Let it Snow!

I haven't been cured of my Weather.com addiction yet.  In fact, it's getting worse.  I grew up in Southern California, where the weather forecast was always the same:  "Late night and early morning low clouds burning off by mid-morning.  Highs in the low '80s."  I could go for weeks without checking the weather forecast, and yet I still managed to dress myself every morning and ride my bike around without any major weather-induced catastrophes. 

Here in Milwaukee, it's a different story.  I guess that's because we actually have weather here.  I compulsively check the weather before each commute.  I study the radar maps.  I analyze the wind speed and direction.  I evaluate the wind chill.  Based on that data, I make critical decisions concerning my wardrobe and bike gear. 

So now that we are under a "winter weather warning," the excitement is almost intolerable.  All pumped up on forecasts of near-blizzard conditions, I left my house this morning looking for accumulations of snow so that I could purposely ride through them.  I took the photo that appears at the top of this post because it was the snowiest-looking street I could find on my commute this morning.  In fact, most of my ride was on clear pavement.  I really did my best to create the illusion (both in my own fantasy world and on this blog) that I braved fierce conditions in order to get to work this morning. 

In fact, conditions weren't that fierce.  Instead, my ride was rather sedate this morning.  The roads were nice.  The winds were light, and the temperatures weren't that cold.  A light snow was falling, but I arrived at work bone dry (I'll take snow over rain any day). 

The weather forecasters insist that the really nasty stuff is still on its way.  We're supposed to get up to 12 inches here by the end of tomorrow.  And if those predictions don't actually pan out, I'll do my best to pretend that they did.          

Warm Weather

photo by Baxterclaus

I've made the critical mistake of checking Weather.com about 75 times a day during the past couple of weeks.  Perhaps the chilly October we had here in Milwaukee made me jumpy.  I have been convinced that winter was coming early this year.  Quite to the contrary, November was an absolutely lovely month for cycling - very little rain, mild temperatures, and (most importantly) not a single snowflake.  Last year, December came in like loud, drunk, unwanted dinner guest, plastering this fair city with more snow, ice and crud than most places see in an entire winter.  So I guess I've been anticipating winter's return with a lot of trepidation.  Too much trepidation, actually, but I like to worry about things that I have no control over.  And Weather.com hasn't helped matters lately by repeatedly reporting snow storms and freezing temperatures that never materialize. 

What all this boils down to is that I mounted studded tires on my bike a little too early.  I must have had too much time on my hands over the Thanksgiving weekend.  Again, predictions of snow yesterday turned out to be unfounded.  Today is yet another delightful, sunny day, and here I am, riding around the city on slow and noisy studded tires.  I've arrived at the party too early, yet again.  If you see me out on the street, please don't point and laugh.   

But I do think that studded tires are a good idea for anyone who wants to commute during the winter months.  They work well.  I'm a family man on the eve of my 40th birthday.  The thought of wiping out on a patch of ice is frightening enough to help me endure four months of slower riding.  So I don't mind jumping the gun a little.  Now watch - it won't snow until January. 

Winter Cycling Discussion - Thursday, November 19th

I'm all for year-round cycling, and it looks like these guys are, too.  Here is an excerpt from an email I received about an upcoming event here in Milwaukee that will help you get geared up for winter riding.  I've managed to survive my bike commute during the winter here with nothing more than some cruddy old clothes I had laying around the house, so you don't need to go spend $1,000 at REI to make it happen.  Anyway, here's the email:

The Milwaukee Bicycle Collective, Truly Spoken Cycles, The Bella Donnas, and UWM's U-Bike program have teamed up to promote the continuation of cycling in the winter with an open discussion at Transfer Pizzeria. Anyone who is interested in learning more about proper layering, lighting, and riding through snow and ice in the city is invited to attend. Veteran winter riders are also encouraged to stop by and give their advice for what works and what doesn't.

