…Now with 50% Less Bollards

One of my favourite routes to get out of the river valley from Rossdale is an old, slightly neglected bike path that runs parallel to 97 Ave. It’s a gentle climb over several blocks, and now it has 50% less bollards!

They took out half of those bloody bollards!

And now that there’s one less bollard in the way, anyone hauling a trailer now actually has a chance to make it up the hill.

This path continues into the Legislative grounds where you can access the High Level Bridge and becomes a much more pleasant, though slightly steeper ride.

Choose your flavor of bumpy – poorly maintained asphalt or sidewalk slabs.

The Leg ground paths have not, however, gone on a bollard diet, and still continue to stand as a monument to the 80’s.

Midnight Ride (with lasers)

What better way to spend the few fleeting hours of darkness of the shortest night of the year, than to ride the night away with a big group of fellow cyclists, with a portable sound system and laser light show.

It’s like a bicycle disco.

Before the ride, participants pimped out their steeds with all sorts of lights.

Rollin’ down the Ave.

Smiles all around.

Phantom wheels in the late night twilight.

Riding on, into the night.

Taking the streets, groovin’ to the tunes.

It’s actually quite hard to get a photo of this big a group at night.

Retro futurism (with bikes and rowdy riders).

Zoomin’ through the ‘hoods.

Instructions: 1) Weave sparkler through spokes. 2) Light with torch or other sparkler. 3) Ride away before you set something on fire.

Future-bike disco.

Invade a parkade.

Lovers in auto-centric times.

Photos with friends.

It’s a DIY disco!

Slowing Down a Little with Some Bikey Books

The last couple of weeks have not been pleasant thanks to an unknown digestive tract invader. There were several days that I was too ill to leave the house, so I curled up on the couch with a cat and some books. Even if I was too sick to cycle, I could still read about riding.

The first book was found in the recycling bin of the local bike co-op. How anybody could toss such a gem as “Bike Tripping” by Tom Cuthbertson is beyond me.

Bike Tripping, and a cat. Also, what is that floating clown putting in tambourine penny farthing dude’s mouth?

Featuring amazing illustrations by Rick Morrall that scream “I was made in 1972,” this book is a snapshot in time to when cyclists were more on the fringe than they are today, and the ten speed was the latest and greatest thing in the bike world. And it’s a really entertaining read.

Meet Freddy Sprocketooth

How to get out of sticky situations, from aggressive dogs to drunken gun nuts taking pot shots out of their pickups (thankfully, we have so evolved here on the prairie since the 70’s that we no longer have to fear guns on the road since the DB’s have switched to paintball) is tackled with straight talk and humor.

Not gonna lie, I’ve fantasized about this after riding through Hermitage park, though I suspect that something aimed at the irresponsible dog owners would be more successful in the long run.

The best illustration of a dooring I’ve ever seen.

I’d say saddle technology has advanced since 1972, yet somehow the leather saddle is still the epitome of comfort (grumbles the vegan).

“Many people are thinking and talking about cycling trips these days, not only because they are attracted to the sport itself, but also because they are getting turned off by other trips which have had their day and gone sour.”

There’s a seriously groovy tone throughout. Suddenly the 70’s bike boom makes sense in context to all the burned out survivors of the sixties.

“Ride out to the country. Expand your consciousness a little, and turn on to good old Mother Nature, before she starts turning on us.”

Then again, he said it better than I ever did, which reminds me, now that I’m feeling better I ought to start planning some serious rides of the rural persuasion.

Switching into an urban cycling gear, I read “The Immortal Class: Bike Messengers and the Cult of Human Power” by Travis Hugh Culley.

Memoirs of a courier.

This is a well written, fast paced memoir following the author’s exploits as a bike messenger and the happenings of the the Chicago bike scene in the late nineties. Alley cats, Critical Mass, crazed drivers, secret underground shortcuts, fast riding in traffic, cryptic messenger lingo; this book has it all. This was one ride I didn’t want to stop, and it may or may not have encouraged some courier like cycling behavior. Highly recommended.

