Bike-A-Whirl

This weekend my wife and I took the twins on their first trip to Art-A-Whirl. In full disclosure I admit that we took our car the mile or so down the road to the art studios because the boys can be so unpredictable in the Burley, especially if we are going to be bleeding into their dinnertime (which by the time we got them ready to leave was a given).





But it was fun to see all the folks arriving à vélo en masse on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon after morning showers. Corrales were packed full and just about every sign post was occupied. 

As we approached, a train was stopped in a crossing blocking traffic. People were crawling over it, some carrying bikes, to get to the event. The railroad company must have called in security because a detail arrived shortly after we did to stop people from jumping the train so that it could be safely on its way. I was too slow with my iPhone to get a clear shot, but I did get a shot of a bloke that was ready with camera in hand, enjoying the scene.

Once we got ourselves orientated, we knew our “window” for viewing the art would be small so we wanted to make the most of it. (Funny how the prospect of hungry/sleepy/bored children will dictate time spent at an event.) I was looking for instances of bikes in art, and caught a few in our short time at NKB. There are usually a lot, and in years past have often seen posters that people have prepared for Art Crank.

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Drivers Surprise Me

Still working on it.

Let’s just say that I have been a little bit frustrated with drivers lately, and weirded out by reports of Molotov cocktails and grocery carts being thrown down at bikers riding on the Midtown Greenway in Minneapolis. Because I have spent so much of my life riding a bike, it is hard for me to comprehend the animosity some people have towards folks on two wheels. I can understand frustration and annoyance, but road-rage and harassment and assault is incomprehensible.

I certainly have been angered by careless drivers. After all, I did start this blog on the anniversary of being hit by a car. Both of my knees were injured and I was laid up for several weeks; I had some pretty choice words that day. Yesterday, my anger was kindled when I innocently rolled through a Stop sign when there were no cars present, except for the guy driving in the same direction next to me (who also rolled at about the same rate through the Stop as I did). He then rolled down his window and yelled at me that I should be fined for the offense and sped off.

I can appreciate his frustration (if not his hypocrisy) at the double standard. A cop probably wouldn’t have issued a citation to a cyclist for this… although they probably could have. What irked me about the situation is what happened next. Approaching the next stoplight I saw his car pulled off the road to the left (facing the other direction). When I passed he pulled U-turn in the middle of the road (also illegal) and pulled up alongside me at the light, which was blinking red. Being that there was a lot of traffic this time, and I was unsure of how this man would react, I stopped my bike put my foot on the ground and glared at him dead in the eyes through the window. It was my best sizing-up-for-a-fight look, and he said nothing.

We went on our separate ways, but my blood continued to boil.

This morning, someone backing out of their driveway did not look behind them, but I saw them moving and swerved as I passed behind. A car later cut me off so they could make a right turn in front of me, presumably because they didn’t want to wait a moment to make the turn behind me.

It was raining and I was soaked through and probably looked like hell on this particular climb when a guy in an SUV marked with a construction logo slowed to match my speed, rolled his window down, and to my surprise asked me if I had far to go and would I like a ride. I told him thank you but that I still had about 5 miles to go to Downtown but that I was good. When I first saw him through the window I could tell he meant no ill, and I expected he was going to ask me for directions. It totally surprised me though that he would see that I might be having a hard ride and would offer to help.

17 minutes later I arrived at work, poured the water out of my shoes, rung out my socks, and hung everything to dry for another wet ride home.

Burley Time!

Spring is here, I think. All signs say it's supposed to be. Even the groundhog predicted an early spring (a very rare occurrence). Monday was the home opener for the Minnesota Twins, another sure sign of spring on the calendar. However, it was 19 degrees at departure Monday, yesterday the same, and 25 with a wicked crosswind today.





I don't know why I had already put away much of my winter gear, so I ended up looking a little makeshift in my layering while riding my bike the other day. And it was miserable. Yesterday and today I planned better, and it felt better but not great. So I will focus on Saturday's Burley ride with hope of a warmer day and another Burley ride tomorrow.

It was gorgeous out and 48 degrees on Saturday. It was the inaugural run of the Burley and the twins were so cute riding behind me, I am sure I was risking all of our lives with every peek behind. Sammy got to be the first to go on a test run, and I have a picture of him in my mind that unfortunately I can't share. A little bit of worry turned to wonder and then delight as we got underway.

