NoRacer

Made it to Waynesboro. Chillin out in my room.

balto charlie

greaterbrown

Dammit. Very sad news:
https://www.wusa9.com/news/local/stor...2959&catid=189
Some nice pics from DC Randonneurs:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/wabeck/...7624364722492/

HC203

American roads are not safe for cyclists, no way no how. Things may change someday but can't see it. Makes me want to not get on my bike-for my wife and kids-can't imagine-stupid way to die.

HC203

Didn't know he was a DC Rand guy. That must be hitting them hard. Dammit is right. Stan is smiling in every pic, sorry I won't meet him.

NoRacer

Home at 7:30. More later including pix. It was toasty out. Got sunburnt.

greaterbrown

Safe is relative. You can just as easily say that our roads are not safe for drivers.
I think the real lesson here is that drunk drivers should lose their license first time, no questions.
I'm all in favor of revoking licenses for any injurious preventable crash. It's no big deal. You screwed up, ride the damn bus.
But the court system are wusses about that.

Hey Max, How'd ya do?

NR, Glad to know you're home. Start the perpetuum drip for Friday.

maxine

Agree. Just recently, a young man (22 years old) from near my hometown who was riding across the country with 3 other young guys, raising money for breast cancer research, was hit and killed in New Mexico. Details are hard to come by, but I have a strong suspicion that the driver was drunk. Very sad. The stats say that the "hit from behind" scenario is actually pretty rare for cyclists -- it's the right hooks and intersection collisions that are more likely to kill/seriously injure us -- but with drunk drivers, all bets are off. (I wonder, though, with all our new opportunities for "distracted" driving, if the "hit from behind" figures won't start to creep up.)

We lost the first match on Saturday, so we are out, unless we get the wild card slot. Which personally I hope we don't; except for one of our guys, whose match was close and truly could have gone either way, the other three of us didn't deserve to win. (We ran out of time, never made it to our fifth player.)

The good thing about losing is that I had already put in a leave request to go to Vegas in case we won. (We have to get our summer requests in pretty early, so I couldn't wait until now to see if we would win all the way.) At the time, my 9-ball team was still in contention, too, so I'm scheduled to be out from 19-27 August. Don't think I'll mention my loss, unless someone asks . . . I'm thinking a little bike camping tour would be nice. Much nicer than Vegas (I'm not a big fan of the place.)

Since we lost on Saturday, we didn't have to play Sunday, and I had the day unexpectedly open. No riding or anything fun for me, though. I had been sick as a dog on Friday and couldn't go to work. (I was downing cough drops all day Saturday, and had a bottle of cough syrup stashed in my pool cue case. ) It was one of those weird summer cold things, it came on me in about an hour Thursday afternoon. I'm really under the gun on a work project, and missing Friday was a killer, so I ended up at work most of yesterday. Feeling almost normal this morning.

NR, glad to hear you're home again, looking forward to your story and pics. Hope you suffered nothing worse than sunburn!

NoRacer

Already have:

I'm still working on these, but here's a preview:

https://bimactive.com/ba/journal/post/10783/34115 - Saturday
https://bimactive.com/ba/journal/post/10783/34116 - Sunday

NoRacer

That, I did. I have a good sunburn going on across my shoulders, because I opt'ed to stay cool an just wear a tank top over my bib shorts... the jersey was just to hot.

I'm happy to report that between the Nuun, Hammer Perpetuem, and Red Bull ( ), I suffered no cramps. But, also, I was going reeeeeaaaaaallllll slow--averaged about 10 mph including stops.

maxine

Man, if I had been on that ride, I guess I would have been going backwards!

balto charlie

Sucks. Friday is considered the most dangerous day for cycling. Probably due to drinking

balto charlie

Good to hear this. I popped a Nuun tab into my water battle on a Sunday ride. Flavor....hmmm, needs a spoonful a sugar. I rode all the big hills around my home including Illchester. Nail that bad boy but was going slow near the crest. Lots of cyclist out there in the AM. They were all going down Illchester, whimps:-) Your pixs on twitter look like there's a lot of humid haze or some of that NR mega-sweat on the lens.

balto charlie

@ Max, bummer 'bout your loss but Vegas in August!!! Actually it can't be any worse than it's been around here. Wife finally fired up the window banger last night.

@ GB and NR: I will be PM'ing you guys with route info in the NE area for the Tour du Ports metric century. If anyone else thinks they might have info in this area as well please let me know and I'll send you the cue. Bob C is trying to lengthen the 50 to a 64. If either of you have any info or advice please send it to me and I'll get back to Bob. We plan to ride it during the week after July 4th(either the 6th or 8th). If anyone wants to come let me know.

NoRacer

\

A little of both, I fear.

balto charlie

I give up. I can't figure out how to attach the cue to a BF PM.
GB and NR. Guys can you send me your private email. I promise only to spam it occasionally:-) I know I have had them in the past but can't find them anywhere. Email will come from my gmail account.

maxine

My 9-ball team made it to the national championships in 2007, and, yeah, Vegas in August will make a grown man cry. It was about 100-105 degrees most days we were there. And anyone who tries to give me that "Ohhh, but it's a *dry* heat!" crap gets an instant smack upside the head.

