Tag Archives: biking

Farmer’s Market, Zucchini Bread & Playground Fireworks [Sustainability Saturdays]

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Mark and I had a lot of fun last time when we went berry picking on our bike ride. I’m hoping this becomes more of a regular thing; it’s a lot of fun to go leisurely biking around town.

Image courtesy Google Maps (2009)

Image courtesy Google Maps (2009)

This past Saturday (July 4), Mark’s plan of action was to go to the farmer’s market on North “A” between 6th and 7th street.

It’s pretty informal — a bunch of local farmer’s bring some of their latest crops to a public parking lot, and sell their vegetables for cash. Pretty cheaply too!

I knew that they did this on Tuesdays, but apparently some of them also come down on Saturdays too!

Continue reading →

Biking, Blackberries, and Pancakes [Sustainability Saturdays]

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sulandlena_onbakfietsThis morning, my friend Mark stopped by to see if Sullivan and I were interested in going on a bike ride.

Mark has a really cool Dutch cargo bike called a “Bakfiets“, it’s like a normal bike except it has a wheel-barrow-sized cargo bay up front. It has a bunch of other nice amenities as well, including handcuff lock, internal-gears, and head/tail lights. They’re kind of pricey and a bit difficult to get used to, but definitely handy to have!

One of the nice features in the Bakfiets is that the cargo area has seatbelts built for children. We strapped Sullivan into the cargo area, right next to Lena (Mark’s daughter), and grabbed a plastic container for collecting blackberries (the fruit, not the PDA). Continue reading →

Linux & Biking

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A while back, I wrote a post about biking to work, which still stands. Having biked to work the past two days, I still agree with everything I said back then. The main difference is that now I am wearing business-attire (necktie included) at the office, and so I bike to work in a t-shirt & shorts, and change when I arrive at work. I pack a towel just to be safe (Ford Prefect would be proud!)

0013On my commute today, I was thinking about the similarities between bike commuting and using linux. It just floated into my consciousness, I swear. I’m not grabbing at straws for blog topics. :)

Anyways — the reason I thought of it is because I noticed that the freedom I feel while riding my bicycle is similar to the freedom I feel when using this open-source platform.

I know, I know, it sounds cheesy, but I mean it — there is something legitimately liberating about being able to use your computer and not feel so constrained by it. Mac users probably have an idea what I’m talking about. Bear with me here — I’ve thought about it a lot today: Continue reading →

Biking: Getting a bike lock, and grocery shopping

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I got a flat last week. Rear-tire. I think it was actually a relapse of a previous pinch-flat — the patch may have just not been enough. 

So I swung by Ike’s Bikes (who are AWESOME), and they replaced my tube, repaired the kickstand (it was loose), and equalize the pressure on my tires to 85 psi (comfort? who needs it!).

While I was there, I had remembered that I had been meaning to pick up a bike lock. I frequently have to run errands around town to pick something up here or there, and everytime I go out I always wish that I had a lock so I could take my bike. Not that Richmond is terribly crime-ridden — but I’m just looking to protect my $450 investment from a grab-n-dash hoodlum. Continue reading →

Thoughts Fueled by the Midnight Oil

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It’s midnight, and I should really be sleeping, but my brain is hyper-alert right now. I think it’s the chocolate cake we ate for dessert. Or maybe I’m just dehydrated, I don’t know. This has been an interesting week so far.

Biking

My third straight week of biking was this morning. I have only missed one day, and that was because I got my first pinch-flat. (Rear tire wasn’t inflated enough and I went over a bump a little too hard and it popped the tube). Fortunately for me, Mark & his family were able to come over that evening for dinner, and he helped me do my first tire patch. Exciting! It rides great now. i just have to keep the tires better-inflated; comfort be damned.

Moths Continue reading →

I am a Velocipede Commuter

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There it is.

Last Sunday, my family and I were in Indianapolis at my brother-in-laws house for a house-warming BBQ. We made it a point to stop by the Indy Bike Garage.
Let me first say that BG Indy is *AMAZING*. Their selection is pretty decent but their customer service is OUTSTANDING. (With a capital “Y” for “Yes it is.”) Granted, it took them 15 minutes to get around to helping us (they were super busy) but when they finally did, they were extremely helpful. I highly recommend them.

Anyways.

So I bought the bike. And I’ve commuted to and from work every day this week. 6 miles each way, mostly uphill (even the way back — it’s a little easier, but still quite a few uphills). It takes me about 30-35 minutes each way.

Some things I’ve noticed about biking, having done it for a week: Continue reading →