Bicycling with Autism

Riding the New GAP From the Waterfront to Duquesne

2011-06-13T11:35:00.019-04:00

The new section of the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) officially opens this Friday, June 17. But that didn't stop people from giving the new trail a spin this weekend. I decided to take KJ down there this past Sunday.

We actually rode from our house down to the trail. For us, this is the biggest benefit this new trail section offers. We took a different route to get to the trail. From Squirrel Hill (the end of the Beechwood Boulevard bike lane) we rode down Saline Street, which takes us behind the Wendy's and Dunkin Donuts on Brown's Hill Road. We then took the upstream sidewalk (riding "against" traffic if you will) until we got to the Waterfront ramp that comes up from Amity Street. We crossed this ramp (there's a walk sign) and then rode down the sidewalk to Amity Street. We walked the bike across Amity Street, and then rode behind the stores. There isn't a lot of traffic here, so it is ideal for biking. This brings you out on Waterfront Drive, across from the beginning of the gravel trail that runs behind the apartments. We crossed Waterfront Drive, and rode the sidewalk to the Pumphouse. We saw quite few cars at the Pumphouse at the Waterfront, which has become the defacto trailhead for this section of the trail. We continued on the sidewalk until we got to the start of the main off-road trail at the bottom of the flyover ramp, across from Guardian Self-Store. The main trail is paved, but it is definitely not flat, and euphemistically referred to as "rolling". If you are used to the older flat sections of the trail (south of Boston, for example) you will be in for a rude awakening. We were contantly having to shift gears and apply brakes. Be especially careful not to accelerate too much on the downhills, because there are often sharp blind turns at the bottoms of the grades. Between the grades and the sharp bends, I wouldn't consider this section of trail particularly kid- or trailer-friendly.

The scenery on this section is definitely "industrial". It is interesting only because it is several hundred feet below Route 837, and an area the public normally doesn't see. A good part of the new route is fenced off from the adjacent industrial/railroad property. Although I realize this is required in order to allow the trail to go through, the fences are a psychological as well as a physical barrier, claustrophobic at times, preventing you from feeling you are part of your surroundings. The two bridges over the railroad tracks are similar. For me the scenic highpoint was passing behind Kennywood Park, and seeing the tangle of roller-coaster tracks from a unique perspective.

Even though this section of trail is considered "finished", parts of it are definitely temporary. This is especially true when you are riding in the Waterfront area itself. The official trail ends, then there is a short rough gravel section to take you to the road. You need to jump on the road for a very short distance before getting on the sidewalk for the ride around Mangagalia Steel to get to the pumphouse. The sidewalk is very narrow (by trail standards) and is effectively a single-lane path. To complicate things further, in some places there is a 3 to 5 inch drop off from the sidewalk to the grass, which makes it impossible to move off the sidewalk briefly to facilitate passing. My understanding is that this section is curently under review and improvements will be made.

My biggest complaint, though, is with the intersection of the trail and Grant Avenue in Duquesne. Grant Street is very wide at this point (4 lanes) and there are no lane markings, signals, or warning signs for the trail. We were nearly hit by someone making a left turn into the RIDC complex from Route 837. They had bikes on the back of their car and were looking for a place to park in the RIDC park (In Duquesne you should NOT park in the RIDC development. Parking is available in the Park-n-Ride lot on the other side of 837). There is a traffic light above the trail at this intersection (if you are heading towards McKeesport), but it is always red, very high up, and there are no buttons to manually activate it. Apparently it is a remnant from when trucks came that way. If you are headed towards the Waterfront, there appears to be two trails once you cross Grant Avenue. The trails are separated by a fence, but there is no signage to tell you which is the correct trail (You want to take the one of the RIGHT).

Bottom line, this new trail section is an important link to the trail leading to Washington DC. But it is just that, a link, rather than an interesting destination in its own right.

Bike Valet at the Three Rivers Arts Festival

2011-06-11T18:28:00.004-04:00

Today's Pittsburgh Tribune-Review had an article about the valet parking service for bikes that is being run by Bike-Pittsburgh. It is located at the entrance to Point State Park, so you can just ride up and drop off your bike, and then enjoy the Festival. There is no charge for using the service (thanks to a grant from the Colcom Foundation) but tips are appreciated.

Blowout!

2011-06-07T22:17:00.000-04:00

Sunday morning was a wonderful day, so I decided that we would take the bike to drop KJ off at religious school. We've done it in the past, and it is always a pleasant ride. Traffic is light, and most of the route uses bikelanes. The only issue is making sure we leave early enough that we don't have to rush to get KJ to school on time. School starts at 10, and we left at 9, so I thought we were in pretty good shape.

We had gone a little over a mile, cruising down Edgewood Avenue, when suddenly there was a loud Bang! from the rear of the bike. We've never had a flat sound that loud. I stopped the bike immediately. Our rear tire was flat. We were lucky that this occurred on a level stretch of road, when the road was lightly traveled. Had it happened during a rapid descent, we likely would have taken a tumble.

Years of experience have taught me that you should ALWAYS carry a spare inner tube, along with a pump and the necessary tools to change your tire. Make sure you have a tube for each size tire you are responsible for. Having a spare for your 26-inch mountain bike tire doesn't help when the 16-inch tire on your kid's trailer goes flat.

A first I figured that I had enough time to change the tube. We moved the bike to the sidewalk, took everything off of it (bottles, rack bag, etc.), and flipped it over to remove the wheel. It was then that I discovered that the tire had worn through completely. Even worse, the sidewalls had blown out in several locations, and the tire was unusable. The photo shows the extent of the damage.

We ended up walking the bike back to the house. Fortunately we had enough time that I could drive KJ to school. Later I dug through the garage and found an old tire of the same size (26x1.95) that I could use as a replacement. Unfortunately this replacement tire had more wear that the tire on the front of the bike, so I decided to move the tire from the front of the bike to the rear, and mount the replacement tire on the front of the bike. Your rear tire always wears faster than your front, so it makes sense to have your newest tire (with the least amount of wear) on the back. Once the tires were mounted and the wheels put back on the bike, we were all set.

Duquesne-Waterfront Trail Opens June 17!

2011-06-05T23:12:00.003-04:00

UPDATE: The new section is unofficially open, and it is possible to ride it now, prior to the ceremony on the 17th.

The latest section of the Great Allegheny Passage, from Duquesne to the Waterfront complex in Homestead, will officially be open on June 17. There will be a ceremony at 10 am at the new Whitaker Bridge (one of two new bridges used to cross the trail over the adjacent railroad tracks).

Please RSVP to admin@atatrail.org or call (724) 537-6905. For parking, please enter at Guardian Storage (1002 East Waterfront Drive, Munhall, PA 15120) where you will be directed by volunteers where to park.

For us this is a HUGE development, because we will now be able to easily get to the trail from our house without using a car. We can either go through Rankin and over the Rankin bridge (which we haven't tried since the bridge was reopened) or we can use the Nine Mile Run Trail to get to the Homestead Grays Bridge, and then go across the bridge (usually by riding the sidewalk) to get to the Waterfront. From our house we can ride all the way to Washington DC!

Now we just need the last section of the trail finished so we can get to Pittsburgh just as easily...

Finally!

2011-05-30T23:40:00.000-04:00

Memorial weekend gave KJ and I our first opportunity to get out on the bike. With all the rain and miserable weather, we had previously only managed to get out twice this year, for a whopping total of 11 miles...

Our ride on Monday gave us a chance to try out a new "loop" ride from our house. We rode through our neighborhood until we got to the start of the Forbes Avenue bike lanes near Frick Park. We then rode up Forbes Avenue until we could jump over to the Beechwood Boulevard bike lane. This took us past Blue Slide Park, where we made a brief stop. We continued along Beechwood until we neared the major intersection at the top of Brown's Hill Road. We turned left onto Saline Street, which is a steep downhill that brought us out behind Dunkin' Donuts. After a donut break (shown above) we continued down the sidewalk along Brown's Hill Road, turning left at the light onto Old Brown's Hill Road. This took us to the end of the Nine Mile Run Trail, which we then took back to our house. This loop ride is nice because it combines street and trail riding, and provides places to play and/or get a quick bite.

KJ is done with school this week, so we should start to get some serious mileage under our belts.

North Shore Trail Closed Near PNC Park

2011-01-25T11:46:00.003-05:00

I just got word that the Sports & Exhibition Authority will be closing the trail that runs along the North shore of the Allegheny River in the area around PNC Park from February 1 to April 1. Apparently they need to replace the concrete (already?). The detour will be around PNC Park. A map of the detour can be found here.

Ghost Bikes...

2010-11-13T20:39:00.003-05:00

Here's a short documentary film I found online about ghost bikes, those white bikes you see chained permanently at various locations, marking a location where a cyclist died in an automobile accident. I know I have seen them here in Pittsburgh, although I couldn't give you specific streets or intersections...

