An Alternative Alternative

I'm a supporter of pretty much any sort of so-called "alternative" transportation; alternative meaning commuting using any method other than driving alone. It's not that I hate cars, but in many cases I've found them to be more inconvenient than any of the other options available (bike, train, etc). Plus, there's inherently something neat about doing things the "non-traditional" way.

Unfortunately, Columbus is the largest city in the US without any form of passenger rail transportation, so that's recently left my options a little more limited than they were in Philly. There have been some significant improvements in other areas of alternative transportation here, including these nifty little scooters my girlfriend and I tried out last night:

Actually, these sorts of things didn't exist (yet) back in Philly. They're a service of Lime, who's been making strides in the dockless bike share world over the last few years (we also have Bird, but I have yet to try them out). Due to mis-use and general human idiocy, these electric scooters have been the source of some controversy since their introduction a few months ago, but if used properly, they can be pretty awesome in situations like we had last night.

We were out with friends and wanted to go to a place that was about a mile from where we were. The bus would only get us so far, and due to our timing, hiring a car share service would have been too expensive to justify the supposed convenience. We instead chose to rent scooters for about $1/each (it's an app-based system, so you don't have to actually feed it a dollar). As you can see, there's really not all that much to these things:

They're quite easy to access and use. You use the app to find one near you, then scan the QR code on the handlebars to unlock it. There's a brake on the left handlebar and a throttle on the right:

So, pretty simple, right? I can't complain one bit about the functionality. However, our choice of route unfortunately took us down a couple brick streets in the German Village, which were a bit shell-shocking due to the hard, thin tires and light weight of the scooter itself. There's also no cargo area, so you're left to carry everything in your hands (not advisable) or in your backpack if you have one. Still, they made short work of a 1-mile trip:

Apparently they have a 20-mile range on a full battery, so in theory, I could take one to work, but that's not necessarily practical. For getting around downtown without using a car, spending a lot of money, OR breaking a sweat, it's a pretty solid idea. I'll definitely use these again.

Now about that train system...

Pedaling for Pints

After several months' hiatus, my girlfriend and I finally stretched our cycling legs again last night and joined in on Roll Bicycles' monthly pub ride. I mean, we've gone on a lot of small rides over the Summer and early Fall, but nothing lengthy since about July. We finally had a free Friday, so last night was a perfect opportunity to get back in the Saddle, with great weather to boot.

The Roll rides usually feature 3 or 4 stops at pubs and breweries throughout the Central Columbus area and run about 20 miles (a great way to learn the territory in my new city, don'tcha know). Knowing that, I decided not to try to kill my girlfriend and instead opted to drive our bikes to the end point. We parked near Hoof Hearted Brewery & Kitchen, and rode from there to the start on the Scioto Mile:

It was about 1.5 miles between the two, much shorter than the 8.5-9 miles it would have been to ride there from home. Interestingly enough, the last pub ride we did met up at the same place. I'm sensing a theme here. Kinda reminds me of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where a ton of Philly bike rides start and/or finish. ANYwho...

We had about 30 in our group when we rolled out around 6:45PM on the Scioto Trail:

We then headed south and began a mini tour through some of the oldest areas in Columbus, first being the German Village:

And then to our first stop, the relatively new Eight & Sand Tavern (not to be confused with Eight & Sand Brewing) in the Hungarian Village:

From there, we headed back north and west to BrewDog's location in Franklinton, another old Columbus neighborhood:

I'm not quite sure why BrewDog chose Columbus as its destination in the US, but they're a pretty neat operation from Scotland that's mostly crowdfunded, and their beer is pretty awesome too.

At this point, we were near halfway. We headed back on the Scioto trail and then picked up the Olentangy Trail, which recently had an encounter with a semi truck (Sorry no pics here but seriously read that article - I still can't believe it actually happened). It was the subject of many a good ribbing throughout the ride, and here's hoping it never happens again.

