Mondays are just ducky (for biking to work)!

Ok, so these are geese (and baby geese)....but you get the idea.  Oh, sorry about the cell phone quality, left the camera behind this morning.  Just another thing you didn't see if you drove to work today instead of riding.

This is also the perfect intro into some advertising for bike to work week (May 12-18).

Check it out and register (for free coffee and stuff) at Bikenevada.org.

Get that dusty bike out of the back of the garage and get it into a local bike shop for a tune up.  This way you'll be ready come May 12th to see the ducks....

 smell a local bakery.....

 and chuckle when you see the backed up traffic on the freeway!

So stop thinking about doing it and do it!  The weather is great and this is your personal invitation to use your bicycle for transportation.  You'll enjoy it, I promise.

Weekend Bikeyness!

Great Basin Bicycles Yeti Demo Day!

I was chatting with Rich Staley of Great Basin Bicycles yesterday at the BPAC meeting and he mentioned an upcoming demo day (featuring Yeti bicycles).  So mark this on your calendars!

Sunday June 3rd Demo Day at Rancho San Rafael Park from 12-5 pm.  Meet up at the baseball area (NW corner of Virginia St. and McCarren).  Peavine will be yours to conquer!

Bike lanes and Rainbows

There you have it.  If you build infrastructure correctly rainbows appear!  Yep, that's what I came up with this morning....it could be true....you never know.

The fight for funding alternative transportation!

....and the health of the country!

Bicycle commuting, plain and simple.

I think a lot of people believe commuting by bicycle isn't an option for them.  I'm here to tell you it's really not a big deal.  Especially this time of year in Reno. 

Here's how a typical morning rolls out at my house.  Rise and shine about 6 am.  Move at a snails pace until coffee is brewed (mostly due to wifey getting up earlier).  Allow coffee to take effect.  Get cleaned up and presentable to the world.  Please note this means dressing for work....riding (especially in this weather) does not require spandex unless you want it.

If wifey is riding we leave about 7:23 am for her 1.1 mile commute to school (she needs to be there at 7:30.....yep, 7 minutes for a mile....that's all the time it takes at a leisurely pace).  I tag along for company and to get in a few extra miles.  And ladies, she does ride in a skirt almost every day.  She doesn't ride a fancy dutch bike with a skirt guard either.  In fact this week she road her mountain bike with the skirts and had no problems.

I drop wifey off at school and get to cruise down a the big hill on Kings Row at 30+ miles an hour on the xtracycle (yes, I do say woohoo!). 

I now have a quick 6.5 mile ride into the office (or about 20ish minutes for me on the bike).  It takes me over the freeway where I find I am even happier that I am riding a bike.  Otherwise I'd be stuck with these suckers trying to head to the east side of town! 

Oh, yeah for the record the flow of traffic this morning on 80E was about 5 miles per hour (e.g. my commute via car would take longer than by bike)!  I continued over the bridge and headed East on my "new" 4th St. commute.

If you don't like traffic this route parallels the river trail and you can have a completely soothing ride.  I find that I like a little traffic to motivate me to move along.  After all, my ride is exercise as well and I like a little competition.  This CRV served as my pace car all the way to Sutro (about 3 miles).  All it takes is a couple of stop lights and light traffic and you can keep up with the pace of the cars without breaking 25 mph.  Every time we hit a stop light and I pulled up behind her, I could see her looking at me in the rear view mirror.  I'm pretty sure she couldn't believe she wasn't faster than the stupid bike!

From Sutro I rejoin the bike path and have a relaxing last mile or so and then ease into the work day.  All in all a great way to start the day.

Busy, busy, busy.

Ok, sorry for the lack of a Monday post.  I'm sure you found another way to occupy your morning.  I was tied up touring three breweries over in St. Helena and Calistoga.  Well, that wasn't the point but I wasn't complaining.  Really it was to join wifey for a 1/2 marathon through wine country.  It was sort of a short notice thing (yes, a short notice 1/2 marathon), but it was fun.  And for the record....I do run regularly, just not in the training for anything type way you should.  So the race itself fortunately didn't complete wreck me.

Now work is back in full force and I'm behind.  I'll try to have something more interesting in the near future.

Until then....BPAC Meeting tomorrow!  Come if you want an update on the 4th and Prater corridor.  The meeting is in a new location:  RTC Boardroom, 2050 Villanova Drive, Reno  at 6:30 pm.

The DMV...kinda funny when you're on a bike.

Part of my 4th St. commute takes me past the DMV on Galletti Way.  I don't know why but it just makes me smile to ride my bike past the DMV office.  I guess it's especially true when at 7:45 there's a line that snakes around the front of the building.

Don't get me wrong....I own two cars, but a little prep and the US mail keeps me out of this place and I intend to keep it that way!