Watch more free documentaries

Volunteers Needed for Bike Utilization Study

2010-09-14T10:22:00.003-04:00

I received the following from the Three-Rivers-Hertitage-Trail Yahoo Group, and I thought I would pass it along:

As part of a national bike utilization effort, we are soliciting volunteers to do bike counts any day next week (or any day through the end of September.)

There are three ways that you could participate:

1. Do an on-site count at a pre-identified location during commuting hours (mornings between 7:30 and 9:30, or afternoons between 4:30 and 6:30. We will provide all instruction. Basically it entails sitting at an intersection and counting the number of bikes that go past, what direction they are going, and whether or not they turn. You can listen to music, drink coffee, etc. during the task. We just need to make sure that you have a clear view of traffic and that you are in a safe location. We can help with all of that.

2. "Adopt a Rack" near where you live or work, and commit to visiting that rack at least once during the week during "standard business hours" to count how many bikes are parked there. If you can commit to visiting the same rack on multiple days during the week, that's even better. We are trying to focus on the "busiest" time of day, so counts taken before 8 a.m. or after 4 p.m. are probably not indicative of true use……

3. You are our eyes on the street. We can't be everywhere. Taking a cue from the National Audobon Society's "Great Outdoor Bird Count" we simply want you to count the number of bikes you see on a given day. If your route on Tuesday takes you from Brighton Heights to Downtown to Oakland to Brighton Heights and you see 30 bicycles that is all we need to know. We'd LIKE to know how many of those 30 were parked at a rack or in the street (as opposed to moving), of course. It doesn't matter what day you count. It doesn't matter if you count every day next week. It doesn't matter if you are driving, and are counting the cyclists you pass. We are trying to do two things here. The first is to try to get a grip on the question "well, how many cyclists ARE there?" We know that any given cyclists may be counted multiple times, but at least it gives us something to start with. The other thing it does is help us identify areas where there are cyclists that are off our current radar screen. That enables us to alter our bike count program and other efforts to be more responsive to real world conditions.

We are working with Bike Pittsburgh to coordinate efforts in the City of Pittsburgh, but our effort does not have to be restricted to that political jurisdiction. If you are located outside of the City, or even in another County, but want to participate, it will help us help you in future ped-bike planning efforts.

If you think you can help with Item 1., please email me, and I'll get you a worksheet and some basic instructions. If you want to help with Item 2 or Item 3, I just need an email with your data once you have conducted the count. I may respond back to you on those for more detailed information on the actual location of the rack, or what you might have seen, but that's about the full extent of your commitment for those tasks.

Please direct any inquiries to:

Sara Walfoort

Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission

425 Sixth Avenue, Suite 2500

Pittsburgh, PA 15219

(412) 391-5590, ext. 339

Swalfoort@spcregion.org

If you can help with this in any way, it would benefit cycling here in Pittsburgh. Personally, I can't do the first one, because the times conflict with my sons getting on and off the bus, but the second and third are definitely possible.

...And Finally You Have to Admit Defeat...

2010-08-24T09:07:00.008-04:00

Since finally fixing our rear brake and inner tube, we've been trying to get back into riding on a regular basis to make up for lost time. One of the things that has been an on-going problem is that the rear spokes keep working themselves loose. I have been checking (and tightening) the spokes prior to every ride, and yet by the end of the ride the spokes are loose again. On a related issue, the eyelets in the rear wheel are starting to come loose, and are then sliding up and down on the spoke as the wheel turns. This past weekend things finally came to a head and fell apart.

On Friday we did our first 30+ mile ride in a while, riding the Yough Trail from Duquesne to Buena Vista and back. We've done this ride a couple of times before, so I wasn't really anticipating any issues. Silly me... About 6 miles into the ride, our rear tire flatted. Fortunately we were in a quiet area behind Christy Park, so changing the tire wasn't difficult. What was odd, was that the hole in the tube was right by the valve, as though the tube had torn. I replaced the tube and we continued on. In hindsight, I should have taken this as on omen, and turned around and headed back to the car. Although we didn't have any additional mechanical problems with the bike, the heat started to get to me, and I started to suffer from dehydration. Even though I was drinking greater than normal amounts of Gatorade and water, I started to feel nauseous and weak after about 20 miles. Unfortunately there was nothing to do but push on through the last 10 miles until we got back to the car. After we got home I was a total mess, until I had downed three additional bottles of water. Looking back, I think the problem was that I didn't make sure I was properly hydrated BEFORE we started. So my body started at a deficit, and even though I was drinking along the way (we usually stop every 20 minutes for a drink) my body never caught up.

Two days later we were doing our usual 14.5 mile ride along Beechwood Boulevard. Prior to going our I had to re-tighten the rear spokes again. Towards the end of the ride there was a strange noise coming from the rear wheel. As we pulled onto our street, there was a pop, and I discovered that one of the spokes had become detached from the rim (see the photo). This is different then the usual spoke-breaking-at-the-hub problem. At least we were close enough we could walk home.

Unfortunately the word from the bike shop (Big Bang in West Mifflin) is not good. The rim is shot. Unfortunately Bontrager no longer makes the Super Sport wheel, so we can't get a replacement rim, and I'm going to have to buy a whole new wheel... So much for trying to break 1000 miles by the end of August...

...And Other Days You Still Can't Win...

2010-08-13T10:33:00.007-04:00

As posted previously, we flatted our rear tire on Sunday while taking KJ to a picnic. Unfortunately the spare didn't hold air either. We finally managed to get KJ to the picnic, and walked the bike back home.

At the beginning of the week the wife was out and about, so I was at home watching the kids and without a means to get to a bike shop. After a couple of days I was able to walk to the nearby K-Mart and get a set of self-adhesive Slime "Scabs" patches. K-Mart didn't have any Presta-valved inner tubes, so the patches were my only option. Wednesday morning I went to install the patches. There were two different tubes I tried to patch, but unfortunately neither of them would hold air. I've previously had good luck using "Scabs" but now I'm not so sure anymore.

While working on the inner tubes I encountered a new problem: An adjustment screw on the rear brake somehow stripped the threaded hole it was in. As a result the screw no longer could hold the brake arm in the proper position, and the brake pad pressed against the tire. I tried a couple of workarounds, none of which worked. Finally on Thursday I managed to get to a bike shop and purchase a new rear brake assembly, along with two new inner tubes (one to install, and one for my spare). Installing the new brake assembly was not that difficult. Shimano included very good instructions, and the process was simplified by the fact that I was using the existing brake lever and brake cables. Thursday night we finally were able to get out, going for an 8 mile ride to Squirrel Hill to test out the new brakes.

All of this has been quite frustrating for me. We have been doing a record amount of riding in June and July, and at the start of August we were only 250 miles from our annual goal of 1000 miles. I was hoping that for August we might set a new one-month record of 300 miles or more. This would be the earliest we had reached the 1000 mile mark, and I further expected we might break our single-season mark of 1201 miles. As of right now, through the first 12 days of the month we only have 48 miles, which is half of what we should have at this point. It is unlikely we will log 300 miles or more this month. We still have an outside shot to break 1000 miles, since we only need another 200 miles.

The most surprising thing in all this has been how upset KJ is that he hasn't been able to go biking. Although KJ has always loved biking, now he really wants to bike. He's become a biking machine. Every morning he asks if we are going biking, and then asks how many miles we will be doing. Presumably a lot of this has to do with the fact that he is done with camp and doesn't start school until the end of August. So biking gives him the structure he needs right now.

Some Days You Can't Win...

2010-08-08T21:58:00.007-04:00

One of the things we have been trying to do for the last several years is to use our bicycling for actual transportation to and from a destination, rather than just for recreation. Our living in Swissvale actually works out pretty well for this, because it is an easy ride to get to the Squirrel Hill shopping district. Once the powers-that-be finally finish the work on the Rankin Bridge, hopefully we will be able to resume our bike trips to the Waterfront shopping complex.

One of the ways we have been using the bike for this is to take KJ to his Friendship Circle get-togethers. Friendship Circle is a youth program for special-needs kids and their typical peers. KJ loves attending it, and fortunately for us, it is based in Squirrel Hill. So I've taken him there on the tandem, and then we've ridden home after things are over. We get our riding in, plus we don't have to worry about having the car available. We've done it twice before, and today was supposed to be an end-of-summer picnic at Schenley Park to close things out.

