Test Two-sday

No sooner than I mentioned that it had been forever since I was called into front line duty, I was called into action again. We had a call out on the consumer cycling team, so our cycling manager was originally planning to do two routes at once. Luckily for him, I happened to overhear this while I was just about to leave the office. Having been in that situation before, I felt it was only right to help out. I mean, the only plans I had for last evening were to cook dinner and watch TV.

It's tough to see there, but those bikes are soaked. We experienced some on and off showers last night, which made me even happier that I decided to help. Not because of the getting soaked part, but because it would have been even worse to have someone on the road trying to handle 25 appointments by themselves. I somehow logged nearly 30 miles yesterday, and I'm not gonna lie. I'm feeling it.

Take Back Tuesday

It feels like forever since I've been called in to front line duty at Wash Cycle. We had some production delays due to a new equipment install, so I helped out in West Philly this morning:

I only had 6 total stops and a relatively light load (I mean, by comparison to some of the other trailers I've towed), but it was definitely no joke. I'd been getting worried that I'm starting to lose my cycling legs recently. Apparently I've still got it:

You might say it was like riding a bike.

The Lane Event

Last Friday (and today, actually), I had to run out to West Philly for an errand. Seemed like a good excuse to take a 3 block detour to revisit the new protected bike lane on the north side of Chestnut St. Pretty nifty:

I was here a few weeks back, when the infrastructure and implementation wasn't quite complete. Now that the barriers and signs are in place, it looks and feels a little more effective. It's not without its imperfections and challenges (for example, at 33rd St, cyclists have to cross 2 lanes of traffic where the bike lane continues on the south side of the street), but it's definitely a huge step in the right direction. I can't tell you how many times I've seen cyclists clipped or nearly clipped on this street. Here's hoping this curbs the problem (pun intended).

From the bike lane to the parking lane - on the way back into Center City, I ran into a friend who reminded me that it was PARK(ing) Day. What is PARK(ing) Day, you ask? Well, take a look:

It's a movement to turn parking spaces in urban locations into miniature parks on September 15th. It's spread worldwide over the last 10+ years, and some of the ideas get pretty intricate. This was a neat little sight on the way back to the office, just one of more than 50 that were scattered throughout the city. I would have gone exploring further if I didn't have to get back to work. I guess there's always next year...

Stop, Drop, and Trail

I ventured up north this weekend to pick up some side work, visit my nephew, and to commission my Dad to help me with an oil change. I had some free time this morning, so I sneaked in a quick 10 miles on the D&L Trail beginning in Lehighton and heading south to Bowmanstown and back.

I'd previously explored this section of the trail last year. Sort of. The D&L Trail has several sections where trails run parallel to the Lehigh River on both sides. This happens to be one of them. Last year, I rode the north section, and crossed off the south section today. As you can see, it was a gray and overcast morning, perfect for riding if you don't mind the humidity (I didn't):

That's a pretty nice trail head crossing at PA route 895, complete with a crosswalk and warning lights. I don't remember those being there the last time I rode or drove through here. This actually was the southern end of my trip out and back. I didn't stop to take any pictures along the way because I wanted to see if I could beat Google. It said it would take me 28 minutes to get there. Let's check the tape:

I mean, new bike designed for more speed, how could I not accept the challenge? I had to make use of the drops at least once, right? Truth be told, I still didn't open the new girl to full throttle yet. Anywho, had it been a nicer day, I might have locked the bike up and eaten lunch in Marvin Gardens, not of Atlantic City:

After a brief rest, I began to head back to Lehighton. I love seeing signs like these:

At this point, the trail turns from pavement to fine gravel, which is only a minor detriment to speed. Makes for some interesting bike sounds, too (trust me). Unfortunately, this section isn't the most scenic, with the main highlight being two relatively new bridges built for the Pennsylvania Turnpike:

Eh. At least the bench provides an overlook of the river:

And I guess there are some neat rock formations too. You can also see a better view of the trail:

I briefly went up to high gear on the ride home. Like I said, not much in the way of scenery here, so I didn't mind cruising by as fast as possible. Lehighton has no shortage of hills, so I got to see how she handled the uphill battles, too. Even though the bike was more than up to the task, I was more than ready for a shower by the time I got back.

Some trails, some speed, some hills, not bad for 10 miles. I think I can officially say my new bike is "broken in."

The Nature Bike

I've done a ton of biking in various settings, and sometimes the settings blur together. I stopped for a cup of coffee on my way to the office a few days ago and saw this neat little guy chilling on a car directly across from my bike:

Nature. Not just for nature any more. Or something.

That guy is a male praying mantis, as can be seen by the brown color. They happen to be my favorite insect, even with the unfortunate down side that males are killed by their female counterparts during mating. Since this isn't an insect blog, I'll move on...

Tuesday Nite Therapy

Yesterday evening turned out to be a gorgeous confluence of the perfect temperature and lack of precipitation you don't often find in mid-September. Having been a little under the weather the last few days, I didn't want to waste the opportunity.

I took My Therapist out for what I called a test ride, but I'd already put her to the test before buying, obviously. This was really just a chance to stretch her legs. And mine too, I guess.

