Happy Holidays! More Skiiing and Studded tires!

Another 2 feet plus at Mt. Rose this morning.  And due to the horrible roads almost no one was there to ski it.....but I was!!!

Also...I'm officially putting the studded tires on the Xtracycle today!  Come on snow and ice!

Well, well, well...a missed bike ride.

Yeah....at 5:30 this morning there was no wind hold.  So skiing it was.  I mean who can pass up 2' of fresh!?  Winds were picking up by 7 when I left the house.....but still no wind hold.  I refreshed the report just as I turned up the hill at Galena and saw this!?  Argh.....no skiing for me.

The worst part....was that as I was loading up the truck at 7, it was just a gorgeous morning....and all I wanted to do was get on the bike and have a nice little commuter ride!  So I lost out on my bike vs. ski decisions today.  I hope some of you opted for the 50 degree bike ride this morning!

Holidays!

Christmas lights by bike.

Last night I needed to take the dog for a walk.  Instead I opted to grab the bike and roll around the neighborhood with her.  The result was we covered more ground and saw a bunch of Christmas lights.  Which got me thinking...perhaps its time to do an organized ride to see some xmas lights? 

While my house sports some basic icicle lights this year, there are many (even in my neighborhood) that are quite decked out.  I didn't bring the camera or phone so I don't have good pics.  Tonight I'll try to get a few to motivate you to join in.  Also....battery operated Christmas lights are a thing.  So go get some and deck the bike out too. 

Danny MacAskill - Even crazier than usual!

Absolutely nuts.  The guy just has no fear and continues to create mind blowing videos.

Jenny Brekhus...The Best Bikey Vote you can make!

It doesn't matter what ward you live in.  Jenny Brekhus is one of the best council members we have if you like the outdoors and progressive leadership.  Get out and support her!

Watch for those Icy Patches!

Yep, anywhere there's a little bit taller building (north facing) you get a nice icy patch that usually extends across the bike lane.  They are usually dirty ice, visible, and not too slippery....but every once in a while there's a good one that's just pure black ice!  Perfect for practicing a nice 50 foot skid....assuming you stay upright!

Bike vs. Ski....

20 inches at Rose....it wasn't much of a choice!

Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway gets a big boost!

Just saw this over at RGJ.  Apparently, the bike way just secured a huge grant that will help get the section between Boca and Floriston built!!  When it's complete we'll have options to ride between Reno and Tahoe!  How cool is that!

Nature...Get Some!

A Cyclocross Story....

I enjoyed this little glimpse into one racer's view on life, bicycles, and people.  Perhaps you will too.

Tahoe-Pyramid Bike Path.

Here's a little on the history and the future of this great resource and the lady who is largely responsible for making it a reality!

Bill Nye...the Bicycle Guy!

Let's face it.  We all learned something from Bill Nye as kids.  Perhaps you can learn something from him as an adult!

Why People Like Cyclocross....Mud, Handups, Costumes, and Crashing!

Back on the Bike.

Work has kept me exceptionally busy for the last couple weeks...and bicycle time has been lower than I can remember in several years.  However, it appears that I will be getting back to a more normal schedule.  So, if you've been off the bike lately take advantage of the mild weather for the next day or two and get out for a ride!

Detroit...Motor City to Bike City!?

Being from Michigan, I have to love this.  Not only is it about rebuilding a city around bikes.  It's also about regaining businesses that build things.  In this case building bikes in America.  I don't know how long it will take a city like Detroit to recover from the economic losses it suffered.  I don't know if bikes will lead the charge.  I do love that the Motor City is making national news for being bike friendly!

Are you a Winter Cyclist....

If not...perhaps this gal will inspire you. 



Also, Reno is NOWHERE as cold as Indie, AK.  So what's your excuse!?

Thanksgiving Results.

I hope everyone had a good holiday break.  Here's a few pics (totally non-bikey) from my experience.

Beer at the brewery in Santa Fe at the 2nd St. brewery.

BBQ at the Cowgirl....complete with bike corral.  Unfortunately, we were walking not biking.

