yeah! local bike shop...

it's a known fact I never get things done,
except to successfully collect lists
of things I should have done,
and haven't,
yet.

I only lube when my bike is as dry as a desert,
and the pulleys make that neglected 'squeek'.
And then it's only because my bike is trying
to embarrass me.
Calling me out as a bicycle abuser.



And so go the brakes.
Squeeling like a broke ass car.
After a week, I finally check it out,
only to realise there's metal on metal,
yeah, I'm a dumbass. Sorry rims.
Thank you LBS,
new pads installed in a minute,
tons more stopping power.
Which means SKIDS! Sorry tires,
I promise to buy some cheappies -
as to not wear you out, yet.



While cashing out I spotted these!
Awesome!
Because my basement looks like a jungle
with all the flatted tubes laying around.
And I keep saying I'll patch them,
well, I haven't patched a tube since
some time in the 90's - it just makes me
feel better than tossing ANOTHER tube away.


Now I can spend money, to make me feel like I'm being GREEN.
Sarcasm? Yes. But these are pretty well thought out,
except maybe coating the hooks, so you don't scratch
stuff up.
I'm to lazy to give you a link,
so here's a close up, now go google it for yourself.
$3.95, and you can be just a little bit smugger than the
guy next to you....

'you commute too?'
'yeah? well, do you recycle your tubes? thought not!'
'why don't you take up driving a car!'

Now I'm off shopping for pannier bags,
and a dorky rack.
Hopefully I won't be upsold into a recumbent and a mustache.

still we ride....

it's a short watch,
and it's been awhile since I've sat down and watched it,
but Andrew Lynn is a local guy,
and it's a good video.

after I'm done hanging work
for a one night show,
I'll be riding across the river for Critical Mass,
then riding back for the show.
Maybe it's not necessary in some cities,
but it is here...
Tomorrow people....

required tools

as a commuter,
two things to put on your shopping list:

'Traffic, Why We Drive the Way We Do' by Tom Vanderbilt.


when you need to become:
THE KARMA POLICE
after you come across the vehicle that
almost took you out (since you wrote down the plate #),
you can:
-key the offending car (and hope you don't get caught)
-slash a tire (and again, hope you don't get caught)
-ride on by (and hope you don't get hit the next time)
-remove the valve stem core!
new cores cost about 25 cents. so no real damage,
just a huge inconvenience to the offending driver.

valve core remover,
$2 for four at your local auto parts store.
which after their crappy 'move up from riding a bike ad'
I don't mind buying their product to help people walk.



I usually keep a couple in my bag & hand them out
to others with the same 'hostile driver' problem.

"BIKE MONTH" brings out the best

like this comment:

"I got a piece of bike related art: you just need white paint, and you actually use the road as the canvas. It’s kind of a minimalist thing, you just make two long lines next to each other, about 3 feet apart right there on the road. I think the city should submit about 50 of them by next week for this contest.

Seriously, for all the talk the city does about bikes, I see no action whatsoever in making this a better city to ride in. I refuse to participate in this empty cheerleading contest, and I suggest everyone else do the same. Or, better yet, send angry letters as your entry.

PS, I’m bitter, can you tell?"

pulled from here.

honestly, I would probably buy a Sea-Tac shirt since I was born there,
but the point is valid,

A MONTH OF PANDERING TO THE CYCLISTS IN HOPES THAT
THEY SHUT THE HELL UP FOR THE NEXT YEAR,
WHEN THEY DO IT AGAIN.

LIKE BIKE TO WORK DAY.
That should be every day.

LIKE EARTH DAY?
You plant one tree and think about the environment for one day?
What do you do for the other 364 days?

THE ELEPHANT IN THE CORNER

OK,
thanks for coming over from RocBike.
I'll figure out the photo deal at some point.

Let's just say I jockey two ton death boxes and dipshits daily.
I mean EVERY DAY!

Two days ago,
as I'M WAITING AT A RED LIGHT, to turn left
onto a busy street during rush hour.
As the light turns green for my left,
a minivan to the right rear ends a SUV,
which almost takes out the motorcyle stopped
for my light. Dumb ass! Pay attention.
You killing someone is not an ACCIDENT!
It's NEGLIGENCE!!!!!
(my pet peave of the use of "accident")
I shake my head and pedal out into traffic,
waiting to be a hood ornament due to someone
in their 40's trying to be 16 by texting "LOL".



