Of Bike Rides, Geocaching and Worm Leavings

Yesterday was the first breakfast ride of the year. We traversed the Brooklyn Bridge, rode along the Brooklyn waterfront and dined in full view of the Statue of Liberty.
The orange boat? The Staten Island Ferry, of course!

We enjoyed muffins, scones and croissants much to the childrens' dismay. (They were looking forward to apple fritters which were not to be had.)

Riding home we took a new path that allowed us to avoid a rather steep hill . That said, we still gained the elevation but were able to do so much more gradually and, for my part, without shifting gears.

We hit the Greenmarket and returned the tote bag to the Worm Compost Lady. Yes, our Greenmarket has a Worm Compost Lady. She sells 5, 10 and 20 pound bags of worm leavings. Last weekend Mike went to the Greenmarket while the children and I were doing something else (I forget what) and he asked about the compost. Since he did not have the shopping cart with him, he was reluctant to buy the 20 pounds I had asked for. The Worm Lady really wanted to make the sale so she offered him her sturdy tote bag to schlep it home in.

Needlesss to say, my balcony plants are now well composted. I mixed about 3/4 of the compost into my not-yet-planted pots (the peas having been enriched with the last of last years' worm poop) and now the soil is looking all nice and dark brown again.

(Worm leavings, by the way, unlike those of other animals, do NOT smell! I'd love to have a worm bin of my own but have not yet figured out how to keep Maria from cleaning it. )

Since then two tomato plants have been added to the pots and I still need to obtain two more for this years' "Squid Farm."

Riding home, we viewed the usual sites, including this homeless person lounging outside the church next to our home. (That's Not-So-Little Squid in the foreground.)
To be fair, the church houses a soup kitchen so it is actually unusual not to see down-on-their-luck folk outside of it.

Once home, I resumed my dying and then ventured forth once more with Little Squid to do some Geocaching. He and I had done some bike caching on Friday and decided to test our luck with some caches within walking distance. We scored 2 for 2 yesterday and 4 for 8 on Friday, bringing our total to 70 found caches. We might do some upper east side caches today, time permitting.

Home again, I carded up some of the dying from a few days earlier ...
Pretty! Now I'm prepping the next color for the carder while awaiting delivery of my Woolee Winder before I start spinning.

On the Road Again

At 7:30 a.m. yesterday morning, the outside temperature registered 51 degrees and the forecast was for a high in the 60s. The kids and I donned our riding gear (o.k, I donned my riding gear, they ride in street clothes), loaded panniers and backpacks and set off for band practice and work.

We rode all of 2 blocks before Squidette proclaimed "we are definetely riding tomorrow." And then "I am so glad we didn't drive!"

Me too.

We had a lovely ride uptown and then Mike rode uptown to join us and we all rode home together, taking a detour to avoid all the "first nice day" recreation riders in Central Park.

This morning Squidette woke up feeling a bit under the weather but had chirped up enough by 10:00 to saddle up for a quick ride to the Manhattan Fairway Market.

I got to wait with the bikes while the kids and Mike went inside for provisions.

The greenway is now open from 125th Street to 135th (or so) making for a much nicer waiting spot then the parking lot.
The ride uptown was tough as we were fighting a serious headwind but the ride back was lovely. Until I went to put up Little Squid's bike.
Did I mention that I had to raise both their seats by at least an inch?

His is just barely fitting on the rack now. There is about 1 inch between the seat and the ceiling which does not bode well for the rest of the summer. The next time we raise his seat we will have to come up with other storage plans ... or have to lower the seat after every ride.

I think his legs must be longer then Squidette's were at this age. We never had this problem when she rode this bike.

Total weekend milage: 24.8 miles

YTD: 24.8 miles

Average: 12.4 over 2 rides.

Both kids are hoping for nice weather next weekend so we can do it again!

Tire Iron Fairy?

We all know that if you leave a tooth under your pillow, the tooth fairy comes and leaves money. What happens if you leave a set of tire irons under your pillow? Or a quick stick? Or ... both?

Squid bike tires are now pumped and ready to roll. This weekend is supposed to be lovely and we are looking to ride at least on Sunday and, perhaps, tomorrow.

