1996 Aluminum frame

1996 Aluminum frame
Originally uploaded by Elmoisamonster.

For the past few months I have been an avid bike rider (at least to and from work, which is roughly 4 miles each way) and am happy with the side effects of such a lifestyle: I get in 2, count em, two workouts a day, don't have to fill up any gas tank (save money), get to see all kinds of wildlife in their natural environment (flattened squirrels on the pavement, raccoons in people's trash cans, deer on the bike path at night... well, I've only witnessed these incidences half a dozen times; with that being said I do see rabbits all the time and they are so predictable ya know... waiting until the last minute to jump out of the way and then changing directions and then jumping again off into some vegetation [rambling]), and the scenery change is awesome both in going from the urban jungle to forest, restored prairie, and lakes, to that of changes within each of these environments. The prairie, as I've posted before, changes each and every week as yesterday's flowers wither going to seed and tomorrow's flowers emerge with colors ablaze for the eye to behold.

When it rains I make do and get out there most of the time, unless of course it is raining buckets and lighting is flashing every few seconds, then I take the bus (another fairly friendly alternative to the automobile, plus side is you can read your favorite book or publication, that is unless of course you get nauseous easily).

Transporting groceries from work can be a challenge, though, with a rear bike rack, backpack and a belt I've found I can secure most anything I buy or get for free from the free bins while at work.

I also change into loose fitting and comfortable "bike" clothing such as Umbro shorts and a long sleeved cross-country skiing top (no not because its cold, rather the blistering sun would burn me in such a short amount of time I use that as protection instead of coating my exposed skin with sunscreen).

Night a problem? Not with a 500 candle power headlamp, and matching blinking taillight. I usually see the eyes of critters up ahead, which then scurry off for fear of me ('cus I'm sucha scary individual that is out to get everything and everybody... note my sarcasm). Riding home under a new moon is a b*tch, and as you might have guessed a full moon rocks. Moonlight casts quite a unique light upon the scenery that easily mesmerizes me and I forget sometimes that I'm riding and then refocus on what's before me.

Since we've had little rain this summer there have been very few bugs, and by bugs I mean mosquitos, to worry about. This tends to be more of an issue, as noted before if at all 'cus of lack of precipitation, around dusk and dawn. On those rare bug filled nights I become a human bug shield. LOL Fortunately, I have glasses on at all times, or mini bug deflector as I like to call it.


At times I cannot pass people 'cus of their inability to hear me, for their ears are plugged up (reference: see people with an oral fixation related to having earplugs from an i-pod blocking their inner ear from receiving outside sound/noise). That drives me nuts! LOL I'll usually cut off the path and go around them after having said: "On your left" a couple of times (I then would follow that with a "Thank you" but not in this case).

People can be really dumb when it comes to being in the way. For example: I've had people nearly walk right into me while they are crossing the, bike only, path. They don't look. No, they see what they want and go for it. Watch where you are going? Not these peeps.

Here is a classic example of the above mentioned scene: A few weeks ago there was this annual event in town called the Basilica Block Party; where a bunch of top name bands perform over the span of a weekend for money paying concertgoers (a good number of whom are beyond inebriation and are in another state of consciousness all together. Plus, they’re mostly clueless-middle- class-white-kids-from-the-suburbs and don't typically know what's going on to begin with). A whole swarm of them would be walking on the well labeled bike only path, and would not be able to get outta the way regardless of what I did or said. Needless to say the whole delay reaction response bit got old pretty fast by the third day of festivities.

On a positive note... ya gotta love Minneapolis, where a bike has the same rights as a car on city streets! ;) Meaning I can ride down the street in the "car lane" and turn onto neighboring streets as a car would instead of having to use cross walks. Vehicles must keep standard distance, as they would with other vehicles, and stay at least three feet away when along side you at all times.