How Was Your Ride Today? Week of June 13th

Submitted by pinkrobe on

I haven't done one of these in a while, so I figured I'd jump in.

How was your ride today? Tell us all about it!

Forums: 

Getting better

Submitted by birchy on

It was my second official day commuting to work. I rode on Thursday last week and it was pretty tough.. especially coming home. It's almost all uphill from 12 Street SE to Killarney! At least it felt like it anyways.. didn't help that I made a couple wrong turns and had to back track..

Today was quite a bit better.. tried a slightly different route once I get to Chinook (going east to work), and I think I shaved off a couple minutes. It's too bad there's not a way to drive right through the middle of Chinook Centre (underground parkade or something), because driving around it actually takes a couple minutes! The place is so huge. We'll see how it goes this afternoon.

Great Ride Today

Submitted by echonine on

Good news that Calgary has a new bike strategy!

However, I would offer the following,

Since the bike path system is being viewed as part of Calgary's transportation system,
I would argue cyclists in general follow the rules of the road, though there are offenders.
Mind you, as a consequence of of our misdeeds, we could get ticketed or are subject to road rash.

Pedestrians need to be also educated, responsible, and held accountable.
Dog walkers with dogs off lease on path, the IPOD'd lady, texting, and her poodle right across the path on the north
side of the Crowchild Trail Bow River bike bridge, or the IPOD'd moms with strollers, 3 abreast across the path way.

The pathway is multi use gem, belonging to all Calgary's citizens, but as use increases, all must use it responsibly, and held accountable.

Still a great ride today!

Bike Strategy

Submitted by echonine on

I can hardly wait.

In the immediate, do the City have a mechanism for those of
us with eyes on the pathways, to file remedial actions to fix
what we've already got?

Observations I made this morning include the pathway "pool" on the west side of the Oakridge Path adjacent
to the reserve, the "pool" on the South Glenmore path, and the Bow River path "pool" south of the Calf Robe Bridge.
I don't think commuters on the way to work, want to get drowned. Some minor ditching, swales, and seeding would dry things up nicely.

I saw that.

Submitted by Tyrone on

I rode that path home on Friday, and couldn't believe the amount of water there. Of course, with it being Friday afternoon, I took them as a challange. I was pretty dirty when I rolled into the house.

Pheasant

Submitted by DarrenB on

I had a really colourful ring-necked pheasant cross the road in front of me along Varsity Estates Dr NW this morning (right at the golf course). I captured it on video, but the rooster was far enough away that it is hard to identify onscreen. Regardless, that was a cool sighting -- I had no idea they were in the city!?

I hear them all the time

Submitted by gyrospanner on

down in Bowmont Park just below the golf course. I even saw one once out of the corner of my eye running through the bush parallel to a trail I was riding on near the old Klippert gravel works.

Cool!

It sort of gives me a warm feeling that we are not so far from nature where we live....

(We just have to get out and experience it.....)

Bald Eagle and Blackbirds

Submitted by Jaykay65 on

Bald eagle this morning on a stand of dead trees along the canal just south of the Inglewood GC. I really need to remember my Camera.
Near home and the Country hills golf course tonight I was under attack from a blackbird. Flyby and was clipped in the face by its wingtip. Then she circled around behind me and fluttered her wings in my (lack of) hair. I say "she" as I believe it is the females that are protecting the nest, while the male is spending time with the chicks.

Screw This!

Submitted by gyrospanner on

Anybody have a #8 Robertson?

I was riding home from an extra bad day at work, a bad day at the dentist, and an offsetting good ride in the morning and afternoon, when I got a F^}#ing Screw in my tire about 3 blocks from home. I was rushing home to watch the game, so I coulda' changed my tube there, but I wanted to go see the game on my bigscreeen HDTV, and we all know how that ended, don't we....

PPPFFFLLLAAAUUUUUUUWWGAAA!

I was actually amazed at the the 3 cyclists who passed in the ten minutes I was pushing my bike who "checked in" to see f I needed some help! Cheers to you guys!

#8 X 32 X 1.5" Works great on decks. FOOKAMEE!!

Photobucket

bolt home then

Submitted by RichieRich on

Gyro... I'm not laughing at you, but the way you relayed your story brought a smile for sure and a good chuckle. Thanks for the morning laugh. Look on the bright side, after a day like that today can only get better.

# 8 requires #2

Submitted by Cword on

#8 describes the threaded portion of the screw.

The tip on the screwdriver that fits is described as a #2 :) which of course is synonymous with the way your ride ended.

quieter today

Submitted by Dionysis on

This morning was the "calm before the storm" - absolutely great ride in and very quiet out there on the paths this morning (at least, at 6 A.M.) despite the fact that this season it seems Wednesdays are the busiest days for bike traffic. Perhaps the threat of some more rain is keeping some people off their bikes today....
Looking for a silver lining, at least the rain is washing the goose poop off the paths :-)

"threat" of rain?

Submitted by RichieRich on

at 550am this morning the rain was pounding heavily upon our roof (far NW) with the gutters gurgling away as they struggled to keep up! Of course by 610am as I stood at the bus stop the rain was 99% gone and I was wondering if I'd made the right call. A while later whilst packed into the already crowded LRT/SardineCan I watched the bike commuters zipping along free thinking to myself "lucky buggers... they made the right decision".

