J
Jimbo
Guest
I'm not too sure what the weather prospects are in your area but the weather forecast here sounds
like a broken record.... rain... rain... rain... I have been dying to get some rides in on the fixie
and I absolutely need to get out doors... We awoke Friday morning to (ahhh what is that fire in the
sky!?!?!?!) sunshine. Carla had a date with work and I had to help my parents out at their house so
I decided to make the 10 mile trip on the fixie... Down my street at a pleasant pace... I am just
starting to get the Fix bug back in my veins... So nice...you spin the bike goes... you slack off
the bike spins you go for a bit. I hit the big mean main road and off I went... A few whistles and
yelps and traffic was mostly not a problem... Seems the bigger the truck the better a break they
give you... I had to take the lane a few times and it was always the big rigs that gave me the right
of way... I got to my destination safely, huffing only a half a lung... Did my chores for my parents
and realized I was running way late... Off I go determined to make sure I made it back in good
time... I stood on the beasts pedals and got the high and hard spin going... I was making awesome
time.. back to the main road that leads me onto my street I realized there is no damn shoulder and
Long Island drivers are not understanding of bikes on THEIR roads... I took my lane and had to make
some one fingered gestures to get some room... I made my way into the left lane and as I did I heard
a cop horn going off... I slowed to a trackstand and the convo went something like this: Cop: what
are you doing?
me: ummm riding my bike? Cop: you can't ride into traffic like that... you're going to get killed.
mf: I am a vehicle... I have the rights of a vehicle... I took my lane... please don't tell me I
know the traffic laws better than you? Cop: I really don't want to be scraping you off the
pavement me (as I made my left): I've been doing this for a few years... Please don't lose any
sleep on my count I had hoped for a ticket but I am not even sure what his point was...
regardless I made it home in plenty of time... Damn that was fun. Later that evening Carla came
home and reminded me we had a ride to do in Bethpage... I loaded up the bikes and as I got the
last of the gear in the van... what had been threatening clouds turned into a rain... We agreed
to take the ride to Bethpage anyway... since everything was loaded... we drove through the
downpour and when we got the 2 towns over it looked like it hadn't rained... We unloaded
everything and did our usual loop... The trail was in remarkable condition considering the
rain... just a few small puddles... We were picturing mud bogs and having to turn around.... We
had the bullits and flatties but the going was fast and we got in our loop before well before
dark... As we loaded the van the rain came... Not bad 2 in one day... or 2 in about 2 weeks...
Awoke the next morning with plans to try our luck out in Calverton... a 10 mile loop on the
eastern end of LI... The threatening clouds were back. Carla and I decided to tempt fate again..
we took the hour ride and unloaded... This time we are on our H/Ts. We took off and Carla
immediately told me to slow down and warm up... I told her to take the lead and off we went...
This is a nice 10 mile loop some small hills but the trail is very twisty... you cannot stop
concentrating for a second or a tree will reach out and shake yours bars to wake you back up...
I decided to leave the bike in one gear and see how I would do... This trail was made with
riding in one gear in mind... but not wide bars... Should make an interesting loop on the new
single speeds... I guess by now Carla was warmed up because she was flying in and around the
trail and I was huffing to keep up... She offered the lead and I couldn't even manage enough
wind to say no thanks... I took the lead and wheezed along.... I managed the climb out of the
section called the Scuttle hole... I was almost proud of myself when I looked up and Carla was
way ahead of me... and not even really out of breath. We finished the ride in a respectable
time. Loaded up and what shows up just as we got into the van? You guessed right if you said
rain... We'll see about this afternoon... There was a rumor of a fixie ride on the bike path...
but I just looked out the window and the rain is streaming down... I guess I can't complain.
Jimbo(san)
like a broken record.... rain... rain... rain... I have been dying to get some rides in on the fixie
and I absolutely need to get out doors... We awoke Friday morning to (ahhh what is that fire in the
sky!?!?!?!) sunshine. Carla had a date with work and I had to help my parents out at their house so
I decided to make the 10 mile trip on the fixie... Down my street at a pleasant pace... I am just
starting to get the Fix bug back in my veins... So nice...you spin the bike goes... you slack off
the bike spins you go for a bit. I hit the big mean main road and off I went... A few whistles and
yelps and traffic was mostly not a problem... Seems the bigger the truck the better a break they
give you... I had to take the lane a few times and it was always the big rigs that gave me the right
of way... I got to my destination safely, huffing only a half a lung... Did my chores for my parents
and realized I was running way late... Off I go determined to make sure I made it back in good
time... I stood on the beasts pedals and got the high and hard spin going... I was making awesome
time.. back to the main road that leads me onto my street I realized there is no damn shoulder and
Long Island drivers are not understanding of bikes on THEIR roads... I took my lane and had to make
some one fingered gestures to get some room... I made my way into the left lane and as I did I heard
a cop horn going off... I slowed to a trackstand and the convo went something like this: Cop: what
are you doing?
me: ummm riding my bike? Cop: you can't ride into traffic like that... you're going to get killed.
mf: I am a vehicle... I have the rights of a vehicle... I took my lane... please don't tell me I
know the traffic laws better than you? Cop: I really don't want to be scraping you off the
pavement me (as I made my left): I've been doing this for a few years... Please don't lose any
sleep on my count I had hoped for a ticket but I am not even sure what his point was...
regardless I made it home in plenty of time... Damn that was fun. Later that evening Carla came
home and reminded me we had a ride to do in Bethpage... I loaded up the bikes and as I got the
last of the gear in the van... what had been threatening clouds turned into a rain... We agreed
to take the ride to Bethpage anyway... since everything was loaded... we drove through the
downpour and when we got the 2 towns over it looked like it hadn't rained... We unloaded
everything and did our usual loop... The trail was in remarkable condition considering the
rain... just a few small puddles... We were picturing mud bogs and having to turn around.... We
had the bullits and flatties but the going was fast and we got in our loop before well before
dark... As we loaded the van the rain came... Not bad 2 in one day... or 2 in about 2 weeks...
Awoke the next morning with plans to try our luck out in Calverton... a 10 mile loop on the
eastern end of LI... The threatening clouds were back. Carla and I decided to tempt fate again..
we took the hour ride and unloaded... This time we are on our H/Ts. We took off and Carla
immediately told me to slow down and warm up... I told her to take the lead and off we went...
This is a nice 10 mile loop some small hills but the trail is very twisty... you cannot stop
concentrating for a second or a tree will reach out and shake yours bars to wake you back up...
I decided to leave the bike in one gear and see how I would do... This trail was made with
riding in one gear in mind... but not wide bars... Should make an interesting loop on the new
single speeds... I guess by now Carla was warmed up because she was flying in and around the
trail and I was huffing to keep up... She offered the lead and I couldn't even manage enough
wind to say no thanks... I took the lead and wheezed along.... I managed the climb out of the
section called the Scuttle hole... I was almost proud of myself when I looked up and Carla was
way ahead of me... and not even really out of breath. We finished the ride in a respectable
time. Loaded up and what shows up just as we got into the van? You guessed right if you said
rain... We'll see about this afternoon... There was a rumor of a fixie ride on the bike path...
but I just looked out the window and the rain is streaming down... I guess I can't complain.
Jimbo(san)