I was prepping, in hopes of riding up to band practice tomorrow, when the valve on my front tire blew. Fifteen minutes or so later, with a little help from my spouse, I have a new tube in my tire. This was the first time I've changed a tube on my Bike Friday and the first time in many years that I've done any work on a bike. I am blessed with a husband who just takes charge of the tire issues. Tonight, however, I started on my own figuring that I should get my skills back since I hope to go back to riding every day. I need more practice. My tires are hard to get off the rim. And I snapped my thumb with a back firing tire iron. Ouch.

The tools wound up under a spare pillow because I tossed them on the bed and then tossed the pillow on top of them as I moved it off the floor.

With luck, Squid on Wheels 2009 starts tomorrow. Or maybe Sunday. Watch this space!

Black Ice

No, this is not a cautionary tale. No accidents or near accidents occurred. Just a statement of how much my husband cares. He warned me twice -- that's once this morning and again before I came home -- about the dangers of black ice.

Isn't he sweet?

I was very careful and rode the streets to work this morning. I came back via Central Park and saw some brief glimpses of lovely, iced over, lawns. Brief glimpses because I really was all about watching for black ice and rode VERY carefully. My rides were challenging because the first was before the sun rose and the second was well after it had set. Even with a headlight, the shadows make for tricky riding. Potholes almost jump out at you after dark.

Yes, I'm working lots of hours. Much has to be done before the end of the month.

That said, today was probably the only day I'm riding this week. Tomorrow will be warmer but I have to drive for other reasons. It is supposed to rain / snow on Wednesday and then the temps are supposed to plunge into the teens.

I'm not riding in that. Nope. Not that crazy.

I didn't think that I had gotten chilled on either ride today but it took a fairly long time for me to get really warm again so I guess I did get kind of cold. I also got really hot. Then I got cold and clammy. Ick! Just as I think I figure out how many layers to wear at what temperatures, the wind chill messes with it all.

I wore just enough layers to feel comfortable riding uptown (though my fingers were starting to complain about 10 blocks before the end of the ride) and shed a layer coming home. At which point I over heated. Blah!

Oh well. Just as I figure it out, spring will arrive with it's own set of challenges. At least I'll be able to knit during yard duty. These freezing temps are messing with my output. I get only a round or two done before I have to grab my mittens and hand warmers.

Enough babble. Time for sleep.

Double Knit

Roughly 10 days ago I got bit by the double knitting bug. I just HAD to do it. I also needed a hat. My new job has me outside with the kids a few times a week and since I've been riding my bike to work, I am not dressed appropriately for standing in the cold. So, I am now keeping a second set of outer wear at work. But, I needed a second hat.

So ... after one aborted attempt that was about 4 inches long before I realized that it was also 4 inches too wide ...
we have a double knit hat. The bicycle is from Lucy Neatby's bicycle socks (sadly still uncompleted) with the execution entirely my own.
Yarn: Cascade 220 superwash left over from Squidette's blanket. (Expect to see lots of yellow hats and mittens this winter ...) Size 5 circular Addi Turbo needles using "magic loop."

Squid on Wheels: Contest Winner!

And the October 31 mileage was ...

745 miles. Exactly the same as last year!

So, the winner is ... Ikkinlala!

Congratulations! If you send me your snail mail address and favorite color I will put together a prize package.

***

Now that that's taken care of ... we actually did some riding yesterday. It was a balmy 51 degrees in the morning and I managed to convince the kids to ride up to band practice instead of my driving them up. The ride is an easy one -- at least for me. The boro-wide band practices in my school building, so it is a ride I've been doing 3-5 times per week lately.

While there, they played and I continued cleaning up a bookroom so I can clear the textbooks out of my office. Then we all rode to the west side to check out a newly opened piece of park and Mike rode up to join us there.

The ride home was glorious! We rode from 130th Street to 26th without stopping once! No traffic lights, no crowds of pedestrians. It was great!

14.5 miles

And the kids? They both got first seat in their instruments and Little Squid was told that he could do the Pops program this year in flute and then next year in oboe once he has a year of it under his belt. Squidette was invited to do the Pops program again even though it is supposed to be a single year thing. Way cool!

Warm Hands!

This morning I tricked my bike out with these babies. Moose Mitts!




