This weekend

The last two days I have been riding in Louisville. Today I rode on the soon to be completed bridge spanning Silver Creek, it is not "open to peds" but no one was around and the devil came out of me one more time.

Saturday
My wife is taking a class at Holiday Manor on Saturday mornings, so despite the cold and gloomy conditions, I went with her, well I took my bike and rode back. By taking advantage of my Louisville Bike Book, I combined two of the rides and had one great ride back to NA. Total ride was 37 miles.

Sunday
Rode to Louisville and back today across two bridges and just over 14 miles in Old Louisville, Germantown and Downtown Louisville. From my house to the Clark Memorial Bridge is 9.8 miles. Fantastic sunshine and splendid fall color was a plus.

bicycling for louisville

Barry Zalph has a very nice program going on in louisville about cycling and the benefits of it for health and community. They have a website, bicycling for louisville.

On another note. Watched a guy ride between a line of cars on Charlestown Road. The traffic had the red light. He rides between the cars and blows right through the light. No attempt at a signal or anything. He darts out then crosses over 3 lanes of traffic. Not cool at all.

If we want respect on the road, things like this need to halt. Not only was it not cool, but the safety issues are huge. I don't want to be the target of hostille drivers due to other peoples actions.

Bike Depot In Louisville

Our friend Jeff sent us this in hopes of making a contribution to the cause:

If you haven't already been there, thought you guys might be interested in http://bikedepot.org/. I've been by it several times on the way to art events but not in it. Checked out their web site and ran across the following gem amongst others:

"Question: How come when you're riding a ten speed bicycle, when you're not pedaling the bike makes a clicking noise?
Mike Walker from Deming, NM Answer: Mike, get this straight from the starting gate. I do not ride bicycles. Ever since I realized how ergonomically efficient the bicycle is, I knew that I would be doing a disservice to our petrochemical and nuclear energy industries by participating in this form of mechanical subversion. If you could build a bicycle that somehow consumed gasoline or uranium, well, maybe I could be persuaded to hop on, but until that time I will either ride in an automobile or stay put, thank you. To answer your question, that little clicking noise is a gauge put on your bike by the Communists who made it. It is counting off all the lost oil revenue, the money not going into American coffers because you chose to ride a Communist produced instrument of subversion. If that makes you feel a bit guilty as you ride, relax, it should."
--Ask Mr. Science Comrades!

PS...They carry Marin Bikes and that is what my buddy TR rides in CA, NICE BIKE!

Ed

The Graham Phillips Trail

This afternoon after work I road what this site will from this day forward will refer to as the route known as the Graham Phillips Loop. Also we shall have hopes of the Floyd County Commisioners to rename Quarry Road to The Graham Phillips Trail. This ride takes in Corydon Pike, Edwardsville Hill, The Graham Phillips Trail, Old Vincennes Road, parts of downtown NA and cruising along the Ohio River.

Graham has recently moved to this side of the river and bought a home on Quarry Road, so why not honor such a cool guy with one of everyones favorite rides.

It was a fanastic day to ride and enjoy the fall splendor and warm temps, prompting me to go back in the summer riding digs. Guess we should feel lucky after such a cool and wet past week.

Quick Ten

Got out this afternoon around 15:30 for a quick ten miles. The pavement was still very wet, but managed to make it back without a slide out on some wet leaves. I wanted to ride so bad yesterday that I ate crow and went to my work and road one of our bikes in the fitness center for about forty five minutes. It was so boring and it was a bitch trying to stay focused enough to keep going. My buddy Tim suggested a spin class when the weather gets bad and I my try that when the days prohibit me from exercising.
Cheers

34 degrees

Colour me crazy, but I like riding when it is cool weather. For me it is much easier to deal with than the thick humid polluted air we have here in the summer. Dressing properly makes it worth the effort to still get in some miles. Your body really keeps you warm, generating the heat necessary to keep riding. I left this morning when it was thirty four degrees a little before 08:00 when the sun was shining making it real comfy. Made my way around NA doing eighteen miles of much the same route as the Reign of Terror Tour this past summer.

First Big Chill Ride

Made my way out in the cold this afternoon, but only for thirteen miles. I hate riding in the wind, especially cold wind. The sunshine was nice and made it all worth while. Will be riding over to the Lupulin Land Harvest Hop Festival 2006 at RichO's on Saturday, check it out for an alternative to Harvest Homecoming or the BistroNA.

Dropping Twelve

What amazing weather! That rare window of ideal conditions was actualized yesterday, the setting sun makes weekday cycling problematic (at least in tandem) so yesterday witnessed N and I criss-crossing New Albany, enjoying the crisp morning air, the sun-singed foliage and thrill of simply being alive. Such makes me recall Fred Ward's stellar performance in Henry and June, engaging the mortal head-on, removing his feet from the pedals as his bike spins downhill amidst the sublime French landscape. I know, I'm a dork.

