How was your ride today? Week of March 1st, 2010

Submitted by pinkrobe on

Will March come in like a lamb and out like delicious braised shanks? I don't know, but I'm eager to find out... Post your daily rides!

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Sunshine

Submitted by pinkrobe on

It's that time of year again, when the sun is just coming over the horizon when I start my ride in to work. It's so nice to feel the warm rays on my face.

The ride in was pretty nice. There's a little less ice every day, and traffic was actually quite mellow. My legs aren't too tired after yesterday's excursion, although I can feel the soreness creeping back in...
___________________
Who causes accidents?
Fancy Pants

first ride of the year

Submitted by Dionysis on

Now that the temps are more reasonable, I decided it was time to start riding again (a couple of week early this year!). I ride from Edworthy to downtown early in the morning so it is still quite dark and only one rough spot on the path (near where the old Robin's Donuts place used to be).

Encountered a large group of joggers who were likely part of one of the fitness groups that meet early in the morning. Can't wait for the pedestrian path to clear up - joggers, please stay to the right and do not take up the whole path! And please wear a light (7 bucks at MEC!) or at least some light clothing!

Other than these yahoos, it is great to be back on the bike!

Oh the ice that is still out though

Submitted by scottmeyers on

I just about got taken out by a car today... On the path way... This will be a little long winded but I will try to set it up for you.

I was riding down the pathway between Harvest hills Blvd(Center Street N)and Country hills golf course, when BHAM!!! out of no where (well the street, but when your innocently on the path it might was well be out of no where) a Jeep cherokee is crossing my path. I quickly went through my mental check list, you know things like kept right of the lane, wearing reflective clothing, lights on, clean under wear... yup I was doing everything right, the car is definetly in the wrong. I applied my brakes and waited for the wayward car to relocate them selves where they belong. and continued on my way.

To make it better a bout 50 meters down the path from this incident a police car and tow truck are parked on the path and another SUV is precariously parked on the fence between the path and golf course.

Once I was underneath Beddington trail I promptly got on the street where it appeared to be safer...

By my best guess all of this mis-adventure was caused by moisture in the road that froze up last night. Combine with the lack of awareness that motorists seem to exhibit at 6 in the morning. I find that 2 wheels definetly teach you a thing or too about slick roads that 4 wheels just can't convey to the drivers.

Did he

Submitted by BCDon on

Did he ask you to hold his Iphone he was texting on while he slid by you attempting to regain control? Did he at least put the person he was talking to on the phone on hold during the slide?

Stupid Alberta figures texting and phones are "just fine". Sorry to steal the thread but I've had close calls due to dumb bimbettes talking or texting while driving.

Not sure they were even

Submitted by scottmeyers on

Not sure they were even aware they went off road let alone realize there was bike, cop, stranded motorist and tow truck all wathcing them. They did resume the commute like nothing happened. Perhaps ignorance is bliss.

Good to feel the sun on my face

Submitted by gyrospanner on

I got back from Vancouver/Whistler late last night & slept in. Two out of 3 weeks it rained!

The commute felt great - especially to feel the sun on my face. Too bad we do the DST "spring ahead" in 2 weeks.

I see that we may be returning to last year's norm of having a bunch of icy sections standing on the pathways for a few weeks/months...

beauty ride

Submitted by critninja on

the freeze/thaw cycle is in full effect so be careful out there while enjoying the springlike conditions. i went for a 35km fixie ride with a buddy yesterday and it was soooo nice out - no wind to speak of and very quiet roads - i think there must have been a lot of hungover calgarians (from the sunday hockey lovefest).

get out there are ride!

www.bikebike.ca

Tunnel vision

Submitted by sherryrunswest on

I like the look of the light beam in the fog. My vision was a little distorted because the mist was settling on my glasses, no big deal, a couple of swipes with my gloves did the trick. Noticing that the fog tends to significantly reduce commuter traffic. Maybe they leave later in the hopes that the fog will lift, who knows but not a single bike on my ride in this morning.

Icy Hills, Man!

