Count Us All In!

Last month I committed to the notion of commuting to work (cyclo-commuting instead of polluto-commuting). Then I committed to commuting at least two days/week averaged out over each month. Serendipitously, I got a mailing that very day from our County program promoting commuting by any method other than car. And their threshold was two days per week, same as me!

Today? I got a yard sign (pictured above) from a friendly volunteer who thanked me for my commitment.

Ha! I figured out her ploy just as soon as she stepped off our front porch. She assumes that it will be harder for me to walk past that yard sign in the morning and traipse over to my SUV and turn the key.

And you know what. She is a genius! Of course it makes it tougher to cheat.

But I got news for her. I showed her this month, this October: I already DID commute twice per week by bicycle!

And I did that without the sign. The best part of course is that I loved it. On the bicycle is always good. Tested rain gear one day. Road home at 9:30 one evening, so I tested lighting notions. And I felt more energized at work as I always do when I ride. More energized when I get home too. Funny how that works.

The sign she gave me depicts logos of three sponsoring non-profits from my neighborhood:

• 
  
  Refugee Women's Alliance
  
  
  
• 
  
  Somali Community Services
  
  
  
• 
  
  Chinese Information and Service Center
  
  
  

Apparently, they are among the sponsors of the program. I love the program, and I love the diversity of our neighborhood. It may be among the poorest in some regards, but as to diversity of people--great people with such vastly varying and uniting experiences--Columbia City and our neighboring communities are the richest in Washington and right up there with many in the entire country. I love our neighborhood.

ReWA logo

And I love that these organizations are on the sign in my front yard encouraging me to be the best I can be: a cyclo-commuter instead of a polluto-commuter.

From the Somali Community Services webpage.

Thanks, Refugee Women's Alliance, Somali Community Services, and Chinese Information and Service Center for your leadership!

I was already familiar with two of the organizations, but not the third. Check them out yourself, or their counterparts in your neighborhood!

DartreDame, of course, knows these organizations well. She happened not to be here today when they delivered the sign, because she's traveling alot these days. Mostly she's working on Comprehensive Immigration Reform. It's time to Count Us All In!

Especially, since we count on immigrants every day.

Keep Counting Us All In,

CurioRando

Green Frankensteen Crashes the Pumpkin Push!

A few weeks ago it was Purple King Kong who terrorized the Kitsap Color Classic.

It must be the season, but yet another colorful horror figure attacked a Fall celebration. This time it was Green Frankensteen and the Pumpkin Push in Seward Park. Right after I paused briefly to snap this photo (and the other dozen or so I deleted that weren't up to my high quality standards) I rushed over and tackled Green Frankensteen. I spun his dorky, little, orange bowtie; wiped that crooked smirk of his envious face; and rescued poor DartreDame from his chartreuse clutches.

Fortunately for DartreDame, I've been diligently engaged in weight training ever since I got Cycling Anatomy, and I was able to muscle Green Frankensteen to the ground in time for Dartre to wriggle out.

Later, as Dartre recovered on a park bench--you can see she's not quite regained consciousness here--I  was able finally to assess the extent of my injuries. Looks like I'll still be able to do my R-12 200k for November if I wait till mid-month or so. Pheew!

After Dartre was able to walk we stumbled onto the Pumpkin Push 5k Run finish line, and we spotted Underdog and an escaped prisoner. Lots of characters.

Inspired by the 5k'ers, we took a stroll around the park.

   

On returning, the Pumpkin Pushers had gathered around a bunch of what looked like dead humans on the ground. Huh?

The music cued, and Michael Jackson's Thriller came alive--or came dead--or came zombied, and the show began. About 30 or so Zombies did their thing to the Thriller soundtrack.

You can see a little video I shot of the Thriller Zombies here.

Very spooky! Later that night with their many Zombie friends they attempted to break the world record for folks dancing to Thriller. This all took place at Seattle's Occidental Park and in cities worldwide, but I don't know who won. Do you?

What's this got to do with cycling? Very little, except there were cyclists all around. The picture below shows how we cyclists often get the short end of the stick. Here, this young cyclist's father isn't just drafting behind his son on the three-wheeler. He's on his in-line skates forcing his young son to pull him around Seward Park! I called Child Cyclist Protective Services on him. Harrumph.

A fully recovered Dartre poses next to the Pumpkin Push placard.

All those Punkins got us in the mood...for our very own punkin. No, despite appearances, he ain't heavy, he's my brother. Leastwise, he feels like it 'cause I LOVE Halloween and the Autumn season!