When doing something like this, it is always important to factor the extra transportation time required (compared to driving) into your schedule. We left the house at 4:45, and the picnic started at 6, so we had plenty of time to get to Schenley Park. Unfortunately today we had problems getting there. The rear tire (with a self-sealing slime-filled tube) suddenly decided to develop a leak, apparently through the valve stem. After re-inflating the tire a couple of times (and only getting about 1/2 mile each time), I decided to change the tube and install our spare. With our current tires this is a quick and painless process. Unfortunately, the spare tube decided that it wasn't going to hold any air either. And I didn't have a patch kit with me...

Our schedule was down the toilet. We were running out of options, and KJ was anxious to get to Friendship Circle. I called my wife, and fortunately she had just gotten home with our younger son. She ended up driving up to where we were stuck (on Forbes Avenue, near the entrance to Homewood Cemetery) so we could get KJ to the picnic. We then walked the bike back home (we normally don't leave the DraftMaster bike rack on the car, it is just too big!). Everything worked out in the end, although KJ was upset that we didn't bike to the picnic.

I haven't had a chance yet to figure out what is going on with our inner tubes, so I will post a follow-up article in a couple of days to let you know what I find out.

Miles of Smiles

2010-07-10T23:32:00.004-04:00

On of the things that always amazes me is the reaction we get from time to time about our tandem. A lot of people smile, wave, or even give us a "thumbs-up". Occasionally they are downright weird, like the "professional" looking rider (in wannabe pro-team colors) who passed us and remarked that our bike was "weird looking". I responded that our bike was a standard tandem configuration (which it is), while silently thinking to myself that this guy wasn't the bike aficionado that he made himself out to be. And there are the usual "He's not pedaling!" comments that I just ignore. But the positives outweigh the negatives.

Today we were riding into Squirrel Hill along the Forbes Avenue bikelane. I heard a car coming up behind us, and wasn't too concerned because I knew he could get around us easily. I was surprised when I heard him slow down as he came alongside of us. I looked over, and saw the car in the left lane, with the passenger window rolled down, and the passenger taking a photo of us with her iPhone. As soon as she took the photo, they sped up and drove away without saying a word.

Last week we were riding on Beechwood Boulevard when we started to pass a runner (on the sidewalk) going uphill. She turned and saw us, called out "You're not going to pass me!" and promptly accelerated. She was apparently talking to someone via a Bluetooth headset, and was telling whoever she was on the phone with about the guy on the tandem trying to pass her. KJ wasn't that intent on pedaling at that moment, so we let her win ;)

If you're towing a trailer or a tag-a-long behind your tandem, you'll get even more smiles and comments. The most memorable one we received was on the Yough Trail, when another rider passed our tandem plus tag-a-long on our way back to Boston. He looked us over as he passed us, and when he got to me he asked "Do you need a commercial license to ride that?"

I love the comments and the looks. It makes our day brighter, and reinforces how important it is for me to do this with KJ.

Tandem versus SmartCar

2010-06-18T06:28:00.006-04:00

The other day we were riding on the Montour Trail, and at the Enlow ballfield trailhead we noticed one of those tiny little SmartCar Fourtwo cars parked there with a bike rack attached to it. The rack is custom-designed especially for the SmartCar, and has to be installed by the dealer. No way you're going to carry a tandem on there (you would probably lift the front wheels of the car off the ground). My first reaction was "Okay, you're using the SmartCar to carry the bike, but what are you going to use to carry the Smartcar?" It was my first opportunity to look at a SmartCar up close. I was struck by just how tiny that thing is! On a hunch, I went and parked our tandem next to the car. Sure enough, our tandem was actually longer than the SmartCar (see the photo)! Given that the both the SmartCar and the tandem carry the same number of people, a quick comparison might be in order. Our tandem is longer, and has more "cylinders" providing power (4 versus 3). Mileage is roughly comparable, since the tandem gets approximately 40 miles per gallon (of Gatorade). Of course, the SmartCar is faster (especially up hills) and offers better protection in bad weather.

Any other comparisons I missed??

Finally!

2010-03-07T06:16:00.008-05:00

Shortly after my last post, the Pittsburgh area got hit with the worst series of snowstorms we've had in a very long time. In the end, February 2010 was the snowiest month we've ever had, and this winter season is shaping up to be one of the worst on record (currently number 6 on the all-time list, but winter isn't over yet...). This week we finally got a break, and the snow started to melt. This weekend we had sunny skies and temps in the mid- to upper-40s, so I decided to take KJ out on the tandem to cure our cabin fever.

In the winter I like to plan our rides to include an indoor destination. It is better (and a heck of a lot more comfortable) to have a warm place to take a break, instead of stopping at a park. Especially if you've worked up a sweat pedaling, you don't want to be cooling down out in the cold. So I decided that KJ and I would go to the Squirrel Hill library (one of KJ's favorite places to go).

Having ridden very little so far, and with exercise primarily consisting of snow shoveling, I try not to worry about how fast we're going, and just completing the ride is an accomplishment. That was definitely true in this case, because what is usually an easy ride up into Squirrel Hill was a bit of a struggle. Sometimes, riding with someone else helps to push you and keeps you honest. When we got to Frick Park (roughly halfway to the Library), I suggested to KJ that we could play in the park instead of going to the Library. KJ wasn't interested, so we pushed ahead to the Library. I may have grumbled at the time, but in hindsight I'm glad we pushed ourselves to do the extra distance.

It was strange to be out riding and still see people who were out shoveling snow from the parking spots in front of their houses. The roads were generally dry, but there were placed where snow was still in our way (particularly the downhill (Eastbound) bike lanes on Forbes Avenue). Even when there wasn't snow, there were issues with debris (mostly rocks and branches) in the road.

After the Library, we stopped at the Dunkin' Donuts in Squirrel Hill (KJ's new favorite place to stop...) to get out sugar fix before heading home.

Freezing My A** Off!

2010-02-04T18:33:00.004-05:00

The temperature is below my usual minimum of 21 degrees, but crazy person that I am, I've decided to go biking. There's no snow on the roads, the roads are dry, and there's a weak winter sun trying to break through the clouds and warm things up a little bit. I want to go to the Squirrel Hill branch of the Carnegie Library to do some work (free wifi is you have a library card). Since we trying to be more green and use the car less, I decided to try biking.

I have a fleece jersey with a windbreaker, long cycling tights, and cold-weather cycling gloves. I borrowed my wife's hoodie/dickie thing to keep my ears and face warm, and figured I was all set...

One of the problems with cold weather riding is that it is hard to judge whether you are dressing warm enough. When you first go outside, you have to expect to be cold, because you haven't been pedaling and generating any heat. If you dress so that you are warm enough when you first go outside, then you are going to be too warm once you have been riding for a little bit. The other problem you have is wind chill. when you ride, your getting hit with the equivalent of a wind with the same spped as you're traveling on the bike.

The ride to the library actually wasn't too bad. Because most of it is uphill, I was going slower and pedaling harder, which generated more heat. The trip back was another story. After 3 hours at the library I got back on the bike. I wasn't heated up, and the rride back on Forbes Avenue was almost all downhill at a 20 to 25 mph pace. It was COLD! I found out my windbreaker didn't. And thin tights didn't do much to hold in the heat. I was shivering by the time I got to the end of Forbes, and actually grateful that I had to pedal through Wilkinsburg and Edgewood to get home.

Tracking Our Rides: My BikeLog Spreadsheet

2010-01-19T20:01:00.000-05:00

The mileage graph that I posted at the end of last year came from a spreadsheet I have with all my cycling data. I know is probably sounds a bit OCD to log bike data in a spreadsheet, but you don't have to be Lance Armstrong to benefit from it.

A quick word about cyclometers: if you don't have one on your bike, you really need to get one. Even if it is the most basic $15 unit. Get one. Now. I find it extremely useful during the ride to know how we are doing. Things like how may miles to the next rest stop. or how fast are we going (versus how fast we usually go on that particular route) are useful information, particularly if you are riding with kids.

After the ride, you have all that data recorded by your cyclometer, so you may as well make use of it! Write it down. Somewhere. Anywhere. It is the beginning of the year, so start now so you will have a full-year's data in December.

My first year of cycling I started recording my data in a runner's log book that my wife wasn't using. The following year (1992), I started using the old DOS-based spreadsheet QuatroPro (Anybody else remember that?) to save my ride information. I'm not exactly why I started doing that, other that I probably didn't have another log book. It wasn't a very sophisticated use of a spreadsheet, since there weren't any calculations being done. The cyclometer kept track of total mileage, so I didn't even need to total my "Mileage" column. Each year I would make a new file/spreadsheet (this was before multi-sheet spreadsheets) and record the cyclometer information from each ride, along with the date of the ride and a brief comment about where the ride was.

Sometime prior to Y2K we upgraded our spreadsheet software to the Windows-based Lotus 123, which had the option of having multiple sheets in a single file. So rather than having a separate file for each year, I created a single file that had separate sheets for each year. I even went back and merged my old spreadsheet log files into this single multi-sheet bikelog. There wasn't a compelling reason to do it at the time, it just seemed logical to have the single big file, rather than a bunch of smaller ones.

