Outside living - not at it's finest.

Yesterday I highlighted some of the progress that really is happening along the river path....including a new hotel downtown and some apartments near Broadhead park.  I also hinted at the increasing problem of homeless camps along the river path.  Here's a few pics to help illustrate the issue.  Unfortunately, it's not a small problem.

Not a small area....they span almost a 1/4 mile of the path.

Chopping fire wood....aka...damaging the limited trees we do have.

More camps...and yeah....that's a discarded shoe in the lower left.

More camps.

Camps with "paved" entryways and signed names.

A lot of garbage...this will probably end up scattered around the path and in the river.

Progress?

Just another commuter morning.  I was merrily headed down Mill St. as it has become my default ride....when I decided it had been far too long since my last ride on the river path.  So detours were made.

Turns out things are changing on the old river path.  Just behind the automobile museum a new hotel is progressing.  While this isn't my favorite use of the property, because it just backs up to the river rather than showcasing the potential natural beauty.  It is at least helping clean up the homeless camps that use to exist along the river bank.

A little further down the path (next to Broadhead Park) some more apartments are going up on some long standing vacant land.  So I guess things are "progressing" here in Reno.  At least building things up indicates the economic gears are turning.

The problem is that while both of these locations are being "cleaned up" by development.  The previously distributed homeless camps have just been pushed down river. 

Photo stolen from Reno-Rambler!

I didn't take pictures this morning of the growing tent cities along the path....but let's just say they are larger than in the picture above (taken this summer by the Reno-Rambler).  In one case they even have a sign denoting a name for the camp.  So yeah, the river path was a little depressing this morning and clearly indicates that "Progress" and "Economic development" are only relative terms.

More Bike Infrastructure.

As you've seen....I've been up in Eugene, Oregon a bunch lately.  Here's a couple things I've been riding on that I'd love to see appear in Reno.

Protected bike boxes!

 

Contra-flow bike lanes (two way biking on one side of the street).

Getting fat....bikes that is!

"Off the Beaten Path" Extended Trailer - Watch in HD
"Off the Beaten Path" is an adventure cycling film from First Tracks Productions celebrating the journeys bikes allow us to take, The project specifically focuses on how fatter tire bikes are allowing riders to venture to places cyclists have never been able to ride before. Supported by: Travel Nevada, Turner Bikes, Fatback Bikes, KHS Bicycles, Canyon Bikes, Lauf Forks and VEE Tire CO
Posted by First Tracks Productions on Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Bike Parking Done Right!

I spent another weekend in Eugene, Or and in addition to just generally great bike infrastructure I came across something we've yet to see here in Reno.  Really great bike parking provided by an employer.  In this case its at a kind of natural outdoor / gardening center called Down to Earth.  Just look at the great design, security, and (while you can't see it) the location right next to the front door!  So come on Reno....who's going to really support biking and build something like this for their employees!?

New snow means....

Skin up hill....

Ski down hill....

Repeat climb....

Repeat ski.....

Marvel at the beauty of new snow!

Rain...then fog...then ice!

Ok, If you commuted home last night you earned another commuter stripe (possibly the one up your backside if you don't have fenders).  I rode in yesterday morning with visions of riding home in nice soft snow.  While it did snow yesterday and was beautiful....it was raining steadily and a slushy wet mess by the time my 5pm commute rolled around.  No pics but again credit to everyone who rode!

By around 10 pm (when I was headed to bed) I couldn't hardly see across the street due to sublimating snow and fog.  This of course turned into a lovely sheet of ice on every road in town this morning!

This makes me excited for the commute because I have a bike with studded tires!  And today is the rare but exact commute for the setup.  Except that I hadn't ridden the Xtracycle since the tire change and apparently I pinched a tube...because about two blocks from the house I had a blowout.

Since I was already dressed for the ride, I switched out for my normal bike (the Fargo).  It doesn't have studs, so I opted for deflating tires to around 20 psi and rolled out with caution in mind.  While I skittered here and there and skipped clipping in most of the ride...everything went smoothly enough.

However, don't think that meant that the bike lanes (and roads) weren't slick as hell everywhere in town!

And if the icy conditions weren't enough....yeah, just park the big rig in the bike lane.  I love merging with traffic traveling 50 mph on a skating rink!?

Anyhow, hope anyone nuts enough to ride a bike today had a safe commute! 

Hangover Trail - Sedona, Arizona - Super Sketchy!!!

For the record...I've ridden the Slick Rock trail in Moab several times, along with the surrounding trails and several places in Fruita.  Ahem...that being said...I might go hike this...but I won't ever be riding this little gem.  I will however give props to these guys and their insane technical skills (and their huge cojones)!

Just Riding....

Yep.  It's just another day and another bike commute.  It's not easy or hard.  It's just a routine.  First you do it one day a week...then two....or three times a week. And all of a sudden your bike commuting in the winter, because it's just what you do.

And...if you look closely, you can see a set of bicycle tracks the light dusting of snow on the road.  So I know I'm not the only crazy one!

Back from the Holidays.

Posting will begin again!  As a kick off....I spent some time in Eugene, Oregon over the holidays.  The biking vibe is strong there and here's a couple pics to prove it.

Sharrows are everywhere along with bike boxes and green paint.  And...drivers know what it means!

In a random grocery store....there are bike lights for sale!