Cycling

Getting Around and Staying Fit with Nice Ride

Somewhat-reputable sources list the Minneapolis/St. Paul area as one of the "most liveable" cities in the country. I'm not sure if I believe that; I've seen many places that seem just as nice, although this is the only city I've lived in. Other places have listed the metro as a very "bike-able" area, and I'm starting to believe that. I know I've had some minor hostility from drivers on the road and some genuine hatred towards bikers from my friends who drive, so we probably still have a bit to go as well.

Critical Mass: Biking for No Reason

A number of times in the last year or two I've seen this phenomenon where the street is taken over by a couple hundred bikers. I had noticed it a couple times, but it seemed like maybe it was a one-time or seldom-practiced demonstration. After seeing it a couple more times and hearing that they did it in San Francisco as well, I realized it was a much bigger event.

How To: Plan a Trip Using Google Maps

I found some new features on Google Maps recently, so I thought I'd use a real-world example to demonstrate them. Last night I was going to leave work by biking to the light rail station, riding the light rail downtown, and then biking the rest of the way home. Before I left, though, I found out that there was a pre-season Vikings game last night.

MetroTransit and Ambiguity

I was leaving the light rail platform and noticed for the third time today a new MetroTransit ad affixed to the entrance of the platform. Check it out:

 Safety is a Shared Responsiblity - MetroTransit

Apparently it's not marketed at me, because it makes no sense. As much as I can figure, it seems they're saying that they don't have bridges that collapse. Or something. If it makes sense to you, maybe you can enlighten me.

Minneapolis Biking Adventure #1

Last week we biked to Hidden Falls and on Tuesday I biked to and from work, but I needed to kick it up a notch this weekend because I didn't bike at all on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. So, I biked for 17 miles (and got a bit of walking in over by the lakes). Here's the map:

Biking Trip Map for 6/2/2007

The Beginning of an Era

I'm looking forward to this. Back when I was a kid, I biked all around the quaint little town of Hastings. Finally, now, I'll hopefully start to do that on a limited basis. Today I purchased a nice, new bike for use here in Minneapolis. I didn't waste any time, for I biked about 17 miles to a picnic and then to the light rail station that I'll ride to regularly. By biking a mile or two to the nearest light rail station, I might even be able to cut down on commute time because I don't have to ride along the bus lines.