Then one day, a funny thing happened. It occurred to me that since I had all this data in one place, I could compare my riding from year to year. This allowed me to compare my current riding against the same period in previous years, to see how I was doing. This led to the creation of a "Summary" sheet in my spreadsheet. This sheet has multiple tables on it. Each table has the year for the vertical axis and the specific month for the horizontal axis. At first there was a single table that showed my mileage for the month. Then I added a second table that showed my cumulative mileage for the year. Then came other tables: number of hours spent riding for the month, number of rides per month, and average ride length for the month. I even made graphs from some of the tables, to better spot trends and make comparisons.

Last year I changed to the standard Excel (.xls) spreadsheet format, and I am currently using OpenOffice to edit the file. I also use Documents to Go to keep a copy on my Palm Centro smartphone, so I can actually update the sheet immediately after the ride if I want (I should do this more often than I do). Every year I add a new sheet for the next year, and add a new row to each of the tables on my summary page. My bikelog has evolved, morphed, and improved over the years. I'm sure it will continue to do so in the years to come.

First Ride of 2010!

2010-01-16T22:10:00.006-05:00

Hard to believe, but a week ago we were coming off of an entire week of school delays and cancellations. Up to that point, we literally had snow every day of 2010. Saturday we were in to our third day of 40+ degree weather. Most of the snow has melted from the streets, and the grass is even showing through on most lawns. So the opportunity presented itself to do our first ride of the year.

We did a simple ride, just over to Frick Park and back, a total distance of only 5.6 miles. That was OK, since this was our first time out in almost 2 months (I noticed afterwards that my legs felt rather heavy from the workout). The sun was out and it actually felt warm with my winter jersey and windbreaker. Although the roads were clear, there was still snow and slush in the park itself. And of course, this being Pittsburgh, there were plenty of potholes to dodge. Nonetheless, it felt great to get out and get our cycling season started.

Car for Sale!

2010-01-11T18:28:00.010-05:00

Well, my wife and I have made what is probably a milestone decision for my cycling lifestyle: we are going to become a one-car family. We've decided to sell my 2003 Saturn Ion 3 (pictured above).

We've always had two cars in the family. We each had our own car when we met, and we've always had (and always needed) two cars. But now that we're both working from home (usually), it seems as though one car is always sitting idle in front of the house. The costs associated with maintaining a car (even an idle one) are a primary factor in our decision, along with the fact that I can (and do) walk or cycle to just about any service or business I need access to. It is hard to believe that when I was growing up, one-car families were the norm; now it seems like they are the exceptions. For those times that we do need a second car, we figure to make use of Zipcar, figuring that the rental cost will be less than the maintenance and insurance costs for a second car.

I'm going to try to document how this works out for us, and include periodic updates here. Any insights our suggestions you might have are welcome. In the mean time, if you are interested in a 2003 Electric Blue Saturn Ion Sedan with low mileage (56K miles) please let me know...

2009, The Year in Review

2009-12-31T22:14:00.004-05:00

It is the end of the year, and it doesn't look like we are going to be doing any riding at all in December. Our local squirrels seemed to have unusually bushy tails, indicating a harsh winter ahead, and so far that forecast has been accurate. We haven't been out for a ride the entire month of December, and judging by the amount of snow on the ground, it might be quite a while before we're out again (yes, I know, there are studded bike tires available. The dynamics of our tandem bike preclude using them). So it seems like a good time to review our 2009 riding season.

Ever since our first year with the tandem (2003), our goal has been to reach 1000 miles per year. As you can see from the chart, at first that wasn't hard to do. But once I started my new job in 2006, which requires working 3 weekday afternoons and one day per weekend, it got to be a lot harder to reach that 1000 mile goal. Last year was the lowest mileage we've had since we first got the tandem. This year we finally broke that 1000 mile barrier that has alluded us. I think the big reason for this is that we made an effort to stretch out our riding opportunities, particularly on the our local (non-trail) rides.

One of the problems this year was the shutdown of some of our favorite local routes due to construction. The Rankin Bridge has been closed for two years now, which makes it impossible to get from our house to the Waterfront shopping complex. This put a serious crimp on the 8 to 9 mile errand rides we used to do on a regular basis. The other construction was a ramp in Turtle Creek that blocked our 19 mile route from our house to Trafford. It isn't clear at this point whether either of these routes will reopen any time in 2010 (but we keep hoping).

The biggest improvement this year was the introduction of bike lanes along Forbes Avenue between Braddock Avenue and Dallas Avenue. Given that construction forced us to use this route more often, this was a huge improvement. It made the whole process of getting up into the Squirrel Hill area a whole lot saner.

Our favorite route of the year was a new route for us, a 15 mile “Y” route that goes up Forbes Avenue to Beechwood Boulevard, and down Beechwood towards downtown. When Beechwood gets to Fifth Avenue, we turn around and go back up Beechwood, crossing over Forbes. We stay on Beechwood until we reach Brown's Hill Road. We then turn around, go on Beechwood back to Forbes for the trip home. Most of this route is on bike lanes, and the “Y” layout gives us the option of cutting the ride short if necessary. Very little of it is flat, so there is definitely a good workout in there.

Snappy Comebacks

2009-11-22T18:11:00.005-05:00

Like most tandem riders, we've had to endure our share of the "He's not pedaling!" comments. KJ, of course, doesn't seem to care. Following the advice of other tandem riders, I try to not let it bother me, but every once in awhile it gets to me. This morning we rode up to KJ's religious school, and KJ actually was doing a very good job of pedaling, in spite of the cloudy 46 degree weather. When we were within a block of the school, we stopped at a minimart for a snack (KJ prefers Little Debbie Zebra Cakes) because we were a few minutes early. As we pulled in, a Ford Expedition (a big-a**ed SUV) pulled in. A large guy (I wouldn't say he was fat, but he definitely could use some exercise) got out and dropped the usual "Hey! I don't think that guy in the back is pedaling.” comment on his way in to get his Sunday paper. I mumbled something about KJ pedaling on the way back, and let it go at that. As the guy got back in his SUV and drove off (no doubt headed 3 blocks or so back to his house), it occurred to me what a moron this guy was. If another cyclist wants to say something like that, OK, fine, you're trying to be funny. At least In my mind I formulated a few snappy responses, which I was smart enough to keep to myself:

1)“Neither are you...”
2)“At least he's on a bike...”
3)“And you're Lance Armstrong?”
4)"Better than driving an SUV..."

If you have a snappy comeback you would like to add, just let me know!

USA Today Article of the GAP Trail

2009-10-10T10:43:00.004-04:00

Here's an nice article on the Yough Trail (Officially the Great Allegheny Passage Trail) that was in Friday's USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/affordableamerica/2009-10-08-great-allegheny-passage_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

If you need any more incentive to get out on the trail, this is it!

Never on a Saturday...

2009-08-22T19:46:00.007-04:00

Riding the Jail Trail in combination with the Southside Trail and the Northside Trail has proven to be one of our favorite rides this year. So far we've done it 7 different times. Interestingly, almost every ride was on a Sunday, with the exception of one Friday ride thrown in when KJ had a day off from school. There are several reasons we like this trail:

We can get to it quickly, without burning a lot of gas. In one instance we actually biked from the house to the trail, rode the trail, and then rode home.
It is an inexpensive ride. Golden Triangle Bikes has ice cream for $1 a bar. It doesn't get much better than that. There are also a number of water fountains, so there are plenty of places to refill our bottles.
Flexible routings. With the opening of the Hot Metal Bridge, there are a lot of different routes we can take. Our mileage can vary depending on how we're doing. It is also easy to cut a ride short and head back to the car if the weather starts to get bad.

So we decided to start on the Jail Trail today. We were working under some time constraints, so it seemed like a good choice. The Pirates are in town (does anybody still go to those games?) but the game wasn't until this evening, so that didn't seem to pose a problem.

It took a while to get to the trailhead, because there was a lot of traffic getting into town. The trailhead itself was busy, but not full. Once we were riding, that was when the craziness really started. Slow riders riding two or three across. Fast riders who apparently forgot where their brake levers were. A couple of people on those three-wheel scooter things that you propel by turning back and forth (which takes up too much trail width when it is crowded). But the "best" was the group of four riders who came off the Duquesne Bridge walkway and then turned left (AGAINST traffic) and rode two-across towards Heinz Field, going the wrong way in what was their far-left lane. I didn't hear any loud horn-honks or sirens, so I guess they made it OK. There was a lot more car traffic compared to the Sundays we've been downtown, and there were plenty of stupid drivers out too, especially near the intersection of Grant Street and the Boulevard of the Allies. One driver stopped past the white line, blocking the ramp tot he sidewalk, and then proceeded to make an illegal right-turn-on-red. Immediately after her came another woman making a right turn who couldn't decide if she wanted to turn onto the Boulevard ramp or go underneath it. She ended up doing what was starting to look like a 180-degree turn, before finally turning up the ramp. KJ and I just sat at the light for a bit until all the crazies left.

