Lay it on me

Assorted tales/tails. Despite having many days here of temperatures in the 90's I have done a lot of riding. Mostly commutes to and from work. In fact I have not drove to work in over two weeks. I kind of feel guilty when I drive because my commutes to either office are brief (less than five miles). Sure there are times when I have to schlep something that I would rather not stuff into my messenger bag, but its only a minor inconvenience. Previously I relegated all of my commuting duties to my speedy cyclocross bike. This is a logical choice as I have slicks on it so its basically a heavy duty roadie and I can get to any destination faster aboard it than any of my other rides. However my instinct to play never seems to go away so I rebuilt my old Surly Instigator (old picture above/new and improved below) into an urban assault vehicle. I went with a 1x9 gearing, Maxxis Holy Roller tires, a Gravity Dropper, flat pedals and a nice beefy Z1 fork. Its perfect for riding down stairs, jumping curbs/planters, riding through ragged industrial yards and general urban mayhem. It may not be as fast as the 'cross bike, but like I always say "It makes the commute an adventure". I find myself scouting lines all the time now when I am in car not unlike when I was kid with my skateboard where I would see some embankment and think how I could ride it. Now I have to use broader strokes and a larger palate. Its fun.

Heres some more fun. Recently our local paper reported on a proposed "cycling loop" in Virginia Beach. I am very happy that that any effort is being made for the benefit of cyclists in this area, however I think this proposal is a poor choice. It will not be sustainable because at its core it will be boring. It will take even the most novice rider only a brief period of time to circle a 2.4 km paved path. Then what? Keep going around like a hamster in a treadmill? If thats the effect you want go spin at the multitude of gyms around. Paved path? How about the boardwalk? Its longer and far more interesting. No serious rider is going to go there for training because a. It will not provide any challenge and b. Aforementioned novices will be in the way. What really kills me is the cost to taxpayers of $3.9 million. I will not sit here and badmouth without a solution. I say take the 25 acres of land (or find another park or two) and allow a series of multi-use trails to be built for cyclists (mountain bikers), hikers and possibly equestrians. Does this seem self-serving? You bet it is, as there is a single city park on the south side of the bay that has legal mountain bike trails (First Landing does not count; the trails are too wide). However, there are amazing successful examples of this throughout the nation. Heres the black and white: It can be done at a fraction of the proposed sum. It will bring interest to the area, revenue to local vendors and provide a project that can be sustained for years by local groups (civic, cycling clubs, scouts, etc.) Amazing examples of these kind of projects be found in Fort Lauderdale (similarly flat), New York City, Seattle and Woodstock, Georgia (Atlanta suburb). The last one I have personally rode many times and help maintain at some their work parties. It is incredible that a community would come together to make something like this happen. It has drawn people to the area increased the local business revenues and given the area national recognition. Picnic Areas, Frisbee golf, dog parks, nature paths all could be included. Bottom line is that it could be fun.