Submitted by crazycga on

My first ride of the year, and my first ride on a new commuter bike! I was pretty happy, a little nervous 'cause it's also my first ride with SPDs... But all went well. Until - at least - Sandy Beach. That whole hill is one long ice sheet! There's also a huge pond at the north end of that whole thing where it goes into Mission.

The fog didn't bother me so much, but I did discover I'm lacking at least two pieces of cold weather gear! Brrr. Toes finally thawed at 9:00. LOL

sandy beach

Submitted by umgray on

thanks for the heads up thinking of getting back on the horse after a month at the olympics. That hill is always crazy, might take the gravel road beside it tomorrow.

First commute of the year

Submitted by BowCycle on

And I don't say that proudly. Happy to say Nose Hill was nice to come down but the garbage truck on the wrong side of Bow Cres caused a slow speed spill. Damage - my pride.

Bob G.

“Bicycling is a big part of the future. It has to be. There’s something wrong with a society that drives a car to workout in a gym.” – Bill Nye, the Science Guy

bikes@bowcycle.com
www.bowcycle.com

Chardonnay

Submitted by gyrospanner on

While I predominantly like reds, I was thinking about a cold & crisp chardonnay, in salute of the warmer days that are just around the corner.

Maybe with a little bit of Oak.

ODOS

Submitted by Spinner on

Isn't spring the beginning of beer season. ICE COLD BEER out on a patio, under an umbrella, young ladies in summery dresses.

A nice light sweet beer maybe .....

Submitted by Vince Roberts on

Something like a Lindamans ..... its really fruity and is mid-way to a wine. very boutique ... knowing Calary you should be able to pick it up somewhere. I mean you've got decent Aussie red wines here cheaper than you can buy them in Australia !

Apple Juice!!!!!

Submitted by critninja on

I unknowingly saluted springs arrival with a 4 pack of Strongbow cider yesterday after closing the shop - yum!

Although my fave cider these days is Blackthorne - a little drier, and a little more booze in it.

Having said that, pinkrobe's suggestions sounds pretty good too!

www.bikebike.ca

Pinot Auxerouis

Submitted by gyrospanner on

That was the final choice. I forgot that I snagged a coupla' bottles when I was in BC recently. Cold & Crisp!

I did feel like a king today - rode home in shorts & a T-shirt!! Stopped by the river & enjoyed some sun...

Cheers!!!

Shorts

Submitted by fastlayne on

Shorts are my only option for the ride home since my tights are missing some fabric on the right knee after a little low side this morning. Some street surface in industrial areas are a little slick when damp. I dropped like I was shot, good times for sure.

Really bad ice - Shaganappi Trail Tunnel

Submitted by NW_Tri_and_Bike on

The early thaw and lack of snow clearing has cause some massive ice there... I think I will take pictures and send them to the city... I tried to explain the value of clearing these out once or twice a season to allow for the spring thaw... my though is they have the priority list which works fine but long after they put snow removal equipment away there are many sections that sit under ice which turns to ice and may take 6-8 weeks to melt on their own...

http://ridecalgary.blogspot.com/

Pretty sweet actually... A

Submitted by scottmeyers on

Pretty sweet actually... A few big puddles in places, just keep the feet high and coast through. the underpasses are mostly clear. The worst section is under either 16th ave or 8th ave ( I can't recall which right now) there is about a 20 meter stretch of slushy ice.

some ice

Submitted by mikewarren on

There was a decent amount of ice in the morning yesterday between 64th and 32nd, would be melted by the afternoon. Can't say south of 16th, but there's usually a big puddle under there.

You can take side roads from 64th to the bus trap if you prefer (the first side-road north of the 64th bridge leads to a bus trap and hence back to the nose creek paths).

mike at mike dash warren dot com

Yup, pretty good

Submitted by shockingTemple on

I agree with scottmeyers but gotta add that the lower underpasses (32nd Ave Connector, Mcknight, etc.) can still have some Khumbu icefall-like qualities in spots, depending upon time of day. (But getting better every day!) If you want to carry any speed underneath the bridge to help pop back up on the other side, be mindful to check for any on-coming traffic & set up your line appropriately for the icefall.