Bike Cops

Submitted by RichieRich on

Is it just me, or do the bike-cops NOT have to obey any of the rules? Seen several blatent instances the last few days of them obviously violating basic rules and courtesies such as: not using bells, using crosswalks, sidewalk surfing, jay-biking, riding on the wrong side of paths, not indicating intentions, riding on 8th Ave (Stephen Ave mall), etc...

Uh oh!

Submitted by Tyrone on

Rides have been great this week so far but......

Since increasing my commute to 20km each way, I really am regretting the rainy ride home. Here's hoping it holds off?

Canal Ride

Submitted by iLuvGR33N on

I peddled to Chestermere, just for the heck of it a couple of days ago. If any of you have to do that every day & aren't a daily in training roadie? well kudo's to you...

Gosh it was flat & boring. Except for the large well fed coyote, & fox, & bald eagle, & large mouse that scurried along in front of me followed by a ravenous mag pie.

Trying to take better paths far more suited for me!

old fogies on the canal path?

Submitted by ride on

Did you see the retired cyclists on the canal path? They ride out that way most every Tuesday and Wednesday - quite a bunch of them from what I heard. They are with the FLC Seniors Cycle club. Next week they're heading up Nose Creek and W Nose Creek. Join in if you're over 55! (not you necessarily CCG, but anyone reading this).

Old Spokes

Submitted by iLuvGR33N on

I guess you must know about all of the in's & out's of riding Calgary & what not. Cuz duHhude you don't look 55+. x)

Anyhow, no I did not. I went on Monday. I will keep an eye out in the future, & maybe take some pics. It might be nice to go for a 'group' ride. I need a slower group though, so my age group is out...most likely.

I wonder if that is the group

Submitted by Julie Gregg on

I wonder if that is the group lead by the fellow that stopped by when Al F. and I were tending the BikeCalgary tent at the MEC Bike Fest. He said he has over 100 members registered with his seniors cycling group and they go out at least 2x per week on a 3-4 hour ride. He was very keen on learning more about the cycling strategy proposal and was planning to attend one of the Civic Camp meetings and hoped to take a contingency of seniors with him. Awesome!!

thanks Julie

Submitted by ride on

Yes, thanks for talking up the Cycle Strategy and letting Murray know about the Civic Camp consultation sessions. Without him and his two companions, it would have been pretty lonely at the NE session on Monday night!

oh dear, not good

Submitted by Julie Gregg on

a co-worker arrived late today and in fowl humor - because a cyclist got on the train with his bike and the train driver wouldn't go until he got off because it was before the time for bikes to be allowed on the train. The other passengers apparently kept telling the guy to get his bike off so the train would go.......not sure where I stand on this one. "If there was room then just go, man, it's raining out!" is one way of thinking...the other is I suppose the train driver has an obligation to uphold the rules. Having no indication as to how long that rider would be on the train or how many more passengers would be boarding......hmmm...can the driver make an exception?

Don't think he can. There's

Submitted by sj_mckenna on

Don't think he can. There's no way to predict how many people will want onto the train at the next stop and the train can't handle multiple bikes on it during rush hour, so it's not possible to even allow one. I think you have to ride...

next time...

Submitted by ride on

The cyclist should never have even gotten to the train if the Calgary Transit staff were on the ball, because he should have received a verbal command while on the platform to not get on the train.

Having said that, sounds like a lack of compassion all around.

Well of course

Submitted by BCDon on

The issue continues to be that the city refuses to recognize cycling as an alternative to other mode of transportation.

It isn't the drivers fault, it is the city!

I noticed that, as well

Submitted by gyrospanner on

But I guess that however you wear them, they will keep your feet dry!

I wore my booties the last 2 days, with shorts, what a ridiculouus "look!" I was probably lucky that mobody called me Peter Pan!

HAH!

BUT, my feet were dry!

well, there ya' go! That was

Submitted by Julie Gregg on

well, there ya' go! That was my issue, I was wearing running shorts and couldn't fathom wearing weirdo looking booties with them! So my vanity got the better of me and I am dealing with the soggy bottom shoe issue instead :)

Wow... quiet in here... too quiet!

Submitted by Scott on

Not many of us riding today I gather? I did, one of my co-workes as well. See a few out there this morning. Great ride, wettest in some time but my rain gear held up just fine and dandy. Not a fan of my half fenders but ah well... i chose the bike. Coulda chose one of my others with full fenders so nobody to blame but myself. I see a strong headwind out there for me. Ick.

Yep

Submitted by DarrenB on

Yep -- it is days like today that make me remember why I don't take off my full fenders! And why is it that, no matter what time I leave work, the rain always stops 15 - 20 min after I get home? Maybe I should broadcast when I leave work so that everyone else in the northwest knows to leave in about 40 minutes. :-)

stuck for now

Submitted by Julie Gregg on

just waiting for the fire alarm to clear so I can slide into my very wet clothes from this morning and head out there again in my shorts and wet shoes - yeck-

I'm a witch

Submitted by BCDon on

So I don't ride in the rain :). Well that's not totally true but I just started a new job and did cycle in on Monday and Tuesday at least. Plan to cycle in more next week but have to drop off a vehicle tomorrow so won't be riding.

Crappy Spring, seems like way more rain than in the past. Hopefully that'll change for July through September.

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