Bike the Drive 2010

Sunday, May 30 was Bike the Drive. Perfect weather, 10,000 riders, Chicago potholes, who could ask for more? Sadly, there was one death - a gentleman from Dolton, IL. suffered a heart attack and passed. There were also several "accidumbs", a term I freely borrow from Tom Chapin (Harry's brother). One involved a young lady attempting to hold a conversation while riding, so, this one surely fit the accidumb category. Hey, I can get away with talking on the phone while riding, not that I am endowed with greater talent than other riders - it's just that balance is not an issue when riding a trike, but that still doesn't rule out riding into others, riding off the road (or path) or any of the other stupid things one can get into trouble with while riding a bike. Back to the young lady - sure 'nuff, over the handlebars she went, dropped the phone, lucky she didn't break her neck or her melon. Best of all, after being righted by volunteers, she started asking for her phone, wanting to finish her conversation. Priorities, please! Bad enough people have to talk and text while driving, now they gotta do it while riding a bike, in a crowd. I don't think of myself as being a crabby old fart, nor am I a daredevil or aggressive driver (any more), which I would like to attribute to maturity (or old fartism, if you so choose). I guess the closer you get to the end, the more you realize how foolish it is to do anything that would take away from what is left - something that youth has (painfully) yet to learn.
My friend, Earl Russell managed to do three complete laps - 90 miles in total. I've been tired all week just thinking of him doing that! More power to him! I was satisfied with doing 26.

Yes, it is riding weather!

We went from cool and raining to 90*+ and 80% humidity overnight! Not that I'm complaining in the least! It is great to be able to ride with minimal clothing and maximum ice in the water bottle and Camelback! Now , if I could only remember where I put my new stringback riding gloves. Stringback gloves have been a personal affectation of mine since I 'discovered' that James Bond wore stringback driving gloves (so did Sterling Moss, but I didn't want to be Sterling until . . . that's another ((boring racing)) story). Only Nashbar makes and sells stringback gloves, so, I guess it's order time! I suppose I could break down and wear those funky zebra striped gloves that my riding pal Butler wears. And I would if zebras had orange stripes instead of black stripes. Gotta match the paint job on the trike - another affectation! Never had these affectations when I was young!

On the "Chainlink" and a social commentary

Chainlink is a social networking website for bicycle riders in the Chicago area. I am prolly one of the oldest members, as most seem to be in the 20 - 30 y.o. range. They do a lot of neighborhood tours, and meet at bars for drinks and munchies, something that seems to work a lot better on a trike than on a bike, or maybe that's just 'old' age talking. Can't say that I ever remember riding a two wheeler 'under the influence', but as of late, I've been guilty of leaving 'Granite City' Mug Club parties after having been mildly overserved. One of 'our' societal social problems seems to be a willingness to foist off onto others, things we should accept responsibility for. Case in point - "overserved"! Just whose fault is it that I consumed too much excellent beer? The bartender, the server, the manager . . . . or is it my fault that I consumed too much and rode the trike into the pond (big mud puddle, really) on the way to the bike path? Very few people now 'days will step up and say, "No excuse, my fault entirely". I don't like to make mistakes, who does? People seem to be more willing to spew out some dumbassed excuse before admitting making a mistake. So, what is worse, admitting you are human and make mistakes, or puking out some lame excuse or redirecting the blame onto someone else? Sounds like "Dumb and Dumber" to me - like saying 'I'd prefer to come off like a total a**hole by making a stupid excuse before admitting I f*cked up!"

So, midyear New Year's Resolution on my part (knowing full well that few, if any will ever read this, and fewer still even care) - I hereby resolve to : admit my mistakes openly; never blame anyone else for my shortcomings (unless 'they' f*cked up worse than I did); continue to occasionally consume too much 'excellent' beer (or other alcoholic beverages) at Granite City (or elsewhere); continue to ride my trike (weather permitting) to and from Granite City in pursuit of those comestables; aim my trike AT the pond in hopes of thereby missing it; and finally - to get my buddy and 'drinking partner' Bob K. to join me riding.

On "Ride the Rock" and other things

"Ride the Rock" was, in a word, crowded! But, that's a good thing! Over 2000 riders of all sizes and ages were out, having fun, going through the food like they were starving . And, it didn't rain! The parking at the start was in adquate last year, so, the FPD mowed a huge field, which promptly filled up! The gnats were P.O.'d about having their homes destroyed, but can't please everyone!
Today was heaven on earth riding weather - warm and sunny! A little windy, but, that's OK, drys the sweat right up. A stop at Panera for soup and a 1/2 sammich and it was back riding - into the wind. But, it wasn't raining!!!!! Mpre of the same tomorrow!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

That's right! But what do May showers bring? Other than no riding? Sheesh, too deep for me. Saturday is "Ride the Rock", Will County (Illinois) BIG 16 mile ride. That's right! 16 miles, with 4 rest stops (5 if you count the finish), with food at each rest stop. Well, it is a family ride, after all, not aimed at 'experienced' riders. But we recumbent riders always manage to draw a group of kids over to look at our bikes and trikes. Kids seem to 'get' recumbents a lot more than adults. A kid will never ask "Is that comfortable?", they seem to know that if it was painful, we wouldn't be riding it in the first place. Instead, they say, "Cool bike!", and when asked if they would like to sit on it (a trike) they look to Mom or Dad for permission, and then get right on. Were their legs long enough to reach the pedals, I'd probably have to chase down a gew 'escapees". I've even had a few kids climb on the Scorp and make engine noises! Little do they know that the real engine noise sounds more like "Wheeze, wheeze, gasp, wheeze, snort, cough, wheeze, gasp" instead of the "Vroom Vroom" they like to make. If we could only capture the imagination and interest of more kids, the economy of scale of the recumbent business might allow more manufacturers (other than KMX, Catrike and WhizWheelz) to offer children's trikes. One thing is for sure, once kids become old enough, they don't want anything to do with df bikes, so, maybe if a bike was so cool and so much fun to ride (like a trike is) kids wouldn't give up riding and not pick it back up until 'exercise' becomes a necessity. Maybe if we do a better job of watering and fertilizing our flowers, they will grow longer.

Depression

I'm starting to get depressed! It's cold, windy, rainy, yucky - in other words, it's Spring in the Midwest! Got spoiled by a few weeks in the 70's last month, actually got a sun tan, even on my feet. Well, the weather should improve this week, I guess it is time to get over myself and get on the trike and ride!

Blue Lou at rest

Blue Heron at rest, on the nest on the Des Plaines River

Photo by Jim