Crazy path keeps me safe

I’ve been a bit concerned lately about bike vs. motorist rage in New Mexico. I read an article about an Oregon firefighter who tried to whack out a cyclist by shooting him in the head (his wife and child were also riding with him, and, presumably watched this sad situation go down). Fortunately, the bullet hit the cyclist’s helmet and mysteriously missed his head. Do you need any more reasons to wear a helmet?

At an intersection in Santa Fe I saw some geezer Santa Clause looking dude in an old beat up truck yelling at a woman cyclist in a yellow summer dress and riding what looked like a step-through city cruiser (a real threat to cranky old men, believe me). And near UNM I saw a cyclist shoot his middle finger to some young thug who, in turn, was shooting his index finger, pistol fashion (or Contador style) out his window with his left hand. Absolutely crazy!

Reading poster comments to a local news item on the hazards posed to cyclists when the state transportation department “partially paves” roads (another article here) reinforced my efforts to avoid roads when I can. And so, here's some pictures of my daily crazy commuter path that keeps me safe:

Fields:

Old dirt roads:

Sidewalks:

And crazy places:

Bike paths:

But, eventually, I hit the road:

Excuse me while I kiss the sky

Bike junkies want NMDOT to spend more of your tax $$$

The Albuquerque Journal has done it again. This time they went a head and printed another bicycle story, further inciting bicyclist and motorist rage. The story is about a fringe group of two wheeled radical fanatics called the Bicycle Coalition of New Mexico, or BCNM (A creepy version of the Hell’s Angels), who want nothing better than to stop the state transportation department from saving money by partially paving highways. These bike junkies tell us that the partial paving makes these bicyclists ride in the road nearer to cars and trucks and semi-trailers, who by the way, all drive within the speed limit and obey all traffic laws and are courteous to all on New Mexico’s roadways. Red light cameras? Don’t need them. Traffic court? Not here. Traffic patrols? No way.

For their part, the transportation department says it saves them money to partially pave roads.

But the BCNM fires back, “It's because of this kind of practice that New Mexico's ranking by League of American Bicyclists has dropped to 46th place among the fifty states." Don’t tell the Journal’s Glen Rosales this; he thinks “Albuquerque is one darn bike-friendly town.”

For their part, the normal law abiding citizen-motorists of our enchanted roadways give us additional reasoned arguments in support of the thrift transportation department. Comments to the online article read thus:

“When these bicyclists start paying license fees, are required to carry insurance, and generally pay a fee equal to what the motorist pays in gasoline taxes, they can demand these improvements...not until then!

…

I think they need to finance the roadway in an equal fashion to the motorists (in the form a license, registration, insurance, and fees). Until that happens, I see no valid voice from this group.”

Another voice of reason puts it this way:

“I have shared the road all to often with this arrogant group of self serving creeps that think they have as much rights on the road you provide for motor vehicles, who by the way pay taxes for the use thereof.

…

Not all of us ride bicycles and therefore most would agree that they should pay for their own paved surface.”

So there you have it: New Mexico bicyclists don’t pay taxes, are uninsured, don’t have licenses, are arrogant creeps who should subsidize a completely different parallel transportation system in the state. Oh, and judging by the photo below, these bike junkies have a death wish riding on a partially paved road (see the abrupt end of the road? That’s what they call partial pavement.):

Who would smile and ride a bike in such a dangerous place? Bike junkies high on smoking that anti-flat green gunk in their inner-tubes, and bike junkies who free base chain oil... that’s who! What a bunch Creeps. And I'm proud to be associated with these wierdos! They are good people.

Breakfast burrito and coffee for the bike ride

I have a new camera! Now I'll be posting random photos of my days, usually bike related.

