Golden Gate Cycling

Biking across the Golden Gate Bridge offers beautiful views and brisk breezes. But on a pleasant August afternoon there are just too many people swarming this iconic landmark. On weekdays before 3:30, only the eastern span is open to pedestrians and bicycles. Clear, regularly-placed signage indicates that pedestrians should walk on the eastern half of the span and cyclists – going both directions – should use the western half of the same walkway. As you can imagine, it isn’t wide enough. The hazards of the cramped space are compounded by clueless tourists meandering every which-way, large groups spreading across the entire width, and cyclists who appear unsteady on two wheels. I spied one young couple on a tandem, the guy up front toiling away while his girlfriend tucked her feet up on the bike frame – too busy taking selfies to bother pedaling.

On my return trip back across the bridge I had to regularly call out to wandering pedestrians, “please walk to the left.” With the noise of wind and car traffic, I had to use a louder voice than I would have liked. And then it happened. One young man, paying no attention to where he was walking, took offense at being asked to move over. “Don’t have a heart attack old lady,” he yelled at me.

Selfie with rental bike

Old lady, hurled at me as an insult. It was a low blow. Sure, I probably delude myself that I look younger than I do. But old lady??? Once the crowds diminished, another “old lady” riding behind me the whole way said, “let me talk to you when we get across.” She was about my same vintage – early 60s – and clearly a very fit, regular San Francisco cyclist. She vented her frustration about the hordes of tourists who are encouraged by the bike rental companies to cycle across the clogged bridge without having basic cycling skills or knowledge of bike etiquette. She didn’t know I was a visitor myself and she took the sting off the “old lady” comment by telling me, “I could tell you really knew how to ride.” It’s not easy going at slow speed, keeping your balance, weaving around the crowds. I was glad to have my old lady cycling prowess acknowledged by a kindred spirit.

But enough about the frustrations. I rented my bike at Golden Gate Bicycle Rentals near Golden Gate Park. There was quite a crowd of people getting bikes and they had several models – a rather awful-looking “comfort” bike, mountain bikes, and a nice city bike. The rental guy was about to give me a “comfort bike” when he saw, perhaps, the distressed look on my face, or possibly caught a glance of my big bicyclist thighs. Whatever it was, he said, “You look like you bike a lot…I’ll give you this one” (the nice city bike). A tourist in a large group got the comfort bike. I suspect she wouldn’t have appreciated the difference. Lucky for me the bike guy didn’t discriminate against “old ladies” – and the 24-speed Specialized was a worthy mount for my afternoon adventure.

Someone was training dogs in the Presidio

We were advised to take Arguello Avenue north to the Presidio as the flattest route. Even so, there were a few substantial up-hills, but nothing this old lady couldn’t handle – albeit using the “granny gears” a few times. The signage for bike route 65 to the GG Bridge could have been a bit clearer, but I found my way, riding up and up through the Presidio to the entrance for the bridge.

After my trip back and forth across the bridge, I took the coastal route west, joyously coasting down a huge hill from the top of the Presidio to sea level. I entered Golden Gate Park at 25^th Avenue, rode west to the ocean on the bike lane of the main road (stopping to snap a photo of the windmill) and then south to the other corner of the park, traveling along the ocean to the other windmill. Going east I took the park’s very nice bike path, past the polo field and many groups of picnickers enjoying the lovely day.

Because of glitches on the BART, it had taken me two hours to get from my airport hotel to the bike rental near the park – a trip that ordinarily would have taken just an hour. Once I finally got on the bike, I immediately felt my grumpiness vanish. The same thing happened after finishing the less-than-jubilant ride across the bridge. Once I could cycle without impediment, I was a free spirit on two wheels – whether riding into the wind or enjoying it at my back. Riding a bike cures many ills.