Sunday Oct. 8th

Took another long ride to Louisville this morning, sorry Dave for not giving you notice, it was on the spur of the moment. Cruised from my house to Clark Memorial Bridge, up River Road to Indian Hills Trail, Old Brownsboro Road and then a little jaunt on Brownsboro Road. Down the hill to Mockingbird Valley and then left onto Mellwood Ave. Crossed Zorn and then continued Mellwood to Story Ave. Took the Butchertown Greenway and then back onto River Road before making my way up to Main Street and then back across the CM Bridge. Cruised around through Old Clarksville and part of what will hopefully become the new Greenway on this side of the Ohio River. Back down though NA and past the Baylor Mansion, up Spring Street Hill and then home.
*photo taken 9.9.06 at the Power For The Peaceful Festival 2006

CYCLERS CAFE IN LOUISVILLE

I stopped in the Cyclers Cafe on Lexington Road in Louisville yesterday to see what was there, well friends I think that it is another must stop while out cruising on the bike or go for a beer and food and hangout. The owner and staff are all cyclist and go out of there way to want you to be apart of their little niche here in the Louisville area. The food was great, the beer list is long; unlike what the menu lends you to think and just a grand atmosphere for those of us who enjoy cycling.

NOTE: There is a 25 mile ride each Tuesday that leaves from the Cyclers Cafe parking lot at 6:00pm.

photo borrowed from http://www.cyclerscafe.com/

Riding to Louisville today circa 4:00pm from Kye's if anyone is interested.

Sunday

Hopefully I was not the only person to take advantage of this banner fall day, getting out for some perfect riding weather on this the first day of October. I made my way to Louisville via the Clark Memorial Bridge and followed the new bike lane of Third Street down to the Cardinal Drive at U of L. Over through Germantown and then the Highlands. Through Cherokee Park and then down Lexington Road and through Butchertown before going back downtown and then across the bridge and back to NA. A grand ride of 38 miles that has given me yet another route.

9.28.06

This day has been one of an emotionial ride. Rain once again woke us all, followed by typical fall weather. Our day here was mared by a funeral for a grand lady of 102 years of age. Viola Daniel who was one of our ex-neighbors but a major cog in the wheel of our lives will be sadly missed.

After the funeral I rode my bike for twenty plus miles in the wind and sun, fighting the wind and gear changing along the way. I have been bouncing back and forth beween variations of the same route of 15, 18 and 20 milers since coming back from vacation. Right now, it is good for me, but it will become boring after a while.

Hope all is well.
b

World Car Free Day 2006

Does anyone know what this area (especially New Albany) will be doing for World Carfree Day 2006?

"New this year, we are encouraging all organisers to make this year's unofficial theme of World Carfree Day Street Conversions. World Carfree Network and Carbusters magazine are co-sponsoring a competition to design a carfree street, parking space, or intersection. For more information on the contest and the concept of street conversions, click here."
Taken from http://www.worldcarfree.net/

Be Careful

Went out and did a twenty miler this morning, but played dodge the rocks. Mother Nature specialized in hyrdaulics this weekend and with that came everyone's gravel driveway down onto the road surface. Please ride carefully.

That twenty this morning gives me eigthy plus miles this week, the first week back from a vacation that ran my system in the ground. My body is still feeling the effects of much riding and hopefully will get back in the groove before long.

I need a new chain for my bike, any suggestions of a better brand over another?

Cheers

Just outside of Prague.

We didn't make it the whole way, but I'd say that Kevin and I managed about 275-300 km of the Greenway.

As previously alluded to, we've had an epiphany with respect to the proper balance of cycling and beer drinking.

Guess which one gained ... 

Big country, relatively small path.

Beercycling 2006 has concluded, but the stories should continue to grow and prosper in the coming years.

The view above is from the national park area near Znojmo on the Czech-Austrian border. The Greenway is somewhat rough in this area, and Kevin and I bypassed it according to the dictates of our new slogan: When the going gets tough, the tough take the train.

In spite of our long overdue recognition that we're no longer spring chickens and would rather drink beer than fight mountains (at least on a regular basis), 500+ kilometers were recorded, and the beercycling adventure will be remembered fondly.

I hope to offer more in the next few days, but right now, there's work to be tended. 

CA Trip (2)

Well friends, for all that I posted about my trip to California in May of this year, ditto it and add much more. We wound up with about 400 miles in seven days. Some of that I was on my own due to my buddy TR's work schedule at the Saint Michael Alley Bistro where he is a waiter. Never the less, it was good weather and was coupled with many fine memories of the Bay Area and the peninsula area south of 'Frisco and over the mountains to Santa Cruz.

We did a little more exploring of the north shore area between Sausalito and Larkspur which included Tiburon. We road the hilly terrian of the paradise trail. Our return that day was coming back across the Golden Gate Bridge in total fog with visibility at about 30 feet. All I could see in front of me was TR's flashing red light on his bike and could hear the massive horn blast warning the ships heading in the bay of the bridge. Just like out of a movie.

The photo was taken on 9.13.06 at a bar called Zeitgeist where it would be safe to say there was near sixty to seventy bikes there in hanging racks or just locked together out back in the backyard by patrons enjoying fine California hoppy beers and other substances. Totally different culture than we are used to here in this area.

Good to be back in Indiana

Well it was a hoot, my second bike trip to California this year, but always so glad to get back home to comfy confines of good old Southern Indiana. I'll post later on the details of my trip, but for now here is a taste of one of the "grand scale bikes" that is taking the Santa Cruz area by storm with the younger crowd. Way strange when you see them coming at you on the road.