Progress?

In a recent post, I mentioned the ongoing closure of our longest bike bath due to freeway and levee construction. As you may recall, on January 5, I saw this:

Bike path STILL closed, several days after Dec 30, as promised by this sign.

Well ... I gave them another 5 days, being that there were holidays and such. Maybe the construction people were still recovering from that New Year's Eve champagne, combined with all of the heavily spiked egg nog and holiday turkey/ham/pie/fruitcake/what-have-you. Today, January 10, which is 5 days later than my previous visit on January 5, I rolled up on the Funqapillar to see this:

Still closed ... but in a different way.

Although the path is still closed, the concrete barrier has been removed, along with the improperly dated closure notification sign. Replacing them is some red tape that says "DANGER" and a rather non-descript sign that simply says the bike path, its title now reduced to that of a mere bike "lane", is closed. No reopening date is offered, suggested, or implied. It also says the bike path lane is closed "AHEAD", which is confusing, since the DANGER tape is blocking (and therefore closing) the path lane right here where the sign is, not further ahead as the sign implies.

I'm not sure whether this change is an indication of progress or merely a horribly unstylish new look for the same infuriating closure. I do see path ahead ... but it seems to now be called a "lane", which could imply that it's being reduced in size ... or it could mean the construction crew can't tell the difference and just grabbed the closest sign that had the word "BIKE" on it.

Whatever the case, it's all making me feel, as Jon Lovitz used to say in the old Subway commercials, "ANXIOUS."

Eat Fresh!

If this part of the lane path were to be reopened, it would instantly connect me to several additional riding options. More paved paths, lots of trails and fire roads, plus horses and cows to visit ... all just up the lane path a tiny bit further. Without the lane path connection, it means a very long detour starting nowhere close, using busy streets that don't even have a bike lane, or even worse ... DRIVING to somewhere else to ride, which just somehow seems wrong to me.

It's been more than three years now since all of this started (January 2009), and since the full bike path has been open. It's close now ... or so it seems ... but I'm feeling impatient to have the barriers removed once and for all.

I shouldn't complain, really. After all, I have beaches and beautiful weather to ride in all year long. Just longing for some of those really long uninterrupted-by-streets-and-traffic rides I used to be able to take. Soon enough ... soon enough.

Until then, there are other topics on the way ... product reviews, photos, and more! Stay tuned!

Things You Notice When Riding A Bike

 
 
It's interesting how your perspective changes when you're moving at a slower pace and not surrounded by walls of metal and glass inside a motorized contraption.  You notice things that you might not have otherwise had time to see.  You have time to think about what's around you.  You begin to wonder what's wrong with people.  Are they completely insane or merely oblivious?

I went for a ride today that included a stop on the way home at the local large chain grocery-shopping outlet.  I needed to get some coffee beans and razor blades, since there's a fine line between that sexy three-day growth and the crazy grayish-bearded slob who's too lazy to shave ... and I haven't yet purchased one of those new-fangled stubble trimmers. 

As I pedaled through the parking lot, the scenery appeared to move in slower-than-normal motion.  First, I noticed the guy in his huge pickup truck, who seemed unable to manage backing out of his parking space and then turning into the lane ... opting to simply turn from within his space, nearly backing over the smaller car next to him, which I'm certain he couldn't see from his vantage point of 32 feet in the air.  I suppose he thought the wheelbase of his enormous commercial grade hauling machine (which, of course, was hauling nothing but him) was a bit too long to back up and THEN turn ... but the lanes are pretty wide at this large chain grocery-shopping outlet (LCGSO from here forward) and he really did have plenty of room, even with his tires that were designed for off-roading in Nepal.  I wondered if perhaps he just plain couldn't see anything behind or next to him.  I wondered why people choose such a vehicle for driving around in the city, when it's impossible to properly park it.  I wondered why he didn't do as others with such vehicles and just park further out and use two spaces so it would be easier to get in and out.

Then I saw a woman in a SUV ... no wait ... there were two ... no, it was two women and one man in SUV's, a teenager in an old Honda, an elderly man in a huge boat of a 70's-era car, and a dude in a service company van ... all driving through the parking lot with their cellular talking devices held to their ear.  I thought to myself, "Isn't that illegal in California?"  Then I thought, "Hasn't it been illegal for several years now?"  I guess the cost of keeping up with the latest Pirate Speaking Device (a.k.a. Aye-Phone) prohibits the simultaneous ownership of a Pirate Earring (a.k.a. Bluetooth earpiece).  Or perhaps, being the adventurous pirate types they are, it's the thrill of doing something not only illegal, but proven to be dangerous, that appeals to them.  I then wondered how many people driving through the parking lot were texting instead of talking, since I wouldn't necessarily be able to see them doing so if the phone was in their lap.  Maybe that explains the younger fellow who was inexplicably weaving in the lane.  I had initially thought he was just learning to drive ... but now I have my doubts.

