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).

Thoughts on Stage 1 of the 2009 Tour de France

My watch list for this year's Tour de France:

1. Fabian Cancellara

2. Alberto Contador

3. Andreas Kloden

4. Levi Liepheimer

5. Lance Armstrong

6. George Hincappie

7. Mark Cavendish

What an exciting saturday morning.

You bike like you eat

Eat a large meat lover’s pizza and top it off with a couple of beers and a dozen hot wings the night before your bike ride and you’re going to feel it, guaranteed. Have a protein shake, oatmeal, water, and complex carbohydrates on the other hand and you’ll feel it too. This is the difference between having cramps and spewing chunks vs. having energy and speed.

During 9 days off the bike I ate like a fool, slept late and watched too much television. During my first ride after the break I was feeling it all over. My legs were cramping, my stomach bloated, and my head felt foggy. I felt like crap.

I haven’t thought about my eating habits and avoiding the bike ride. I have thought too much about what motivates this behavior. For starters, I eat junk food because it tastes good and I momentarily feel good; satisfied, full, gratified. Junk food is a drug. I avoid physical pain. My bike ride up Paseo is a painful experience. Put these things together: food as a drug and bike riding as painful and there you have it. I’ll need to rewire some of my attitudes about food and biking if I’m going to get in shape and enjoy riding my bike.

Bike Shop Review:

I stopped by Sport Systems Ski and Bike the other day and walked the isles of bikes. This place has tons of Specialized bikes: comfort, mountain, road, cruisers. I stopped by the sales bin and a friendly buy working on a bike asked if I was doing okay. I said it was all good, “Just looking. How are you?” The guy says, no kidding, with a sigh, “I’m just a ski tech putting bikes together and fixing what comes through the door.” With four employees hovering near the counter I stopped by the tool section and checked prices which were comparable to prices at other bike shops and had questions on bottom bracket tools. I was ignored for about 15 to 20 seconds as the sales staff finished up their chatter about a bicyclist who “didn’t know what he was talking about.” But by the time the guy looked in my direction I was done. I decided to leave. Right now, I don’t plan on going back. Right after leaving the place I drove on up to The Kickstand and thought it weird when I overheard a lady at their checkout counter mention the terrible service she received at Sport System Ski and Bike. 4 Points out of 10. 2 points awarded for their “bicycle advocacy” donation from 1% of their sales, and 1 point for everything else.

Railrunner bike straps suck

Okay, here is the deal with the Railrunner bike straps: they suck!

See those little yellow straps securing the rims? They totally suck.

While the picture above appears to convey bicycle happiness and order, don't be fooled. Those yellow straps are a real pain in the butt to work with. First of all, the ends are frayed making buckle threading a near impossibility, and when trying to unstrap your bike, the metal bear trap inspired buckle doesn't let go fast enough.

Three things happen when using the strap-buckle contraption:

1. While attempting to strap in your bike, the line of waiting Railrunner riders and other bike commuters grows. This results in the stink eye from annoyed riders and bicyclists who want nothing better than to get out of the hot NM sun, sit down and enjoy the scenic ride to their destinations;

2. While unstrapping your bike Railrunner riders have to wait for you (taking your sweet time) to get your crap together so they can get off. In the mean time you're feverishly tugging and pulling and gritting your teeth fighting with the strap and buckle. The longer you take the more likely you are to have the train doors shut on you and the train leave with you still inside messing with the damn buckles. Your bike commute just increased by another 14 miles because that's where the train stops next.

3. The strap/buckle hassle is too much. The result? Bikes piled up six deep and no straps and bikes all over the place. Lord help us if Railrunner riders have to get out in an emergency and they can't because bikes are piled up everywhere. I can see the Albuquerque Journal headline (above the crease): "40 Railrunner passengers die in fiery wreck: unstrapped bikes to blame."

Four weeks ago I wrote an email to our NM State bike/walk/horse coordinator, Tom Trowbridge asking him to check into replacing the strap/buckle b.s. with either: a) hooks, or b) velcro straps. He hasn't responded. 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.

Walk of shame

After nearly two weeks off the bike I had to do the walk of shame up a portion of Paseo del Norte the other day. The little sandy uphill stretch I felt so proud of riding up the first time, kicked my butt again. I had to dismount and walk. Oh God, the humility. It's amazing just what a little amount of time off can do to your body, your will. 9 days of eating crap, drinking beer, and NOT riding. 9 days of bliss for 8 minutes of shame. Damn it.

Tomorrow morning I mount up again, and this time I muster the guilt induced courage to not walk.

Bike Shop Review:

The Kickstand has a cast of good warm hearted characters and some good mojo-vibes befitting a cool retro-shopping district near a major university and not the 1980's strip-mall where it is currently located, far from the action. My wondering eye caught hold of this pace after a drive up Menaul Blvd way up near Juan Tabo - coming from a horrific bike shop experience at Sport System Ski and Bike further down Montgomery Blvd (review coming soon). After Sport System Ski and Bike, The Kickstand was a relief, that, in this town there are bike shops that know what they are doing and are happy doing it. While not as chuck full of bikes and parts like Performance Bike Shop, the Kickstand has its share of good bikes, parts and clothing; Norco, Giant, Bianchi. And they have "Giveaways," or prize drawings for some good gear (last month: hydration pack or shades; the month before last: fenders, racks, back lights.). And their gear and bikes are reasonably priced (unlike REI; review coming soon). I picked up a nice Blackburn computer for $15 bones. Not bad, no? And the guys at The Kickstand were pretty good sports about telling me the differences in computers. No matter how many customers came in during the time I was there, the Kickstand boys were glad to help or to give customers assurances that they were going to be taken care of soon. And sure enough, they did. The only draw back for the Kickstand would be their location. This is the bike shop you want in your neighborhood and not way across town. 8 points out of 10!