I traversed the treachery of Center City (only treacherous because I didn't have my tool kit with me in case of a flat) and worked my way up to the Schuylkill River Trail. I wasn't trying to push myself too hard - after all, it was a Tuesday evening - but before too long, I found myself at the Falls Bridge about 8 miles away. I stopped to take a pic. The first turned out sorta neat, as I'd forgotten to turn the flash off:

Wow. I guess it's good to know that cars will be able to see me, right? The second try looks a bit more tame:

Those street lights do nothing to showcase her beauty. I turned back from here and headed home. What an awesome ride! It was pretty easy, too. Without even pushing myself too hard, I easily beat my times on quite a few segments last night, but it's not like I was really going for that. I also wasn't surprised:

I rode her to work today too due to an extended commute to North Philly. I'm not planning on making that a regular thing, because I won't be able to run any errands after work without the back rack. Still, for long distances, the new girl has already proven her worth and then some.

Rustcycles: Broad & South

Also whilst walking to pick up my new ride on Saturday, I noticed this Rustcycle at the corner of Broad & South:

A sad sight to see at one of Philly's busiest intersections, and that pizza box makes it even worse...

Rustcycles is a series of abandoned bikes & locks I've stumbled upon throughout Philadelphia

Nice Rack: 12th & Catherine

The other day whilst walking to pick up my new bike, I spotted these neat little racks at Hawthorne Park on the corner of 12th & Catherine Streets:

There's nothing particularly flashy about them, but the simple design is very effective and thus is one of my favorites. The thinner tubing allows for locking the wheel and frame to the rack with a standard u-lock, and the reasonably-sized circular formation allows for locking the back wheel to the rack and lock using a cable (If possible, I do the latter to prevent my back tire from being pushed out into the street or sidewalk). Sometimes simple is best.

Phix It

We (Wash Cycle Laundry) are launching a campus laundry service for students at Drexel University starting in a few weeks, so 2 co-workers and myself spent the better part of Friday morning touring the campus to scope out delivery locations. On the walk, Drexel staff made sure to point out a nifty new addition to their campus, bike fix-it stations:

There's one of these on the UPenn campus too. I've been seeing these increasingly at trail heads throughout my travels, and hopefully more of them will be put up around secure locations around the city. They include tools and a tire pump attached to a bike hanger, fit to perform just about any mid-ride maintenance tasks. We can ignore the fact that it sits adjacent to the old-school (and outdated) ladder racks. ;)

The Naked Miles

One of my favorite events of the year has come and gone, and once again, the Philly Naked Bike Ride was a success. This was my 3rd consecutive year of ridership, and every year offers its own unique experiences. Like many others, I took my camera along for the ride...

I'd used two different bikes for my first two rides and decided to keep the tradition going. As I mentioned yesterday, I didn't want to take my brand new bike just yet. Good thing I have my girlfriend's bike hanging around here, just itching to get outside:

As you can see, I made some appropriate retro-fittings. I brought my bike bag over (more on that later) and covered the seat with a plastic bag and a bandanna on top of that. Naked skin on leather is not all that enjoyable. This guy was hanging out in his birthday suit trying to ride along:

I told him he had to stay home.

Somewhat surprisingly, the ride kicked off at the same place as last year, the Glendinning Rock Garden along the Schuylkill River Trail in North Philly. The ride planners probably figured the seclusion worked well last year. Why mess with what works?

Once at the back of the field, that's where the pre-ride gathering began. Lots of unique sights as always including these guys riding a trike pushing a friend with a broken leg:

This guy went for the Mardi Gras treatment:

As you can see, body painting is also a big part of the experience. This train of painting was pretty neat:

Here's my catchy slogan installment for this year:

I was finally able to go with a slogan on the back this year because I didn't need to wear a backpack to carry my clothes. The ride organizers mention that bringing clothes along is optional, but I find it makes the end of the ride much easier. I also don't like to travel without my spare pump, tube, multi-tool, etc. Anyway, I saw someone with a similar message later on in the pre-ride:

Kermit made an appearance:

And there were some other unique rides:

After everyone was all painted up and ready to go, we started riding down Kelly Drive towards Center City:

Just passed the Philly Art Museum on Ben Franklin Parkway:

Lookin' good Philly!

I didn't shift out of 3rd gear most of the ride. Quite a leisurely pace:

We were stopped on 17th Street near Market when a bystander decided to join. This happens quite regularly, and when it does, everyone cheers:

Rollerblades and other forms of "alternative" transportation are also welcome:

As you can see, it was a little shady by this time of day. With the wind, this part of the ride became a little chilly too:

We rode right past my office (even though no one was working) and eventually made our way to Broad Street south of City Hall. You would be able to see it if not for the gigantic crane:

This guy is the MVP. Kids are welcome too:

This is on South St, right near where a few of my bystander friends were watching. Apparently they got pics and sent them to my girlfriend:

We always get plenty of cheers. Way more than boos or disgusts. We rode past one of my favorite bars, Jon's at 3rd & South:

Heading back towards Center City:

City Hall again:

Back on the Ben Franklin Parkway, almost home:

We ended at Eakins Oval, where I climbed the steps at the fountain to give you a real perspective of just how many people participated. Full frontal nudity in these pics, just FYI:

Unreal. Someone estimated 3,000 riders. Not sure whether or not that's accurate, and it's impossible to truly get an accurate count, but the picture is worth a thousand words.

My only disappointment was in the length of the ride, as it clocked in at just around 6 miles. I'm used to 10-12 miles. Perhaps the organizers cut it short due to the fall-like weather. All things considered, I was chilly by the end, and definitely ready to put my clothes back on.

I have no idea if riding a bike naked with thousands of people actually achieves our goal of raising environmental, cycling, and positive image awareness, but honestly it just feels right. It feels good to be a kid again if only for a few hours. It feels good to be a part of a unique experience every year in solidarity with thousands of like-minded people. There's power in the sheer energy around the event, and that means a lot.

Until next year...