Tricycle safety quiz

Here’s a safety question for you:

Q.: When a pickup truck cuts in front of you and stops dead in the road to make a right turn into a driveway, and you are traveling downhill at about 30mph on a bike, what is your proper response?

A.: Pass the pickup truck on the right and hope he sees you and doesn’t drive over you as he turns.
B.: Pass him on the left, and hope there isn’t any traffic in that lane that will make you a meat pancake.
C.: Crash into the rear end of the truck to let him know you don’t appreciate his cutting you off.
D.: Squeeze your brakes for all you’re worth, while yelling at the top of you lungs: “NO! You @$$#Ø13 Don’t stop here!”

Continue Reading…

On the Erie Canal to Gasport

Today the weather was somewhat reasonable. Compared to the past week it was cooler and less humid, although in the afternoon, the humidity seemed to inch back up.

But I took a ride anyway, rather than waste a day. I only wanted to do an easy ride, so I rode the canal towpath form Lockport to Gasport and back. It wasn’t a long ride, and didn’t take long either.

The sun was beating down on the path pretty well and it felt hot, if not as unbearable as last week. I noticed the amount of goose poop had really increased. You might say it was piling up… And at times it stank. It was impossible to avoid, no matter what you did. A lot of it was dried out and flattened out by getting run over (The Canal Tour had come through Sunday with 300 or so bikers.) and you didn’t even see it until it was flung up into the air off the tires. Continue Reading…

Tough Picks this week


Call the boss, take some time off work, you won’t want to limit yourself to one or two shows this week. Let’s see what’s coming:

Tuesday: Artpark - Derek Trucks/Susan Tedeschi, Matt Schofield
Wednesday: Gateway Harbor - The Soul Barons, The Diva Show
Wednesday: Artpark - Matthew Good, Rob Falgiano Band
Thursday: Lafayette Square - Umphree's McGee, Tea Leaf Green
Friday: Buffalo Harbor - Crowded House, Lawerence Arabia
Friday: Lockport Canal Concert - Three Dog Night,  Leroy Townes,
            Rob Falgiano
Saturday: Buffalo Harbor - Eileen Ivers, Cherish The Ladies
Saturday: Hard Rock NF - BPO Plays Pink Floyd, Scott Celani
Saturday: Artpark - Great Big Sea (mainstage)

Several of these events have changed since first announced, 
possibly due to touring schedule conflicts. This is as up-to-date as 
I can find out.

Let’s look at this weeks shows… Continue Reading…

It’s the peak of Bike Season

I went for a ride yesterday with the NFBC, a 50-miler called the Alabama Ramble. It wandered from Clarence out into the Alabama swamps, on through Akron Falls Park and back. It was a hot day, but not as hot as the past week and it felt good to get out and be riding. As usual, I kept with the group for the first half of the ride, then rode the second half with a couple who were taking it more leisurely. Only the last 5 miles or so, I rode alone. When I got back to the parking lot where we started, my vehicle was the only one there.

Empty shellSomewhere along the ride, I lost my SuperFlash taillight. It was on and blinking, so it might be out there somewhere, still blinking in the grass. I probably hit a big bump and it popped loose. It’s a bad design, the batteries, electronics and lens are all in the front half of the clamshell case. The back, which fastens to the bracket on the bike, is empty. All the weight is in the front, detachable part of the light. All that weight is working to open the case with every bump. Most lights have everything in the back and only a light lens cover comes off to change batteries. Continue Reading…

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