"Snowmobile"

We all know that weather predictions are almost never 100% accurate. That's the beauty of nature, after all. Things can change very rapidly, and sometimes we humans need to acknowledge that we're just along for the ride.

Yesterday for example, there was a moderate chance for some light snow in the forecast, nothing that looked like it was going to heavily impact my normal routine. Even so, something seemed a little off when I pulled up to the office in the morning:

These racks and sign posts are usually packed with bikes on weekday mornings. I mean, it was pretty cold and breezy yesterday, which probably accounts for most of the absenteeism. The second factor was likely the impending snow, which 8 hours later, had become a lot thicker and heavier than I thought from looking out my window:

Needless to say, the commute home was interesting. I thought about waiting another 45 minutes until I could put my bike on the train, but instead chose to venture. The snow was powdery and only about an inch thick at that point. It really wasn't that bad of a ride, but it did require a lot of patience and technique. I'd say it took me close to 30 minutes to get home, well over my average commute time of 10-15 minutes.

One of my favorite moves in this instance is to get behind a bus - they create sizeable tire tracks which are better for riding, and cars are less likely to get annoyed with how slow you're going because...they can't pass the bus that's directly in front of you. Of course, keep your distance as much as possible in the event of sudden stops.

By this morning, things had thawed considerably. I took a brief jaunt over to a coffee shop to do some mundane adult tasks (paying bills, writing Christmas cards, etc):

We're just over halfway thru December, and I can say with certainty that we have seen much more Winter-like weather already this year than all of last December. Even though I've gone this far without incident, I may need to bust out the studded snow tires before too long...

#bikeyourbirthmonth

Lite the Nite

Last nite was a time to forget about everything in the "real" world for a little while, a time to embrace two of my favorite things about childhood that never seemed to coincide with one another: Christmas lights, and riding a bike. I used to love getting into the car with the family around Christmas time to cruise the countryside looking for Griswoldian light displays, while riding a bike was mostly a Summer time activity (that's suburban life, for ya). The annual Bicycle Coalition Holiday Lights Ride has both.

Braving the wind and temperatures in the mid-20's, about a hundred of us convened at Performance Bicycle in Pennsport last evening:

Decorations were encouraged (but optional), and some people choose to go all out, complete with garland and lights:

And you can't tell by the still photo, but these lights are actually flashing:

The ride route was very similar to last year's, riding through several neighborhoods in South Philly known for their extraordinary displays. Here are two in Packer Park:

Of course, there's also the more well-known "Miracle on South 13th St," just a half mile from my house:

Something NEW this year, we had a full police escort:

Not the best pic, but you can see the police lights off in the distance. This is a first for me on this particular ride. I have no doubt that the decision to provide this service to us was aided by recent events, but nonetheless, we were all very thankful to have the support of our local police. It made the ride 100% safe and infinitely more fun. We routinely waved and said "Thank You" to every officer as they blocked off intersections for us, and by mid-route, the police cruiser trailing our ride was actually playing Christmas music over their loudspeaker. It was truly an amazing experience.

We met back at Performance at the end of the evening for some food and festivities (and beer):

And in case you're interested in following the route to explore some of the above pictures, here's my map. Not a bad way to spend 7 miles:

Truly a great evening that I'll continue to look forward to year after year. Thank you to everyone at the Bicycle Coalition and the 3rd District Police for making it wonderful!

I will throw a word of caution out in closing. Last night, I pulled out my girlfriend's bike because I thought it would be a better choice for the nature of the ride. It still was, but due to her sitting idle in the basement since about September, she wasn't in the best shape for riding. I'd pumped up the tires before leaving and that was it, neglecting to lubricate the chain and other moving parts. As a result, there were a few times when I felt like the bike was literally freezing up on me due to the literal freezing temperatures, which proved challenging to maneuver at just about any speed. Thankfully I know my riding style and the bike pretty well, so I was able to work around it (other than getting stuck and falling in one divot at slow speed). I addressed the outstanding problems when I got home. Next time, I'll try to be more pro-active.

#bikeyourbirthmonth

"Hate" to Love to Ride

At the beginning of this month, I mentioned that I had a quest to make up for what I felt was a lack of riding during Love to Ride month in November. Nearly 2 weeks into December, I haven't missed a day up to and including this morning:

Looks decent enough, right? Well, in this case the picture doesn't tell the whole story...I also mentioned that this month would present different challenges than the usual month long endeavours in which I participate, mostly relating to the weather: snow, cold, but worst of all, the wind:

That's a true representation of this morning in graphic form. A 20 degree wind chill factor makes it very difficult to love riding. I can tolerate just about any outdoor conditions, but for whatever reason, I can't abide by wind (hate isn't the correct word, though). Even in cold weather months in years past when I was outside riding for work 5 days a week, I would routinely take Saturdays and Sundays off with good reason. IT'S NOT ALL THAT FUN TO BE WINDBLOWN AND FREEZING.

