One can call me non-committal, but I won’t let go of my car just yet. Although I take the subway or walk or ride my bike everywhere, there are too many interesting things to drive to on a long weekend to get rid of my car. I haven’t been in one place for a full 3 weeks since I graduated from high school; leaving town on the weekends is my way of live.
Being from Fort Worth and Austin, I’m not used to thinking “oh, well, there is a beach close by” so, now that i’m on the east coast this thought occurred to me: “there is a beach close by and we should totally try to get to it”. Initially, we set out for Coney Island, taking advice that it would be easier to drive. When we got there, we couldn’t find a place to park. We drove around and around the same blocks weaving through pedestrians and around and under bridges being ever so cautious to not turn right on red and keep the one way street signs in sight. It was hopeless, so, when we ended up at the highway entrance we decided to just head out to Rockaway Beach.
To our pleasant surprise, parking was free that day, so, after finding a gap in the umbrellas and towels in which to settle, we ate cheeseburgers, put our toes into the water, decided it was too cold, and fell asleep in the sun.
Barton Springs was also too cold for me, but this was even chillier.
After an evening of beer and conversation, a friend and I stumbled upon the High Line and decided to walk the length of it as the sun set. I fell in love. I wouldn’t call it a get away spot, but it would be a great place to sit and read in the sun on a day off that isn’t Central Park. Its rather dreamy, but lately there has been some buzz about exhibitionists in a hotel that overlooks the park.
So, the other weekend, I grabbed the girl with the big smile and headed out into the Catskills for a weekend of camping. My very good friend Jessica grew up in New Paltz and has been suggesting we explore her hometown.
Somehow, between Texas and New York, I lost my ability to read a map. We made our way up to New Paltz just fine, but once we left the town, I had no idea where to go. We weaved our way through the Catskills, expecting to find a camp site by following signs, but the signs were lacking. The map seemed to say we were in the middle of a large park, but there was no outside indication of this. Were we in the park? Is my map out of date? Are we somewhere else?
After pulling over in frustration to figure out a better plan than driving about aimlessly, we spotted a bulletin board across the highway from us with park information. It was the only indication that a park was anywhere close to us that we could find, and weeds were growing up around it. After taking a photo of directions to a nearby campground, we headed out with confidence.
The campground was exactly what we wanted. It had a nice canopy of tall trees, fire pit, and level ground for the tent in addition to the family reunion in the sites next door that provided free live musical entertainment via an 8 year old violinist.
After waking to “Its not fair! They took our firewood!” the next morning, I wondered if I was the culprit. We decided to go for a hike. I got lost again on the way to the trail, which I didn’t realize until we read the name of the trailhead we had found. Its in the same spot… kind of. We followed the turns, everything looked right, it just wasn’t where we thought we should be. It was a trail nonetheless, so, we set out uphill to find a great view from the top of an old fire watch tower.
I decided to replace the Texas Hill Country with the Catskills as a weekend getaway destination. There are more hikes to go on, and more campsites and towns to explore. We’re bringing the GPS next time, though.
I took the “Do you belong in NYC?”:
DO YOU BELONG IN NYC? Yes, but sometimes you wish there were a better option. You do love New York, and you fit in here better than you have anywhere else. You’re committed to the city, and you take advantage of all of its amazing food, culture, nightlife and arts. But you have nagging doubts about this relationship. Spend your whole life here? Not sure about that. Sometimes you wonder about that farm in your fantasies or even just a smaller city. But in reality, you know there’s nowhere better. Click here for suggestions about how to really enjoy NYC.
