Seaside Tandem

Over the weekend we wanted to take our bikes to Cape Cod and cycle on the Rail Trail. Unfortunately, our lighter bikes are at the shop and the Pashleys are too heavy for the car's rear rack. Browsing the rail trail brochure, I noticed an advertisement for tandem rentals. Tandems! Within seconds, I was making a reservation.

Our tandem was a modern Fuji mountain-road hybrid, with an aluminum frame and carbon fork. With our mismatched beach attire and sunscreen-streaked faces (it was a hot day) we didn't exactly look glamorous, but it was quite an experience!

Tandem bicycles look charming and fun, which makes them seem easy to ride. I assure you that they are not! Despite Sheldon Brown's detailed description, we did not expect it to be so challenging. The tandemists must learn to coordinate their pedaling and coasting patterns, pedaling cadence, and even their body movements, so as not to disbalance the bicycle by leaning in different directions. This takes some time! Steering, shifting gears, and turning corners require considerable skill.

The person at the front of a tandem is called the Captain, and the person in the back is the Stoker. The job of the Captain is to steer and balance the bicycle, and to control the gearing. The job of the Stoker is to provide extra leg-power on the pedals and maintain the balance. If you are the Stoker, the Captain's back will be your view (inches from your face), unless you turn to the side!

The Co-Habitant was a natural captain and could even ride the tandem stretched out from the rear pedals.

I could not, but I was a good Stoker!

One of the benefits of a tandem, is that it can go very fast. Once we got the hang of operating the bicycle, we were flying on that thing, grinning with delight and leaving other cyclists in the dust. Overall, I prefer to ride an individual bicycle, simply because I like the control and independence. But on occasion, a tandem would be so much fun. It's a tandem!

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Idyllic Trail Through the Charles River Reservation

When most people ride on the Charles River trail, they keep to the popular loop around Boston and Cambridge. However, the trail goes on (and on and on), through beautiful reservation lands along the narrowing Charles River all the way to West Newton, Waltham and Weston.

The last time I mentioned this route, a couple of people asked me for more information, since most Charles River Trail maps indicate that it ends in Watertown. The best online maps I have found are these:
. from Boston to Watertown (the popular loop)
. from Watertown to West Newton
. from West Newton to Weston
These show you the side-streets you need to look for in your neighborhood in order to get to the trail (everything represented in green has the trail going through it).

Once you pass the point in Watertown where the popular route ends, the trail continues across the street. The entrance is narrow and easy to miss, so watch for the sign above.

There are a few instances where the trail interrupts, in which case the connector route is marked on the sidewalk with these "Blue Heron tracks".

An actual heron on the trail.

Here are some photos to give you an idea what this lesser-known part of the trail looks like. It is narrower and more "woodsy" than the popular Charles River loop. Fewer people, too.

The river is quite narrow here, and most of the bridges across it are pedestrian. They are beautiful and fun to cross, offering views of lily pads and miniature waterfalls.

There are several unpaved stretches, and many long stretches of boardwalk over marshland, with built-in observation decks. We had no problems cycling through the unpaved stretches on the Pashleys, and we saw roadbikes riding through them as well.

Another wooden bridge, and the entrance to Landry Park in Waltham.

This is home to the Charles River Museum of Industry. We have not gotten beyond this point yet, but as the map here indicates, the trail continues in the same manner towards Weston.

Altogether, it looks like the Charles River Trail might be 15 miles or so each way. If you are looking to get from West Newton to the center of Boston like MamaVee, I am guessing that this is maybe a 10 mile trip? If you are local and do this regularly, I welcome your thoughts about this trail and its use as a commuter route.

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Minuteman Bikeway

The Co-Habitant and I finally took Marianne and Miles to the Minuteman Bikeway. The Minuteman Bikeway is an 11 mile paved bike trail that runs from the edge of Cambridge, Mass., through Arlington and Lexington, ending in Bedford.

The trail was built along the old Boston-Maine railroad line, which you can see a glimpse of in Bedford. This train car has been converted into a cafe serving hot dogs and ice cream to hungry cyclists.

What I loved most about the Minuteman Bikeway is the abundance of shade! I am one of those persons who burns horribly and gets instant heatstroke at the mere whisper of direct sunlight in temperatures over 75F. A bike trail that runs almost entirely under overarching trees is a rare blessing. I can come here at any time of day and do a 22-mile loop without falling into a heat-induced delirium!

What I did not love so much, is that the trail interrupts for road intersections. The cars were courteous, but still I dream of an endless bike trail without interruptions -- Is there an American version of the Danube Cycling Path?

I was warned that going on the Minuteman on weekends was not a good idea, as it gets congested with slow-moving families and joggers. But we went mid-day on a Saturday, and didn't find it too bad. Certainly less crowded than the Charles River Trail.

Conveniently, there are several cafes and grocery shops, and two bike shops along the trail. Pictured above is the Bike Stop, selling lots of nice used bikes in addition to new ones, as well as cold drinks and snacks.

And at the end of the trail is the Bikeway Source, selling new bicycles, athletic bike clothing and many accessories, including some neat grocery panniers made of bamboo. We were told by the employees that after the Bikeway ends in Bedford, there is an unpaved dirt trail that continues all the way to Concord. It is accessible by mountain bike, but only during dry weather conditions, turning swamplike when it rains.

