Night ride in December

Perfect night for a 25 mile ride around the Burgh. Conditions were 46 degrees and hardly any wind...very nice. I reached 1000 miles on the road bike as well. Not bad after having the bike for only 6 or 7 months, and there are two other bikes to ride. Figured I better get out one last time before the snow hits.

Vikes versus Steelers

I rode down to Heinz field to catch some of the pre-game festivities (tailgating). I was surprised to see the number of Viking fans. Lots of Favre jerseys. Unfortunately, I didn't have any purple to sport for the ride. No only that, I would have feared being riden off the road by a motor vehicle. Steelers fans bleed black and gold. Still it was cool to see all the action prior to the big game.

Light Up Night in Pittsburgh

The Surly and I took a trip downtown to check out the fireworks displays...yes, two displays. Pittsburghers don't mess around when it comes to fireworks. One display was closer to Mt. Washington, while the other was off one of the Allegheny briges. Both were very impressive fireworks; plus, the city lights in the background added to the affect.

Great quote...

"Biking is like a gateway drug to greener living."

Rant

Announcement: motorists of Pittsburgh...bikes get the road, too!!! I'm getting really tired of slamming on my brakes so I can swerve to miss your vehicles. Tonight, coming home from the gym just a half mile from home, two motorists decided to demonstrate their Pittsburgh lefts and their inability to account for cyclists. I was pedaling down Negley when the first oncoming vehicle decided to turn quickly left onto Ellsworth in front of me (this was as I was practically in the intersection). After stopping to say a few choice words, I began to clip into my pedal again. To my surprise, the second vehicle behind the other car, opted to turn in front of me as well. I couldn't believe it! After the first incident, how could the person in the second car not notice me? Are you that inept and clueless?
Driving a motor vehicle is a big responsibility. It requires thought, skill, and some coordination. Drivers that are using their cell phones to chat or text are only further distracted. On several past occasions, I've swerved or slammed on my brakes to avoid talking/texting drivers. About a month ago on my way to work, a car behind me bumped into my rear bumper. He evidently was looking at his planner on his lap. Just focus on the task at hand...driving. Sorry, but I had to get this off my chest.

4th time is a charm

Finally, after 3 previous criteriums, I was able to crack the top 10. As a matter of fact, I proudly finished 8th this evening. Tough race, though...we averaged around 25 mph. I won a primes for fastest lap, and should have one at least one more. In fact, I came within inches of winning 3 primes (laps). So, after several attempts at cracking the top 10, and sadly finishing in the middle of the pack, I accomplished my goal at the last crit of the season.
Note on the crit track/course. Pittsburgh has a designated track called the Washington Oval (because it's off Washington Boulevard). This track was formerly where one would take their driver's license test. Therefore, the course has banked turns into the corners. Makes for an interesting race when one is flying into these turns at 20+ miles per hour in an attempt to avaide other cyclists, hold a line, and not crash. It's quite the lung-burning race that's an adrenaline rush.

3 Parks in 3 Days

The picture is deceiving....the Surly did not make the 3 adventures into the parks this weekend (I took this picture on my first visit to the park in August). Instead, the Fisher 29'er had fun playing in the fast, flowing singletrack of Hartwood Acres, Frick Park, and Boyce Park. All were different and unique. Hartwood was a good mix of technical obstacles and smooth-flowing dirt. Frick has an excellent roller coaster section, some leg-burning climbs, and some tricky off-camber trails. Oh, and the super-steep descent off a chute was a bit nerve-racking. Boyce is all about the logs. There are tons of log crossings throughout the park. Plus, a number of bridges and obstacles that add to the technical difficulty. Fortunately, I met up with some guys riding Hartwood on Friday night, so they could lead me around the park. Same guys were nice enough to invite me out to Boyce on Sunday. Overall, some great riding and the weather could not have been any better.