For all that, we actually had a good ride. Once we were on the Northside trail or the Southside trail things were not that busy, and KJ decided it was time for us to do some serious riding. Instead of our usual trail speed of 10 to 12.5 mph, KJ cranked us up to 12.5 to 15 mph. This seems to be a new thinkg with KJ, that has become particularly noticable this month. Instead of the previous sprinting that he did in years past (bursts of high-speed for a mile or less) this has been a steady, consistent pedaling that has resulting in higher average speeds for these rides. I'm not sure if this is for all rides, or if it is only going to be for rides on trails. Hopefully, as we do more rides, I'll be able to determine what's motivating him.

As long as it isn't downtown on a Saturday...

Mon Valley Century --Minute by Minute

2009-08-10T06:52:00.021-04:00

I decided to try something a little different for this blog entry. I used my Palm Centro smartphone to keep a log the day of the ride, in the hope of providing a more "pedal-by-pedal" description of the ride.

The Night Before: KJ keeps signing "Ride 30 miles Sunday", so he's definitely ready for this. Since I wanted to leave the house around 7 am (significantly earlier than we usually get out the door when we ride), I tried to get as much ready the night before as possible. I had the rack on the car, put our Gatorade bottles in the freezer, and packed our rack bag with just what I wanted to take with us. I even had the jersey and shorts I planned to wear laid out.

5:00 am I haven't gotten up this early in months. Fed the cats and made coffee, in that order. Turn on the Weather Channel. Rain is moving out of the area. Good. And today looks to be our first 90 degree-plus day of the summer. Figures...

6:00 am Wake up KJ. He gets out of bed quickly. Like I said, he's ready for this. Try and wake up wife. No such luck. KJ has his usual breakfast (muffin, cereal, spaghetti, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich).

6:45 am Go put the bike on the car. Noticed the rack is wet from the overnight rain. The pavement is wet also. Made sure to take along our mud flaps, just in case we needed them.

7:15 am We left house, more or less on time. It is warm enough out that we drive with the windows rolled down. It is so early that there is no traffic in the Rankin Bridge construction zone.

7:45 am Arrived in Elizabeth and parked the car. I noticed that it is a lot easier to find a place to park than in past years. We take the bike and head over to the registration table. There is just one table with two guys handing out the packets. Clearly this is a much smaller affair than the last time I did it (back when American Youth Hostels ran it). Back then, there were multiple lines for registration, broken down alphabetically, with a separate line for those who hadn't pre-registered. Our tag numbers are 378 and 379. I was concerned that KJ might not like the idea of pinning a tag to his back, fortunately his backpack provided an simple and effective alternative.

8:00 am Started the ride, more or less right on schedule.

8:22 am, 3.60 miles Stopped on side of road to get some Gatorade. I noticed that there aren't near as many riders on the road as I remember, and the riders we do see are all passing us. Most greet us with a friendly "Good morning!", and some even ask if we're OK (since we're stopped on the side of the road). So far it has been a bit of a grind. Don't know if it is because it is too early, or the route in unfamiliar, but KJ doesn't seem to be putting much effort into pedaling. Which means it is going to be a long ride. There's no way we're going to be doing the 50 mile route.

8:47 am, 7.23 miles We take a second break at the side of the road. I notice that KJ is finally pedaling, so things are a bit easier.

9:15 am, 10.59 miles We stopped for Powerbar break and to check the map. I thought I had perhaps missed a turn for the 30-mile route when we came off the bridge, but it turns out we are on track and everything is fine.

9:48 am, 15.37 miles, average speed 10.8 mph. Gatorade stop at the side of the road.

10:05 am, 17.89 miles, average speed 10.8 mph. KJ seems to be really into the pedaling. I'm wondering if maybe we shouldn't have done the 50 mile route.

10:22 am, 21.96 miles, average speed 10.8 mph. Arrived at the lunch stop. It is somewhat cruel that you see the lunchstop (in a park along the river) a half-mile before you actually come to the entrance to the park. They actually make the sandwiches for you. KJ had a PB&J, cheese crackers, a banana, and pasta salad. There aren't as many riders here as I remember from previus years. In looking at the other riders' tag numbers, I notice they all seem to be within 50 numbers of our own. The tags do not have a year on them, so I'm guessing they have a stack of tags and just use the next available numbers each year until they run out. Before we left we filled up our waterbottles with the most potent Gatorade I've ever tasted. Someone definitely used too much powder for the amount of water in the container. Can't really complain though, because it is better than the watered-down stuff I remember from the last time I did the Mon Valley Century.

10.54 am, 21.96 miles, average speed 10.8 mph. We leave the lunch stop. We're two-thirds of the way through the course.

11:15 am, 25.14 miles, average speed 10.7 mph. Gatorade stop. KJ's pedaling seems mixed. Sometimes he's putting forth effort, other times he's not.

11:31 am, 27.63 miles, average speed 10.8 mph. Stopped for a Gatorade break. KJ's doing a better job of pedaling. This should be our last stop. We're in the home stretch.

11:59 am, 31.85 miles, average speed 10.9 mph. We're over 30 miles, where is the end of this ride? Stopped at the bottom of the biggest *&#@%^ hill. Between the size of the hill, the distance we've ridden, and the fact that we're just hoping for the end of the ride, this really took the wind out of our sails. This hill looks like Alpe du Huez to me...

12:15 pm, 33.19 miles, average speed 10.8 mph. Finally made it back to the car. Unfortunately there isn't really any sort of finish line or official end point. Which is too bad. A bigger concern is that there is no water or snacks at the finish, which is arguably when you need those things the most. The most amazing thing is that our average speed remained fairly constant over the length of the entire ride.

Starting August with a Bang.

2009-08-03T08:31:00.006-04:00

July was something of a disappointing month for us. We managed only 143 miles for the month, when normally for July our total is closer 200 miles. The reduced mileage was due to several things. One was the fact that KJ had camp during July, and wasn't home during the day when I was off work. My wife was out of town one weekend, so biking was out because I had to watch both boys (we no longer have our trailer bike). The wet weather we had during the second half of the month didn't help either.

After the crappy July, I'm pumped to make it up in August. And we got off to a great start this past Saturday. As we were getting ready to leave, my wife told me that KJ was ready and rarin' to go. How right she was... We headed to the Ghost Town Trail, out in Indiana County. We've been riding it for years, and it is one of our favorites. Very scenic, not very busy. It is about 70 minutes directly east of Pittsburgh, right off of Route 22, but because of the price of gas we haven't been out there as much as we used to. Because we had the entire day, and the weather was perfect, I decided to make it a special treat and head out there. Normally the Ghost Town Trail is a 24 mile round-trip (from Dilltown to Nanty Glo and back), but they've extended the trail all the way to Ebensburg, so a round trip is now over 40 miles. The first 6.5 miles is level, and then there is a steep (for a trail) uphill for 2.5 miles, before it becomes a more gradual uphill for the last 3 miles. I didn't know what to expect beyond the 12 mile point. I had figured we would ride to Nanty Glo, and maybe do a few more miles, just to see a little of the new part of the trail.

Once we got to the trail, it was obvious KJ was up for a big ride. We started out at a steady pace of 10.5 miles per hour, which is a pretty decent pace for us. But it was when we hit the hill that KJ decided to do his best Lance impression. The climb out of Vintondale is steep enough that we normally need to use our lowest gear and stop every half-mile or so to catch my breath. Not this time. I was amazed to find us climbing using our third-lowest gear, and we only had to stop at the points where we crossed the road. After the steepest part of the climb, when we were still going up hill, KJ pulled a classic lance move and accelerated! We actually hit a speed of 11.5 miles per hour on a climb. Un-be-lei-va-ble!

And KJ wasn't done. When we left Nanty Glo and were on the new part of the trail header to Ebensburg, we would periodically stop, and I would ask KJ if he wanted to keep going, or turn around and head back to the car. He would also point that he wanted to go farther up the trail. The new part of the trail is a steady uphill climb. That part of the trail is in excellent condition, but personally I don't find it as interesting as the original trail. The ride back was mostly downhill, and to my amazement, KJ never let up with the pedaling, all the way back to Dilltown. Our mileage for the day was a whopping 41.5 miles!

