BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Anybody else want to share any 2011 goals?

Sort of.

I get sick alot, so I don't like to think in terms of goals, because if I get taken under and lose alot of ground, esp if the things I'd hoped to do become out of reach, the idea of it being a failed goal adds dejection to the trouble.

That said, I have been thinking of things I'd like to do, and have started working towards, looking forward to at least the attmept. Not based on the new year so much, but here they are:

Ride through the cold. That's been going really well - it's just deciding, getting out of the house, and that first bit before I get warmed up (there's a downhill leaving here before my first climb). After that, I'm totally thrilled to be out there. (Fingers and toes still a challenge, but I'm working on it)

Riding to my mother's this spring. It'll be 30 miles out, 30 back, with a few hours of visiting in between. I've done 40 miles without a break, so I'm feeling positive about this. My plan is to do exploratory rides to see the route, turning back partway a little further each time. By the time I see roads I know, I'll just go all the way to her place, figuring the break will make up for the extra miles.

A longer ride. If the stuff to my mother's works out, I have somewhere I'd like to go, a little over 100 miles away. I've never done a century- I'm not generally in my element on group rides. But to do it to *get* somewhere, that I could get into. Same plan: exloratory rides partway out and back until I feel ready. Then a ride out, sleep, day of rest, sleep, ride back. I've got a to do list to get through before that one, and I'll probably start a thread to pick your brains with quesitons, not least of which will be another route advice request.

See how much I can do without my car. So far, what I'm finding is "a whole heck of alot". I'm actually needing to use it less than it needs to be run. Maybe I won't replace it when it goes (this will be fairly soon I think). Maybe 2011 will be the year I try zipcar.

@bikefind, I've had the idea of taking a Saturday and riding out to my family's farm in Murrysville and back for a long time but have yet to implement...I feel like this might be the year.

I'm also planning to ride the century option for the MS 150. The above will be a possible training route for this goal.

Another goal I have is to try the Dirty Dozen, but I have very little hope in actually doing this... We'll see!

My Goals are more meager than last year's.

I would like to do the TourDeCure again this year... but the wedding is almost exactly 1 month before the TDC, and I'm not sure I'll get training time in between wedding/honeymoon/etc.

So my resolutions are to:

1)More cold weather biking.

2) More of my own repairs/maintenance. [Not going well, see #1)

3) Go UP Sycamore at least once.

4) Find my finance a bike. (She wants a cruiser, specifically an orange one that is inexpensive by her definition.)

I was just thinking this morning that I need to find somewhere to keep my bike that is not the living room. So that's my goal. I don't want to put it in the basement because of dealing with steps all the time, but it may be the best solution...hmm.

On the bike goals are just to ride more and to yell less.

bikefind - I hear you about the goals. That's why I try to ease in to mine and make them straightforward with lots of feel-good milestones in between

gimPAC - I have relatives out in Murrysville that I need to get to on a regular basis - let me know if you want company or if you find a particularly pleasant route - I always take 380 'cause it's easy and I won't get lost.

You guys reminded me - I too need to find better bike parking (our garage runneth over) and find the hubby a bike (patiently waiting for free-ride to open, so patient... so patient...). I may even add "Take Hubby on a Flock Ride" to the list, but I don't want to push my luck.

2010 - Dirty Dozen - check

2011 - Crush the Commonwealth

@Tabby - 'ride more and to yell less' - You are such a riot! Did you jump in the river again (crazy girl!)?

I try not to make resolution but im gonna give it a go, and hey maybe putting it in writing like this will help to spur me on.

I only managed to ride just short of 300 miles last year (no excuse) so this year I want to ride more than that.

I'm going to put a Compact Gruppo on my Litespeed.

-Keep riding in the cold weather (so far, I'm doing better than I expected, thanks in large part to advice and encouragement from yinz)

-Keep getting most of my groceries on bike

-Build-A-Bike @ Free Ride in the spring

-Maybe a ride to DC

I have five bikes in supposedly ridable condition, but typically all need some part repaired, replaced or adjusted. If I can have all five of them in ready-to-roll condition at any one time, that would be just dandy. If I can get all five fully equipped with the proper lights, reflectors, bells, etc., that would be even better.

Meanwhile, just be out there in suburban traffic every chance I can. So far, I'm 4 for 4 riding in 2011.

Oh, one more thing: I *will* be on a World Naked Bike Ride. Don't know which city or date, but it would be really nice not to have to travel very far.

It has been suggested to me that my resolution should be to not wear my commuter pant leg velcro things when I'm not on my bike.

I routinely forget to take them off, and it seems to embarrass those around me. To those people, I apologize, and I hope that 2011 will be a better year in this regard.

