Went out last night for a good ride in some much needed cooler weather. Road over to Clarksville and paid my Verizon bill and then took off up Hwy31 to old Hwy6o, across I-65 and then back around Payne Koeller Rd to Charlestown Road. Made my way back to downtown NA and then up Old Vincennes to home. I have one week of training left before leaving for the West Coast and will likely ride hard this weekend and taper off next week to rest my body.
b
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Big time weekend
Yesterday I climbed St. Joe Knob. I thought I was past the point in life where I'd be able to do something like that. After climbing, we rode along Skyline drive and went down Mosier Knob (that was fun!), total ride was about 27 miles I think. Oh, and right when we were at the top of Mosier Knob, my odometer crossed over to 1,000 miles! I put it on this bike when I bought it last year in October.
Then today, we went to Louisville and ended up at the Heine Bros. in Douglass Loop. Total ride today was 50 miles. A half-century. Never thought I'd ever do that either.
Set some goals and move towards them, you just might surprise yourself.
Then today, we went to Louisville and ended up at the Heine Bros. in Douglass Loop. Total ride today was 50 miles. A half-century. Never thought I'd ever do that either.
Set some goals and move towards them, you just might surprise yourself.
Saturday, August 26, 2006
This Is What A Bicycle Coalition Does To Help Make Change.
Cycling supporters on a roll in S.F. Bicycle Coalition has political clout and backing of public.
Rachel Gordon San Francisco Chronicle http://sfgate.com
Monday, August 21, 2006
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (www.sfbike.org), revived 16 years ago by disgruntled cyclists, has emerged as one of the most potent political forces in the city.
The organization, founded in 1970, went into hibernation through the 1980s and was reborn in 1990. Now -- with a paid membership of 5,800 and its top executive sitting on the board overseeing San Francisco's public transit, parking and traffic operations -- the bike coalition is moving aggressively to enact its goal of making the streets of San Francisco a bicycling mecca "where cars are rare and travel slowly.''
In the past decade, the city -- responding to the demands of the Bicycle Coalition -- has added bike lanes, required commercial developers to provide bike parking and equipped Muni buses with bike racks.
But as the crusade moves forward and cycling in San Francisco gains in popularity, a pushback can be felt.
The coalition's lobbying for a proposal to make a portion of Golden Gate Park car-free on Saturdays won a narrow victory at the Board of Supervisors this spring, but Mayor Gavin Newsom applied the brakes with a veto.
And in June, a San Francisco Superior Court judge put the city's bike plan on hold. The plan, which won unanimous backing by the supervisors and the mayor last year, maps out an ambitious five-year strategy to make it easier and safer for cyclists to get around town.
Critics sued, charging that the city did not conduct a review that adequately analyzed the plan's effects; for example, the city may have to remove street parking and traffic lanes to make room for cyclists.
The judge's ruling effectively prevents city officials from moving forward with much of the plan until the court rules on the merits of the litigation. The hearing has been set for Sept. 13.
Despite the setbacks, bicycle advocates in San Francisco aren't deterred.
"There is broad public support for better biking conditions,'' said Leah Shahum, who runs the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. She said a new poll of 400 likely voters by David Binder Research found that nearly 3 in 4 respondents favored creating more bike lanes in San Francisco.
The fact that the monthly Critical Mass ride -- an event organized independently of the Bicycle Coalition at which anywhere from dozens to thousands of bikers take to the streets on the last Friday of the month -- hasn't erupted into chaos for nearly a decade probably has helped move public opinion in that direction.
"The bike coalition is at the cutting edge of urban environmentalism. It reduces our reliance on foreign oil, cuts down pollution, helps ease traffic congestion and makes the city more livable,'' said Supervisor Jake McGoldrick, who represents the Richmond District in a famously liberal city where politicians work hard to put green-friendly credentials on their resumes.
In addition to lobbying for more bike lanes, the Bicycle Coalition is urging city officials to better maintain streets now pocked with potholes, to do more to prevent bicycle thefts and to enact measures to slow the speed of cars.
Jim Town, a 26-year-old math teacher, uses his 15-speed bicycle -- and Caltrain -- to commute from his home in San Francisco's Western Addition to his job in Palo Alto. He thinks San Francisco is a good place to ride, especially when bike lanes are available.
"I feel like I don't have to assert myself as much when there's a lane; drivers are more respectful,'' said Town, who only had one bad experience with a driver who was in a hurry to make a right-hand turn when they were both stopped at a red light. "I find that bicycling is a good way to get around; it's often faster than driving when there's a lot of traffic.''
