Bike to Work Day!

I'd volunteered to help at the PNC Park Commuter Cafe hosted by BikePGH! I got a chance to meet Erok, BikePGH's advocacy director and fellow volunteer Dorothy. Another volunteer showed up later to bring coffee and it was Lauren, a former co-worker of mine! We spent much time catching up as it had been a few years since she left us.

We were warned that Pirates management might come out and shoo us away, but I debated that since Lauren is also a part-time Pirates employee (she's on the "Bucco Brigade" those that launch hot dogs and tee shirts into the crowd during inning breaks)... I'm a season ticket holder and Erok was wearing a Pirates cap. How could they possibly evict us? Thankfully, they never even came out to sniff around at the tent.

We spent the morning flagging down cyclists and I strong-armed a few into renewing or becoming members of BikePGH. There was coffee, fruit, sweetbreads and nutrition bars available. It was very enjoyable but the weather was very chilly. I did a lot of shivering and tried to keep moving. I recognized a few cyclists that stopped by. Marko came by and Paul B rode by just as we were breaking down the tent. The Sewickley Train rolled through right on time, with a passenger too! We had just enough leftover sweetbread that I was able to take a piece of zucchini bread back for lunch. Good stuff.

Feedback about the membership drive: 
"Thanks to you, we recruited over 70 new BikePGH members today and got some renewals too! This is a Bike to Work Day record, and perhaps a record for any single day event at BikePGH. WAY TO GO!

Have a great weekend : )
-Jane"

I had received in the mail just the day before a new 'Bike-to-Work' skirt. How convenient!

"This office-friendly pencil skirt converts into a cycling skirt when you unzip the two front godets – these panels allow for a wider range of motion and better coverage when on the saddle."

 It worked great and I was able to ride back to work and not waste time changing clothes, it'll even work great for the fancy dinner we're going to tonight, no changing clothes... all day long!

My ass is reflective! Bonus!

And now for some tweets and photos!

The Sewickey Train arrives!

Marko in the yellow vest, Erok in the Pirates cap, Lauren in the hoodie and me on the right.

(Cuteness alert!) I hope the kids aren't biking to work! 

Cops got mad skillz n'at!

This week I'd found and dropped a few tags in Tag-o-Rama:

The Civil War memorial at Lake Elizabeth

A giant gear from the Cigar Factory

My knee was still occasionally angry from the ride on Sunday. It would be fine one minute and then impossible to walk on the next. Riding was fine, it made it feel better to ride slowly, actually. I tried to keep to the trails where I didn't have to do too much stopping and starting.
I rode one evening and saw a group ride assembling. I was resting at a nearby park when one of the group members rode by on his way there, he stopped to chat and asked if I was going with the group. That was a good question. Why wasn't I going? One member encouraged to me to go while another precluded me. There's a message in there somewhere. Duly noted.
A young man on a bike stopped me to ask if the Hot Metal Bridge's trail led to Downtown. He had just moved back to Pittsburgh after having left many years ago and was unfamiliar with the trails. I told him where the trail ended at First Ave and how nice and wide it was as opposed to the South Side trail. He asked if there was an easy way to get to Oakland and I didn't have an answer for him that was 'easy'. Afterwards, I kicked myself for not encouraging him to visit BikePGH where I could have pointed him to maps of the chute to Schenley Park. Dummy!

I came across some local police officers doing drills along the North Shore. They were practicing going down steps. They were also proficient in trackstanding on geared bikes, which I found remarkable... I saw officers from Ross and Mount Oliver. Only one crashed into the railing.


I watched them for some time, mesmerized by the skills.

Saving snakes and McKeesport made

House hunting unexpectedness kept me off the Montour Trail today, so I decided to ride in the city instead.
While stopped for a swig of water at Point State Park, I heard a clatter behind me, and looked to see a cyclist whose entire crank arm had fallen off her bike. Well, hey... need some tools? I have tools! Her friend re-attached and tightened the nut with a pair of pliers I keep in my bag.

I'd planned for a long, warm day and brought lots of foodstuffs and water and ate carbs before riding. I did very well most of the day as far as energy levels and hydration, which lasted 7 hours all tolled.

On the way out to see how far on the GAP I could get, I saw that Costco has re-installed their bike racks. Not very important to me, but I know some folks would be pleased to see this.

I lunched at the Pump House and got a bit of a burn on my arms again sitting out in the sun.

 I noticed a rather large garter snake lying on the Steel Valley Trail.

I took a few shots of him and then proceeded to find a stick to coax him across the trail so he didn't get squished. We created a backup of about 10 cyclists in both directions while I pushed him over to the side he wanted to go. I was told I was doing a good deed to save such a large snake. I might have picked him up to speed the process, but I know from experience that garter snakes exude a stinky oil when threatened, so I opted for the stick method.

We're going beyond Kennywood today!

I made it all the way out to the McKeesport police station. A new distance record on the GAP!

I see the McKeesport Police like the bike lanes too.

Someone should ticket all these vehicles!