-Finally let go of my beloved sea foam green bike and trade it in towards something that will be easier to ride around on

-Start making time in my schedule to ride said bike should my finances allow for the purchase

-Get back into shape, and not let my back and hip get me down

my goals are just to ride on my days off, maybe get to know oakland better, eat better (read: not food from work), and ultimately drop some pounds. This past weekend was a start, I estimate about 30 miles between saturday and sunday.

That's a good resolution, Dan.

Here are mine:

-Crush the Commonwealth

-Pittsburgh to DC in 2 days with StefB.

-Dirty Dozen

Dirty dozen

+DC in 2 days...right?

@MS88- I didn't jump. It was too warm out Hope next year is better

Pittsburgh to DC... but not likely in 2 days.

In general - ride more!

[edit: ride up Negley at least once a week!]

Ride more, ie: group rides, solo rides, ride to the store, ride ride ride.

Become more active in the cycling community.

Build/restore more bikes(ratrods, customs, vintage, etc...)

Rides: 5boros bike ride, MS150, Pedal Pittsburgh, Flock rides, Dirty Dozen, etc....

I also want to get a welder and learn how to weld so I can build bikes.

Also I want to add more bike related pieces to my woodworking.

Whew.....thats a long list. I shouldn't be wasting time on here...hahhahaha

Oh yeah dc in 2 days and i have to remember to do the 5 boroughs ride. I forget every year. When is it? May?

5 boroughs ride is May 1st.

Montreal Bikefest in June.

GAPCANDO to DC with the boy in June.

Get my neighbor lady (Super nice heavy 45 y.o. who just separated from a boat anchor of a husband, only son just went away to college) hooked on biking. Challenge.

oh yeah, I wanna do the 5 Boro ride too, but just figuring out the details.

@ejwme, that would be cool to have some company! I have a route in mind and it does include 380. I just never road on country roads or highway-ish roads before the MS 150 last year, so I was nervous about it. Now I think I'm good.

@gimPAC - just let me know when. Sundays are easy, everything else just takes planning

is there a link for this 5 Boro ride? I am intrigued...

@edmonds......feel free to enlist my participation as you try to get your neighbor on a bike. A few outings on the Montour Trail perhaps? If she's not too tall, I have a Trek she could borrow for a few months until she knows whether she really wants to do this or not...

@ejwme Here is a link for the 5boro ride.

http://www.bikenewyork.org/rides/fbbt/index.html

Oh - THOSE five boroughs. I thought maybe it was five near here. Looks fun

The 5 boroughs ride looks fun: I might have to do that. Bummer that megabus does not take bikes.

This will be my first time doing the 5boroughs ride(if I get in) It does look very fun, I've watched all the videos etc...

You MUST sign up early! They only let 32,000 riders in and it sells out. Sign up starts Feb. 1st.

@racedoug: so does it sell out within minutes, or just very soon after the sign up date? I put the sign up date on my calendar.

If anyone is looking for (relative to Manhattan), clean, safe, reasonably priced accommodations in NYC, I recommend The Pod hotel or the Upper West Side YMCA. If you have 2 people in a room with a shared bath down the hall, they're hard to beat price wise. YMCA is run down but clean and safe.

I'm not sure. I would guess it would sell out in hours not mins. but then again who knows.

Ywanna do a five-boros ride? How about Trafford-Pitcairn-Turlcrik-EPgh-Braddock?

@Stu: I'm in. Sounds like fun.

Stu - I'm in too

it might be nice to squeeze mount oliver borough into there. that way we can go boroughing without leaving the city's (outer) borders!

me, too!

you know, if we keep it about 40-50 miles, we would be more likely at a 15-25 borough ride.

only thing being... it won't be car free like the NYC ride...

"only thing being... it won't be car free like the NYC ride..."

No problem, just do it on a car-free-Friday...

I might be able to do it.

@Marko82: haaaa..... funny.

Resolutions are about trying to force yourself to do something you don't want to, but think you ought to. For me, that would be something like "file my taxes before October," not "ride more."

Not necessarily. People resolve to eat better or exercise more. They might have just been lazy about it, and it might not be something that they actually hate doing. Although some of the items listed above sound more like goals.

Thats true, my cycling "resolutions" are more goals rather than resoulutions, my bad.

would like to ride 10,000 miles while having

a job.

Not that Wikipedia is authoritative, but it at least illustrates that Lyle's interpretation is not the only one:

"A New Year resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to a personal goal, project, or the reforming of a habit."

I don't have a problem with someone resolving to do something you want to do - wanting to do something and making a commitment to do it are two very different things.