Today's photos are items that all New Mexicans know by site, smell, and most importantly, taste: The Breakfast Burrito and Coffee:

Chuck full of simple carbohydrates for that quick burst of energy you'll need sitting at your office computer, or for that break-time bike ride for some good quality coffee or lunch. The quality of the 505 burrito varies from heavenly to, well, hellish. This particular breakfast bomber was procured from Whole Foods. There's a lot of good stuff at Whole Foods. Breakfast burritos isn't one of them. The Santa Fe Whole Foods breakfast burrito is too watered down, the green chili isn't hot enough, and the clumps of potatoes are too large and too hard, and where's the eggs? The cheese?

One of the first real useful thing that my rear rack assisted me with was:

COFFEE HOLDER

The bike rack is a great coffee holder! Coffee in Santa Fe is like coffee everywhere on the planet. This cup came from Whole Foods, too. WF coffee is good; a counter point to their breakfast burrito. The best coffee, though, comes form Ohari's:

Don't let those lightning bolts fool you; they're real. One sip and BAM! You're good for the day. I don't know, at this point, how coffee effects my bike ride except to say that I'm unusually thirsty after a cup. I just did a google search for coffee and biking in the hopes of finding information on effects of caffeine and physical exercise and discovered: Mr. Scharf's World Famous Bicycle Coffee Systems, where I further discovered:

AND

Coffee Bicycle Bell

Despite these interesting trinkets and thoughts of how a cup of coffee functions in the cup holder when you're out of your saddle and "dancing on the peddles", I found a web site citing a study that:

"Found that caffeine is not the dehydrating demon some people believe. In fact, [the study] concluded that caffeine is no more a diuretic than water."

So, I guess it is safe to drink your coffee or quadruple espresso but you might be a tad edgy during the morning traffic rush.

The saga of the bike bag/rack/pannier

With the New Mexico heat wave and the treacherous five mile ride up Paseo del Norte, I figured it was time to drop the messenger bag for a rear bike rack and pannier bags. Simple. Go to the bike store, pick out a rear rack and bags and, bingo! Finish.

It didn't work out quite like that, largely because I'm cheap. First, I discovered that rear racks can get expensive ($45+), add bags ($65+) and you've got some major investment going into schlepping your stuff on your bike.

First, I went to amazon.com and figured I'd purchase a bag and rack system for nearly $90. My problem was the shipping time: up to 5 days for delivery, and the price (and later... the small size):

Because I bike commute to work, I needed something sooner and something comparable in price. So, next I stopped by the REI here in town and picked out this number for $95:

The Topeak Dynapack DX. Pricey, sleek, and... too damn small. I brought this bad boy home, loaded stuff up and discovered its fatal flaws: too small, and only holds 10 lbs. And I saw this system in action on another bike and the side swinging problem was too much. So, I scrapped this plan and settled for:

The Sunlite rear rack. Holds upto 40 lbs. and only cost $24 at The Broken Spoke Bike Shop in Santa Fe, NM. And for a bag I resorted to my old and trusty timbuk2 messenger bag. I know... you're asking, "How do you mount that bag to the rear rack?" Answer: with two of these ($3 each from REI):

The result (total cost $30):

I'm happy I saved money and I'm happy I get to use what I already have. I hate unneeded consumerism- especially when you already have what you need to get the job done!

Random thoughts on the bike commute

The silent ride through quiet morning streets is punctuated by the single ring of my bike bell when the front wheel hits small holes in the road or cracks in the sidewalk, underscoring the lonely endeavor of bike commuting in Albuquerque, one random ring at a time. I’m reminded of the poetry of Robert Frost.

On my arduous afternoon ride home the intense rays of the sun rain down on me, wilting roadside signs advertising long past garage sales, fading old junk cars into ashes, and making reality dance in distant shimmers. Every afternoon I understand why ancient cultures worshiped the sun.

At a busy intersection I watch across the way a bicyclist flipping off a truck driver with his middle finger all the while pedaling through a red light. I see the truck driver throw an Arby’s drink cup at the cyclist. The light turns green and I pedal on startled by the image of their faces, gaping mouths, teeth, yelling obscenities. What is it about transportation that drives our primal urges? Perhaps the ‘control’ we feel over an inanimate object that is then suddenly transferred to another driver or rider who transgresses over our almighty control.