This coalition also hopes to attract a large group of winter enthusiasts to show the city that the cycling infrastructure needs to be maintained just as well as the automobile infrastructure throughout all seasons. Deep, broken seams in bike lanes and excuses like "Plows don't expect people to use the bike paths or lanes" are unacceptable.

Cycling in Milwaukee has doubled in the last two years (http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/lifestyle/60297582.html?c=y&commentSubmitted=y), well above the national average, and the accident rate has also fallen by 400% in the last four years (http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/lifestyle/62694612.html). We aim to promote safe cycling, even through the toughest months in Wisconsin, from staying warm to staying sweat-free to acheiving high visibility on particularly snowy days and dark nights.

The Winter Cycling Discussion will be held at Transfer Pizzeria at 7:00 on Thursday, November 19th. Door prizes and ap-pizza-tizers will be available as well as drink specials.

Be sure to go to this nifty website for more information.

Working Long Hours

Photo by umjanedoan

Being a lawyer can be a busy occupation sometimes.  I have fallen into a dark, bottomless pit teething with the dreaded serpents of long hours and pressing deadlines this past week, so I have unfortunately neglected this blog.  And I would have continued to neglect this blog had I not seen a glimmer of hope this morning in my war against bike thievery.  Last week, I reported on a Rocky Mountain Soul that had appeared unlocked one morning at my bike rack - a notorious hiding place for stolen bicycles.  I had assumed that it was stolen. 

This morning, that bike reappeared, again unlocked.  However, now I'm not so sure the bike is stolen.  To set the scene a little, I usually lock up my bike with both a u-lock and a cable lock while I'm at work.  Unless I have to take my bike somewhere the next morning before coming to work, I'll leave both of those heavy, cumbersome locks attached to the bike rack so I don't have to schlep them around.  That's what I did last night. 

This morning, the owner (thief?) of the Rocky Mountain Soul, who apparently can't scrape together a few dollars to buy his own lock, carefully draped my cable lock over the handlebars of his bike in order to create the impression that his bike was in fact locked to the rack.  I suppose that, viewed from afar, he indeed created that impression.  Maybe that is enough to deter thieves in Milwaukee.  I don't know.  It certainly wouldn't keep a bike from getting stolen where I'm from. 

I felt terrible when I had to yank my cable lock off of the Rocky Mountain in order to lock up my own bike this morning.  I hope it doesn't get stolen, and if it's already a stolen bike (we haven't ruled that out yet), then I hope it doesn't get stolen again.  Two wrongs don't make a right. 

Has Anyone Seen the Bridge? Where's that Confounded Bridge?

One thing I'm good at is making ill-informed accusations (except, of course, in my legal practice, where I adhere to the highest standards of professionalism).  Last week, in the haze of my excitement about the reopening of the Highland Boulevard bridge, I criticized the new and improved bridge of looking "exactly the same as it did when they closed it down last year," noting that the city workers didn't even bother to repaint the bike lane stripes.  With my tail between my legs, I return to you, my friends, with words of reparation.  You see, I was wrong.  Very wrong.  The bike lane stripes were in fact repainted:

Apparently, this bike lane is only for pastry chefs riding frameless bikes with 36-inch oval wheels.  They must have a pretty strong lobby in city hall. 

Not only that, the bridge has other new-looking features, such as this brick wall adorned with an elegant metal railing:

I really felt foolish when I saw this plaque commemorating the bridge being "built" in 2009. And I thought the bridge was just closed for repairs.  They built the whole darn thing!

One thing I was relieved to see this morning was that the classic Miller sign that sits atop the Miller brewery has not been changed to read "MillerCoors" just yet.  I'm glad to see some things stay the same.

Is This Your Bike? (Part III)

Not again!  I've posted on this blog previously about how the bike rack behind my office building has become a depository for what appear to be stolen bikes.  First there was the Schwinn, which has languished at the bike rack, unlocked, for over a year.  Then there was that cute little rascal, the Huffy, which appeared at the bike rack for less than 24 hours and then disappeared. 