The temperature outside was 41 degrees (Farenheit, if you care) but the wind chill brought it to about 25. On my legs I wore regular biking tights and wind pants (with handknit wool socks, of course). On top, a long sleeve base layer, a sweat shirt and a midweight bike jacket. On my head, a fleece balaclava (and helmet!) and on my hands, a pair of full-fingered bike gloves that are really the liners for a heavier glove.

As I pedaled up town, I immediately felt the difference. The wind was fairly strong but my hands were not feeling it at all. By the time I left Central Park, I had to remove the gloves and ride bare handed in the mitts.

I'm in love! I want to get them for all the bikes now so we can all ride in comfort.

The worst part of cold weather riding for me is the cold hands and cold ears. The balaclava solves the ears -- though I have a new set of ear muffs to try -- and now the Moose Mitts really solve the hands.

I can see needing a bit more coverage once the temps drop lower but the glove liners should do me to the low 30s or even lower.

Yup. I'm really in love here. Welcome to my wonderful world!

Tour de ???

(On the left, Yankee Stadium. On the right, Yankee Stadium.)
(Left - Old, Right - New)

We were supposed to ride the Tour de Bronx today. We even started it. After waiting for 2 hours in the cold. Then, after a slow start, the Tour paused again. For at least 15 minutes.

(Waiting in the cold)

We looked at each other, shivering and shaking, and started to back track to the porta-potties we'd spied a quarter mile back . Shortly before reaching what turned out to be really disgusting porta potties (don't ask!) we discovered friends sitting, injured, on the ground. One was o.k., the other had been rear-ended and had chipped a tooth and injured her wrist. They arranged for transport, we waited on line for the above mentioned facilities and then did not use them (yeah, immagine the worst you can and then add excrement). Then we consulted a map and our GPS and made our way home after only 2.5 miles of the tour. It wasn't fun and it was not worth being unhappy.

We had a lovely ride home over the Third Avenue Bridge and across town on 125th Street and the kids agreed that they could indeed do a long ride in these temperatures provided that standing around for 2 hours and stop and go riding was not in the mix.

(Riding bundled up. It really was a glorious day to ride.)

After examining the situation -- when we were riding, Little Squid was leading our pack and quickly making his way to the front of the ride -- we have decided to forgo future rides like this, save perhaps the Tour de Brooklyn.

Our family pace is a bit faster then this kind of ride is geared for but still too slow for the longer ride that went with it (and started at the same time and hence subject to the same delays). There was nothing wrong with this ride, per se, except for the long delay in the start which leaving us shivering in the cold (The ride started almost an hour after scheduled). It just was not what we wanted today.

The ride home, in the glorious sunshine with no stops from 125th Street to 27th Street, was lovely and we were dressed quite appropriately for riding in temperatures in the high 40s. We all had balaclavas (nicknamed Baclavas) and the kids wore jackets purchased for me (over their fleeces). (Squidette wore my brand new riding jacket, Little Squid wore a rain jacket that turned out to be too short in sleeve for me but was never returned, I wore an old biking jacket of Mike's and Mike wore his own stuff.) We were all layered and everyone was shedding a layer or gloves or something before we reached home. Except for me. I'm always cold.

We are planning a ride for two weeks from today. Just us and some friends. If we can figure out a way to avoid the Marathon ...

Next weekend? The Specialized High School Admissions Test, Borough-wide band auditions and ... Apple Picking!

Tipping the Balance

When Mike was about to celebrate his twenty-first birthday, he stated, unequivocally that the probability of him remaining "under 20" was far greater then the probability of him being older then 21.

Well the birthday came and went and, indeed, he was older then 20. He continued to maintain his stance on this, well ... until right now.

Here we are, a scant 20 years later and the balance is about to tip the other way. Having just asked him about this, I can honestly say that he is no longer in denial.

I have to tell you, this insistence on taking a stance and sticking to it is one of the traits that (now) endears him to me.

Long time readers know just how much I love my husband. Just thinking about him brings a tear to my eye and a smile to my face. Even when I'm irked with him.

On his birthday we will "celebrate" by riding the Tour de Bronx.

