TTCBCOAB #28 - Costco Run

On my way to Costco I run into my former student and friend, Todd. After explaining the mission, he elects to come along on his mountain bike. Off we go and he leaves me in a cloud of dust. With a bit of huffing and puffing, my cargo bike (aka the Blue Ox) is eventually coaxed into keeping up with him. After all, my cargo bike is empty at the moment and one's fragile, male ego must be protected!

A quick trip through the various aisles and all the necessary stuff has been collected (in no particular order) - box of Cliff Bars, jug of dishwashing detergent, two boxes of 8.5x11 printer paper, mouthwash, two bottles of maple syrup, and a post-apocalyptic supply of toilet paper. Loading up the Mundo, two dudes walk by: "F-ing awesome, man! You kick ass!" Indeed, but I'm more worried about the effects of gravity kicking my ass when I must climb Solano Avenue.

The ride home is a bit slower than the trip out, but there is a tailwind. Thanks to Todd for the fancy iPhone video work!

TTCBCOAB #20

Things That Can Be Carried On A Bicycle: Two sets of slightly used mountain bike tires, two used bottom brackets, a crankset, a seat post, the old saddle that came with my used Mundo Yuba, and some assorted bike hardware. A quick trip down to Street Level Cycles/Waterside Workshops (at Berkeley's Aquatic Park) and all of this was donated (tax-deductible, no less!) and should be put to good use.

Methinks Mencken Got it Right

"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary."

H.L. Mencken

The problem with traffic signals

Try this experiment the next time you stop for a red light: Take note of the cars around you and you'll see that after 15 to 20 seconds, most drivers start looking for something to do to alleviate the boredom. Popular diversions include eating, reading, texting, making phone calls, adjusting makeup and hair, or rummaging through a purse, briefcase, backpack or glovebox. And when the light turns green, it's always the lead driver who's the last to realize. Bicycle or drive on the streets of most any US city and you'll find yourself waiting at a poorly timed traffic light, marveling that there's little or no crossing traffic. Bicyclists may take matters into their own hands and simply dart across the intersection. Car drivers can be equally creative. And the situation is no better at four-way stops because these days anyone who actually obeys a stop sign and adheres to right-of-way is a sucker. Americans may talk a lot about law-and-order, but it seems we 1) don't like being told what to do, 2) are overworked and in a hurry, 3) are distracted by the myriad of activities that we try to squeeze in while driving, and 4) we'll break most any law if we think we won't get caught. Rather than wasting millions of gallons of fuel with our engines idling at red lights, condoning distracted and illegal driving, and treating four-way stops as a game of chicken where he who doesn't stop, stops best, more US cities need to embrace the traffic circle.

A common objection to traffic circles is that they can be intimating, but you just need to remember a few simple rules:  Put down your smart phone, batten down the lattes, and pay attention. When approaching the entrance to a circle, yield to traffic already in the circle. Wait for a gap. Yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. Be alert for bicyclists.

Many traffic circles already exist in US cities, though the entrances are often festooned with stop signs. What traffic engineers have done to our streets! If you haven't the eyesight, reaction time, and moxie to handle a traffic circle then you may want to consider hanging up your guns, giving up driving, and take the bus or a taxi instead.

Things that can be carried on a bicycle #18

Door-to-door delivery

Taking a page from Joe George's blog, here's one example of TTCBCOAB (things that can be carried on a bike): Four bags of groceries, mostly fruits and vegetables, total weight - 42 lbs. A far cry from the Mundo's stated max load of 440 lbs. Added advantage - much easier to find parking at Monterey Market with a bike compared to a car.

Plenty of room left. Should've bought more?

More Mundo Upgrades

The beauty of a cargo bike is that you can carry most anything you need. I've carried, on separate occasions: four full bags of groceries (about 90 pounds), 24 cans of dog food, two 14 pound bags of dog food, a dozen or so vegetable plantings, and so on. On recreational rides with my spouse, the heavy weight of the Yuba Mundo makes me a better (slower) riding companion. When possible, we've taken to devoting ourselves to making Sundays a gasoline-free day - no car, just transportation by bike or by shanks mare. And I continue to enjoy tinkering and modifying the Mundo, too.

A cargo deck for the Mundo's rear rack was something I wanted from the start, but the current bamboo cargo deck sold by Yuba won't work with the version 1 frame I have. A brief web search uncovered Joe George's post describing how he created a cargo deck for his Mundo. I decided to create something a bit lighter.

Started with 1/4" marine-grade plywood

A bit of cutting, shaping, sanding, and fiddling was required. After finalizing the dimensions, a light, honey-colored stain was added and then two coats of polyurethane satin varnish, with some sanding in between.

I decided to attach the deck using p-shaped clamps.