Automobile Parking....or.... I do what I want!

So now that 4th St. is my commute of choice it appears I'm going to have some new fodder to blog about.  For those of you not familiar with 4th St. it looks like this on a nice morning.

Please not that there are 4 lanes for traffic and that the right lane is extra wide so vehicles can park (for free) along the edge.   However, it is not cool to park on the sidewalk.  SIDE "WALK".....get it!  It is for pedestrians and walking, not another free parking space for employees.  And for the record all three of the vehicles pictured are employees.  They are here every day (although this parking method is new). 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against having room to park on the edge of the street....I want the businesses that are on 4th St. to succeed and prosper and help make Reno the town it should be.  This is just one more example of how it acceptable to do things with a car that will land you in trouble in any other variation of the circumstance. Remember, it's not even legal to ride a bike on downtown Reno sidewalks....

Moab....a how to guide!

Ok, I promised a write up on the Moab trip upon my return so here goes.  A photo guide to how to tackle Moab.

Find all your camping gear and load the car.  Bikes...put bikes on the car.  Get on Hwy 50 and drive East.  Be sure to notice Wheeler Peak on your way.  Make mental notes to get back to Great Basin National Park.

Use a couple other roads...when all the rocks turn red you are in Moab!  Find an awesome place to camp in the red rocks and unload bikes and camping gear.

 

Immediately, climb the nearest 150ft high sandstone fin to observe camp.  Wait until dark....then use camp for sleeping.

  

Return to sandstone fin with coffee in the morning to soak up some sun and phenomenal 360 degree views (repeat daily)!

Now that you are rested and caffeinated....cease Moab by the horns.  Hike to an arch!

Introduce your bicycle to the slickrock, your bike will thank you later.

 

Be sure to bring a friend....they will also thank you later!

When you see lines that lead out across vast areas of slickrock follow them.  Your technical riding skills will benefit from the experience (or you will get broken collar bones....I can't remember which).

Enjoy the ride!

Do not forget about the dog....bring the dog on the trails!  Just be sure to keep tabs on their feet!  Slickrock is like sandpaper!

Follow the dog...the dog will only wait so long for you!

 

Now that you are a skilled hiker and biker in slickrock country....try doing 10 plus mile runs on it.  Specifically, on the full slickrock trail.  It will be fun and it will hurt you!

Enjoy the views while you run!

When you have completed hiking, biking, and running, return to camp and enjoy snacks and a beverage (remember to look good while doing it).  Repeat daily or until you are exhausted and need to go home!

New stuff soon....but important meetings are coming!

Ok, I'm back from vacation and pictures will follow.  I managed to get sick the first day back so I'm just hitting work and it will be crazy.  Until I regroup, there is an important meeting this week for the 4th / Prater St. corridor.  Basically, they don't want to do anything on 4th street through the heart of Reno and want cyclists to use 6th st (which is an industrial wasteland).  We want to use 4th because that's where everything cool is!!!  E.g. to me cool is currently bars, restaurants, and the Reno Bike Project. 

Anyway, here's the flyer.  We need people to come to this meeting and give opinions.  We can change their minds, but we need a turnout to do it.

Moab is filling my prescription next week!

Moab...the new antibiotic!

It's spring break time for wifey next week, so we're making our annual pilgrimage to Moab for a little RnR!  I stole the image above from Reno-Rambler (not sure where he got it), but it sure fits the bill.

So don't be surprised if nothing shows up here for a week or so.  I'm only recently past a disposable cell phone on the tech curve so mobile blogging isn't really my thing.  I'll try to have some hiking, biking, camping pics from the trip when I get back. 

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!

Banff Mountain Film Festival is this Thursday!!

Click the banner to check out Nevada Land Conservancy!!

Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour
comes to Reno on Thursday, April 5th


John Ascuaga's Nugget Rose Ballroom
Doors open at 6:00 pm
Films run from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Cost: $20 in advance, $25 day of event, VIP tickets available for $43

The Banff Mountain Film Festival, a program of The Banff Centre, is the largest, and one of the most prestigious, mountain festivals in the world. Hot on the heels of the festival held every fall in Banff, Alberta, the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour hits the road. With stops planned in about 390 communities and 35 countries across the globe, this year's tour features a collection of the most inspiring action, environmental, and adventure films from the festival.

The Banff Mountain Film Festival event is Nevada Land Conservancy's largest annual fundraiser. Established in 1998, the Nevada Land Conservancy is a private, non-profit land trust dedicated to preserving and protecting Nevada's open spaces and special places for future generations. As the state's first "Nevada-Born" land trust, the Conservancy meets open space needs by working closely with area landowners, businesses, environmental organizations, and public officials. The Nevada Land Conservancy has protected more than 40,500 acres to date through acquisition, facilitation and partnership!