Last night, same light, same course,
different idiot.
I make the light,
it's dark out,
headlight on & flashing,
three blinkies on back flashing,
helmet on,
(and readjusted thanks to the advice
of my favorite recumbenterer).
There are three lanes heading in town.
The far right turns into an onramp.
So I have two lanes.
Trying to 'NOT take the lane' & get rear ended at speed,
I stay to the right of the lane,
which puts me close to higher speed traffic
from the far right on ramp.

I WATCH THE ROAD BENEATH ME FOR HEADLIGHTS.

Coming up to the red light before the highway,
I get passed by an SUV cutting from the far left,
across my lane -two feet in front of me,
honking, and quickly getting into the far right lane.
REALLY!
You had to intentionally cut me off?
Couldn't just change lanes behind me?
You had to turn this into some kind of macho
who-has-the-biggest-dick contest?
Well, YOU ARE THE BIGGEST DICK.

We both sat at the red light.
He had the smirk of restrained laughter.
Hindsight I should have snapped a picture,
THAT pisses people off.
(side note, if your kids wear their baseball cap
sideways and/or drive with the seats reclined back,
and spend more time primping than their girlfriends -
DO ALL OF HUMANITY A FAVOR AND KICKTHEIR ASS FOR US).

I can only hope what they say about steriods is true,
because his size is all that prevented me from dragging
him out of his car. He was my size, but I'm lazy, and
don't go to the gym. Sucks getting bullied years AFTER
highschool.
And we continue home,
but there's another stop first...

BEN ,
I didn't know the family,
but his parents are living my nightmare.
Parents are not supposed to outlive their children.
It's not right,
I can't even imagine where my head would be if I lost
a child. I think my life would end as I know it.
I placed three flowers,
and thought about how one day, one event,
could change everything as you know it.
SAD,
that's the only way to describe it.
Not the rage from a friend run down.
Just a sad event.
I didn't come as a cyclist,
but as a parent.

That was enough,
I dried my eyes as I thought how painful it must be,
how do you even approach the family?
Anything to help, you know?
I don't have anything,
but I'ld mow your lawn or do your errands
so it could remove some weight from your shoulders.
As a stranger, I don't know the words.
It's out of my comfort zone.
So I pedaled home.

And here we go again...
this was the intersection right up the street
from the memorial spot.
I rode through this maybe ten minutes before.
For Fire & EMS to be there,
well it probably happened a minute or two after
I passed through.



You dumbass drivers are going to kill me! Or someone I love.
(and I bet you'll call it an accident to displace the blame and
guilt AND responsibility YOU SHOULD OWN UP TO!)



YOU CAN'T EVEN PLAY NICELY WITH EACH OTHER!!!
AND YOU WANT ME TO ABIDE BY RULES MADE FOR MOTORISTS,
RULES YOU CAN'T EVEN FOLLOW?

NO THANKS!
My rule is that old seatbelt slogan,
'ARRIVE ALIVE'.
If I offended some motorists,
well fuck them & their mom!
Now they can be double offended!

Maybe, just maybe...
Cyclists should start pulling offensive drivers
from their cars & beat them with U-locks.
Bet you wouldn't get messed with eventually.
Who bothers a motorcycle gang?
Or gangsters?
For you uptight ones, I'm only kidding.
Well, kind of.

The point on that is,
if you're gonna bully someone with a car,
like a two ton steel club,
be prepared for it to backfire on you,
the cyclist may claim self-defense,
and you may get a beat down.

Or I may just post your photo and say mean things...

i'm back in the ____ again.

ok,
more like I'll have time todo some posting.
maybe.
I keep buying memory cards because I'm:
1. too lazy to upload & edit and
2. don't trust my computer,so I keep a 'hard copy'
so, no pictures yet.
I just leave you these which are neither entertaining
or relative to anything,
they just 'are'.
If I cold be anymore zen like,
I'ld go make like a rock & sit in the garden,
but for now I'm off to work.
Work is where I think of things to annoy others with,
so for future postings:



IT DOES NOT BOTHER ME TO FLIP OFF DRIVERS.



I WILL CONTINUE TO PASS ON THE RIGHT AT STOP LIGHTS.



NO CARS? NO STOPPING (maybe a little slow down just in case).



A BAD DRIVER IS STILL MORE DANGEROUS THAN A BAD CYCLIST.
which shouldn't have to be said,
but people ARE STILL DEBATING IT.

VEER & Commuter Contest

and Bike Month, and this, and that, and some more...
and I'm exhausted.
And I was soaked last night,
and beat this morning.