Keep 'em away from Green Frankensteen,

CurioRando

Two Wheels North at the Book-It Theater in Seattle

I don't know a thing about this production, nor have I read the book Two Wheels North.

Here are the basics from the Book-It Theater website:

Vic McDaniel and Ray Francisco, fresh high school graduates, set out on their second-hand bicycles from Santa Rosa, California in August of 1909 to take on the challenge of cycling from their home to Seattle for the Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition. They pedal, push, and walk a thousand miles of primitive roads for 54 days, and encounter nearly every imaginable natural, mechanical, and human challenge on their one-speed bikes. While adventure is their primary lure, there is a promised purse of $25 from the Post-Intelligencer waiting for them if they can only make it to Seattle before the final day of the AYP.

Here's a picture of the Exposition from Wiki:

But get this: the shows are free!

Only two left. Go here for the Book-It Theater website and info.

Here's a little video from their website.

Two Wheels North - Book-It Repertory Theatre from 4Culture on Vimeo.

Keep it Northbound,

CurioRando

Take Me Home, Bicycle Trails, to the Place I Belong!

Hot Diggity Dog Diggity!

A New York Times story today about my old pedal-stompin' grounds, and possiblities, possibilities, possiblities. The story, Biking Coal Country's Tracks and Tunnels, is the tale of one writer's bicycle travels on a 132-mile trail from McKeesport, Pennsylvania to Cumberland, Maryland. The photo above and the graph below are from the NYTimes.

How do I connect up? First, I was born and raised an easy spin from McKeesport, and my mother (Hi Mum!) still lives in the area.

Second, I spent a few weeks in McKeesport in 2008 during the Primary Election season knocking doors for Barack Obama, sent there by my union (the first union to endorse President Obama, thank you very much). We didn't exactly win that Primary, but we won when it counted in PA!

Third, my sister and her husband (Hi sister Nancy and Wayne!) took my friend and I to Cumberland, Maryland in 1972(?) from whence we began a round trip on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath to Washington, D.C. and back at the ripe old age of 15 or 16.  This was the trip that changed my bicycling life.

We stayed in Youth Hostels, toured D.C. for our first time, rode through the Paw Paw Tunnel, skinny-dipped, caught a snapping turtle (Whoa! To be clear, the skinny-dipping and snap-turtling were two SEPARATE events. DartreDame can confirm I've still got all my parts, right lover?), and cycled with about 80 pounds worth of Dinty Moore Beef Stew, canvas tent, and wet cotton sleeping bag on our Schwinn Continentals. Oh, and we nearly got hit by lightning (Hi Mum!).

Paw Paw Tunnel

More on that trip of a lifetime some other day. For now, check out the NYTimes article about cycling through old train tunnels and such. You just might want to make the trip, but as every randonneur knows: take reliable lighting!

Oh, another connection to the story. In my college days at Penn State, my pals and I had a strange fascination with aboandoned tunnels. I think this was usually when we had had some of the libations that give Penn State's college town, State College, its nickname: Happy Valley (with a name like State College the town deserves a good nickname, right?). Let's just say we liked to visit abandoned tunnels when we were "Happy" (Hi Mum!).

Here's the route for the coal train trail.


But the best connection is the one that's yet to be made. Adventure Cycling Association is planning the United States Bicycle Route System. It needs your donations and help to keep it on track. More on that later too, but just think of the cyclo-touring possiblities! One piece of the eventual national route is the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath. Go Adventure Cycling! The graphic below is from the Adventure Cycling Association.

Keep that (Bicycle Route) train a comin'!

CurioRando

Simon Says...Change!

I've even tried Simon Says, but many traffic signals just won't change to green when I'm alone at an intersection on my bicycle.

While that won't change overnight, there is now a mechanism to address those signals thanks to the Bicycle Alliance of Washington. Last legislative session they succeeded with Senate Bill 5482 (Section 10) to create some accountability.

According to the Alliance: "The bill requires that vehicle traffic control systems be upgraded to reliably detect both bikes and motorcycles. Districts must prioritize upgrading on existing systems for which complaints were submitted. They must also establish and publicize a procedure for filing such complaints in writing or by e-mail, and must maintain a record of them."

The address for Seattle is: traffic.signals@seattle.gov.

For Washington State highways: wsdot.wa.gov/Contact/feedback.htm.