Golden Gate park

I returned the bike after three happy hours and decided to walk to the BART stop at 16^th and Mission – where I planned to enjoy a taco before returning to my hotel. I walked east on Haight Street, glancing south now and then to find the flattest route. Suddenly I realized I was walking along the San Francisco “wiggle” – a route I biked last year. It’s a clearly marked east-west bike route designed to help cyclists avoid SF’s infamous hills. Riders (or pedestrians) travel through the valleys. The wiggle is equally great for walking as it is for cycling!

Black line shows my approximate bike route - about 16 miles

By the time I reached the Mission district, I was ready for my taco. It was just a quarter to five, but when I saw a line snaking out the door at Pancho Villa Taqueria I knew it was the place to go. Delicious pureed red beans, grilled vegetables, salsa, and guacamole atop two fresh tortillas, plus a basket of chips and a choice of about 15 salsas – I devoured it all. I had worked hard and my body felt it: a good physical exhaustion. At one point I realized I had dozed off on the BART, but I’m sure there was a smile on my face.

Biking in Bemidji

Biking where? I had never heard of Bemidji, although I grew up in the neighboring state of Wisconsin. Bemidji is in northern Minnesota, near the Canadian border and close to its more famous neighbor: Fargo.

I came not just for cool air and clear lakes. No, the lure was the Northwoods Writers conference, sponsored by Bemidji State University. It has turned out to be the best writing conference I have ever attended (message me if you want to learn more). And imagine my joy when I learned that Bemidji – population 13,000 and some change – has a bike share program!!! On the college campus where I spent five nights in a comfortable dorm (I splurged on the air-conditioned dorm with a private room for the stupendous sum of $28 per night…but could have economized on a $17 room, if necessary) I could get an orange Nice Ride bike for $5/hour, with a maximum daily charge of $15/day (or $25 if you kept it overnight).

Readers of this blog will know that I sample bike share systems wherever I travel. The Bemidji bikes are not your typical 50-pound behemoth. They are sturdy, but not so heavy, and their three gears are just right for the mostly level terrain. Their best feature, however, is a capacious front basket/rack attached to the front pole. I loaded mine up with backpack and water bottle and it moved independently of the steering. It’s just what I need for my bike at home!

On Sunday I had a free afternoon and set out to bike the 17-mile circuit around Lake Bemidji. Just my luck, I met Trish – another cycling writer – at the rental counter and she joined me for the adventure. She had cycled here the day before and kept me from getting lost.

Lake Bemidji is shaped something like a large (right) footprint. This is the land of Paul Bunyon lore, so perhaps one of his gigantic feet formed the lake. The University is located about where the beginning of the arch would be – above the heel. We decided to cycle in a clockwise direction and so pedaled north toward the big toe and rounded the top of the foot. This turned out to be the least-nice section of the ride, as much of it was on streets and highway. That said, traffic – even on the highway – was more like a country road. There was always a very wide shoulder and Minnesota drivers keep a wide distance from bikes.

Past the middle toe is Bemidji State Park – a shady forested refuge with a sandy swimming beach and plenty of campsites. I made a mental note to return when I’d have more time to explore. The park ends at the top of the little toe, and we headed south along the nicest portion of the circuit. It is mostly bike and hike path, forested and – even on a lovely Sunday afternoon – we encountered only one other set of cyclists.

Almost directly opposite from where we started, The Mississippi River flows into and through Lake Bemidji – a phenomenon I did not know about. The headwaters of the Mississippi are about 40 miles west in Itasca. I did not visit, but was told that the river bubbles out of the ground like a creek. From such humble beginnings our nation’s mightiest river flows. From Itasca, the river runs north to Bemidji before it begins its long southern descent to the Gulf of Mexico. (Side note: the next evening I was lucky to attend a party at the northernmost point on the river. That night the Northern Lights put on a display – but much to my dismay, I missed seeing it.)

Northernmost point of the Mississippi River

Point where the Mississippi flows into Lake Bemidji

We continued riding around the heel of the lake. The Mississippi exits just around the inner end of the heel. From there we rode through “town” and returned the bikes.