In a time when cycling is becoming increasingly mainstream, both of these books are reminders of the days when bikes were for outlaws and outliers. While I think this rebel cache may once have been used to help sell bikes to the masses, I wonder if the normalization of cycling will also mean the decline of distinct cycling subcultures. I’d hate to lose one of my (secret) favourite things about riding – the cheeky yet harmless bad-assery.

Bicycles Are For Lovers

I can’t remember who recently said “cycling is romantic.” It really resonated with me as what cycle advocacy is missing, and in my last post, I echoed this sentiment. But do I really need to pontificate?

Too cute 🙂

Riding With the Boy

When bicycle advocates are espousing all the reasons you should ride a bike, there’s something often forgotten. Fun, play, romance.

Here’s to late night rides with loved ones.

A quick turnaround.

When he wants to fly, he goes so much faster than me. In fact, he rides faster than anyone I’ve ever met.

Flying down empty streets on the fixies.

Skinny tires seek out fresh pavement.

Faster, into the night.

Exploring twisty corridors.

This ride brought to you by… these two bike geeks.

Here’s to looking forward to a summer of passionate nights.

Of Never-Ending Winters, Girly Italian Foldies, and a Fixation

It’s been far too long since I made a post, mostly because I’ve been ridiculously busy (I’ve had one day off of work in the last 6 weeks thanks to multiple jobs). Still, it’s been a relatively short amount of time since the landscape looked like this:

Joyriding on the Fixte through a wet ravine on a warm April day.

And only a week after the following picture was taken, the temperature had increased by 30 degrees Celsius:

This is me getting close to losing my mind during a late April snowfall.

After what seemed like a never-ending winter, the seasons changed as if a light switch had been flipped, and suddenly the weather is summerish.

I’ve been mostly riding the Fixte. I love the speed, the engagement, the challenge, the feeling of connection between woman and machine and the road. It feels a little weird to go on about it, because I feel like I’m saying the same things the fixed gear riders would rave about to me, the same things that wouldn’t convince me to open my mind to it being something that might actually be safe and fun. I get it now. After riding fixed for a while, when I get back on a bike with a freewheel it feels like the bike is out of control, like “holy crap, this bike is moving all by itself and I’m not even moving my legs!” Yes, I’m liking this fixed gear thing. I’m even planning to convert another one of my bikes to fixed.

The Fixte and some lovely art of the night.

I had built up a front wheel to match the back, a high flange hub and a white deep-V rim, but was waiting for the gravel to be cleared off the roads and for the city to get a start on patching potholes to install it and my new tires. They even came to my street and very crudely filled some of the worst offenders, so my bikes still rattle and bump uncomfortably every time I leave the house. I guess feeling like your fillings are going to rattle out is still better than worrying about dieing on the street after wiping out in a pothole. Deciding that things weren’t going to get any better and that I wasn’t going to wait any longer, I upped the hipster quotient of the Fixte.

Mixte Fixie version 2.0

I wouldn’t say that the 700 x 23 tires are ideal for E-Ville’s cratered roads, but it sure is fun and looks cool. Bright lime green is a colour I’d never wear but I thought I’d try a pop of brightness on the bike, and if it gets old, it’s just rubber and can be easily changed. I have a goal in mind, though. I’m working on how to skip-stop, and I plan on leaving a trail of bright green skid marks around this town by the end of summer.

In other bike related news, there was a Critical Lass Ride to celebrate CycloFemme, a Global Women’s Cycling Day. A small group of us took a jaunt across the High Level Bridge and around the Leg Grounds.

Critical Lass at the Leg

Thanks to Deb for organizing and scoring some really cool temporary tattoos!

This time has gone by in such a blur. Always busy, always something interesting going on, always another challenge. My job at the Bike Library is finally over, and though I’ll miss it, I should have a little more time for myself, to enjoy riding, instead of spending nearly every waking minute encouraging other people to enjoy riding.

Another night, another river crossing.

With my fleet of bikes feeling full and my joyriding time close to nil, the last thing I expected was to feel the need to acquire another bike, but guess what fell from the sky?

What’s that? A vintage Italian loop frame foldie with a Duomatic hub?