The 505 bike brigade

Bike commuting has given me the opportunity to meet other bike commuters. For weeks before I rode my bike to the train station I was either locked up inside my car stressing out over traffic and cussing the lame radio stations in and around Albuquerque. Now, I catch a few winks on the train ride to work, listen to the iPod, and now and then I get to chat for a little with other bike commuters about, what else… bikes and biking gear, or the commute.

There’s one fellow with a sweet Trek and awesome panniers. From this guy I learned that wax based chain lubricant in the arid southwest can break your chain or make it wear faster than normal because dirt sticks to the wax more so than oil. He provided some advice too: “Just get yourself a gallon of the Stihl Chainsaw oil an you got enough to last you a life time! That stuff works great!” I also found out where to buy a large day-glow yellow vest for way cheaper than at the bike shops: Safety Flare, Inc. on Richmond between Menual and Candelaria.

Another guy showed me how to mount steer horns on your handle bar. While I think that is a cool set up that will make you stand out in a crowd… I think I’ll wait until I have a huge white convertible Cadillac before I mount some horns on a vehicle.

There are some really cool bikes out there too! I saw $5,000 Krestel carbon fiber racing bike once, parked among the other riff –raff, mine included. When I saw this, I was in disbelief. An image of a Porsche 911 turbo parked overnight in municipal parking among broke-down Yugos and Ford Festivas came to mind. Turns out that the guy who owns the bike is pretty cool, too. Racing bikes are his specialty. Another guy has a Motobiscane mountain bike. I’ve heard about how affordable and awesome these bikes are, but I’d like to ask him how the Motobiscane is working out. Can’t though because he’s getting off the train while I’m getting on the train.

One of our ongoing conversations, besides the crazy train bike straps, is the Tour de France. Our people include Armstrong, Contador, Cavendish, and Hincapie, Leipheimer. Like excited school children we sometimes go over the day’s stage results and who made mistakes etc. I imagine we imagine our rides in the Tour de France on our way home or to work. I know... because I day dream my race for motivation.

Update: Cyclist hit by van

Note: According to Albuquerque Police Sgt. Peter Hackett if a bicyclist is in the crosswalk and there are no bicycle lanes bicyclist do not have the right of way. Conversely, if there are no bike lanes...stay out of the cross walk and you should have the right of way because, according to Sgt. Hackett, "bicyclists must operate under the same traffic rules as motorists."

******* ******** ********

Bicyclist hospitalized after accident

Updated: Wednesday, 08 Jul 2009, 12:36 PM MDT
Published : Wednesday, 08 Jul 2009, 8:54 AM MDT

• Reporter: Crystal Gutierrez
• Web Producer: Todd Dukart

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - An Albuquerque bicyclist is in critical condition after he was hit by a van early Wednesday morning.

Police and rescue crews were called to the site of the crash at Broadway Boulevard and Menaul Boulevard NE around 6:40 a.m. Wednesday.

According to police, the van was turning from northbound Broadway to eastbound Menaul when it struck bicyclist Nicholas Lucio, 26, pinning him under the van. It's not clear which direction Lucio was heading.

Rescue crews had to lift the van using a jack and wooden blocks to get the bicyclist out and into an ambulance.

Lucio was rushed to a hospital, where he is said to be in critical condition from a head injury. Police said they're waiting for him to regain consciousness so they can ask him about the crash.

The van's driver, Martin Molina, said he didn't know he had hit the bicyclist but thought one of the van's tires had blown out, which is why he stopped about 35 feet away. Police questioned him about the crash but he was soon released.

According to investigators, it appeared Lucio was in the crosswalk, but, according to Sgt. Peter Hackett, that would not have given him the right of way because there are no bicycle lanes on either Broadway or Menaul.

Hackett said bicyclists must operate under the same traffic rules as motorists, and don't have the right-of-way in crosswalks.

