🏷️ bikes

Last Saturday I convinced @paul and @terry to get on their bikes on the windiest day for Cranksgiving. It's a scavanger hunt/race where you ride around to different stores, trying to get as many items on the list as possible for Food not Bombs.

We didn't stick around for the results at the GoBike shop at the end but I'm convinced we were in the top third at least.

After spending all yesterday morning cleaning up even more of the Halloween party (this time taking down and untangling the lights) @terry and I went for a bike ride. We came across the Campus Wheelworks "Dominator" cyclocross race in Delaware park, by Rumsey woods.

For some reason I always thought they were tiny events but there were at least 100 people there for a giant party. Beer chugging on bikes, two riders running up the stairs with a tandem etc. The course was about a mile long and the whole race was over 4 miles.

I'll have to check it out earlier next year.

They converted Pearl street to two-way, and added bike lanes in each direction. I'm actually surprised it turned out well. I think they gave the car travel lanes 11 ft which would be the absolute minimum. It should calm it down. Even the new paint, pavement and lights make the street look a little less like the ass-end of Main St.

Still wondering why we aren't opting for segregated cycle tracks on these wide streets though. Easier for someone with a snow blower to maintain and no parked cars to infringe. The west side would be great for it considering the truck and fire lanes on the eastern edge.


This week Terry and I made both a chana masala

and a terry-aki tempeh. I think I have these dishes down pat.

Saturday we did a little more gardening and trimmed the rose bush way back. I think next year I want to clean up the driveway side and then put a trellis for something creepy. Then the bricks wouldn't soak up so much heat in the summer.

Afterwards we went to "House of Hummus" on Hertel for lunch. It's in the same spot that used to be "Mankeesh and More" and a million other of the same restaurants with different names. I don't know if that's a bad sign but oh well.

The falafel was OK but I really think I like a turkish style better, with cabbage and sauces, lots more vegetable options and the thicker doener bread.

Later at night, @terry went to Squeaky Third Party, and @paul and I went out to bike smut with @mike, @libertad and @chris. Well, we got to Hot Mama's at ~8:30pm for something that was supposed to start at 9. It didn't start until 10:45(!!). Wtf?

The videos were good but definitely not as amazing as last time. Maybe it was because they were almost entirely lesbian oriented. Anyways we left at the end for The Third Party, I almost wish we had gone to that. The Agway warehouse space was awesome and the music was decent when we got there. Afterwards I hung out with @YesThatCasey for a bit.

Jeremy joined us for the Tour de Farms last Saturday.

It poured almost the whole day, but it was warm. Once I got soaked I really didn't care about the rain.

Although I've seen the urban farms 3 times now, and the ride is slow-rolly. I think I'll just skip those for the lunch and end party in the future.

The food on the ride is amazing. Some sort of califlower mash, a purple and green bean potato salad, the best corn on the cob and a tofu burger.

@paul and terry took the bus back with Jeremy, but I rode with some of the other bikers. It rained even harder on the way back.

We rode through Alden into Lancaster, down the heritage trail, down to Como Park Boulevard. Como Park has huge 10 ft bike lanes on each side.

At this point we stopped at Hotel Bellevue. No good beer but a Yuengling was $1.75!

Still pouring but we continued down to Union, where a rail trail took us all the way to William. So now I know you can get to country roads avoiding almost all traffic. I think I rode about 75 miles for the day.

I tried catching up with the Thursday night ride.

I thought I could count on the ride leaving late from Essex, but they were gone and I had to text find out where they were going. While I was waiting I ran into my mom's friend Leslie. She was taking out a cyclist who was staying at their house from warmshowers.org. It's essentially couchsurfing but for people who are traveling long distances by bike. I want to put our house on it.

Anyway I found out from Alex the ride was going to Dalmatia hotel in Old Town Tonawanda. So I raced up there to meet them, but it turns out I beat the ride.

I didn't want to go in yet so I sat on the curb with my bike. These three guys were arguing outside the bar, threatening to kick each others asses. They break up for a few minutes, and one walks down the street. Then a few minutes later, this 40ish year old guy comes back with a bag around his shoulder and starts yelling at one of the guys he fought with before. Almost 100% sure it was a gun bag, it looked like this: . The other guy starts yelling he's going to call the cops and runs down the block.

I never thought I'd be nervous to be of Tonawanda but there you go.

Obviously I went inside the bar, when the rest of the ride gets there. It turns out this bar is amazing. There were a ton of friendly bros, a CBW beer was $3, Hamburg double IPA was $3.50 (sounds like a lot but it was a full 16oz and 8%, which is amazing for a bar) and a bunch of drafts were only $2.

They even had a black bean burger but i didn't try it.

Has anyone else been down the new bike lanes on Niagara at night? I rode down last Friday night.

I love the green paint and the general quality of the pavement. Especially compared to what it was before.

But the LED streetlamps are blinding, especially coming on and off the dark streets on the west side. There's no trees to limit the glare either. I really wish they would either tone them down or pick a warmer color temperature, instead of putting a sodium lamps wattage into a white LED. It's really the same problem on Ohio Street too but much less traffic.





Then I saw the giant duck down at Canalside. Even at midnight people were lining up to take pictures of it.


But by yesterday it was already gone ;(
I stole this picture from @czarkasm's facebook. Who knew it would goatse everyone on the way out?

Fwendsday night bike ride took @terry and I out to West Seneca. There were about 5 people on the ride

Down by the river, in a secret rail bridge spot.

And over to Pocketeer, I've heard about it but this was my first time. It was like a giant adult Putt Putt, just as run down. Pool tables, pinball machines, ski balls, and cheap beer.

@terry kicked my ass at skiball. I think he won pool with Nathan too. Where was the hustle when you need it?

chomp that pole @terry

On the way home half of us inhaled a pizza and purple gatorade.

@paul and I were supposed to go down to the jump off to swim with the Wednesday night ride. But the ride missed us, so instead we sat on the rocks and drank beers while the sun went down.
Have you ever seen the Cotter spray it's hoses? I haven't. Almost got those kayakers in the face.

we're doing it again - the second ever Buffalo World Naked Bike Ride. A ride for bikes and bodies, against car culture.

Where: TBA
When: July 9th, meet up at 7pm

More details to be announced soon, here and on the Facebook page.

@paul made some pretty awesome flyers for it that he should post.