Ciclovia in Minneapolis

For four hours on a Sunday, Minneapolis closed down twenty blocks of a major street to cars, and opened it to cyclists,  skaters,  walkers, street musicians,  people doing yoga, friendly dogs, and kids on skateboards. 

We rode a train of six trikes back and forth, giving people rides.

Bike to work day

Minneapolis celebrates bike to work day in June, after years of rained-out events on the national day in May.  Along the Midtown Greenway,  there was free bike-delivered coffee with muffins.

Midtown Greenway

I biked about thirty miles today, going to a computer training session in the western suburbs in the morning, stopping for a wile in my office around noon, and riding to downtown for an appointment in the afternoon. This little Dahon folding bike proved surprisingly capable for that long a ride.

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May 1

From Drop Box

Yes those are snowflakes on the seat on the Minnesota Ironman ride. The frogs were singing in the ponds, despite the cold and wind. We took the 68-mile route rather than the 100-mile option, because even singing frogs couldn't warm us up enough for the longer ride.

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April 30

From Thirty Days of Biking

Certainly we won't stop with 30.  The Minnesota Ironman bike ride is tomorrow, and it looks as if there might actually be nice weather for it.  This ride -- older than the Ironman triathlons -- is traditionally ridden on the last weekend in April, when anything's possible, weatherwise.  With Easter falling on the last Sunday in April, the ride ended up in May, and we are hoping that means less sleet than in some other years. 

The RANS Screamer tandem carried us from Salzburg to Hungary in May of 2001.  Since we got the linking delta trikes, the Screamer spends more time in the garage, but the Ironman is just the sort of ride it's good for -- not many starts and stops, generally good road surfaces, and no need to carry a lot of gear. 

April 29

From Thirty Days of Biking

We rode this recumbent tandem from Salzburg to Hungary ten years ago, and we're planning to use it for the Minnesota Ironman ride on May 1.  I took it out for a quick test ride around Lake Harriet to make sure it was ready.

April 28

Slow ride looking for wildflowers.  The Dutchman's Breeches were in bloom along Lake Harriet.  I took just a short ride, looking for any within reach to photograph.

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April 27

Elliott Royce, a volunteer in his 90's rides this "sociable" 2-person bike to bring cheer to sick kids at the clinic where I work.

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April 26

From Thirty Days of Biking

I always try to smile more at the cars when it's raining, and especially when it's sleeting.  Today, someone noticed.  I came into Calhoun Cycle a couple hours later and and heard that they already knew I'd been riding, because one of the employees had seen me out there smiling in the rain.   

April 25

Nice weather in the morning brought out the other cyclists.  There were two bikes besides mine in the enclosure at work.  That's two more than usual for the month.  Rain was threatening in the late afternoon, but it never arrived;  the lake reflected grey storm clouds as I stopped for another photo.