Finished product

The next issue to be tackled was the seat post. You see, about 12 years ago I underwent lower back surgery to remove a L5/S1 free disk fragment. The surgery was very successful and cycling doesn't generally bother my back, but the Mundo's more upright riding position was proving problematic. Shocks and bumps were being transmitted more directly through my spine, resulting in back soreness. More investigation and research uncovered the Cane Creek Thudbuster seat post. Designed for hard-tail mountain bikes, the shorter travel Thudbuster ST seat post seemed to be good solution. I opted for the 27.2mm diameter version in the longer, 400mm version. This required a shim since the Mundo's seat tube diameter is approximately 30.3mm, but have no fear: Thudbuster.com has shims, too. Installation was simple and the results? No more sore back.

The original 6-speed drivetrain, while geared with a pretty low gear, was inadequate for carrying 100-plus pounds of cargo up the rolling hills of North Berkeley. So I acquired a SRAM triple-crank, clamp-on front derailleur, and shifter. Yet without a braze-on cable stop for a front derailleur, another solution was needed. Enter the ProblemSolver clamp-on cable stop.

Rear view

Front view

The last bit of customization, at least so far, was the addition of a whimsical decal. You see, I'd nicknamed this bike and for less than $12 (including shipping), Do it Yourself Lettering allowed me to ... well ...

Night Bike, Urban Bike

Even with the switch from daylight savings time, it was already dark and almost 9pm when I started my bike ride home through Alameda, Oakland, and Berkeley. It had been a long day, but given my bike's lighting system, there was little concern.  I'm not one of those ninja cyclists who dress in black and ride with minimal lighting. Given the late hour, spinning through the deserted streets of Alameda, thoughts of "What if someone tries to assault and/or rob me?" popped into my head, but no bogeymen appeared. Cruising along the Embarcadero, wedged between interstate 880 and the estuary that surrounds Coast Guard Island I heard the first distinct rumbling of the Amtrack Capitol Express. It was easy to hear, thanks to the whisper quiet belt drive on my Proletariat. The big engine would be paralleling the bike path on my right and the blasts from its horn began to shatter the cool night air.

I took my right hand off the handlebars to plug my right ear as the train began slowing for the highway construction and the Oak Street crossing. This meant I could pull ahead. The possibility of crossing the tracks at Harrison Street before the train signals and barriers could come into play became a distinct possibility. Escaping the train's blaring horn would be a fringe benefit. Before leaving work, I had the sense I might be catching a cold. I promised myself a leisurely ride home, but I couldn't help myself. I found my pedal cadence increasing. Possessed by a new goal, I had upshifted one gear and was now hauling ass. It was man against machine, David facing Goliath.

Looking over my right shoulder, I was clearly pulling ahead of the surreal beast. Three brilliant, blinding white lights, one of them sweeping like a search light in a circular pattern and behind the bright-as-day lights lurked the dark, menacing mass of thundering metal. Droning vibrations from the huge engine were being transmitted through the earth, along the pavement, through my bike's wheels, through the pedals, producing an odd tingling in the balls of my feet. The low, thundering rumble made the air in my lungs vibrate, but Goliath was losing, sliding further and further behind. A short downhill grade provided additional speed as I rounded the curve onto Harrison Street. The crossing signals began to sound and the gates lowered, but I was already through the crossing, my silhouette briefly illuminated by the dazzling lights. Wonder what the train's engineer thought of all this?

With the train three blocks behind me, I slid under the I-880 overpass, into downtown Oaktown. The streets here were mostly empty, too, save a few homeless souls, ranting to no one in particular. Following Telegraph Avenue into Berkeley seemed like the best choice, more heavily trafficked than Market or Adeline streets, more brightly lit than Mandala Parkway, more people, and probably safer. Telegraph was more lively and all of the traffic signals seemed to have been timed for little ol' me. A never-ending line of green lights, saluting at each intersection. Having vanquished the behemoth, my paced slowed. Several clubs with live music, booze and tattooed/pierced patrons spilling out and milling on the sidewalks appeared mirage-like on the periphery. They were a blur. I was focused on traffic, potholes, and the occasional shards of glass and strips of metal that appeared on the pavement ahead.

Veering off Telegraph Avenue onto the diagonal entrance to Shattuck Avenue, there were more cars but fewer people. Crossing Alcatraz, I glimpsed the unmistakeable flash of a bike's red LED tail light four blocks ahead. Another cyclist, another goal, my cadence increased again. Catching them didn't take long. A young woman with what, violin case strapped to her back? She nods as I pass and I utter a hoarse "'Evening." A quick jog over to Milvia Street, a designated bicycle boulevard. Now in my home territory, more relaxed, almost home. Twelve miles behind me, another four miles to go ...