A slightly new route

On Saturday I mapped out a new route... well, some old and some new.  I'd ridden Martel/Hauser down to 6th Street, but since Hauser went all the way to Venice where I could catch the bike path, I decided to go all the way down.  I'd never ridden Venice on the east side of La Cienega, so it was a great new little bit.  From about mile 3.5 to 5.5 was all new to me.

I took some pics of the Park La Brea complex (might now just be called Park Brea).

And here's a nice little shot of Schumacher, one of the streets I sometimes travel (though not on this trip).

All in all it was a great ride, although Hauser is not terribly bike friendly and the street is awfully narrow down towards Venice Blvd.

Great high school bike club video

The Orange County Bicycle Coalition posted this video:

High School bike club

Hope more people are inspired to start bicycling clubs to school, work, recreation.  Let's get the whole country on bicycles!

Bigger is better

So I bought a bike jersey.... a 3X because that's the largest I could find - and these things run really small, btw.  A 3X cycling jersey has nothing to do with a 3X in real world clothing sizes because in a regular 3X I'm sort of swimming.  I did manage to get the 3X on, but it was like I was poured into it and practically needed to cut myself out of it.  It was more of what I would call an XL in regular clothing.  Gah!  Hello, haven't they heard of Spandex????

Yes, I know I need to lose weight but that's not the point here.  The point is that these things need to be made properly for larger riders who deserve a cycling jersey just as much as their thin/fit cycling counterparts.  The same goes for cycling shorts, bibshorts, and any other apparel that needs specific sizing.  Ideally the clothing should be made for anyone who wants to get on a bike a ride - because anyone who rides is a legitimate cyclist who deserves legitimate cycling gear.  If I ever did the San Diego Century, I'd love to have the jersey, but I'm quite certain it wouldn't come in my size.

Earth Day 2012

Meet up at West Hollywood Park by the Library.

Today the West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition had a ride from the West Hollywood library to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.   Round trip it wasn't a huge ride - maybe 6 miles at the most, but it was a group ride and we had about 10 riders total, including 2 young girls, maybe aged 9 and 11.  The girls thought the whole ride experience with the group was a complete blast and the youngest rode at the front of the pack and chatted up a storm, making up words and general silliness.  It was terrific.

The ride was to celebrate Earth Day, and if you rode your bike or used alternate transportation, you could get into LACMA for free.  We arrived there at about 12:30, and the Los Angeles Bicycle Coalition, which I decided to join for $25, had free bike valet parking.  That is the first time I have parked my bike and left it, although I stripped it of most stuff before I left it because I just wasn't sure how safe it would be.  As it turned out, it was perfectly safe, but I worried like a mother leaving her child with a babysitter for the first time.

Looking north towards the 6th Street entrance into the LACMA grounds

One table had some bits of LADOT (Los Angeles Dept. of Transportation) swag, so I got a few dinky things, including a flashing red light, a pair of bike socks and some reflective stripping to wrap around the ankles.  I'll give these to my friend when she arrives as gear for the 2nd bike - well, not the socks.  Those I'm definitely keeping.

I did not end up going inside LACMA because I don't do well on my feet or with lots of walking around, and having been on my feet a lot the past few days making tons of cookies, I decided to just enjoy the sunshine and people watch.   There were lots of Earth Day activities, and I saw some of the  cutest toddlers.  

crafts activities

Some of us went to the food trucks on Wilshire Blvd, and I got a quesadilla for $5 which was good, although truthfully it was more of social eating than just hunger.  I wasn't actually hungry.

An outdoor public piano on Wilshire Blvd.  I was so tempted to play it, but these girls were having fun!

 We all met up again at 2:30 by the bike valet, and some decided to stay longer, but I decided to go because I had more cookies to work on and also I'd been up since 7:00, been downtown to deliver 2 orders of cookies, and done this bike ride on about 2 hours of sleep.  So I went home.  I rode down 6th to Sweetzer, then took it to 4th, 4th to Orlando, and Orlando up to home.

One thing I did notice is that on the ride towards LACMA, when we were on Willoughby, which I have travelled many, many times on the bike, I noticed that I wasn't feeling the inclines.  Maybe it was our slow pace or maybe it's just that my legs are so much stronger than a year ago.

