The aspiring Doris

Am I the Doris wanna-be? Am I already a Doris and denying my Fredliness? If so, when did I enter the realm of Freddom? Was is when I donned the dorky reflective vest? Is that like the green blazer of the Masters golf tour? There are many aspects of cycling I'm not familiar with and still need/want to learn, so I'll consider myself The Aspiring Doris for now.

I love these blog posts by women also embracing their inner Fred:

http://echointhecity.wordpress.com/2013/08/28/life-with-a-hardcore-cyclist-the-seven-fredly-sins/
http://highonbike.wordpress.com/2013/08/02/please-call-me-fred-2/

Credit: blogger extraordinaire Echo in the City

I realized just how Fredly I am when last night I took Ruby out in my neighborhood. The roads around here are very residential and very seldom see roadies or Freds. It's very hilly so you won't see a senior citizen on a cruiser. You may see a child learning to ride on training wheels, but the hills keep the kids off the streets. These kids won't even walk up our driveway to get candy on Halloween, they sure aren't going to ride a bike up these hills.


I rode around a few of our streets, finding that I loved the hills because the ride back down them let me get up to a whopping 24 miles per hour. That felt delightful. There were no cars on our streets because everyone was indoors watching the Penguins playoff game. I had the streets nearly to myself. Out of habit, I was signalling turns. I stopped after a few turns as there was no one around to signal to. I felt silly.
It was dusk, so I made sure to bring the lights and vest. I was lit up like, well... a Fred. I felt out of place here, anyone that I'd seen on a bike around here was just in a tee shirt and shorts, perhaps wearing a helmet.


The sight of a cyclist with a bright headlamp and blinkies was alien out here. One of the few cars that passed me took a long look. I also know Hubby's going to hear from some of our neighbors the next time he's out walking the dogs and stops to chat... "Hey, was that your wife we saw riding around the other night? With all the lights and bright yellow vest?" 


I decided I was well-lit enough for a quick hop on McMurray Road.  No drivers honked or buzzed me. It wasn't so bad, my mettle must be stronger than I thought.

Monstrous bike is monstrous

I hopped on the Monster this morning for the first time in many months. Whoa, this was weird, awkward and uncomfortable. How on Earth did I spend so much time on this thing? My arms hurt from trying to find a position on the handlebars, I was riding in a strange elbows-down stance and it hurt my bad shoulder and was straining my biceps. The steering was graceless and the speed was lumbering. The tight back muscles that a ride with Ruby had erased yesterday were returning from trying to ride on this cumbersome machine. I turned the ship around after a mile of discomfort, parked her in the warehouse and wondered if I would ever sit on her again.
Hmmm, is a new bike in my future?

The indignity of Freds seeing me on this bike:

Over the winter, I'd become 'nod/smile/hello/morning friendly' with two commuter Freds that I would see almost every morning. I had affectionately named them Beard-Fred commuter and Braid-Fred commuter. I suppose the fellowship of harsh weather riding garnered a greeting to one-another. I was returning with the Monster and saw Beard Fred coming towards me. Oh, God! I was suddenly embarrassed to be seen riding the Monster and was thankful the turn into our parking lot would prevent Beard Fred from seeing me with the Monster.

I no longer heart riding you, Monster.

Kennywood bugs me

As I write this, I'm freshly showered. I raced to the bathroom as soon as I got home to rinse away the insect assault I was subjected to while riding along the Steel Valley trail near Kennywood. I'll get to that later though.

I went for another after work ride. I'd wanted to go beyond the Pump House at the Waterfront, so I made a beeline there, well I attempted anyway. I ran into Yale again (*DRINK* Cheers!) on the narrow sidewalk down to Station Square from the Fort Pitt bridge. I thought I was stopping to let a fellow cyclist pass so we didn't crash into one another, but it was Yale, we stopped to chat and I saw another cyclist was coming up behind him. How was she going to get past us? Oh, it's Sue! We all chatted for a few moments and I showed them the new shorter hair and I was on my way. It seems they were wrapping up for the day while I was just starting out.
I tried again to beeline for Kennywood, but as I passed through the Bald Eagles' Nest area, I saw one of the adults was resting high in a tree and in a very photogenic fashion. I had to stop and shoot this.

The kids are getting big.

OK, off I went again after waiting a few minutes for the bird hoping it would take flight. I got my wish.

I rode through the Waterfront with traffic and only had one impatient driver lay on the horn at me at a light and then pass me within a foot and half or so. She was in a hurry to get to the convenience store to buy smokes. Jagoff.