The only problem we ran in to was one of proper hydration. We started out with our usual four 22-oz. Gatorade bottles. Those lasted for about 24 miles. Problem is, on the part of the trail from Nanty Glo to Ebensburg, there isn't a single mini-mart or even a water fountain. Even a town as big as Ebensburg, we couldn't find anything within sight of the trail. I knew there were vending machines at Nanty Glo, along with a water fountain at a nearby ballfield. Unfortunately, all I had on me were five-dollar bills. Even though some of the machines said they accepted fives, none of them did. And the water fountain, which was my backup plan, was turned off. So we had to do without until we got to the water fountain at Vintondale.

We'll be at the Mon Valley Century on August 9.

2009-07-29T08:15:00.001-04:00

A "Century" is cycling lingo for a 100 mile bike ride. It is the cycling equivalent of running a marathon. You may also see references to a "Metric Century", which is 100 kilometers (62 miles). In the time before trails, organized century rides were an end-of-the-season opportunity to test yourself.

The Mon Valley Century has been around for a long time. It starts in Elizabeth (right off of Route 51) and heads south. There are four different routes marked: 35 miles, 50 miles, 62 miles, and 100 miles. There is SAG support available, and food stops along the way. It has been quite a few years since I last did the Mon Valley Century. Over 10 years according to my biking log. A big reason is that it is just easier to go down to one of the trails and whip off however much distance you want. But this year I want something different, something that will be a nice change of pace for KJ and I. I don't think I ever did the Mon Valley Century with KJ, so this will be a first.

We'll signup for just the 35 miles ride. We might decide to do the 50 mile ride instead, but that will likely be a "game day decision". Both routes are reasonably flat. The 62 mile and 100 mile routes have some nasty hills, and I wouldn't recommend them if you are on a tandem or pulling a trailer of any sort.

For more information and an application, please see here. Hope to see you there! If you see a silver and blue tandem at the ride, make sure you introduce yourself!

What Lance Can Teach All of Us

2009-07-27T11:52:00.004-04:00

I've always liked watching professional bike racing. In 1990 I came across the Tour de Trump (later known as the Tour duPont) while channel surfing one weekend, and that led directly to my getting on a bike and riding. I've always followed the Tour de France, even when there weren't any notable American riders, and I'm paying a bit more attention this year because Lance Armstrong is riding again. I've followed his career for a very long time, beginning when he was still an amateur and rode in the first Thrift Drug Classic here in Pittsburgh in the early 1990's (remember that??)

I realize that Cancer is Lance's big cause, with the money and awareness he has raising through his "Livestrong" organization. That said, I think there are some lessons for those of us cycling with a disabled child:

Practice, train, prepare. Lance is known for his training and his preparation. You don't just hop on the bike and decide to ride le Tour. You have to work up to it. After his cancer treatment, during one of his first rides, Lance was passed by a grandmother on a bike (I wonder if she realizes just who she passed that day). Obviously he has gotten a lot better. He studies everything: himself, his bike, the course. You should do the same. Know your limits. Train to get better. Know your bike. Know how to fix it if something breaks while you're out with the kids. If you have a new route you want to take, ride it beforehand by yourself, so you know what to expect. Surprises and problems are magnified when you're with someone with a disability.

Have a goal. Don't quit until you achieve it. Lance has always been focused on just the Tour de France. Doing so helped everything fall into place. If you have a goal, it will keep you motivated, and give you a framework to plan around. Ideally you should establish the goal at the start of the season (say February or March) and plan to meet it by the end of the season in September or October. Since we got the tandem in 2003, our goal has always been to pedal at least 1000 miles per year. Unfortunately, ever since I switched jobs at the beginning of 2006, my work schedule makes this nearly impossible. We're still trying for it this year, but if we don't make it I may need to find a new goal.

Depend on others. From the doctors who helped him overcome cancer, to his trainers, coaches, mechanics, sponsors, and teammates, Lance would not be the living legend he is by himself.

Prepare to be amazed, and be amazing. No one thought Lance could come back from cancer and even compete, let alone win the Tour. No one thought he could come out of retirement and compete. And yet here he is, a self-proclaimed "old fart"... Your kids will amaze you, and you will amaze yourself also. When we first got our tandem, I expected our mileage would drop from our annual average of around 500 miles. I figured K.J. would have trouble because the tandem layout required him to pedal the entire tire. Previously, on the trailer bike, he always had the option of free-wheeling and letting me do all the work. As it turned out, that first year we had the tandem our mileage actually doubled to over 1000 miles per year.

Enjoy the cheers. They give you a reason to continue. Over the years we have gotten a lot of comments from folks when we have been out on the tandem. Everything from little kids saying "Whoa, that bike is tight!" (which I assume is a good thing...) to an elderly World War 2 veteran riding on the passenger side of a car that gave us a thumbs-up when we were both stopped at a stop sign. Things like that more than make up for the occasional jerk you run in to.

There's something to be said for being an "old fart"...

What Were They Thinking?

2009-07-25T11:44:00.001-04:00

This past Friday I did a short solo ride up to Squirrel Hill and back. It wasn't supposed to be anything special, just a chance for me to stretch my legs after being cooped up in the house for most of the day. Although it wasn't the longest of rides, it had more than its share of visible weirdness:

First was the fat dude on the motorcycle with the ZZ-Topp beard (one of those long untrimmed things). As he rode, the slipstream blew the beard up into his face and over his eyes. Not sure how he managed to see anything...

Then there was the Toyota Prius that was parked on the street in the Edgewood/Wilkinsburg area. I get that this is the trendy way to be "green", but if that's the case, WHY do you have the back storage area filled to the brim with cases of bottled water? Doesn't seem very "green" to me...

After riding up to Squirrel Hill using the new Forbes Avenue bike lanes, I crossed over to Beachwood Blvd. to head up to Blue Slide Park. Don't get me wrong, the Forbes Avenue bike lane is great, but WHY did they not mark the bike lanes on Beachwood when they repaved the section between Forbes and Shaw Avenue? There are a few curves in there, and cars don't always hold their lane the way they should...

I was riding back from Squirrel Hill using the Forbes Avenue bike lane, which is great because you're going downhill at a pretty good clip. There are a couple of curves as you near the main part of Frick Park at the corner of Forbes and Braddock. As I rounded on of those bends, there were two little kids riding their bikes in the bike lane the wrong way! Apparently they had been playing at the park and were heading up Forbes for who-knows-what reason. Fortunately there was no auto traffic behind me, so it wasn't a problem to swing wide and go around them. But had there been traffic...

The moral of the story (if there is one...) is to keep your eyes open, even for the most mundane of rides...

First Day of Summer Vacation

2009-06-04T16:17:00.007-04:00

Yesterday was KJ's last day of school, so today is the first day of his summer vacation. I am cautiously optimistic that this summer we will be able to get in more biking than the last several years. Although KJ will be again going to summer camp, this is a different camp than he has gone to previously, and the session is several weeks shorter. This will allow us to do more riding during the day during the week, since I usually have to work weeknights.

Today's ride wasn't anything fancy, a simple ride to the Frick Park Parklet (also known locally as "Blue Slide Park". The park was very empty, just a few nannies and their charges. KJ had a great time, having the equipment to himself. As tall as he is, he stil insiste on trying one of the toddler slides.

Bike Week: Day 3

2008-08-18T19:27:00.006-04:00

On Sunday KJ and I did what is currently our longest ride of the year. Over 32 miles on the Yough Trail, from the Greenock ballfield to Cedar Creek Park and back. Up until this point, our longest ride was less than 21 miles, so this is a major step up. This was something of a treat, because we actually drove to the trail rather than starting from the house. Because we were leaving early, we included "Lunchables" for our lunch break on the trail. These things are really handy, and they're a treat for the kids.

So Bike Week so far is:

8/15 9.03 miles Blue Slide Park
8/16 15.28 miles Schenley Park
8/17 32.67 miles Yough Trail

For a total 0f 56.98 miles.

Bike Week!

2008-08-17T00:24:00.000-04:00

This week is going to be "Bike Week" in our house. KJ is finished with his camp, and doesn't start school until next week. Unfortunately, his aide, who normally would schedule extra time with KJ during this time off, will be away on vacation. And the Weather Channel is saying that the weather all week is going to be absolutely perfect, with highs around 80 degrees and no rain. So what we have is a "perfect storm", circumstances coming together to provide a unique opportunity. KJ and I will be biking every day for more than a week.

We actually started on Friday, August 15th, with a 9 mile ride to one of KJ's favorite places, Blue Side Park. Saturday we did a hilly ride to Schenley Park and back, which added another 15 miles plus.

I will update every day so we can track out progress.