The 2000 U.S. Census found that about 2 percent of the commuters in San Francisco pedal to work or school. City Hall set a goal to push that to 10 percent by 2010.
Advocates say that can't be done without the completion of a citywide bicycle network that likely would mean less room on the city's streets to drive and park cars -- a prospect that adds fuel to the tension in the city between motorists and bicyclists.
Rob Anderson is fed up. An active blogger (www.district5diary.blogspot.com), he sued the city to stop implementation of the bike plan. Anderson started a group -- he won't say how many members it has, but by all accounts there aren't many -- called "Ninety-Nine Percent.'' The name is intended to highlight the fact that only a sliver of residents rely on bicycles and that the vast majority still drive, use public transit and walk.
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition "has completely free rein at City Hall. No one challenges them,'' he said.
Chris Albanese agrees. He owns Antiquario, a store on the 1600 block of Market Street. In May, the city removed parking from the front of his shop to put in a new bike lane. He said that merchants in the area, who feared a drop in business, were given little notice to protest, and that those who did could not get a fair hearing. The city's creation of new parking spaces around the corner, he said, hasn't helped.
"The removal of the meters has all but eliminated new business and has greatly inconvenienced my established customers,'' Albanese said. "But the real story here is not my loss of business. It's about the bike coalition's overwhelming and undue influence on public officials and public policy.''
There are few who would dispute that the Bicycle Coalition wields influence. In addition to being one of the biggest, if not the biggest, advocacy groups in the city, it has leaders who are politically savvy and media-friendly.
They work within the system -- Shahum's appointment to the Municipal Transportation Agency board of directors is just one example -- and have been working to build alliances with other well-organized advocacy groups, such as Rescue Muni, Walk San Francisco and the Sierra Club.
Bike coalition members don't hesitate to contact elected officials at City Hall, and the organization makes it easy by supplying preprinted postcards with the message of the moment.
During the bike coalition's first "Bike to Work Day'' in the 1990s, Supervisor Tom Ammiano was the only elected official to participate in the event. Now, most of the local pols do. Even Newsom, who hesitates to put on hats for fear of messing his gelled hair, dons a helmet for the photo-op ride to City Hall during the morning commute.
Bike coalition leaders also have shown that they're willing to compromise and are in it for the long haul. Take, for example, the proposal in the mid-1990s to ban cars on Market Street. The business community revolted, and bike advocates backed down. Now, however, "we are pushing to have fewer cars on Market Street,'' Shahum said. One of the ideas is to force cars to turn off Market Street at several downtown intersections to discourage drivers from using the busy corridor.
Another example is the proposal to limit auto traffic in Golden Gate Park on Saturdays, something that had been done on Sundays and holidays.
After Newsom killed the legislation, backers of the "Healthy Saturdays'' plan contemplated putting the issue on the November ballot, but backed off at the last minute when Newsom said he would work on coming up with a negotiated compromise. And if that doesn't happen, Shahum said, there is always next year's fall ballot -- which just happens to be when the next mayor's race will be decided.
The Bicycle Coalition endorses candidates, and getting the group's nod of approval is coveted.
"These politicians want to look green, and there are only so many things they can do at the local level,'' Shahum said.
McGoldrick, the supervisor representing the Richmond District, said supporting the bike coalition's agenda isn't an issue of quid pro quo. Instead, he maintained, the group's agenda resonates with the progressive majority of the Board of Supervisors and a large segment of the public.
"I don't think it's so much politics as policy,'' he said.
Rachel Gordon San Francisco Chronicle http://sfgate.com
Monday, August 21, 2006
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (www.sfbike.org), revived 16 years ago by disgruntled cyclists, has emerged as one of the most potent political forces in the city.
The organization, founded in 1970, went into hibernation through the 1980s and was reborn in 1990. Now -- with a paid membership of 5,800 and its top executive sitting on the board overseeing San Francisco's public transit, parking and traffic operations -- the bike coalition is moving aggressively to enact its goal of making the streets of San Francisco a bicycling mecca "where cars are rare and travel slowly.''
In the past decade, the city -- responding to the demands of the Bicycle Coalition -- has added bike lanes, required commercial developers to provide bike parking and equipped Muni buses with bike racks.
But as the crusade moves forward and cycling in San Francisco gains in popularity, a pushback can be felt.
The coalition's lobbying for a proposal to make a portion of Golden Gate Park car-free on Saturdays won a narrow victory at the Board of Supervisors this spring, but Mayor Gavin Newsom applied the brakes with a veto.