After a few more miles on trail, we popped up into Clintonville and began climbing some hills. The reward for going uphill is of course that you eventually get to go downhill, which we did by riding the road down Walhalla Ravine. This is the second time I've been on this road since I moved here, and I just read that it's apparently Columbus' most haunted street. I thought it was incredibly fun and not scary whatsoever. I can't wait to go back.

A short stretch later, we arrived at our third stop and one of my favorite Columbus breweries, Lineage:

From there, it was a short ride to the last stop. This stretch of the ride was short in mileage but fun moments were plentiful, as we pedaled past OSU campus housing to some cheers and jeers. My girlfriend said she heard the terms "bikelists" and "cyclers" coined by random students - I'm definitely going to start using those in conversation.

We never did end up at our intended end point because their kitchen had closed, and by that time I'm sure you can imagine we were all starving. My girlfriend and I opted to head up to Seventh Son Brewing just up the street for a quick snack before heading home. Including our extra trip from the car to the starting point, we logged nearly 22 miles. Not too shabby, right?

And of course along the way, we met yet more wonderful cyclists who I'm sure we will see again, provided we can keep coming to these on a regular basis. As long as the schedule works out, I can't think of a better way to spend a Friday evening.

Enjoy your Saturday, everyone!

Bike to School

Before I moved to Columbus, my girlfriend told me she was excited for me to explore the surrounding area, as I am wont to do pretty much everywhere I go. I was/am pretty excited about it too, and in addition to the exploration, I'm always excited to have others along for the ride, even if it is just around the corner.

After 3+ months here, I've explored quite a bit and I've pretty much figured out my immediate surroundings. I (we) have my routes to the grocery store, post office, work, and so on. On one of those routes, there was a path that my girlfriend and I thought led to an athletic club off in the distance, and nothing more. So, we never bothered to ride it.

One day, we had to go to the kid's school for some sort of event, and knowing that it's really not all that far from the house, of course I decided to see if there was a bike-able route. Via main roads, there is not, but there's an old saying that "Sometimes what you're looking for is right under your nose." I prefer to say "It's right there in front of you where you never would have seen it." I didn't end up biking to the school for said event, but I did eventually take that previously untraveled path and it happened to lead right to the school. Who knew?

So naturally, eventually someone (it may have been the child) suggested riding bikes to school instead of taking the bus or a car. Even though she's still pretty young, I was all for it. After a few practice runs over the last couple weeks, she and her Mom took the first ride to school this morning, and I showed up after school for "pickup":

For now, one of us adults will be accompanying her until she's fully ready to go it alone, but this is still pretty awesome stuff! Apparently they're going to install a bike rack at the school for good measure (They should have one already. Baby steps, I suppose).

When I had moved, my girlfriend had mentioned that she really wanted her to start riding a bike again. She already knew how, but it had been some time since she had done it and she needed a boost to remember (It's like riding a bike, you could say). Now, we've not only helped her remember how to ride a bike, but by biking to school, she's done something that neither one of us ever have. Excuse me while I live vicariously... I don't know about you, but if I were her classmates, I'd be pretty jealous that my friend got to ride a bike to school. Just me?

Basically, keep exploring. You never know what you might find, or whose life it might change (including yours).

Dare to Bare

96 days after vacating the City of Brotherly Love (not that I'm counting, or anything), I made a rather expected return for my very favorite day of the year. I'm referring of course to the Philly Naked Bike Ride. If you're new here, it's an annual celebration of positive body image, fuel consumption consciousness, and cycling advocacy. And yes, some of us are naked:

This year happened to be my fourth year participating, and of course every year is just a little bit different (even if the starting location has stayed the same for the last three). By equal parts accident and design, I kept up my tradition by using a fourth different bike:

"My Therapist" was also celebrating her first birthday this weekend, and after the completion of the ride, had also officially broken the 500 mile mark. Happy birthday, beautiful. What a celebration, right?