I saw Religious Icon Bike Guy on the way back, that's two Sundays in a row I've seen him. He didn't have any snarky remarks about my panniers today. The absence of port-o-potties along the Steel Valley Trail is distressing. I was forced to discreetly squat in the shrubs in Duquesne. Not happy about that. Not one bit at all.

I rested and snacked at the Waterfront and watched the river traffic.

Then I realised I needed to be in Oakland by 5:30 for dinner with Hubby. I would have to really crank it to be there on time. I've got to stop agreeing to have dinner after a day of riding. I rode like my ass was on fire along the EFT and Strip and up Polish Hill. By the time I got there, I was really thirsty and loopy and my knee was angry. Dammit, no more damn dinners after riding! I'm putting my foot down on this issue. I'm killing myself to avoid being late to appease my spouse.

After dinner, I limped back to the North Shore and mugged for the ESPN cameras for tonight's baseball game.

A very lovely day on many levels and 43.8 miles logged.

Mounting methods and vendor vexations

A better mounting technique

For some time, I've been assisting my (bad/weak) leg over the top bar to mount the bike by holding my leg with a free arm. I've been working on getting enough strength in that leg to mount the bike unassisted, without losing my balance and wrenching my hip as I've been doing with the assisted method. So far, so good. 

Maybe someday I can mount a non-mixte framed bike!

 

Continuing work on avoiding hypoglycemia blood sugar drops.

Mild Symptoms

Moderate

Severe. Danger!

My conclusion thus-far is to avoid simple carbs; use complex carbs and only resort to small amounts the simple carbs when I start getting symptoms. Note to self: eating an entire ice cream cone is not a good idea when having symptoms.

If I'm going to go on long rides, this will take much experimentation with trial and error. The 'norm' that I'm used to that included 3 meals a day will have to be abandoned for many small snacks throughout the day. 

Strip Trail News:

"The Three Rivers Heritage Trail between 11th and 22nd Street in the Strip District will be closed for underground utility work through Fall 2014. Trail traffic will be detoured to Smallman Street during this time."

What a bunch of pansies!

The folks at CAPA made a little path and planted flowers for the shortcut to the parking lot... the one that cyclists get yelled at for using.

Vendor Vexation

I made a trip down to the Strip Friday morning for some dried figs and fresh fruit. I Normally lock to a sign post over near PennMac, but a flower vendor gives me grief for parking "too close" to his setup. So, I checked out a signpost on the other side of the street and found it wasn't bolted. I tried another one and started locking to it and a sunglasses street vendor started giving me flack too. "How long are you going to be here? Another vendor will set up here soon."
Ugh.

"Commuting?" vs "Going Camping?"

On the way back, a cyclist slowed down to talk with me, he asked if I was commuting and I answered "No, just running an errand." Funny how that's the question presented to me while riding in the city by those curious about the panniers versus the "Going camping?" questions along the rural trails.

Skirt scooting

Friday afternoon, I rode down to the Prison and discovered the skirt I was wearing liked to ride up considerably. Generally, my skirts are cooperative, but this one is just not meant for cycling. I thought I might be able to strip it off and just go in my bike shorts, something I've never done. While I was trying to find a discreet spot to take the skirt off and not create a riot at the prison... Sue rode up and we chatted for a bit. I got my Soupaneuring badge! W00t! Many thanks to her for hosting a fun challenge.

She said my helmet looks like a face from behind. It does.

Am I coming or going?

Just bike shorts: nixed notion

S told me it would be fine to strip the skirt off anywhere, that it was no big deal. I was still reluctant to go in just bike shorts. We parted ways and by the time I got back to the casino, I was tired of the skirt riding up and took it off while no one was around. I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the glass at the casino and decided immediately that going out in just bike shorts is something I'll not ever be doing again.

A job for the Monster and More Wine!

Not quite sure if I wanted to bother with selling The Monster, I offered her services to my co-workers. A handful of them ride, but have out of commission bikes or they rent them by the hour from a bike shop that is dead to me... so why not let them ride her? The response was good, two even asked if I'd ride with them. Cool!
I wonder if I can get them out on the roads?

On Thursday, I wanted to learn how to get from Station Square up to the Smithfield Street Bridge.... efficiently and to the correct side of the bridge (cyclists aren't permitted on one side). So on my morning ride I headed over there. I noticed another cyclist cutting into a parking lot from the trail and wondered if he was going where I wanted to. Sure enough, a complete stranger taught me the correct route. I found it hard to believe I'd never ridden over this bridge until today.

I was free from spousal obligations in the evening, so I went for a ride. It was the first very hot day of the year.

The blood sugar puzzle
It was in the mid 80's. I prepared with lots of snacks and water. I drank lots of water before the ride too. It's suggested that I should eat complex carbs before exercising to avoid a blood sugar crash, so I had some whole wheat toast about an hour before I headed out. I tested the 'loading up on carbs' suggestion the other day and had a bowl of granola with raisins and almond milk. It set me into a case of the shakes and sweats about an hour or so later and I was scrambling for sugar again. This is a fine line/balancing act I have to figure out here and I will not let it confound me. I am going to figure this out. It will not stop me from riding.