For more information on Banff or the Nevada Land Conservancy mission, please call (775) 851-5180.

Film List
All.I.Can -  Canada, 2011, 11 minutes
Focus: Snow Sports. Best Feature-length Mountain Film, Sponsored by Town of Banff.  Stunning time-lapse sequences, creative visuals, great skiers, and deep powder are highlights of this excerpt from the award-winning feature film that looks at snow sports and the environment.

Chasing Water - USA, 2011, 18 minutes
Focus: Environment. Best Short Mountain Film – Chasing Water, Sponsored by The North Face. Pete McBride grew up on a ranch in Western Colorado, in 2008 Pete decided to follow the water from his family's ranch to see where it ends up. This is the story of a journey, and a story about the lifeblood of the West.

The Trail Collector - Switzerland, 2010, 5 minutes
Focus: Mountain Biking. People collect all kinds of things: stamps, coins, art – this is a collection of trails.

Kadoma - USA, 2011, 42 minutes
Focus: Exploration, Kayaking. Best Film - Exploration and Adventure, Sponsored by Nemo. "Kadoma" is the nickname for Hendri Coetzee, a legendary South African kayaker who is known for exploring some of Africa's wildest rivers. In December 2010, American pro kayakers Chris Korbulic and Ben Stookesbury followed Coetzee into the Democratic Republic of Congo for a first descent of the dangerous Lukuga River. Seven weeks into the expedition, tragedy struck.

Intermission

C.A.R.C.A. -  Canada, 2011, 8 minutes
Focus: Humor, Avalanche Rescue. One man's quest to revolutionize the world of animal avalanche rescue.

 Seasons: Winter - USA, 2011, 4 minutes
Focus: Kayaking. Brian Ward discovers an unexpected and new-found love for water, in its frozen and expanded form

Ski Bums Never Die - Canada, 2011, 4 minutes
Focus: Snow sports. What does it take to be a ski bum? An unending dedication to powder skiing? The ability to do anything in your ski boots? A lifelong quest for deep snow? Find out with this unusual and inspiring band of skiers in the Kootenay region of British Columbia.

On Assignment: Jimmy Chin - USA, 2010, 6 minutes
Focus: photography, climbing, outdoor culture. A brief portrait of a passionate athlete who has melded climbing and photography. Jimmy Chin believes that "the most honest photos happen when both the subject and the photographer are just in the moment, and the rest of the world has just fallen away."

The Freedom Chair - Canada, 2011, 15 minutes
Focus: Snow sports. Josh Dueck was an aspiring skier and coach until a ski accident in 2004 changed his life for good. Josh's dream is to tackle the backcountry and the steepest and wildest mountains in the world – and with his infectious outlook, he may just catch his dream.

Reel Rock: Sketchy Andy - USA, 2011, 22 minutes
Focus: Slack lining, BASE Jumping, craziness! American climbing dirtbag Andy Lewis is taking the discipline of slack lining into the future as he solos the world’s longest high-lines and masters the hardest aerial tricks, while pushing his equipment to the limit. As Andy goes higher, harder, and faster with climbing, we all wonder how far he can go before it’ll be one step over the line.

Bicycle Bananas Bandit!!

I had to drop the dog off at the groomers this morning, which happens to be right next door to Bicycle Bananas.  As I waited for the groomer to open a few patrol cars rolled up (eying me suspiciously I might add).  I watched as they pulled up to Bicycle Bananas....only then noticing the large pile of glass, that was the remains of a plate glass window.

I didn't nose around too much since they were obviously just checking out the scene for the first time, but it looks like someone did the old smash and grab and got at least a few bikes.  Hopefully, they didn't get anything too expensive.

Here's to hoping the dirt bag who did this gets nabbed.  Remember if you see anything too good to be true on Craigslist this week you might want to check with Bicycle Bananas!

To drill or not to drill.....that isn't the question.

Cold hard facts....doesn't matter how much we drill for black gold, the price at the pump does it's own thing.  I'll venture to guess that building the Keystone pipeline won't make much of a change either.  The safe way to save money is break out the bike and drive less!

The weekend.

My weekend went by in a flash....as usual.  I knew something was brewing on Friday, because I encountered the love bike cruising down First St.

The next clue was encountering about 20 fixed gear riders as I headed up Washington St.  The only question remaining was what draws this kind of crowd to Reno?  There was of course only one answer...

Yep, Scalleycat was in town this weekend.  If I'd been adventurous I'd have headed out Friday night to see just how much PBR these guys (and gals) can drink and still stay upright on a bike.  Instead I waited til Saturday afternoon to head down to the Fort and check out the event as it came to an end.

The end for me involved my own challenges to say upright on my ride home...all in all not a bad weekend.