Goodbye texas! Goodbye! 4:22 PM Jun 20th from TwitterBerry
I just turned my alarm off. That means I’m on vacation! 1:10 AM Jun 21st from TwitterBerry
Safely in little rock, ordering pizza at vino’s 7:45 PM Jun 20th from TwitterBerry
Leaving little rock going to graceland 12:34 PM Jun 21st from TwitterBerry
Can’t seem to find a clean bathroom. On my way to nashville then to the smoky mtns in the morning! 6:17 PM Jun 21st from TwitterBerry
Leaving nashville for the smokys! Thanks for everything Tiff! 11:51 AM Jun 22nd from TwitterBerry
Stuck in traffic, now in eastern time 4:58 PM Jun 22nd from TwitterBerry
The next burger place on the rught is my lunch destination. 4:07 PM Jun 22nd from TwitterBerry
Leaving the smokies. Going to chapel hill to see tim! 1:46 PM Jun 23rd from TwitterBerry
Knoxville, I think I could fall for you. 3:32 PM Jun 22nd from TwitterBerry
Laeving chapel hill, going to washington dc! Staying for a bit, so, no more driving until I leave for nyc. 1:35 PM Jun 24th from TwitterBerry
Richmond gridlock insanity! 5:33 PM Jun 24th from TwitterBerry
I can see our nations capitol from here! 7:37 PM Jun 24th from TwitterBerry
Working on web whatnot in DC! Great weather compared the 100′s in Austin. Missing the road, though. Strange to not be driving for hours. 10:10 AM Jun 26th from web
Crazy guy on cell at sbux “we don’t have a clear history of our planet. 400 years to total monachy of the solar system.” What? 10:51 AM Jun 27th from TwitterBerry
Drinking shiner on the marina in dc. Yum. 8:22 PM Jun 27th from TwitterBerry
We rode 30 miles on the trails in the parks around dc. Beautiful ride! 10:27 PM Jun 28th from Twitterrific
Watching the planes take off from behind the jefferson memorial. 5:01 PM Jun 29th from TwitterBerry
I just drove under baltimore 12:22 PM Jul 1st from TwitterBerry
I’m in brooklyn, safely infront of the apartment. What a crazy drive from DC! 5:05 PM Jul 1st from TwitterBerry
Recently, a good friend came to me with a question:
Dude, we went to the bike shops in ftw and it totally made me want another bike. I love this fixed gear Trek I saw but I’m not thrilled about Trek and really unsure about no gears. I kinda want to build one, too, but I’ve never done that so it makes me nervous, too. what do you think?
The ratio of Cost, Time, Overall Quality
Overall when trying to choose between building or buying a bike, it depends on how much you want to spend, how nice of a bike you want, how long you want to work on it, and if you want it to be new or used.
When buying a new bike that is complete and built in the shop you are essentially paying for the components (wheels, derailleurs, shifters, brakes, cranks, etc.) and getting the frame for free. Its really the best value. Building your own from new parts of the same group set will always cost more. On top of the cost of the frame and parts, you would have to buy tools (unless you have a community bike shop with tools free for everyone to use like yellow bike here in austin). If you take your time and buy used parts off of craigslist, waiting for that next part you need to pop up for a good price, you can build up a bike fairly cheaply, but it really takes some time.
Being able to build and work on your bike is really handy for obvious reasons. You can find all you need to know about building, maintaining, and repairing your bike at the Park Tool website.
My commuter bike came about as follows:
A friend heard of a bianchi that some guy was trying to get rid of. It needed some work and was no ride-able. I met with the guy, checked the bike out to make sure it fit me, and paid $60 for the frame, fork, wheels, seatpost, seat, front ultegra derailleur, handbars, brakes and levers, and crankset. It was missing the rear cassette, rear derailleur, and chain. I went home and put on a singlespeed tensioner i had lying around, a cog, chain, and suddenly, I had a working bike and road it to the bar that night. Over time, I found replacement parts for it, such as a new crankset and handlebars, but when my roommate found 9 speed ultegra “brifters” for $80 (they are usually 3x that amount) I knew the bike was going to gears. We soon found an old xt rear derailleur and i bought a 9 speed mountain cassette to make a great commuter bike.
It took 2 years to get to that point, though. A really long time.
In the meantime, though, I had a other bikes to ride, like my 2001 Bianchi Veloce that I bought off of Craiglist for $500 and a fixed gear I put together with a frame i found for $40. Both of these bikes came about over a long period of time as well. I had to keep a really close eye on craigslist everyday until I found the right size bike at the right price.
Building a fixed gear or single speed is how I got into this whole bike building thing in the first place. Its cheaper and easier than building a geared bike, so, if you really just want to build a bike, starting singlespeed / fixed is a good way to introduce yourself to the process. Gears and being able to coast are great things, although I love my fixed gear and used it solely for a while, I am glad that I have other bikes to choose from. It really depends on how you want to use the bike. If you want a geared bike and want to build it, its really not that much harder, but it will end up costing you more if you use new parts because groupsets are pretty expensive.
