Tag Archives: Bike Messenger

CAN’T TAKE THE BIKE MESSENGER OUT OF THE GIRL

If your would like to donate to Liz’s Bike to Build at NBSS Fund, click here.

This past Wednesday my bicycle mission began at 9 a.m., a little late as I found out later in the day when I scrambled to get to my evening destination. My focus was clear and my goals included the following:

  1. Go to North Bennet Street School to take some shots of the school for the video I hope to have made for my fundraising ride.
  2. Try out Google Maps to see how well the app works in a pinch to get me from one known destination to another, and evaluate how much iphone juice it drinks in the process.
  3. Purchase a replacement for Miss CatEye (my odometer), and have that installed.
  4. Try out my new wireless  battery charger for my phone to see how long it takes to revive a dying phone and what the life expectancy is once revived.
  5. Use the directions from the first 20 miles of the ALS Ride to travel from Newton to Holliston and see how well I negotiate the roads when looking down at directions frequently.
  6. Test my map reading skills when bicycling home from Holliston to Quincy, using only my bicycle maps…and no electronic devices.
  7. Oh yeah, and bicycle 70 to 80 miles, making sure to be home by 5 so that I can get to my meeting at 6:00 p.m.

I accomplished goal #2 on my ride to North Bennet Street School. I walked out my door, entered my starting point and my destination into the Google Maps app, turned up the volume on my wireless speaker tucked into my small backpack, and let Miss Google direct me through Quincy, Dorchester, South Boston, and into the North End. I must admit it is a lot harder to hear Miss Google’s voice kindly instructing me on which turn to take when she has to compete with the wind vibrating through my ear drums, the symphony of horns blowing in city traffic, sirens bellowing from every direction, and angry Boston drivers greeting each other with their version of Boston Love, “Watch wheeahh ya goin ya mutha f*%#a.” Once I got onto Dorchester Avenue, affectionately known as “Dot Ave” around these parts, I was transported back to my bike messenger days in New York City. Unlike many of my recent distance rides, my forearms were not resting on the pads above my handlebars, and my arms were no longer stretched towards the aerobars in a relaxed manner. Instead, my hands were gripped firmly on the lower bend of the handle bars, ready to grab the brakes at a moment’s notice. My head was on a swivel taking in the cars and trucks on all sides of me, especially those who were driving close behind me and the cars parked on the side of the road whose doors swing open into traffic spontaneously. I wasn’t calmly sitting back in the saddle taking in the picturesque scenery. I was on the edge of my seat dodging pot holes, sucking in the smog, ducking under side view mirrors of commercial vehicles, and avoiding pedestrians who unconsciously walk into traffic while staring mindlessly at their electronic devices. I have to admit I got a little charge from the “riskiness” of the whole experience. This thrill reminded me why I loved being a bike messenger so much; but by the end of the day I was thankful those days have passed after    1) hitting a side mirror with my backpack when squeezing between trucks, 2) going into a store praying my bike remains in its place with all its same parts when I come out, and 3) getting hit by a driver who cut me off because she “didn’t see any cars coming.”

I accomplished goal #1 by way of goal #2, and I arrived safely at North Bennet Street School about 40 minutes after leaving Quincy. Considering this is a fair amount quicker than it takes to travel via the T, I am considering a cycling commute to school while the weather is nice, providing I don’t have to carry a bunch of tools each day. I looked like a cross between a stalker and a tourist outside North Bennet Street taking photographs from multiple vantage points, mostly of the building and surrounding quaint North End neighborhood, but I must admit that I snuck in a few selfies as well. While inside NBSS, I reintroduced myself to the receptionist announcing that I will be returning in the fall. Like everyone I have met at NBSS so far, she seems to love the students and genuinely looks forward to their return come September. While waiting for the ladies room, a much sought after commodity for a cyclist on a long ride, I happened to see NBSS’s President Miguel Gomez-Ibanez, in the waiting room chatting with a visitor. I wanted to introduce myself, since we have communicated via email a couple times and he kindly made a donation to my fundraiser, but he was occupied by another conversation and I conveniently left my courage at home. Oh well, another opportunity will come soon enough because I am starting school in less than two months.

I accomplished objective # 3 at Back Bay Bicycles, which was located conveniently on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. The guys in the shop that day couldn’t have been nicer or more efficient. I walked out with a younger, slimmer, and wireless replacement for Miss CatEye in the form of the Sigma BC 16.12 STS CAD, and they had it on in about 20 minutes. It served me well the rest of the day because I could finally track my mileage, cadence, and speed again.

Because I had Miss Google Maps guiding me to NBSS, and I had taken pictures and video while there, I had used about 70% of my iphone battery by the time I went to Back Bay Bicycles, and I had most of my ride still ahead of me. Thankfully, I had recently bought the Phone Suit Elite Battery and Case in preparation for this exact problem. While waiting for Miss CatEye’s replacement, I hooked up the fully charged virgin battery….and SHAZAM…my iphone was slowly being revived. Goal # 4…CHECK!

