The chaos the ensues on Canton Ave.

Canton Avenue finds solace in reeking havoc on Dirty Dozeners...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3bHNcO_Wwc&feature=related

Dirty Dozen!

It's a rather sick and disturbing appeal, but the Pittsburgh hills for the Dirty Dozen were a lot of fun. Approximately 150 riders met up on a cold, slightly windy Saturday morning for 13 steep hills (along with 2 tough hills in transition), 55 miles of riding, and 6000 feet of elevation gain. All for the glory of saying that they accomplished the feat. Okay, some elite riders were actually competing for points. Myself, along with a couple of buddies, were in it just to make it through all 13 hills. Things were going well until hill 10 when my legs started to finally feel the wrath of these grueling hills. Some Advil and tons of nutrition got me through the last 3 hills. The picture is from one of the more difficult hills, Logan Avenue. It gets extremely steep at the end of the hill, and apparently the rider behind me opted to just lay down the bike. Top 3 most difficult hills were Sycamore, Barry/Holt/Eleanor, and Logan. Trickiest hill was definitely Canton Avenue at a ridiculous 38% grade. All in all, it was a great time...looking forward to next year's DD.

New sharrows and bike lanes in Pittsburgh

The sunshine and 60 degree temperatures were perfect reasons to explore the new East End sharrows and bike lanes. Many of these markings are part of my 25 mile city loop. Evidently, the city plans to install roughly 12 miles of bike markings before the end of the year. Keep 'em coming.

Sweet revenge at Canton Ave.

At a 37% grade, it is supposedly the steepest hill in the Western Hemisphere. The hill is characterized by payment that turns to gapping cobblestone as you make your way up the tedious climb. It's rough...I won't kid you. Last year, Sarah and I ventured out to the South HIlls to try our legs on this hill. It got the best of me as I was only able to make it halfway up. Granted, my climbing legs are not what they are today, and I had my Surly Cross Check (heavier bike with slightly different gearing). This last weekend, I revisited my foe of last year is hope of redeeming myself. Equipped with my Cannondale road bike and running a 11-27 cassette, I was able to crank through this hill not once, but yes, twice (just wanted to make sure for good measure). It was quite monumental, at least in my mind. Sarah didn't seem quite so impressed with a return text that said, "I am proud?" Oh, you should be. Dirty Dozen is less than two weeks away. I've now hammered through 12 of those 13 hills successfully. The trick is doing all 13 in a row without bailing on the 50+ mile ride over Thanksgiving weekend. Should be interesting.

Sporting the Mexico soccer player costume as I did two cyclocross races this last weekend in Morgantown, WV. I had a good showing in the Cat 4 race on Sunday morning at White Park. Marilla Park, on Saturday, didn't fair so well as I was having some mechanicals (dropped my chain ring twice; one time it got stuck between the crank and frame). However, Marilla Park was an amazing course. It offered up a deep sandpit, barriers, a massive hill with steps at the top, and very tight switchbacks. By far the best cross course that I've ridden. White Park was different in that it offered up two baseball fields. The dirty was quite loose from the relatively rainy week, so it became squirrelly in the turns. All in all, a fun weekend to be on the bike.

Month of Mud race at North Park

This particular race at North Park prompted over 200 racers to test their mountain biking skills in the North Hills of Pittsburgh. I think the ideal location and perfect weather made for a huge turnout. This race was another time trial, so individual races start at 1 minute intervals. Oddly, I was positioned just behind two friends that were 1 and 2 minutes in front of me. They were act as my "rabbits" in the chase to see if I could in fact catch them. The race began with a tough switchback climb for almost a mile. The loop continued with several steep descents and a few log crossings. One particular section was relatively rocky, so a full-suspension bike would have come in the preferred bike. I managed to pass one of my friends at about the 4 mile mark, but was not able to overcome my other friend in the last 1/2 mile descent to the finish line. I ended up placing 11th out of 45 racers in the Sport division. Again, not a bad showing and an improvement from Bavington's results placing 13th there. That's it for me this year with Month of Mud. Can't do Moraine next weekend because I'll be returning to NE for my college class reunion. Next up, two cyclocross races over Halloween weekend in Morgantown, WV.

Month of Mud at Bavington

First race of the fall season and my first mountain bike race in PA was decent. I was able to ride 1/2 the course for pre-race with a couple of other Sport racers. I discovered that the tight singletrack did not allow for me to pick up very much speed, even on descents. So, I had to keep the speed in check throughout the entire race. I ended up finishing the 7.5 mile time trial race in just over 50 minutes, which placed me 13th out of 36 Sport riders. Not bad considering it was my first official mtn bike race out here. I realized there are lots of great riders here which certainly amplifies the competition. Next up, my third ever cyclocross race this Saturday. I went through a cyclocross clinic last Saturday, so hopefully the skills that I took from that will manifest themselves on Saturday.