For example, the Bianchi D2 Crono Tri Alum / Ultegra costs $3199. If we were to build it from scratch with the same parts it would look like this:
The above parts already cost $695 more than the complete bike and that is without the cables, tires, tubes, seat post, seat, handlebars, bar tape, and headset that one would need to complete it.
Buy
Here are a few bikes I would suggest to someone that is looking for that one do everything bike that would be ridden everyday (and can also be ridden across the country):
These are all cyclo-cross bikes that can be ridden on road and on some mountain bike trails. They have rack mounts so you could attach panniers if you so desired and have space for fenders if you are riding through the rain.
If you are going to buy a complete bike, you need to test ride them at least a mile. Test ride a bunch of them including bikes that are out of your price range so you can feel the differences and have better feel for value. Figure out what size you need, and test ride some more. oh, and remember, you can always get a new seat, so don’t let that ruin an otherwise great bike.
Good luck! If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to get a hold of me.
In the spirit of the Great Move of ’09 and my plan to commute by bike in the big city, I have been looking about online for bike locking tips and, as can happen during intensive internet usage, I began to get a little freaked out and, well, obsessive.
This Hal fellow drills the idea of two locks into your head, so, it seems that, since he’s in NYC and I’m going to be in NYC, I should take his advice.
Two and a half bikes have been stolen from me in two different cities over the past five years (.5 bikes per year average… which might be really good considering how much I use my bike to get around). These bikes were only stolen when left in the same place for a considerable amount of time, so, after getting a new bike and lock in 2003, I began change up my bike locking locations and keep my bike indoors when possible. So far, this has been working, but I’ve been living in Austin and Fort Worth. I’m moving to New York City, a place whose name is used to market some really expensive and really heavy bike locks.
Now if your going to go the DIY route, look for the following chains:
Medium Security: Grade 70, 3/8″ link, yellow dichromate coated transport chain.
http://www.bareco.com.au/pics/genrlpic/g37a.jpg
High security: Grade 70, 1/2″ or 5/8″ link, yellow dichromate coated transport chain
Extreme high security: Grade 100 proof tested , 5/8″ links overhead lifting chain ,25% stronger than grade 80, and extremely difficult to get a bolt cutter head around the links.
if i can carry around 4 feet of 1/2″ chain, with a 3lb shrouded padlock, anyone can carry the standard 3/8″ link chain around….
Hmm… Do it myself? I had already spent $90 on a nice Kryptonite New York Lock, so did I really need to spend $120 more to supplement it? If no bike lock is theft proof and the two locks are really just a deterrent and some people suggest using a cable lock then maybe if I just made my own and used it with the Fahgettaboudit mini u-lock it would be just as good, if not better, than a measly cable? I hit the hardware store, spent $38, and got this:
Its 4 feet of super thick chain graded for towing wrapped in an old mountain bike tube and a solid steelMaster Lock. It seems that some people on the bike forums think that square or hexagonal links are harder to cut. The chain cutter guy at the store had to cut the chain link twice to get it apart, so this chain seemed sufficiently difficult to break.. that is until I found this video of people stealing bikes in London that shows a guy with HUGE bolt cutters breaking a Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit Chain:
However, ITV London showed how, with big cutting tools, pro thieves can cut almost any lock.
And then there is this video showing guys stealing bikes in the middle of busy NYC without anyone caring. The guy even plugs in a grinder and dons protective gear to tear through a chain and no one seems to notice:
Since my bike will probably get stolen no matter what I do, i’ve already found a replacement lock: the Mul-T-Lock 4′ Security Chain and C10 Padlock with Protector. After perusing the Mul-T-Lock website I am beginning to think this is the best chain with lock combo on the market, although I have no idea how heavy it is.
Update: The chain used above rusted like mad crazy, so I replaced it with a nickel plated chain of the same gauge.
The 2 locks I had on my bike, a long thick gauge nickel-plated chain with a solid steel Master Lock and a Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit, protected my wheels and frame, but my handlebars (Cinelli) and cranks (Campy) could easily be stolen with an Allen wrench. I saw bikes without handlebars and other various parts sitting locked to poles and fences all over the city.