Albuquerque vents as teenager fights for his life

The news this morning of a 16 year old cyclist getting hit and then dragged 50 feet by a van driver, who didn't realize he hit the cyclist and stopped because he thought he had a flat tire, was pretty upsetting. As NM bicycle commuters know all too well, Albuquerque drivers are notoriously bad drivers. Case in point: Allstate Insurances "America's Best Drivers Report." Albuquerque is ranked 76 out of 193 metro areas (in case you're wondering the worst is our nation's capitol). Another case in point: Albuquerque Drivers Blog. Don't tell this to Mr. Glen Rosales, Columnist for the Albuquerque Journal. Rosales thinks "Albuquerque is one darn bike-friendly town" (column below). Gosh-darn it!

News of the critically injured bike rider generated 46 comments at the news article webpage. Some comments were thoughtful and encouraging, and other comments typified the ages old confrontation between vehicle drivers and bicycle riders, some equally sharing in stupidity.

Concerned Citizen posts:

I am surprise we don't see more stories involving bicyclist in the news. I personally have had to slam my brakes because they do not follow the law of the road...They run stop signs, red lights, get into the lane of traffic without looking or announcing their intention.

Brutally Honest posts:

They [bicyclists] are a menance on the road to cars and a danger on sidewalks to walkers.

Cyclist-Motorists posts:

I'm TIRED of the "I didn't see him" excuse. It's not an excuse. We motorists are SUPPOSED to be WATCHING the road, our surroundings, etc. At least that's what they taught me in Driver's Education 50+ years ago...

Cyclist and Driver posts:

Cyclists are like any stereotyped group - some are considerate, follow the rules, and work hard to ride well with other traffic while some don't. Some drivers work hard to drive well with other traffic and are safe and considerate while others don't. The point is we're all people who can be safer if we look out for each other and avoid getting aggressive towards others on the road - whether we're pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, autombile or truck drivers.

WeNotMe posts in response to Concerned Citizen:

Yeah, it should be completely legal to hit and kill a bicyclist if they aren't following the law because we said so! I also should be able to shoot you if you're pissing me off.
Albuquerque is the least bike friendly town I've ever seen.

Sick of Elitist Cyclists posts:

Sure, bud. We are spending millions for your stupid hobby by widening roads, restriping roads, pointless public service announcements, etc. But it is still not enough for your ilk. Move to Portland, if this city isn't bike friendly enough.

... And so and so forth.

After reading these posts you just want to run out your front door and jump on your bike and hit the roads, no? One thing for sure, I'll see you brave souls early tomorrow morning at the Railrunner. Wear your helmets and watch out for Sick of Elitist Cyclists and WeNotMe; them dudes roll with bad Karma.

***

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Duke City's a hotbed for cycling enthusiasts

