March is finished, some observations

Spring arrived early, I've been biking since mid march, probably have 250km distance. Roads are slowly getting cleaned, and the city announced that the bike path season is a month longer than last year. So bike paths are open two weeks earlier, and close two weeks later. This is very good news, but there are 12 months in the year.

Have not yet hit the mother of all potholes. I have ridden some rough roads though, multi year halfass pathing jobs adding up to a fine mess. There is plenty of good pavement too, so choose your route.

The Route Verte is "completed" next year (2007) and there is a few hundred km to be built. This is a great, even fantastic network of bike paths and designated roads that let you travel the entire province. Really great. Except for the Chateauguay valley, home of Ormstown Howick and Huntingdon, and is where the towns are asleep at the wheel. Get on the Cluetrain guys, or the tourism industry is going to pass you by.

I have ridden off the island, northwards, using the new giant sidewalk on the CP Rail bridge and pont Pie IX. Yes I traversed Lavel, and all I can say is that there must, somewhere, be a scenic way to do this, but I have yet to find it. I might try Jacques Cartier next week, riding to Chambly is a great after work ride. It actually gets you out into the country, going north takes you a lot longer to emerge in the country, like past Blainville.

Bike commuting is going good using "Rusty" my oldest bike. The wheels are noisy and need some tuning. My usual city bike, Old Blue, (a highly converted mtn bike) has a flat and needs some spring lovin' before it is back on the road. That only leaves three other bikes (isues are suspension replacementm longer stem, and transportation), and the two unis, which only ask to be ridden and nothing else.

No flats yet. I swept the sidewalk in front and back of the building using my volunteer bike path sweeping broom, next is to get out and do a few of the danger spots like dirty corners where going down is a possibility. There's that tunnel at st-Urbain where the Mile End's Clark street bike path (from this underpass to Park Jeanne Mance) goes under the train tracks. This bike patj joins a good path on the north side of the underpass that follows the train tracks downhill and westwards for a couple of miles. A nice quick 15 minute cardio loop. Good views here and there too.

Today, 31 March, I rode in t-shirt and shorts, with no gung ho, it was perfect shorts and tshirt weather. The problem is, it's March! This isn't normal, not normal at all, and this can't be good news. Be very worried. Technology ain't gonna save us this time. So ride your bike and don't pollute, and cap CO2 emissions at todays levels, stop the madness.

Anyway, biking is fun, and I admit it, it keeps me feeling, and acting, young!

Stats: ridden 12 times. Started riding on March 16.

First bike ride of the year

Sunday March 12 I am taking Rusty out for a ride. I just put fenders, supergrip platform pedals, and upright mtn bike bars on my oldest ten speed relic. It was my guest bike, now its roles multiply: it now becomes my city bike especially for wet conditions. I mounted lights on it so it always has lights. I'll maybe add a few reflectors too. Then I must dorque out the paint job. A lot. And one of those big carry-stuff foloding racks so I can not, for once, carry everything on my back in the back pack. Where should I go first? I think I'll go buy a bottle of oil, a big one. And then, maybe, ride somewhere to the edge of the island of Montreal.

First I have to find my cycling clothes!

OK, all dressed. Here I go...

I'm back! I have to adjust the shifters and brake levers to give me more hand space on the bars. I didn't get them adjusted when the bike had it's sex change from drop to flat bars. This'll just take a minute, it won't hurt a bit.

Ahhh, that's better. Here I go... Woohoo!