Say It Loud: We Like Them Plowed!

Dear Boston,

We were so excited to discover that parts of the Charles River trail have been plowed after the latest snowfall! We thank you for this gesture and ask that you please keep doing it - and, just as importantly, that you please do it consistently, so that the plowed trail is something we can count on when deciding what route to take in the winter.

Also - and we know that we are probably pushing it - but when plowing the trail, could you possibly make the clearing a wee bit wider? At the moment, it is not possible for two parties to pass each other safely, making traveling on the trail somewhat precarious when crossing paths with another traveler.

We do not wish to overwhelm you with requests, and so we will not mention at this time our great hope that some day there will be lights installed on the trail, enabling cyclists to use the route after dark. Perhaps another time we can discuss that, but for now we just wish to express our delight with the cleared snow.

Plowing the Charles River Trail is such a useful, wonderful thing for those of us who ride bicycles in the winter, as well as those who wish to walk or run in the fresh air. Please continue to keep us in mind!

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Chance Encounters and Boston Vintage Bikes

Taking advantage of the mild temperatures a couple of days ago, we went for another ride along the Charles River Trail, this time a nice long one. We were taking a break to photograph the bikes (a totally normal part of any day, right?), when I heard a very polite yet excited voice from the trail. Was I by chance the person from Lovely Bicycle? I guess of all the girls out there riding loop-frame bicycles with enormous red bows on the basket, I must be especially recognisable? I attribute it to my unique facial features.

We invited the gentleman to join us on the dock, and a fest of bicycle photography and discussion ensued.

Apparently, he collects photos of people photographing him. So this is my picture of him, taking a picture of me taking a picture of him.

And this is his picture of me, taking a picture of him taking a picture of me taking a... Really, the philosophical implications are staggering. You can see this and many other bicycle related pictures on verdammelt's photostream on flickr.

Here is a shot showing off his bicycle better (admittedly posed in what Steve A. calls my "Lenin in Finland" stance). The bicycle is a vintage BSA 3-speed step-through, which he found abandoned, rescued, restored back to health, and now uses as a winter bike.

Here is a somewhat blurry close-up. Our new acquaintance is proof of how common these rare vintage bicycles are in Boston. A BSA randomly left abandoned on the streets? Yup. It is a pretty cerulean-blue colour with nice lugs and a beautiful fork crown. You can't see them here, but the bike also has shimmery red grips on the handlebars that set off the blue frame quite nicely.

And I love the unusual saddle. It is sprung pleather, with the look and feel of an old leather jacket - not the texture one normally sees on saddles. Overall, this is an excellent rescue, and the owner seems to care about bicycle and to like riding them very much. We enjoyed meeting him and thank him for posing for these photos!

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The Days Ahead

The pre-Christmas blizzard has come and gone, leaving in its wake a patchy landscape of snow, slush, ice, and mud. Yesterday the weather was mostly good and we went for a ride along the Charles River Trail - our first real ride together in weeks. In the afternoon everything looked lilac and utterly beautiful; it was a wonderful ride.

The previous night it had rained and much of the snow had washed away. Though the river bank was snowy and the river was iced over, the trail itself was mostly clear, save for a few stretches. What surprised me was how utterly impossible it was to cycle through those stretches.

Having ventured out in the blizzard last week, I thought that I "knew" snow - and with that thought, I proceeded to cycle straight through a snowy patch. As a result, I almost took a spill - twice. Apparently, the fresh, evenly distributed powder through which I rode last week was nothing compared to the lumpy mess of slush, ice, and crusty snow of varying density through which I now attempted to pass. Let's just say, the Marathon Plus tires said "No". And I don't think studded tires would have helped in this kind of snow either - though feel free to correct me if you disagree.

The Co-Habitant checks my tires whilst enjoying the view of Boston across the river. I love this picture, because it captures the feeling of living in this area in a way I can't quite explain verbally. And I have a funny story about my tires, but will hold off on that till the next post.