By Glen Rosales
For the Journal
Folks around the country are slowly becoming aware of what many in the local cycling community already know: Albuquerque is one darn bike-friendly town.
With more than 400 miles of bike paths, trails and lanes — twice that of New York City — the Duke City is a crown jewel for cyclists. It recently drew the attention of a blogger for the online magazinewww.good.is. Erik Smillie listed Albuquerque among the top-10 burgeoning bike scenes in North America.
“With mountain trails in the Sandia range next door and flat roads in the city, Albuquerque has options along with its near-constant sunshine,” he wrote.
The weather is just one of myriad reasons that such bike-friendly feelings are so pervasive and why the League of American Bicyclists lists Albuquerque as the third most-friendly bicycle city in its population group, behind Portland, Ore., and Austin.
As Smillie noted, there's proximity to top-notch mountain biking trails. City routes crisscross and bisect Albuquerque, providing commuters with plenty of variety. City buses are equipped with bicycle holders. And even the Rail Runner train has the means to transport bikes.
Then there's the 16-mile Bosque Trail along the river and the new Silver bike boulevard, both of which add significantly to the positive cycling experience.
The bike boulevard along Silver was, in particular, a coup for Albuquerque cyclists, said Ben Savoca, vice president of the advocacy group BikeABQ. The boulevard travels Silver beginning at San Mateo in the east to 14th Street just west of Downtown. It then bends north to Mountain, then follows that west to connect with the Bosque Trail.
Although cars can still use the route, the speed limit has been significantly reduced and signage along the way gives cyclists the right to use the main traffic lanes, providing a relatively safe haven to ride, Savoca said.
“We're really proud of it,” he said. “It's a place where anyone can bicycle, regardless of their skill level. You don't have to worry about traffic speeding by you at 50 miles per hour.”
It's an idea that has been in the works for several years and was just recently implemented, Savoca said.
That's the way many of the current amenities cyclists enjoy began.
Stephen Williamson, a longtime Albuquerque rider, said the city has come a long way in a fairly short amount of time.
“We have some great advocacy groups here,” said Williamson, who owns and operates Active Knowledge, an organization that uses cycling and multisport adventures as a means of building character and esteem. “The city has a wonderful bicycle and pedestrian program that they're going into the schools with, teaching bike safety.”
It wasn't too long ago, however, when things were far more dangerous for a cyclist, he said.
“When I first got here, I had bottles thrown at me. I had guns and knives drawn on me,” Williamson said. “That doesn't happen too often anymore. Fifteen, 20 years ago, it was like I was an alien on the street. People would look at me as if I was crazy. I would ride the trails and be the only one out there. Now you can see 50 or 60 riders in one hour.”
Charlie Ervin, owner and operator of Two-Wheel Drive, has been part of the bike scene in the city for more than 30 years and was on the Greater Albuquerque Recreational Trails Committee in the 1990s, helping shape the city's current status.
“The ideas and things that we started discussing years ago are finally starting to happen,” he said. “It takes years for these things to finally happen.”
He traces a lot of the progress to the gas shortages that occurred in the early 1970s, and everything has finally come to fruition in the past decade or so.
“I think the city is doing a good job of finding funding and doing things with that money that really benefits the community,” Ervin said. “I think we're one lucky bunch of bike riders.”

Not a good Wednesday for NM bicycle commuters

Two Arrests Made In A Southeast Albuquerque Attack

Wed Jul 8 6:42am EDT

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. --Police say Roger Preston and Janie Duran beat a cyclist over and over along several blocks.

The two ran over the victim with a truck near Zuni on Monday morning. Both face a long list of charges including aggravated battery, robbery and kidnapping.

The alleged beating happened over a large area. Police closed off at least four blocks on Zuni for about 20 hours yesterday.

The victim's name has not been released.

Bicycle, Van Collide

Wed July 8 7:51am EDT

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. --Eastbound Menaul at Broadway is closed at this hour after a collision between a bicyclist and a van.

The bicyclist, identified only as a male, was taken to University of New Mexico Hospital.

The Railrunner yellow strap problem

I can tell you that the Railrunner yellow bike strap problem is being looked into by Mr. Tom Trowbridge, NM Equestrian/Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator, and that Mr. Trowbridge is a pretty good sport about my blog- all of it true because he emailed me today.

Or, I can tell you my Don Vito Corleone version of the Railrunner bike strap problem, none of it true and a figment of my imagination, except the "non-coded" email correspondence, which is true.

The Don Vito Corleone Version:

Today, I received a message from “The Don,” as the 505 Bike Commuter reverently refers to Mr. Tom Trowbridge.

The Don, he says to me he was gonna look into the yellow strap problem and check in with MRCOG (Mid-Region Council of Governments, or among the New Mexico illuminati and cognoscenti, “Mr. Cog,” or just “Cog,”) about fixing “the problem.” MRCOG can make things happen to things, get what I'm saying?

The Don, he says to me:

“I’ll also put out an email to my bike/ped comrades in the other states (I’m on a B/P list-serve) and see what is done on other passenger rail systems across the country and ask for pictures/supplier websites, etc to pass on to the ‘cog.”