When Anders was added, the world heard screams of delight (he is he more vocal of the two) as we rode down to the lake near our Minneapolis home. Combine that with the hum of my studded tires on pavement (used the winter bike) and I am sure we turned some heads/ears with the spectacle. The whole family had fun. Sarah hollered at me to ride safer periodically, and the twins were weary from the excitement by the time we got home. Sam even conked out on the way.

 

 

Dreaming of Spring

If you have been reading my posts, you know that I have been participating in the Zap Twin Cities program. For me, the calendar on their website provides a nice visual indicator of how often I am riding that helps me set goals and motivates me to keep going. It has definitely helped me stay on top of my goals through the winter months. There have been a few icy days where I have got in the saddle just to hear that beep as I pass by the Zap station. A nice bonus is that they have a monthly drawing for prizes for those that have been "zapped" eight times in a month.

I don't expect to win the drawing, but they have occasional bonus freebees that I have been able to get in on. For being consistent in riding through September and October, I scored tickets to a Timberwolves game. For riding on some of the coldest days in January, I received tickets to take my family to the Minneapolis Home and Garden Show, which we were able to attend a few weeks ago. It was so nice to get out of the house, take the twins to do something other than for a walk at the mall on a Saturday, and fantasize about summer gardening and other projects around the house. As the first day of spring has passed this week and winter's chill continues to hang on, I keep riding and waiting for warmer days and wearing fewer layers.

Can't imagine someone putting a Moai Easter Island statue
in their yard, but it was a fun feature at the garden show.

Saddle up!

The Minneapolis Convention Center has a spacey view, that was fascinating to our twins.

They also loved seeing the large crowds of people. I think we were like most of these folks, zombies from our wintery world trying to forget that all this green was contained in a climate controlled convention center.

 

Love the willows(Salix caprea).

Everybody needs big bundles of twigs.

Skyway Performers

Brown Sugar

Not sure what compelled me to go out riding my bike in a blizzard today. OK, “blizzard” might be a slight overstatement. But it was snowing with wind gusts of up to 35mph and a zero degree wind-chill, the combination of which makes it borderline justifiable to stay home from work in Minnesota, regardless of your form of transportation. It’s probably because I didn’t ride at all last week and I have been itching to get out, and partly in defiance of the wintery March we are experiencing that I made the goal on Friday to ride every day this week, even if it is not very far. That was before I heard that the weather would be dicey today. To add insult to injury, I remember St. Patrick’s Day being a record 80 degrees last year; it’s making this snowy March every bit harder to bear.

I thought it would be okay, that the studded tires I put on my bike would give me a little more push… and they do in certain terrains. I feel more confident on the partially plowed roads and on the more icy packed snow. But I am missing my fatter tires with the deep tread when I get into the “brown sugar” snow that I so love to ride in. It’s dense, wet snow mixed with road-sand and salt and it really does feel and look like you could be riding through real brown sugar. On another day I would go looking for the stuff just for the fun of plowing through it and feeling it kick up onto my back.

Took cover from the wind crossing I-94

Today it is plentiful though (no need to search), but the tires I’ve got on my bike now don’t like it as much. I’m having to ride slow and put my foot down to stabilize myself at times and to slow going down the big hills around the capitol building. Brown sugar likes to clog my breaks and make them less responsive.

But it was fun to get out. The best was hearing the zap as I passed the Dero Zap station on Capitol Hill. For some reason I get satisfaction from marking another day in the saddle. Last month, for riding on some of the coldest days of the year I received tickets to the Minnesota Home and Garden Show from St. Paul Smart Trips, which we were able to attend a couple of weeks ago. It was so nice to get out and do something different on a weekend and fantasize about summer gardening and other projects around the house.

I wonder if Smart Trips will have a reward for near-blizzard riders this month. We’ll see. It’s not that I don’t reap the rewards of riding on its own; It’s just good fun to ride. But the little extra incentive is always welcome on a day like today.

This is about what I looked like on my bike today.
Andy Singer does these fun illustrations about bike riding.
Got a booklet of them at the St. Paul Transportation Summit.

Was done snowing on the way home. Lots of wind though. Stopped off for a snowbank shot.