To get the proper address for other municipalitie and counties in Washington, go to mrsc.org/cityprofiles/citylist.aspx for cities and mrsc.org/byndmrsc/counties.aspx for counties.

Also, the Alliance would appreciate your letting them know how your experience goes as you interact with this new system. You can reach them at: info@bicyclealliance.org.

I submitted such a complaint yesterday. I also asked how these signals register a vehicle anyway. Is it by weight? Do I have to stand in a certain place? Is there an "electric eye" as we used to call them at some signals?

Haven't heard back yet, but I'll let you know what I hear.

What I like about the Alliance's work is that not only might we get some progress on the signals, but it is yet another step toward bicycle parity.


Keep it turning green...gotcha! I didn't say Simon Says: Keep it turning green,

CurioRando

Cycling Anatomy: It's time for weight training!

Hello, shifting body clock. The aroma of rotting leaves, the sun's hanging low in the sky, and birds flying south all point to the big shift. Not that we don't keep riding. But how do we take stock, prepare and adjust our bodies to our changing environment?

One way is to work different muscles.

I've been seeing a physical therapist for a couple years now, and we talk about muscles. She encourages my body questions. Why does this get sore? What muscles are these, and what do they do? What I relearn is what I already knew:

each of us posesses a remarkable body.

What I like about this book by Shannon Sovndal, MD and forwarded by Christian Vande Velde are the graphics that make my remarkable body a little more comprehensible, and they do so in cyclese.

The muscle groups are identified so I can see exactly what I am feeling when I do the exercises or when I ride.

On the even pages are pictures of an excercise focuse on a specific muscle group like the graphic above. The odd pages depict a cyclist in one of a variety of riding positions with the same muscles highlighted again.

As you can see, you can think about what you'd like to improve, find the exercise and go for it.

There are chapters on;

• The Cyclist in Motion

• Arms

• Shoulders and Neck

• Chest

• Back

• Abdomen

• Legs: Muscle Isolation

• Legs: Complete Power

• Whole-body Training for Cycling

Some of the exercises require free weights as illustrated above, but others utilize stability balls, weight machines, cables and even just you and your body (isn't my body...me?) on a mat. There are other photo series showing the layered muscles of the abdomen, for example: surface, deeper, and deepest. We are complex beings.

I enjoy weight training, though thruth be told I've been off of it a while. It feels good, it helps on the bike, and importantly, it encourages bone density (one of cyclists' achilles heels, if you will). It's also a good strategy for keeping the best body composition possible.

If you are looking for a book that has a sensible, visual approach and is dedicated to cyclists, give Cycling Anatomy a try. It's 192 pages for $21.95, and lots and lots of clear graphics.

If you're looking for a book with lots of info on strength training theories and making a schedule and such, go elsewhere. While there is a fair bit about each muscle group at the beginning of each chapter and an introductory chapter about how we as bodies work while cycling, this isn't a foundational book. The authors know their focus--cyclists--and stick to it. I like that.

Whatever you do, stay active, keep moving, and do stress your body in a variety of ways. The off-season isn't a time for staleness, but rather a time for variety.

Keep it uplifting,

CurioRando

Dartre's First 200k: The Three Rivers Cruise!

We didn't hunt and we didn't trespass. And sadly we didn't fish, even though the sign didn't exactly say we'd get shot if we fished. Problem is there isn't much of a remedy for being shot unfairly. But we did pass through some of Western Washington's most beautiful river valleys: the Stilligaumish, the Sauk and the Skagit. As steelhead fishers, Dartre and I certainly checked out some prime fishin' spots.

The Three Rivers Cruise is Seattle International Randonneurs Permanent #4089, and it was 200k via Arlington, Darrington, Rockport, Marblemount, back through Rockport, Concrete and returning to Arlington. In the pre-dawn light, this blue barn stood watch. Is the barn saying "Oh!" (top two windows as eyes, double-X doors as nose, and open area as mouth)?

Our companion, John Vincent (see Part 1 here and Part 2 here for John's interview about his recumbent experiences), and Dartre stopped as the sun was emerging. If you look closely you'll see the frost is indeed still on the punkins. It was 27 degrees.

The Sun emerges with its special first light.

John rode ahead of us as we headed upstream along the Stilly toward Darrington. Fire trucks and aide cars sped past us at a very fast clip, and our brains couldn't shake on this quiet Sunday morning a nagging dread that perhaps John had been hit. We were relieved/sorry to see the equipment stopped for a house fire. Hope all ended up relatively OK there!