When I crossed over the bridge that leads to the Steel Valley trail, the assault began. Gnats everywhere, a wall of them, Every cyclist I passed was spitting them out of their mouths, snorting out of their noses and waving their hands in front of their faces in a futile attempt to ward them off. I got one or more in my left eye and spent a few minutes digging it out, blinded by the gnat corpse in my eye. This was a moment I wished I had the disability of needing corrective eyewear to shield my eyes from the swarms of bugs. I got out my safety goggles and continued still getting a few up my nose as I went. It was awful.

I met another cyclist at the ravine where the Thunderbolt dips. She noted that it looked like I was going on a long trip. I sheepishly told her I'm just an over-packer.

I made an about face as she told me that "It gets dicey up ahead in McKeesport."
Back through the bugs, and back to base for a day that I rode a total of 40.2 miles in three trips and ventured to a new place. I brought Ruby back home with me for Montour Trail riding this weekend to avoid the weekend's marathon madness. The Point is already set up with marathon tents and villages. I'll be riding the Monster tomorrow, which should be interesting as I've not ridden her since December.

Broke 1000 miles for the year and I've got 60 Bike Challenge points so far!

My pannier runneth over!

This morning, I'd loaded the Monster and brought her into the office from the garage at home. I'd wrenched my back getting the 40-plus pound behemoth onto the rack. Great, just what I need!

I started out to the Strip for some produce, I was completely out of bananas. I need to eat at least one banana a day. Emergency banana run! I looked at the radar and decided it probably wouldn't rain, but I took my waterproof jacket and wore waterproof pants too.
Surprisingly, getting on Ruby loosened up the knotted muscles in my back.

I finally attached both my Chasing Mailboxes patches.

I wish I had brought the raincape, because as soon as I left it started pouring and didn't let up for a good 50 minutes. I bought 25 pounds of fruit and vegetables, the non-waterproof pannier was heavily-laden not only with food, but rainwater.















Yesterday, I saw Yale zipping down the trail near the office and I wondered if he would encounter hubby as he was due to arrive at the office any minute and he walks the trail, sure enough they ran into one another and Yale asked him when he was going to start riding with me. Hubby told him that my cycling was "Her time". Looks like I won't be getting him on a bike anytime soon.

Safety!

Even my dog is hi-viz and reflective!

I'm getting very close to 1000 miles for the year. I should have it wrapped up later today.

          

The over 40 ride: Planning

The planning and facing an anathema.

I'd needed to toughen myself up for longer and longer rides if I expected to do a 60 mile day at some point. The most miles I'd gone in a single day was 40 and I was loopy at the end of that day. I'd not drank enough, I think... or maybe I hadn't eaten enough... I'm not sure, but I know I'd be doing lots of liquid and food consumption on any subsequent long rides, that's for sure. Lesson learned.

I needed a place to ride where I didn't have the distractions of traffic, shopping, bumping into friends, etc.... somewhere that I could just go for miles and miles.... Oh, hey... how about that awesome trail right near my house?

I'd decided to swap the Monster and Ruby for a ride with Ruby on the Montour trail to see if I could rack up some miles on an 'out and back' trip to Moon Township.

That's 48 miles of trail and a mile or two on our *shudder* roads to the trailhead from my house. That mile or so to the trailhead was something I wanted to conquer. It was frightening to me, even as much experience I'd gained in the past year riding the urban streets of Pittsburgh, this short hop seemed daunting. It was on single-laned windy roads with a 35 MPH speed limit and scant roadside in some sections. Having driven these roads for many years, I know that drivers take these turns a high speeds and aren't expecting to see cyclists out here. Nobody cycles in the South Hills... not sane people, anyway. I was about to baptize myself in the insanity that is cycling the roads of the South Hills. I hated having to load my bike on the back of the car for a measly 1.2 mile drive. Seriously? 1.2 miles? I should be doing that on the bike instead of wasting gas and troubling myself with loading the bike onto the car and the unloading it again. If you saw what I need to do to wrangle the bike on/off the back of the car, you'd know what I'm talking about.

My Harrow-ing ride.

Still, I preferred the traffic of the city, even with the murderous buses, taxis and such to the drivers and roads of the South Hills any day. If I nave a nemesis, an intangible one, I think this might be it.