So the Commuter Contest?
Last year I was 7th or 8th,
really not sure.
I just know I didn't get beat by
the Smart Car or the guy on the unicycle.

This year, well, I did wait until three hours before
to switch to slicks, replace two flat tubes,
blow a tube, rip a tube, curse my wheels,
adjust the brakes, bolt on fenders for the rain
that was coming in....
For a few minutes it looked like a small medium pace group,
and then came some LEGS.
And rain,
and headwinds,
and continual red lights.
So,
8th or 9th for this year.
Not raising any bars this year,
just beers.


The movie night.
This last week I feel like I have ignored so many things,
all to promote this event.
But it really puts things in perspective being the 'one'
bringing something together.
All the running around,
making flyers,
finding sponsors,
dealing with emails.
Promotion & more promotion.
Trying to guarantee a crowd.

As I rode around town the night before with a group
for the City Master Bike Plan,
everyone I passed thought it was:
next Thursday?
this Friday?
wasn't it last week?
That's when the panic and doubt sets in.
All the 'could have' and 'should have'.
It's in motion, it just needs to play itself out.

At the end of the Commuter Contest,
all I could think is:
"what if no one shows up?".

This was put aside for a moment,
as I was awarded the Commuter of the Year Award.

"
Congratulations! You are the Capital Region - Albany County - Commuter of the Year 2009!

I was especially impressed that you had decided to sell your car a year ago and become a year-round commuter! Although your nomination did not highlight your many contributions to bicycling in Albany County and the Capital Region - I am aware of all you do! Thank you for your work as an artist , a movie promoter, a community leader and a dedicated cycling commuter!

Today, as you well know is the 6th Annual SIGMA Commuter Contest. This exciting competition pits bicyclists against motorists and transit riders during rush-hour traffic to determine the most efficient means of transportation. For the past 5 years, the bicyclist has been the winner--let's see if we can make it 6 in a row! Start time: 5PM sharp. Location: Starbucks to EMS ( 10 N Pearl St. , Albany to Stuyvesant Plaza , 1475 Western Ave. ).
I will announce the Commuters of the Year at the end of the Commuter Contest."

It's great to be aknowledged,
but there were commuters who helped me commute year round.
They got me there,
or here,
or where ever I may be headed,
I don't know.
I do know, it's actually selfishness,
because i just like riding my bike.
Bunny hopping potholes,
skidding,
what ever,
two wheels are fun!

OK,
on with the movie!
Pouring rain, hot soy chai, and good company.
Then it was off for a wet commute to the theatre.

College finals and graduations,
pouring rain,
thursday night,
all equalled to lower attendance than I planned.

But the theatre owner said it was a great night for them!
We didn't lose any money!
And the crowd for the first showing cheered and clapped,
a great reception to a great movie.
I honestly didn't have a chance to view more than the
first 20 minutes, so I sat in on the first show.
Moved, I had just a belief that Greg put together a
good movie about a great cycling community,
but this IS A MUST SEE.
The support of UrbanVelo.
And all the local shops, bars and food stops were amazing,
along with The Madison Theatre, that allowed cyclists
to take a personal look at a cycling community onthe other
side of the country.
Hopefully people left inspired.
We gathered thirtythree members to lay a foundation
for our cycling scene.
Just one of many steps that need to be taken.
At the end,
YES!
it was worth it.
To see people's reaction,
to what we can achieve.
To see a true movie about cycling,
in a real theatre.
To belong.
Belong to something greater than one's self.


Today is National Bike to Work Day.
Maybe a couple more people will realise they CAN do it.
And they can divorce their car.
ONE MORE BIKE ON THE ROAD.
ONE MORE MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY.

It's time to get ready for work.
Everyday is bike to work day.
And that's a good thing!

um, screw your "club" mentality...

HERE.
See, I started my day trying to clear out the oft ignored email.
Which means going through every email.
Which leads me to being disappointed with cycling clubs
and the "don't care about advocacy" mentality.
I know, EVERY MONTH IS BIKE MONTH,
but when you look through the May ride calendar,
and no mention of any "culture" events.

NO RIDE OF SILENCE.
NO COMMUTER CONTEST.
NO BIKE MOVIES.
NO ART SHOWS.

MAN!
You guys really ARE a bunch of stuffy doctors and dentists.
SERIOUSLY?
I know we all love bikes, but THAT RIGHT THERE defines
WHAT IS WRONG WITH NUMB NUT CLUB RIDERS.

YOU! MY DORKY FRIEND HAVE NO CULTURE!
You do though, have a mileage log book, I guess.