As I reached the entrance of the LCGSO, I then noticed that everyone coming in and out of said LCGSO had a look of frustration on their face.  No one smiled ... no one said hello.  Just marching to and from their vehicles where bad driving and pirate adventures await.  But then ... there was a guy who smiled and said "Good Morning ... beautiful day!".  He then put his newly-purchased bag of grocery items in the basket on his bicycle and rode away.  Hmmm.  And then another person, an older lady in a motorized wheelchair, also smiled and said "Hello".  Very interesting.

I wondered ... why is it that only the man on a bicycle and woman in a wheelchair appeared friendly and happy, while so many others with huge vehicles of convenience and high-tech pirate adventure devices appeared so distant, self-absorbed, and frustrated?  After all, we were all doing the same thing ... shopping at the local LCGSO ... sharing the same parking lot ... in the same beautiful beach town ... on the same beautiful sunny Southern California day.  Well, actually, there was one other person who smiled and said hello.  He was the security guard at the entrance to the bank in the same shopping center as the LCGSO.  But he doesn't quite count, since he wasn't shopping at the LCGSO ... and it's his job to smile and greet bank customers ... and to pummel any would-be robber-types ... who wouldn't smile to have that job?

Very Interesting, indeed ... maybe they thought I was the crazy one ... would anyone in their right mind ride a bicycle to the LCGSO, smiling and saying hello to complete strangers?  Maybe it was just the helmet ... and my too-lazy-to-shave grayish bearded face.  Gotta go check out those stubble trimmers now ...

Until next time, smile at someone and say hello ... and have a beautiful day!
 

I'm back ... with a mystery ...

  
  
Yes, it's been a very ... VERY long time.  Indeed.  I didn't get hit by a speeding mountain biker ... nor did I accidentally ride into the ocean and drown.  I simply lost far too many time battles with everyday life and neglected to make time for writing.  One thing leads to another, and the next thing you know, over a year passes by.  I have been encouraged, however, to return to this here blogular postification and ... um ... postify.  So here I is ... am ... are.

And we begin with a mystery ... not of the who-dunnit murder variety ... not of the why-does-my-shopping-cart-always-have-one-wheel-that-skips variety ... not even of the classic why-does-everything-have-to-be-so-complicated variety.  No, this is truly mind-boggling.

I prepared for my ride today by putting shoes on, grabbing my sunglasses and helmet, and going out to the garage to top off the air in my tires.  I top them off once a week for good measure ... big fat 2" tires only need minor air maintenance, which helps me to prevent any unnecessary overuse injury from pumping everyday.  I start with the front tire, which only needs a few PSI's (not to be confused with CSI's, which is en-TIRE-ly different).  PSI's is a technical term that means Pounds per Square Inch, which seems very odd to me, since tires aren't actually square at all ... they wouldn't roll very well if they were.  The European-type people use a different term, called BAR.  This makes more sense to me, as the BAR number could be an indication of the number of drinks you'll want after pumping your tires to that pressure ... that's assuming, of course, that you're filling your tires in order to ride to the BAR.

ANYWAY ... the front tire got it's necessary PSI/BAR inflationary requirement.  When I then move to the rear tire, I find it to be mysteriously void of air.  FLAT, you might say.  I inspected the outside of the tire for some kind of puncture-related object and found nothing.  I removed the wheel, took of the tire and tube, looked inside the tire for a bit of something that might have gotten lodged inside.  Again ... nothing.  I looked the tube over for a puncture ... nothing.  I filled it with air and put it under water ... no bubbles.  It appeared to be fine and holding air.  I inspected the rim for any sharp edges or frayed rim strip ... nada.  And yet, just five minutes ago the tube was completely flat.  It's a mystery. 

Normally, I like the challenge of solving a mystery like this ... but today I just wanted to go for a ride, since I've been so busy lately that riding has been severely limited.  So, to be safe, I put a new tube in, remounted the tire, filled it with fresh air from my PSI/BAR manufacturing device, put the wheel back on, and went for a ride.  During the ride, the mystery continued to haunt me, as there seemed no good reason for this.  But then I saw a hummingbird when I stopped to look at the ocean, and all was good again.  I'm chalking this one up to simply being an old tube.  I've had these tubes and tires on the bike for over a year and a half with no flats, so perhaps it was just time to replace it. 