After yesterday's ride, I think the realities of winter have finally hit me: My God, I won't be able to cycle "normally" again for the next 3 months! Sure, on good days I may feel safe enough to cautiously ride from Point A to Point B. But I can pretty much forget those fast long rides I have grown used to over the Summer and Fall. During the warmer months, I probably averaged around 100 miles per week on the bike, over 80% of them recreational. It should come as no surprise then, that the comparatively minimal cycling I am doing now leaves me wanting more. So what do I do, get a trainer? That's not the same as "real" cycling, and I just can't see myself getting into it. Instead, I think I simply need to accept the limitations of winter, and to stay positive by planning for the next season. Since I enjoy long rides so much, perhaps I should try to develop my endurance and challenge myself - set some goals, devise a training schedule, think of some local destinations I would like to cycle to, and so on.

A year ago, I could not have imagined that I would ever develop an interest in the "athletic" aspect of cycling - but there you have it. Those are my thoughts on cycling as we head towards the New Year. What are yours?

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A Tropical December? And Some Thoughts on Trails as Transportation

Hallelujah! Yesterday everything finally fell into place and I was able to go on a long ride: I had time in my schedule and it was neither pouring rain nor pitch black out.

Velouria was happy to finally get some exercise beyond just going to the same old neighborhood spots.

The weather yesterday threw everyone for a loop. After weeks of frigid November dreariness, things suddenly turned tropical. It was over 65 degrees F (nearly 20 degrees C) in Boston yesterday, only somewhat counteracted by gusts of balmy wind.

The heat was especially weird in combination with how bare the landscape has become. This tree was practically the only one along the Charles River Trail with foliage.

One thing I can say after this ride, is that the past few weeks have taken a toll and I feel seriously out of shape! Throughout the summer and early Autumn, it became normal for me to cycle an average of 10-20 miles per day, often more. But after the traveling I did for work in November and then the additional traveling over Thanksgiving holidays, I guess it's been almost a month since I'd been on a really long ride. Now I see that cycling 2-5 miles per day for transportation is quite different from cycling 20 miles per day. Let's just say I had to switch to a lower gear for parts of the way than the one I had grown accustomed to.

Being on the trail again has also made me think about Dottie's recent post on Let's Go Ride a Bike, in which she described being grateful for her pleasant and stress-free commute along Chicago's Lakefront Trail. In theory, Boston's Charles River Trail is similar in that it connects peripheral neighborhoods to the city center. However, I honestly know no one who uses the Charles River Trail to commute to any of those destinations; the cyclists I know use the roads instead. Most of the cyclists I do see on the trail seem to be there for recreation, or for very short distance trips if they happen to live in a nearby location.

To some extent, I think the preference for the roads in Boston has to do with time. The Charles River Trail is car-free and fantastically scenic, but it takes considerably longer to travel on it than to travel through the city. When commuting to and from work - or when going on a date, rushing to a meeting, or dropping children off at various activities - I imagine that people want, and in some cases need, to save valuable time.

But perhaps what really keeps the Charles River Trail from becoming the commuter route it could be is the lack of lighting. In Boston it now gets dark shortly after 4pm. Most people cycle home from work after 5pm. Cycling on a pitch black trail along the river is probably not their idea of a safe and relaxing commute - especially as trail conditions become more wintery. If I remember correctly, Dottie has mentioned before that Chicago's Lakefront Trail is lit the entire way, which means that it is not impossible to do the same to Boston's Charles River Trail. Is it not done here for financial reasons? Or because the city figures there is not enough demand to use this trail for commuting? I wonder.

I love the Charles River Trail, and it has been particularly enjoyable to watch it change from Spring to Summer to Autumn and now to its current pre-Winter state. It would be nice to use it to go grocery shopping after 4pm, as I used to earlier in the year, so I do miss that part. I am looking forward to seeing what the trail will be like in the winter, and I am curious whether it will be at all possible to cycle on it once it starts snowing. If anybody local has done this, I would love to hear about it!

