Happiness

Things things don't always happen when we think they should. Sometimes they happen in their own time. Sometimes they seem impossible.

Why my bicycle is better than yours: An article for Bicycle Annually by Ridethedell.

You may think you have a very nice bicycle; your bicycle may, in fact, be quite adequate - for you. 

But well-informed, historically knowledgeable, experienced and discerning riders would certainly agree that, when it comes to intrinsic value and inherent worth, my bike is better than yours.

Please allow me to educate you as to why.

In the time it took to press the shutter and capture the image, the bicycle sproinged ahead leaving only this shadow.

#30daysofbiking - A monthly cycle.

"30 Days of Biking, whose fourth year begins April 1, has one rule: Bike somewhere every day for 30 days—around the block, 20 miles to work, whatever suits you—then share your adventures  online."

I'll be sharing my rides here by updating this blog entry with something from or about my 30 days of biking.

Three Questions for the writers of RIDE 2

The editor, publisher and contributor of Ride 2, Keith Snyder, described it as "The second collection of short fiction about bicycles." And it is that. It is also a varied, diverse entertaining assortment of stories which include bicycles but may not be about bicycles.

The website for Ride 2 also offers readers and potential readers a chance to look behind the curtain and hear from the writers who contributed to the collection. It's called the The RIDE 2 “Three Questions” Game (click for a link) and it goes like this:

Flying Pigeon PA 06

Put a bird on it.

I picked up this Flying Pigeon PA-06 from a local guy who had bought it at an estate sale. It was in very good condition. Its utilitarian simplicity and rock solid build give it an undeniable charm. Some of its features include a triple spring leather seat, push rod brakes, pigeon rack, pigeon bars, tires that appear to be originals, fully enclosed drive train and kickstand.

A test ride showed that it has three speeds: take it easy, slow down and walk.

Some interweb research led to the following: 

From Wikipedia: 

The classic Flying Pigeon bicycles are the PA-02 and PA-06 (men's) and PB-13 (women's). These are one of the most iconic symbols of old China (the sturdy, single speed black roadster bicycle ridden by the masses).

They are simple, conceived of as a working machine meant to last a lifetime. Like the Ford Model T, they are only available in one colour, black, except for the flare of vanilla at the fender tips.

Why Buy an “inexpensive” Bicycle?

(A response to why buy an expensive bicycle) 

Two “randonneur” bikes may look roughly similar. Both can have a front rack and both have gears. Yet one could cost more than five times as much as the other, if you ordered one today.

Of course, there are obvious differences: One already is equipped with lighting and fenders, the other isn’t. But even if we add $500 for those parts to the less expensive bike, we still have a remarkable difference in price. Why is one bike so much less expensive?

Philly Bike Expo 2011: A few items that caught my eye

The 2011 Philly Bike Expo subtitled its show as Artisans / Activists / Alternatives. Those three ideas were on full display during my Sunday visit. Custom builders, handmade accessories and local bike based activism filled the booths of the Philadelphia Armory. 

Here's a sample of some items that caught my attention (click pics for full size and links for more details):

The mystery of the self-balancing bicycle.

A video on the discovery that the self balancing of a bicycle does not depend on trail or gyroscopic torque.


click for link

I always thought there was some magic involved. . .

The Venn of cycling

A bicycle lies at the hub of divergent interests. A Venn diagram of cyclists would have circles of engineers and English majors, philosophers and physicists, athletes and artists, the privileged and the poor, introverts and extroverts, dreamers and doers. All those circles would overlap around the idea and reality of the bicycle. 

Down the Great Allegheny Passage (2009)

A pre-randonneuring account

Prologue.

My trips always seem to start after nights of little sleep. We arrived last night at 1:30 am delayed by all day rain, those work deadlines that always come up when I want to take a day off and the nagging effects of a cold or sniffles or allergy that have me questioning the security of my stomach and reaching for tissues. The flu the kids had three weeks ago was also on my mind.

I drove for 5 hours while the kids slept. Of course, when we arrived, the baby was wide awake and eager to explore at the top of her voice for the next few hours and no one was going to stop her. Sleep was interrupted for me. For my wife, who stayed awake with her, all I can say is I heard her pleading with the baby and bargaining with God at least once last night. Or maybe it was the other way around.