So, if you happen to come across a large group of bikers tomorrow (in the Bronx, of course) shout out a Happy Birthday to Papa Squid. And say hi to the rest of us!

You Know They are Growing ...

... when you actually have to think about if the jeans you just took from the dryer are hers ... or yours.

Makes sorting the laundry a tad more difficult. But not too much.

We have had a nice, quiet, 3 day weekend here in NYC. The first two days were sunny and warm and we did ... nothing. Barely even got out except to run some errands.

Except for Squidette. She had a mock test in preparation for the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT if you care). The test is in less then two weeks. Gulp! Lot of pressure when both of your parents and 5 of your 6 aunts and uncles and one grandparent went to specialized high schools (two schools between the 7 of us).

She also had an annoying project that required hourly recording over an entire day. We helped. I have no problem helping if I feel the project is unreasonable in its expectations and this one expected a 13 year old to be out doors for 8 hours recording the position of the sun using a homemade sundial. In New York City. Where you can't just leave the sundial and return every hour.

We fudged it -- used a windowsill on the east side of the apartment and the balcony on the west side. The teacher did say they could use a window if they absolutely had to.

This leads us to today where I declared "we are going for a ride!"

And we did.

It was so quiet on the paths and, even on the streets, that you almost forgot you were in New York.
Almost.

We rode up to the Intrepid and then down and around the tip of the island, cutting across (from East to West) via the Greenmarket where we scored some leeks for tonight's dinner.

Pastries were also made but I misplaced my camera after documenting them. Oh well, blog fodder for tomorrow.

Squid on Wheels -- The New York City Century 2008

Today was the 19th annual New York Century , A century, for those of you not in the know, is a 100 mile bike ride. The New York Century ride features five routes, ranging from 15 to 100 miles. This is the third time that Team Squid has participated in the ride and the furthest that we have ridden. We have now done the 35, 55 and 75 mile portions and no, we will not be doing the 100 next year -- we have an affair to attend that weekend , we'll try to find a different Century to ride -- maybe the Covered Bridges Metric Century in Lancaster.

I'd be lying if I said the ride was perfect. The kids got tired but were determined to finish. We offered to abort several times but they both insisted on continuing. Even after a bike fell on Squidette (she was sitting on the grass at a rest stop and my bike tipped over on her) she kept going.

Injuries were minor -- a branch scratched Little Squid's arm and I have some friction burns where my legs meet my saddle. (There is also some mild sunburn. Even our super duper sunblock can't beat 11 hours in the sun.)

Equipment malfunctions were non existent. 5 bikes (we had a friend riding with us), 10 tires and zero flats. Pretty amazing.

Now we are a bit sore, a tad tired but hey, we did it! 85 miles total including the ride to the subway to get to the start and the ride all the way home.

6:15 a.m. (Notice the new jerseys -- large Squid on the back, of course)Times Square -- about 7:00 a.m.

The Cyclone -- around 11:30 a.m.

The Kissena Park Velodrome (that's Little Squid on the track) -- around 1:00 p.m.

The Finish Line, 79 miles later -- about 5:00 p.m.

Honorary Squid -- He planned on riding the 35, maybe the 55, and stayed with us for the entire 75 (really 79).

Squid on Wheels -- High Bridge and the Croton Aqueduct

Our intention was to ride at least 40 miles this weekend in preparation for next week. (Don't ask, you'll just call the wrath of Huricane Hannah down on us.) You know what they say about the best laid plans, don't you ... let it sufficce to say that Little Squid got a migraine just before we were supposed to leave on Sunday.

The day was spent, instead, experimenting with headache relieving pressure points (verdict: they kind of work, if only to distract the sufferer for a while) and then shopping for (Mama and Squidette) and then assembling some furniture for Little Squid's room. I also hid the ends on Squidette's shrug. We decided that blocking was a futile endeavor.

Monday dawned bright and sunny and we set out to log at least 20 miles (note, we only achieved 19 due to various frustrations including a water bottle bent on suicide and a flat tire).