In order to keep my fancy parts, I super-glued a BB into each of the Allen bolt heads to keep the wrench from getting into the bolts. As far as I know, they BB can later be removed with acetone (nail polish remover), but, when my roommate removed all of the components from the bike, cleaned them, and put it all back together (as a Christmas gift) he used a blow torch and a nail. I didn’t really ask him about it because I think he just wanted an excuse to use the blow torch.
Oh, I kept the bike outside sans pedals. I have a set that bolt on easily with an Allen wrench, so I’d walk downstairs, unlock the bike, flip it over and put on the pedals, pocket the wrench and ride away. I must sound really paranoid, but I lived in the Lower East Side; bikes get stolen there all the time.
This weekend was amazing. It was more fun than i had imagined and was a great overview of everything i love and will miss of Texas. I wish i had more photos to share, but somewhere in the middle of the trip i was liberated (“no, don’t get the camera, come on”) from the overwhelming need to capture EVERYTHING we were doing. Although i didn’t always have my camera, I did manage to send out some tweets while i was still within range of cell towers.
i need to run some errands (fill tires, buy food, pack car, eat lunch…) and start the long drive into vacation-land.
11:40 AM May 22nd from web
I had quite a bit of gear to pack for this trip: camping gear, cycling gear, camera gear, hiking gear… and little guitar i never got around to playing. This was the first time in a while that i’ve gone camping with bikes, so, i decided to learn from past car packing problems and reconfigure my homemade in-car bike rack.
As some of you know, i drive a Nissan Pathfinder (that desperately needs to be washed) and had built a bike rack for the inside with a plywood board and some truck bed bike mounts. How it works is fairly easy: take off the front wheel of the bike and push it into the car (which i should call an SUV) backwards until the fork lines up and into the truck bed mount. I strap the wheels to the side of the vehicle and pack the rest of the gear around the bikes. Originally, i had the bikes next to each other and centered in the middle, leaving very little space to toss duffel bags and storage containers, so i decided to move the bikes as far over to the right as possible to leave room for gear on the left. To get the bike that is furthest to the left to fit properly, i have to loosen the quill stem and turn it all the way to the left, but it is overall just as easy to take the bikes in and out as before.
Anyway, i packed up the big three duffels full of gear next to the bikes and hit the road. Since we had both been so busy, it had been a while since Alana and i had a chance to really relax and chat about politics and life and stuff, so, for a good amount of the 7 hour drive, we just talked. No music. No podcasts. It was vacation time, and even though there was a good amount of driving to be had, we didn’t have anything to worry about for the rest of the weekend. Near the end, we did end up listening to the Rachel Maddow Show and This American Life, but, for the most part, we talked.
It was a bit after 11pm when we pulled into Balmorhea State Park. We found my name on the announcement board with our campsite number and headed off to get ready for bed. When I reserved our site, the woman on the phone said there was only one spot left, an RV site, and asked if that was okay. “Well, as long as I can pitch a tent there, we should be fine.” I had spent quite a bit of time in this park and figured that we could put a tent anywhere; little did I know what was reserved for us was a pull through RV site who’s little bit of earth and picnic table turned into a bowl of mud when it rained. Unfortunately, it had been raining. Fortunately, it didn’t rain more. We pitched our tent on a small patch of grass by the picnic table and curb so that, if it did rain, only our feet would get wet.
Children loud. This rv campsite was not made for a tent. If it had rained, it would pool up. 6:45 AM May 23rd from TwitterBerry
I woke up in the tent to the sound of kids playing loudly. Very loudly. Little running feet, little screaming voice, little kicking sounds were coming from all over the camping area. I knew it was going to be crowded being that it was Memorial Day weekend (spring break for adults), but i didn’t think about all the little kids and youth groups that would be “relaxing” side by side with us at the pool. I had been spoiled by taking trips during weekdays, declaring that “weekends suck” because everyone else had them off, and used to basking in the solitude of state park weekday mornings. Now, after the 40 hour work weeks and constant moonlighting, I was just glad to be close to the mountains, no matter how many kids were chasing the pretty animals around me.