The Monster had been sitting idle in the garage for 4 months. Yeesh, 4 months. I'd driven my car into her the other day when I pulled into the garage and felt incredibly guilty about it, as if I'd done it on purpose. She was unscathed, I'd just tapped her. Even so, it was adding insult to the injury of 4 months of languish.
This trip would run about 50 miles total. Googlemaps says it should take me 4 hours and 15 minutes. I figure with a few breaks along the way I can do it in 5 and a half hours. I'd pack lunch, snacks, lots of water and be certain to pick up an extra battery for my phone.
That's the plan.

The Variety Show

Another save with the tools...

I was unlocking my bike from the rack at PNC Park after Thursday's afternoon baseball game and the two gentlemen locked up next to Ruby had a flat. They asked if I had tools. Do I have tools??!? Why, yes, I do as a matter of fact! Score! They went to work on their flat and had my lever back to me before I had Ruby unlocked and roadworthy.

 

Interactions with Strip District Legends:

Photo credit: Darrell Sapp/Post-Gazette

 After 25 years of living in Pittsburgh, I've finally gone through a rite of passage: being called "Dearheart" by Carol Pascuzzi. I don't recall what cheese she sold me, but who cares? I'm officially a Pittsburgher now.

On another of my morning trips into the Strip, I stopped at Jimmy and Nino Sunseri's shoppe. Jimmy himself rang up my order after trying to sell me on a batch of bread he'd just pulled from the ovens. He noted my yellow reflective vest and helmet and commented that he liked the safety factor. He lamented that when he arrives for work every morning at 5:30AM there are many cyclists coming down Penn Ave with no lights in the dark. I told him about the Free Lights program BikePGH has. Interesting conversation.

Goodwill points: destroyed.

Whenever I travel into the Strip on my morning trips, I pass by several police officers manning pedestrian crossings. I make a point of smiling, nodding and/or greeting the officers in some way. They man these crossings because not too long ago there, a pedestrian was hit and dragged to her death. Returning from Friday's trip, I made a tremendous error. I won't make any excuses for my blunder, I screwed up royally and I fully deserve the officer's wrath. Distracted by a car turning in the bike lane, I thought the officer was finished taking a pedestrian across the street and proceeded through the intersection just as the officer was coming back through the crosswalk. He calmly scolded me, and I instinctively stopped and apologized. Then, he scolded me yet again for stopping after the fact, beyond the crosswalk. Arrgh. I needed a hole to crawl into and die I was so mortified. I apologised again and scurried away with my tail between my legs. I'm an asshole cyclist who pisses off police officers. Way to go, shithead.
I'll never regain those goodwill points. When is the Strip Trail going to be re-opened so I can avoid Penn Avenue?!!?

The hair goes... somewhere.

3 ten-inch ponytails

I spent Saturday off the bike attending to errands and such. I went for my annual haircut and discovered that I had grown enough hair for yet another donation to Locks of Love. This was the third time I've been able to donate over the years. I've always wondered what poor child is doomed to get a wig made from my hair. It's a very odd feelingto lose 12 inches of hair. It takes some getting used to and I felt compelled to forewarn my friends, family and co-workers via social media of the dramatic change in my appearance. Some people freak out when I hack off the locks. Once before when I cut off all the hair, a person said to me: "Oh, it'll grow back." Gee, thanks for the compliment. 

I wondered how my shorter hair would fare under the bike helmet, I am used to wrapping it up in a ponytail and being on my way with no issues with the helmet. This may present a helmet-hair problem that I'm not accustomed to.







Sunday was a day I'd planned on riding, literally. I'd mapped out the places I wanted to visit and things I wanted to see with maps and guides as well. I packed a soft-sided cooler with ice, fruit and lunch.

Iron City ShowDown

Giant Bovine Huckster of TaintButter

55+ Masters (AKA "Geezers' Dash")

Junior Women's Podium!

 See the rest of the photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cspiegler/sets/72157644378910265/

Old Allegheny Gardens and bikes not welcome at the Aviary

While I waited for the Blessing of the Bikes to begin I thought I might putz around the National Aviary. I found no bike rack, so I tried to loop around a lamppost in part of the parking lot, but found it very difficult. The director of education walked by and noted my frustration. "No bike racks..." I told her. She found a groundskeeper who told me there was a small rack on the Arch Street side of the Aviary. I thanked them for their help and rode around to Arch street and found no rack, just cigarette butt receptacle posts. Feh. I gave up and decided to roll around through the Mexican War Streets instead. They've not heard the last of me.

I found a gem that I've only heard and read about:

Not much is growing just yet,  but the art and eclectic additions were photo worthy.