I will agree that "ride more" is kind of crappy, just because it's too vague. "ride X miles" or "do at least N group rides" would be better...

does "Ride on your day off" count?

haha, it's something that I want to do, and now that I don't have to bus home after I leave the house anymore, it should be easy enough, it's just the getting out of the house part that's tough.

I had a friend that, every Lent, he tried to up a good habit rather than giving up a bad one. He took it as a spring time opportunity to try something he'd never done, try and improve his life. One year, mountain biking. The next year, photography. His theory I think was something like bad habits should be ditched (or attempted to be ditched) year round and permanently, not just for a few weeks. But good habits, or hobbies, can be hard to start without an excuse.

I think a lot of resolutions are broken because they're things people feel they should do but in reality don't want to do. For me, the trick has been framing it right, working up to it, being honest about what I want out of it, recognizing that the occasional deviation is not failure, and even failure is ok.

RF - ride on your day off definitely counts! You know you've succeeded if you're on a bicycle not headed to work

the tough part will just be being consistent. I'm pretty sure it was here that someone said that not doing it one day makes it easier to not do it the next.

I resolve to put more miles on my bicycle this year than either my cousin or my neighbor put on their motorcycles - I beat both of them this year, but they didnt know we were racing;)

Ah, that reminds me of a good one - ride more miles than I drive. It's possible I accomplished that last year, but I didn't keep good enough records. I know I'm ahead since August 1, although it's closer than I'd like.

well, my goal will be postponed a bit, due to me being the sickest kid on the block today. It sucks, because I love riding in the snow, and there's a fresh layer down right now.

To race Nick up a hill on the DD

To not give the finger to anybody, regardless of the circumstances (did it less than five times this year I think)

@Salty If the quantity of riding is known from the previous year, riding "more" should be quite an achievable goal

I achieved more miles ridden than drove in the month of September and it was awesome.

My daily life generally includes more commuting miles non-driven (walk, bus, bike) than driven, but any trips out of town and the proportions get thrown way off.

Bike or run to and from swim practice is a goal, but I don't think it's a realistic permanent change due to time constraints.

@jeg Bike or run to and from swim practice is a goal

Biking to Trees Hall is a workout itself. Biking to your swim workout would be a huge stepup in exercise per workout.

Good luck.

I sometimes go for 3 or 45 months without even getting in a car - but then if I rent and go on a road trip, that milage might exceed what I usually travel in 3 or 4 months.

Thinking about this post, now that it's six days into 2011, I think I'm up to about 80 miles on the bike and 12 driving the car. It's going to be tough keeping that up, though.

There's miles, and there's number of trips out. I also try to figure in the number of trips on bus and foot. For me, the main thing is to avoid using the car.

Ride more. Pimp out my cargo bike ( more )

so since I've been sick, tomorrow will be the first day I can really enjoy a day off, so I plan on doing a short ride, then washing clothes/cleaning when I get home.

Here is the general route I have planned. If I'm trying to just do a leisurely, fun ride, is there anything I should look into avoiding? I'm still not familiar with oakland at all, so that's my main area of concern, but from what I do know, I should be pretty much okay...I have no problem getting off and walking up a hill, but the general unfamiliariarity is kind of off-putting.

no. you will be fine. center can be a little hairy but sundays are really mellow and you will only be on it for a block.

Hey RF, you did Forbes in both directions last Sunday, anything in Oakland will be flatter - have fun!

great! My goal is to do about 10 miles on my days off, since riding to and from work will usually only have me on the bike from 4-7 miles a day - which is cut way back from when I lived on Arlington ave, 10 miles was usually what I'd hit before I caught a bus up the hills.

Another challenge for me will be leaving my comfort zone bubble of East Allegheny/strip district/downtown/south side, and getting to know other neighborhoods.

I would continue through Southside and just take Hotmetal bridge, rather than going across Birmingham only to go down Bates. Forbes, Blvd of the Allies and Bates all kind of suck for biking on. Maybe you could go that way and just take sidewalks?

Hi RF -- if you don't have a current copy of the Pittsburgh Bicycle Map, see if you can grab one from the BikePgh office. PM me if you want to do some loops together some time. I have a weird work schedule, too.

[edit] I agree with dwillen about bates and blvd of allies.

@bikelove: what are your pimpin' plans for the cargo bike. just curious...

heading out soon. to combat getting lost, I'm just gonna bring my laptop, since I'll probably stop for tea somewhere along the way (I've still got a sore throat and I'm a bit stuffed up).

A good ride in the sun and some hot tea along the way might help. Have fun!

Caribou was really the only place open that had tea once I hit e carson (I stayed on bingham for most of the SS), and their tea is crazy expensive, so I had regular coffee and a muffin, and an apple.

walked part of panther hollow because I felt uneasy on the snow with frozen tire tracks all through it, and walked up boundary to centre.

wanted to check out the big idea on my way back (I've never been there before, but heard good things), but they were closed due to no volunteers. So I'm thinking I might volunteer there on sundays now.

it was fun, and I actually feel much better. Now it's time to do some laundry.