Swimming beach at Lake Bemidji State Park

Rustic cabin in the park - a CCC project

The conference kept me very busy with craft talks, workshops, author readings, and – of course – writing. But I had a two-hour, rain-free window on Wednesday. I grabbed another bike, pedaled the 6 miles to the state park, went for a little swim and rode back refreshed.

Bike shares in the park

It’s a bit of a haul to get here – a 4-hour drive from Minneapolis – but I would gladly return (in summer) for the conference, the lake, and the bikes. And another chance to look for the elusive Northern Lights.

Lasts and Firsts

 

April has come with lasts and firsts. I had a bittersweet last bike commute to work – no I’m not giving up biking – but I am leaving the world of full-time work. So, okay, it wasn’t too bitter – and nothing will prevent me from cycling into DC whenever I feel like it. But I guess I felt a bit sad to be shedding the identity of “bicycle commuter.” Instead, I’ll adopt the role of “transportation cyclist” – especially since I’ll have more time for daily errands. The last day I’d biked into work I had a dental appointment in Chevy Chase. I took the bike there on the Metro and then got to ride the Capitol Crescent Trail home. Along the Potomac I saw a large group of double-crested cormorants resting in a tree.

April 8-11 I headed to Minneapolis for the AWP writers conference. The weather looked gloomy the first couple days – rain mixed with, yes, SNOW! But my third day was sunny and crisp so I took a mid-day hiatus from the huge convention center event, found a bike share, and went for a brisk half-hour ride around the neighborhood.

The Minneapolis bike share is called “Nice Ride” – owing to the state’s reputation for “nice.” Having just cycled in Chicago a couple weeks earlier, I can say there was a huge difference between Chicago and Minneapolis drivers. In Minneapolis there were few bike lanes near the convention center, but drivers consistently gave me a wide berth and offered the right-of-way at intersections. By contrast, in Chicago the culture seemed to be more like: let’s see how close I can drive to the bike…mwahahahaha.

I returned to DC with spring in full bloom and enjoyed learning some new bike routes – riding to Dupont Circle to drop off my Master’s Thesis – yay, almost done with my writing degree – and then returning via the Rock Creek Trail – which I haven’t ridden for years.

This week I came up to Philly and was excited to see the kick-off of the Philly bike share system, called Indego. Two hundred fifty of the bikes were arrayed by the Philadelphia Art Museum and people had signed up to take them to docking stations around the city. Unfortunately I didn’t hear about the event until the day before. Apparently they advertised it Friday and all the bikes were eagerly spoken for.

The crowd was diverse: young and old, black and white, business attire and bike gear. There were folks with bike cams on their helmets and a general air of festivity. I have now ridden bike share bikes in DC, Boston, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and Minneapolis. Aside from differences in color and sponsorship, all the bikes seemed to be the same general design, with the exception of the San Francisco bikes having seven (as opposed to three) gears – for the obvious reason.

 

The Philly bikes are different. They have a front and rear basket, and a rear rack, as well. One of the Indego staffers told me that they did extensive focus groups and people wanted more storage space. Also different is the pricing structure in Philly. While prices for a 24-hour rental ranged from about $6 in Minneapolis to nearly $10 in New York, the Philly system has monthly and per-ride prices – no annual membership or daily rate. A single ride is $4 and can be paid with cash or credit card – an attempt to help people who don’t have credit cards be able to use the bikes. Riders can pay a $10 annual fee to get unlimited trips of $4 for an hour or pay $15 per month for unlimited free rides. While this comes out to considerably higher than DC’s annual membership fee of $75, Philly has colder winters and many riders may prefer to pay only for the months they expect to ride.

My small accomplishment was making my way into town from the Cycling Yogi’s Mount Airy home by myself. I always followed my Sherpa and, even though I’d done the trip many times over the past five years, I was a bit nervous about trying it on my own – due to my notoriously bad sense of direction. Well, to be honest, my cycling Sherpa guided me to the beginning of the Wissahickon Trail and it was smooth sailing from there – with the exception of one downed tree covering the path.