And in June, a San Francisco Superior Court judge put the city's bike plan on hold. The plan, which won unanimous backing by the supervisors and the mayor last year, maps out an ambitious five-year strategy to make it easier and safer for cyclists to get around town.
Critics sued, charging that the city did not conduct a review that adequately analyzed the plan's effects; for example, the city may have to remove street parking and traffic lanes to make room for cyclists.
The judge's ruling effectively prevents city officials from moving forward with much of the plan until the court rules on the merits of the litigation. The hearing has been set for Sept. 13.
Despite the setbacks, bicycle advocates in San Francisco aren't deterred.
"There is broad public support for better biking conditions,'' said Leah Shahum, who runs the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. She said a new poll of 400 likely voters by David Binder Research found that nearly 3 in 4 respondents favored creating more bike lanes in San Francisco.
The fact that the monthly Critical Mass ride -- an event organized independently of the Bicycle Coalition at which anywhere from dozens to thousands of bikers take to the streets on the last Friday of the month -- hasn't erupted into chaos for nearly a decade probably has helped move public opinion in that direction.
"The bike coalition is at the cutting edge of urban environmentalism. It reduces our reliance on foreign oil, cuts down pollution, helps ease traffic congestion and makes the city more livable,'' said Supervisor Jake McGoldrick, who represents the Richmond District in a famously liberal city where politicians work hard to put green-friendly credentials on their resumes.
In addition to lobbying for more bike lanes, the Bicycle Coalition is urging city officials to better maintain streets now pocked with potholes, to do more to prevent bicycle thefts and to enact measures to slow the speed of cars.
Jim Town, a 26-year-old math teacher, uses his 15-speed bicycle -- and Caltrain -- to commute from his home in San Francisco's Western Addition to his job in Palo Alto. He thinks San Francisco is a good place to ride, especially when bike lanes are available.
"I feel like I don't have to assert myself as much when there's a lane; drivers are more respectful,'' said Town, who only had one bad experience with a driver who was in a hurry to make a right-hand turn when they were both stopped at a red light. "I find that bicycling is a good way to get around; it's often faster than driving when there's a lot of traffic.''
The 2000 U.S. Census found that about 2 percent of the commuters in San Francisco pedal to work or school. City Hall set a goal to push that to 10 percent by 2010.
Advocates say that can't be done without the completion of a citywide bicycle network that likely would mean less room on the city's streets to drive and park cars -- a prospect that adds fuel to the tension in the city between motorists and bicyclists.
Rob Anderson is fed up. An active blogger (www.district5diary.blogspot.com), he sued the city to stop implementation of the bike plan. Anderson started a group -- he won't say how many members it has, but by all accounts there aren't many -- called "Ninety-Nine Percent.'' The name is intended to highlight the fact that only a sliver of residents rely on bicycles and that the vast majority still drive, use public transit and walk.
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition "has completely free rein at City Hall. No one challenges them,'' he said.
Chris Albanese agrees. He owns Antiquario, a store on the 1600 block of Market Street. In May, the city removed parking from the front of his shop to put in a new bike lane. He said that merchants in the area, who feared a drop in business, were given little notice to protest, and that those who did could not get a fair hearing. The city's creation of new parking spaces around the corner, he said, hasn't helped.
"The removal of the meters has all but eliminated new business and has greatly inconvenienced my established customers,'' Albanese said. "But the real story here is not my loss of business. It's about the bike coalition's overwhelming and undue influence on public officials and public policy.''
There are few who would dispute that the Bicycle Coalition wields influence. In addition to being one of the biggest, if not the biggest, advocacy groups in the city, it has leaders who are politically savvy and media-friendly.
They work within the system -- Shahum's appointment to the Municipal Transportation Agency board of directors is just one example -- and have been working to build alliances with other well-organized advocacy groups, such as Rescue Muni, Walk San Francisco and the Sierra Club.
Bike coalition members don't hesitate to contact elected officials at City Hall, and the organization makes it easy by supplying preprinted postcards with the message of the moment.
During the bike coalition's first "Bike to Work Day'' in the 1990s, Supervisor Tom Ammiano was the only elected official to participate in the event. Now, most of the local pols do. Even Newsom, who hesitates to put on hats for fear of messing his gelled hair, dons a helmet for the photo-op ride to City Hall during the morning commute.