We did, however, finally get to High Bridge Park and introduced the kids to the High Bridge water tower and the Croton Aqueduct / High Bridge. The links do a much better job of explaining the important history of this site than I can. To sum it up, the High Bridge / Croton Aqueduct was built in 1848 (making it the oldest surviving bridge in New York City). It had a most important function, destined as it was to carry fresh drinking water into a city plagued with fires and disease. Cholera was a big one back then. The path to the bridge has been renovated and the bridge is now undergoing repair. It is supposed to open, once again, to pedestrian and bike traffic in two or three years. One will then be able to walk / ride the length of the entire Croton trail from the lowest reservoir (42nd Street and 6th Avenue) to the highest (Croton, NY).

High Bridge as seen from the plaza by the water tower.


High Bridge as seen through the hole in the gate that blocks access.


Structure preventing access to the bridge.


The High Bridge Water Tower as seen from the entry to High Bridge.

Mike -- stuck between and rock and ... yup, you guessed it ... a hard place.

Squid On Wheels -- 2008 Mileage Contest

It's that time of year again. Time to guess how many miles we Squid will ride by October 31, 2008. Current and past totals are posted in the sidebar.

Contest entries must be posted in the comments section to this post by 11:00 P.M. Saturday, September 6, 2008. Prizes include sock yarn, chocolate and assorted swag.

Remember, these are miles ridden as a family and do not count miles ridden by the adults alone. Mileage may include those ridden as one adult and two kids.

Contest is open to family members with the understanding that the prizes may be altered to suit the needs of the winner. Feel free to enter even if you do not knit.

Regular blogging, of a sort, should resume tomorrow.

That is all.

Blog Vacation

We interrupt this blog vacation to bring you this.

We Squid would also like to wish a very Happy Birthday to Lil' Bro, Josh. It's a little belated but I did call ... Josh, from all of us here in the Squid home, may this year be as wonderful as the last and may your new home suit you and Jaye to a T. Love you!

We now resume this blog vacation.

Squid on Wheels -- A Ride to Bayside

This morning we set out to ride to the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in Flushing Meadow - Corona Park.
No one was actually racing when we got there but we did get to circle the Unisphere.

To get to the races / park, we had to first navigate our way across Manhattan and into Queens via the famed Queensboro / 59th Street Bridge and then wend our way across Queens.

The trip out took a good two hours to go about 18 miles but we had to keep stopping to consult the map. If we do it again, it will go a lot faster.

After seeing what there was to see, we continued Northeast to my parent's apartment in Bayside. My kid brother and his wife were in town so we all visited for a few hours, swam a bit, ate some pizza and then headed home. We did not ride home, but rather rode to the terminus of the 7 train and took the subway back into Manhattan.

The 7 is my favorite train. The views of Manhattan are fantastic -- especially if you can see out the front of the train. Sadly, however, the new subway cars do not have the large windows at the front that the old ones used to. So, we had to settle for the view out the side windows instead. I tried to get some good shots but the window glass was really dirty. If you ever have a chance, take the 7 from Main Street to at least Queensboro Plaza and look out the windows facing North. You will see New York as you have never seen it before.

Today's ride: 30.7 miles.


Thanks to Dee for nominating me for a Arte y Pico award. I know that I am supposed to nominate a few blogs but my brain is a bit fried right now from the ride. I'll get back to you in a few days. Thanks, Dee!

Squid on Wheels-- Riding in the Rain

I've been wanting to do a Coney Island ride for several weeks now and so, this week, I set my mind to do it. Saturday was the perfect summer day, relatively cool, clear blue skies, no wind ... but I had a very tired kid due to a camp overnight. So Saturday was relegated to running some local errands and doing laundry. I also did some spinning ...
Bamboo Silk top that Susan sent me about a year ago. The one on the left is actually a pale blue and is what I was spinning (and not all of it, just the last few grams). The green has been spun up for a month or so.

Sunday "dawned" with a bang -- rather a clap, of thunder -- and it poured until shortly before the kids woke up. I was determined, however, to get out for a ride, no matter what the weather people said. I listened to all of the reports and decided to believe the one that said "no more storms until late afternoon."

And off we rode. Coney Island was out, because even I am not that stupid, and instead we did a basic breakfast ride to the Red Hook Fairway's and did a spot of geocaching a pier over.Then, out to Ikea for chocolate and cinnamon buns, and then we started home.

