The Observation Deck

It's that time of the month, the last Friday, Bike to Work Day, this June 29th....

Bike to Work Day, organized by ClevelandBikes, is a comfortably paced bike ride downtown, with experienced ride leaders, beginning at several convenient starting locations including two from Lakewood. We leave from Phoenix Coffee at 7:25 AM, and from Arabica at 116th and Detroit at 7:50 AM. From there it's straight to AJ Rocco's downtown to meet other riders, but of course you are free to ride straight to your destination. Rumor has it Brandon is working that morning so I might be pinch hitting as ride leader. Mike you joining us? Jon? Ruth?

Consider this. A 20-mile round trip commute, with gas at $3, and 50 cents a mile to buy and maintain your car, plus $5 a day for parking, ends up costing you almost $4000 a year. Wouldn't that look nicer in your IRA?

Cycling saves you that money, helps you burn calories, and won't harm the environment. So join me and other cyclists this Friday. We love newbies! If you have any questions about Bike to Work Day, please PM me.

Watch out for the glass on the Detroit-Superior bridge, especially on the return trip(westbound). It's the worst I have seen it for months.

We usually take the Hope Memorial Bridge, and yes, the last time I biked across the Detroit-Superior (eastbound) there was quite a bit of glass.

Most times we take Detroit and skip over to Franklin at W. 76th. Franklin is pretty quiet, scenic, and quick. Sometimes we take Detroit though. And for a real change of pace we cruise down to the bikeway thru Edgewater, then over to Gordon Square and on into town.

Franklin is a great way to get downtown and back. When it's very hot and sunny, Franklin has a lot of shade trees and it seems like there is less traffic than Detroit. I take Edgewater Park most days, the view from the path overlooking the lake can be stunning. Keep em' spinning!

Hey folks.

Inbound, Detroit superior was not only swept, but washed this morning.

I haven't yet ridden in the outbound (westbound) lanes.

By the way, I noticed a "no bikes against the glass" sign on the window at the Futon shop next to the Phoenix.

The only time that happens is when every tree and parking meter is occupied by a bike. A clear sign of the need for racks.

I found the same to be true on the Detroit/Superior Bridge this morning - no glass eastbound.

I'll keep my fingers crossed going home today. The glass on Tuesday was indeed horrible and am quite surprised I didn't get sliced.

I'm solving the moral dilemma by simply taking the day off and not driving to work at all. But, if I need a gallon of milk I'll pedal for it ...