I’m lucky to be starting my new phase of life in the spring, when the weather is mild and the blossoms abundant. I’m looking forward to trying new routes with plenty of time for detours and the serendipitous adventures that accompany getting lost.

 

Another Notch in my Bikeshare Belt

Another city, another opportunity to try a bikeshare system - in this case Chicago's "divvy." When I arrived on Monday, all flights had been delayed by an inch of snow. I was NOT thrilled to encounter one more spring snow, but the weather forecast was for warming temperatures by Wednesday afternoon - which was perfect, since that was when my work obligations would be over.

 Tuesday I had spent some time walking around my neighborhood, looking at the traces of green still coloring the Chicago River a week after it’s St. Patrick’s Day dye job. A statue of Nathan Hale showed him festooned by a whimsical snow cap atop his head.

On Wednesday I headed for the docking station just a block from my hotel, but when I got there the touch screen didn't work. My next try was successful, but finding easy access to the lakeshore path was more of a challenge. I thought I turned the right direction, but I ended up inside an enormous playground through which I had to walk the bike in search of an exit. Naturally it took me several blocks in the wrong direction, but once I escaped I was happy that the temperature was a comfortable 40-something degrees.

Chicago has an abundance of outdoor art – both sculpture and mural.

Once I got around a detour on the path, it was smooth sailing toward my destination: the Lincoln Park Conservatory, one of the nation's oldest botanical gardens - and free to the public. I knew I would have to change out my bike to avoid extra fees, and I suspect I didn't make it within the required half hour. I had to do a short stretch on city streets to dock the bike and do not think Chicago drivers understand about a three-foot passing zone. I resorted to the sidewalk in a few places and, thus, am still alive to write this blog.

The gardens were beautiful, featuring a palm room, a fern room, an orchid room, and a spring display - reminding me of what we have to look forward to in the next month or so.

Getting back onto the lakeshore path again entailed a bit of backtracking to cross the major road. I decided to get off north of my hotel to avoid the playground fiasco again. Finally I found a city street with an actual bike lane. Bike infrastructure in the downtown area seems much less developed than what I'm used to in D.C., Arlington, and Philly. However, as in cities everywhere, I didn't have to ride far for my lane to be blocked by a delivery truck.

After docking the bike, I saw a sign for State Street and remembered that I had scoped out a Mexican restaurant there. I enjoyed a late lunch at Cantina Laredo, which serves "new" Mexican cuisine. The avocado and artichoke enchilada, served on spinach and other piquant vegetables, was to die for.

 On Thursday I walked to the Amtrak station for a slow ride to  Wisconsin - near Devil's Lake state park - for a family visit. The double-decker train with its spacious seats and the landscape out my window made it clear I wasn’t on the East Coast!

Next month: Minneapolis for AWP conference, where I hope to add another bikeshare experience.

Lion - Lamb - Lion - Lamb: The March 2015 Errandonnee

When the 2015 errandonnee was announced the DC-area was still blanketed in snow and chilled by record-low temperatures. My usually-intrepid biking spirit had been crushed by winter. I failed to bike even once in February and, I think, made only two trips in January. The upside of my near-hibernation was that I started winter swimming (indoors), and I learned to make a tasty vegetarian Pho.

But life without bike riding is just not the same. My spirits were sinking and when I looked at the forecast for the beginning of the errandonnee I thought – I’m gonna have to skip it this year. With more snow falling and neither snow plow nor salt truck in sight, the roads were a hazard.

But this area being what it was, the weather turned and most of the accumulation melted the Saturday that the challenge began. By Sunday I was ready to pump up my deflated tires and hit the road.

March 8, 2015

#1 Personal Care #1 – Sun and Moon Yoga 2.5 miles

Leaving at 8:30 on a Sunday morning I knew my back route was still icy, so I rode on Lee Highway, counting on light traffic. It’s hard to describe the pure elation of riding after the long winter. Not knowing how long the good weather would hold, I decided to “trip chain”  and get as many errands as possible done in one day.