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The "Born Again" Moment

Some of you were surprised when I mentioned in a recent post that I only began cycling again in Spring 2009 - so I thought it would be fun to share my "born again" moment. The Co-Habitant and I developed a huge batch of film for one of our art projects earlier this week, and it turned out that one roll contained these pictures from 8 months ago - pictures of my first real bicycle ride after not having cycled in 12 years.

After testing a coupe of bicycles on the premises of local bike shops, we finally took the plunge and rented a his and hers KHS Green, to see how feasible it would be for us to travel by bike round Boston. These shots were taken along the Charles River trail.

It was an unseasonably warm day, and within the first half hour of the ride my jacket was folded up and tucked under the spring on the rear rack. Also within the first half hour of the ride, I knew that this was "it". How could I have lived without a bicycle thus far? And what would I do when the time came to return the rental?

The day after these photos were taken, my search for a new bicycle began in earnest, and that is how this weblog was born: It was initially meant to be a collection of reviews and photos of beautiful, functional bicycles for people with similar skill levels to mine and with the same beginner anxieties. I guess my viewpoint has progressed a bit since then, and I have gotten much more into "cycling culture" than I had anticipated. But still, the whole point of this website is that I am not an expert and do not have a great deal of cycling experience - which hopefully makes me unintimidating and approachable to new readers curious about bicycles.

The Co-Habitant and I had been toying with the idea of bikes on and off for years. But what finally made me start cycling had nothing to do with the practical considerations this involved. It was a result of a very personal, visceral sense of pure joy - which apparently has been captured on film quite nicely! Seeing these shots was a nice surprise; we had forgotten that we took them. And it was especially timely before Thanksgiving, as I am most grateful for the role bicycles have played in my life this year.

Enjoy your week-end, and make sure to feed your bicycles some turkey. They don't like to feel left out!

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Out on the Town with Paul and Haul

I have lived in Vienna on and off for the past 2 years, but did not begin cycling until Spring 2009. When I did start cycling, it was at first on the outskirts along the Danube, and not in the city itself. Since having returned to the US this summer, I have become quite comfortable cycling on the roads in Boston. And now that I was going back to Austria, I was curious how I would feel riding around Vienna. Luckily, Anna from Cycling Is Good for You was happy to help me find out.

This is Anna locking up her bike in front of Citybiker, the shop where we met up. I first met her earlier this year, when I was living in Vienna on a more long-term basis. She looked fetching in her red polka-dotted knee-socks at the Vienna Naked Bike Ride, and we had since gone out for dinner and kept in touch over email. We planned this ride with a two-fold purpose: For her to test a Retrovelo, and for me to try cycling around Vienna under her more experienced wing. Originally, the plan was for both of us to ride Retrovelos, but the frame size they had was slightly too large for me. So she took a Retrovelo Paul and I took the most interesting bicycle they had in my size - the Specialized Globe Haul. And there you have it: Paul and Haul were going out for a ride.

Here is Anna heroically carrying Paul up the steps of the courtyard where the bike shop is located. I did that too, but my Haul was lighter - so not quite as heroic.

Our fist destination was a small park near the Parliament, where we shamelessly took silly photos of each other and the bikes. This is Anna with Paul.

And here is me with Haul. I look ridiculously happy, because I am finally cycling!

After a short adventure at the Parliament, we finally set off for real. In layout, the city of Vienna somewhat resembles a flower: The first district is the center, with districts 2-9 arranged around it like flower petals, and the other districts arranged around those. There is a street - the Ringstrasse - that runs continuously around the circumference of the 1st District, and another street - the Guertel - that runs continuously around the wider circumference of the "petals". Both of these circular streets have bike paths that are separated from motorised traffic, making them convenient starting points for getting to any other district of Vienna.

There are also segregated bike paths along the entire length of the Danube Canal and the Danube River itself, forming additional "bike highway" systems that are convenient for many destinations.