This morning, I was horrified to find this Rocky Mountain Soul leaning, unlocked, on the bike rack.  What troubles me most is that this time it looks like the thief nabbed a halfway decent bike (emphasis on the "halfway").  Perhaps the thief is starting to go after higher-grade booty.  And if that's the case, chances are the thief won't be satisfied until he or she has tasted some real high-end componentry.  Who knows.  Maybe I'll show up some morning in the not-too-distant future and find one of Lance Armstrong's time-trial bikes sitting there at the bike rack.  Well, let me tell you Mr./Ms. Bike Thief, you are hereby warned that just like Lance was able to recover his stolen bike with the help of his 140,000 Twitter followers, so too this mighty blog, with its readership now numbering in the double digits (when I include people I'm related to), will help reunite this poor frightened and lost Rocky Mountain Soul with its rightful owner.

Attention Westside Commuters - The Highland Boulevard Bridge Is Finally Open!

In case you weren't aware, the Highland Boulevard bridge has been closed for over a year for repairs. Yesterday, it reopened.  Perhaps it's a testament to how dull my life has been lately, but I can't contain my excitement. 

Listen, this bridge ain't no Golden Gate.  All it does is span some railroad tracks by the the Miller Brewery and the Harley Davidson headquarters.  I don't know what they have been doing to it over the past year, but the thing looks exactly the same as it did when they closed it down last year.  I don't think they even bothered to repaint the bike lane stripes.  But like an old member of the family who resurfaces after a year in rehab, it's good to have him back, warts and all. 

This is good news for me because, over the past year, I have been forced to take a less-than-glamorous detour down a seedy section of Vliet and along a particularly franchise-laden strip of 35th Street in order to reunite with Highland's bike lane, which takes me downtown to work in the morning.  I really missed that bridge.  Before its closing, it had been one of the few bright spots on my commute to work.  I'm glad to have it back.

Photo by Eddie-S

However, not everything is a rosy as it appears.  It looks like the Miller Brewing Company has taken advantage of the bridge's closing to do something devious.  This morning, as I rode past Miller's corporate office, I noticed a new sign on the side of the building which read "MillerCoors".  Now I'm sure those of you who actually read the newspaper would say, "Hey, buddy, that's old news."  Well, let me tell you, it was a shocker.  Not that I give a hoot about Miller.  I'm originally from California, so I drink whatever beer I feel like without feeling like I'm risking some sort of breach of regional decorum.  Nor was it a shock to see those two tried-and-true brand names side by side.  I mean, they both taste like crap anyway, and, by now, we're all used to massive corporations merging together to form even more massive entities in the ongoing race towards global mediocrity. 

I think what upset me most was seeing the capital "C" in front of the sub-word "Coors".  MillerCoors.  Since when is it okay to put capital letters in the middle of words?  Sure, the Germans capitalize all their nouns.  I can live with that.  But why do Miller and Coors have to share the same word?  Are we too lazy to read two separate words?  Are they trying to save space as a result of the economic downturn?  Fifty years ago, they would have called it "The Miller and Coors Brewing Company."  What if we all went around eliminating "useless" words in our speech in an effort to corporatize our speech?  Would my wife understand me if instead of telling her "the baby is crying" I just said, "BabyCry"? 

And the other thing that detracted from my celebration of the Highland Boulevard bridge was the fact that someone (presumably, the police) put one of those big signs which tells you how fast you are going smack dab in the middle of the bike lane.  While I was delighted to learn that I was going 14 miles per hour into a strong headwind this morning, I would have preferred to have the bike lane open to protect me from cars approaching from behind that were no doubt going much faster than 14 miles per hour. 

But that's enough complaining, isn't it?  This was supposed to be a celebratory post.  Those of us who commute from Milwaukee's westside have a good reason to rejoice upon the reopening of the Highland Boulevard bridge!