Touring the Art district....only $34,000 for Rock, Paper, Scissors....what a deal!

Turkey...the bird (not my brother), mashed potatoes, and a mandatory mid-west jello and fruit dish.

Kristen, the gal who did most of the work!

The results!

Be Inspired....It a Bike...Just Ride it!

Growing old is mandatory....growing up is optional.

I had another friend join me today on the plus side of 40....



This is what 40 year old guys do!

Things that pass you by....

I don't have a picture to go with the start of this post, so I guess it will have to be a written account.  I was merrily headed in on my commute today, kind of picking my route as I went (because going the same way every day gets boring).  Then just as I had settled on riding down Mill St.....a rider turned a corner in front of me and headed for the river path.

I debated for a second and decided I hadn't had a good game of chase in a while.  The rider probably had a 1/4 mile on me and looked to be on a road bike....perhaps clad in spandex?  The reason for the sketchy details is that while there was chase given, there was no catching.  The rider (male?/female?) was no slouch and I never gained (or lost for the record) an inch on him/her.

I'm not used to that dynamic....so I will present excuses.  1) The Fargo is a tank.  2)  I have the tires aired down for the ice road conditions.  3)  I've been a little sick lately.  4) ....Um....um....yeah, I got nothing here.

So apparently, I'm getting slower, is the only conclusion I can draw from this.  And it's probably true.  I missed the whole Cyclocross season due to the shoulder thing, so I didn't have any excuses to push myself on the bike.  The result is probably that the legs aren't quite what they were some years.

So with that in mind....I found a video of the Bend Cross Crusades race that I really intended to go to this year but didn't.  Please notice while there a ton of fast riders in this event....there are also some not taking themselves to seriously.  I believe I will have to take a lesson from this!

 **Please note...this video contains a wookie, a giraffe, a dominatrix, teenage mutant ninja turtles, and way more spandex than is socially acceptable....please view at your own digression!***

Early Evenings....not Bad!

Not a great picture....but boy was it a great sunset on the ride home the other day.  Can't beat that!

Oh....So that's what we're doing wrong!

How can you ride a bike in this weather!?

This is a question I get asked a lot this time of year.  The temperatures are dropping (22 when I left the house), snow is flying, and people waste gas warming up their cars.  The short answer is it doesn't even take that much.  This is what I wore this morning:

Wool t-shirt, patagonia cap2, wind stopper vest, wool hat, light wind stopper gloves, jeans.

Yep, no long johns or wind pants....and no shell jacket (although I carry both just in case).  The reality is once you're pedaling you generate quite a bit of heat.  And yeah, it's a bit chilly at the beginning but it just reminds you that you're alive!  So don't let the cold weather stop you from getting on the bike and enjoying an absolutely beautiful morning ride!

Commuter Credentials....If you rode yesterday and today, you have them!

Yeah...so I don't have fenders on the Fargo right now.  You know, because I was all set for the cyclocross season that got nixed due to the bike vs. car crash and resulting shoulder issues that have dragged on.  Turns out that's not supper cool when the snow and slush roll in!! 

Note the residual snow on the helmet!  I actually wrung water out of my socks and gloves!  So much fun though!

Tire tracks into the drive way....cause.....proof I really rode!

 

The back yard last night.  The sun shade sails were about to break due to the snow load so I had to drop them.

Getting ready for the snowy commute this morning.  I had an issue with installing the rear fender.  Not cool.

The river path...better plowed than the streets!  Tons of downed branches though.

Uh oh.  Caught up with the plow.

The footprints make the most difficult riding...bouncing you around and making a slide out very possible.

Cold Weather Riding Conundrum!

Ok, I know a lot of folks stop riding when it gets colder.  I don't happen to be one of them...in fact, I think it makes the commute that much more interesting.  It's really just about dressing for the weather.  After you've done it for a while it's second nature.  However, I do have one particular area that always seems get exposed to the cold.

Yep, the wrist.  I don't know if I have an exceptionally large "ape index" (how long your arms are vs. your body) or if clothing manufacturers just don't make sleeves that are long enough when your arms are extended.  It's a problem I have with almost all of my long sleeved shirts when riding.