Before leaving the bike shop, I made one last purchase, Rubel’s Boston’s Bikemap, which made it so much easier to find a direct path to Newton, as I was previously having difficulty reading the Boston streets on the Eastern Massachusetts Map. The embarrassing irony, is that I only needed to take one road from Back Bay Bicycles to Newton’s Boston College campus…Commonwealth Avenue…shameful to admit I didn’t know this, considering I grew up 30 minutes South of Boston.

Once I got to Newton, I used the step by step directions for the Ride to End ALS, which my partner Justine kindly found for me online. My plan is to use these directions for the bulk of my ride to NYC in August (from Newton, MA to Greenwich, CT), which will just leave me another 50 miles to map out in the beginning and end of my ride. I only used the directions for about 15 miles, but they worked like a charm. Goal # 5 accomplished.

After meeting my lovely fiancee for an impromptu lunch at Whole Foods in Wellesley, I studied my Eastern Massachusetts Road and Bicycle Map to find a route where I could cycle as many miles as possible for the next three hours but still be able to get home in time for my 6:00 meeting. I plotted out a path from Route 16 in Wellesley that took me through the beautiful towns of Natick and Sherborn, and then I turned onto Route 27 where I traveled through Medfield, Walpole, and Sharon; until I picked up Route 138 in Stoughton and cruised into Canton, where I jumped on my familiar Blue Hills path, which took me into Braintree before sliding into my hometown of Quincy. Smashed Goal #6 out of the park, and successfully navigated my way through numerous towns I had never cycled through before…and did it all without electronic devices.

Goal #7 was accomplished in the process of all the others, as I rode about 70 miles…exact amount uncertain because Mr. Sigma wasn’t put on my bike until I had already cycled 15 to 20 miles. I was making great time, the sun was shining brightly, birds were chirping, and the musical cyclist was in her glory…that is, until I was cut off and struck by a woman driving a Mazda sedan. It was startling, to say the least, as she cut a quick left into a driveway right in front of me, completely unaware that I was cruising down a hill and had no choice but to careen into her passenger side door because there was no time to stop. Now, three days later, I am grateful that I have been training so hard over the last few months because I believe it is helping this 40 year old body of mine recover from my abrupt meeting with Ms. Mazda’s right side.

Bad news: Bruised with a few minor scrapes, sprained and sore muscles, and a little frightened by how quickly life can change when drivers aren’t paying attention to what they are doing.

Good news: Alive and grateful that the accident wasn’t a lot worse. Made it to my meeting, albeit a little late, and accomplished all 7 of my goals for today!

Please be careful on the road, and watch out for cyclists!

These are the pics from today’s adventures….wound pictures not included :)

Tea Party boatsBoston Tea PartyNorth EndWater fountainBiking in front of NBSS110111092 094 095 096 097 098  100 102103105106120118      114 115State House    Arm pit shotSwan boats 2Public Gardens 2Swan boatsPublic Gardens waterPaul ReverePlantsCitgoCommonwealth AveWoodland Golf ClubWoodland Club HouseSherbornSherborn farmTractorMedfieldSharon   Canton

If your would like to donate to Liz’s Bike to Build at NBSS Fund, click here.

 

MUSICAL CYCLIST

If your would like to donate to Liz’s Bike to Build at NBSS Fund, click here.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST MUSICAL CYCLIST VIDEO:

If you live in or around the South Shore and happen to hear an array of tunes at a moderate volume traveling by your home at about 8 to 25 miles an hour (depending on the incline), don’t jump to conclusions and prematurely scold your teenager who has a habit of blaring music as he peels out of the driveway. If you live in Merrymount, Hough’s Neck, Germantown, or Adam’s Shore and hear what seems to be an early morning alarm clock playing music in a distant room, go back to sleep because it is not your alarm (or your neighbor’s). It is me, the mysterious musical cyclist, the girl who speeds around like I am still a bike messenger. Now, however, I have added features that I did not have when I was earning my money pedaling the streets of Manhattan…I HAVE SPOTIFY AND A JBL WIRELESS SPEAKER!They work like magic (aka: bluetooth via my phone, which I still don’t really understand). The phone and speaker fit so perfectly into the back pockets of my cycling shirts, as if the pockets were put there for this very purpose. I can listen to whatever artist I want, depending on my mood. In other words, on any given day, you could see or hear me pedaling at a leisurely pace to Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” beebopping gleefully to Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” smashing my pedals in rhythm to a Nickelback, Guns n Roses, or Lynyrd Skynyrd song, and almost universally ending my ride with Eminem kicking me in the tail with “Till I Collapse” or “Lose Yourself.” I cannot imagine a world without music and movement, and I am incredibly blessed that I have the ability to feel and utilize both. So I apologize in advance if you are enjoying your morning meditation and having a zen moment, which then gets interrupted by the Musical Cyclist pedaling by to Pink’s “Sober.” If so, just smile and wave. If I am traveling at a speed of 35 miles per hour or above, don’t wave because I might get distracted and crash.

Biking to Beyonce video

If your would like to donate to Liz’s Bike to Build at NBSS Fund, click here.