I would love to commute to work, but a company vehicle and the need to travel to work sites kills that.

I sit in my truck everyday in envy.

I will keep continuing to use my bike more and more for short errands.

I will try and lead one more to the enjoyment of cycling.

I will try and get one more rider to race.

I will dedicate some of my training time to be a training partner for a junior racer.

I will admit my selfishness here; I want to win a race.

pimpin plans-

new bags, I currently have hand made bags that aren't quite strong enough for a full load of groceries. Xtracycle bags are on their way for my b-day present!

I got battery powered non-Christmas lights to help with visibility.

a memory foam LARGE seat pad for my passenger(s)

coffee cup holder for the little handle bar space I have left, as well as one for a passenger which will be attached on the back rack It's important to me my passenger (usually my sister) be just as comfortable as me, if not more, on my bike.

home sort of sound system. I have tried a few different things, and none of them last very long. I'm really hoping to find something that is sturdy, cheap(ish), and has volume control that can be fairly easily accessed. For example, I'd like to be able to turn it down if need be.

skinnychris - could you take your bike with you to work, or leave a vehicle at work - like bike to your car and then use the car, or take the bike along and tour around at lunch or something? I can think of a number of jobs where none of that would work, but maybe you're luckier

Friday afternoon one of my friends at work got up the nerve to admit she didn't know how to ride a bike. I offered to teach her, but I don't know how to do that. She suggested we wait until nicer weather happens. But another goal of mine is to teach someone (probably her) to ride a bike.

Bikelove2010 - when your pimpin plans pan out, you will have the awesomest bike on the planet.

ej, with an adult I wonder if you couldn't do something similar to the way kids learn to ride, ie remove the pedals and have them velocipede around until they get the hang of it, idea. I have a couple of bikes without top-tubes that would be good for teaching, let me know if you would want to borrow something.

When I was a little kid I was terrified of bicycles. But I was getting taller and the time had come to move on from tricycles, and so I had to do something. One day I summoned up whatever courage I had and went around to the back of the house, where the grass sloped away (though towards a flat yard). I got on the bike while hanging on to the corner of the (wooden) house and after the knot in my stomach had relaxed a bit, I let go. Amazingly, I didn't fall over! This had been my greatest fear, I could not believe that the bike could stay up on its own, with just two wheels. Those few moments made me understand how the bike worked and that was enough to make me confident; a great summer followed.

Anyway, I don't know if something similar will work for your friend, but it may be worth a try.

@Bikelove: that sounds like fun. Coffee cup holders: yeah! RE the seat cushion, it might be worthwhile to have one custom made by a local upholsterer. There is fabric by "sunbrella" made for outdoor patio furniture cushions that is mildew resistant. And stylish! I think of my Trek as a 2-wheeled minivan at times. Check out Nick's sound systems on a FOC ride some time, if you have not already.

I need to build a sound system, though I am not resolved to do that. Like maybe a 6 on a resoluteness scale of 10.

As an aside; "HMS Resolute was a mid-19th century barque-rigged ship of the British Royal Navy, specially outfitted for Arctic exploration. Resolute became trapped in the ice and was abandoned."

This just seems to be the fate of resolutions.

I read somewhere recently about a person who found that creating a visual icon to represent each resolution was the key to his/her success. Something simple, easy to draw and recall from memory, so that if placed on a strategic sticky note or thought of while performing a related activity, the image could act as a reminder, an association, and a marker of success all at once. Not saying it would have worked for HMS Resolute, or for all resolutions, but I like the idea, and have been trying to incorporate it in to mine. (For my "twice a week in January" commute, I've got a mental caricature of Stu riding 12 frosty miles with two bikes at once, for "Thrice in Feb" I'll probably shoot for three circus monkeys on a trike or something, etc, though they probably should be simpler).

I already broke my second New Years resolution...

18 wheeler is following behind me on a little on-ramp, then we're probably a good 200 yards down the road from where we got on (Mifflin Road/ 885)

While passing me he lays on the horn with the big -OMG-you're-going-to-die,-my brakes-don't-work-horn

Then I break my second New Years resolution

He lays on the horn again

I break my New Years resolution again

Don't be so hard on yourself, Pierce. If your resolution was what I think it was, preventing that response is like preventing your foot kicking when the doctor whacks your knee.

Pierce - True there are often other ways of explaining to dangerous motor vehicle operators that their actions are unaccepable, but sometimes there is only one option. Doing nothing is passively accepting their behavior as accepable.