4th / Victorian Way....the Great Basin Express.

Ok, so after work yesterday I headed over to Great Basin to meet some friends for a beer.  I was tired before I even headed over and a couple beers probably didn't help the energy levels.  Anyway, I decided the river path was boring (and not direct enough given my energy levels) so I headed home to Reno via Victorian Ave. and 4th St. through downtown Reno.

Victorian Ave.....nice bike lanes.....good job Sparks!

4th St.....plenty of room to stripe a bike lane right now....no bike lane....bad job Reno!

The term express in the title was NOT in effect for me.  The route may be direct but it is also unprotected from the steady head wind I was fighting.  I think I average about 11 or 12 mph the entire way and probably slowed even further climbing the 300 feet up the hill to the house.  While this definitely qualifies as pathetic....at least the beer made the pain bearable.

So, if you need an alternate on your way to or from Sparks....give the 4th St. corridor a try.  It's relatively light traffic, interesting people watching, and the most direct route you can find.

The rest of the 4th St. commute.

So I kinda left off on the description of my new 4th St. commute last week.  It's given me some new pics so I thought I'd share.  We left off about at the Reno Bike Project....so as we continue to roll we hit a few other notable places you might want to stop and check out.

Zagol Ethiopian restaurant is definitely on the list and has some really tasty eats.  Just remember to bring your friends and wash those hands, cause the portions are family sized and utensils are not required!   

Breakfast to burgers and beers, Big Ed's has it all.  I haven't made it to this landmark for grub yet but I'm hoping to stop in now that it's part of my commute.

And if it isn't food you need, but just about anything else in the freaking world, "head on down to the big red barn".....or Twin City Surplus.  You know you've heard their commercial at some point.  I do hit this place now and then and it has just about everything.  You'll stay awhile just because you won't believe all the random stuff they have laying around!

From here I turn off at Galletti Way and the excitement drops off with NV Cement plant and the DMV.  After that I can pick up the river path for the remainder of the ride and cruise into work without a care in the world.

So pick a different route and look around the town you live in.  It's like a mini road trip without the car or leaving home!

Bicycle route blues......wait, bonanza!

Well, blues and bonanza might not be the right words.  Riding the same route each day does start to get a little old, especially if your trying to write something about it each day.  Don't get me wrong, the river path is great and there's no traffic to deal with.  Mill St. also has it's pluses (mainly speed).  However, to relieve this problem I've taken up riding 4th St. from Washington St. to Galletti Way on my morning commute.

I know some people might not enjoy this route (East 4th St. does have a reputation), but it's really a pretty low stress street to ride on.  There is relatively little traffic and the speeds are lower than alternate routes like Mill St.

As for the lore of East 4th....for those of you not familiar.  There are a fair number of rough pseudo-industrial businesses, St. Vincents homeless shelter, and low budget "weekly" hotels if you head out along this route.  It has long had a reputation as a unpleasant area.  However, this is really changing even during the hard economic times.  There are new businesses popping up and old businesses pushing back against this image.  So I'd encourage you to venture out this way next time you need some real Reno culture.

Start out with a drink at the Lincoln Lounge, a throwback to prohibition drinking.  You can't see in from the outside, so no one knows your partaking in drinking debauchery.  Once your inside you'll be greeted with a plush velvet interior and a nice beer garden out back.

You will see some unique characters as you roll by St. Vincents, but their not really even going to interact with you.  Once you pass them stop in and check out the Reno Bike Project.

I'll post more on the rest of the ride next week.  Let's just say their are some good places to check out for food and beer.

I'm thinking we might just have to organize a 4th St. bike tour as summer rolls in!  Until then...explore a new route.  You never know just how interesting it might be.