 

 

 

JUST ME AND MY CANNONDALE (OLD YELLER’)

Hingham through the spokes

If you would like to contribute to Liz’s Bike to Build at NBSS fund, click here.

It was love at first sight when I met Old Yeller’, which I affectionately named my Cannondale, at Bike Barn in Whitman, MA (which I don’t believe is still in business). I bought her after pulling in money all summer painting fences and cleaning my dad’s bar every morning. I was so excited and proud to have bought my first road bike, and I couldn’t wait to take it on the New York to Boston AIDS Ride, which I was scheduled to do a couple of months later.

As it turns out, the bike ride from Bear Mountain, New York to Boston wasn’t the biggest test Old Yeller’ would face that year. Before my friends and I had pulled out of the driveway to head to Bear Mountain, Old Yeller’ and a couple bicycle friends were seriously injured by a giant oak tree, which was shielded by the driver’s blind spot.  Three bikes were on a rear-mounted bike rack and Old Yeller’ was the last to board…but unfortunately, the first to greet the tree. Less than a month old, my yellow aluminum beauty didn’t have a scratch on it until then. So we got segued in Rhode Island and headed straight to a bike infirmary for some much needed intensive care. Old Yeller’ got two new wheels and some other minor adjustments, and the rest of the bikes were checked out and repaired…and alas, we were off to New York.

I am not sure exactly the time frame of that accident, but I would guess it was at least 15 years ago. Since then, Old Yeller’ has journeyed through many states for lots of different causes, and has never failed me. She has provided me comfort and familiarity, as my home away from home during work trips to Vermont and West Virginia where she brought me much needed mountain solace and incredible exercise. She has been my traveling companion, helping me to navigate my way through unknown streets while on vacation. She has earned me some dough and helped keep me safe when I dodged more than one crazy cab driver while working as a NYC bike messenger.  Most of all, she has been a constant therapeutic companion when I needed to thrash out some frustration or calmly cruise down a country road.

Old yellow checking out the Boston skyline

I would love to upgrade to a titanium Cannondale one day, but like my incredibly loving and loyal dog Hope (who is my “first” dog), there will never be another “first” like Old Yeller.’

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If you would like to contribute to Liz’s Bike to Build at NBSS fund, click here.

WARPED PRIORITIES PERHAPS, BUT TRAINING HAS BEGUN…

My overhauled bike overlooking Quincy Bay

Old yellow checking out the Boston skyline

To make a contribution to Liz’s Bike to Build at NBSS fund, click here.

So old yeller (OY) is back, fresh off the repair stand at Bicycle Link, and it is riding fine. One flat tire fixed, two new Bontrager tires, adjusted hand brakes, wheels trued, and the derail, hub and bottom bracket adjusted. Old yeller’ is feeling like a new woman.  I find it a little ironic that the moment my tire went flat and my gears started to skip a bit, I rushed OY into the bike infirmary and got her nursed back to health. My 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe is a different story, as I am probably a couple thousand miles overdue for an oil change, the tire pressure light has been trying to get my attention for a good 9 months now and goes away every 7 to 10 days when I visit the familiar and friendly attendants at Shell and they kindly add air to it AGAIN…and then a friend nicely pointed out yesterday that my car interior looks like a recycling center with all the diet pepsi cans and water bottles. Does this mean my priorities are a little out of whack? OY says not.

So my training started officially today and unofficially yesterday. I dragged my overstuffed body (from a fabulous lunch at Granite Links) and forced myself to put on my cycling gear aimed for winter riding…typical for Massachusetts in late April. The cloud cover was thick, the rain spitting more than I would have liked, and temperature cool…so fortunately the wind was nearly nonexistent. I did my usual short route down along the water through Quincy Center, Merrymount, Adam’s Shore, and Hough’s Neck…only about 10 miles door to door….it was enough to make me feel pumped because the training had begun, but not enough to wipe me out.

Unfortunately, the ease with which I rode yesterday is not so much a result of my tip top, tight cycling physique, but more a result of the knowledge that I am now a blogger on wheels. Knowing now that I am maintaining a blog to track my riding, fundraising, and lots of other quirky unessential aspects of my life has changed the way I ride. When jumping on my bike yesterday, instead of just loading up the essentials (gear to change a tire and liquid to hydrate), I found myself packing my camera and planning where I could stop and take pictures. Stop? I don’t normally stop on a bike ride, unless it is 30 miles or more. Take pictures? A real cyclist who earned her stripes as a New York City bike messenger doesn’t take pictures along the route. I have some internal tapes to change, as you can see…and I will be focusing more on enjoying the journey rather than riding as hard and fast as I can.  So my normal 40 minute ride  stretched to about 60 minutes the last couple of days, but I smelled more of the flowers, heard the music of a variety of bird species, and I snapped a few shots for people to see.

Enjoy the journey!

Don't do this at home...taking selfies while riding a bike :)

Low tide and empty chairs

 

Where I belong

Boston landmark

The ROCK

Hill is coming soon

Hingham through the spokes

Washed ashore by the cold

Not so skilled with selfies

To make a contribution to Liz’s Bike to Build at NBSS Fund,        click here.