Form vs function in racks and panniers

Today was a half day at the office, we all left around lunch time like rats from a sinking ship before the holiday weekend. I hopped on the bike in search of the 5 new art-bike racks installed the other day Downtown.
I found all five!
I gave the first two here a thumbs down, it seems others do too as they aren't being used.

This one looks like you'd bump into it while walking down the sidewalk.

Not sure what this is, but the paint scrapes off easily. How can I get a u-lock around this?

A bridge! I voted for this one.

Chemtrails?

Thunderstorm.

I headed over to Thick to collect my new Ortlieb panniers that were ordered for me. I love my new handmade cloth/scraps panniers for dry baseball game days. They're cute as all hell but not as functional as I would like. The Ortliebs are fantastic. Waterproof, deep, lots of pockets, straps for toting them around... I love these things. I wish they came in yellow though.

While I was there, I asked them to tweak my hoods, they hurt my hands. I couldn't grip a pen the day after PedalPGH's 60 mile ride.
I'm still waiting for my Brooks Flyer, they tell me it'll be another week. *whimper*
I ate at Amazing Cafe again while they worked on Fizz. They gave me a salad that had an incredible number of jalapenos and banana peppers. I like hot and fiery foods, but this made me beg for mercy.


On the way back, I had my first close call with a car door. Yaaa for disc brakes!





And I sighted Speedo Man again. He rides in a Speedo all summer long. I'm not complaining. It just looks uncomfortable.

My intentions in the evening were to ride with Critical Mass. I got as far as the bottom of the Chute to climb up to Oakland and my body went into mutiny mode. It had enough of the North Hills hills on PedalPGH, I still wasn't adapting to the new bike and my hands and nether regions were in no mood for another 15 miles.

Critical Mass goes West and I get my QOM back.

Well attended... there was our leader Stu and Marko, Mikhail, KD, Buffalo² and Yale. We did have another woman who I'd not yet met, but she dropped off not long after the group met me at the Carnegie Science Center. No issues other than impatient drivers on the McKees Rocks bridge.

This picture doesn't do the hill justice.

The Steuben Street hill was my most challenging climb so far. I looked up as we approached and feared I'd be walking the bike up that thing. I toughed it out, but my thighs are rather angry with me the next day. I had one short bout of muscle cramps a few hours afterwards. I'll live. I'm getting much better at hills.

HOW does Endomondo know I was cycling with Mikhail?!?

I bothered to update Strava and learned I've regained both my Queen of the Mountain titles on Polish Hill. So awesome. When I first lost my QOM to someone, I thought I'd never beat her time, but I have. Yes, I'm definitely getting better at hills.

Soldier Ride and Critical Mass in the South Hills

I passed by the Duquesne Incline's parking lot on my morning ride to see preparations for this year's Soldier Ride.

Here's some info I found on last year's ride: http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2013/06/28/vets-take-solider-ride-with-wounded-warrior-project/

 Critical Mass Ride

I set out after work to attend my first CM ride. I had time to grab a bite at Conflict Kitchen. My choice was rather ironic as we were about to be verbally accosted.

 A group of 9 in total. We rode the foreboding hills of the South. Hills, Hills and more damned Hills. Aggressive drivers shouting obscenities at us reared their ugly heads too.

Some video of unkind drivers (12:12)
http://youtu.be/28MjRrwpAiM?t=12m12s

The hills, wow. They whooped my ass.  The downhill was awesome though.

Fastest speed recorded, ever.

 I managed to shave a whole 23 seconds off my 18th Street climb. I also did much better on Polish Hill.