First we encountered a motorist who felt that we should not be taking up a lane of traffic with our bikes, "you (explicative deleted) have two children with you!" he shouted at us. Please note two things: one, we are entitled to an entire lane, by law, and were only taking the right hand side of it, except when dodging potholes, and two, the squidlings are, as you know, quite accomplished and savvy in the ways of city cycling. Mike yelled back a bit and we continued on our way.

At the base of the Brooklyn Bridge, Mike asked us to "pick a bridge and a way to get there." I picked the Williamsburg Bridge and took out the map to figure out how to get there.

Please note, we were at the base of the Brooklyn Bridge which meant that it's bike entrance was only a few blocks away, as was the entrance to the Manhattan Bridge path. The Willamsburg Bridge ... we that was a mile or so away ... Yes, I was trying to stretch the ride and make it more interesting.

Interesting it was as we wended our way through Williamsburg ...

Nice quite streets.And then the thunder started. Actually it started while we were still at the base of the Brooklyn Bridge. I was still in denial and the rest of the family was willing to buy into my delusion.

As we passed under the Manhattan Bridge, it started to drizzle. As we continued North, it became a steady rain. Finally, in desperation -- the water kept blinding me -- we pulled over into the shelter of a gas station until it let up. Pedaled another mile or so, sheltered under a highway and then finally got to and crossed the Williamsburg Bridge without another drop.

20 miles. Not bad for a rainy day.

Tour de France -- Intermediate Sprint

The officials over at the Tour de France Knit Along headquarters have declared a sprint. We cyclists / knitters are supposed to make our case for either: why our project qualifies as related, our cycling history or, our love of France.

My knitting choice is actually obvious. I am knitting short socks for cycling with a bicycle motif on them. And, after my redo, I am definitely sprinting to get them done by the end of the Tour.

As for France ... well, my memories of it are not the greatest so I'll go for the second option and focus on cycling.

Long time readers of this blog might remember when we first became "Squid of Wheels" two years ago. Squidette had just moved from a mountain type kids bike to a small road bike. Little Squid was now riding Squidette's hand-me-down (gee, sounds a lot like this post).

It was then that our kids decided that they like riding, and liked riding distances. I liked seeing my kids challenge themselves and gain pride in their physical accomplishments. We are all over the mental feats around here, but the physical is often left a little on the side.

That first year each mile stone was cause for celebration. The first organized tour, the first trip across the Brooklyn Bridge, and the first loop of Central Park.

That year we rode almost 500 miles, including a season ending finale of 44 in the New York Century.

The next year we rode almost 750 miles, including a season ending 66 with rides in several states, including Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana.

This year? We are already up to 314 ...

We've ridden across the Hudson River as well as the Ohio. We've ridden in Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, West Virginia and, of course, New York.

The Brooklyn Bridge is an old friend.

Our favorite stop is for Jaques Torres chocolate though the Brooklyn Fairway's for breakfast and Brooklyn's new Ikea for lunch are in close contention.

I tend to ride at the back of the pack, the Mama Duck position as I like to think of it. From there I get to watch the kids' legs and am the first to realize when it is time to raise a seat. I get to secretly smile with pride at how well they do and revel in the simple joy of being a family doing something we all enjoy. I get to think about how lucky I am ... and then I realize that in all of my wool gathering, they've gotten three blocks ahead of me. And I sprint to catch up.

And so, for my Intermediate Sprint, I remind you all, that we are Squid on Wheels. Tune in again to see where we go!

More Waterfalls and Riding Around Brooklyn

This morning we went on a breakfast ride to the Brooklyn Fairway. To get there, we crossed the Brooklyn Bridge and got another 4-Waterfall view.

Number 1: The Manhattan FallNumber 2: The Brooklyn Fall
Number 3: The Governor's Island Fall
Number 4: The Brooklyn Bridge Fall ... as seen from the walkway of the Brooklyn Bridge
While Little Squid rated them one "awesome" yesterday, today they were old hat.

Replacing them on the awesome scale were all the cool things along the waterfront behind New York City's first Ikea.
In order to ingratiate themselves into the neighborhood, Ikea fixed up the waterfront and preserved some cool details left over from it's heyday as a working waterfront.






Oh, and this? What NYC does to protect it's plants on the day of a big parade.