#2 Personal Business #1 – Library .5 miles

From yoga, I headed to Arlington Central Library to return the DVDs I’d checked out in anticipation of the snow. I didn’t end up watching them, but it’s always nice to have them on hand. The roads were clear, but the bike lanes often still had icy snow. Either that or cars were parked in them because there was still icy snow at the curb.

#3 Personal Care #2 – Whole Foods – 1.5 miles

My next stop was to replenish my supply of high-quality probiotics. Just how much good bacteria does one need? I decided 42 billion per dose should be plenty.

#4 Store #1 – Walgreens – 0 miles

I had parked in the bike corral at Revolution Bikes for Whole Foods and Walgreens trips. There were lots of people out and about, celebrating the beautiful afternoon.

#5 You Carried What?  #1 – 4.5 miles

On to Trader Joe’s for dog food and a 12-pack of toilet paper. That pretty much fills the Burley Travoy. Perhaps these aren’t the most exotic items to carry on a bike – but I couldn’t tote either without the trailer which, by the way, is where I proudly display all my coffeeneur and errandonneur patches.

#6 Non-store errand #1 – Post Office – 1 mile

After my first set of errands, I took a break to have lunch and visit with a friend. Thanks to daylight savings time, it was still light – and warm – so I went back out to check out the roads on my “back route.” It was pretty clear by 6 p.m. 

#7 Non-store errand #2 – ATM – 1 mile

On the way home I stopped to take a photo of my least favorite curb cut in Arlington – intersection of Lee and Harrison. Seven errands in one day; 11.5 miles – not bad!

March 9, 2015

#8 Work #1 – 11.5 miles

I wondered whether I’d remember how to get to work on my bike – it had been so long – but it was, you know, like riding a bike: you don’t forget. There was still some ice on the Mt. Vernon Trail, but the Custis Trail was clear – thanks to Arlington County’s commitment to clear the paths…yay! I was cyclist number 221 on the Rosslyn counter. But on the way home my “back route” from the metro was impassable: solid ice.

Note the pile of grimy snow

No biking here!

March 10, 2015

#9 Social Call #1 – .5 mile

Went to Pret a Manger for a quick dinner before class. Took a Capital Bikeshare in the rain. It’s just not that pleasant and the app indicated that the closest station to class was full, so I had to park 2 blocks farther away.

CaBi not very balanced on a rainy day - one station full and 2 blocks away a station nearly empty

#10 Wild Card #1 – .5 mile

Took a CaBi – again in the rain – even harder rain this time – from class to the Metro. My rain boot slipped on the pedal. It was dark and rainy – not much fun – but not very far. I was glad the two-rides-in-the-dark rule was eliminated this year – but ended up riding in the dark anyway.

March 12, 2015

#11 Work #2 – 11.5 miles

What a difference a few days make: the rain was over, the temperatures rose again and the ice was completely gone – even on my back route from the metro. It felt like spring! Clearly a lot of people agreed – leaving even earlier than I had on Monday, I was cyclist number 398 on the Rosslyn counter.

Sunny on the mall - workers on the reflecting pool

March 13, 2015

#12 Arts & Entertainment #1 – 5 miles

Biked to Ballston for a movie. Parked at the Metro and was delighted to see that there is a bike pump and tools in the center of the bike parking area. I don't recall seeing that last year. Coming out there was a light rain. I figured I might as well bike home, because even if I put the bike on the Metro, I’d still have to ride a mile home anyway. The sign by the bike rack near the mall was less friendly. 

The rain stayed light and the temperature was fine – but almost half the streetlights on George Mason Drive were out…grrr. And – I had a second dark ride.

Great bike repair station

Always such a bummer when they threaten "removal"

March 15, 2015

#13 Personal Care #2 – 5 miles

Yoga again – the wind, the wind, the wind – especially on the way home – straight into it all the way! Nevertheless, it was such a delight to have a full week of frequent bike riding. By the second Sunday I was starting to feel like my old self again – that is, a younger-feeling version of my old self.

Total – 45.5 miles and 13 errands: feelings of joy – immeasurable!