Snow overnight, but the extended forecast shows warming temps.

30°F

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Overcast

Wind: NW at 16 mph

Humidity: 69%

29°

9°

31°

20°

41°

25°

43°

29°

I am starting to feel better and should be back in the saddle after taking this past month off to recoup.  I start to go stir crazy when I sit at home/in my cube too long without fresh air and a saddle under my backside.  I promise to bring you fresh content and photos soon enough.

The winter lull/flu epidemic has given me time to do some well needed maintenance on the bikes. The usual cleaning, lubing, greasing, pumping, tightening, adjusting, etc ...

If you find yourself in need of a adjustment or repair while in the Midtown area, be sure to check out UNO's cool new set-up. Out of the elements too.

 
Keep up the cycling and keep it safe ...

Waiting and Waiting to Get Back to It

Hello all,

Sorry the posts have been sparse as of late.  First, it was the holidays, then I got ill with some sort of flu (I think of the swine variety), and lastly, we've seen negative temps in the morning.

I promise to get back on the bike soon. I won't let you down.  Until then you can read about good news in bikes:

Here

and

Here


Good job guys.

Linktacular Local Bicyclular Blog

Today we return to the local cycling situation.  Here in the Big O (Sorry if you thought I was speaking of this Big O) we host the World Series every year.  Not the big show but of the NCAA variety.  For the Big O, it's a Big Deal.  It brings a lot of people to town who like to drink a lot of booze and eat a lot of food and pretty much rape and pillage with impunity.  Last year was the first year this event was hosted in a new downtown ballpark.  A really nice place that replaced an aging relic out south. 

With the surrounding, dinning, lodging and entertainment, this new ballpark couldn't be situated better.  But Omaha likes to make things difficult.  Omaha wants to limit access for pedicabs and horse-drawn carriages to the area around the ballpark.  The easiest and quickest way to connect the ballpark to the Old Market, which is the city's dinning and entertainment district, is now being asked to step aside for the overpriced, less efficient 4-wheeled variety of the same transportation. This ban only applies during the World Series. 

Not so fast though, the city council has decided to delay the vote on the ban.




This city has a car(d)-on for some reason.  How about going the opposite way and banning cars/suvs/buses from the area around the ballpark and giving the fans a pedestrian friendly event. The Old Market area, the Midtown Crossing area, the Aksarben area are developments in Omaha that should be closed to car traffic affording a pedestrian friendly enclave.

Anyway, i hope to see the city do the right thing.  I doubt they will, but a compromise is better than a nopromise.

Down in the capital city, the city council did the right thing and left a downtown bicycle lane alone.  The lane is not a favorite among cyclists or drivers, as the lane is down the middle of the one way street.  But a lane is better than no lane. 

I like to link to the comments section of these types of articles as the worst of the  pro-car anti-bike zealots make me laugh.  See the comment section here (story here). 


Ride safe.  

Due to an extended illness ...

... I have been unable to commute via two wheel human powered safety bicycle.  I have been commuting this week via a big huge petrol guzzling SUV. 

Everyone in my house is sick.  Sick wife. Sick child. Sick me. It's called a circle of sickness.  And as a bonus, the weather is supposed to turn to crap starting tomorrow.  Finally, a winter. 

Anyway, here are two pics I took the past two days:

Let the Sun Shine In

What a day.  According to my phone, it is 66 degrees F.  Really wish I was out on the mountain bike trail instead of sitting in my cubicle.  Booooooo.  At work, we have a nice patio where people can eat or hang (or smoke, blaaaaa) and it butts up to the multi-use trail. I went out and relaxed for a bit.  Counted at least 20 cyclists streaming by.  Jealous.

Biking in the New Year

Bike lanes seem to be the new hot topic here in Omaha and Lincoln.  Whether it's adding, keeping or destroying the lanes, the real entertainment happens when you read through the comments section of the articles.

Here is an article out of Lincoln about keeping the bike lane in downtown. I think it's great that they want to keep the lane, although it's a ridiculous design stretching down the middle of the road.  Not many cars or buses give riders a second thought and cross through or drive in this lane.  Still lane is better than no lane. 

Here is an article from Omaha's paper about adding a protected bike lane to the downtown streets. I am not a huge fan of protected bike lanes as the shield cyclists from the view of motorists until the intersection, which is the most dangerous place.  But again, I am happy the discussion is out there. 

As with both articles, be sure to check the comments for great arguments coming from the cagers. 

And last but not least, Yehuda and the Kickstand Gang are back with fresh strips Monday through Friday.






This time you need to join the club.  It's $1 a month and well worth it.

Ride safe.

Back and as Lazy as Ever

Hello one and, well, one or maybe no one.  Hello ... o ... o ... o ...

Sorry for the lack of posts during the past week or so.  I had a busy holiday.  I was sick as hell. I got married to my wife for a second time. I had 10 days off of work. During the 10 days, I rode my bike 0 days.  I got fat and lazy during the holidays.  Welcome to America!

Above is the view of the parking lot at work that I parked my vehicle that I drove into work today.  Fat and Lazy start to the new year, like a good American. 

Hope everyone had a great holiday stretch and now GET BACK TO WORK!