Nosey

Submitted by 2wheeler on

This week I've been trying to breath through my nose while riding my bike, instead of the usual huffing through my mouth. The disadvantage is that some parts of the city smell bad! I was surprised riding around in the NE industrial parks how much stink there was.

Masked

Submitted by bclark on

I've commented on the air quality being pretty bad lately. It seems to me there are a lot of days where that nasty haze is hanging around smelling things up.

A few years ago I picked up a Respro mask from MEC. It seems to work okay for taking out some of the nasty air smell though it definitely restricts my breathing somewhat and contributes to fogged shades (i.e. don't expect to wear sunglasses when using it).

Supposedly it removes most harmful gases but I can still smell the exhaust from closeby vehicles. Maybe a suggestion if it becomes a bother for you. I usually judge when I wear it just by looking at how hazy it is.

Street Sweeping in Harvest Hills

Submitted by Jaykay65 on

They are doing more work near the lake / (storm water pond) and have been sweeping the streets that the heavy trucks have been using. There is a greasy, moist mixture of mud being spread thinly over the streets and with the cooler temps in the evening and morning, it is worse than ice. I have learned my lesson now, but that first ride over that mess was a nasty surprise.

One benefit though and I do not know if it is related to the lake work, but at all of the major intersections that I pass in the community they have swept-up a lot of the loose gravel.

Has anybody else seen any signs of sweeping yet? When I saw this yesterday, I wondered about 26th Ave SW and other bike lanes.

26th Ave SW

Submitted by sherryrunswest on

Just last week I saw the city out sweeping the bike lane. This is the second time since the beginning of the year that they've done it, that I've noticed anyhow. For the most part it is clear, some thicker, loose gravel is shoved up against the curb so not a concern.

This is good...

Submitted by Jaykay65 on

progress from the city! Maybe the lady (Sorry cannot locate her name) that attended the BC AGM last fall took our concerns back to the city and they have taken action this spring.

11ave SE

Submitted by Spinner on

I took a ride today to check the bike lane out, it hasn't been swept yet. Heading North is pretty bad.
You can see there is just a narrow section to ride on, which varies from about 12"- 24". And in some spots, the bike lane is totally covered.
Photobucket
A shot of how thick this stuff is in some places
Photobucket

I rode from 46ave to Heritage and back. South bound for the most part was what you see in the first picture. North bound was was better with about 1/2 the lane to ride in.It looked like North bound didn't get as much gravel laid down, it wasn't as deep and wasn't piled up along the curb like the other side.

yup its ugly...

Submitted by denimjeff on

the stretch southbound is bad...i don't think it even got swept until june/july last year. i ride this every day and most of the time i'm in traffic because its so sketchy. the best is blasting down the hill after standens and being passed by giant gravel trucks going at speed. good times. i've decided that i'm going to log a complaint every week until something gets done. good idea with the photos!

North pathway at Memorial and 10th Street NW

Submitted by Dionysis on

Anyone know when the city is going to clean up the path right in front of that old fire hall/outdoor rec center at this intersection?
With the construction they have been doing there for the last year or two, they have only left a narrow, mud/ice filled path and with the crazy drivers only inches away from you, I am rather nervous about riding here.
Of course, the city will probably just say "wait until the underpass is clear"....

No idea when the job will be

Submitted by Julie Gregg on

No idea when the job will be done but have to say I am grateful for the filler they used on that mush we rode on Mon/Tues, at least it is a bit more stable and easier to ride on, the detour isn't great, that's for sure, I keep forgetting to just stay on the south side!! Habits are hard to break.

I rode through there this

Submitted by centzon on

I rode through there this morning - looks like the underpass has been cleared! There were still "pathway closed" gates on either side, but it was easier to go around those than to take the makeshift sidewalk and crosswalk past the cars hooking right onto the bridge. There were a couple ice slicks under there but it was in no different a condition than any other section of the river path, really.

wonderful

Submitted by Julie Gregg on

Thank you! Last night as I passed that spot I looked back and it seemed the underpass was clear, but this morning in my usual morning fog I forgot about it. Tonight going home I'll try to remember and go that way. I am not a fan of going over the top at 10th. No doubt when we have the spring thaw that section will close again but I'll be happy to ride it until then!

fantastic

Submitted by Dionysis on

Guy at work also mentioned that he could have sworn that the path under the bridge had been cleared this morning but he was not sure.