Heading up the Skagit hoping for Bald Eagles. About three months too soon I'm guessing. A few years ago on a frigid float trip we spotted about 300 one day. Note the fabulous shoulder for cycling!

In Marblemount, John displays...I can't remember what the conversation was exactly, but he was displaying hardiness of some kind! Perhaps he was demonstrating how he wasn't the object for the aide vehicles' speeding so. John let me sit on his recumbent and pick it up. Damn, that is a light bicycle!

Here, Dartre displays...what can I say: a smooch heading my way as I practice my behind-the-back-with-my-phone photography skills. Only on deserted stretches of road, I promise.

The Skagit with snowcaps in the background.

Our day warms as Autumn settles in.

Feet planted in Concrete.

The Skagit is a powerful river, colored by glacial till.

Typical Skagit gravel bars.

On the bridge over the Skagit just before turning onto the South Skagit Highway, and miles of chipseal.

Even chipseal roads can capture the special light of a late afternoon sun.

It was about 3000 feet of total climbing, about all we needed.

And for Dartre, it was her first ever 200k! No small feat.

Congratulations, DartreDame! You are a Randonneur!

Keep it flowin,

CurioRando

Oh, the Possiblities: Brevet Schedule for 2010!

The Seattle International Randonneurs has posted our 2010 Brevet Schedule. Yippee!

My mind runs wild:

• 
  
  Will I do my first ever 600k in 2010?
  
  
  
• Will I do an even longer brevet?
• What will my wife (DartreDame when she posts here) do next year now that she is a member?
• Will we succeed in recruiting our certain friend to join too? Or someone else?
• Will we make new friends?
• Will I ride faster and make shorter Controle stops next year?
• What new weather challenges await?
• Will I get an SR series in by June for PBP purposes?
• What will my new designed-for-Randonneuring bicycle be like to ride (go here, for details)?
• What critters will we see?
• Any new weather phenomenon?
• Will I begin to feel ready for PBP, and how will I start to panic, feeling unprepared?
• What new insights will 2010 Brevets bring to my life?
• Will I complete my first R-12?
• How will volunteering for the first time change my views, if at all?

Where does your mind go?

What big randonneuring adventures in 2010?

How are you preparing now?

Here's the SIR 2010 Brevet Schedule:

Date            Brevet                   Organizer


2/28/10 Sun       Spring Populaire (RUSA)      Suzanne Nowlis

3/13/10 Sat        Chili Feed 200K (ACP)        Mary & Greg Cox

3/20/10 Sat        Bellingham 200K (ACP)       Dan Turner/Matt Dalton

3/27/10 Sat        Spring 300K (ACP)             Gary Prince/David Harper

4/3/10 Sat          Bellingham 300K (ACP)       Dan Turner/Matt Dalton

4/15-18/10         Fleche NW (ACP)               Carol & Ralph Nussbaum

4/21-25/10         Wenatchee Camp                 Mike McHale

4/25/10 Sun        200K (ACP)                       Wayne Methner

5/15/10 Sat         Spring 400K (ACP)             Joe Llona

6/5/10 Sat           Spring 600K (ACP)             Jeff Tilden, et al

6/26-30/10          Cascade1240 (RM)             Mark Roehrig

6/26-29/10          Cascade 1000K (ACP)       Mark Roehrig

7/10/10 Sat         Summer Populaire (RUSA)   Paul Johnson

7/24/10 Sat         Summer 200K (ACP)           Josh Morse

8/7/10 Sat           3 Volcanoes 300K (ACP)     Amy & Robin Pieper

8/19/10 Thu        Summer 1000K (ACP)          Mark Thomas

8/21/10 Sat         Summer 400K (ACP)           Mark Thomas

8/29/10 Sat         Mountain Populaire (RUSA)  Noel Howes

9/11/10 Sat         Summer 600K (ACP)           Robert Higdon / Chris Gay

9/12/10 Sun        Summer 200K (ACP)            Robert Higdon / Chris Gay

9/18/10 Sat         SIR/ORR Dart (RUSA)         Peg Winczewski

9/24-27/10         WA-OR 1000K (ACP)         Vincent Muoneke/Geoff Swarts

9/24/10 Fri         WA-OR 400K (ACP)           Vincent Muoneke / Geoff Swarts

9/25/10 Sat        WA-OR 600K (ACP)            Vincent Muoneke / Geoff Swarts


Great THANKS to all the individual Brevet Organizers, our RBA Mark Thomas, and the volunteers who make such dreaming possible!