Bike coalition leaders also have shown that they're willing to compromise and are in it for the long haul. Take, for example, the proposal in the mid-1990s to ban cars on Market Street. The business community revolted, and bike advocates backed down. Now, however, "we are pushing to have fewer cars on Market Street,'' Shahum said. One of the ideas is to force cars to turn off Market Street at several downtown intersections to discourage drivers from using the busy corridor.
Another example is the proposal to limit auto traffic in Golden Gate Park on Saturdays, something that had been done on Sundays and holidays.
After Newsom killed the legislation, backers of the "Healthy Saturdays'' plan contemplated putting the issue on the November ballot, but backed off at the last minute when Newsom said he would work on coming up with a negotiated compromise. And if that doesn't happen, Shahum said, there is always next year's fall ballot -- which just happens to be when the next mayor's race will be decided.
The Bicycle Coalition endorses candidates, and getting the group's nod of approval is coveted.
"These politicians want to look green, and there are only so many things they can do at the local level,'' Shahum said.
McGoldrick, the supervisor representing the Richmond District, said supporting the bike coalition's agenda isn't an issue of quid pro quo. Instead, he maintained, the group's agenda resonates with the progressive majority of the Board of Supervisors and a large segment of the public.
"I don't think it's so much politics as policy,'' he said.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Up, Up and Away!!
Well folks, the hour is approaching and the travelers, if they close their eyes can almost hear the nose wheel of the plane locking in the down position and see the airport runway in Frankfurt rising up to met them!
I dropped by the pub on my way home today to find Roger going over intricate details to leave behind for the Richo's crew one more time! After much ado, I was able to pry him away for one shift beer + 1 + 1... oh well, you get the idea.
Graham came in excited over closing on his house today (he's a hoosier now) and getting his bike broken down and fitted in the shipping box for the flight.
Kevin swears that his cell phone gets turned off whenever he walks out of the shop tomorrow evening ( at least for customers who may be tempted to have an emergency)!
As for the rest of the bicyclists involved, I'm sure they too are in the throes of last minute details.
To all of them I say go forth and enjoy not only for yourselves but for all of us as well. Ride, drink, eat, and bring back tons of pictures!
We in the rear guard will do our damndest to see that in your absence, nothing here gets so screwed up that you can't fix it when you get home!
Have a safe and enjoyable journey and please, don't give us a thought while you're inbibing!
I dropped by the pub on my way home today to find Roger going over intricate details to leave behind for the Richo's crew one more time! After much ado, I was able to pry him away for one shift beer + 1 + 1... oh well, you get the idea.
Graham came in excited over closing on his house today (he's a hoosier now) and getting his bike broken down and fitted in the shipping box for the flight.
Kevin swears that his cell phone gets turned off whenever he walks out of the shop tomorrow evening ( at least for customers who may be tempted to have an emergency)!
As for the rest of the bicyclists involved, I'm sure they too are in the throes of last minute details.
To all of them I say go forth and enjoy not only for yourselves but for all of us as well. Ride, drink, eat, and bring back tons of pictures!
We in the rear guard will do our damndest to see that in your absence, nothing here gets so screwed up that you can't fix it when you get home!
Have a safe and enjoyable journey and please, don't give us a thought while you're inbibing!
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Louisville Bike Lanes
Used one of the new bike lanes yesterday on the way to school. i have to tell you, it was pleasant to ride in my own lane and not have to worry too much about getting picked off. If you haven't tried them out yet, I recommened it!
tommy
tommy
Monday, August 21, 2006
Riding In Indianapolis This Past Weekend
This past weekend I logged over 100 miles in two days riding the many trails, pasths and bike routes of Indianapolis and Marion County. Yes I did the Monon Trail, but more importantly I rode the Pleasant Run, Fall Creek, White River/Central Canal Trails, Fort Harrison State Park's Harrison Trail as well as many bike routes that were very well marked throughout. Traffic shared the road and I did not have that first asshole yelling to get off the road or get on the sidewalk as we encounter around here.
For those who do not know, I used to call Indy my home and
still remember how to get around the area quite well after 30+ years. To still be able to find and enjoy the great parks, such as Garfield and Washington(that used to be home to the zoo). My favorite park is the Wes Montgomery Park located on 33rd Street east of the downtown area. It is just like Wes's music, laid back and comforting.
For the beer cyclist, yes I wound up in Broadripple for beer each day; BBC and Brassiere Brugge were explored.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Marathon Weekend Success!
Yesterday, Derby City BMX hosted the Marathon Weekend of racing. It started of great, then mother nature decided we needed a break and gave the track a good soak. It was looking doubtful, but the weather broke and we had a wonderful day of racing.