A couple of us did make the trip out to the Hoover Dam, but otherwise, when we weren't in the ballroom shooting matches, we were inhaling daiquiris at the pool.

NoRacer

Posted the final versions of my weekend saga.

balto charlie

Hey folks: Can someone post this to the North Bike brigade site. I get blocked at work. How do you post there? Do you need you own facebook acct? All these new modes of communications make me feel old. Here's the scope(oh yeah if for you guys as well).

Baltimore's Artscape Bike Valet Parking
Artscape 2010 is fast approaching! Last year we had over 700 BIKES parked at the UB Plaza. This year, we expect even more!
Let’s build on last year’s success and make 2010 even better!
All volunteers must be 18 years of age or older and receive free parking, cool thank you gifts, access to the air-conditioned volunteer "lounge" and snacks. Plus, you get to hang out with other cyclists, make sure their rides don't get stolen and promote the growing bike community in Baltimore
Shifts are available on:
Friday, July 16th 11:30-4:00; 3:30-7; 6:30-10:00
Saturday, July 17th 3:30-7:00; 6:30-10
Sunday, July 18th 11:30-4; 3:30-8:00
Join the Artscape Team by signing up at www.myvolunteerpage.com or contact Debbie Zink at 443-263-4307
Registration for all volunteers closes on Friday, July 2nd

maxine

Being stopped in the midst of traffic on a hideously hot & humid day, when you're *already* overbaked, is truly one of the most unpleasant cycling experiences!

I've been camping/hiking in that part of Shenandoah National Park twice (Mathews Arm last year, Big Meadow the year before that), so I've driven much of that stretch of Skyline that you were biking. I know it's supposed to be incredibly popular with cyclists, but I can't imagine that I would like it at all. Now, if there were no cars, yeah, I would be all over that! The scenery is beautiful! But the road is so narrow and windy, and yeah, I know the speed limit is low, but still, you have a much higher percentage of drivers on this road, compared to almost any other, who are not paying anywhere near enough attention to what's going on in front of them.

Now, both my trips were in early October -- not quite prime leaf-peeping either time, but close, so I guess traffic may have been heavier than what you experienced.

NoRacer

The area is very popular with the motorcycling crowd. Their approach [obnoxiously loud] was much more disconcerting than any other vehicles out there. I even preferred the big-a$$ed RVs over them just due to the sonic assault on the ears.

As usual, I ran my tail light and had no problems with approaching vehicles seeing me ahead of time. I had zero close passes. At one point an Alberta RV started to pass me on a descent, so I waved him by and drafted him for a mile or two. I even had to hit my brakes, because the RV was much slower through the curves than I am.

HC203

I agree with all that. I guess that I shouldn't even say "our roads" are unsafe, that's just tar, more like our culture, our laws, and our collective American attitude make the roads unsafe, and yes for motorists as well, but you're deluding yourself if you think they even face a small fraction of the potential for death that we do. Air bags, steel, etc. Pedestrians, they're f-ed too, it's all about the CAR. 90% of my morning ride is really not riding at all but trying not to get killed. I look back whenever I hear a car off, so I can stare at them, or wave, I'm double checking intersections, I'm getting behind my riding partners so the Dinotte can be seen. My new approach is if I can spit on your car you are too close, really fun with convertables. I know, doesn't do anything to help our cause, but really, what cause?

Looking forward to some good long empty roads (relatively) in the ADK, but they're dangerous too, just one pick up truck.

balto charlie

What cause you ask.....come to the next BBA meeting and find out. The ONLY way we can improve our safety is in numbers. Cars HAVE to pay attention when there are 30 cyclist crossing the street not just 1. BBA hopes to increase the number of cyclist.

Drinking and driving, can't figure it out. Lose their license first offense!!! There are many drivers with numerous DUI convictions still operating motor vehicles. We can't keep repeat offenders off of the roads how can we keep 1st time offenders off of them?

Cool weather is a coming. Been brutal commuting recently. I run into the shower right when I get to work. Baby wipes just ain't cutting it this time of year. Attempted to get on N. Bike Brigade Facebook last night. Finally realized I have to join facebook. Spent a chunk of time last night working it out. Almost there.

HC203

"What cause you ask.....come to the next BBA meeting and find out."

I know, I'm in a particular pessimistic mood of late. I know the numbers of riders are growing but it seems like there needs to be a quantum leap of sorts to get Roland Ave. to have as many bikes on it as cars. I actually feel safer on those urban streets than say Falls or Padonia, etc. Not much you can do on those county roads but certainly cities should have more infrastructure for pedestrians, cyclists. I cant even ride around Rodgers Forge with my kids, have to drive them to bike with them. Except for next week, heading to Holland tonight, I'll file a full report on my return.
Enjoy the summer before it's gone.

As for the bike coalition. I offered my services as a designer and illustrator and I guess we just didn't see things the same way. Here are a few rough designs I presented for the TDP. They wanted some sort of Victorian look, a couple riding bikes or something, that's all fine but not my style.

greaterbrown

Harry, don't beat yourself up over what will never be. Baltimore won't become Seattle. It's harsh living here. The state of cycling in Baltimore is about on pace with our schools and murder rate.
All of us here know exactly what you're talking about, but we ride nonetheless.

I am loving image #1. and then #4 would make a great tat. Your work is great. Glad to see you're sprucing up the TdP image.