I feel like I need to invent a "wrist buff" since most cycling specific gloves don't have much of a gauntlet.  Who knows....it might just be a million dollar idea.  Anyway, that's the worst part of cold weather riding for me.  What sends a shiver up your spine on the commute?

Back in Bikey Action!

Said I would ride....Did ride....Enjoyed every moment of it.

Also...I know I have about 10 versions of this picture of my bike in my office.  What can I say....it makes me happy to see my bike all day while I sit here working!

I know that some people think it's getting a little chilly for bike rides.  That's so not the case.  I think I even enjoy the colder weather more than the summer weather.  No sweating, can ride in my work close, and low traffic in the bike lanes (ok, this is always true).  So don't give up on the commute!

UNR gets Bike Friendly Status!

From KTVN:

Click for a full sized version.

Motivation for a Chilly Morning Ride!

Car Driving, No Biking Blues!

It seems like I haven't been on a bike in ages (you know...like 4 days).  A combination of things has contributed to this (vet visits with dogs, an increased running schedule, visitors at the house).  It really does have me questioning how the "regular" Joe manages such a large driving schedule!?  It's stressful really.  Morning traffic, backed up highways and secondary roads, aggressive drivers, people texting while driving and holding up intersections, etc.

 I find myself wistfully looking at the wide open bike lane that I could be whisking along in with no traffic concerns.  The relaxing rhythm of the ride, the calming zen of letting my thoughts wander, and the nice little bit of exercise I add to my day!

So tomorrow I pledge to ride.... come rain, snow, errands, or sloth!  How about you?

Another fatal hit and run....who does this!!!?

What kind of person hits someone with their car (bike/ped/or otherwise) and leaves the scene of a collision...letting a person suffer and die on the side of a road!?  I know why...because the penalty for drunk driving is higher than the penalty for hit and run.  I think it's time our legislature steps up and changes this.  I think if you leave the scene the penalty should be the same as the injury you caused.  They die...you get the death penalty.  Broken leg....get out the sledge hammer.  Might be harsh...but to avoid this penalty all you have to do is have a soul, be a decent human being, and stop to call for help if you hit someone!  I bet there wouldn't be too many hit and runs if it worked this way!

Kingsbury South to Kingsbury North Run.

In the interest of changing up my running schedule / difficulty / and just getting out.  Sunday morning included this little jaunt.  I had a friend that I was able to set up a shuttle with for the return trip but you could always drop a bike at one end and ride back via the surface streets (although there will be some serious hills).  The run itself is beautiful with views of the lake periodically, wonderful rolling terrain and winding turns.  That's not to say that there aren't some steep hills that will make you think your lungs are going to pop....but you can always just power hike these sections as you need.  Anyway, if you haven't been out to enjoy the fall weather this is a great little route to do it!

A Glaring Change in the Air.

The picture above may be out of focus....but it's probably about what a driver heading East into the morning sunrise sees through a dirty windshield.  So while your first concern this time of year might be the extra layers you're throwing on to combat the chilly morning temperatures, be extra vigilant as its also the time of year where a drivers most common excuse is the old "I didn't see them" line.  So ride safe and beware the glare.

Back to the Future Party!

The ride home from work yesterday was about as perfect as you can get.  Just beautiful fall weather!  So I thought I would extend my ride a bit and head down to the Reno Homebrewer for a beer and catch up with some friends.  Anyhow, after a beautiful sunset and a nice Great Basin Tectonic IPA I was planning on riding up the hill for home....until the parking lot started filling up with groups of people.

Turns out there was a Back to the Future Party just down the street.  If you didn't know, yesterday was the day that Marty McFly went to in Back to the Future II (the farthest date forward in the movies).  Sooo....of course I had to check it out.

The DeLorean that a local Reno doctor has spec'ed out exactly like the car in the movie!

Doc Brown in the radiation suit!

Even Back to the Future themed art!

Turn out was huge!