The Pro/Am featured a purse of $1500 and the 30 and Over Open Wheels had $350 on the line. Jeff Upshaw was the Pro/Am winner and the 30 and Over winner was Me (Tommy Board.)
This was a tune-up race for the big one, that will take place Labor Day Weekend. Many thanks to all the volunteers that made this happen!
Friday, August 18, 2006
BMX Action!
here's a little snip of what goes on at the track
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkUVtBNdwn0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaGN4IxJ0Js
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkUVtBNdwn0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaGN4IxJ0Js
New Albany Bicycle Coalition
It's that time of year!
For 23 years, Louisville has hosted the National Bicycle League's (NBL) Grand National, on Labor Day Weekend. It's probably one of the best kept secret events in Louisville, due to a football game taking place during the same weekend. I wanted to invite all of you, IF you have time, to come and see what has been going on at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park for the past 23 years and realize the impact of a BMX track could have on New Albany. I've attended a couple park board meetings and when I made my case for a BMX track here in New Albany, you could almost see the glaze fall over the park board members eyes. Many of our local riders (Clarksville, New Albany) are ranked at the top of there classification. Myself and Weston Pope are in contention for national titles. Here's a link to our local track, which is an all volunteer organization. If it were not for the parents and riders, BMX would not exist in Louisville. It's a great family sport, where the entire family can participate. BMX is probably one of the only sports, where you DON'T sit the bench! So come on out!
www.derbycitybmx.org
For 23 years, Louisville has hosted the National Bicycle League's (NBL) Grand National, on Labor Day Weekend. It's probably one of the best kept secret events in Louisville, due to a football game taking place during the same weekend. I wanted to invite all of you, IF you have time, to come and see what has been going on at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park for the past 23 years and realize the impact of a BMX track could have on New Albany. I've attended a couple park board meetings and when I made my case for a BMX track here in New Albany, you could almost see the glaze fall over the park board members eyes. Many of our local riders (Clarksville, New Albany) are ranked at the top of there classification. Myself and Weston Pope are in contention for national titles. Here's a link to our local track, which is an all volunteer organization. If it were not for the parents and riders, BMX would not exist in Louisville. It's a great family sport, where the entire family can participate. BMX is probably one of the only sports, where you DON'T sit the bench! So come on out!
www.derbycitybmx.org
Sunday, August 13, 2006
This Blog
Today we added two other genres of cycling to this bike blog. Tom brings yet another spin with his love of another form of riding a bicycle, where as Jon and his lovely bride are what most folks do with a bike and that is to just get out and cruise, explore and enjoy via two wheels. You do not have to get on the bike in spandex, ride the roads and rack up miles and hills and be extreme to enjoy and participate with accounts of cycling enjoyment to be on this blog. If you ride back and forth to work, share it. If you go out and ride around the neighborhood after dinner, share it. This blog is for the enjoyment of bicycling.
Today my ride took me to Louisville, where I rode around on the streets of downtown and the west and southend, as well as Germantown in the early morning hours for thirty miles and then my father-in-law brought me home to NA and we enjoyed breakfast, coffee and many laughs.
Friendship and the love of riding and its true life experiences is what it is all about.
Peace..........Ed
Today my ride took me to Louisville, where I rode around on the streets of downtown and the west and southend, as well as Germantown in the early morning hours for thirty miles and then my father-in-law brought me home to NA and we enjoyed breakfast, coffee and many laughs.
Friendship and the love of riding and its true life experiences is what it is all about.
Peace..........Ed
New Albany Bicycle Coalition
New Albany Bicycle Coalition
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tommy Board. I've lived in New Albany for about 4 and half years now, after being Honorably Discharged from the U.S. Navy. I was a Cryptologist (collector,) meaning I listened to a lot of morse code! Kris is my beautiful bride of almost 7 years and we have 2 awesome children!
My passion, besides my family, is Bicycles! I love 'em! Road, MTB, but most of all, BMX! Something BMX just blows my hair back. BMX racing has allowed me to remain young at heart and healthy!
I look forward to sharing stories from past experiences, racing and advocacy for cyclist.
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tommy Board. I've lived in New Albany for about 4 and half years now, after being Honorably Discharged from the U.S. Navy. I was a Cryptologist (collector,) meaning I listened to a lot of morse code! Kris is my beautiful bride of almost 7 years and we have 2 awesome children!