So that right there is A BIG PROBLEM!
Followed by all the tools driving in bike lanes
and NOT giving right of way, or understanding that concept.

oh, I can't stop!

Your comment is awaiting moderation.

"ok one more,
it IS illegal to run a red on a bike,
$250-$350 depending on what city.
NYC is the $350, and I know someone who got ticketed.
So lobby your police to enforce the ticketing,
I’ll lobby for enforcing the harrassement/buzzing
of cyclists, which is an aggressive driving citation,
a little heavier penalty than the red light ticket.
Do that twice and you’ll be riding a bike to work,
and not by choice.
Even?

Where’s the blog about hostile single passenger SUV that never goes off road and is always on the phone? I want in on that one."

Comment by — May 12th, 2009 @ 5:26 pm

RSS feed for comments on this post.

feet in mouth...

ugh...
you get a link to a post,
and tucked in somewhere are those jerks,
the ones that get you all fired up,
the ones that would probably get punched
if they weren't hidding behind a computer.
of course somethings I just fall for,
and can't keep quiet on.....


"what a fresh reminder of why you should never read the comments section (DG & BL).

First off, THE MORE BIKES THE BETTER FOR EVERYONE IN EVERY ASPECT!

Taking the actions of a few idiots, or for the sake of being nice,
a few ‘not so educated in road rules & saftey’ and you simply apply them to all cyclists? The same could be done regarding drivers?
Your complaints make you out tobe the perfect driver, which I highly doubt.

Empathy. Simply put, if it were YOU on the side of the road, pedaling a bike. How would you want drivers to treat you?

Even better, to gauge driver carelessness and lack of concern:
Would you, as a parent, feel comfortable with your child riding their
bike along the side of a street (with a helmet, obeying ALL rules of the road)? Doubt it!

Statistically, for every bad cyclist in ______, there are over 200 agressive, hostile, uneducated (in road rules), or cell phone chatting
and texting driver that poses a potential death threat to cyclists,
runners (who run towards traffic to avoid such drivers, just so you know), and to even YOU, in your own car.

As a commuter, I follow most rules of the roads, but my arriving home
safely to my wife and three kids trumps those rules that put me in harms way (your bad driving). I have had drinks thrown at me, when one hit me in the head, I went right to the APD, and they wouldn’t do anything! I’ve had people cut me off, turn left in front of me and flip me off, buzz past me at 45 mph while I was IN A BIKE LANE (they crossed the line!). So it’s not that we’re on a pedestal claiming to be better. It’s that for your one bad cyclist, we deal with 4-10 close calls EACH DAY- and are pretty sick of it! One ignorant cyclist that might dent you precious car, or ten road rage drivers that could cause my kids to grow up without a father? So you can get home five minutes sooner? And your excuse? “well, who rides a bike in the street?”

roads were made for cars?
um, according to history, bikes were BEFORE cars?
it’s yielding RIGHT OF WAY,
and, I therefore yield to pedestrians.

Again, I learn my lesson, there’s always a jerk or idiot in the
comments section that gets you all fired up, see you two on the street."

Comment by — May 12th, 2009 @ 4:51 pm

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* I made up that 1/200 statistic, but it sounded good.
I only see a couple of cyclists, but deal with a ton of idiot drivers.

Making an effort...

"So you ride a bike?"
That's all it took.

Seriously, three years this guy has been the 'window cleaner'.
No one knew his name, he would just come in, do the windows,
and then leave.
The other morning he was out front as I rode up.

"Yeah, it's hard to get time in for long rides,
so I just commute all the time, it's my time".
I replied.

He's kind of, no, he's really built, for a shorter guy.
When he talks I can make out an Eastern European accent,
but we're never had much of a conversation in those three
years. I just figured, we probably don't have alot in common.

"Back home I raced alot".
He continues,
"actually I was a Junior Champion when I was 17."
"My brothers, they all rode, that's as far as I got."
"You either rode a bike or played football (soccer)."
"I rode for as long as I could, then I became a powerlifter,"
"that's how I came to America, to compete as a world level
powerlifter, for championships, that was in the 90's."
"Now? I clean windows eh?"

Who the hell knew?
I did learn to take some time and talk to a person,
and now we talk a bit more. And have a new respect
for each other, and a common bond, love of the bike.

So I leave the lesson to talk to the person,
and find that common bond.
And I leave you some random images from the weekend.

Take a little time

to think of where I've been,
and who I've met......
with all the Facebook and blogs
and YouTube.
You come across so many things...