Both Anna and I have mixed feelings about the segregated paths. On the one hand, they are safe from motorized traffic - even the intersections and crossings are well-organised, so that it's clear to cyclists and motorists when it's whose turn. My experience in this regard was good. But on the other hand, one is forced to cycle on these paths very slowly, because pedestrians meander onto them without looking. Slow cycling of this sort is enjoyable when sightseeing or going for a nice ride with a friend - but I imagine not so much when you need to actually get to work or to a meeting on time. And since it is mandatory to use the paths when they are present (as opposed to being able to choose between the paths and vehicular cycling), there is no other option for those following these routes.

Our trip around Vienna was fairly well-rounded in terms of what kind of cycling we did. We began nice and slow along the tame paths around the central Ringstrasse and the Danube Canal, transitioned to bike lanes as we ventured further out, and finally transitioned to cycling on larger roads with motorised vehicles.

Here is Anna in front of some wonderful graffiti along the Danube canal. She and Paul made quite a splendid pair!

For reasons of safety, we did not take photos of us cycling on the road with cars - but I will describe that experience as "absolutely fine". I felt very comfortable following Anna, as she gave clear signals that made it easy for me to understand what she was about to do. The cars behaved differently than they do in Boston, but it's hard to describe exactly how. They seemed less freaked out by the fact that we were there, for one thing. But I wouldn't say that they gave us more room than Boston drivers do or slowed down more when passing us. It was equivalent. My only concern about cycling in Vienna, is that both bike paths and bike lanes are mandatory. With the bike lanes this can be especially problematic, because they are sometimes in the door-zone - and when this is the case, the cyclist is not legally allowed to move further out into the road. I wonder how cyclists handle this issue here. In Boston I never cycle in the door zone, and it made me nervous to do so here.

After almost 2 hours out and about, Paul and Haul returned to their stables at Citybiker. They seemed to have had as good of a time as we did. Anna is now seriously considering a Retrovelo, and I wish her the best of luck in her decision! I took lots of detailed shots of both the Retrovelo Paul and the Specialized Globe Haul, and will post my thoughts on them later. Thank you, Anna, for a great day!

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Augarten: a Bike Friendly Palace

This past Sunday I had some free time and visited my favourite park in Vienna: the sprawling grounds of the Augarten Palace. This is one of the lesser known Viennese parks, but I love it because of its baroque gardens and enchanted atmosphere. Unlike so many other city parks, it allows bicycles. You can cycle both along the outside perimeter and within the park grounds.

This is the view from the trail along the outside walls. It goes on and on and is lined with short, spider-like chestnut trees that bring to mind those in the paintings of Egon Schiele - my favourite expressionist painter, who worked in Vienna at the turn of the 20th century.

The entrance into the park is lined with tall chestnut trees. As you can see it was not a very pretty day. But in a way that makes the park grounds look all the more dramatic.

Landscaped lawn in front of the Augarten Porcelain Manufactory; flying crows.

In addition to the formal gardens, there is a network of maze-like alleyways.

There are still some spots left with beautiful foliage.

Most of the cyclists I see in the Augarten are parents with young children. Here is a mother carting around two toddlers in a cargo trike.

One of the more bizarre sights of the park: In the distance you can see one of the two Flak Towers constructed during WWII by the Luftwaffe to defend Vienna against Allied air raids. The towers have been left intact after the war for historical preservation purposes. Up till now, they have been kept empty, but developers are now considering installing a cinema in one of them. This is just one of the many architectural testaments to Vienna's conflicted history. The presence of the towers is both disturbing and thought provoking - especially in juxtaposition with the Baroque gardens.

Another parent cyclist, with a toddler in the child's seat.

There he goes, cycling along my favourite ivy-covered wall.

I love the way the ivy drapes over the faded brick.

You can't really tell here, but this door is tiny. Walking through it feels very Alice in Wonderland.

One of the many buildings along the park grounds that I find striking. It looks "thoughtful" to me. Maybe it is just my imagination running wild, but the park seems to have an otherworldly feel to it and I find it very appealing. If I do have time to rent a bicycle over the next two weeks, this will be one of my first destinations.

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