After I heard the wheezing from my rear tire, I knew instantly that I had a flat. I pulled off the side of the road and began the routine of changing a flat. Found the location of the instigator (see pic) thinking it was a small tack of some kind. No, instead I pulled this sucker from my bicycle tire. Thoughts: Don't nails belong in tool boxes instead on city streets? How did I manage to find the nail with a tire that a fraction of the size of a car tire? I sure hope I have a spare tube on me (I did, fortunately). Before leaving the scene of the flat change, I disposed of the nail in a Doritos bag that was conveniently laying on the side of the road with a number of other garbage items. Another thought arose: seriously...throw away your trash! I took the Doritos bag, with the nail inside of it, and properly disposed of the bag and its contents so no one else would suffer the same travisty.

Surly reaches 4000 miles!

My Surly Cross Check has reached 4000 miles after just 4 years. This isn't bad considering that I use the bike primarily for commuting purposes and running errands. Of course, it has been my bike of choice on a few touring trips (RAGBRAI and GAP trail in PA). It actually probably has more like 4,200 miles, because I didn't buy the bike computer right away. To put this in perspective, it's 3,200 miles from US coast to coast (Augusta, Maine to Los Angeles, CA). Anyway, my trusty steel steed has done very well over the course of those many miles. Surly Nation!

Excellent trip back to Raystown Lake and the Allegripis trails last weekend. Highlights: completing all of the Rays Revenge trail without crashing this time (see bloody elbow pictures from earlier blog post), using my new camping stove to cook up some tasty eggs for breakfast and chicken for dinner, riding 47 miles of pristine singletrack in just two days, and visiting a cool local bike shop (Rothrock Outfitters) between rides. Bummer: learning at Rothrock Outfitters that my frame is slightly warped in the seat stays. Conclusion is that the rear tire won't stay even in the drops. So I may have to get another frame eventually. Leaning toward the Niner M.C.R. right now. Anyway, the trip was a true success.

"I didn't pump my tire" song

Funny video with music from "We didn't start the fire."

On days like today, I appreciate the fact that I am now a bike commuter (at least to school). Traffic was really bad in the Burgh for rush hour. Bypassed all Strip District and downtown traffic. Probably saved myself 15 minutes. Therefore, the score is Jason - 15 and motor vehicle traffic - 1 (they get 1 point because of Penn Avenue...it's a pot-hole strewn and not acceptable for a cyclist).

Why Recycle...

http://www.prc.org/community_collections.html

Evolve

I love this picture! Sarah took it at a look-out spot at Put-in-Bay. A graffiti artist used their artistic touch on these concrete slabs. If only more people could evolve and think of bikes not as a nuisance on the road, but another fantastic form of transportation.

So close

Criterium paid out 8 places this evening. And, guess where Jason placed? Yep, 9th place. The new Ksyrium SL wheelset is ridiculously light and fast, though. Very much enjoying my time on those. Also, this evening, watched a bicycle crash unfold right in front of me. Luckily, the person immediately in front of me dodged left, so I followed his lead. The two injured appeared to have suffered some decent road rash.
This week is Bike Fest here in Pittsburgh. It's a celebration of the 2-wheeled machine. Lots of great racing and riding going on with both the mountain bike and road bike. The week was kicked off on Friday with an opening party. Thursday, I plan on venturing out to Hartwood Acres (my favorite mtn biking spot) to partake in the festivities with PORC. The weekend includes several other bike rides to round-out the weeklong event.

Great Allegheny Passage ride

Here are just a few pictures from our recent GAP trail ride. This trail links Pittsburgh with DC. Roughly 330 miles of limestone and some pavement. We started in West Newton, rode 60 miles, and camped in Confluence. There was some beautiful scenery in and around Ohiopyle. A small group of us are looking at doing the entire length of the trail system next year in 5 days. Ride on!

Dirt Fest!

Where: Allegrippis trails where 400+ mountain bikers converged one weekend into the woods of 32 miles of singletrack. Yep, I'm in. These were some of the fastest, flowiest (if that's a word), smoothest trails that I've ever been on. The Army Corp of Engineers built them just a year ago. They did a fantastic job as they are sustainable and don't involve a whole lot of climbing (just have to know the right direction). As you can see from one picture, a steep dip got the best of me. 3 hours into riding, I crashed pretty hard coming down a black trail descent. Even with the injury, if was well worth it. My friend and I are already plotting when we can return to this mountain biking haven of sorts.

Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds in DC

Finally, finally. After roughly 10 years of plotting to see Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds live in an acoustic set, I got to see them in DC. The venue was the DAR theatre in downtown DC, just blocks from the Washington monument and the White House. It was an amazing show. He did several songs from DMB's newest album, along with some oldies but definite goodies. Highlights from the show include The Maker, Dancing Nancies, Funny the Way It Is, You and Me, Crush, and closing out with Ants Marching. Tim is an guitar genius, and did two songs on his own. Get to see the full band in July when they come to PNC park.

Aliquippa Criterium Race

Just thought I would post a few pictures from the race this weekend.



Tough race considering that I'm still recovering from bronchitis. Also, I thought that I was in better biking shape...ends up, I'm not. Too much time beating the pavement in training for the 1/2 marathon. The track was a nice 1-mile loop, though.

What are yinz thinking/doing???

This post has been a long-time coming. But, I feel the need to get it off my chest after some recent events. Therefore, the title speaks for itself (thought I would throw in some Pittsburghese) and touches on my some thoughts/sentiments for the question "What the heck?" This is a Top 10 list of things I've noticed since moving to the Burgh.

10. Potholes. You kidding me? A small car can get lost in this one...









I realize the city is old, but give me a break. This is not cobblestone...it's an actual street... Do some actual road maintenance and fix it. Yes, that might involve tearing up a section of the road rather than just filling it with the black tar. As you might imagine, these road hazards make road riding a nightmare.
9. Sidewalks are created for a reason...to walk on. Don't walk in the middle of the street. Cars aren't necessarily going to stop for you...especially with some of the road rage due to traffic.
8. Crossing the road. Yep, you're supposed to do that at intersections. It's the safe option. Refer to #9 for reason why.
7. Standing. This too can be done on the sidewalk. If you're waiting for a ride, the bus, etc., or just loitering, then stand on the sidewalk. The road is meant for vehicles and bicycles.
6. Speaking of bikes...stop taunting, driving to close to, or throwing things at cyclists. Sarah and I had trash thrown at us the other day on a short ride home from a friend's party. We are talking 0.8 of a mile. Too short of a ride to hassle with motorist stupidity.
5 Stop throwing trash! Put it in the trash can. Sarah and I live near a McDonalds. Yep, we can see the golden arches from our front porch. As you can imagine, we get people walking through our complex that leave a litter trail as they head home. But, it's not just our area. I've noticed it in other parts of the Burgh as well. Have a little respect and pride for the city that you live in. Clean up after yourself.
4. Dogs...keep them on a leash. #4 stems from an encounter last weekend with a dog that bit me nearing the end of my 10 mile run. Also, there have been a couple of occasions at Frick Park during mountain bike rides when unleashed dogs have been in the way of riders. The dogs get in the way and are a nuissance. Keep them on a leash and you won't have to worry about them getting hit or biting other people.
3. Recycling Center...what's that? Okay, so maybe I was spoiled in Lincoln, Nebraska with 22 multi-use centers within the city. And that's for only approximately 200,000 people. In Pittsburgh, there are 2, yes only 2 centers nearby. And they're not 24-hour operations. And they look like this...The city of Pittsburgh I'm sure has bragging rights with a number of sustainable buildings, but the limited recycling centers are disappointing.
2. It's called a bike. Yes, and it's another form of transportation. And, yes, we do have a right to the road. Better yet, riding a bike is great exercise while you're getting to your destination. The Pittsburgh traffic is only going to get worse unless they figure out how to get more vehicles off the road. Their bus system is good, but there are alternative options, too...carpooling, subway, light rail, T. Let's expand the T so it goes north up to Cranberry. That would make my commute so much nicer.
1. Turn down your thumping car music! Maybe in your teens, it's a cool thing to do. Not when you're in your 20's and 30's. Rule of thumb: When the bass rattles my home, it's too loud. As a matter of fact, when the driver next to you can hear your music, it's too loud. It's a safety issue. You can't hear emergency vehicles, plus it's a distraction.

Okay, that's enough banter for one day. I really needed to post something, since the Snowpocolypse in February was my last blog post. Ride on!

The Pittsburgh Snow-pocalypse

I learned this was the fifth largest snowfall in Pittsburgh history (ever since they started keeping track). 18 inches of snow was dumped on Pittsburgh in the last 24 hours. At 7 Springs Resort, they posted 28 inches of freshies.

Braving the unplowed roads of Pittsburgh on the trusty 29'er, I ventured outdoors to take in the winter wonderland. I was surprised to find tons of Pittsburghers out wandering the streets (literally walking in the middle of the streets). Most sidewalks were not shoveled, but some of the main streets were. Due to the low traffic and white surroundings, this made for some great wintry riding.









This is one of my favorite pics during the ride...crime scene tape because a power line was down. I was more entertained by all the cars under mounds of snow and the unplowed road that was definitely unpassable on bike.