Just in: the Oregon Randonneurs 2010 Brevet Schedule. Yippee, again! And great THANKS to ORR RBA Susan France and the ORR individual Brevet Organizers and volunteers for their dreamweaving too!

And now, check out the 2010 Brevet Schedule nationally at the Randonneurs USA site. Pick your location, and find a ride!


Keep it dreamy,

CurioRando

Bellevue, WA Bustin' Out with Bicycle Plan

As for funding, that remains to be seen. The Seattle Times reported recently that Bellevue is planning 80 miles of bikelanes, though funding is sketchy.

Bellevue was designed for cars, and it shows if you're cycling: little shoulder room. City Councilmember John Chelminiak wants to make changes. Compared to its neighboring communities, Redmond and Kirkland, Bellevue has a long way to go. And, of course, the Cascade Bicycle Club is pushing Bellevue to go farther and faster.

Here is a map of proposed new bicycle routes. And here is a map of proposed bicycle projects.

According to the Seattle Times, here's a comparison of local cities:

Bellevue: 33 miles of bike lanes and 11.5 miles of off-street paths. About 300 commuters (0.5 percent of all commuters) ride a bike to work.

Redmond: 73 miles of bike trails and lanes, including regional trails such as the Sammamish River Trail. About 400 commuters (1.4 percent of all commuters) ride a bike to work. In 2007, Redmond was recognized as a bronze-level "Bicycle-Friendly Community" by the League of American Bicyclists.


Kirkland: 40 miles of bike lanes. About 100 commuters (0.4 percent of all commuters) ride a bike to work.


Seattle: 44.6 miles of trails and 130.4 miles of on-street bicycle facilities (including bike lanes, climbing lanes, pavement markings, bicycle boulevards and signed local street connections). About 7,000 commuters (2.3 percent of all commuters) ride a bike to work. In 2009, Seattle was recognized as a gold-level "Bicycle-Friendly Community" by the League of American Bicyclists.

Go Bellevue!!

Keep it funded

CurioRando

Biker Mike McGinn for Seattle Mayor!

Mike Bikes! And I, CurioRando, endorse Biker Mike McGinn for Mayor of Seattle.

Now, Mike bikes with an electric bicycle, but that's cool. To me it sends a message to folks who think they couldn't ever bicycle to work that maybe there are alternatives to racing bicycles and lycra: electric bicycles, bus-bicycle combo, bicycling once/month, bicycling one way (downhillish?) and taking light rail home (uphillish?) are but a few examples.

Do you think a guy who bicycles all over town understands our issues? I do.

Do you think his opponent, who I've heard fairly dismiss cycling as any kind of serious solution, gets our issues? I don't.

What about non-cycling issues?

I like Mike because while I believe that Mike, just like his opponent, has lots to learn about governing a biggish city, he has spent much of his life bringing collective solutions to critical issues. He's led coalitions. He's rolled up his sleeves to tackle genuine problems even when much of the status quo sided against him. This is experience that I believe he can rely on to tackle the big job of leading our wonderful city.

I like his opponent also. I think he's a good man. I don't, however, believe that corporate leadership is the best preparation for what we now need. Unregulated, unfettered and self-interested corporations have very much to do with the mess we're in. Now while that doesn't taint every corporate exec, corporate leadership particularly over the past while has been all about competition at any cost. Usually, it's been the public that has paid the cost.

What we need to get back to is leadership that calls us to collective, not competitive, solutions. Mike has that experience.

Because of my day job, I've sat in on way too many candidate endorsement interviews. I sat in on such interviews with both candidates. From those interviews, I've come to trust Mike McGinn. He ain't perfect, but I fundamentally trust his tendancy toward collective solutions. I know that it is collective solutions that will lead us out of our current mess.

 

For the Cascade Bicycle Club's take on why they endorsed Biker Mike McGinn, go here.

For a news story about the CBC endorsement of Biker Mike McGinn, go here.

For a story on why Biker Mike McGinn bicyles, go here.

For Biker Mike McGinn's Campaign webpage, go here.

You know what else? Bicycling clears your head. I'm serious, and if you're a cyclist you know it is true. It's not the only way by any means, but cycling does that. That's good. I like a Mayor with a cleared head.

I'm voting for Biker Mike McGinn for Mayor of Seattle!

Keep it clear,

CurioRando

UPDATE: Did Biker Mike McGinn Win? See this post to find out!