My passion, besides my family, is Bicycles! I love 'em! Road, MTB, but most of all, BMX! Something BMX just blows my hair back. BMX racing has allowed me to remain young at heart and healthy!
I look forward to sharing stories from past experiences, racing and advocacy for cyclist.
Christopher Lloyd
as a dweebish child I used to play with calculators and act as if it were a time machine, finding myself trapped in distant times and working through clumsy quotients and percentages to make my way back to the mid seventies.
this afternoon my wife and I made way eatsward on our bikes and made our way to Louisville through a series of shrugs and why-nots. we enjoiyed a respite by the river and then plaugged back noticing that the mileage was approximate to my time-travel machinations of oyouth, what a joy that engendered though my wife has thoughts of retiring around the rout of the Russian navy at Port Arthur. We made it back and Crispin Glover was restored his prosperity.
this afternoon my wife and I made way eatsward on our bikes and made our way to Louisville through a series of shrugs and why-nots. we enjoiyed a respite by the river and then plaugged back noticing that the mileage was approximate to my time-travel machinations of oyouth, what a joy that engendered though my wife has thoughts of retiring around the rout of the Russian navy at Port Arthur. We made it back and Crispin Glover was restored his prosperity.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
It Was Very Hot & Humid - 8.9.2006
L - Old Vincennes Rd
R - Quarry Rd
R - Old Vincennes Rd
L - Old Hill Rd
Cross Paoli Pike and follow Woods of Lafayette to Scottsville Rd
R - Scottsville Rd
R - Skyline(I think that is the name of the road)
L - St. Marys Rd
R - Campion Rd
L - Aiken Rd
R - VonAllman Rd
L - North Skyline Dr
R - St. Joe Hill
R - Highway 111/Grant Line Rd
R - Hausfeldt Ln
L - Green Valley Rd
R- Cherry St
R - Old Vincennes Rd
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Rain training.
Graham, Tim and I had half a great ride this morning, starting at Classico and traveling up and back the Riverwalk.
departed at the Clark Memorial and started to make a run for it, but the rain came and I waited through 30 minutes before deciding to get wet.
Now I'm home with coffee, and must go to work -- with the truck (thanks Lloyd) and not the bike.
departed at the Clark Memorial and started to make a run for it, but the rain came and I waited through 30 minutes before deciding to get wet.
Now I'm home with coffee, and must go to work -- with the truck (thanks Lloyd) and not the bike.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Dressed up like a car crash, the wheels are turning but you’re upside down.
Well, what a fun filled, accident prone tour we rode today. Graham, Kevin, Roger, Tim and myself rode the Edwardsville/Mosier Knob loop this morning. All started out well, we all cruised up the hill on Corydon Pike, making it past the railroad crossing before a train passed by. Took a break at the top and then made our way to the Hobknob Coffee Shop for a nice break and conversation. That is when the ride turned weird. Something lodged in my chain near St. Mary’s Road causing me to freak out and lose control into a guard rail, doing my best Red Skelton impression. Nothing hurt other than scraps, horribly purple bruises and loss of a whole bunch of my pride. Kevin made some quick, needed repairs to getting the chain back on while I cleaned my wounds and then we were off riding again. Passed the shrine of the late Urban’s that was located next to St. Mary’s Parish and had a nice history lesson from someone who used to buy beer there at an earlier age. We made our way up the back side of Mosier Knob and had just past Skyline when we heard what sounded like a vehicle crash. Sure enough and pickup truck had hit something on the road and flipped it into a ditch. When we arrived, the driver had gotten out and seemed okay less a gash in his head. Thanks guys for calling 911 and getting someone headed to help. That done it was an easy trip down Mosier Knob and then we all headed home with enough excitement for one day.
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Saturday - 8.5.2006
Took advantage of the fine break in the weather this morning, riding to and around in Louisville. Crossed the Clark Memorial bridge each way and cruised in the Butchertown, Highlands, Irish Hill and East Main Street neighborhoods. The ride was just what I needed to rid my brain of work and nasty HHH weather that is taking its toll on everyone in our region of the country.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Wheeling Around Louisville by Joe Ward
I found this jewel at Carmichael's Bookstore location of Bardstown and Longest on Saturday and could not pass it up. After I got it home and really started looking at the routes and details of each ride, I was glad I made the purchase. It is a personal taste in riding, but give me the city to ride on early Saturday or Sunday morning before traffic is crazy is what makes me tick and what better way to really see and get a feel for what Louisville is all about. Yes there are also routes of Southern Indiana included, too.
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