Dan on Bike

April 2nd is my work anniversary – six years! I decided to celebrate by riding to work.

I threw in a ride to a meeting, and the direct route home.

Miles Ridden: 15.5

Tom tagged me to report 5 reasons why I blog. Here goes…

To Remember

I enjoy my rides, and I like to remember the details. The blog helps me do that. I often revisit old posts, and I can visualize the ride as I read.

To Organize My Thoughts

My mind is racing all the time, and it’s nice to get something down once in a while. This removes one more thread from the tangled mess in my head.

To Write

I’ve always been jealous of people who write journals or diaries, but I’ve never had anything to say. I’m not sharing my deep, innermost thoughts here, but it’s something. Plus, I get practice with punctuation, grammar, and vocabulary.

To Share

I like reading about others’ ride experiences, so I put mine down in case someone wants to read them. Plus, my contribution may inspire someone else.

To Document

I’m no great photographer, and my pics are more like snapshots than art work, but I still enjoy trying to capture moments and interesting scenes. The blog gives me a place to post them and put context around them.

Miles This Month: 68.8
This Month Last Year: 38.2

Miles for 2007: 106.3
Miles for 2006 through March: 152.2

Remember my convoluted plan to measure my progress towards my secret goal? Well, I’m currently 9.8 miles ahead of schedule!

I haven’t yet figured out monthly goals for my ride types (morning, commute, utility). Maybe next month.

Camera Mount

I wanted to get one more ride in this month, and the weather cooperated beautifully by steering most of the rain around me.

No Bike Rack at Ace Hardware
I took a long circuitous route to Ace Hardware and Marsh (grocery store), partly to avoid riding on Sagamore Parkway and also to make the ride a little longer. (I’ve probably said it before, but even though the Cattail Trail is a great addition to West Lafayette, the stretch that crosses the entrances to Wal-Mart has to be the most dangerous cycling area in town. I always jump the curb to ride on the street before reaching that section.)

Coming home on Salisbury Street, I noticed this message spray painted in the bike lane – STAY IN BIKE LANE. Instead of a rant from an angry motorist, I’m guessing that it is an instruction from the road construction crews from last summer and fall. Although my North Work Route follows this street north, I haven’t used the southbound side in a long time. I can’t remember how the temporary lanes were setup to understand the direction, but it is kind of neat that they were thinking about us cyclists during construction.

I spent the last week in Arizona – specifically the city of Mesa.

I was impressed by the bike lanes installed on all of the major streets on the east side of Mesa (the newer areas). Unfortunately, no one seemed to be using them. In the four days I was there, I saw one guy in full kit riding the lane on Power Road around 4pm.

Now, I saw many riders both old and young, using the sidewalks and crosswalks. All but one were going the wrong way. Apparently, Mesa needs to supplement their aggressive build out plan with rider education. (This is the conclusion of my short week of ‘research’.)

We made a side trip to the Grand Canyon, and I only saw two bikes the entire trip. One was chained to the bike rack at the Flagstaff Wendy’s, and the other to a tree on the south rim of the canyon. The temps were near or below freezing, and it was snowing, so I didn’t expect to see too many riders.

I spent the past week in Las Vegas for a conference, and I thought I would share my thoughts on biking there. Rather than offer a well-informed, researched opinion, I’ll just talk about what I saw in the approximately six block stretch of Las Vegas Blvd between Mandalay Bay and the Bellagio.

I didn’t see any bikes on the first day, but on day 2 I was passed by two separate bike commuters. One guy in a security guard shirt was riding on the edge of the street, and he used the crosswalk to proceed against the light. The other was a younger guy on a 20 inch trick bike taking his ride up the escalators and across the busy streets on the pedestrian bridges (despite signs prohibiting such use). Both were on Wal-Mart specials.

On days three and four I saw a bike cop each day. They had nice Trek rides.

Also on day four, I saw the supply bikes for the street distribution teams. These are crews of poorly dressed guys passing out what I call ‘hooker trading cards’ that described various escort services. The supply bikes were hosting strong wire baskets over the back wheel, and the riders would travel from corner to corner resupplying the front line troops.

As we left on day 5, two ambulances arrived at the hotel near the cab stand, and two bikes cops rolled up shortly after. Also, a police car with two more bikes on a rack in the back joined the group. I can see how a bicycle would be a great way for the officers to get around.

Anyway, I’m glad to be back in Indiana.

This sign, and two more just like it, are installed outside Stewart Center. It cracks me up for several reasons:

1. Someone thought that the plural of BUS is BUSSES.
2. No one else on staff or at the sign printing company noticed the error.
3. It’s been there for several years!
4. On one of the others, someone has removed an ‘S’ from the middle of the word.
5. Easily thousands of elementary, middle, and high school students walk by these signs each year on the way to events held in the Center.

I took the direct route home from work today, riding into a strong 20MPH wind. It was a little slow going.

Miles Ridden: 6.9

Great weather today, so I rode to work.

Boy, with the early DST change this year, it was dark. Sunrise was 8:06 this morning – at least 10 minutes after I arrived. In addition to my lights and reflectors, I wore my new reflective vest for the first time. I’m sure I was glowing! I saw the neighbor in his driveway as I was leaving, and he said I was lit up like a Christmas tree. I don’t care how geeky it may look, I didn’t get hit by a car today.

Here’s what I faced when I arrived…

The plow crews piled all of the snow from the parking lot here after the blizzard last month, and the once six foot high pile still has some melting to do. Lucky for me there were other spots at the end. The bike pictured on the left is one of two that have been chained there for at least two years. All of the components are pretty much rusted beyond usefulness, but the lock includes a hardy chain that still looks new. I’m going to ask the building deputy about cutting the bikes off the rack and sending them down to salvage for sale.

I came home on the South Work Route. This was after my conversation with the SrVP in the parking lot where he asked “You don’t ride down River Road, do you?” I answered that it is a little crowded this time of day. There’s no sense in having the boss thinking I’m an idiot.

Miles Ridden: 8.3

Division to 400W to 450N to 300W to SR 26 to Sharon Chapel to Newman to home.

Miles Ridden: 11.8