Back in the Saddle Again

2008-07-27T21:32:00.000-04:00

My apologies for having neglected this blog for so long! We have been bicycling quite a bit since my last post at the beginning of the year. Here's a few quick hits:

GREAT INVENTION: Whoever came up with the powdered drink mixed in the individual single-serving packets should be congratulated. Whether your tastes run to Kool-aid, Gatorade, Crystal Light, or Capri Sun, there is something there for every member of the family. The packets are easy to carry on the bike, and all you need is a water fountain or a water pump to refill the water bottle on your bike. As an added bonus, the kids seem to get a real kick out of pouring the packets into the bottle and shaking them up.

GREAT INVENTION II: The Hot Metal Pedestrian Bridge, which connects the South Side Trail and the Jail Trail, is a HUGE improvement to the usability of both trails. It opened in November 2007, and we didn't get a chance to ride it until earlier this year. Previously you had to go downtown and use the Smithfield Street Bridge to get from one trail to the other. The Hot Metal is a convenient shortcut, and even allows you to ride a loop if you want (Jail Trail to Smithfield Street Bridge, then to the South Side Trail, then over the Hot Metal to get back on the Jail Trail).

The Hot Metal Bridge isn't perfect; I absolutely HATE that stupid switchback they put in on the South Side end of it. If you are on a tandem. or towing a trailer (or both!), then you'll have to walk your bike up and down that switchback. And on the Jail Trail end that have what amounts to a T-intersection with very sharp turns. If two cyclists hit the intersection at the same time, one is going to have to stop in order to prevent a collision.

Last Ride of the Year

2007-12-31T21:38:00.000-05:00

New Year's Eve ended up being a pretty nice day. The sun came out and the temperature was in the low 40s. KJ then surprised me by signing "No" (Actually, more like "No!") when I asked if he wanted to go biking. My next surprise was when PJ (who is not a biking fanatic like his dad and older brother) said that HE wanted to go biking with me.

OK, this wasn't going the way I intended, but that was OK. We hooked PJ's trailer bike on to my single bike, and off we went to Frick Park. PJ has improved a LOT when it comes to helping dad pedal. I could actually feel him pushing from behind.

When we got to the park, believe it or not there were some other kids there, so PJ had a chance to run around and play for a little bit before we headed back home.

We actually ended December on something of a high note. After almost 6 weeks without riding, we were out 5 times in 10 days. We actually set something of a December record. Normally we only get one or two short rides per month during the winter, and here we had 5 rides with an average length of over 8 miles.

KJ in da 'hood

2007-12-29T16:47:00.000-05:00

The weather was only marginally acceptable today (cloudy, 39 degrees, with a wind chill that made it seem like 30) but rather than stay cooped up in the house, KJ and I decided to go down to Panera Bread at the Waterfront again. I was concerned about KJ's ears, because he is not big on hats, and his bike helmet was a further complication.

We had this hooded dickie thingee at home that I thought would be perfect for KJ to use while cycling. Thin enough that he could wear it under his helmet, and because it was separate he didn't need to wear a different coat. My biggest concern was whether KJ would wear it, or if it would bother him and make him fuss. Fortunately I think KJ realized this was gonna help keep his ears warm, so he put it on without complaint.

One thing about going to Panera Bread: KJ goes here for the food, not the ambience. As soon as he was done with his Orange Scone and Apple Juice, he jumped up, zipped up his coat, and was headed for the door.

On another note, we have two cyclometers (both Planet Bike 8.0) on our bike. One for me and one for KJ. One advantage this provides is a backup in case one unit fails. When you are as hung up on the numbers as I am, this can be handy. When we were a mile from our finish today, my cyclometer decided to reset itself back to "0", so I lost all my speed and distance information. Fortunately it was all still on KJ's unit, so after we got home I logged KJ's information and updated the stats on my unit.

Panera Bread, Here We Come!

2007-12-27T21:34:00.000-05:00

Panera Bread is turning into one of KJ's favorite eateries (An Orange Scone and Apple Juice, please...). He got a Panera Gift Card from Santa, so on December 27th we decided to head down there and try the card out.

I can see this becoming a favorite winter-time ride. The distance is decent (9.5 miles) and for the most part were are not on any main roads. Plus we get a chance to warm up and eat before the ride back. Much better than staying outside in some cold deserted park.

KJ seemed to drag a bit on the ride down there. A couple of times I needed to remind him that he needed to pedal too! But as we were getting ready to leave panera and head back home, I noticed KJ was bouncing around, full of energy. So I told him it would be nice if he channeled some of that energy into his pedaling. Well, I got my wish! KJ kept up a wonderful steady pace for the entire trip back, most of which is uphill to one degree or another.

Christmas Day Ride

2007-12-26T21:26:00.000-05:00

So much for a "white" Christmas. We weren't even close this year. Christmas Day was sunny and dry, with a high of around 45 degrees. So we decided on the next best thing, to go out for a bike ride. Of course, nothing was open, so we decided to just head over to Frick Park. Unfortunately, by the time we left, we didn't have any time to play there, since the sun was setting and we needed to be home before dark (and the temperature drop).

It wasn't that much of a ride, only 5.6 miles, and we weren't particularly fast. But this time of year, ANY riding is good riding.

A "Green" Christmas

2007-12-25T11:52:00.000-05:00

"I'm dreaming of a Green Chiristmas...
Because I biked instead of drove..."

(My apologies to Bing...) It was the Saturday before Christmas, and I needed to finish my Christmas shopping. Unfortunately the wife is out with the car (we're currently limited to one car due to a busted water pump...). It is cloudy and 46 degrees out, so why not use the bike to get to the Waterfront (A former steel mill site converted to a shopping complex)? We hadn't been biking in almost 6 weeks, so I really needed to get back on the bike. With the expected traffic (the Waterfront has notoriously bad traffic problems) I thought it actually might be faster to bike instead of drive.

Using the bikes to run errands is something we have been doing a lot more of this year. With the price of gas and busy schedules, it just makes sense. Our neighborhood is in an excellent location that makes several different shopping areas accessible by bicycle.

So off I went on my "half-bike" (an early-nineties GT hybrid). I got a lot of funny looks from people in the stores, but I wasn't the only crazy out on his bike. A couple on a Cannondale tandem (with a BoB trailer on the back) passed me as I cycled into the Waterfront complex. Of course, we weren't as crazy as the old guy I passed when I was leaving, who was jogging barechested along the access road.

Happy Holidays to All, and a Happy New Year!

The Way It Could Be...

2007-12-01T23:48:00.000-05:00

We spent Thanksgiving weekend visiting my mother in suburban Chicago. We didn't bring the bikes, because Chicago supposedly got snow the day before Thanksgiving, but there wasn't any snow, and the weather was sunny with a high of 45. Oh well...

I want to talk about this because Schaumburg Illinois shows the potential for bike trails. We think we have a pretty nice trail system in the Pittsburgh area, but it is trivial compared to what Schaumburg offers. Schaumburg has won national awards for their trail system.

Schaumburg is a high-growth suburb of Chicago, comparable to Monroeville or Robinson in the Pittsburgh area. The largest mall in the Chicago area is in Schaumburg (where do you think all the TV stations had their reporters on Black Friday?). When I grew up there it was mostly farmland, but now it is busy roads, strip malls, residential developments, business parks, and bike trails. A LOT of bike trails. 85 MILES of bike trails. In residential areas there are bike lanes on many of the roads. Main roads have a separate bike lane (like a sidewalk) that parallels the road. There's even several loops in a nearby forest preserve. You can literally get anywhere in the community by bike, plus the trails link with the bike trails in adjoining communities.

But it is more than just bike lanes. Developers are required to include parks and playgrounds in their developments, and these are linked by the trails. Businesses are required to include bike racks out front. Drivers are taught to respect the cyclists, and cyclists are encouraged to ride safely (we were once given free Slurpee coupons because we were using bike helmets). There are annual rides to encourage cycling in the community.

Maybe Pittsburgh will be like that someday...

Why Biking is Good for Someone with Autism

2007-11-16T18:01:00.000-05:00

OK, so if this blog is about bicycling and autism, exactly what ARE the advantages of bicycling for someone with autism? The following list is something I came up with. It is by no means complete, nor is it terribly scientific. I should note that many of these also apply to typical children (as well as their parents).

It gets them (and you) out of the house We all know how easy it is to just stay inside and let our child play on the computer or watch television. Bicycling breaks the routine. K.J. is very much into a rigid schedule, but all I have to do is mention that we are going biking, and K.J. will stop whatever he is doing, and head to the kitchen to get our water bottles ready. I try to vary our route and trails, so we don't get into a routine for our rides either.

Physical activity Both from the exercise standpoint, and the physical therapy standpoint, bicycling is good for your child. I've been told that the repetitive pedaling motion is great. K.J. is a healthy looking 14-year-old, and I like to think that bicycling is a major contributor to that

Interaction with parents and other family members Bicycling is a family activity. It helps your autistic child feel like they are part of the family, and will also help typical siblings understand what "family" means. A long quiet ride is a great way to get some "quality time", just you and your child.