This bike was donated to EBC after it didn’t sell at the annual Bike Swap. How could so many people looking for bikes pass over this gem in the rough? Sure, it needed quite a bit of work. I switched out the saddle and tightened the bottom bracket to make the bike rideable, but it was only after I’d been working on it a while when I discovered its secret. That worn down sticker on the seat tube that I initially read as DOOMATIC was actually Duomatic! Much to the amusement of the rest of the folks in the bike shop, I freaked out. For years, I have wanted to get my hands on a 2 speed kick-back hub to build into Porta-Bike, and here was a bike that had one, that had all the features of Porta-Bike plus more, was prettier and in better condition, and it didn’t have a sketchy looking home weld job at the hinge.

So, I bought it.

Annabella, near the end of a joyous night ride.

Meet Annabella. I’ll be posting more detailed pictures soon and as I fix her up. She needs a new saddle, tires, chain and everything overhauled, so I guess I’ve got another bike project. It’s so little to ask to get this lovely Italian Annabella back on the road.

Ciao for now!

Finally, Some Thaw

When the snow starts melting at a rate greater than it falls, it must be April, and maybe even spring? When kitted-out road warriors on slicks inexplicably yell at you on the bike path, could that be a sign of spring? When bike parking starts to become possible as the bike racks emerge from the piles of snow they’ve been buried under, does it mean spring is finally on it’s way?

Your business claims to be bike-friendly, yet you use your bike rack for snow storage…

When finally, FINALLY, that omnipresent layer of slick bumpy ice that’s covered all but the busiest roads since October, has melted, and despite the fact that what it revealed was a road surface more pothole than not, greeted the asphalt remains with joy, does it signal spring is in the air?

And the title of most pothole laden street goes to … my street!

And the cyclists foe changes from ice to potholes.

When the reason to ride includes fun, not just transportation, could it mean that a change of season is here?

In creating this blog, sometimes I have strange photographic misfires. I thought this one worthy to share. Also, bare fingers? Spring must be in the air.

So I went for a joyride, and created the first timer photos that I’ve done in a while.

And then I slipped and nearly landed on my ass and recovered just in time for the camera to catch me. Self portraiture can be dangerous, you know. Also note the Canadian kickstand.

OK, this is more like it. A girl and her bike on an early spring day.

No pothole foiled me. The Fixte rode responsive and nimble. I haven’t taken it down any hills bigger than the one to the High Level Bridge yet but the bike is proving to be a trusty city bike. I’m liking this fixed thing so much that I’m considering converting Porta-Bike.

A mixte fixie, a white tire to tide me over while I wait to build my white rim, matching shiny tights, and a sunny spring day. What more could you want?

And so I ride into spring in a new direction, one I never would’ve predicted when I started this blog. Bring on the fixies! Bring on the road bike! This summer’s going to be fast and light.

Bye Bye Bonelli

If you have read this blog since I began it 3 years ago, or have just read all the archived posts, you may remember a little bike called the Bonelli that really got around. It’s the bike in the banner picture of this blog but Bonelli hasn’t made an appearance for quite some time, mostly because I haven’t been riding her.

Ol’ Neli, fresh from the basement.

I’ve probably put more miles on this bike than any other I’ve ever owned. It was my only ride for years, and it was integral to me learning bike mechanics. The only original part on this bike is the left shifter, every other part, cable, bearing has been overhauled or replaced, often repeatedly, by my own hands. She got me through every possible situation, from winter ice to summer trails, and took all the abuse I could give.

So, why haven’t I been riding her? Now that I have my own personal fleet of bikes, I have bikes that are specialized to do the things I used to do on Bonelli, only better, and more in synch with my personal style. This is a super utilitarian bike, but I’ve come to expect more of my bikes – I need them to be useful, cool and unique, so given the choice, I always ended up choosing another one of my bikes, until eventually Bonelli ended up in the basement collecting cobwebs.

I don’t have infinite storage for bikes, though, so with the addition of yet another bike to the fleet (the Fixte), I decided it was time to find Ol’ Neli a new home. I brought her down to the local community bike shop, where Tim cleaned her up and I gave her a complete tune-up to get her ready for her new home.

Now, she’s waiting for her new rider down at BikeWorks South.

