back in eindhoven

And it is pretty sweet!
I feel revived and rejuvinated.

As soon as I touched down at Schipol I felt good and at peace.

I could go on and on, but I won't.

There are bikes and commuters everywhere, so many folding bikes, people going places in wheel chairs, and good food.

The atmosphere is chilled and relaxed and not so aggressive.

Hello

Ok... much has happened and I have been trying to think of a way to put it down properly. I haven't managed just yet, but I am going to try right now. Last friday, I was tired after work, the stress of my projects and the thoughts of beginning school is taking over me a bit, but nontheless I had to get home so I got on the bike and rode. Let me back up a bit, last week friday morning I had my first mechanical failure on the "pony". I woke that morning as usual and hopped on the bike and rode down E71st street to the Rapid Station on E55th. While I was riding I noticed a little loose"ness" in the streering, not dangerous loose, just some slop that wasn't previously noticed. I woke slightly late that morning so by the time I hit the street in front of the house it was already going on 6 35, so that means "I gotta pedal fast"!! So I did. Made it to the Rapid in time for the 6 46 train and I was off on my commute feeling satisfied that I made the train on time. You see, making that particular train is the nugget. If I don't make that one, the whole thing is a bust, (I don't make it to work on time). So, I get on the 7X and head to the "burbs" and Philips. I pull the line to exit the bus and when I hit the pavement and went to construct my bike I noticed something was amiss. I had a broken clamp on the folding steering!!!! I said, oops!! Glad the safety clip was in place and walked the bike into work.
So to wrap this story up and get on the next, I will say that it pays to have good friends first, and it pays more to have great friends who are bike mechanics! I have both in BTB! So, I told BTB the skinny and in a flash (about an hour) he had the bike back in operation. Take a look at the pic below. You must understand, the original pin completely sheared off and was rendered useless and the bike was "dead". BTB brought the Pony back to life!





Second story.
So moving forward from the top of this post, that afternoon, combining being tired with the trauma of the mechanical failure in the morning I chose to ride only 3 miles to Richmond Rd instead of the 11 down to University Circle. I did this on adhoc because I saw a bunch of people waiting for the bus at the stop, so I joined in the waiting. The day was a bit warm and the bus was late but when the bus arrived everyone proceeded to their places, except one.
The last person waited at the stop waiting for the bus handicap "function" to lift him into the bus and on his way home.
Now, this is the part I thought about over and over and I don't want to sound like a flaming out of control bleeding liberal, (because I am) but what happens next really sucks. As this guy waited at the stop for the lift to begin it's operation from my vantage I could notice that driver was beginning to show signs of frustration. As he pushed and fiddle with the controls the lady next to me said, "shhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiit this thing never works!!!" I looked on in curious fashion for I had never seen the lift in operation myself, but not from the perspective of my seat neighbor but just because I never saw a person in wheel chair try to get on a public bus. As moments passed tension passed over the bus but apparently stopped and decidedd to tap me on the shoulder. So I got up and walked to the driver and said, "he man, why don't we pick him up, I can help get him on." However, the driver just waved me off and said in low tone with his head down, " no " ... ... In that split second.. I could have acted more assertive and been more vocal, but I said ok. "ArmChair quarterbacking" makes the situation look really different but it is a learning experience for me. But the worst and final of this short story come next, so the driver continued to bang away at the controls to no avail and after about a minute more looked down at the dude in wheelchair at the stop and said, "sorry man, the lift doesn't work." closed the door and drove off!! Damn... cold huh?
So.. without drawing any conclusions as to the responsibility of this matter, I will simply say RTA needs to fix and maintain and train their operators on this function of the bus and if they don't do these three things they should not tell the public that they provide wheelchair accesss on their buses, end of story.( I know politics and money come in next for a reason) and some might even blame the "wheel chair society" for "mainstreaming" disabled instead of using the old dial a ride service from the past, but all those are just excuses. I say to RTA, Just get it done and fix the damn buses or cut the service completely!!! I could digress here and make comments on the state of the US society and talk about freedom (or lack of freedom of this guy in the wheel chair, when the public service, the last stop between independence and dependence for him and many more doesn't work- What is freedom then, and "who's freedom is the US fighting for??) since that is such a favorite topic these days, but I won't go there in this venue. I am sure this is an isolated incident, and not indicative of the service embedded within the society. A problem easily solved.

Bllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!

must post this

I am trying very hard these days not to get negative about life in Cleveland. Friends have helped me stay positive, but sometimes like today, I just feel really bla being here. I see only the negatives of life here, the glass half empty stuff, the aggressive behaviour on the commute, the one sided media stories, and the "great" city planning.

Whatever...

