And Saturday's Attempt at the Darwin Award Goes To...

...the two cyclists who shot down Calle Nopal on Saturday morning and ran their stop sign at West Alameda at high speed, just as I had stopped at the 3 way stop while heading SW on West Alameda. If I had gotten there a couple seconds sooner I probably would have been in the middle of the intersection as they bravely ran the stop or conversely, tried to avoid an endo while doing an emergency stop. Likely results include broken carbon frames as well as broken body parts. Don't ride stupid.

Cyclists wonder why the general public sometimes takes a dim view of Mr. and Mrs. Spandex B. Lycra. The kind of cyclist who, like certain motorists, thinks laws were written for all those other people. Honest mistakes are worth a gentle ribbing but deliberate malfeasance is not good. As a Brit once quipped to me as I confusedly entered my first British roundabout going in the American direction, "we'll get you next time, Yank", and undoubtedly, when the inevitable crash occurs after blatant disregard to safety, the cycling advocacy movement will say the roads are "too dangerous". So it goes.

Free parking at Iconik.

I took a grind up Hyde Park Road on Friday in honor of my impending semi-retirement goal of getting my ass in shape. Almost did my own Darwin Award entry as following a high speed descent down Hyde Park and through Vallecita, I popped my front inner tube just as I got to the intersection of Bishop Lodge Rd. and Paseo de Peralta. It was a spoke hole pinch as the rim strip had moved from its center position. Don't leave a ratty and misaligned rim strip on a front wheel for sixteen years, I guess.

Saturday I took a short and casual ride to run some errands in town. That included a stop at  Iconik to grab a bag of beans and nurse the obligatory free cuppa Joe. And, of course, to enjoy a lovely afternoon. Thankfully, Iconik has bike racks out front of its Lena St. location and this time I remembered my cable lock. Riding home, I was happy to see the city had finally repaved the South end of Placito de Oro where it hits Alameda. That intersection was starting to look like it was being prepped for a reenactment of the Battle of Stalingrad.

La Tierra looking south. 
Hey, O'Grady. Where are you?

 Today was back to the present effort to get somewhat back in shape, so that amounted to a couple hours of fun up on the La Tierra Trails. Those trails never fail to amuse me.

Lots to do this time of year. Be safe out there.

Bored with the trails? Try the Tour de Tano