I met Lucky in the summer of '92.
PILGRIM had gotten me into the concert. At the time there was alot of unrest
in South Africa, and since this was pre-internet, I brought
along a stack of newspapers covering the riots and fighting.
I was able to spend some time with Lucky at the hotel after
the concert, and he appreciated the news since phones were
down in his hometown, and he didn't have any news since he was
on the road. How the internet has changed things.

That's how I found out Pilgrim had passed in October of 2003.
And how Lucky had been killed during a carjacking in October of 2007.
Maybe this post should be for October, but it's fresh on my mind now.

I just remember what a good show it was,
how personable and humble he was,
and that insane falsetto.
Just take a minute and play the video.
Then it sets in,
that he's one of the best reggae singers,
and you'll never get a chance to see him (again).
All for a car.

This is how you fix it.

HERE is the solution.
Of course it's too obvious for America,
after it succeeds,
then ten years later someone here will 'discover' it.
Pathetic.

I just finished having this discussion,
the auto industry and their lobbyists,
and the politicians that went along with them,
pretty much dismantled America.

Make more roads = sell more cars.
Dismantle public transportation = sell more cars.

The Suburbia Dream, well we now know how well that doesn't work.
Generic big box stores.
Planning without vision.
Sprawl.
The need to drive EVERYWHERE!
You can not even get a gallon of milk,
or the newspaper,
without getting into your car,
and driving.

THAT IS POOR PLANNING.

You can see the change in culture as you look at
what decades neighborhoods and homes were built.
It's obvious.

Up to the 30's and some 40's there was no carport/garage.
In the late 40's and 50's it was a single car garage,
and you'll notice narrow streets, and porches at the FRONT.
If you live in these houses,
you know your neighbors, for good or bad.

As America went to the 60's the emphasis was the car.
The 'American Dream'.
The new suburban dream.
Removed and sold woth no pratical benefit,
other than a 'class upgrade',
American literally ran from the cities.
No front porch, that was moved to the backyard.
Now alot of people don't even know who lives
across the street,
or even next door.
They get in the car,
drive to work (in the city).
Work all day in the building,
never venture out,
and then drive home.
And now you needed two cars or more.

With the greed of the 80's,
and the revival of status,
and furthering of class division,
that continued into the 2000's
with McMansions,
luxury SUVs,
more sprawl,
and more cars.

The auto industry,
and we as consumers with our poor purchasing behavior,
are to blame for this mess.
A car dependant society that refuses to make any changes,
even for our benefit.

My time for My scene...

Well,
it's down to the last five days...

VEER is almost here...

You need to go to UrbanVelo now!

My baby is one week away.........
when I thinkabout how many hours were spent,
to show 98 minutes of bike love to this city.....
Thank you UrbanVelo for the heaviest box of goodness
that the UPS guy has EVER delivered.



will there be fifty people?
or will I sell out both shows?
Will it be worth the effort?
Will people care?

This is what keeps me away from the computer,
except to check emails.
Along with the usual busy at work stuff,
and a backyard that's a disaster,
and every day I'm off work,
it rains.
And little man has his birthday tomorrow,
and there's family flying in today,
actually four hours to finish making this
house look like it's NOT overrun by dogs,
and kids,
and all things dirty!!!

what you said

eight,
that's how many showed up to the coalition meeting.

but that's more than three,
so I'l take that.
And a few that didn't make it,
did make it on tv.

The new "stimulating package"
the repair of a main road into (or away from) town.
But in this time of being green,
there's no provision for bicyclists,
and as far as I know,
not even signage.
So we're gonna spend a couple million,
to pave about two miles.
Idiots!
Same lack of a vision,
that we've had for years.

At least the news only covered the bike protest.
Same old government,
couldn't even get good press.
It's all about making the effort,
surprisingly,
others will be there with you.


Such a good bike weekend,
with the art show,
and the weather.
Of course it all came to an end today.

Cars in the bike lane.
Getting buzzed
Getting cut off by sharp right turns in front of me,
if I can reach out and touch your car -
YOU'RE TOO CLOSE.
But the best was saved for last,
a left turn right in front of me,
so close I had to lock up the brakes.
As I yelled,
the old lady simply flipped me off and kept going.

Seriously?
It's gonna be a good year
for altercations.
Awesome.

At least the auto industry is sucking.
Sucking isn't even the word.
'Almost dead?'
Chrysler?
God, that should have withered away years ago.
Good times ahead!