The weather, as you can probably see above, wasn't so beautiful in comparison to some of the past rides, but from what I saw, that didn't lower the turnout or deter people very much from getting into the spirit. New this year, my girlfriend decided to join me!

I mean, why wouldn't she? She's seen how much fun I've had in the last few years, and I dare say she had more fun than I did (we always remember our first time). She even came up with our body paint slogans. I usually come up with some sort of clever pun, but she's used this phrase before and it seemed quite appropriate. One thing's for certain, we both found out that we have excellent body painting "handwriting." So much so that several bystanders asked for our help with their messages.

Due to the weather being misty, I mostly kept my phone in my bike bag. I also didn't bring my camera along for the ride for the same reason, so my pictures from this year's installment are at a premium (a quick Google search can show you more, if you dare). I pulled it out from hiding at a few choice spots so you can get a sense of the size of the crowd, seen here on Broad Street:

There may have been a similar amount of nudity here on February 4th. Who knows for sure? At any rate, we hit most of the usual spots, including Rittenhouse Square, The Art Museum, and South Street:

And we finished at the newly redesigned Love Park just across from City Hall:

By this time, the rain had started to pick up, so what is normally a casual post-ride hangout (pun intended) was a little truncated as people scrambled to put their clothes back on for warmth. Still, everyone I saw enjoyed themselves, and one couple took advantage of the special occasion by getting married on the spot (no photos, sorry).

I happened upon a few old friends during the course of events, plus some new friends I'd never met, like this lady who took a picture of us and then selfie bombed us:

Photo credit: Dan Fernando

I didn't catch her name, but what's in a name anyway?

I feel like the cold quickened our pace this year, but we certainly weren't short-changed in the mileage department. 10 miles is typical:

Another PNBR in the books, and I already can't wait for next year. Neither can my girlfriend. Ha! Special thanks to the organizers for always providing a great experience from start to finish, my friend Dan Hoyles for hosting us this weekend, and all the participants and bystanders who appreciate what we're really all about. Until the next one...

The Ride Routine

Oh hey there. It's been a minute. I bet you think I forgot about this thing.

Nah. You know me better than that. BUT, it has been awhile so I figured I'd bring you all up to speed on what's been happening.

Life.

OK, that's a broad generalization, but more or less, that's the story. Starting a new job in a new city while also being thrust full-time into family living has proven quite rewarding in some ways, and quite taxing in others.

My new surroundings feature plenty of opportunities for riding, but my commute isn't one of them. It's 8 miles one way, and unlike my situation in Philly, it would take me much longer to commute via bike than a car. Due to fuel efficiency, a tank of gas will still last me more than 2 weeks, so I'm really not spending all that much to drive. I also work outside (for a pretty awesome lawn care company), which keeps me active but doesn't leave much energy left over for riding to and from work, especially on the hottest days.

Whatever the reason, I've made a near complete 180 from the guy who used to ride a bike all day every day (even for work) and then some. The routine is completely different. By that I mean, I'm riding a lot less, but it is still a part of my routines, like taking recycling to the local station for example:

Or making small trips to get groceries. Or just taking leisurely rides with the kid, which happens almost daily now that she's gotten more confident in her riding abilities:

All great reasons to ride a bike, but nothing necessarily noteworthy. Nothing even close to the 700 miles in a month variety. BUT, as Summer nears its end, I'm thinking back on all the things I (we) have done, and how many of them involved a bike, but more as a supporting character and not the main event. My cycling routine has become dramatically different, but not bad by any means. If anything, it's gotten better because I'm watching someone get excited about riding a bike more and more with every short spin around the block.

That said, my girlfriend and I are always finding possible new avenues for exploration. We did buy a couple bike racks for some potential future adventures, and my car finally feels complete after nearly 11 years:

And who knows? Once temperatures become more pleasant, I may start busting out the bike for commuting once again. The point is, it's not just about me and my crazy cycling routine anymore. It's about building something much more, and bikes will definitely be a part of it...