Interaction with the community and nature You're not biking in a vacuum. You child gets a chance to interact with your community and with nature (especially with trail rides). they will learn to interact with their favorite vendors (the local ice cream stand, for instance) and other trail users. Bicycling on a trail allows them to get closer to nature. K.J. like to count the various creatures we encounter (deer, rabbits, ducks, and even the occasional snake).

Bicycling stresses cooperation and communication This is particularly true of a tandem bike, but it also applies to other configurations. Climbing a hill or accelerating to pass others is most easily done when you are working together!

Sensory integration Learning to deal with a variety of stimuli, particularly in public situations.

Bicycling is fun! Duh! Almost forgot this one...

Two Outta Three Ain't Bad...

2007-11-04T23:17:00.000-05:00

Sunday shaped up to be a perfect opportunity to cycle into dahntahn Pittsburgh. The wife was out all day, and I had both boys. The Steelers weren't playing until Monday night, so I didn't have to worry about game traffic. And the weather promised to be more of the glorious fall weather we had the previous two days.

Well, I got two out of three (cue Meatloaf...). The weather didn't cooperate. It was overcast and windy. Pretty miserable from a biking standpoint (especially if you're the one up front breaking the wind). It even started to sprinkle a little bit. The boys didn't complain, even though I heard some sniffles behind me.
We stopped at a new location for us, a place called "Tunnel Park" near the REI store on the SouthSide. I guess the name comes from the fact that there is a railroad tunnel running directly underneath the park. The park has a bunch of chess tables, and a huge chessboard in the center (I think there are large pieces somewhere, probably taken in for the winter). KJ decided it also worked for hopscotch.

Even though it was cold and miserable, it didn't prevent the boys from stopping for ice cream at Station Square. I didn't mind, because at least we could be inside for a bit and get warmed up.
Instead of the 18 to 24 miles I had initially hoped for, we only managed 12 miles. Although for this time of year, that isn't really too bad. That leaves us 62 miles short of our 1000 mile goal.

A Day OFF of School = A Day ON the Bike

2007-11-04T07:58:00.000-05:00

On Friday KJ's school had an in-service day, so not wanting to let a beautiful fall day go to waste, KJ and I went out on the bike. Originally I had planned on a longer distance on a trail, but KJ had a busy day planned (haircut and an outing with his aide) so we finally ended up with a local trip to a park we don't get to as often.

The Children's Institute is a facility especially for special needs kids, as well as kids recovering from injuries. They have a playground that it adapted to those needs (ramps, special swings, etc) that is used for physical therapy, but it is also just a fun place to play! KJ's favorite activities are playing with the built-in tornado tubes (middle photo) and finding various rocks and sticks to push through the holes in the decking (bottom photo).

When all was said and done, we did a little more than 10 miles. We're now 74 miles short of 1000 miles.

Fall Riding

2007-10-15T22:32:00.000-04:00

OK, so yesterday I was bummed because my planned 20 mile plus ride turned into a 5.5 mile hop. Today we had a chance to make up some of that lost mileage. KJ's usual Monday outing with his aide got canceled, and since I usually don't work on Monday evenings, we had a chance to get a ride in after KJ got home from school. We rode to a different park, referred to locally as "Blue Slide Park" (because of the long blue concrete slide built into the hillside), and officially known as the Frick Park Parklet. The Parklet is approximately a 9 mile round trip. We played for a bit, including KJ playing with the fallen leaves, before riding home as the sun set.

This time of year, with the sun setting sooner, and the weather getting cooler, there are some things a cyclist needs to do differently. Tonight we had our jackets stufffed in our bags when we left the house because it was still quite warm. But by the time we were ready to come home it had cooled off, so we pulled out the jackets before we headed home. Worked out perfectly, especially since the trip home has some long downhills that can be quite chilling. The other thing that came in handy was our flashing red taillight. If you are riding at twilight in traffic one of these things is a MUST. You can pick one up for $10 or less from Target or WalMart. I've even seen some that are built in to the back of a bike seat. Our particular unit is a TREK five-bulb model that offers 270 degrees of coverage, so it helps you to be seen from the side in addition to from behind. Handy when you are going through an intersection. It has settings for solid light, slow blink, and fast blink, and runs off two AAA batteries. Our TREK unit sold for about $24.

Sometimes Things Don't Go As Planned

2007-10-14T20:09:00.000-04:00

A few days ago I started looking forward to this Sunday. The weather forecast was calling for a perfect day, and I anticipated being able to take a long (20 miles or more) ride with KJ and his younger brother PJ on a trail, pushing closer to our goal of 1000 miles for the year. Because of work and school schedules, Sunday is usually the only day of the week such rides are possible

My wife had a work assignment at 3 pm, and she wanted to do something with PJ in the three hours between when he got home from religious school and she would have to leave. I would need to be home at 3 pm so my wife could drop off PJ and head to work. This shot down any idea of riding on a trail, since that typically required 5 hours, and KJ also had religious school until Noon.

OK, so Plan "B" was that just KJ and I would ride from the house into nearby Squirrel Hill. I figured that if we didn't stop, we would get 11 or 12 miles ridden, and still be home by 3 pm. Not a bad ride, still double digits on the mileage.

KJ and I headed out, and after 2.75 miles passed Frick Park, a large public park that is a frequent destination of ours when time is limited. KJ signed he wanted to play in the park, rather than continue riding. Rather than make an issue of it, I headed into the park

At the point I was thoroughly bummed. My original vision of a nice long ride on a sunny day had been reduced to a short jaunt to a nearby park. KJ was content to have his snack, and then spend his time finding berries, branches and leaves to push through the storm grates (bottom photo).

About 15 minutes after we got to the park, we suddenly hear sirens, and three police cars come flying by, headed in the direction we would have gone had we not stopped at the park. Five minutes latter, a fire truck came by, headed in the same direction. Shortly thereafter one of the police cars came back and blocked the road so no one could head up that way.

Clearly there had been an accident of some sort on the road ahead. I don't know exactly where it was, and I don't know if we would have been involved had we not stopped at the park. But for once I was glad that things hadn't gone accrding to plan.

Oh, and by the way, our mileage for the year stands at 862 miles. 138 miles to go...

Our Current Bike

2007-10-14T09:32:00.000-04:00

Our current ride is a blue and silver 2004 Raleigh "Coupe". In any given model year, Raleigh offers three different models, and the middle one is known as the "Coupe". Our Coupe is an aluminum-frame bike with 27 speeds, 26 inch (mountain bike) wheels and straight handlebars. We originally started with a maroon and silver 2002 Coupe that we purchased at the beginning of 2003 (saving some cash because it was "last year's" model). In 2004 the welds holding a small plate to the frame cracked, and Raleigh replaced the frame,with a 2004 frame. There were minor differences in the frame, the main one being there was room for a fourth water bottle cage.

The bike is pretty much stock. We added a rear rack, four water bottle holders, bent bar ends for both handlebars, and dual cyclometers (Planet Bike model Protege 8.0). Originally the bike came with a suspension seatpost on the rear seat (a standard feature for most tandems). I had to replace it with a solid seatpost when we added the hitch for my younger son's trailer bike. But KJ has grown so much that I can probably put the suspension seat post back on, and still have enough solid seatpost available to mount the trailer bike hitch.

The bike came with 26x1.95 Kenda tires, which are smooth in the center and have a tread on the outside edge. I replaced those with 26x1.5 inverted tread tires which ran faster, but gave a rougher ride. When those tires wore out I put the old Kendas back on. Along the way I replaced the original wheels with Bontrager Mountain bike wheels.

KJ absolutely LOVES this bike. When we first got it, I was concerned that our annual mileage (which was around 500 miles per year when KJ was riding on the trailer bike) would go down, because the tandem REQUIRES KJ to pedal (which isn't necessary with a trailer bike). What actually happened was the complete opposite. Our mileage doubled to 1000 miles per year, and has stayed at that approximate level ever since.

A New Milestone...

2007-10-10T08:01:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday (October 7) was the first time that KJ actually ASKED to go bicycling without any prompting from us or any indication that I was planning to go biking. Unfortunately, I had a photo session planned for most of Sunday afternoon, so we didn't get out the door until around 5:30 pm. Enough time for us to bicycle to Frick Park, play for a bit, and then come home (5.5 miles round trip). It was fortunate that we went out, because our favorite ice cream stand near the park was closing for the rest of the year. So we had one last chance for KJ to get his usual Strawberry sundae.

For the year we are up to 838 miles. That's more than we managed in 2006 (810 miles), but my goal is to get to 1000 miles. So we have our work cut out for us. As long as the weather holds we should be able to make it.