Today was beautiful, the weather was fine and I got my stuff back that was in storage that got packed and placed in a storage unit in Columbus while I lived abroad. Also, today, I went through more stuff that was water damaged when my parents basement was flooded a few weeks ago. I found some tax forms for my buddy Daan, that is good, and I found some pictures that got ruined, permantly pasted together, that was bad and I found some letters from old girlfriends that the ink was washed out, that was even worse. All in all, it was slightly and emotional day, couple that with the anxiety of starting school in a few weeks in a foriegn country and I am feelling a bit down.

It doesn't matter, I have the bike, right?? That what this is all about anyway.... riding the bike in Cleveland.. :-)

I am now at Tower Press on the patio and I just ran into one of the tennants who has a totally rad bike, a 2 9 er, with slicks and a carrier on the back, with disc brakes oh this thing is way sweet!! But it doesn't fold!!!

However, he did have something sweet on it that I am going to look into, and that like a GPS that stores data from the ride. I think this would be sweet to implement into the commute and in addition to the pics could have some data to augment....hmmm.. maybe just a bit to nerdy though... we'll see.

Anyway... not to much else to say other than I miss all my friends back in Europe.


later

cross training

Earlier this week had the opportunity to visit with some friends, new and old, in downtown Cleveland. My friend is from Peru, Lima specifically and she suggested that we go to her friend's new restraurant. It was a great place downtown right next to the City Club of Cleveland. While many other things popped into my head which would be a great blog sometime, I will stay focused on the part that is relevant to this blog and that is biking.
It was pretty different commute that night, my friend I will refer to him as the BHB, the original, he drove me, well rather we rode together in his van to his home, it was cool to catch up and bs with him. From there, headed toward the downtown. That is a great ride too! About 8 or 10 miles and it curves as the lake curves, I hadn't been down in the is part of Cleveland in over a year and it was nice to visit this area. Along the way, I stopped in a pub, one that I used to frequent in Collinwood on Grovewood Ave and had a Croatian pivo. Maybe it was an off night, but the feel of the place didn't have the same grab that it once did for me.
Check out the pic from the ride below.




I rode on to downtown along marginal road and arrived at the destination. The experience the total experience felt good, to go to dinner with some friends then hop on my bike and ride home. Yeah, it does suck riding up Broadway at 11 at night but that is Cleveland and it is not bike friendly. Whatever, I don't care, I am just making it happen for me, this experience would be completely mainstream in Eindhoven but here, it is almost like I am some deranged social outcast or I just don't have any cash flow for a car. But the cool thing about living Slavic Village is that because it is mainly an area of town where lower income folks reside no one really hassles me. I like that!
Ok, i gotta go now.. heading down for euro night... on w 6th...
out

Pics from the commute

The first look in the morning, this is where I live now



First stop on the commute, E55th Rapid Station



Second stop, University Circle RTA stop and folding "pony"




What is this? Just a turkey standing in the middle of Monticello Blvd in Cleveland Heights. It was chasing the cars... Sometimes I feel like that turkey... as I ride my bike here in Cleveland.




One of the biggest "positives" of commuting by bike, stopping a Coventry for a beverage.




A cool view from the RTA RED LIne platform. Different perspective up there on Cedar Road Below...





Yesterday went for a bike ride with my roommate, roughly 30 miles, in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park...

Came across a trail and it had sign on it... No BIKES ALLOWED!! A bike with a line thru it. I am aware of the struggle and the political battle to get Legal Trail Access for bikes in OHIO. Of course since my friend BTB is Mr. CAMBA, my friend and I walked the trail. It is a great one too!! Wow! Such beauty so close to the city. In this society we complain about how over weight we are and we buy low carb this and low carb that, but when it comes to opening a 3 mile trail to bikes it becomes a political war over who is allowed and who is not. Weak, short sighted leadership is all I can think of that is not fighting for simple things like this in the OHIO political arena. CAMBA can only do so much we need support from everyone. Promote Legal Trail access for bikes in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It has to happen! As I sit here with slightly sore legs from the riding, I am happy that I am continueing what I told my friends in Eindhoven that I would do and that is cycling to work!

Society Auto

Tonight was another great ride, well, not the route but the feeling after. I took a different route this time and took the Green Line to 55th. I had to ride up the gradual hill into University Heights with a south wind, that was a bit tough on my little single speed. Took me about and hour to get to the Warrensville stop on the Green Line. From there it takes like 20 min by train to get to 55th. Don't recommend this route for the home commute.
One thing I noticed very much tonight is that drivers aren't aware of bikes anywhere, typically. Cleveland is car central and if you are not travelling in one, get out the way..... move!! Which totally sucks for me. I know this will never change unless the Omega point is reached and the society steps into the bizaro version of Cleveland, but still I can't help but to get pissed off at drivers when they cut me off as they talk on their mobile phone or when they don't look both ways as they back out of the drive way.
Just lame annoying human behavior that you often let go more quickly when you too are in 2000lbs of pure freedom.
Well, I am going to keep this up, it is great way to keep fit and be functional, and learn about this society.
Stay cool