So why the hell do I keep doing it? I guess I really do love it. I guess I'm crazy, too. A little of both, perhaps. That said, I'm about to brave the cold tonite for one of my favorite events of the year, the annual Holiday Lights Ride sponsored by the Bicycle Coalition. Stay tuned for a much more festive and upbeat post tomorrow, complete with pretty pixtures of Christmas/Holiday lights!

And by the way, we're nearly halfway thru December already, with just 11 days until Christmas...

#bikeyourbirthmonth

I Want to Ride my Tricycle...

The cold blast and snow we received last weekend hasn't necessarily translated to less riding even after a slow weekend. I rode 4+ miles up to North Philly to train people on our new data entry system, which sounds as boring as it is (other than the ride there and back, of course). It's not that bad actually, and long overdue, just not my forte. I'd rather be on the bike or failing that, writing about being on the bike.

But hey! On a related note, since I was all the way up there, I also got to spend some time with my old friend, the tricycle I rode for over 2 years as a Wash Cyclist:

He needed a little bit of love: a new brake cable, some routine cleaning/oiling/greasing, and some Winterization, which basically was just me pumping up the tires and re-installing these handlebar mittens also known as Bar Mitts:

The most rewarding part was the test ride, even if it was just a mile. I mean, ya can't do all this work without trying it out, right? It always feels a little awkward to be back on the trike after several months away, yet strangely comforting and familiar. It's actually much different than riding a bike.

#bikeyourbirthmonth

There's (s)No(w) Stopping Me

Ten days into December and I've fulfilled my promise to myself thus far. #BikeYourBirthMonth hasn't been much of a challenge other than dealing with the expected cold weather. Friday included a trip up to North Philly for a brief visit to my old stomping grounds at the Thompson St. laundromat:

That evening, a ride to dinner at the Triangle Tavern, and a beautiful (and annual) seasonal scene that my phone camera doesn't do justice:

An uneventful ride in the early morning hours Saturday preceded the first significant snowfall of the late Autumn. I actually was outside the city for most of it. Here's what the scene looked like mid-day back at Mom's house:

Those two bikes at left belong to the neighbors. I feel bad for 'em. No additional rides yesterday, but today I put in a couple short rides: one just around the block from where my car was parked, and another to the pharmacy for some Christmas shopping. The roads are actually in good shape, all things considered. Makes me not as dreadful of tomorrow morning as I thought initially.

I'm actually pretty pumped for the week ahead, as the annual Holiday Lights Ride occurs on Wednesday. Imagine cruising to see Christmas lights on a bike, because that's what it is. The route changes slightly every year, but I imagine 10th Street (above) will be on the list of planned ride-bys. We shall see...

#bikeyourbirthmonth

Boring is Beautiful

After such a flurry of activity over the last week plus, the past couple days have been tame by comparison. One could argue that every day is an adventure when you commute by bike. I can't really argue otherwise. My commutes tend to be anything but boring, and in some cases, they're absolutely beautiful:

Heroes for Zero

It's been quite a busy week in the Philadelphia cycling community. For better or worse, I feel like there's been something going on every single day, be it a ride or a demonstration (or something else I'm forgetting).

I took the train to a morning meeting in the suburbs yesterday, returning just in time to join my 3rd event of the last week, a ride circling City Hall in support of Vision Zero. Turnout was modest, but decent for a mid-weekday ride. I'm approximating 50 cyclists took time from their lunch break to join in, including a fellow Wash Cyclist:

This reminded me of the days when that was me schlepping the bike and trailer to every cycling event possible. Gotta love it.

As mentioned, the purpose of the ride was to circle City Hall to call attention to the Vision Zero cause, which aims to get Philadelphia to zero traffic fatalities (there have been 77 traffic-related fatalities in the city this year, including motorists). An ambitious goal for sure, but achievable with the right amount of awareness and action. Thanks to police escorts, we had a safe loop around City Hall for more than 15 minutes:

I think the cops on bikes enjoyed themselves, to be honest.

I had to peel off a little early to get back to the office, but things went well in the time I was there, and I heard no complaints other than a few horn honks (which happen every day anyway and could have been supporters for all I know).

If you'd like to read a more in-depth recap of yesterday's ride and take additional action, please read this post from the Bicycle Coalition.

#bikeyourbirthmonth