Triggered

Bike-friendly transportation infrastructure can take many forms. The preferred method is to keep cyclists and cars as separated as possible. In areas where this isn't possible, adaptations are necessary.

Since I've moved to Columbus, I've been seeing these little bicyclist icons painted in the travel lanes near intersections on so-called "bike-friendly" roads. At first, I just thought that was a way of letting people know this was a preferred bike route, similar to sharrows that you'll see in a lot of areas. It turns out they mean something completely different entirely:

Those signs should be posted at all such intersections, but they're not. Anyway, the little icons are actually guidelines for cyclists to trigger a traffic signal, using the same actuation method as cars do:

Maybe you've seen this before. I certainly haven't seen it anywhere in my travels throughout the greater Philadelphia region (but they do exist in Portland, which I visited long before I was using a bike on a daily basis). It's a pretty simple concept. Stop in the designated area to activate the signal. Some trigger areas are larger than others:

Of course, during rush hour when signals are timed based on traffic patterns rather than real time activity, this all goes out the window, but it's still pretty handy to know.

Mixed Use Merriment

I mentioned in my last entry that moving has been a big change to say the least. That includes not only where I ride but how I ride as well. I've vacated the tight, bustling streets of Center City Philadelphia for a more expansive, suburban cycling environment in the outskirts of Columbus (most days, that is). I'm less frequently dodging parked cars and more often dodging pedestrians these days, as this area is largely populated with mixed use paths like this one just down the road from our house:

They're a blessing and a curse at times. As any trail rider will tell you, it's sometimes frustrating and dangerous competing with pedestrians and runners for space on a shared trail (like the SRT back home), especially if they don't understand the "stay to the right" etiquette. It's great not having to compete with cars for road space, though. On the whole, the danger drops nearly to zero except when crossing intersections, where you're at the mercy of cars treating cyclists as pedestrians in the crosswalks.

Of course, there are mixed use trails here that are completely cut off from automobile traffic, like the one I've found myself on quite a bit lately, the Olentangy Trail:

I took a personal day on Sunday. That is, my first real day alone on a bike since I've moved. I had a loose plan in place, but I basically wanted to just ride and see what happened. It worked. I actually took a wrong turn on the trail as I was heading to an intended waypoint, and ended up following it to its northern end:

My intended destination was the Highbanks Metro Park, a park that itself has several miles of multi-use trail. It took a little bit more road riding to get there than I first thought would be necessary, but I did make it:

After a brief break, I took the trail around the park. I will definitely have to come back to try one of the many hikes I saw on my way (I would have done it that day but I was ill-prepared for a hike). Beautiful scenery and lots of hills! My favorite kind of ride.

By the time I got back to the road, I was already about 15 miles into the ride and ready to start heading home. First, I needed an oasis. A microbrewery always fits in nicely to a loose plan, especially when it includes a 2-mile sidetrack:

That was at Ill Mannered Brewing all the way up in Powell. It was well worth the detour. Dig their logo too in addition to the beer. I packed up my bike and started to head home, when I happened upon a new brewery on the way, Random Precision (if that doesn't sum up my cycling adventures perfectly, I don't know what does):

A random stop I'm glad I made. They brew more towards the sour side, which I only really enjoy during Summer. It just so happened to be a beautiful 80-degree day. As it turns out, it's literally 10 minutes from my house. The more you know...

In any case, by this time I was pretty sweaty and tired, but I did make it home in great shape:

Had to get that Eagles plug in there. All told, I ended up just shy of 30 miles on the ride. Not too shabby for some random exploration, no?

I'm torn as to what I'm going to do next. I found out through the propaganda I picked up at the park that there's a tour of one of the parks this Saturday...on bike. Seems like a perfect fit. Hope I wake up in time!