So there you have it ... today's mystery.  Anyone have an answer? 

I'll make an effort to write more ... with pretty pictures and stuff, too.  There's a new bike in the works.  It has a woolly mammoth on the headbadge ... and the name reminds me of an Elvis song.  More soon ...

It's About Time For Action!

  
This post isn't about cycling, although getting more people on bikes does help the cause.

I was just watching the news ... I do that now and then ... and saw another report on the massive oil leak in the Gulf.  It's such a sad waste ... and such a tragedy ... one that is unbelievably devastating to the environment.  And for what?  For OIL?  Yes, we have become quite dependent on oil ... but only because we've been somewhat forced to be so.  The technology for other energy sources has been available for years ... for DECADES ... and because the greedy, money-hungry, careless oil companies have gained the extreme power over our government, the application of these green technologies has been pushed far away from the people.  And by "the people", I mean all of us.  Their powerful lobbyists and financial games have made it too costly for the average person to afford a car that's not fueled by oil or a home that's not powered by company-supplied electricity.  This has to change ... and if the recent oil leak in the Gulf isn't a sign, then I don't know what it will take.

There have now been MILLIONS of barrels of oil spilled into the water, and all attempts to contain it have failed ... each one taking days to even try ... meanwhile, the oil continues to spill, contaminating the water where a multitude of sea life USED to thrive.  What happens next?  Well, I'm guessing the fishing industry is shot down there ... another casualty of the oil tycoons.  Haven't the people in our southern states had enough with hurricanes and such?  Even if they can stop the leak, it will take YEARS to clean the water, and it may never be the same.  Fish and other sea life will die.  People who make their living from that sea life will lose their business, jobs, homes ... as if the financial meltdown wasn't enough.

To think there was such a huge push recently to establish more offshore drilling here in Southern California is now unimaginable.  Of course the oil companies all told us how safe it is ... I wonder what they say now?  While the risk of a leak such as this current tragedy may be low in the long run, the fact that such a risk exists should make the choice easy ... NO MORE DRILLING!

Technology for sustainable, green energy is available.  There is plenty of sunshine for everyone ... plants, trees, and humans.  It's good for us, it doesn't harm the planet, and it's free!  When the sun isn't shining, there's likely enough wind available to power turbines ... once again ... no environmental impact, and free!  Solar and wind power technology has been around for a very long time ... and it's time it became available to the average home, at a price that's affordable for everyone.  A solar and wind powered home can produce enough energy to be completely self-sustaining, even recharging an electric car each day, and possibly even send some back to the electric company for someone else to use.  And speaking of electric cars, we have had the technology to build them for a long time ... so why isn't it happening faster?  Once again, because the all-powerful oil companies won't allow it ... and when they do, it's in the form of "hybrid" vehicles that are beyond the price range of the people who really need them, and even so, they still use gas (the "hybrid" part).  It's more like a vehicle that makes people "feel" like they're helping the environment ... making people feel good about themselves is what marketing is all about, right?  Our auto manufacturers can certainly make all-electric cars that work ... and they can make them in all price levels from ultra-affordable to full-on luxury.  Saying they can't is an outright lie.

It's time to make some changes.  The question is ... how do we make it happen?  How do we send the message to our government that we need them to stop allowing the oil and power companies to decide what technology is affordable and available?  How do we get our government to hold them accountable for everything that happens when they screw up?  BP should not only pay for the cleanup in the Gulf ... they should pay for the lost wages of the people who can't work in the fishing industry down there ... they should pay for wildlife rescue operations for as long as they're needed ... they should absorb the higher cost of gas for the public and LOSE money for a while, not just pass the loss on to us in higher prices ... there should be a sizable fine for every day that the leak continues, which should go directly to green technology ... and they should be forced to shut down their offshore drilling sites to prevent any future catastrophes.  I, for one, am tired of rising gas prices blamed on increased costs while the oil companies simultaneously post record profits and defend them by saying their profit "percentage" isn't higher, only the dollar amount due to the higher gas prices.  True and logical ... but still criminal in my mind.  Combined with the largest tax breaks and loopholes of any industry, it becomes pure evil.  And no Bail-Out for them, either, even if it means bankrupcy.  We don't need oil ... we need development of safe, sustainable, green technology at an affordable price for everyone.

Anyone have any thoughts how to get some action?  For me ... for now ... I'm very sad for the people, the wildlife, and the environment that will be hurting for a very, very long time.  And I will be shopping by bike ... refusing to drive and support the oil companies by buying gas.  I know it's not much, but if everyone does a little, it might make a collective impact.