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The winter of my discontent

“Oh c’mon. Work can wait an hour. Ride across me! You’ll love it!” — Golden Gate Bridge Siren Song

It has been a tough month. Well, tough couple of months. Many of the readers can understand the impact a lack of bike riding can have on an avid cyclist. When I should have been basking in my new bike glory, I’ve instead struggled against a series of both planned and unplanned events that seem like a sinister conspiracy to keep me off the bike.

It all started when the office of my day job moved.

The old commute was 10 miles one way, across beautiful scenery that encouraged me to add even more miles – just for fun. Without even “training” I was on the bike over 100 miles every week just in my commute. It made doing even more rides not only easier but also more enjoyable. Cycling can be funny that way – the more you do it the more you want to.

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Andy Schleck is copying me

DSC01843I’ll admit that I was a bit… preoccupied… when Andy Schleck originally announced his retirement. At that time, I was eyebrows deep into launching a local independent bike shop paired with a cafe. During our unfortunately short run before total, catastrophic collapse (you could say we ‘bonked‘) I was understandably out of the pro-cycling happenings. Knee-deep in trying to ensure there is enough money to keep the lights on from day to day (there wasn’t) you don’t find yourself with a lot of time to keep up with the pro peloton. One thing I learned during this process – you need a fair amount of up front capital (runway to use business parlance) to keep a cafe/bike ship afloat until business builds up. Keep reading →

“Perfect” suspect in Critical Mass incident

090715-kgo-ian-hespelt-imgI swear you can’t make this stuff up.

Pictured right is Ian Hespelt. The 31 year old cyclist has been arrested in connection with a recent Critical Mass incident involving a U Lock and a Zip Car. According to an ABC7 article on the story, neighbors were “shocked”, saying “…he’s not a violent person.” Well, the actions caught on film which he is now being accused of enacting sure are violent.

Could this guy seriously be a more perfect stereotype for the Critical Mass cyclist gone amuck? Keep reading →

NPR Has this one wrong

national-public-radio-npr-logo_100318079_mI seem to be spending a fair amount of time being frustrated with cycling stories in the media lately. I was hot off of my rant about the Jeff Jacoby opinion piece when this NPR article popped up in my social media. The article’s title clearly indicates the slant of the article: “As More Adults Pedal, Their Biking Injuries And Deaths Spike, Too.” Yet another title geared to perpetuate the myth that cycling is inherently dangerous. Or at least that was my take on it.

OK. So on the surface, you take an activity that occasionally results in some injuries, get more and more people doing it, and logically you’ll get more people getting injured. Simple, right?

Sure – until you then go and try to show how it somehow more than that.

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Jeff Jacoby doesn’t want you riding on his roads

According to Boston Globe Opinion Columnist Jeff Jacoby, you have no business being on the road on your bike. His latest opinion piece reuses tired old (and factually inaccurate) arguments to explain why efforts to increase bicycle access and utilization in our cities is, in his words, “irresponsible and dangerous.” But it is an opinion piece – right? I mean, he’s just stating what he thinks, not any actual facts.

Except for the things is cites as facts – that actually aren’t.

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The Critical Mass has passed

I’m annoyed. I’m sick of it. I’m pissed. I’m speaking only of San Francisco – and I may be digging my own stick-a-frame-pump-through-my-front-spokes kind of grave, but I do not believe that Critical Mass has any place, relevance, or purpose in the city of San Francisco any longer. (Caution: Strong language to follow)

Yet another unfortunate incident has taken place during a Critical Mass ride, and as per usual these days there is video, and it found its way to You Tube. Keep reading →

Can San Francisco override California state vehicle code?

By Mayor_Ed_Lee.jpg: Nancy Pelosi derivative work: Tktru (Mayor_Ed_Lee.jpg) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By Mayor_Ed_Lee.jpg: Nancy Pelosi derivative work: Tktru (Mayor_Ed_Lee.jpg) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
San Francisco’s recent demonstration in favor of adopting an Idaho Stop law in the city has stirred up the expected point/counter-point debate across social media and comment sections of various news articles.

One of the valid questions being asked is “Can San Francisco as a city actually do anything to change this law?” In truth, the answer is probably no. Stop signs – including their design, placement, and requirements – are actually regulated at the state level. Idaho’s law is was enacted at the state level. However, cities in Colorado have actually done what people are asking for in San Francisco, so it is not something inherently unique.

However, San Francisco does actually have a different option to achieve functionally that same goal. And it is one that has been utilized before. Keep reading →

More Women’s Cycling at “Pretty Damned Fast”

PDF-LOGORan across another beautiful and thoughtful cycling blog featuring content for women. Pretty Damned Fast strives to be about “Women’s cycling in all of its forms, especially when it’s done with style.” Blogger Tayler and Anna Maria come from backgrounds in photography and fashion, and that design ethic comes across beautifully in not only the visual layout of their blog, but also the stories they include. Well worth adding to your daily feed readers.

Find the blog at http://www.prettydamnedfast.com/.

Seattle to Portland: The world’s best group ride

STPAs someone that has ridden group rides in a grand total of 2 different states, I feel uniquely positioned to have an opinion on the best group rides of the entire planet. It is from this perspective of decades of experience and miles of riding that I can say with absolute authority: The Seattle to Portland ride from Cascade Bicycle Club is the absolute best group ride, anywhere, ever.

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