At first it was just this suitcase, one saddlebag, a backpack, and my bicycle. Later on, in Carlsbad, I’ll open another saddlebag and another backpack as Christmas presents, and redistribute some of my gear into them, making a second version of my luggage.
This week I took the recumbent instead of the folding bike. Much more awkward on BART, but a hell of a lot more comfortable in the city.
Here’s what I saw:
Today I rode the recumbent instead of the folding bike. Getting it on Bart was a hassle, but I covered the whole wharf district in about half the time and in twice the comfort.
Today I rode the recumbent instead of the folding bike. Getting it on Bart was a hassle, but I covered the whole wharf district in about half the time and in twice the comfort.
This dude is a local rock balancer. He stacked these rocks up in about half an hour, while I ate my lunch.
First stop: The farmer’s market! I had to pay a buck twenty for a single orange, but what the hell, it was tasty. Besides oranges I got romaine, a cucumber, some carrots, some samosas, and a nice juicy plum which I ate right there on the sidewalk.
First stop: The farmer’s market! I had to pay a buck twenty for a single orange, but what the hell, it was tasty. Besides oranges I got romaine, a cucumber, some carrots, some samosas, and a nice juicy plum which I ate right there on the sidewalk.
On the ferry boat from Sausalito back to San Francisco. You wheel your bike down a ramp to the lower deck, then purchase an eight dollar ticket during the ride itself. Lots of tourists on this boat.
On the ferry boat from Sausalito back to San Francisco. You wheel your bike down a ramp to the lower deck, then purchase an eight dollar ticket during the ride itself. Lots of tourists on this boat.
Street musicians have to use whatever gear they can find. The cymbal on this stand may be busted for conventional use, but it still makes a neat sound.
Street musicians have to use whatever gear they can find. The cymbal on this stand may be busted for conventional use, but it still makes a neat sound.
This is John F King II and his drum setup. Nice fellow. He let me play along with him for a little while.
For those of you who do not know: I now live in Oakland.
Earlier this week I bought a folding bike, and yesterday I took it on Bart underneath the bay and into San Francisco, and went tooling around. Here’s what I saw:
Mr. Breakpoint poses with the folding bike. He rode with me on Bart from San Francisco to Oakland.
I’ve always been fascinated by the way the buildings seem layered on each other, like they form a labyrinth. I imagine the city as a giant hedge maze in a garden that winds around for eternity.
I’ve always been fascinated by the way the buildings seem layered on each other, like they form a labyrinth. I imagine the city as a giant hedge maze in a garden that winds around for eternity.
More of that awesome layer effect. You could make a neat jigsaw puzzle out of this.
More of that awesome layer effect. You could make a neat jigsaw puzzle out of this.
I’m pretty sure this is the same fellow who hangs out around Berkeley. He sure does get around. Every 30 seconds or so he would yell out a repeated phrase, ending in, "HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!!"
I’m pretty sure this is the same fellow who hangs out around Berkeley. He sure does get around. Every 30 seconds or so he would yell out a repeated phrase, ending in, "HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!!"
My last photo of San Francisco for the day, right by the same Bart station where I started. It’s only been about four hours, but I’ve seen a lot on my little folding bike!
My last photo of San Francisco for the day, right by the same Bart station where I started. It’s only been about four hours, but I’ve seen a lot on my little folding bike!
My haul from the Farmer’s Market. (Not shown: A container of delicious hummus.) vCarried it in my backpack the whole time … it seems to have survived the trip.
My haul from the Farmer’s Market. (Not shown: A container of delicious hummus.) vCarried it in my backpack the whole time … it seems to have survived the trip.
I started this ride late, since I forgot my helmet. Both the helmets I already own are customized for Bike Party, so instead of driving home, I got a third one. I’m LIVIN’ LARGE!
La dropped me off at the top of Quimby Road, and I’d gone no more than 15 yards when I saw a freshly dead snake on the shoulder. It was a big one – about four feet long – and still flexible. I collected it into a large ziploc bag and carried it with me for the rest of the trip, so I could deliver it to Monica at the UC Berkeley Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. The things we do for science!!
The park was splendid. I paused to chomp a sandwich and saw a bunny hop slowly over the road. Partway down Hotel Trail I saw a series of clustered holes in the road, each boiling over with large black ants, so I grabbed a shot of that. Many flowers were in bloom, and I had a sneezing fit from some of the pollen. Good thing I had a lot of water.
On my way up Highway 130, out of the valley, I caught a glimpse of a frog in my headlight, and stopped to grab a picture. It was slowly crawling across the road, towards the thick bushes on the eastern edge, and the lake beyond. I decided to give it some help, so it didn’t become a froggie pancake. For my troubles, it peed all over me. Good thing I still had lots of water to rinse off with!
Haven’t been all the way up here since 2008! The air was a bit cold, but it was still a nice climb. This time my bike had the custom cassette on it, so I didn’t have to do any switchbacking, and I took fewer rest stops. Hooray for “granny gear”!
During each ride, there is always at least one especially cool moment, during which I can say, “this makes the whole ride totally worthwhile.” This time, there were two moments.
While pedaling to the top of the highest bend in Calaveras road, the sun oozed out from the clouds directly behind me, low on the horizon, and warmed my back at the same time it bathed the whole road around me in a brilliant yellow glow. I rode on in silence, enjoying this ethereal lighting, and then somewhere way down the hillside in the darkened valley, a cow began mooing very aggressively. I yelled, “QUIET, COW! I’M HAVING A MOMENT HERE!” The cow went quiet.
On the way back down the steepest hillside, I was leaning on my brakes and moving slowly. I passed around a bend and saw a collection of very large birds arranged on the fenceposts at the roadside. Another bird was down in the road, and as I drew near it took startled flight and dropped what appeared to be a ground squirrel out of its claws and into the ditch. I slid slowly up to the birds and halted, and finally got a good look at their heads – withered-looking and bright red with beady eyes. I can’t remember the last time I’d been closer than six feet to a colony of vultures. Before I could sneak the camera out of my bag, a car came roaring up the road and they all took flight.