I know coded language when I see it. The Don, what he really says to me is, “I’ll check in with the bicycle la cosa nostra and see what is done to these yellow straps that do not show no respect for our thing.”

He also says:

“…I just happened upon your blog last night…”

Shuddering and on the verge of a panic attack, I lookup one of my old blog posts and I read this shocking passage, by my very own decrepit cloven hoof no less:

“Perhaps Trowbridge is too busy for a quick email, "Thanks, I'll check into this and get back to you soon." Or, perhaps the pedestrian/equestrian portions of his job are amazingly important and utterly demanding of his time that spending the three seconds on quick response would cause complete failure of pedestrian/equestrian infrastructure of this dusty southwest state.”

Realizing now to my absolute horror that I may have offended The Don, I meekly respond to The Don:

“Blog is tongue in cheek humor. Thanks for being a true sport. Most of us bike commuters are in agreement that the straps are difficult to work with.”

Hyperventilating, in code, what I really says to the Don is this, “God father, I meant only to be funny. Thank you for your benevolence, but us bike wise-guys, well, we are having many problems with the yellow strap.”

The Don, he writes back and tells me:

“No worries. I don’t own a car, so I’ll add it to my favorites!”

What he really says is, “Fah-get-ah-bout-it. You owe me a 1975 Lincoln Continental Town Car. I’m gonna keep a eye you from here on out.”

I will now request a meeting to kiss The Don’s ring and show my respects to his benevolence.

Perhaps now I have blown my respectful request of The Don for a Railrunner car devoted only to bike commuters, with hot tub on the upper deck, Al Green and the Peaches and Herb and Barry White playing on surround sound throughout, white shag carpet, disco ball and dance room on the bottom deck, and lava lamps everywhere.

Sorry NM bike commuters.

Monday madness

Where did the traffic go? Drivers inspired by the school of thought that created the demolition derby? Or inspired by molasses on a cold northern Wisconsin winter day? My bike ride down Paseo del Norte was desolate and eerily evocative of the day after the apocalypse.

So, the other day I decided to put air in my tires. It wasn’t a shock to see that my tires were inflated at 25 psi. I felt their squishiness on my ride home the other day. What made me gasp was the suggested maximum psi on my Michelin City Tires, aka: City Bombers: 87 psi. Talk about rock hard riding! So, I started pumping and pumping, and pumping. By the time I got to 70 psi I feared my tires would explode so I stopped (I just read a review at REI.com... somebody just said that at 87 psi City Tire sidewalls blow out! Dang!). What a difference in the way my bike handled this morning. I felt like I was riding an entirely different bike.

This warrants a Gear Review:

Michelin City Tires: Want to turn that old mountain bike into a commuter? Tired of the slowing effect of mountain bike tires? Want to roll fast and smooth (and I don’t mean in a bar on lady’s night)? Tired of flat tires? Get a set of Michelin City Tires today. The Michelin City Tire is fast and quiet. The supper protected anti-puncture strip in the tires will make riding through Gaza during an Israeli bombardment a walk in the park. IED’s? Not a problem for these tires. They are that tough. The only down side to the Michelin City Tire is the weight. When I smacked these slicks on my bike I added another 10 to 12 pounds. But, hey, you’re commuting – not racing in the Tour de France. I’ve ridden over broken bottles, fields of bullhead thorns, strange metal scraps, and I’ve not had a flat tire that can be attributed to the aforementioned war zone(s). I did have a flat…but that’s because the cheap inner-tube valve-stem wore through because of the super sharp edge of the rim’s valve hole. Traction is excellent while riding on pavement or sidewalks. It gets a little sketchy when you hit the dirt. So, if you’re hauling booty on a paved surface/side walk and then hit a dirt trail… slow the hell down because you’ll be tempting the Wipeout Gods and, like Santa, they’ll know when you’re being foolish. 9 points out of 10 (-1 point because of weight).