Thanks for confirming it - I'll try it on the way home this afternoon.

Home Road

Submitted by bclark on

Anyone ridden up it lately? Did the City sweep the gravel on the northbound lane? I had requested they do that a while back at the time when all the side streets were pretty icy but never got a call back about whether they were actually going to get out and do it. Now I'm taking the side roads to avoid proximity to traffic. I did notice a feeble attempt at sweeping 53rd St NW.

First Ride this year.

Submitted by BCDon on

Well, after tearing my ACL (thought it was my PCL but that was wrong) at the end of January, going through Physio in February, rejoining the gym and doing some stength training (while waiting for another couple of weeks to see a Sports Doc), I finally went out for a ride today. With a LifeCycle being part of my rehab I've been doing at least some "riding" and part of my training is some leg exercises. So, I figured I shouldn't be too bad.

Rode my normal commute (90% of it) from SW to NW to check out the condition of my route on my "Jake the Snake" XC. A couple of ice spots still but not bad. However, I did ride over and through some water which will freeze overnight. So, I still have my studded tires on, don't want to fall with my bum knee. Oh and tons of people on the pathway, had to slow down to about 10Kph a few times (or less) plus a few detours off to the grass on the side.

The good news is that the knee held up real well. The first time I attempted to stand it didn't feel quite right. Next time I leaned forward and made sure that I didn't straighten my knee and it was fine. Heading up the 9% and 10% slopes on my route was OK and my weight training helped there - Head up by the Foothills Hospital.

Anyway, did about 35Km although my average was only 20Kph but that should get better as I work out more and get more miles under my legs.

Really nice day for March, a bit cool with only a light short sleeved jersey and a light vest.

Only had one car decide I wasn't going very fast and turn left in front of me, even after I was waving with the other hand to signal I was there. He didn't really care too much. I yelled something appropriate at him. In any case, no problem.

Looking forward to a road ride on my Trek Madone along Highway 22X.

Thanks.

Submitted by BCDon on

Well, my computer (Garmin GPS) shuts off when I stop moving but that isn't very frequently, When I approach a stop sign I'll slow down with enough time to figure out how to retain a bit of speed and go through when the traffic stops. But yes, certainly some slower times when lots of people are on the pathway. In some cases so thick that I had to ride behind some folks walking for a bit.

Before Trailers.

Submitted by BCDon on

Before trailers, when the littleuns were babes, I used to use a "snuggly" as a back back and take them for 20 minute or so road rides. Put them to sleep every time. Hmmmmm, maybe that's why the 2 that I did this with are into cycling and the rest aren't. Just thought of that.

Anyway, it's great to get them out although in this kind of weather one has to be careful to keep them warm as they aren't moving around generating any kind of heat while we're sweating our A$$es off pulling them along.

My dad got my mom a bike

Submitted by scottmeyers on

My dad got my mom a bike this year. The first time she has ridden in I would bet 15 or 20 years. So I went for a ride today with her. Something I haven't done in I bet 15 or 20 years. Any how she got one of those Specialized Globes. Nice little bike, Sweet day for a ride. Tomorrow I think I will break out mister Fixie and go for a tour of the city... Sun in my face and fists too the wind, way better than the last four months of frozen toes and a runny nose.

Please support my ride to Conquer Cancer

Great Day - Road Ride.

Submitted by BCDon on

Got a late start but went out for a road ride along 22X West, then South for awhile. Only did 36Km in total. Yesterday was 35Km around the city on the paths on the Cross bike with an average speed of 20Kph. Today was just over 25Kph, a bit of an East wind. Still slower than I should be but not bad for an hour and a half or so for early March.

Anyway, great day for a ride and really nice ride.

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