The Minuteman Bikeway is a scenic 22-mile round trip trail that is useful for pros and accessible to beginners. Riding Marianne was great fun and the longish ride made me a lot more comfortable with handling her. The most difficult part was cycling to the start of the trail from our house, in busy traffic through Somerville. Those who live around Boston know that this area is not ideal if you are not 100% steady on your bike! As I've mentioned earlier, I am not comfortable riding a road bike in traffic yet, so this was a challenge. The Co-Habitant gallantly made it easier by riding and signaling in a way that made us both visible. I probably could not do it alone at this point. One step at a time!

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Rain, Rain Go Away? Or on Second Thought, Stay!

I have not been cycling for the past week due to nonstop rain. But today I finally could not take it anymore: Despite the overcast sky and the morbid forecast, I went. By mid-day, it did rain. And it was great!


Some nice things about cycling in the rain:
. it's good for your complexion
. you can sing in it (and I did!)
. the grass and trees look super green, almost neon
. the lovely scent of flowers really comes out
. you have the cycle paths mostly to yourself
. you have an excuse to wear screaming red and lobsterman yellow!


Above: My empty Apfelspritzer mug, in an empty outdoor cafe -- in the rain. Look how red those geraniums look!

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Shady Lady: On the Necessity of Sunglasses

This might sound obvious to experienced cyclists, but I've discovered that good sunglasses are a must, especially when riding through the countryside. Not only will sunglasses protect the eyes from harmful rays and the delicate skin under the eyes from wrinkles, but they also shield from the debris and insects that hurtle toward me at top speed.

Yes, insects! Assuming that your bicycle has no windshield, be prepared for your face to be hit by flies, bees, butterflies, and God knows what else. If you keep your mouth open, they will fly into your mouth. And if you don't wear sunglasses, they will fly right into your eyes or get trapped in your eyelashes. Based on personal experience, I can promise you that this is not pleasant.

To be useful as a shield, I find that the best sunglasses are those that cover as much of my face as possible. Conveniently, the "Jackie O." style is popular right now and every shop seems to carry them in many variations. I opt for cheaper sunglasses, because I have a knack for losing or destroying mine. The darlings pictured here lasted two weeks before I crushed them in my handbag -- which reminds me that I must buy another pair if I plan to cycle again over the weekend.

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Danube Cycle Path: Part II

More photos riding along the Danube Cycle Path. Grass, trees, attractive wooden huts, and the Danube for miles and miles.



The terrain is mildly hilly and the 7-speed KTM hybrid I am renting feels appropriate here. Interestingly, this bike has both handbrakes and a coaster brake. Not sure how this can be, but I like the set-up.


Small outdoor cafes are situated along the path at frequent intervals, giving cyclists the possibility to stop for a drink, snack, or a meal.


There are also Gasthaus-style bed and breakfast places advertised as being "bike friendly" for those touring long distance.



This is now my third time riding on the Donauradweg, and I absolutely love it. I have gone about 11miles North each time and back, and it feels great. But what I really want to try some day is long-distance touring.

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Danube Cycle Path: Part I

One wonderful aspect of being in Vienna is the Donauradweg! The Danube Cycle Path runs through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, and the Ukraine along the Danube river. It begins in the Black Forest and ends at the Black Sea, covering a total of almost 3,000 km.


In and around Vienna, the trail has a similar anatomy to the Charles River path in Boston. However, it continues in both directions, becoming more rural and interesting the further out one ventures.


There are several bike shops situated directly on the path that rent bicycles by the hour and by the day. The bikes can be taken along the trail straight from the shop without ever coming in contact with street traffic.


This is the one I've been riding: an Austrian brand, KTM. It's okay for exploring along the river, but for my own bike I'd want something a bit more classic and without the suspension fork.

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Renting the KHS Green

Earlier this spring, I was delighted to discover that the KHS Green can be rented from our local Cambridge Bicycle. The cost is $25 per 24 hour period. My darling Co-habitant and I rented a men's and a ladies' and took them along the Charles River, as well as through some streets of Cambridge, Somerville, and the center of Boston. We went to some of the places we usually frequent, to see what it would be like to get there by bike (it was great!). And I intentionally wore a skirt, to determine whether this would present any problems (it did not!).

Renting a bicycle similar in style to the one you plan to purchase is something I very much recommend. It has certainly helped me hone down my preferences. For one thing, the 3 speeds were just barely enough for Boston, and we did not even go to the particularly hilly areas. So now I know that 3 speeds are a minimum for me, and that a single speed bike is out of the question.

I have also discovered that I love the coaster brake. Despite never having ridden a bicycle with this braking system, I got used to it immediately and found that, especially when riding through the city, it gives me the optimal degree of control. It is also somehow less stressful to use than the hand-brakes, especially if you are a person who panics easily when other bikes or cars are close to you. Though it was comfortable to have the front-wheel handbrake there, I barely used it and relied mostly on the coaster brake.

Another pleasant discovery was that, after 12 years of not touching a bicycle, I was not as out of practice as I feared. I had tried other bicycles in bike shops over the past year, but did not feel sufficiently comfortable with any of them to ride them on the street. The KHS Green is the first bike I've tried that has made me feel okay with actually riding it "for real".  And as soon as I started riding the bike, it all came back to me naturally. The upright sitting position was an absolute joy, as we breezed past the ridiculously picturesque blossoming cherry trees.

After riding the KHS Green for an entire day, I would describe it as a good bike. When going over cobblestones, the ride can be a little bumpy and it is missing some components that my bike would ideally have, such as the dress guard and a full chain enclosure, but for the price it is a great deal. If my budget does not allow me to splurge on the likes of Gazelle, the KHS Green may be my bicycle of choice.

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