See the rest of the photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cspiegler/sets/72157644365230902/

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also poked my head over a fence across the street when I noticed a mural in someone's backyard:

 

The Blessing of the Bikes.

My bike certainly needed a blessing after Friday's mishap. I'm not at all a religious person, but certainly Spiritual in some ways. I respect the religious views of others and am married to someone who attends religious services regularly. My husband is one of the few people I've met who didn't balk at my lack of faith, accepted it and not once dared to question my beliefs or try and sway me to the other side.
I love the artistic devotion in the architecture of churches, synagogues and mosques. I could stare all day at a stained glass window. So when I heard there was a 'Blessing of the Bikes' to be performed at a church on the North Side, I was very intrigued. Here was an opportunity to visit an old Pittsburgh church now occupied by a very open congregation that welcomed and embraced the GLBT community.

The blessing went very well, the pastor even snuck in a mention about the "jerks who try and cut us off.."
*snicker*

The rest of the photos are here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cspiegler/sets/72157644324385686/

Iron City Bikes Grand Opening: Larryville

I fully expected there to be a SALE. "Grand Opening" means discounts, right? No sales. Feh. I did find a nice ICB/Pirates themed tee shirt that I couldn't pass up.

Allegheny Cemetery

After doing some prep-work for a another visit to this historic place, I learned what the colored lines through the Cemetery mean and I intended to follow the green line for the historic sections and determined what section Josh Gibson's grave is located in. I was armed with maps and guides of the cemetery.
Interestingly, Pittsburgh Mural's tweeted this very morning the Negro League bronze statues at PNC Park of Mr Gibson and other legends of segregated baseball. Seeing that tweet got a big 'Wow' from me as I had planned on visiting Mr Gibson's resting place in just a few hours.

 

I referred to the map frequently to find section 50 and hit a few tough hills on the way.

Someone's lovingly placed a baseball and catcher's gear at his grave. Wow, he was only 36 when he died?

The deer stared at me and even approached as I rode by.

You're going to need a bigger bike.

I stayed in section 50 and ate lunch under a tree not far from his grave. It was a gorgeous day. The long hill up to Penn Ave wasn't nearly as bad as the first time I rode it. I refilled my water bottles at the faucet at the top of the hill.

 See the rest of the photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cspiegler/sets/72157644378856905/


I left the Cemetery, found my way down to Neville Street (and, I didn't miss the turn!) and down to the South Side for a pit stop at REI. I had wanted to ride down past the Pump House, but my phone's battery was low for some reason. I should look for a backup battery, it's not lasting as long as it used to. I also didn't want to run the gauntlet of Eagle Watchers, so I headed home.


A wonderful day, 26 miles and my hair was unphased by the helmet.

I tried using the Endomondo app on my phone today because it syncs with the Rust Belt Challenge. I like it just as much as Strava.

Weirdness, the Strava addiction and damned headwinds

I hadn't been in much of a blogging mood for a good while, but this ride perked my mood back up to baseline.

I started out heading over to Thick to witness a Weird Bike Ride and to get some new Velcro straps to mount lights on the new helmet. Adam mentioned he's doing Crush the Commonwealth Ride this weekend and it sounds brutal.

I didn't anticipate going on the ride with the Weirdos, but the bikes intrigued me. I finally got to meet Kitaira, which was nice.

I headed off on my own to get some much needed exercise. I ran into new signage near the Eagles' Nest. I also ran into energy-sapping headwinds on the way back after turning around at the Waterfront. They killed me.

I hit a stunning sunset as I crossed over the Hot Metal Bridge.

 The fine work the Earth Day volunteers did yesterday was evident everywhere along the Eliza Furnace Trail. It's amazing, you don't notice how much crap falls off the Parkway until it's pulled out of the shrubs and placed into bags and piles. There was tons of it.

Thank you!

 This work in progress is at Point State Park. Not sure what it's for.

The Strava app that I downloaded to my phone the other day is so addictive, it's not funny.

Link to my 5 mile lunch break ride

Link to this ride's STRAVA Stats

I mean, look at the route I took around REI for the bathrooms, that is awesome!

Hubby has made a point of telling me I'm pleasant, ebullient and cheery after I've engaged in these two things: a drink and a ride (not together, mind you!). That translates to: "You're a sullen crab the rest of the time."

25 miles total for the day and a lifted mood.

Apparently, headwinds put me into a coma, wow. I can't remember the last time I slept 8 hours.