Father 2 son “Logan, leave that rabbit alone!” Its really beautiful out here despite screaming kids. 7:54 AM May 23rd from TwitterBerry
I got up and decided to go for a walk while Alana continued blissfully sleeping away amidst the noise. I grabbed my cameras and found this:
Giant ants! sweet! I’ve been interested in seeing how well my video camera would fare against such small creatures!
We hopped in the pool after coffee and oatmeal and enjoyed the sun until the weather turned sour. Thunder and lightening signaled our time to relocate to the Davis Mountains State Park. The drive from Balmorhea to Fort Davis on 17 is beautiful, especially when its been raining. The roadside is surrounded by the short but intense jagged mountains. In some areas, the rock is exposed in a way that makes it look like a choir singing to the heavens as they wait patiently for the end of the world.
so, yeah, its pretty.
We set up camp, napped and drove to the observatory to find it had closed for the day only to re-open later for the star party. On our way back down the mountain, we stopped at a rest area, cooked dinner, and contemplated the cloudy weather. It didn’t seem promising for a good star party, so we decided to head down to Marfa and see what was happening down there.
At padre’s in marfa texas. Place is hopping! 8:59 PM May 23rd from TwitterBerry
It was dark and chilly when we got there. We drove up and down the empty streets until we came across a place that seemed to be pretty busy. It was almost hard to find parking! (In a place like Marfa!) There was a $10 cover at the door (!!!) along with the owner of the place. He said “Tonight, this is the place to be” and with the commotion inside, he appeared to be right. From the deserted streets to this was like night and day. We came to find out that the venue is called Padre’s, it used to be a funeral home, and this was its opening night as a bar. There was a Tejano band on stage (captured above with crappy Blackberry camera) and a reasonable sized line to the bar. I ordered a Turbodog (love!) and Alana got a margarita served in a pint glass. We weaved our way outside to find old arcade games, a foosball table and a fire in a metal-drum-turned-to-butterfly-chiminea with benches. We chatted with a few people and discovered that most everyone our age there were visiting from either houston or dallas. Overall, we had a great time and i hope come back next time i’m in the area.
They stop serving breakfast at 930 at davis mnts sp black bear resturant. In town at the chuck wagon. Yum. 9:54 AM May 24th from TwitterBerry
Upon waking, we fantasized about pancakes and omelettes as we hiked to the Black Bear Restaurant, only to find that they had stopped serving at 9:30 am. I looked at my watch and saw it was 9:45 am. My tummy grumbled. What to do for breakfast? I was much too hungry for oatmeal and coffee. We decided to drive out to Alpine and see if they had a breakfast place. Luckily, just in town at Fort Davis, the Chuck Wagon was still serving. The “Open” sign was glowing and my heart filled with skeptical joy. Alana got an omelet and i had two biscuit sandwiches with bacon, egg and cheese.
Yum indeed, but it didn’t do me much good when I was trying to ride 40 miles through the desert on the bike from Fort Davis to Marfa. I seriously bonked out after just 8 miles, so, we turned around. I felt horrible and I’m still not sure why. I rode really well the previous weekend, why not now? Alana and I had been eating the same food and she’s raring to go, whats wrong with me? I took a nap and then a shower. Over dinner, we decided to leave the park and head out to Alana’s Dad’s dude ranch in the Texas Hill Country.
During the trip so far, Alana and I have been talking about how much we are going to miss Texas, so, heading out for one last tromp on the ranch before moving far away made a lot of sense. It wasn’t on the itinerary, but, hey, this is vacation! We can do what we want!
It took about 6 hours to get to the ranch in Mason, Texas. When we got up the next morning, at breakfast, Alana’s dad mentioned something about 4 wheelers. “They’re easy to drive, I’ll show you.”
Alana still in her PJ’s and I without my camera (fail), headed out 45 minutes of 4 wheeling bliss! It was great. The landscape out there is so beautiful. We rode from the Llano river and up into the hills. I had never gone 4 wheeling before, but now I’m hooked. Don’t know when I’ll have a chance again, but count me in.
Overall great weekend! For more information about the places we visited check out the following:
DO YOU BELONG IN NYC?