A place to ride

I know this sounds crazy, but I can't get it out of my head. I would like to cycle in Iran. Why Iran? Because once inside the country, I suspect it's very safe to be... unlike Iraq or Afghanistan. If I wanted to see a Persian culture and be relatively safe, I think Iran is the place to go. Of course, there would have to be some dress code modifications, but I wouldn't be worried about road side bombs or suicide bombers or snipers. Iranians are reportedly very friendly. Maybe I could even get some groups of women out cycling.

I need to get a new Road ID. The three contact numbers on the current one have become irrelevant. One is a neighbor who isn't speaking to me. One is a friend who is too far away and not as available as when I first got the thing, and the third... well, he's decided not to be in my life anymore. So, I think I'll get a new one with my landlady's number, my sister's number and the third is still undecided. I can't afford it right now, but I will get a new one. I almost hate wearing the one I have because I wouldn't want any of those people contacted if something happened to me.

Today was CicLAvia, and I didn't go. The meet-up was at the West Hollywood park at 8:30a.m., but I just couldn't get out of bed. There is another bike thing next Sunday, this time to go to LACMA, and if you ride your bike, the admission is free, plus they will have a bike valet. So, might do that as I haven't been to LACMA for a long, long time (only once actually).

Head winds

Today I decided to ride my bike to the beach. This was the first time I had made the trek since the bike crash on Labor Day 2011.

I had barely left the front door of my building when one of my neighbors remarked that my bike was like the Porsches of bikes. Now, that's totally crazy because my bike isn't a fancy road bike, and I didn't pay an arm and a leg for it (I think I got it on sale for about $350). It's just a 2008 GT Timberline Fitness Series hybrid. Nothing fancy. It's just a bike. But the neighbor fawned over it, telling me it was actually a very good bike. Okay, I know it's a good bike (sturdy, reliable, etc.), but it's just a bike. It's decked out with all kinds of stuff, but it's just a bike. It certainly won't win any races, but it did survive a crash without a single scratch. I should have been so lucky. But I digress.

Since yesterday was a very stormy day, we had residual winds and also cooler temps. The winds plagued me all the way down, but I did notice how much stronger I was this year over last year. The ride down didn't bother me at all, although I definitely would have enjoyed it better with out such strong (and nippy) headwinds.

When I got to the bike path at the beach, there were some patches where a lot of sand had drifted over and was really too deep to cycle through... well, one place was bad and I had to walk my bike through it. On the way back, however, I managed to stay on the bike and trudge through the deep sand.

Dishonorable mention to the portly man on the bike in front of me who was displaying about 5" of butt crack, another 5" of dark blue undies, and was pretty much sitting on the waistband of his shorts. Sheesh! If they don't fit, don't wear them. No one needs to see that.

Oh, the ride back was lovely with the wind at my back. In fact, since I was riding at the speed of the wind, it seemed like there was no wind. It was very calm - as long as I was heading east. The ride home on the Venice Blvd. bike lane is always so much more pleasant than on the way down. I don't know, just seems like there are a lot more hazards on the way down.

As I said, it was a chilly day, and I didn't drink as much water because heat wasn't sapping me, but that's really deceptive because the body is still sweating and needs fluid replacement. Still, although I forced myself to drink, I think I could have gone the whole time without any water. I'm not saying that would be a good thing, just that it could have been done simply because the cold fools you into thinking you're not thirsty.

My right brake isn't working... I have to get that fixed. Just feels like there is no tension at all.

When I got home I didn't change immediately, so I got a little chilled. Finally put on dry shirts, doubled up and drank something hot to help warm me. My ears and hands stayed cold for a long time.

25 miles round trip. Didn't bother my muscles at all.

To Santa Barbara of Bust

Today when I was out on my ride, I saw three men with their bikes packed for some long distance. At the time, we were all in east Beverly Hills by Gregory/La Cienega. It was about 11:00. I asked them where they were going and they said they were headed up the PCH to Santa Barbara to go camping and they hoped they would make it. Well, I hope so too, but you know, they got a very late start since it's at least 100 miles away. Maybe if they had left at 6:00 a.m. they would have had a better chance. As it is, they are travelling in the heat of day, and it is a very nice, warm day, so much so that my Road I.D. tan line is a little more distinct from my ride. Next time I must remember to get a picture of something interesting like that meet up.