Inside you could watch the movie in a couple converted 1950 convertible "couch cars".  The space was really cool and may be a themed bar in the near future!

How Important are Bikes....They're Top Stories in the Wall Street Journal!

Ok, ok....so it's just another publication on the helmet debate.  Which by the way, I'm not getting into.  I wear one 98 percent of the time and that works for me.  Sometimes when I'm just cruising around town, I don't.  Do whatever works for you. 

The point is that bicycles are in the news (even places like the Wall Street Journal) on a regular basis these days.  Bike share programs like the one that the City of Reno are researching are a big part of the conversation (they're in the pic above), protected bike ways are in the papers regularly for big cities designing for the future (like the picture above), and helmet laws are being debated all over the place under the guise of safety (it is statistically safer to drive with a helmet on....no one wants a law like that either).  The point is that cities of merit are having these conversations and building with real attention to future modes of transportation.  My question is are you paying attention Reno City Council and RTC!?

Update:

Interestingly enough, the City Council is currently voting on a  plan for Reno's future (see the ktvn report below).  While it's good they are "thinking" about the future....the topics they list are so vague that the vote seems like only an act to appear to be doing the "thinking".  Ironically, I'm sure they'll have a unanimous vote with all council members and the Mayor for "preparing" for Reno's future....only a week or so after voting to rebuild Midtown with standards that have been the status quo for the last 50 years!

KTVN Channel 2 - Reno Tahoe News Weather, Video -

RenOpen Streets and Beer Bonanza!

Well kids.  This weekend was the inaugural RenOpen Streets and despite the rainy start, I'd say it was a big success.  Two miles of closed to traffic streets, a large number of vendors and groups with booths and activities.  Even some new Burning Man bicycle art!

Personally, my day started a bit after 11 am with some tea from Hub's new Tea Shop on Riverside.  Followed by a slow walk and then bike ride through the closed areas. 

New Bicycle Art at the Lear Theater!

Reno Bike Project Bike Swap!

Caught in the act of grabbing blog photos by another blogger (Reno-Rambler).  And yes, I look this dopey before I have beer.  It only gets worse from here on out!

By about 1 pm our little group had made it to Good Fellows for a "few" Ballast Point beers.  Lunch at the Depot followed and then it was over to IMBIB for their self imposed barrel beer tap take over to round out the day.

Ballast Point tap takeover at Goodfellow.

All in all the best way to cram as much bicycles and beer into a day as a person can handle!!  I hope that your weekend was a bikey and boozy as mine!

Complete Streets Meeting....

Well, I headed out to the meeting last night.  It was the regular RTC crew and a bunch of the regular cycling advocates.  RTC had maps for the entire region with post its to add comments about what we'd like to see.  The maps were covered before an hour was up.

The work flow on this chart kind of bothers me.  The Level of Service (LOS) analysis happens before the analysis for Complete Streets!?  Level of service is a measurement of how long cars have to wait to get through an intersection....an ancient standard that takes only vehicle traffic into account.  This diagram suggests that Complete Streets analysis can only take place if the LOS is currently acceptable.  However, the modern logic is if we had a complete street that serviced alternate travel modes better...then there would be less vehicle traffic and the LOS would improve!  See the problem!?

Not the busiest meeting, but still well attended.

Interestingly, our favorite Junkie owner was in attendance (and yes, I do genuinely like her on a personal level) and stayed at the table with the Midtown map.  One of my friends joked that she was guarding it....  However, when another cyclist added some comments, she and Jessica began to talk.  Since we're currently looking at only Sharrows through midtown, the topic of what speed limit the region will get is still up in the air.  To my pleasant surprise, Jessica is pushing for the lowest option on the table (15mph)!  This is great news because I suspect that RTC and City Council aren't really planning for it to be that slow.  Perhaps if Great Streets Coalition plays it's cards right and gets the other business owners to realize the slower limit will allow people to "find" their stores and use all that on street parking, we might just get it pushed through.

Anyway, that was the first meeting.  So far so good.  Hopefully, RTC and City Council members truly have the vision to build out a complete set of complete streets in our city!