It’s a common pattern amongst I’ve seen amongst women who really get into cycling: start on a hybrid that can do anything, though nothing particularly well, and then move on to more specialized bikes as you get a better idea of what kind of cycling you like to do (which can, of course, change, like who knew I would’ve been riding fixed?) and begin exploring different challenges and riding experiences. Eventually, the hybrid becomes redundant and unneeded.

I hope Bonelli finds a home with a bike commuter and gets put to work every day, because I know first hand that this bike is up for it.

In the meantime, I learned how to ride fixed during the biggest snowfall all winter.

A foot of fresh snow is good for two things: Canadian kickstands, and learning how to skid stop.

I think I’ve caught a case of the fixie fixation. I’m having a blast on this bike, and am really enjoying how it challenges me in new ways physically and mentally. It’s also handled pretty well on the snow and ice – I’m glad I didn’t wait for better weather to start riding it.

Too bad I can’t wait for better weather for decent bike parking.

Here’s what’s going on in this picture. See the slant-lollipop style of bike rack? Of course not because it’s almost completely buried in snow. To lock up, I had to hike to the top of that show pile then lean over low to get the lock on the rack. In the background, there is a limo and the cops. Because that’s who’s out on Whyte Ave in the middle of the night after the worst storm of the year: some limo, the cops, and me.

Happy First Day of Spring From E-Ville

Because in Edmonton, “the first day of spring” is nothing more than a date on a calendar.

At least it’s sunny.

There have been 10 inches of snow in the past week, with more in the forecast. Oh well, at least it’s sunny right now.

Before this week’ s snow, we’d been enjoying a bit of a mild streak, and I’d heard many speculating that this was an early spring. I suspect those folks haven’t lived in E-Ville for long, have a short memory, or have a rosy view of climate change.

Pretty par for the course in March, I’d say.

The Mixte Fixie

If you had told me 6 months ago that I would be building up a fixed gear, I would have laughed at you, but something (or should I say someone) has piqued my interest. And seeing his poetic flow of constant motion, whether accelerating past traffic or at a relatively pootling pace to stick with me on the Dutch bike, has made me curious in the ways of direct drive.

So I decided I was going to build myself a fixie, but there was one condition. The frame had to be a mixte, so the bike could be called (with a nod to Sister Sprocket) the Mixte Fixie.

Presenting the Mixte Fixie. The front wheel is temporary.

The frame is a Canadian made Raleigh Challenger that had been sitting out in the yard at EBC since at least last summer. The wheels and all the components were completely rusted, but the frame itself was in good shape. Plus, it’s as tall as a mixte gets, which is important for this taller than average lass.

Cleaned up real nice.

I built the rear wheel with an old school, unnamed track hub and white deep-V rims, and I have a rim to match for the front for as soon as I can find an appropriate high flange hub. I used one of the existing chainrings, not sure how permanent that will be, but the gear ratio and chain line were good, and the cranks are 165. The bike originally came with 27″ wheels, but the new wheels are slightly smaller 700C, so shorter cranks are a plus to help avoid the pedals bashing into the ground.

There’s animal, vegetable, and mineral in that there bottom bracket.

I really wish I’d taken some “before” pictures of this bike, but the above pic of what I found in the bottom bracket will have to suffice. From the rust patterns on the components, it looks like the bottom bracket was partially filled with a rusty leafy buggy soup for some time. The original drop bars were solid rust, and the original wheels were on their way to matching, so it’s pretty cool that the frame itself is fine.

As I announced my new ride to my friends, the raving bike fiend, ever clever, christened it the “fixte,” which is probably going to stick as “mixte fixie” is a bit of a tongue twister that led to alternate pronunciations like “mixte fixte” and “mixie fixte.”

Looks like the Fixte label is sticking.

With the bike rideable, I did tiny laps around the shop floor until I was dizzy, getting used to the toe straps and braking. My confidence increasing and my patience wearing out, I took it to the relatively clear streets as the first flakes of the latest snow storm came down.

Dodging ice patches on the Fixte.

After only a half hour ride, and despite the discomfort of activating some muscles I usually don’t use, I think I’m going to like this. Coasting is over-rated. Too bad that with 6 inches of snow in the last 24 hours, I have no idea when I’ll next be able to take it for a ride.