but she aint budging. I aint slowing down, cause right past them is a freeway overpass and I need to keep my momentum, until of course I get 10 feet in front of her, head on, and have to slam on my brakes. At this point she gingerly moves to the side (once again into oncoming traffic, but I dont remember anything coming by at that point thankfully).
No offense folks if you ever read this, but learn the laws, and the ettiquette of the road. Thanks. And dont be afraid to say hello next time, my bite aint bad, its just my bark here online cause its free to flow.
Well enjoyed dinner tonight with a $1.99 frozen pizza from the discount grocery with homemade pesto featuring basil from our plot. Yeah. Garden salad mesclun mix on top of the slices as well. Yeah.
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Just in case anyone reading is unsure of the laws. Bicycles are treated the same as vehicles on the road and are supposed to ride with traffic, not against it. So when I see these two coming at me, a big oh **** escapes my lips, and I wait to see what they will do. Well the gentleman who is first in line, checks his rearview, like someone would actually be coming up behind him in a car in the wrong lane !?! Then swerves out into the lane against oncoming traffic (don't recall if anything was coming or not as I was concentrating on the bikers). What a gentleman to put his neck on the line so I can continue on my way.
Then the little lady is next, but she aint budging. I aint slowing down, cause right past them is a freeway overpass and I need to keep my momentum, until of course I get 10 feet in front of her, head on, and have to slam on my brakes. At this point she gingerly moves to the side (once again into oncoming traffic, but I dont remember anything coming by at that point thankfully).
No offense folks if you ever read this, but learn the laws, and the ettiquette of the road. Thanks. And dont be afraid to say hello next time, my bite aint bad, its just my bark here online cause its free to flow.
Well enjoyed dinner tonight with a $1.99 frozen pizza from the discount grocery with homemade pesto featuring basil from our plot. Yeah. Garden salad mesclun mix on top of the slices as well. Yeah.
Comments to: franklenblog(at)fastmail(dot)fm
ABOUT ME
Married, 31 years old, Programs Coordinator for POWR (A Waterheds and Rivers focused environmental non-profit), 1 dog, into alt country/no depression/insurgent country music, love to read classic literature (especially Russian authors), trying to ween off the time spent on the computer while at the same time learning html and blogging, like to cook, and that's a start. Search and read this blog for more!
Monday, July 21, 2003
STARTUP/TEST DAY
It only took me a couple of weeks to get my bicycle commuting blog up since I was instigated to do so, but here it is finally. The instigation instance will come in a future post, but I need to start with today, since I was instigated again to start posting my times.
Just because, this was a day when you know you are being tested. First off its Monday, not a huge deal, but its Monday. Then when I get to work, some dog decided to leave a present over the weekend right in the middle of the alley entrance where I park my bicycle, hmph. So the work day moves along smoothly, then it moves along a bit too long. My 3:30 meeting doesn't start until 4, cause the new E.D. and the board member are getting to know each other, then I dont get out of the office till 5:45. So happy to be on my way home. Wouldn't you know it, the wind usually blows down river on the Susquehanna in Harrisburg, but not today, with a big storm on the way I fight a hard headwind all the way. Man am I glad to get home.
At least I beat the torrential downpours that started a little later in the evening as I write this, and its grand for my garden. First zucchini is on the vine, had salad and fresh beets for dinner too.
Well, thanks for joining this bicycle ride. Lets see where it goes.
Comments to: franklenblog(at)fastmail(dot)fm
Just because, this was a day when you know you are being tested. First off its Monday, not a huge deal, but its Monday. Then when I get to work, some dog decided to leave a present over the weekend right in the middle of the alley entrance where I park my bicycle, hmph. So the work day moves along smoothly, then it moves along a bit too long. My 3:30 meeting doesn't start until 4, cause the new E.D. and the board member are getting to know each other, then I dont get out of the office till 5:45. So happy to be on my way home. Wouldn't you know it, the wind usually blows down river on the Susquehanna in Harrisburg, but not today, with a big storm on the way I fight a hard headwind all the way. Man am I glad to get home.
At least I beat the torrential downpours that started a little later in the evening as I write this, and its grand for my garden. First zucchini is on the vine, had salad and fresh beets for dinner too.
Well, thanks for joining this bicycle ride. Lets see where it goes.
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