I putzed about on the Station Square side of the rivers before a group ride that was set to start at 6:30.

I noticed my beverage delivery truck was sitting in traffic. I will not stand for this tardiness!

I sat on a bench at Station Square snacking and debated going the group ride. Oh God! New people! A ride on the North Shore? Feh. I ride there every day. The introverted side of me won and I passed on the ride. I hate my introvert. I force myself to go to group rides to beat the introvert into submission. I didn't win today.

I had enough of the crowded North Shore and took off for the Jail Trail and the Eagle's Trail. Weekday evenings seem to be the best time to ride down to the Eagle's Nest as far as low pedestrian traffic. I made sure to stop, drink rest and eat frequently. Fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, nut bar... it seemed to work. I felt fine, full of energy and hydrated even in the heat.

A fair amount of gnats made life difficult for cyclists on the trail. I just kept my head down, glasses on and mouth closed. A few got in my nose and ears and the buzzing noise drove me nuts until I got them out. One rider made a point of waving his hand in front of his face, sputtering and saying "Oh, jeez! They're everywhere!" Keep talking... get some more bugs in your mouth!

Obligatory Hot Metal Bridge sunset photos:

I'm holding my own in the National Bike Challenge. I was #22 locally as of the end of today.

35 miles total for the day and a small test of endurance in the heat. I did well.

Selfies, Commuter Swarm and Saddle Nirvana.

The bike selfie. I tried capturing one of these the other day while no one else was around for me to injure when/if I crashed.

Lame!

I roamed around downtown during the AM rush hour looking for a Stikman tile for Tag-O-Rama. I haven't picked one of those up in months.

The weather was pleasant enough that I could wear the blazer I wore to work and not sweat it all up. It's supposed to get much hotter soon so I took advantage of the moderate temps to look like a professional on a bike.

Bike commuters are everywhere!

I was pleased to feel normal again and pedal at my regular pace again having fully recovered from Sunday. I didn't feel 100% for much of Monday.

I also discovered saddle nirvana. I've been adjusting it in small increments trying to find a better position and height and not having much luck. I found it today!

Hellacious Headwinds reap Extreme Exhaustion and Designs Dashed.

Today was a Montour Trail day. The plan was to ride from Logan Road to Boggs Road and to do it in 5.5 hours, but with many well-laid plans, things don't go as intended.

I planned for rain and hunger and thirst, drained phone batteries and flat tires. I didn't plan for incredible headwinds and a case of what might be exercise-induced hypoglycemia or maybe my iron and b-12 anemia? Whatever the cause, I hit a wall. I had a really hard day, it took 8 hours to complete what should have taken less than 6.

Choosing a path

An old gas station along the trail

One of several tunnels

I noted on the way out that this place sold ice cream.

This tunnel grows huge stalactites and stalagmites of ice in the winter

Whoa, a runnel! My first experience with a runnel.

Using the runnel is fine going up, but going back down with a heavily laden bike is dangerous. Ruby nearly dragged me down the steps.

That's OK, I didn't need any water. :/

 I'm on a 50 mile journey and water was hard to find. Booo. I snacked and drank all along the way, I tried to include salty things, complex carbs, simple carbs and protien, but my ratios were off, I guess. I bonked hard and early. I didn't make it to Boggs. I got as far as Quicksilver and decided it was best to turn around.

I'm NOT running away from home!

 I must have received 15 comments about how 'over-packed' I was.
"Long Trip?"
"Going camping?"
"Running away from home?"
"How far are you going?"
"Multi-day trip?"
"That's a big haul!"
"You're over packed!"

Ugh, really? I'm NOT over-packed, you jackasses! I need and may need all this shit I'm hauling around! I ride around the city with both panniers and don't get all those comments! What the hell?

Hey, this looks like a nice place for a nap if there was a shade tree here.

Ice cream on the return leg!

Religious icon bike guy's bike.

I encountered "Religious Icon Bike Guy" who stopped to chat while I was resting on a rock. He seemed genuinely disgusted that I was using two panniers and not doing an overnighter.
I caught up to him at the ice cream place and snuck a photo of his bike. He smirked at me when I entered the shoppe as if to say "You'd have been here sooner if you weren't lugging all that crap." In actuality, I was fatigued beyond belief and I was there hoping sugar from an ice cream cone would level out my glucose. It didn't do much, unfortunately, other than taste really good.

A gentleman in an Escape to the Lake jersey slowed down and rode along side me for a bit and seemed concerned by my sluggishness. I was 45 miles into the ride and going a snail's pace of 5 MPH, and still had 3 miles to go. I was bonked, and hit the wall a long time ago and the headwind in both directions was killing me physically and mentally. I assured him I wasn't far from home and that I would be OK.

I rested again at this tranquil waterfall.

I took the 'fearsome' roads to and from the trailhead. No incidents!

When I got home, finally... I remembered that I had promised Hubby we would go to dinner. I was late. I slept in the car on the ride to the restaurant, barely ate and nodded off at the table. I'm not sure I'm cut out for long-distance rides.

48 miles on a windy day.